Mass Effect

Back In Time

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Disclaimer; Should I even have to state, for the thirty-fifth time, that I do not own Mass Effect? Well... I don't. Thirty-five...
Author's Note; Character development! Yeah! I love those Turians... So very, very much. Maybe one day I'll write a story focused on them.
P.S. I looked at my chapters, and I noticed that I have enough chapters for another update.
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Back In Time

Chapter Thirty-Five

Tar stood still as Ashley threw out her arm.

She needed it, she needed his pain.

So he'd let her have some, if just a little, before he fought back.

Her fist landed on his face, where the scar brushed by his mandible.

He felt the sharp pain as he rolled with the punch.

The Williams girl sure could throw a fist.

She pulled her fist back, shaking it, before pulling it back once more.

This time, Tar reached up, grabbing her hand before it hit him.

He pulled it aside, to chest-level.

She struggled, pulling back, but Tar didn't let go.

It took some effort for the Cavras to unfold her fist.

"Look, young Williams."

She slowly stopped her struggles, hesitantly turning her gaze to him.

His talon brushed across her hand, picking up some of her crimson blood, and his blue blood.

Then he held up his talon.

"Look. While you took your revenge, you got a little bit of my blood, but with it, you gave some of your own."

Ashley pulled her hand back, glaring at the older Turian as he rubbed his talons together, mixing the blood into purple.

"Revenge is a two-sided sword. As you stab your opponent, you stab yourself."

The girl looked at her hand before glancing up at him.

Her eyes made her look like an animal; they were wide with anger and fear… And awe.

He pulled his mandibles back in a smile.

"For an old Turian, I'm not so bad, am I?"

"Yeah," Chev called from across the room, mandibles pulled back in a wild grin of his own. "Gramps is just a teddy bear when you get to know him."

"So he's cuddly?" Melanie teased.

Tar laughed, the sound a low rumble in his throat.

"No," he responded. "I don't cuddle."

"Don't lie," Chev called. "You can be cuddly… Sometimes."

"I don't cuddle."

Chev laughed. "Keep lying, Gramps. Keep lying."

.~*~.

"We have reached the Citadel," the Commander stated, looking to the room full of Turians.

"'Bout time!" Chev shouted, throwing his hands into the air. "I like you guys, and all, but I really want to go home to where things make sense."

Shepard gave a small laugh, herding the Turians into the elevator.

They walked through the Normandy, nodding at the crew; this was goodbye.

Melanie, Tali, Kaidan, and Garrus had followed the group to the airlock.

It took a few moments for the doors to swish open.

Tar walked by Shepard's side, both men standing tall, and proud.

An Asari stood in the bay.

She strode to them.

Once she was in arms-length, she glared at them, Tar first, before turning her gaze to Shepard.

Then her hand lashed out, and she slapped the Turian across the face.

"What was that for?" he asked, mandibles pulling back in a smile.

"That," the Asari growled. "Was for getting kidnapped."

Tar laughed.

Then her blue hands reached out, latching onto the back of his mandibles, pulling his face down towards hers.

She kissed the Turian.

When she pulled back, her lips turned upwards in almost an imperceptible smile.

"And that, you asshole, was for living long enough to get rescued."

Her hands fell away from the Turian, and she stepped back.

"I see you brought the kids home with you," she stated, her eyes flickering to the younger Turians.

"Aw… Come on, Granny, you know Gramps wouldn't leave us all alone," Chev called from behind.

Tar's eyes fell to the ground.

"That," the Asari began, turmoil in her voice. "I knew long before you did."

The Turian leaned forward, grabbing her hand.

"Alright, Chaavla, this is Commander Shepard."

Shepard stretched out his hand, and Chaavla took it.

"You know," she roughly said. "I never thought I'd meet a Spectre…"

He smiled, letting go of her hand.

"It's my pleasure to meet you."

Chaavla laughed, giving a snort. "Bullshit! You don't give a crap about an old Asari Commando."

"He can surprise you," Tali interjected, letting her eyes wander over the Commander's body as she stepped up next to him. "If you give him time, that is."

"Oh- I'm sure," she immediately responded, reaching out to lace her fingers through Tar's. "Everyone has more than a few surprises up their sleeves."

Tar put his free hand on Shepard's shoulder, pulling his mandibles back in a smile. Oddly, the smile felt warm and comforting.

"Commander… This Cabal- my people- are your allies, your friends. If you need us, just call. You, and your crew, have earned a spot in this family."

Another smile spread across his face; he beamed in the fatherly presence.

"Thank you, Tar."

The Turian's mandibles pulled back even farther.

Then he turned, stepping away.

"Come on, kids, we have a family reunion to attend…"

The other Turians began to walk away, slowly.

Shepard watched as Chaavla's free arm wrapped around Nahvah's shoulder, pulling her down to her height.

It was then that he realized that ShockWave still stood at his side.

"Commander?"

The group's jovial laughter alluded to their close relationship.

"ShockWave?"

The Turian hesitated, his breath pausing as Nahvah reached up, draping her arm over Chaavla's shoulder.

"Thank you."

Not even a moment later, the Turian walked away, to join the group, his family.

There was something Shepard couldn't identify underneath ShockWave's unusually colored voice.

Even though he had taken a glance at the Turian's twinkling blue eyes, he still couldn't tell.

.~*~.

ShockWave sat down at the dining room table, far from where the group sat in the living room, laughing, teasing, enjoying one another's company.

He felt as if he didn't fit in.

He didn't deserve to be in the tight-knit group that they called Keraic Squad.

As he sat there, watching the group, he let his mind wander.

What if he decided, one day, that he was done? That he left because he was tired of being somewhere he didn't belong…

Would they care?

Would Tar care?

Or Ny?

Nahvah stood up from the couch, exiting the invisible bubble that surrounded the group.

Her eyes locked onto his.

The woman's eye-ridges pinched together as she made her way to him, angular hips swaying with every step.

Her three-fingered hands landed on the table before she slid into the seat next to him.

"I don't know what it is," she began, almost in a whisper, the flanging effect soothing him. "I don't know if you want to talk about it…"

He looked down at the table where his folded hands rested.

Then slowly, almost uncertainly, her hand landed on his.

The white of hers blended into the beige of his.

"But I'm here, if you want me to be."