AN: Another chapter. It's short, but you get a quick update. Expect the next chapter on Monday.

Thanks to everyone who reads, with special thanks to everyone who follows/favs and super special thanks to everyone who has reviewed. You guys rock!

Super special thanks to 2kinds from DA for betaing for me!

Hope you guys enjoy!


Chapter Twenty Nine - Nothing Spoiling

The Citadel - Kara's Bakery

2253 - 57 Years After the End of the Reaper War

"I'm closing up in a minute," Kara told them, interrupting the story once more. "You can stay here if you want, though."

Hilary shook her head. "Thanks for the offer but I think we both need a drink…"

"Stellar example you're setting there," Kara responded with a smile.

"Hey, she's not a kid and there's no way I can top Auntie Jane's British drinking ideals…"

"You're probably right," Kara agreed. "Well, it was nice to see you two. Don't be strangers."

"We won't," Hilary told her and Riina didn't bother to point out that she had no intention of being anything but a 'stranger'.

Riina had to admit that one good thing about the Citadel was that, between the multitude of different species living there and the constant influx of different ships, no matter what time you were going by, someone somewhere would be selling alcohol and you wouldn't be the only one buying.

She decided to simply follow Hilary, not really that bothered about where they ended up, though she noted that Hilary hadn't continued on with the story. Instead she just stayed quiet, seemingly examining the girl in front of her.

"What?" Riina asked, a little sharply.

"Nothing. I just… I just don't get you."

Riina bit back a response of 'No shit, tell me something I don't know,' instead just shrugging. "What do you mean?"

"You act as if you couldn't care less about what other people think of you but…"

"But?"

"You still cover your hair." She indicated to the fact that Riina had pulled up her hood once more. "You actively hide the fact that you're a hybrid."

Riina smirked a little, shaking her head. "I don't care about people knowing that I'm a hybrid. If the hood was to hide my hair then I certainly wouldn't put so much effort into maintaining this shade of blonde."

"Then why do you wear it constantly?"

Riina faltered a little at that before deciding to be honest. If she wanted Hilary to keep giving her information, she figured that she should try to maintain some kind of emotional connection which wasn't exactly her forte…

"I… It's easier. It gives me another barrier against the world which just makes me feel better. I don't really know why."

"You really are as bad as Auntie Jane, aren't you?"

"Yeah… I guess so…" Riina sighed, folding her arms as she found herself even more self conscious than usual. "So, are you going to continue on with the story or are you deliberately trying to change the subject?"

"I… Riina, are you sure you want me to continue? This story isn't a happy one and it won't be easy to hear."

"I knew that going in," the hybrid girl reasoned, "but I have to know…"


The Normandy

2220 - 24 Years After the End of the Reaper War

Sarah smiled as she inspected Esme's work. The hybrid girl had decided to go by Esme after watching that old sitcom that her parents had liked, picking the protagonist that she identified most with for her name. Sarah couldn't help but marvel at Esme's intellect. To have picked up turian script so well in just a few short weeks… she was tempted to start her on some human languages, to give her the basics in all.

So… the red turian is your… bondmate? Esme asked, placing her hand on Sarah's arm to transfer her thoughts.

"Yeah, he is. Why?"

Esme shrugged. I just… the way you structure yourselves is so… strange…

Sarah frowned before looking a little deeper to see what she meant. "You mean families?"

Esme nodded. The red turian is your bondmate and… Hilary? She is your 'sister'?

"You don't seem to understand the term."

I had thought it meant units that share… parents? But you do not share parents with Hilary.

"'Sister' is just an affectionate term we use for each other even though we're not, biologically, related. But that doesn't always mean anything. Family is a choice as much as it's the people you share blood with."

I still don't understand the term 'parents'.

"Well, they're… You know, they're…" Sarah trailed off, sighing, before simply taking Esme's hand in her own, sharing her knowledge with the younger hybrid.

They look after you and teach you, she figured.

"A little simplified but… yeah, I guess so. I guess if I had to add anything onto that, it would be love. Your parents love you unconditionally, no matter what."

And Shepard is your mother? And Garrus your father?

Sarah nodded. "Yeah, that's right."

Do… Do I have parents?

Sarah faltered a little, not expecting that question. Though, in hindsight, she probably should have seen it coming. It was just that… she wasn't sure how to explain to her that, while Cerberus was technically responsible for her creation, they weren't really her 'parents'.

If it's just someone who looks after me and teaches me and loves me then… I think I do.

"Really?"

I've got you, she reasoned.

Sarah just sat, staring at her for a few moments, dumbfounded, before replying. "I… I think I'm a little young to be your mother. I'm more like an older sister, really…"

I think I'd like that, Sis.

"I'd like that too," Sarah replied before sensing another presence in the room. "Tia? You need something?"

The asari just shrugged and Sarah couldn't help but note how the hybrid moved closer to her, seemingly shrinking away from Tia. She was still funny around everyone else.

"You okay to stay here?" Sarah asked Esme.

Yeah, it's fine, Esme assured her.

"You're not going to freak out again if Alice needs another blood sample?"

I promise I won't.

"Okay then," Sarah replied with a smile before indicating to Tia to follow her out of the room.

"She seems to be adjusting," Tia observed.

Sarah shrugged. "I think she's just young enough to land on her feet. It's not going to be easy for her but I'm going to do what I can to help. So, what's up? I was beginning to think your work had consumed you utterly."

"I… I'm fine…"

"Yeah, see, I believe that about as much as I believed Philip when he said the same thing. So, what's wrong? Did you two have a fight?"

Tia sighed, folding her arms. "No… I'd know how to deal with a fight. Hell, we've had more than enough of them over the years. This… This was different…"

"Could you dial down the cryptic just a bit? I'm way too tired to keep up."

"Philip sort of started to bring up something that I wasn't ready to talk about and… I might have freaked out on him a little…"

"And you've been avoiding him since then?"

"No, that's just it. He's avoiding me. Or, at least, neither of us are making an effort to actually talk to each other. But… it's been weeks and I miss him. I just… I don't know how to even begin talking about this with him."

"About what, Tia?"

"About us having children," the asari finally admitted, her gaze stuck to the floor.

"I didn't realise you guys were thinking about that."

"Yeah, well, neither did I. Sort of. He'd made vague hints to the idea but… I've been ignoring them."

"And then he got sick of just vague hints?"

"Kind of. Liara offered me a permanent position as one of her agents and… I don't know. I'm as unsure as I was last time and I only left then because of the fight I had with Philip. Part of me wants this job but… I can't tell if it's the part of me that I should be listening to or not… Let's face it, my moral choices in the past have hardly been exemplary."

"That was a different life, Tia. You've changed."

"But have I changed enough? You saw what happened the last time we were on the Citadel. I can't seem to shake the ghosts of my past… But even if I turned her down… Sarah, I'm not ready, I know I'm not. I have spent so long just trying to rebuild my life…"

Sarah regarded her friend closely before replying. "When you told me of the years after the war… You downplayed how bad it was, didn't you?"

Tia nodded. "Sarah, I don't think that I could adequately explain just how bad things were when Samara and your mother found me again…"

"You don't have to. Every time you think about it… It's like a psychic tremor that's more than a little… unnerving…"

Tia smiled a little at her friend. "You're just making up all of this telepathy stuff as you go along, aren't you?"

"Of course. It's the one positive of being the only person with this power."

"You just get to make shit up?"

"Basically. But… Tia, have you actually talked to Philip about this or-"

"No," Tia admitted, giving a frustrated sigh. "And, yes, I know that I should but… I don't know…"

"How much does Philip know about your past?"

"Everything. It took years but… eventually, I managed to give him the whole story. It's just… I want to move on from my past so I… I may have downplayed how much it affected me. He's not an idiot, though. I'm sure he knows… I just don't think he realised that it might mean that…" Tia trailed off before letting out a sharp laugh. "Goddess, I remember the days when it was me trying to convince you that opening up your heart wouldn't be the worst thing in the world…"

Sarah shrugged. "Which is why I get it. We've both spent so much time sleeping with one eye open. When I first met Red… it seemed almost cruel to drag someone into that. Especially when I knew exactly what might happen…"

"But Tiberius and Philip are grown men. They can make that decision for themselves, which is what I spent so long trying to convince you of. But… It's been years since anything from my past has really come to haunt me, so maybe I really am being paranoid but… It seems more than cruel to bring a child into this life, just in case my fears aren't quite as imaginary as I'd like to think."

Sarah looked a little sheepish at that. "Do you really think it's so bad?"

"Well, what about you? Cerberus really is after you. I've not heard either you or Tiberius make any mention of having children, even since you've been cured."

"Nothing's spoiling," Sarah figured, though Tia wasn't quite buying her even tone. "Cerberus won't be chasing me forever."

"Even if you get them, someone, somewhere, will always be after you…"

"Then I suppose it's a good thing that it's a question that I'll never have to answer," Sarah figured, her gaze not meeting her friend's.

Tia frowned for a moment before realising what Sarah meant. "I'm sorry, I didn't realise…"

"It's okay," Sarah assured her. "I hadn't even realised that you didn't know."

"Even with the cure, is it not-"

"Nope. I… I did look into it a little, before I realised just how strapped for time I was, but all signs pointed to it never being possible for me. Which is fine. As you said, it's not as if my life would ever be settled enough for it to happen anyway…"

Sarah hated the awkward silence that followed, so she quickly put an end to it by speaking up again.

"You should talk with Philip. Not talking to each other is just about the worst thing you can do, even if it isn't easy."

"I know… And thanks, for helping me sort through this."

"No problem. What are friends for?"