I do not own Mass Effect, Bob Seger's Music, or any of the play's mentioned.
Chapter Three:
After breakfast Shepard bummed a few smokes from Zaeed and made his way back to the loft. He smoked while he did his morning exercise routine of pull ups, sit ups, squats and pushups. Checking his email Shepard finished his last smoke and then hopped through the shower and brushed his teeth. He rubbed his neck down with vintage Calvin Klein Eternity and threw on a simple black tee, faded jeans and his signature leather vest. Now Wayne Shepard could face the day and "Dance with the sunlight." As his Pa had always said while Wayne grew up.
He met up with Tali on the docking level and escorted her to the drop shuttle. Once docked on the Citadel Wayne walked arm in arm with her. It was still early and most of the shops still closed so they headed to one of the domed nature parks. Shepard had went to a coffee shop and ordered a straight black coffee and a Charrika quarian tubed drink that was supposedly similar to coffee. Under the shade of a cherry blossom Shepard and Tali had reminisced about their time aboard the first Normandy. Laughing and holding each other as they did so. With Wayne planting a kiss on Tali's hand.
"By the way Tali, what were you and Garrus whispering about the last time we were here?" Shepard asked before finishing coffee. Tali shot some Charrik into her helmet and shook her head slowly.
"He was just giving me a hard time." She said absently before disconnecting the empty drink tube and throwing it in a nearby trash can. Shepard merely shrugged and did the same with his coffee. Today was unusually calm on the Citadel. Usually there would be many people would have crowded this area. Instead Wayne and Tali practically had this park to themselves.
"He used to flirt with me when you weren't with us." Tali added suddenly in a hushed voice. Shepard stifled a laugh as he pictured Garrus attempting to flirt. He was too serious a guy in Wayne's mind.
"I think he was really smitten… but I shot him down every time. Anyways that's in the past, we should get going." Tali interjected before standing and brushing any of the leaves or grass that gathered around her. Shepard did the same and offered his arm to Tali. The two continued on with linked arms until reaching the market district.
"Where to first?" Tali asked.
"I just need to pick up a couple of books and a few other things. After that, wherever you want to go, if that is what you wish,milady." Shepard answered playfully as he led the way, making Tali chuckle. As he walked onward Tali looked around. This was an unfamiliar part of the Citadel. She had never been here before and the roads were long and narrow. A place where someone could get lost easily. They continued walking on for another three minutes or so before coming up on a dead end. At the end of the street was a simple store with faint neon lights that read Lara's Everything Else."The building was run down, the neon lights flickering on and off as if trying to hold onto life. A foreboding place that reminded her of a scene from the horror movie "Husks 2: Awl Justice." However with Shepard's insistence they entered.
Inside everything was different. The store was bright with various oddities that Tali had never seen before. An upbeat human song played in the background that Shepard seemed to be tapping his foot and humming to. At the center of it all was an older heavy set African woman who wore her hair up in a high bun and wore narrow reading glasses. She was looking over a book and hardly noticed that the two had entered.
"Ma'am." Shepard said dutifully with a mild drawl as he stepped forward. The woman looked up from her book now at Shepard, a look Tali had knew very well. It was a look of a parent seeing her child after being away from them. The woman, Lara immediately rushed over to Wayne and brought him into a firm hug. She gave him a peck on either side of his cheek and held his face in her hands.
"Child, where have you been, why haven't you come here to see your mam?" She exclaimed in a deep southern dialect. Before Wayne could answer she hugged him again, this time noticing Tali.
"And this must the girl you told me so much about!" Lara proclaimed before scooping her in her arms and giving Tali a quick hug.
"Ma'am, please your embarrassing me." Wayne grumbled with a light red hue forming on his face.
"All hear nothing of it, young man. You know how I worry for you." Lara rebuked before walking back toward her seat. She opened her book back up, took a seat and asked curtly.
"Have you been minding the Lord, Child?"
"Yes, Ma'am."
"And been keeping away from the bottle?" Shepard winced, as his southern dialect grew stronger.
"Yes, Ma'am, I haven't hit the hard shine." Lara narrowed her eyes and shifted her gaze to Tali.
"Has this boy been drinking, he lying?" She asked sharply. Tali stammered and tried to answer but couldn't. She was too bewildered. Lara's features softened a little and said reassuringly.
"Forgive this old lady for getting worked up. I worry that he'll end up like before is all." After that the air cleared around Tali enough for her to answer.
"No… Wayne doesn't really drink anything, really. I mean he drinks when he goes out with the crew but that's not often." Tali managed. Lara's eyes turned back to Shepard.
"As long as you don't start the hard bottle again…" Lara trailed off as Shepard stepped forward and held her hand.
"Ma'am don't worry I won't pick up the hard shine again. I promise." Lara's face seemed to brighten and she placed her hand atop Wayne's
"I just worry. Your father and mother both had that disease in them… I don't want to lose you to it too." Overwhelmed Tali looked around the shop. How did one woman have so much… pep? It was bewildering.
"I see your still playing those old Bob Seger tapes."
"Old Time Rock and Roll,Your favorite." Lara replied. Tali took note of the singer and moved beside Wayne, holding his hand.
"Is that whose singing right now?" Tali asked almost timidly. Lara's eyes widened as she looked to Tali.
"Child, you don't know Bob Seger!" Lara exclaimed with a twinge of shock. Shepard could only smile as he interjected.
"Ma'am, he's a classic from back in the day…from earth." Defeated Lara nodded her head in agreement but was mumbling something about learning the classics of earth. Changing the subject Lara pulled out several little booklets from her desk and handed them to Shepard.
"The plays you requested the other month, limited edition, hardback… a hard find." Glancing downward Tali took note of the books being passed to Shepard. Among them were, "The Pillowman," "Long Day's Journey Into Night" and "Bug." Shepard leafed through the first, The Pillowman and smiled. The book was in pristine condition as if it had been perfectly preserved just for him.
Tali didn't know much about human literature, save for the Francis Kitt rendition of Hamlet, something she wished that she had never seen. Perhaps it was the Elcor but even without them the text seemed so boring… It made Tali shudder at the thought.
"What's bothering you child." Lara asked with a lilt of concern layered in her voice.
"I took her to see the Elcor Hamlet." Shepard remarked. Lara shook her head in disapproval.
'Even with the patience of the saints I couldn't bear to watch that…production." Lara stated. Placing extra emphasis on the word production. Tali smiled, feeling a little more at ease, she asked.
"So are you really Wayne's mother, Miss…" Before she could finish Lara slapped her forehead and declared.
"Forgive me, Child, I was so excited to see my baby that I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Lara Morgan, I took in Wayne after, and well… you know. I was a friend of his parents and was given legal custody of him. Back home I babysat him and his sister as children and came to view them as my own."
"She left Mindoir before the raid, she couldn't work because her garage had been shut down." Wayne explained simply. Tali nodded her head solemnly and changed the subject.
"You've done an excellent job raising him, Miss Lara." Lara smiled at this and laughed good heartily
"And a tough time I had of it. Almost every day was a battle but I whipped that out of him ripe and soon." Shepard just bowed his head forward to hide the growing blush.
"Ma'am, please." Shepard groaned. Lara only laughed and walked over to Shepard.
"I forgot to mention, Child. The parts for the Chevy came in the other day. I sent them on the cruiser to Mindoir. Wayne bit his lip and lightly scowled.
"I told you, Ma'am, I'm not going back anytime soon." Wayne stated in a low monotone. Lara simply ignored him and continued.
"Your father would have loved to see that Chevy running. A shame you don't go home, least to see the farm and fix her up. I'd go but I'm getting too old." Wayne was growing visibly irritated so Tali stepped in and asked with genuine curiosity.
"Wayne had mentioned this "Chevy" thing before. Is it some sort of space pod or cruiser? If so I consider myself a pretty handy mechanic." At first Lara let out a good laugh and smiled toward Tali. Then after realizing that she wasn't kidding scoffed and replied.
"Child, how can you call yourself a mechanic if you don't even…?" Tali stepped forward, anger setting in. If there was one sure thing that drove her to the breaking point, it was when her skill with a wrench was questioned.
"Excuse me, but I am a mechanic!" Before it could escalate any further Wayne stepped in.
"Ma'am, remember? Classics, she's more of a modern mechanic, with cruisers and such." Lara nodded in agreement and quickly apologized but not before adding.
"Even so, a Chevy is a hallmark of our trade."
"And so is a Margo Mark Seven Drive Core with triple Ionized output with duel element zero conductors." Tali quipped right back. At this Lara grinned and remarked grandly.
'Child, you found yourself a real spitfire in this one! I like you, Liara." The room had gone deathly silent. Wayne looked upward then to Tali. Just her posture, the way she moved her finger to nudge at Wayne's arm was enough to show that a rage was building up inside her.
"Actually, Miss Lara, I'm Tali…" Lara looked to Wayne and then back to Tali.
"My apologies, it's just that I thought Wayne had said your name was Liara, I could have sworn… Oh never mind that, it's just my old mind getting the better of me." Tali bit the lower end of her lip, and looked to Shepard.
"Would you look at that, we really should be going, Miss Lara, let's go, Commander." Tali said with forced politeness before making a beeline to the door. Shepard grimaced and turned to face Lara.
"I'll drop by again soon." He uttered before marching after Tali.