A/N: This is going to be the last chapter of fluff and stuff, I promise. The next few chapters are going to be action packed, just be patient!
Joker turned on the data pad again, eager to read the findings though still shocked to be holding the start of a cure for the disease that had cost him so much. This had been the first chance he had had in days to properly examine Mordin's data and he was not about to waste the opportunity. He adjusted his hat and opened the file, to say it was difficult to read was an understatement, but he was glad he had paid some attention to what the doctors had said about his disease years ago. Most of the information he already knew, like how the collagen used to make the connective tissue was not available due to an amino acid mutation of sorts; which when added to the crystals that formed his bones caused them to be brittle. What he found more interesting was how his disease affected nearly every level of his make up, from genetic to macro, from the few notes on the subject he knew Mordin had planned on writing a program that would rewrite his genetic makeup. That was where Mordin hit some obstacles. According to the notes pinning down the exact chain of DNA that needed to be altered had proven more difficult than he first thought, the stands were too entangled to be separated without multiple samples. 'Maybe I should've let him poke me with that needle instead of closing the door every time he got too close,' thought Joker, shaking his head as he continued reading.
There were several possible routes mentioned for creating a genetic program but none of them had been investigated further than speculation and hypotheses. Joker sighed, it was too much to hope for that Mordin had started on any type of process, this appeared to have been his last project before focusing more on the genophage. He was about to close the data pad when he saw a note at the very end, so small in fact he had almost missed it entirely.
Note: likelihood of passing on genetic mutation to progeny less than 30%
Joker sat back in disbelief, he had always thought his disease would affect every child he could ever have, now he knew he had a low chance of passing on his genetic mutation. He nearly laughed, for years he had seen it as a disease and now after having read Mordin's files he thought of it as a mutation, what a freeing revelation. The procedures that would be the cure were a few years away at best, at least that is what Mordin had made in an aside, but now there was hope which was something he had not had in years. He leaned back in his hoverchair and looked up at the ceiling, memories of his childhood flitting before his eyes, he thought about that angry kid he had been and wished he could go back and tell him that life got better. If someone had told him all those years ago while sitting in the hospital that he would be the best pilot and helmsman of the top Alliance ship, play a huge role in the biggest war in the history of the human race, and wake up with the most beautiful woman in the galaxy in his arms he would have said they were insane. Now that he thought about it someone had told him that, not in those exact words, but there had been a person in his life that had always told him he would do amazing things: his mother.
Joker sighed heavily and blinked his eyes rapidly to keep the tears at bay, his mother had been gone nearly a year now but he still wanted to cry every time he thought of her. She had been his rock for years, taking anything and everything life had thrown at him, though on occasion he had actually thrown a few objects at her. He had been a very angry kid for most of his life, angry at the world, his disease, the doctors, anyone that was somehow attached to the misery he felt and that did not exclude his mother. Looking back, he wished he had not been so angry at her above all others, she had done nothing except take him to the hospitals so he could be looked after and taken care of. She had given up a great deal just so she could stay with him while he was in the hospital, silently suffered if she had at all, never uttered a single complaint yet somehow dealt with him and his attitude. Joker was so absorbed in his thoughts he did not hear the door to the cabin open.
Elissa hung back near the aquarium, silently watching him as he did nothing but look off into space, she smiled and mentally pinched herself still thinking this was some dream she was destined to wake up from. In all her time around Joker the last thing she had ever expected, but eternally hoped for, was having him in her cabin. "Hey," she said quietly, hoping not to scare him.
He jumped a little and turned his head before turning the hoverchair completely around so he could see her better, even in jeans and a hoodie she still took his breath away. "Hi," he said and motioned for her to join him, pulling out the desk chair for her. "I thought you were with Liara and Talissa."
She sat down and took his hand, finding comfort in its warmth and familiarity. "I was but between the admirals and admirers, I couldn't take it anymore."
Joker chuckled, gently rubbing his thumb across her knuckles. "Yeah, that baby's more popular than you are, sweetheart. The novelty'll wear off soon though, and then you'll be back to being the most popular person in the galaxy."
"Honestly, I don't mind not being the center of attention," said Elissa. She raised an eyebrow and gave him a playful smirk. "Unlike you."
"You're right about that, baby," laughed Joker and she joined in. "I still can't believe they named a wing of the new hospital after her, but I guess the Quarians are just overjoyed to have a baby finally born here, even if she isn't a native."
Elissa shrugged. "You might be right, but I think they could've done without the huge ceremony, I'm sure it was more of a symbol than anything else."
"Symbol for what?" asked Joker.
"Power, vitality, growth," said Elissa dismissively, not too concerned with why the Quarian admiralty board had decided to have a huge ceremony for a small baby. "I don't know for sure, that's not my concern right now." She lowered her head and rubbed her tired eyes, a tension headache building deep in her mind.
Joker cupped her cheek and ran a thumb across her jaw, he lifted her face so he could see her better, she looked incredibly tired despite having been able to sleep for extended hours. "What's wrong, Elissa?"
She tried not to look him directly in the eye, but she glanced up and saw genuine concern shining in them, just like there always was. There were several things running through her head right now like her recurring nightmares, the stress of trying to keep the crew safe not to mention trying to figure out what the hell was going on in the first place. "I've just got a lot on my mind," replied Elissa, thinking also of what she and her mother had discussed a few days ago, the only thing she could think of telling him that would not incite further stress. "Actually there's something I've been meaning to tell you."
"Oh?" said Joker, sitting back a little in his chair. "What's that?"
Elissa swallowed hard before speaking. "My mom and I had a talk the other day, I had heard her talking to Hackett and I learned something . . . interesting."
Joker was concerned now she was hesitating and usually she did not hesitate to tell him, of all people, anything.
She took a deep breath and continued. "I found out that the man I thought was my father actually wasn't . . . Hackett's my father."
To say he was shocked would have been an understatement, for once he was completely lost for words, not sure what he was supposed to say or do in this situation. "Why didn't you tell me when you found out?" he asked when he finally found his voice, slightly hurt that she had not told him sooner.
"I don't know," sighed Elissa, running her fingers through her hair. "I guess between Talissa's birth, the ceremony, and the start of your cure it just didn't seem all that impressive."
"Are you kidding me?! Hackett's your father, that's just fucking incredible!" exclaimed Joker, his response taking Elissa by surprise. "Wait . . . our superior is your father . . . I suddenly regret breaking all of those fraternization rules even more so now."
Elissa gaped. "You had better not regret a single thing!"
Joker laughed, bringing her in for a quick kiss. "You should know by now, babe, I regret nothing."
"Fair point, honey," chuckled Elissa.
"Have you told the rest of the crew?" asked Joker, a smug grin on his face.
"Nope, you're the first to know," said Elissa, "I plan on telling the rest of the crew eventually, if it comes up in conversation."
"Oh, it'll come up," said Joker, waggling his eyebrows.
Elissa sighed, knowing full well he planned on bringing the subject up himself. "Don't you even think about it."
"So how do you feel knowing Hackett's your dad? I mean, I know you had your other dad and all but does this make you feel better?" asked Joker, ignoring the glare Elissa was giving him.
She mulled the question the over for a few seconds before answering. "Honestly, I think I'd always wished Hackett was my actual father so I guess I'm thrilled to know the truth. He was always around when I needed him, encouraged me whenever I doubted myself, and taught me most of everything I know about life. Between him and my mom, I think that's why I turned out so well."
"What was Ben like? I mean from a father-figure stand point," said Joker, twisting the ring on her finger so it caught the light.
"A soldier first and father last, very strict when he was home and very distant whether he was home or off somewhere in the galaxy," said Elissa quietly. "I always felt like nothing I did was ever good enough to make him proud, he was never very warm and caring, he was like a robot. I never understood why he wasn't ever home except for Christmas and for a little while in the summer, but I guess after he found out about who's child I really was, he didn't want to be around much. That's what my mom said anyway, I don't think she even knows the answer to that one." She paused to think more about the man she thought was her father, remembering his decent attributes. "For everything he wasn't, Ben had a number of redeeming qualities, like his passion for his career and his tactician's brain. He was always telling me how to succeed in nearly every aspect of life with the most minimal of risks, and I took most of that to heart, which I like to think is why I was so great in the Alliance. Despite how little he was in my life, Ben had a profound impact on my choices and how I lead my life, I guess I'll always be grateful to him for that much at least."
"Wow, you continue to amaze me, Ellie," said Joker in a soft voice.
Elissa raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"
He shrugged. "The guy you thought was your father was a lousy dad at best but you don't hold any grudges or anger, if I was in your shoes I'd have been pissed for years, which isn't a deviation from how I acted anyway."
"You were angry as a child, Jeff?" asked Elissa, stunned by this revelation. "Somehow I don't peg you as that type."
Joker snorted. "Well, believe it or not, I was angry for a very long time actually."
Elissa leaned forward, very interested in hearing more about this new side of Joker she had never heard of before now. "Can I ask why, or is that off limits?"
"Nope, well not to you, anyway," said Joker with a small smile. "Okay, you know I was in and out of hospitals for most of my life right?" Elissa nodded and he continued. "Well, I'm sure you can imagine how a young kid would feel being trapped in a bed without anywhere to go or anything to do, not to mention being poked and prodded by an endless line of doctors all claiming to have a treatment that would "cure" me. Anyway, I began to feel angry at the whole world because of my situation, I mean what kid wants to be told he can't run around and play like his friends? I started to take out my anger in ways that were kind of cruel, I'd make the nurses run around getting me shit I didn't need, lie to the new doctors about who I was so they'd leave me alone, and one time I threw a tray of food at my mother. That last one wasn't intentional nor am I proud of it at all, if anything I still feel guilty about the whole thing. My mom went above and beyond the call of duty when it came to me, and I repaid her with attitude and anger." He slammed his eyes shut against the brewing tide of tears, guilt and grief gripping his heart.
Elissa felt an odd mix of heartbreak and humility, she was sad that Joker had been such an angry kid and subjected to that kind of life but at the same time she was humbled by his resilience. She reached out and touched his cheek, stroking his beard with her thumb, she wanted to know more about this amazing woman whom he obviously cared so much about. "What was she like, you mother?" she asked quietly, still caressing his cheek.
Joker swallowed hard and opened his eyes though he knew there were still tears, he forced himself to look in her eyes. "She was the best, the kind of woman you'd expect a mother to be, warm and caring but would let you know if you overstepped a boundary which I did a lot. She was wicked smart too, being an engineer she had to be but she was smart about non-math and science things as well, she knew a lot about art and music. When I was in the hospital she'd draw whatever came to her mind, mostly landscapes of Tiptree . . . I wish I had some of those drawings, she took them back with her to Arcturus and . . . well, it doesn't matter now."
"Of course it does, Jeff," said Elissa, leaning in and kissing him. "If you want, we could ask Gunny if there were some at your house on Tiptree, maybe it's still standing."
He gave her a sad smile, her optimism was inspiring. "Maybe, but it's not a priority now, figuring out what the hell to do next is."
Elissa sighed heavily, giving him a wry look. "I love you, but you have a way of bringing me back to reality that I don't like. Actually, believe it or not, I have been thinking about what to do as far as this sticky spot we're in. We still have to go to that colony Kasumi's been begging to investigate, so that might end up being our next move. The medbay and EDI's mobile platform are nearly repaired thanks to the Quarian engineers, so that'll be one more thing off the list, plus I want to go to Tuchanka and have that memorial for Mordin. Somewhere in all that we still have to figure out Cerberus's plan, which may require some research."
Joker raised an eyebrow. "Is Miranda still having trouble finding out where that message originated?"
She nodded and leaned in closer, almost like she was afraid of someone hearing her words, he moved so their faces were barely a few centimeters away. "I think she's stalling, even with our limited resources she should've been able to track a simple message. I'm going to ask Liara to look into it like I should've in the first place."
"Why didn't you ask Liara first? I mean, you know she'd be able to hack it, track it, and somehow stop it all in one go," said Joker before brushing his lips teasingly across hers.
"I wanted Miranda to feel like she still had a purpose on the crew," replied Elissa, trying not to get distracted by Joker's lips. "Now I'm thinking she's up to something, she just seems off her game, which isn't normal for her. I'm going to give her a few more days, but if she doesn't come back to me with anything, it's Liara's turn."
Joker nodded. "Sounds like a good plan, let me know if you need any help in motivating Miranda."
"I think I'll get James to do that," chuckled Elissa, and she she pulled away before casting her eyes to the floor. "Can I ask you something?"
"Sure," said Joker, now very curious.
"What was your mom's name?" asked Elissa, sensing him tense up at her question.
He took a deep breath, trying to calm his racing heart. "Roseana, although everyone called her Ro, except for my dad, he called her Rosie."
She smiled. "Thank you for telling me, Jeff."
"Why'd you ask in the first place?" asked Joker.
"I was just getting a list of names together I mean, we'll have to call our children something, right?" said Elissa with a nervous chuckle, they still had not broached the subject of whether they were going to adopt or have children naturally, to her this seemed the best way to ease into the conversation.
Joker smiled at this, glad he had some good news for her. "I was reading that data pad Mordin left me and I've come to a conclusion regarding this having children discussion." He took a dramatic pause, wanting to draw out her anticipation just a little longer. "I want to have a baby with you, Elissa, naturally."
The look on her face was priceless, it was pure joy. She threw her arms around him and held him tight, unable to respond to the news any other way. "Thank you, Jeff, I love you so much."
Joker smiled and pulled her closer, kissing her hair. "I love you, too, Ellie."
"What made you decide this?" asked Elissa, resting her head against his shoulder.
"Mordin's research, he had a note at the bottom that said I had a less than thirty percent chance of passing on Vrolik's to any kid I might have," replied Joker, playing with some of her hair. "I know that sounds shallow but you didn't live my life, if you had, you might've felt differently."
"I don't think that sounds shallow at all, actually it's admirable, ready to make such a sacrifice," said Elissa, sitting up so she could look at him properly. "I hope our children have your strength, Jeff."
"Why not yours?" asked Joker, giving her a small grin.
Elissa smiled. "Where do you think I got mine?"
He was about to say something witty and clever when their omni-tools went off almost at the exact same time. Joker sighed but was still smiling. "It's Hilary, she wants to hang out with me for a while, she says she hasn't seen much of me since arriving and I owe her an afternoon."
"Funny, my message is from Kolyat, saying the same thing," said Elissa, raising an eyebrow. "Think they're trying to tell us something?"
Joker shrugged as they made ready to leave the cabin. "They probably want to talk with us about something, alone, without the other."
"Do you think this has anything to do with their relationship?" asked Elissa as she opened the door. "Among other things, I mean."
"Probably," said Joker, rubbing the back of his neck as he moved his chair forward. "I'm still getting used to the idea of Gunny being in a relationship, the last time I saw her she was twelve years old and interested in being a pilot not dating."
Elissa laughed as they walked into the elevator. "That is such a brother thing to say."
"Well what did your parents say when you started dating?" retorted Joker.
"Jackie, get the rifle, I want to meet this boy," replied Elissa and Joker laughed as the elevator doors closed.
"Kolyat, don't hit the chicken too hard, we want it tenderized not pulverized," said Elissa as she looked over at his prep station, the chicken breasts looking like pancakes.
The young Drell sighed and turned the chicken over, hitting it with less intensity this time around. "Thank you for your help, Siha, I was never good at cooking."
Elissa smiled as she chopped vegetables, surprised by how a simple thing like cooking with her pseudo-son could bring her such contentment and peace. "If you hate cooking so much, why'd you volunteer for kitchen duty tonight?"
"Everyone has to pull their own weight and I haven't been in the kitchen lately," replied Kolyat simply, "besides, I knew it was the job you'd most enjoy helping me with."
"How'd you know I like to cook?" asked Elissa with a raised eyebrow, trying to give equal attention to him and the vegetables. "I don't remember telling you that."
"I watched you cook dinner for the crew after my father's memorial," said Kolyat softly and he turned to her, "I saw the look in your eye when you were cooking, it was one of peace, I had hoped to give it to you again."
Elissa was stunned by Kolyat's words, not by their meaning, but by the sincerity in his tone. She had always felt this motherly affection towards Kolyat but she had never thought for a second that he would reciprocate it, see her as his mother, now he was trying to give her some kind of peace like she had done for him. "That's very sweet of you, Kolyat, thank you."
He smiled at her, his eyes flashing bright, he was remembering something but he unlike his father did not share what he was thinking about. Instead of continuing to be lost in the memory, he snapped out of it and went back to his task of tenderizing the chicken, paying more attention to how he was hitting it. "I wanted to talk to you about a couple of things, Siha, if that's alright."
"Of course, Kolyat, you know you can talk to me about anything," replied Elissa immediately, and she stopped chopping vegetables, turning so her full attention was on him.
"I realize I haven't spoken to you about why I'm here on Rannoch instead of on the Citadel, where I last told you I was," said Kolyat, searching for the right words. "I was contacted by Cerberus."
Elissa's smile quickly disappeared, panic and anger replacing any peace she might have felt earlier. "Were you hurt? What did they want?"
Kolyat held up a hand, silencing her. "I'm fine, they just tried to scare me a little, though they were unsuccessful. Someone walked up to me while I was on duty and told me there was a sniper with his gun trained on me and if I did anything out of character he would pull the trigger. They wanted to hire me as an assassin, to replace Kai Leng, I refused the offer."
Elissa snorted. "Something tells me that didn't go over well."
"You're right, they didn't take my rejection kindly," replied Kolyat sternly. "A few days later, some time before your trial actually, I saw the same messenger standing in the Presidium looking right at me even though I was on the seventh story of Huerta. I had a feeling something was about to happen so I kept my gaze trained on the messenger, a few moments later I saw his head twitch, to passersby it would have looked like nothing but I knew it was much more than that. When I saw the gesture I dropped to the floor just as a bullet shattered the window, I knew I had been set up, Cerberus tried very hard to have me killed."
"Just like Jack," whispered Elissa. Cerberus was trying very hard to have all extraneous members of her crew and family killed, they were targeting specific people which meant they would have to have inside knowledge. Very few people outside of her crew knew about Thane let alone Kolyat, even fewer knew that Jack was an instructor at Grissom, whomever this was had intimate knowledge about her and her crew. "Kolyat, has anyone else here been attacked like you were?" asked Elissa, her tone deadly serious.
Kolyat nodded and Elissa paled. "Yes, Siha, there were a few other attacks. We were all incredibly lucky Hackett was already searching for us, if he had not gotten to us when he did . . . well, I try not to dwell too much on what might have been."
Elissa stared ahead, jaw clenched and angry beyond belief, Cerberus was making this incredibly personal. "Was there anything else you wanted to talk to me about?"
"I wanted to ask if there was a place on the Normandy for me," said Kolyat quietly. "I want to serve on the ship my father spoke so highly of, work with the people who cared so much about him and he in return, and be with those we saw as family." His sunset colored eyes, Irikah's eyes, were trained on her face anticipating her reaction and answer.
"Kolyat, you didn't even have to ask," said Elissa, walking over and hugging him tightly. "You can stay in the life support room if you wish, but I'd understand if you wouldn't want to."
He looked down at her and smiled. "I couldn't think of any other room I want more, other than maybe the captain's cabin."
"Baby steps, Kolyat, and maybe someday you'll have a captain's cabin of your own," laughed Elissa, releasing him from her grip. "Now come on, we have dinner for a whole camp to make and Gardner's gone AWOL on us for the night."
"Jesus, Gunny, who taught you how to fly?!" exclaimed Joker as Hilary took a sharp corner, sending him against the side console of the shuttle.
Hilary laughed as she continued on her flight path. "As I recall, you did!"
Joker scowled at her, sending his little sister into a fit of giggles, and his face relaxed into a small smile. "Touche, young Padawan."
She rolled her eyes, as she steered the shuttle. "Is that another reference from that old movie series you like so much?"
"Hey, Star Wars is a classic," argued Joker, then he paused. "Okay, maybe only the ones made in the nineteen-seventies, but either way still a great concept. Han Solo was my idol for years."
"That's not sad or pathetic," teased Hilary, eliciting a slight groan from her brother. "Well, you were my pilot idol, what does that say about me?"
"That you have great taste in idols," laughed Joker. "So why'd you ask me to join you on this joy ride? It wasn't to praise your piloting skills obviously."
Hilary scowled and he laughed again. "Apparently not." She returned her gaze to the world beyond the windshield. "Believe it or not, Jeff, I have missed you and wanted some time to catch up with my big brother. We haven't had much of a chance to talk since you and the crew arrived, you know, with the baby and all that not to mention your cure."
"It's not a full blown cure, but it's a starting place," said Joker quietly as he mentally piloted the shuttle. "More than I had when I was a kid anyway."
Hilary glanced over, her blue eyes shining with unshed tears. "I'm sorry, Jeff."
"For what?" asked Joker, blinking in confusion.
"Well, I heard you and Lissa talking and I heard that you blame yourself for the fact our parents had me when you were in high school," said Hilary softly. "I just hate the fact you've been carrying around that guilt for so long when there's no reason to, Mom told me why I was born when I was, and it had nothing to do with you."
Joker tensed up, preparing himself for what Hilary was about to tell him.
"It was all them, Jeff. They'd had trouble conceiving naturally even with you, and it had cost them a great deal of money to have the treatments to get you. They had spent so much money on the first round of treatment that they couldn't afford it again until much later in life," said Hilary, trying not to cry, relieved that she could ease her brother's burden even just a little. "Do you know how they had the money in the first place?"
He shrugged, wanting to hear more of the story.
"Instead of asking for gifts at their wedding, they asked for money for fertility treatments and used that plus the money they had put away in savings," replied Hilary, smiling at him. "I know you felt like an inconvenience, you made that quite clear whenever you were home, but you should know that they wanted you, Jeff. They were so proud of you, after visiting you on the Citadel, it was all they could talk about."
Joker felt more tears burning in his eyes but he refused to let them fall, he had cried enough for the life he had had before, now that he knew the truth and had some semblance of hope it was time to let go of his pain. He reached over and held Hilary's hand, squeezing it as hard as he could without hurting himself. "Thank you, Hilary."
She simply smiled at him. "I'm glad you met Lissa, she's great."
He nodded, smiling as he flinched, she had been gotten a little too close to another shuttle. "That she is, more than I deserve."
"Funny, she said the same thing about you," said Hilary with a smirk. "So, speaking of relationships, what do you think of me and Kolyat?"
Joker sighed, he knew this was going to come up sooner or later. "I like him, he's a good guy, it's just . . ."
"Just what?" asked Hilary, very nervous that he was going to reprimand her about her relationship.
"I still think of you as my little sister, with pigtails and missing teeth, not as a teenager who's dating," confessed Joker.
Hilary laughed, her brother's admission to still seeing her as a little girl was just too cute. "Jeff, I haven't been a little girl since the war started," she said after she calmed herself down. "I've been doing a lot of things most little girls don't do, Jeff. I've grown up since you last saw me and while I appreciate that you still see me as one you're going to have to accept the fact that I'm not little anymore."
"Fine," groaned Joker. "Watch out for that rock formation!"
Hilary laughed as she easily missed the small rock formation several feet below her, throwing a loop-de-loop in at the end just to show her brother how much control she actually had over the situation.
"The food looks delicious, Shepard, thank you," said Kal'Reegar as he accepted a plateful of food from Elissa. He had started being around Sol base more often after he learned the Normandy crew had finally arrived to make sure they did not do anything that might jeopardize the equilibrium of Rannoch, that was his official story anyway. The unofficial version that he had told her was he could not stand being around the admirals anymore and needed to be with a group of people like himself, he had made up a reason to be on Sol base just to keep the Admiralty board happy.
She smiled as she handed him a drink. "Thanks, I was worried I wouldn't be able to get the dextro cooked just right."
"I feel like I'm out camping," said Samantha happily as she passed out some silverware to the crew members nearest her. "This is so much better than eating inside, the weather's just perfect and the bonfire feels amazing, I love Rannoch."
"Maybe this will be where you settle down," said Gwen.
"Mum, don't," warned Samantha.
Gwen ignored her daughter's warning and continued speaking. "You've been galavanting all over the galaxy, it's high time you met someone nice and settled down."
"For God's sake Gwen, leave Sammy alone, she's a perfectly capable adult and I'm sure she'll settle down when she's ready not when you're ready," sighed Walter, giving his daughter a warm smile.
Elissa smiled as she dished out more food, Gwen and Walter were like stereotypical parents in almost every way, but she knew they loved Samantha and only embarrassed her out of love. While she went around passing out food she heard bits and pieces of conversation between her crew members.
"Mum, is there anymore haggis?" asked Ken as he inspected the chicken on his plate.
"There might be if your father hasn't eaten it all," said Molly, she handed her husband a silver flask after taking a drink from it.
Gabby looked over, trying to see what was in the flask. "What're you all drinking?"
"Not really sure," said Tomas then he sipped from the flask. "Have a taste, girly, be careful though it'll curl your hair."
She accepted the flask, took a sip and nearly choked but she managed to swallow the mouthful though it was more bitter than any alcohol she had ever tasted before.
"It's absinthe," she managed to choke out before passing the flask back to her father-in-law.
Tomas laughed and slapped her on the back. "The girl knows her spirits! Kenny, you did a great job catching this girl, she's perfect!"
"Smaller bites, Jacob, he's still just a baby," said Brynn as she bounced Nicky on her lap. She leaned over and inspected the pieces of chicken Jacob was cutting, they were smaller than the peas but she was still concerned they were too big.
Jacob sighed. "Brynn, if I cut them any smaller there won't be anything for him to eat."
"Fine," snapped Brynn, "but if he chokes on those pieces it'll be on your head!"
"I'm so glad our families have gotten along," said Tali, feeding a bite of food to Garrus.
He nodded, swallowing before speaking. "I never knew it would feel so good to have my father approve of anything I did, I should've started dating you a long time ago."
Tali smirked as she prepared another bite. "You're lucky Auntie Raan likes you so much, otherwise, well I don't want to worry you."
"Now, I'm a little scared that your aunt might try to kill me," said Garrus, as he took the food off of Tali's fork.
"You should be, she's well known for her poisons," said Tali. She laughed when Garrus choked on the mouthful of food, she was obviously getting him back for something he had done or said earlier.
"I love your cousins, James, but sometimes it's nice just eating in peace," said Miranda, caressing his cheek.
James sighed. "I know they're a handful, but they're sweet kids, and they adore you."
"Are you trying to butter me up to the idea of kids?" asked Miranda, arching a perfectly manicured eyebrow.
He shrugged, turning a bright pink color. "Well, Quaes did give us that data pad . . ."
"I'm not sure James, not yet anyway, I'm still getting used to the idea myself," replied Miranda quietly, her blue eyes clouding with emotion. "I have been thinking about it though, a great deal as a matter of fact."
"I'm glad," said James, wrapping his arm securely around her, "just let me know when you're ready."
"Where are Liara and Aethyta?" asked Hilary as Elissa joined her, Kolyat, and Joker by the fire.
"I think they're having dinner with the Admiralty board again," said Joker, cutting his chicken up. "That little baby sure is popular."
"Are you jealous, Joker?" asked Kolyat with a smirk.
Joker scowled at the Drell. "Of course not, it's just strange. I get that it's a big deal having a baby born on this planet after so many centuries, but she's not a native, if this is how they treat a non-Quarian baby I can't wait to see what they do for a Quarian baby."
"Probably a week long celebration with fireworks and lots of feasts," said Elissa. She looked around the fire, glad to see how her crew was relaxing. "This is nice."
"What is, Siha?" asked Kolyat.
"This," said Elissa, indicating with her fork everyone sitting together, "the crew relaxing, having our families around, seeing how everyone actually is with the absence of dire situations. I honestly don't think I've ever seen my family so happy, I mean, look at everyone they all seem happy."
Joker rubbed her back with his free hand. "I agree, it's pretty cool. It's funny thought that Chakwas's family takes up their own bonfire space, I'm surprised your mom found any room over there."
Elissa chuckled. "I am too. Who'd have thought Chakwas would have such a huge family? I was always under the impression that she didn't have any family other than us."
"She told me about them a few weeks ago," said Joker smugly. "She said she likes to keep her personal and work life separate, though I can hardly blame her, it must take a lot of focus to look after her large brood."
"I want kids but I don't want that many," laughed Elissa, she and Joker shared a glowing look, both glad they had finally come to a resolution about their predicament.
Hilary rolled her eyes playfully. "Jeff, stop undressing Lissa with your eyes."
Joker immediately looked away, then glared at Hilary when she and the others started to laugh before joining in with them.
The lighthearted atmosphere continued for most of the night, everyone was eating and talking, swapping stories and cracking jokes at everyone's expense. Soon the evening died down into a pleasant calm, everyone started to feel tired so they unrolled some sleeping bags and began relaxing. The night was too warm for anyone to be actually in their sleeping bag, so everyone just lounged around on them, enjoying the peace of the evening. James took the opportunity the quiet night offered and pulled out his guitar, he started playing songs that were familiar to nearly everyone around camp, Kal joined in with a strange Quarian flute-like instrument. The combined melodies worked like a charm, lulling everyone to a state of barely conscious, even the musicians were having a hard time keeping their eyes open. Joker looked over at the sleeping forms of Kolyat and Hilary, their limbs were so tangled up together they appeared to be one giant being, he turned so he was facing Elissa who was on the sleeping bag beside him. She was already fast asleep, her chest rising and falling in a steady rhythm, he reached over and took her hand in his smiling to himself as sleep conquered him.
Somewhere in his dreams, Joker heard screaming, it was soft at first but it continued to persist no matter how hard he tried to ignore it though it was slowly but surely bringing him out of his deep sleep. Suddenly it started to get louder, more desperate, as if someone was dying a horrible death right beside him. 'The only one beside me is Elissa,' he told himself thinking nothing of the screaming until his brain made the connection: Elissa was screaming. His eyes snapped open so fast he had backlash, in the dim firelight he could see Elissa on the sleeping bag beside him thrashing around, her mouth open as an unholy sound was ripped deep from her throat. He could see that she was scratching at herself, mostly at her neck, her head shaking from side to side he reached to touch her shoulder, wanting to wake her up from whatever nightmare had claimed her this time.
"Don't touch her!" shouted Chakwas as she approached Elissa's sleeping bag.
Joker retracted his hand quickly though he was not sure why, shaking her shoulder or touching her in someway usually did the trick. "What's going on, Doc?" he asked as he started to feel more awake.
"She's dreaming," replied Chakwas as she knelt beside her.
"That much is obvious," retorted Joker, still wanting an explanation. "She's had dreams before and waking her up's always helped bring her back, why not this time?"
Chakwas looked up from her medical bag, a needle in her hand. "I'm afraid if we touch her she'll react as if she's in a life or death situation, we need to sedate her and get her back on the Normandy where I can observe her better."
Joker nodded and watched as Chakwas prepped the needle, filling it with the sedative when something occurred to him. "Wait!" he shouted, startling Chakwas. "If she'll attack us just touching her, do you really think she won't fight against a needle going into her skin?"
She gaped at him, realizing her error. "You're right, we need to hold her still someway without actually touching her."
"Biotics might be able to do that," said Miranda as she knelt at the foot of the sleeping bag. "I can immobilize her by creating a stasis field around her body, leaving her head and arm exposed, that way you can hold it down and she can't fight back."
Joker looked at Elissa, her screams were becoming louder, her movements more frantic, if they were going to do anything they would have to do it now. "Just do it, Miranda!"
Miranda nodded and created the biotic field, wrapping around her body like a second skin, as promised Elissa's body ceased its movements and her head and arm were exposed. Chakwas was quick to act, pinning her arm down and quickly sticking her with the needle, injecting the sedative. When she was done Miranda took down the stasis field and the three of them sat there and watched as the sedative took effect, her body's movements became sluggish as her screaming turned into whimpering. Joker looked up from Elissa's now still form, his eyes scanning Chakwas's face for any kind of answer for why this happened, but she looked as lost as he felt.
"We need to move her to the medbay," said Chakwas and Kal walked over.
"I can carry her," he offered and they all nodded, none of them really paying attention to the words he spoke. Joker watched as Kal lifted her limp body from the ground with ease, he could tell he was taking care not to jar her anymore than she already was, and he followed Chakwas back to the Normandy.
"What the hell was that?" asked James when Kal and Chakwas were out of sight.
"I'm not really sure, James," said Joker, still in shock. He had answered honestly, he had no idea what had happened or why it had, all he knew was this was worse than any other time she had had nightmares.
"I've never seen anything like that," said Tali nervously, her lip trembling with worry.
Garrus pulled her closer, nodding in agreement. "Neither have I. What do we do now?"
"We stay here and let Chakwas take care of Lisa," said Miranda sternly. "The best thing we can do is let Chakwas do her job, all of crowding in the medbay will only make matters worse."
Joker wanted to nod, speak, move even but he was paralyzed in his spot. He had never seen Elissa like this before, fear had found its way into his heart and now it would not leave, at least not until he saw her and knew she was alright. He wanted to be there for her but knew Miranda was right, he would only prevent Chakwas from doing her job which would do more harm than good.
"Maybe we should all get some sleep," suggested Samantha, trying to keep her hands from shaking. Everyone around her nodded and settled back down on their sleeping bags, even Joker found it possible to move, though sleep had escaped him. He could sense in the atmosphere around him the rest of the crew was having just as much trouble as he was trying not to think about their commander, it was going to be a very long night.
