Sorry for the delay, had to visit family and no computer there. (The horror!)


"Why did Councilor Tevos call you that?" Portia asked after the hubbub of congratulations to Anya subsided a bit. "That was...weird."

"Yeah it was." Anya agreed. "But as to why... Well... It's a long story. Alcohol was involved."

"Don't give her that, Anya." Illia said with a grin from where she stood. "It's a good story!" Anya groaned and Illia smiled wider as she looked to where Portia was staring at her elder sister. "A bunch of us tried to get Anya to relax, during the war. She had been hurt -again- and had just been released from the hospital, you see..."

"Illia... please..." Anya begged. Portia smiled a bit sadly as she stepped up to where Anya was sitting and took her sister's hands in hers.

"It can wait." The youngest of Anya's siblings said to Illia as the Asari trailed off. Then she grinned. "I am going to want to hear the whole story, sis." Illia smiled at Anya and nodded.

"It is a good story, Anya." Illia said gently.

"What I remember of it..." Anya said under her breath. "Don't start drinking, Portia... It really messes things up." Crado smiled from her side.

"Indeed it does." The Turian said with a nod. "Alcohol messes with all kinds of things in the head. It is a poison after all."

"Then why drink it?" Portia asked, confused. "That doesn't make sense."

"No, it doesn't." Anya agreed. "But people have been doing it since the dawn of time. A time honored tradition of stupidity." She said with a smile. "That was the first -and last- time I drank that much. Never again." She said with a shudder.

"It did you good, Anya." Illia said gently from where she and Jenni were standing. "You needed to 'let your hair' down as humans say." She turned to Portia and spoke evenly. "Portia, alcohol is a depressant. A drug in other words. In high doses any drug can be dangerous. And Anya, well... She ingested some seriously high doses of several kinds of alcohol. But none of us were going to let her go too far."

"I vomited on Aria T'Loak, Illia." Anya said softly with a shudder. "I think that qualifies as 'too far'."

"She didn't care." Illia said with a grin. "She was having just as much fun as the rest of us were."

"You threw up on the queen of Omega?" Crado said slowly, disbelieving. "Where was I during all this?"

"I had gotten shot up on that solo mission." Anya replied with a sigh. "You were off doing what you do second best. You took the whole team out to hit the harvesting center on Elysium." Raan'ita and Crado both looked at her and Anya flushed. "It was 'Top Secret', okay? I couldn't talk about it for fear of Cerberus or the Reapers finding out about C." The Turian and Quarian looked at each other and then nodded.

"Your discretion was appreciated, Anya." C-Flat Viridian said through Kai. "But now, you need more rest." Raan'ita nodded, her expression calm, but adamant.

"Pushy healers." Anya griped as Crado turned her chair to push her out of the room. "Raan'ita?" She asked.

"Yes, Anya?" The Quarian replied as she kept pace with the chair easily.

"I need to talk to Garrus, face to face." Anya said softly. "Is that going to be possible?"

"I think so." Raan'ita said dryly as the door ahead of them hissed open and the tall form of Garrus Vakarian was seen just beyond it. Anya favored the healer with a long look and Raan'ita just grinned. "General?"

"I wanted to see what all the fuss was about." Garrus said with as smile to Anya who returned it. "You really do go for interspecies teams don't you?" He asked rhetorically as he looked around. "Add some Salarians and Krogan and it would be downright homey."

"General." Anya stated calmly. "I have a formal request."

"Oh?" Garrus asked. "Go ahead."

"I knew Shepard, Garrus." Anya said, her eyes suddenly burning. "I know exactly how she would feel about people making her a deity of sorts."

"Yeah." Garrus replied sourly, leaning against the wall as Crado stopped the chair near the door. "I doubt she would have been polite."

"Me too." Anya said softly. "But this request is to Shepard's partner, her mate. Shepard wouldn't have wanted a huge memorial, or statue or anything. It would have embarrassed her."

"True." Garrus said with a sigh. "Where are you going with this, Anya?"

"The Council has given me permission to create a school here on this station, Garrus." Anya said softly. "I want it to be interspecies, and full spectrum. Everything from history to horticulture. From mathematics to languages. From architecture to music. From medicine to ethics. The ability to feel each other is a huge asset, but there is so much that other species can teach us, that we can teach them. I want this place to be where that can happen."

"I like it." Garrus said softly, his tone bemused. "A place of education built from a place of fanaticism." Then he smiled. "Shepard would like that. But... why do you want me...?" The he stiffened. "You want to name it after her."

"I do." Anya said simply. "She was the bravest, noblest and most badass being I have met in my life." The chair bound captain said soberly. "But more than anything else, she wanted peace." Raan'ita nodded at Anya's side and Garrus did as well. Anya continued slowly. "She wanted people to understand one another. To be able to live in peace. She fought -hard- to get that. What can I do, but follow in her footsteps, Garrus?"

"I see." Garrus said, straightening. Then he nodded slowly. "She would like that." He said with a smile that faltered a little. "What would you call it?" He asked after a moment.

"The Jane Shepard-Vakarian Center of Learning." Anya said softly. Garrus stared at her and she rose slowly to her feet, despite a cluck of disapproval from Raan'ita. "...and I would be honored if you would accept a position as an instructor."

"Teaching what?" Garrus asked as she stepped towards him slowly. He shook his head. "You know Raan'ita is going to make you pay for standing, don't you?"

"I know, but... This is important, Garrus." Anya said softly. "I need to say something, but it is only for your ears." All the others in the room looked at each other as Anya staggered to Garrus, who caught her easily and held her so she could speak into his ear. She whispered something and he recoiled as if slapped. She sighed as she retreated a little. "I don't know if it was real, or a dream."

"For now, let's just assume it was real. Less painful if we are right." Garrus said with a grin. "Any idea what you want me to teach?"

"Not at the moment." Anya said as she carefully made her way back to the chair. Crado helped her sit again as Raan'ita glared at her. Then she grinned. "I was thinking mechanical engineering. There are lots of things to calibrate." She said with a smirk.

"You are hurt, Anya." Garrus said with a growl that was completely undone by his smile. "Be glad I can't hurt you further without getting ripped to shreds by your minions." The harsh words were belied by the wide smile on his face.

"I have an ulterior motive, actually." Anya said with a smile. "With you here, we will also have a galactic level archeologist nearby, yes?"

"And she will need something to keep her from moping." Garrus said with a matching grin. But then it faltered. "And Jani?"

"I figure that this place will need care for youngsters." Anya said slowly. "So we figure out what we need for her, and hopefully, there won't be too many differences if we get kids from other races."

"Children?" Portia perked up.

"Yes." Anya said softly. "All ages. I knew of at least two human women who would love to teach at a place like this, but they had dependent children. So we will need pre-school and lower age schools too."

"You are talking about a full spectrum education." Melissa said from her spot. "People would live here, study, work and everything. That is...audacious, sis."

"Who dares, wins, Melissa." Anya said with a smile. She spoke to the air. "Mika? How long to change the Cerberus colors to something more suitable?"

"The logos can be removed in a few hours of work. We will need a new one." The voice of the woman connected to the stations computers was bemused. "You want me to teach horticulture?"

"And I want a large garden." Anya said slowly. "Actually two. One with levo amino acids plants, one dextro. Hydroponics will be a good source of food and a healthy diet is part of cultivating a healthy mind." Portia stared at her and Anya smiled. "And yes, Portia I am going to make you eat your vegetables."

"Tyrant." Portia said with a grimace.

"Oh you haven't seen anything yet." Anya said with a grin that faded. "And... as for a logo to replace Cerberus'... I think a blue shield with a human frigate flying across it will work."

"Like this?" Mika asked as a wall screen came alive. On it, a small human starship flew, it's thrusters flaring.

"The Normandy..." Garrus breathed. "SR-1..."

"I thought it appropriate." Mika said gently.

"It is." Garrus said with a nod. "Thank you, Mika Mitaka."

"Just call me Mika if we are going to be teaching together." Mika said with a laugh. "And I can have two hydroponic garden spaces cleared by the end of the day, Anya."

"Good." Anya said with a smile. One that faltered as she looked at Raan'ita who stared at her. "Raan'ita, i know you love flying around on your ship, but... I could use you."

"The Merciful Flight will be around, Anya." Raan'ita said with a smile. "I am not leaving until I am sure you are recovered anyway. But..." She shook her head. "If you are going to have education facilities for children..." She mused. "Mine could use some broadening."

"I will take good care of them." Anya promised.

"You better." Raan'ita said with a smile. "I know where you live." Anya grinned at that and then turned to the Rachni.

"C?" Anya asked softly. "I can think of no one more suited to teach music."

"I..." The queen said slowly through Kai. "I will need to ask my parent. But I don't see a problem. I assume Scholar and his people are going to stay?"

"I prefer to teach." The ancient Prothean said with a nod. "Biosciences and medicine are my specialties. I always preferred research to field work anyway."

"Then we have the beginning of a faculty." Anya said softly. Then she turned to her siblings. "Kai, Melissa, Jenni, Portia. You heard the Councilor." All four of them nodded soberly. "We should stick together."

"I am with C-Flat Viridian." Kai said softly. "We have to visit her family, but then... I am with her." Kai smiled at the huge Rachni and nodded." And she says she is with you. So you are stuck with me." Anya smiled at that and looked at Melissa who nodded.

"I don't know what I could teach, Anya..." Melissa said hesitantly. "All I know is being a sniper."

"Tracking, stalking...Wilderness survival..." Any amused. "Hmmm... Did you ever use a camera on the job, sis?"

"Occasionally." Melissa said with a frown. "Recon was part of my job. Why?"

"So you know the basics of photography." Anya said with a nod. "How about swimming? I remember you loved to swim."

"Yeah." Melissa said a bit dubiously. "But we are on a space station, sis. Not a lot of water."

"I think that is going to change." Anya said with a grin. "If we get any Hanar here, they would prefer aquatic environments. Mika...?" She asked the air. "Can we install a pool?"

"There is space." Mika said with a smile in her voice. "And we have sufficient power to maintain it."

"You are kidding." Melissa said, her face lighting up. "I..."

"For now, we will see about you getting some more training in photography." Anya said slowly, but then she paused. "Wait... Did you study oceanography?"

"A bit." Melissa said slowly. "I enjoy-..." She shook her head. "Anya..." She said sourly.

"More than 2/3 of Earth's surface is covered by water, Melissa." Anya said slowly. "Other planets have more. Combine swimming with photography and oceanography and what do you get?"

"I dunno." Melissa said sourly. "A bunch of wet pictures?" A laugh circled the room as Anya groaned at her sister's bad joke.

"Environmentalism." Anya said softly. "Naturalism. Marine biology. And that is just the start, Melissa." Anya said with a smile as Melissa looked thoughtful. Anya turned to where Illia and Jenni stood. "Jenni."

"I am not going anywhere, sis." Jennifer said solidly. "Not now, not ever. For me, medicine, although..." She paused. "I would like to look into epidemiology." Both Raan'ita and Scholar looked at her and she nodded. "Lots of diseases out there."

"You would have my support." Raan'ita said with a shudder. "We have run into some nasty diseases recently." Scholar nodded as well. Anya smiled and turned to her youngest sibling.

"Portia." Anya said soberly. "This is going to be a massive change. It won't be easy."

"Easy is boring." Portia said with a grin. "Lots to learn."

"Indeed." A soft, but adamant voice came from the squad of Protheans and Lipa strode forward. "And now..."

"More lessons." Portia said with a grin. "Shall we?" She extended her hand to Lipa who smiled and took it.

"Let's." The young female Prothean and young female human strode from the room to the incredulous stares of all the humans, the Quarian, the Asari and the Rachni.

"Wow..." Anya said softly in the stunned silence. "It took a lot of work to get me to the tutors when I was her age. I guess she really does want to learn."

"And she idolizes Lipa." Scholar said with a smile. "It might be a good idea to steer Portia away from soldierly pursuits." He said seriously.

"No." Anya said after a moment. "She deserves the chance to make up her own mind. We will give her options, but no more. We will let her learn as much as she can and make her own choices. But for now... I go back to bed and we get started on remodeling." She said with a wince as she moved in her seat, trying to get comfortable. "Scholar? Raan'ita? Since we got...unofficial approval. What do you need from me?"

"We have what we need, Anya." Scholar said gently. "Rest well. I should have news by the time you wake." He nodded to her and left the room.

"Is it wrong that I am nervous?" Anya asked Crado.

"After what happened last time?" Crado said as he leaned close and rubbed her cheek with his own. "No. Let's get you back to bed." He said as he started the chair off again, Raan'ita keeping pace.

"Raan'ita..." Anya felt herself fading.

"I am here, Anya." Raan'ita laid a gentle hand on her friend's arm. "It's all right. We will handle anything else that comes up. Go to sleep."

"Yes, Ma'am." Anya said with a smile as gentle darkness enfolded her.