Today holds great promise for Garrus and his mate, as it's the first day in a long time that they will be able to see their Normandy family all together. If he thinks back, the last time they were all in the same room, so to speak, was during the shore leave party at their gifted apartment. For just that one night, the makeshift family forgot the war, the Reapers, and all the death around them in order to celebrate their lives together packed into a tiny stealth ship flying through space and battling nightmares.

The request - demand - that this reunion of sorts be just the 'adults' appealed the most to him. He loves his children, of that there is no question, but the thought of being able to share a drink with all of his friends at the same time meant feeling less like a father and more like a man simply enjoying the chance to see his good friends after so long. With everyone across the galaxy dealing with their own, new lives, there's so much to cover before they must part and he doesn't want the fact that impressionable children are around to keep the Normandy family from enjoying themselves.

After all, their family grew since that party on the Citadel and the end of the war. It wouldn't do to hold back for the sake of the young ones now that the Normandy had new members to add to the crew. 'As thick as thieves', Garrus once heard said and he couldn't agree more with the sentiment, even if not all of them were actual thieves.

Normally, the idea of leaving Damocles and Cassia alone - all the possible caretakers now going to attend the gathering - would bother him, but the further development of the Wraiths meant one thing, growth in numbers. With that growth, the need for someone to be able to tend to the children while parents were gone grew. That, and the idea that perhaps the complex's young should socialize and grow together, led to one asari matriarch stepping up with an offer.

At first, Denaya, a woman that had spent many of her matron years tending to young orphans on Illium, wasn't to be trusted in his mind, but he soon changed his mind. Garrus had put her through the ringer, as Jane said, with tests that would have sent many running, but Denaya stuck through it, proved herself, and lessened his suspicions.

And if she is stupid enough to try and hurt them, then I only need to remind her with Urik's skull still hanging in the Vakarian armory.

But Denaya had proven herself and, thanks to her, Garrus felt like he and Jane got part of their lives back, the parts opposite of their 'parent' personas. Plus, the twins didn't deserve to grow up alone without children of their own age.

"So let me get this straight," Denaya says as they enter the small prefab she uses as her 'daycare', as Jane calls it, a twin in Garrus' arms and the other in Jane's. "You're asking me to watch these two darlings so you can go out and party with your former crew?" Despite her attempt at motherly scolding, she wears a smirk and soon chuckles. "Oh, alright. Yali and I can watch them for the night too, if you'd like."

Yali, Denaya's youngest daughter, was a Wraith dockworker that often helped her mother watch after the massive amount of children now living within the complex. Garrus put her through the same gauntlet as her mother and, much like her mother, passed his inspection.

Jane knows his own answer and smiles at him, the two sharing a silent excitement over the chance to not have to reel themselves in by a set hour in order to tend to Damocles and Cassia. "Sounds great."

"But mommy…" Damocles quivers his mandibles in an overexaggerated plea.

Where Cassia loves the chances to meet others and make friends, their son - even at this young age - carries a nervousness around even those of his own age. She's known to be able to make friends with anyone, outgoing and easy to forgive the innocent stares and prodding questions of curious children. However, many times they've heard from Danaya that Damocles takes it all to heart, bottles up his feelings, and sometimes lashes out in frustration and hurt.

It leaves a piercing agony in Garrus' heart to know he cannot aid his son in his emotional battles. He once tried to speak with him alone - then Jane, then the two of them together - but Damocles withdraws, goes silent, and often refuses to listen without throwing a fight.

"He's scared of the pain those bastards cause," she had said.

"They are children. Surely…" Yet, his protest fails him. How can he justify something when it's his own son hurt?

"Surely nothing. Children or not, knowing or not, they are assholes." She sighed and dropped her head, arms crossing as she stares at the floor. "I just wish there was a way their parents could explain the twins without making it seem like they're freaks, but Damocles won't talk about it and Cassia just doesn't want to 'get them in trouble. Dammit."

With worry still in his mind, and answers too far from his reach to help without looking to aid of his own, Garrus purrs to his son. Leaning in, he presses his forehead to Damocles'. "Don't worry. It'll just be you and Cassia tonight."

"Promise?"

"Promise, big guy." Jane smiles and kisses his fringe. "What do you say mommy turns on some Blasto cartoons?"

He grins and nods, cheering up with chirps and trills. She sets him down and he immediately takes her hand, leading her into another room where the vid screen must be. Garrus can't help but chuckle at that, the idea of being able to lead mommy to what he wants always seems to make Damocles happy.

Garrus puts Cassia down on the ground and kneels before her. "You'll have fun tonight, won't you?" Smiling, he chuckles. "Will you promise to bring home a beautiful coloring for daddy's workshop? I have a huge blank spot on the wall."

His daughter's mandibles spread in a wide smile as she rumbles. "Uh huh! Okay, daddy!" Hugging him when he opens his arms, she chirps before looking up to Denaya. "Hi, misses Denaya," she greets with a warm smile and hands clasped at the hem of her dress. "Can I get the colors from the cubby?"

The caretaker nods with a returned smile as Garrus stands. Lifting a brow plate, he hums in question. "'Cubby'?"

Denaya laughs just as Jane returns from the vid room and Garrus starts to feel very awkward, thinking he must surely already know this. In not knowing, has he committed some parenting crime? Did the twins ever use this term before? Should he be paying better attention?

"It's short for a small compartment," the matriarch says with a slight chuckle and points to the wall where square, open front boxed line the wall in various colors and holding various child's toys. "It helps to keep everything clean if the kids take from one and have to replace that box's items before moving to another."

Garrus nods in both understanding and inward agreement of that being a damn good idea. Jane must have the same thought as she chuckles and looks up to him. He chuckles back at her amusement and nods. "Yeah, I'll make some for them, but you're helping me paint and set them up."

"Done deal." Offering a hand, they shake on it with smirks and chuckles as Denaya looks on in amusement.

"Well, you two should go before Cassia decides she wants to show you her first coloring page."

Jane snorts and he hums, knowing full well how excited their daughter gets at the prospect of having her art hung up. So much so that she often rushes whatever she's doing, only to later replace it with another because 'it's not pretty enough'. Without her parents around to constantly try to impress, Cassia can focus on a work that'll make her happy.

Taking his hand, his mate gives Denaya a wave over her shoulder as they head towards the door. Already, the sun is starting to lower in the sky and Garrus knows they have about two hours before the sun will set and the sky thrown into shades of purples and blues. Time of day won't matter anyways once they make it back to the beach, and where their crew was already building a pavilion from some prefab shipment Liara had flown in prior to her arrival.

When they arrive to the makeshift party grounds on the beach before the Wraith complex, a massive bonfire has already been lit and its light covering nearly the entire shore in an orange glow.

They certainly won't lack for warmth or illumination tonight.

Nor food by the looks of crates Grunt is currently digging through with Sephone. The two are currently arguing over what to cook first - boar or something called a shakran - but seem to come to some agreement when Zaeed approaches bringing liquor and shouting to 'shut the bloody hell up and start cooking!'

Some of the group stare out at the waves with drink in hand and Ellie, being one of them, gestures them over. Garrus nudges his forehead to Jane's and chuckles. "Go see what they want and I'll get drinks."

"Rum and coke. What are you going to get?"

"Heat sink."

She laughs and lets his hand go, turning to walk back towards the group while still addressing him. "Looking to get shitfaced tonight?"

Garrus' mouth opens to answer just as he hears the sand crunching and feels a heavy weight on his shoulders. "Nah," James Vega says, smelling already of that stuff he calls 'cerveza'. "Scars here just wants to feel like a man and not a dad, right?"

Garrus merely hums at James' grin while Jane laughs again, finally moving towards the group of Ellie, Miranda, Kasumi, Tali, and Aelia - who is surprising to see considering she's still so drained after giving birth shortly after EDI's activation. He can't hear what they say that makes his wife laugh and look back thanks to Vega pulling him towards the pavilion, but he has his hands full when James starts to call out to the small collection of people around the temporary bar made from a large plastic table and seemingly every bottle of liquor in the universe.

James cups a hand to his mouth and yells across the covered area towards the 'bar'. "Hey! Whip Scars, here, a heat sink!"

"Aye, aye!" Traynor calls back with a bottle of something blue in her hand and grins. By the look of her sway, she's already a good way into her own drinks. "Coming right up!"

"You didn't even order-"

"Oh, right! And a rum and coke for Lola!"

"Jane's," Garrus says dryly, looking to Vega before shrugging off his heavy arm with a smirk. "And I'll be sure to tell her you forgot about her until I had to remind you."

James blows a breath between his lips before snorting. "Yeah, like she'd believe you over innocent me."

At that, Garrus laughs as they come up to the group of guests either waiting for their drinks or watching the 'master at work'. Drunk or not, Samantha makes a hell of a strong drink.

"Hello, Garrus." EDI, in a platform still needing cosmetic improvements to look as she once was, smiles and hands Bray - visiting from Omega for a short time - his green colored, grass scented drink. Apparently, she has been taking to learning from Traynor how to mix drinks. Probably for the best considering how large this party is and how many drinks will be handed around before the night's over. "How are you?"

"I'm good, EDI. Where's Joker?"

"Jeff is over there," she says as she points towards where the party has set up a grouping of loungers, foldable chairs, and another large table in preparation for their dinner. Joker sits - no, lays - in one of the large loungers with his eyes shut and a drink in hand while Lantar, Wrex, and Rym work around him to finish preparing the spot for their feast. "He said he wanted to 'enjoy it while he can'."

Garrus chuckles and shakes his head. "Of course. More like he wanted to claim the best seat in the house."

"Ha!" Jack downs her drink and thumps the glass on the table in sign for more. "I'll get his crippled ass out of that chair."

"Do that, and you'll be helping me patch him up." Chakwas gives Jack a stern glare, but, since her retirement, the scolding seems to not have as big an effect.

Jack laughs and holds up her refilled drink in cheers before smirking. "Alright, alright. Wouldn't want to have to hear him bitch at me when I cast him up. You win."

Garrus rumbles a thank you when Traynor hands him his and Jane's drinks and lifts his glass in a parting toast to the group, a passing Ash grinning and clinking her glass to his when he turns to leave.

"Tell Skipper she isn't getting out of the Williams Family tradition toast so easily, but I'll let her drink that one before I find her." Leaning against the table, she smirks as Garrus walks backwards a few steps, chuckling.

"I'll be sure to remember that," he deadpans, knowing full well the gun oil Ash makes them all drink in some kind of torturous toast. Meeting up with Jane on the way to her group, he hands over her glass and hums. "Do I want to know what's so funny?"

"Probably not." She chuckles and reaches behind him to pull off a small paper. "But you probably don't want to see Kasumi for the rest of the night." He reaches for the paper, but she quickly crumbles it up and shoves it into her pocket. "Nope, that's not for your eyes."

"Let me guess, she put something on me to make a fool of myself?"

"Pretty much." Hearing his huff, she snorts. "Don't be a party pooper, she may be slightly tipsy and wanting to pick on grumpy ol' you."

"I'm not grumpy, I just don't smile."

She laughs at his joke before smiling up to him, warmth in her eyes. Looking over the beach, she smiles and motions three drell and one quarian standing at the edge of the sea. "Hey, I hear Tali's adopted some little shits. What do you say we test that rumor?" Grinning mischievously, she grabs his hand and runs as best she can in the sand, dragging him behind her. "Tali!" Letting him go, Jane wraps her arms around a happy, quarian rushing to meet her up the beach in a rough hug. "It's been a long time!" Stepping back, she holds Tali's arms and smirks. "I hear you have kids of your own."

"Keelah, you make me sound old," Tali says as she waves the rumor off. Chuckling, her eyes narrow in a smile. "But, I guess you're right. Kal and I adopted some of the children orphaned by the war." Her mate, the drell Garrus still refers to as Ilden - his false name - stands up beside her and smiles as he wraps his arm around her waist.

"It's certainly a unique experience to care for them, and I wouldn't have ever thought I could." He looks to Tali and she looks back, both smiling. "But they needed a family and I might have made a big enough home to give them that."

Tali chuckles and nods. "Keelah, the house is huge. So much bigger than yours, Garrus," she teases, just like old times on the Normandy.

He shrugs with a chuckle. "Not as pretty as mine, though. Or with as good a view." She squawks and crosses her arms in a pout as Jane snorts. "It's truth, Tali."

"Bosh'tet."

Rolling her eyes obvious enough to make her head follow the movement, Jane then sips her drink and looks to the two other drell approaching from the shore. "Poe, Kolyat." She smiles and moves her arm holding the drink aside as Poe hugs her. "It's been a while. Still working?"

Poe grins, her red eyes squinting with her joy, and Kolyat nods. "Yeah, actually. I'm working with the C-Sec team moving into the Citadel to start cataloguing damages. After everything with that Reaper, we're being a lot more careful, scanning before we go in."

"Good," Garrus agrees with a rumble. "No more should have to pay for the Council's stupidity to keep quiet."

"They aren't all too quiet. After the information was released, that is." Poe doesn't come out and say it, but Garrus knows exactly what she means, that Liara had done the great work of spreading the reports and armor recordings from their nightmare aboard the Citadel.

"Enough about your primitive means of governing," Javik says as he approaches with a yellow, glittering drink and slightly drunk. "In my time, we didn't hide the truth about the Reapers. We-"

"Ah, yes." Jane, even with drink in her hand, curls her index fingers as she speaks. "We 'primitives' can learn lots from your people." She chuckles and sips her drink. "Like how to brush our teeth with biotics."

"That… I should have never told you, human."

The others laugh at his confused and drunken state. Garrus, for all he knows the man, was happy to hear of his return from traveling the galaxy to honor his dead comrades. At first, they had all feared Javik wouldn't return, but something about his strange love and hate relationship with Liara seemed to be his draw back to the land of the living.

Looking out across the group of Normandy's family, Garrus catches sight of someone he hadn't thought would ever be seen around anyone carrying the Normandy flag, Kaidan Alenko. His rumble in curiosity pulls Jane's attention, but he shakes his head and lays a hand on her shoulder. "Want me to talk to him?"

"And have you punch him or, hell, shoot him? No thanks, I'd like this little party to be full of drinks, not blood." Chuckling, she pats his chest and makes her way towards where the biotic speaks with Steve and the engineering couple, Gabby and Kenneth.

"Maybe you should talk to them?" Tali's voice draws him back to the group around him and Garrus lifts a brow, about to ask for further explanation. Seeing his confusion, she motions Arcanus and Legacy standing aside. "Bosh'tets don't know how to relax. At least Legacy has an excuse."

EDI's recovery has done wonders for the geth regaining their own full fledged AI capabilities again, but, together, there still exists some hurdles to overcome in converting what makes EDI who she is and what makes a geth different. Legacy and EDI both estimate at least a few more months before she can repair herself enough to be completely on top of the implementation of her code into him, but Garrus gives them both credit for not giving up on the hope even with it looking so grim.

Here I am saying they have hope when, I'm sure, they'd deny even being able to experience it. What irony it is for two AI's to claim they don't understand nor have the ability to feel the very thing they express by never quitting their attempts when all hope seems lost.

Arcanus gives a nod in greeting as Garrus approaches and, noticing the change in the man, Legacy turns, his facial flaps lifting and fluttering down into position. "Wraith Vakarian."

Garrus chuckles at the newly developed title for himself and Jane since they aren't, technically, Spectres anymore. "I see you two aren't enjoying the party."

"Nonsense," Arcanus says with a slight shake of his head as he gazes out at the setting sun. "Simply wish to speak of a possible cooperation with the geth working within the Terminus."

"So, work." Garrus hums and motions towards the gathering of the Normandy's crew - old and new. "I'm sure food is going to be served soon, so I'd stock up on drinks before you get a taste of whatever Grunt, Sephone, and Zaeed are cooking."

"We do not need sustenance, but we would enjoy the opportunity to further observe."

"It's better when you don't tell people you're going to watch them eat." Clicking his mandibles at the thought of a geth staring him down while he's trying to eat, Garrus chuckles and looks to Arcanus. "What do you say we empty out whatever stash Traynor has of turian brandy?"

"I am afraid to warn you that I have already asked. She does not possess any." Arcanus' mandible flicks in disappointment, but Garrus rumbles in amusement at the man not having his chosen drink.

"Well, then it's heatsinks for you." Putting his glass in the older turian's hand, he starts to walk back towards the groups of people. "Come on. You wouldn't want me to tell Jane you'd rather she come over her and drag you into being sociable? Or…" He smirks and chuckles. "I could always get Ellie."

Sighing, a gesture Garrus only knows from the way Arcanus' robed chest heaves slightly, the other turian nods and moves to follow. He takes a small taste of the drink in his hand and grunts, clearing his throat. "This is…"

"Great?" Though Garrus knows better.

"Disgusting."

"All the more reason to down it fast and order more." He snorts at the dubious look he gets and nods. "Used to drink these when I was still in the military. Figured it's been too long since I just let loose, as humans say."

"Indeed." Still, Arcanus merely looks at the drink in hand before handing it back. "I would rather not 'let loose'."

"Well," Garrus says with a shrug and downs his drink in one go, shaking his head at the sting. "I guess someone has to be the designated adult to reign us all in when the sun comes up."

Wrex lumbering into the middle of the bonfire's light draws his attention just before the man bellows. "Everyone! Hurry your asses up! Food's almost ready and Liara wants a photo before you're all too shitfaced!"

Garrus snorts, but still smiles at the thought of having a new picture to compare to the one during the war. Maybe, just maybe, they all could make this some kind of tradition.