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When Vega was gone, Shepard sank back on the couch with a sigh. "I don't remember ever being that young."

"Don't you? I do." Garrus vividly remembered his time in C-Sec, straining against the orders of his superiors, angry at the waste and the red tape. If he'd been offered promotion then, he'd have thought twice about taking it.

She looked up at him affectionately. "You're still that young."

"Hey! You're not that much older than I am."

"Some days I feel as old as the Reapers."

Garrus took his seat next to her and lifted her feet into his lap, beginning to massage them. "I can't blame you for that." He looked at her with curiosity. "What did your mother say when you were made N7?"

Shepard had leaned her head against the back of the couch and closed her eyes. She smiled without opening them. "'It's about time.'"

"And your father?"

"Nothing. I never had one."

"It was just you and your mother?"

"Always." She winced as he hit a particularly sore spot. "I never asked if I was accidental or planned, but either way I think she figured me and a career in the Alliance were all she could handle. Occasionally there were women who were around a lot for a while, but sooner or later they all disappeared. Selfish kid that I was, I was always glad they were gone because then I had her to myself. At least, when she had time."

"I get that."

"Did you see much of your father growing up?"

Garrus huffed a laugh. "Hardly. Only when he felt my sister or I needed reminding of our responsibilities as good turians."

"I'm guessing that was a lot."

"Not as often as you might think. He commuted back and forth between Palaven and the Citadel. Most of the day-to-day was handled by a series of nannies."

Shepard grimaced. "That sounds awful."

"Sometimes. Some of them weren't so bad. Although most of them liked Solana better than me. I guess she was cuter."

"Not possible."

"You didn't see her when she wanted something."

Opening her eyes, Shepard gave him a suggestive look. "I've seen you when you want something. You're hard to turn down."

"Really. I'll have to remember that."

She poked his leg with her toes. "You do just fine without abusing your power."

"I could do better."

"Could you?"

"Well … maybe not." He set her foot down. "You hear from your mother recently?"

Shepard sat up, shaking her head. "Not in a while. I got a garbled communication a while back that she had survived the initial Reaper attack, but nothing since. I'm assuming if something had happened I would have heard, but it's hard to tell with comms such a mess everywhere. How about you? Any updates from Palaven?"

"Plenty. None of them good. But no word from or about my father or my sister. And I've put out a lot of feelers. I'm … starting to get worried."

"Hey." Shepard put an arm around his waist, leaning into his side. "They're okay."

"How do you know that? Plenty of people's families aren't okay."

"I know that. But … I don't know, I have a feeling."

"How often do your feelings come true?"

She nudged him. "Pretty often."

Garrus rested his head against hers, the soft ends of her short hair tickling his mandible. "I wish I had your optimism."

"I fake it."

"I know."

"It's exhausting."

"I know that, too."

"Garrus?"

"Yeah?"

"I love you."

He closed his eyes, nuzzling her hair. "I love you, too."

"I can—whatever else happens, I can handle it as long as I have you."

"I'm not going anywhere."

"Good." She looked up at him. "What do you think your father will say about us?"

Garrus chuckled. "He thinks I'm a lost cause anyway. I suppose he'll just be glad I'm alive. Solana—I told Solana about you when Earth was hit. She … wished she could have met you."

She took his hand, squeezing it tightly. "I'll meet her someday. I look forward to it."

"And your mother? How will she react to your turian boyfriend?"

Shepard shrugged. "Hard to say. She was always more interested in my career than my social life. I can't really go much higher than Spectre unless I want to go into politics—which I don't, and which she wouldn't see as a step up anyway—so I think she'll figure I can do what I want."

"So I'm an afterthought."

"Not at all. You're the bow on top. The icing on the cake."

"I knew it all along—you only like me for my looks."

"It's the scars. You know they make me crazy."

"Do they? I seem to have forgotten."

Shepard straddled his lap. "Well, then, let me remind you."