Chapter 21

Amelia
April 15th, 2191

I stared at myself in the mirror, the brush tickling across my cheek as I painted the last line of the Vakarian clan markings. It had become such a habit of reapplying the paint every day that I could probably do it in my sleep, but I wanted to ensure they were perfect today.

Satisfied, I slipped into my outfit, a simple yet elegant blue dress that ran flush with my upper body before becoming looser at my waist, ending halfway down my shins, matching the color of my markings perfectly.

Emerging from the bathroom, I found Gaius and Octavia perched on the end of one of the hotel beds, entranced by a cartoon playing on the television. Octavia wore a dress very similar to mine, although with a more slim waist, and Gaius wore a classic turian suit, complete with a small clip-on bowtie.

"You look pretty, Mada," Octavia said when she noticed me, her mandibles going wide with delight only a child possessed.

"Aww… You do too, Avi. You're so beautiful I can't believe my eyes." I smiled back, turning my attention to Gaius, "And you're so handsome I could eat you for breakfast." I got close, faux biting near his hands, getting a shriek and a laugh from the boy.

-0-

The shuttle flight from Vancouver to San Diego was short, and they arrived at the wedding venue, a gorgeous little gazebo on the beach looking out onto the Pacific ocean. I quickly spotted James, standing more than a head taller than everyone else gathered.

"Lola! You made it!" He called over, splitting off from the group he was conversing with and trodding across the sand to me. As expected, he wore an immaculately tailored suit, which fit his ripped body perfectly.

"Wouldn't miss it, James. I'm so happy for you two." I gave him a quick hug, "You met Gaius a few months back, but I don't think you met my daughter. This is Octavia."

Shy, bashful, and not at all like her mother or brother, Octavia hid behind my leg, seeking refuge from all the unfamiliar faces. James dropped to a squat, "Hey, nice to meet you. I like your name."

"C'mon, Avi, say hi to James," I nudged my daughter. Meanwhile, Gaius ran up and gave James a high-five. Seeing her brother made her more comfortable, and Octavia emerged just enough to give a quiet hello.

-0-

"Amelia?" I froze, worried I had done something to offend whoever just spoke my name. All I was doing was giving Gaius one of the small d'oeuvres. I straightened myself slowly, turning around to face my accuser, seeing a very young, lithe woman wearing a simple black dress with violet silk wrappings around her waist. What skin was exposed had a slight purple hue, and her eyes had an iridescent blue ring around the iris. She was smiling, showing the slightest bit of two fang-like teeth.

I tilted my head to the side quizically, "Tali?" The woman ran up and nearly tackled me in a hug. "I haven't seen you in three years! You're not in your suit!"

The quarian laughed, "Nope! I haven't worn it in over a year! It feels so good to feel everything…." She touched her dress, rubbing the material between her two fingers, a near orgasmic look on her face.

"Uh… Tali?"

"Oh, right… You can see my expressions now. That's mortifying."

I laughed while Tali nervously played with her long, black hair, which fell over her right shoulder. "So, what have you been up to?"

"Just running a whole planet!" She exclaimed exasperatedly, "How did you get out of that here?"

"I ran away to my husband's planet. You should try it."

"He lives on Rannoch too!" Tali groaned.

"Who lives on Rannoch?" A slightly less modulated but familiar voice asked. Kal approached us, and I got my first look at the male quarian. He wore a human-style suit and tie, although a red silk cloth peeked out from the jacket. His face had a mane of inch-long blonde hairs growing across his jawline, contrasting the brown hair on his head, and, like Tali, his skin was a light shade of purple. "Ma'am." He greeted, nodding to me.

"Good to see you again, Kal, but please, Amelia is fine."

Tali turned towards her husband, "Where's Zael?"

Kal pointed behind Amelia, causing me to turn around. Zael, Tali's son, chased Gaius up and down the sand, both children screaming in glee. Octavia tugged on my dress and looked up at me with pleading eyes. "Of course, honey. Go play with them." I smiled as Octavia ran over and joined the game of tag, followed not long after by the children of several of the other guests.

"They look a lot like you," Tali commented, walking up to stand beside me.

"How do you figure?" I asked with a smile, although deep inside, it was one of my biggest insecurities that my children looked nothing like me. I tried to deflect with humor, but anyone who truly knew me could see it.

"They have your eyes… and your spirit. They may look turian, but they definitely are fifty percent you, and they're beautiful."

I turned my head away from Tali, quickly blinking away the tears that threatened to spill out of my eyes. "When did you become the wise one?" I said after a moment.

"Are you implying you were the wise one? If that's true, it's amazing we're all still alive."