Beta: pixelatrix
Bioware owns all.
A/N: I hope y'all have enjoyed reading this story as much as I have enjoyed writing it. Thank you to everyone who read, reviewed, favorited and followed this story. I loved you all :)
Six weeks after the war, the Normandy was back in action, weeding out any remaining Cerberus holdouts. After a particularly brutal firefight, Kate ended up in the med-bay and Dr. Chakwas had news.
"Shepard, you're pregnant."
Kate fainted.
When she came to, the doctor was standing over her bed looking concerned.
"Not a word to anyone, Karin," the Commander warned.
Dr. Chakwas looked hurt. "Well, I never... Shepard you know..."
"You're good friends with my dad is what I know," Kate said with a chuckle.
"You still haven't told your father that you can have children?"
"No. Haven't figured out how, to be honest. Now I'm going to have to tell him both things at once. He may very well die of shock."
The doctor shook her head in disbelief. "Did you at least tell Mr. Massani?"
"Of course. Told him the day Miranda told me, a few weeks ago. How long have you known?"
"Since the day the Illusive Man asked me to join your crew. He knew it would be bloody impossible to keep that kind of knowledge from a doctor, especially one who had known you before."
Zaeed's birthday was two days after Kate found out she was pregnant. She decided on the perfect way to tell him the news.
"Happy birthday, Z," she said as she sat curled up in his arms on the couch in the Loft. She handed him a box. "We got you a present."
He kissed her neck. "I don't need any other present than you, kitten." He shifted her in his arms so he could look at her face. "Who's we?"
She laughed and kissed him. "Just open the damn box."
He lifted the lid of the large flat leather box and stared at the data pad inside. "What is it?"
"You have to read it, dummy," Kate said as she rolled her eyes. Men.
She watched his face carefully as he read the test results. After a few moments, she put her hand over his. "Z? Are you-"
He cut her off with a searing kiss.
"So you're happy then?" Kate asked when they finally pulled apart for air.
"Of course I'm goddamn happy, kitten," Zaeed said with a chuckle. "One question. How did this even happen?"
She raised an eyebrow. "Really? You want me to draw you a diagram or something?"
"Bloody woman," he muttered. "Not that. I mean, I thought you said you had a chip of some sort..."
"Oh, right. Miranda said the Crucible screwed that up along with the cybernetics. That's why I've been having so many problems healing after firefights lately."
"So basically what you're saying is you're mortal again like the rest of us," Zaeed teased.
Kate laughed. "Something like that."
Days later, Commander Kate Shepard shocked the entire galaxy by announcing that effective immediately, she was retiring from active duty. When asked about the sudden decision, she said simply that she had done all she'd set out to accomplish. It was time for someone else to step into the role of Savior of the Galaxy. Only Zaeed and Dr. Chakwas, both sworn to secrecy, knew the real reason.
And now there was no avoiding it. She was going to have to tell her father, because she knew he wasn't going to buy the story she'd fed the media. She didn't have long to wait. The day after her retirement announcement, Kate was alone in her apartment on the Citadel when the buzzer for the front door sounded. Repeatedly.
"I'm coming," she grumbled. "Hold your goddamn horses."
She looked at the security monitor and went pale. It was her father. OK then. Guess I'm telling him right now, she thought as she opened the door and plastered a smile on her face. "Hey, Dad. What brings you-"
"When were you planning to tell me, Katie?" he asked as he walked into the apartment.
"Tell you what?" she asked innocently.
He handed her a data pad. "How long have you known?"
It was her entire medical history, except the very last scan Dr. Chakwas had done that had revealed the pregnancy. Kate was going to have to remember to send a huge thank you present to the doc for leaving that bit out.
She looked at her father. "Not as long as you might think. Miranda told me the day after we got back from Sanctuary."
"Does Massani know?"
She nodded.
"So? When were you going to tell me?" he repeated.
"Well, I hadn't planned on the whole 'almost dying at the hands of the Reapers' thing, so I'd planned to tell you right after the war was over."
"That was almost seven weeks ago, Katie!"
"I know and I'm sorry I didn't tell you before now but..." She paused and took a deep breath. "There's one piece that was left out of this history."
"And what would that be?"
"A scan that Dr. Chakwas did a few days ago. Dad, I... I'm pregnant."
Hackett didn't say anything for a full two minutes.
"Dad? Are you OK?"
He shook his head slightly. "Sorry, Katie. I was just... remembering when your mother told me she was pregnant with you."
Kate put her arms around his shoulders and laid her head on his chest. "I wish I could have known her."
He wrapped his arms around her. "Me too, Katie. She would have been as proud of who you've become as I am."
She looked up at him. "So are you happy... Grandpa?"
He chuckled as he kissed the top of her head. "Very."