The last time Oksana Shepard looked at her daughter with such a pissed off face, it was when Anya tried to tell her she didn't really want to join the Alliance.

Considering how well that turned out, the Commander was understandably terrified.

Without being invited in (though she didn't expect her mother to ever feel the need to ask), Oksana walked into the doorway, like personally ensuring that Anya couldn't shut it on her. Her mother and her hadn't had this kind of power-play exchange since she was a teen.

She really was in trouble, wasn't she?

Up on her moral high ground, Oksana glared down at her daughter, and her child felt the guilt and remorse tied to that look in every nerve ending. Looking up at her made Anya feel like a child. "And to think, my daughter was alive all this time and no one thought to tell me."

Behind her, Joker said, "I'm gonna go-"

That glare only thinned, not even bothering to look at the pilot. "You can go now, Jeff, but don't you dare think I'm done with you yet."

"Y-Yes Ma'am." Giving a makeshift salute, he mouthed "I'm sorry" to Anya, and fucked right off.

If she didn't understand how scary her mother could be, Anya might've killed him.

But she preferred keeping constant eye contact with the very threatening woman in front of her. After all, looking up the few inches to Oksana's face needed constant attention to maintain sanity. Abya was pretty sure the woman perfected murdering a person with her eyes alone.

She could've started the conversation, but she knew better than that. Instead, she waited.

After a prolonged minute of silent glaring, Oksana finally said, "After I saw Joker acting suspicious on The Citadel, only to disappear seconds later, I went to see Anderson. The plan was to get out of him why my favorite pilot quit the Alliance and was acting like a shitty spy, but instead I got a lot more information." Raising an eyebrow, her mother added, "Bold of you to think I couldn't crack that man like an egg, Detenysh."

"Mama, listen-"

"No, Anya Elise Shepard. You listen. You dared to die on me and I had to accept I raised a soldier and that was a risk we both promised to take. But coming back and letting me fester in the darkness was not the right thing to do. I raised you better."

Where Anya was already used to burying her annoyance and indignation, the guilt really pummeled any of that away, only leaving her with empty hands and no good excuses. The only thing left that was even close to an excuse was the only thing she kept telling herself, each time she even thought about finding Captain Shepard of the Marakov.

Exasperated, Anya said, "Anderson said you were undercover, in deep space. What was I to do?"

Oksana didn't seem phased by her answer. "I know your capabilities, Anya, so you know you could've found me. So here's the real answer: chase me down. Take over my ship. Not get involved with this Cerberus nonsense. The Marakov doesn't give a damn, Anya, we would have risked the wrath of the Alliance to support you." With a sigh, she pinched the bridge of her nose. Anya hadn't felt like a child being scolded in over a decade, yet here she was. "But it's too late for that, by now. So you will just have to make it up to me from this moment on." Her mother's eyes flicked past Anya finally, to the turina awkwardly trapped behind this mother/daughter confrontation. As a Commander and girlfriend, Anya didn't love Garrus seeing her like this, so flaccid in the face of her mom. Oksana just waved. "Also, nice to see you again, Vakarian. Though I do have a few questions about why you're in my daughter's quarters."

Before the poor, tongue-tied, awkward man could crash them into an uncomfortable conversation, Anya walked over to him and pulled him towards the exit. "Just going over reports. But with this interruption, you should go and get some calibrating done." She pushed his back through the door, and he gave this sympathetic, ever-so-charming brow raise. But this was not the time for his big-hearted, endless support. "Just go. I got this." Once her mom was finally out of the doorway, and she was able to shut it behind him, she turned back to the overwhelming mother in question. "Now, Mama, you can't-"

The second the metal clicked closed, leaving the two truly alone, Oksana pulled her into a hug. It was so tight and so overwhelming that Anya felt her eyes well up the second those muscular arms wrapped around her. She didn't realize how much she'd needed it. "You stupid, beautiful girl." Pulling back, Oksana cupped Anya's face, rubbing away the stray tear or two running down her cheeks. On the other hand, Oksana let hers flow freely. "I can't believe I get to have you back."

Stunned, Anya wasn't sure if she'd ever seen her mother cry before.

A little too confused to process things, the undead daughter started to ask, "What the-"

"Do you not remember?"

Then it clicked. She could picture it clear as day, countless times where Anya would insult rude soldier or steal all the cookies. And when she was confronted, her mother would cross her arms, look stern, tell her to stop being a bad girl.

That is, until they got alone.

Anya sputtered, realizing this was like the high five she got when she kicked Ensign Nichols in the shins for calling her a bad dancer. "I thought I would be too old to continue playing "save face in front of the subordinates." She didn't mean to, it didn't really feel right, with tears and snot all over her face and her mother's, but Anya snorted. "If I remember correctly, didn't I normally get an ice cream cone right about now?"

"Didn't pass anything on my way here. But it's not my place to make your crew think you turn an Alliance Admiral into a blubbering mess, which in turn would do the same for you. You were always a sensitive one, my Anya." Her mother took this deep breath that sounded like it filled up her entire body, like it was the first one she'd taken in a long time. She tucked Anya's hair behind her ears, and the best moments of her childhood, those few minutes where her mother could shut out the world and be with her, roared through her heart.

Years of distance may have made Anya want to keep her mother out of this, but all it took was one ear-tuck and she was happy to have her by her side.

Oksana continued, "When Anderson gave me directions and I saw the Normandy in the docking bay, I finally knew. I heard the rumors, but I couldn't... My Detenysh. You're alive."

"I know. I can't really believe it myself sometimes." Anya pressed her forehead against her mother's. "I missed you."

"I missed you more."

"I missed your bear hugs more. I can't remember the last time you gave me one." On that note, Anya felt all the distance between them close, at least for this wonderful moment alone. And there were years of things she wanted to say honestly, truthfully, to the woman she hadn't touched since her fingers trembled less whenever she was alone. Those same shaky fingers grabbed onto her mother's hands. "I'm sorry-"

"Don't. I know you had a galaxy to save. You always do. I turned a Russian ballerina into one of the best damn soldiers in the Alliance. As a mother I am hurt, but as a Captain I understand." Even though Oksana's pride seemed to be falling away, Anya was happy to see her mother stay, not a loud, stern resurrection of the Alliance soldier who made her life what it was. Anya needed her mother. "But why didn't you even try?"

"The Normandy's on a suicide mission. If I died again-"

"Well, then I'd have two stories to tell about how my beloved girl died a hero." When Anya looked up, there was a confusing mix of warrior and wounded parent in her mother's face, and she couldn't tell if any of it was real or just talk. "Don't get me wrong, I would burn the entire Citadel down to keep you with me. But you are who you are and I choose to be proud, not to punish you." Oksana stroked her cheek before patting it with a small slap. "But if you had died again without seeing me, I might have had to hunt down the Illusive Man and forced him to bring you back again myself."

Anya grimaced at the thought. "Pardon my language, but that's kinda fucked up, Mama."

"Language!"

"I said pardon."

Even though she scowled, her mother pinched both her cheeks. Was this just an excuse to poke and prod her?

But when her mother exhaled, seeing Anya wince, she realized it was all just to remember that she was real. Just like how Garrus poked her and called her a squishy human when they finally were alone again.

The people who loved her just needed to know they had her again, didn't they?

Oksana smiled and said, "I said it already, but I will say it forever: how I missed you." Then, her mother pulled her over to her couch and sat on the other end, a foot from her, but still holding onto her hand like if she let go, Anya might disappear.

The Commander didn't mind. She liked being kept on the ground. "Now, tell me everything, from the beginning."

And Anya did. She gave her mother as much of the story as she could, from waking up to the Illusive Man to how she met every single one of her teammates. There was laughter, frustration, and even a few expletives. Considering her mother wasn't the hugest fan of swearing it was impressive.

Perhaps, though, she was just seeing the realest version of her mother than she'd seen in a long time.

After her undead review, she even got Oksana to talk about her crew, give Anya updates on the people she grew up admiring. The helmsmen, Erica Wells and Reynard Alsberg, finally got married. Anya had watched them dance around each other for her entire childhood. The only other child on board, Warren, graduated from the academy and was now a lead engineer on the Marakov. And Barkley, the chef she knew all her life, had passed early last year, surrounded by his friends and family.

No matter if the things she told her were mundane or sad, it was nice to know that the world she left behind, the ship that could've been hers if she hadn't been running so hard after Akuze, was still happy and homey and made her mother smile the way it did.

It was a little slice of comfort in a broken galaxy.

But just as Anya was settling in her seat, feeling safe and cozy, Oksana nearly made her spit out a lung. "So, tell me about that Vakarian fellow." At her reaction, her mother started to cackle. "Finally blowing off steam?"

"Mama! Gross. We aren't."

Oksana rolled her eyes, like she hadn't just asked if Anya was having sex with the turian. Way too many people had asked her that lately. The Marakov Captain said, "I always found a "sparring partner" or two on my ship for that purpose, don't act so immature about it. I assume you just haven't gotten the balls to tell him how you feel then?"

Not wanting to picture her mother "sparring" with anyone, Anya rebuffed all of it. "It's not that-"

"Because I know relationships aren't your thing, Detenysh, but you deserve someone and you-"

Unable to juggle any avoidance tactics right now, Anya admitted, "He's my boyfriend, okay? We're just taking it slow because we're a little busy saving the galaxy."

"How so? It doesn't take that long."

"Mama." Rubbing her temple, truly a little afraid something might burst at this point, Anya just wanted it to end. "I do not want to talk about my love life with you, thanks."

"Whatever makes my little cub happy. Though I am fascinated with your thing for aliens."

"I don't have a thing for aliens!"

With a wave of her hand, her mother scoffed. "The only human you've ever liked was that wet blanket from the Alliance Academy who smiled at you nice. And trust me, that one never had a chance." Oksana started smirking, but it wasn't making up for anything she was saying. "But this Vakarian? I like him. He listens to you. He respects you. Supports every idiot thing your brain thinks of. I'd keep him if I were you."

There were so many things she could say, about the alien kink or the fact her mom had this weird, satisfied smile talking about Garrus. But at this point, she just had to roll with the punches. "I plan to." With her mother so vulnerable and oddly honest right now, Anya tried to use it to her advantage. Though, that didn't make her voice any stronger when asking such a loaded question. "Would Dad have liked him?"

"John?" Oksana looked caught off guard, but then got this small smile and said, "John would have practically stolen him from you. He was obsessed with turian technology and the only gun he ever got good at shooting was a sniper rifle." Anya's heart fluttered, swelled, in a way that felt neglected all her life. That was her dad. "You got that from him, I think."

"You talked about him." Shaking her head, Anya stared at her hands, wondering how many things she didn't know that she could hold in them, call her own. He liked sniper rifles, just like her, just like Garrus. "You never used to answer me."

"I always told myself I'd talk when you'd get older." Oksana paused, but the melancholy aftertaste to her eyes didn't stop her from saying, "Two years of you not getting older sort of changed my mind about that."

After a deep breath, like breathing in her father's memory for the first time, Anya asked, "I shoot like him?"

"He was pretty good, but you're the better shot. You also have his hair, the kind that looks like the richest soil. It was like I could look at him and see home." Grabbing her daughter's hands, she said, "Once you can stop saving the galaxy, maybe we can go somewhere together. Lounge on some beach. Talk more about him."

"I'd love to know more than "American pilot with a weird James Bond obsession"." Anya nodded, adding, "Well, and a good shot, or so I hear."

"Always such a little mongrel, you are." With a waggling finger, Oksana threatened, but in the way only a mother could. "Don't dare tell anyone I cried."

"I never would dare it." Opening up her omni-tool, she took a quick glance at her schedule, everyone else's. Nobody had any official business planned. With a smile, she asked, "Would you like to have dinner with me and my crew?"

Oksana nodded. "Of course. Meeting your family would be an honor."

At that Anya couldn't help but laugh. She was right. The Normandy and everyone on it were here for her, her support system, the people she'd take down the galaxy for.

It was only right that they meet the mama bear that made all of this possible.

/

Hey guys! Sorry for missing Saturday's post, I needed a mental reset and unfortunately DPL was just the chapter I hadn't written yet when that happened. Hopefully I'm back in order now. Either way, mama Shepard is lovely and I love her, despite how hard-ass she can be most of the time. Today she was very soft and it was what she and Anya needed Thanks very much for reading and thanks as always to my awesome patrons: Danyell Jones Amy Connolly Since I missed Saturday, here's a little sneak peek into this Saturday's adventure: Kasumi, acting, and sex parties. Wish the Normandy team good luck! See you Saturday!