Chapter 12

The Citadel

Shepard huffed.

She was only back on the station a few minutes and already she was ready to go home again. The crowds were the same mostly, only now for every twenty people she could see one synthetic walking around the paths and pavilions of the Citadel.

Shepard had just grabbed her bags from the taxi when a geth approached her.

"Do you require assistance, Spectre?"

Jane gave a warm smile in return, noting the living vines wrapped and intertwined around the geth's arm – a sign that the synthetic was bonded to one of the former Aegrus now firmly settled on Haestrom.

"I'm fine but thank you. Where's your partner-in-crime?" she replied cheerily with a nod to indicate the vines.

"She remains on Haestrom awaiting my return."

"What brings you so far from your home?"

The geth tilted it's strange head, the servos whistling and churning at the movement.

"I've been sent to speak with you."

Shepard blinked. "Huh. Good timing. Is this gonna be a private conversation?"

"It would be preferable."

Jane hoisted her largest bag over her shoulder. "Well, let's go to my place then. It's secured."

She made to grab the rest of her bags only to be beaten to it by the geth who quickly followed after her through the crowds.


"Nom Nom Nom!" Gaius mumbled happily through his mouthful of food.

Kari had dinner waiting for them as soon as they stepped inside their home and her grandson needed no prompting to quickly start munching on it.

Garrus was more sedate in his eating, thanking Kari for the effort while remarking on how good it all was.

They were closer than what they had been. Over time and through conscious effort on Garrrus's part, they'd gotten to know each other.

He liked Kari.

She was sweet, gentle and kind but could be as hard and as cold as the compacted sheet ice outside the homestead if she needed to be.

Avitus loved her, that Garrus knew for certain.

They had a very different relationship to the one he'd seen between his father and Vekisa.

The sting had worn off over time and in no small part to the knowledge that that marriage had been a sham to begin with.

It was nice to see his father happy and Avitus clearly was with Kari who was now unrecognizable from a few years ago when she was first freed from the ancient ship.

Gaius had seen a picture of his Nanna from that time and refused to believe it was her.

After they'd finally convinced him, he'd sobbed his little heart out and only Kari and Garrus could console him.

"You're gonna have to slow down, little bird," Garrus cautioned his son softly. "Remember what happens when you eat too fast?"

"I get sicky."

"You do. So nice and easy. It's not a race."

Gaius nodded before he, in a very dramatic slow motion, lifted a fork full of food up to his mouth.

"Little bird... you can go a little faster than that."


A familiar ping started up from the omnitool resting around his wrist. Garrus winked at his toddler, who was being cleaned up from the mess he'd made by Kari, as he stepped away from the table.

"Jane! Finally! I was getting worried."

"That's cute, Garrus," came the chuckled reply.

"You got to the station okay?"

"Yeah. Alive and in one piece. I was greeted by a geth at the docks. About to sit down with him and see what he needs. Wanted to call first and check on my boys. How's little bird?"

Garrus glanced over at their toddler who'd finished eating his dinner and was now cuddled up to Avitus, the older turian lounging on the sitting room cushions while watching a zormex game.

"He's stuffed to bursting with some of Kari's finest drissin and kos. That's now followed up by watching a game with Dad. I'd say it's gonna be an early night tonight for him."

Shepard chuckled.

"I've unfortunately gotta go and chat to my guest. I'll message you later?"

"Do. Shepard?"

"Yeah?"

"I love you."

"I love you too. And the little bird. Tell him that for me."

"I will."


"So when is that reporter turning up again?"

Miri glanced over her shoulder at Victus who was reading a datapad while propped up in bed. He was attempting to make the question as nonchalant as possible.

Miranda, who'd been searching for one of her light negligees that helped her survive the nighttime heat of the city, had a far better idea of how to distract herself from the heat as she gazed at her partner.

She padded back to the bed barefoot and in her underwear.

At the bedside, she yanked back the light cover they used before Miri plucked the datapad from Victus's hands.

Once she settled herself astride him on the bed, Miranda leaned over and pressed her mouth close to his ear.

"What was the question again?"

Victus's hands were already roaming her body with every nerve ending tingling and she moaned softly.

"No idea," he hissed as her soft hand slid down between them and grabbed him tightly.

"These just have to go," Victus rumbled as he tore the flimsy underwear at the sides and tossed the scrap of fabric that remained away.

"You'll leave me with nothing to wear at all," Miranda gasped as he rolled them both over.

Her partner had just slipped into her, both groaning at the movement, when a shrill voice echoed from a nearby room.

"MOMMY! DADDY!"

They both froze.

"I'll go," Victus mumbled. "You stay right where you are."

He clambered off Miri who smirked at the turian as he yanked back his clothes and stepped out into the dark hallway.


The faint glow of his son's nightlight led him to the door where he heard... scuffling?

Victus's heart-rate went through the roof as he heard Tib's dampened cries as if someone had their hand over his mouth.

He'd just reached for the nearest weapon he had to hand when Miri, now in some of her more casual clothes, barreled past glowing blue as she charged in.

She'd wanted to know what their baby had wanted too and followed after him.

The would-be kidnappers had no idea what was coming.

Tib was dropped unceremoniously to the floor by the hooded intruder who spotted Miri, threw the child down and dived back out the window. His companion wasn't so lucky and found themselves smashed hard against the wall.

Victus arrived after her, hastily grabbed weapon in hand, and quickly noted the open window and the damaged frame.

"One escaped," Miranda snarled as she ripped the hood of the now unconscious intruder.

She frowned. "An asari?"

"I've contacted Sec forces. They're on their way. We just need to keep her pinned her. Where's Tib?"

They both glanced around. The boy was nowhere to be seen.

"He's here!" Miranda said in a panic. "I saw him being dropped!"


Victus raised his hand to still her rushed words before he pointed at the bed in the silence that followed.

Faint sniffles and whimpers were coming from underneath.

Victus nudged Miri to keep an eye on their prisoner while he knelt down and peered into the dark below the bed's frame.

"Hey Scout. It's all okay now. You can come out."

Tib's wide eyes full of fear stared back at his father from where he'd curled up in the furthermost corner, pressed as close to the wall as he could be.

He shook his head at Victus. He wasn't leaving his spot.

"Come on, baby. Take my hand. You're safe now."

The toddler refused to move. He was frozen with fear.