Disclaimer: All characters and settings belong to Bioware.

White Christmas

Location: Vancouver, Earth

December 24, 2187

The Twins

"So, Vakarian, remind me again, where are you on the Hierarchy's succession line?" asked Shepard as she led Garrus through the lobby of her apartment building. "Are you a primarch yet?"

Garrus shot her a sideways glance. "Don't go there, Shepard."

As flat as his tone was, it was nothing but a private joke between them. Similar questions had been asked before, similar answers had been given. She pried, he dodged. Neither meant anything by the exchange.

It was good to see his human sister again. The last time he'd seen her, she had barely recovered from the intensive injuries she'd sustained during the Reaper war. That was a few months ago. Shepard had bounced back nicely since then – more well-rested than he had ever seen her, with a smile that came much easier. But then, Garrus shouldn't be surprised by the improvement. After all, the woman currently trapped in the elevator with him was Aerin Shepard. Not even death could keep her down.

"I don't care if you've booked a room in the five-starred hotel in town, you're staying with us," Shepard stated in that firm tone Garrus had heard a thousand times. It could only mean one thing: Shepard wouldn't take no for an answer.

"But the honeymoon suite..." Garrus whined quietly in jest. Of course he didn't book any suite.

"We have unlimited booze here," Shepard played along. "And breakfast served by Chef Alenko."

"Aw, I was hoping it's by Chef Shepard."

"Trust me, Garrus, you're in for a treat. Kaidan could open a restaurant if he wanted to." A proud smile lit up her face.

"So where's your other half?"

"Kaidan's out grabbing something. He'll be back in a bit," Shepard told Garrus while unlocking the front door to her apartment. "The others are coming. You're the first to arrive."

"I'm always the first to join your party."

The door slid open at her command. "Here we are. Welcome aboard, Mr. Vakarian."

"Thank you, Commander," said Garrus as he followed her into her sanctuary. He scanned around the apartment the moment he crossed the threshold. "So... this is the Shepard-Alenko love nest."

That earned him a familiar glare – Shepard's secret weapon to keep her crew in line. It didn't faze Garrus, though, for he knew she was merely faking it. True enough, a second later, a smirk quickly broke through her facade.

"Your room is down the hall. I'll get you something to drink," said Shepard, heading to the kitchen. "Make yourself at home."

"Don't mind if I do." Garrus put his bag down and gave himself a tour. He peeked into the dining room by the kitchen. The afternoon sky was gray and cloudy, but there were enough windows to keep the room brightly lit. "Nice place, Shepard. Too many windows, though. Remember to close the blinds at night. Don't want anyone to track your movements-"

He stopped in his track when he turned around and faced the living room. Right in front of another set of tall windows was a plant. No, not just a plant, but a tree – a tree with a lot of... things hanging on its branches. And, for whatever reasons, it was lit with tiny little colorful lights, blinking in random order.

Garrus took a few steps closer, staring at the tree, utterly puzzled by the odd choice of decoration. It was neither Shepard's style, nor Kaidan's. They were both sensible and practical, and this plant was neither.

"Why do you have a tree inside your house?" Garrus had to ask. "To increase oxygen level?"

"It's a Christmas tree," Shepard explained with a chuckle while joining him in the living room. "In some human subculture, we decorate a pine tree inside our house during holiday season."

"What for?"

"Mm, I don't know." She shrugged, handing him a glass of wine. "We're supposed to put the gifts we have for each other under it."

That didn't make any sense. None whatsoever. "Why can't you just hand the gift to the person?"

Shepard paused to think for a second. "Good question. I have no idea. You've to ask Kaidan; he put the whole thing up."

"And here I thought I'm starting to understand you humans. It does look festive, though." His gaze traveled through the length of the tree, from bottom to top. Scattered randomly among the branches were a handful of colorful shiny orbs and more than a dozen of miniature figurines. He recognized most of them. A toy Geth, the Normandy – both SR-1 and SR-2, a miniature model of the Citadel...

Then he froze.

Garrus blinked hard at the largest ornament of all. A turian figure perched at the highest point of the tree – a turian with blue armor, a visor, a sniper rifle, and a pair of white wings. His jaw dropped, his mandibles twitched. Somehow, in his state of shock, he could hear Shepard's muffled laughter.

"...Is that... what I think it is?"

Shepard didn't bother to contain her laughter any longer. "Yeah," she confirmed, laughing. "That's the Archangel of Omega."

Garrus could only blink again. He had been immortalized.

"It's called the tree topper," Shepard explained, still chuckling under her breath. "We're supposed to put a special ornament on top of our tree. Usually a star, or an angel. So, I thought why not the most badass angel of them all? Let him watch over us from high above."

Garrus switched his gaze from his angel self to his human sister, back and forth for a few times before he had the sense to close his mouth.

Shepard grinned warmly at him and put her arm around his shoulders. "Like it or not, Vakarian, you're always with us. In one form or another."

That sentiment warmed him more that he could even express. It took him a few more seconds to recover his usual wits.

"He does have the best view to the apartment," he commented at last. "High above the ledge, with his sniper rifle. It doesn't get better than this."

"I thought you might like that."

"Although..." Garrus slowly perked up as an idea came to him. "We could convert it into a motion sensor, and the sniper rifle as a working weapon! Arm the device when you're out. If anyone breaks into your place, they'll trigger the alarm, and this little guy will take care of your problem."

Shepard raised an eyebrow at his suggestion. "We're safe here, Garrus. No one's gonna break in."

"Can't be too careful, Aerin."

Shepard was safe, Garrus knew. Anyone who was stupid enough to mess with her was practically signing their death warrant. Besides, she lived with one of the best human biotics. But still, Garrus wanted nothing but the best for his human twin. So why not started with better home security?

"The tree is off-limit," Shepard declared. "But, I'll let you do a sweep around the house and give me a list of ideas to improve security."

A decent compromise. Garrus nodded. "Good idea. I'll give you a full report by the end of the day."

Shepard laughed. "Relax. You have plenty of time. So, wanna see my rifle collection?" Her eyes sparkled like a kid eager to show off her toys.

Garrus grinned. "Do you even have to ask?"

The Biotic Mentors

"Vodka, straight," said Jack. "No girly drinks."

"Sure you don't want pink martini?" asked Kaidan, hiding a grin. "Your students told me that's your favorite."

Jack's reply was a loud snort, a smirk, and a middle finger.

The last time Kaidan had seen Jack was his most recent trip to Grissom academy scouting for recruits. Kaidan had never thought that bald, tattooed woman he had met two years ago would become an instructor for the Alliance, much less a very popular one among the students. The former convict had certainly turned her life around since her days in the Purgatory.

"How are the kids?" Jack asked as she sat down on one of the barstools by the kitchen counter.

"They're doing well," Kaidan replied as he retrieved two shot glasses and a bottle of vodka. "They're very well-trained."

"Oh yeah?" Jack grinned proudly. "No shit, of course they are. I trained each and every one of them myself."

"A few of them need a little more training in discipline, but other than that..."

"Come on, Alenko. Ain't nothing wrong with going wild with our powers. You'll never know how strong you really are until you get super pissed." A sly grin flashed across Jack's face, her eyes lit up in a wicked glint. "Don't tell me you've never felt that surge of anger inside you, burning through your veins. The only way you'll survive without bursting inside out is to release that anger, through here..." She held up her hand, now pulsing in blue.

I have. Two decades ago. Kaidan didn't reply to that.

Jack reached for the vodka bottle with her biotics. "This is what we are. When life gives you a lemon, I say, fuck it! Cut that fucking lemon in halves and shove them into your enemy's eyes. If those assholes out there are afraid of us, well... even better."

"I see you're taking advantage of the lack of swear jar around," said Kaidan teasingly while filling both glasses. "What's the latest tally, anyway? Last I heard it's pushing one thousand credit."

"Screw you!" Jack chuckled. "There ain't no kids around. I can finally say whatever the fuck I want. Besides-" She gestured toward Shepard, who was in the living room with Miranda. "Captain Girl Scout over there never gives a shit of what I say, as long as I do my fucking job. Just wish the people in the academy are more like her." She drained her glass then continued, "Can't believe I'm gonna say this, but... I miss Shepard, you know? She's the only one who gives a shit. I mean really gives a fucking shit and gets things done." Her voice took a sudden quiet turn. "And she listens... Sometimes, it's all that matters."

Yes, she listens... "Yeah. She's special."

"Shit. Look at me. I've become respectable because of Aerin Fucking Shepard." Jack shook her head with a smirk. Then, all of a sudden, her harsh tone came back in full force and warned, "So, don't fuck it up, Alenko. You have a good thing going here."

"Trust me, I know," said Kaidan, filling her glass to the brim. "We're both have our second chances in life."

Jack raised her drink. "To our fucking new lives."

Kaidan clinked glasses with her and drank to that.

"Hey, I think you should get some ink," said Jack, after downing her second shot. "What'd you say?"

Kaidan could only raise an eyebrow at that sudden suggestion.

"Come on, my treat," Jack prompted. "What do you want? Alliance logo? 'The Property of Aerin Shepard?'"

"No thanks," said Kaidan, chuckling. "I'm not drunk enough to do that."

"Well, then what the hell are we waiting for?" said Jack, grabbing the bottle. "Let's work on getting you drunk"

The Space Divas

Miranda glanced around the high-ceilinged living room with a view to the city. A nicely decorated Christmas tree stood in front of a set of tall windows, fireplace was burning brightly across the comfortable couch she was sitting on. A soft, wool throw blanket and pillows on the couch added an exact warm and cozy touch.

It was not a place Miranda would picture Commander Shepard in. Yet, here she was, Aerin Shepard in one of her hoodies, returning from the kitchen with a bottle of merlot in one hand and a glass in another.

"You have to try this," said Shepard, waving the wine bottle gently.

"You look different, Aerin," said Miranda as the host of the party sat down next to her.

"Really? How so?" asked Shepard as she cracked open the bottle. "No dirt and blood on my face? No new scars?"

"No." Miranda gave the commander another once-over. "You look... softer."

Shepard arched an eyebrow at her statement. "Is that your way of telling me I'm getting fat?"

Miranda laughed. "Don't be ridiculous. You're not fat, far from it. It's just..." She shook her head and studied her friend some more. "You're glowing."

"I get uninterrupted sleep every night," said Shepard, filling the wine glass with dark red liquor. "No more waking up to ship's alarm or EDI's announcement." She handed Miranda the glass. "Besides, the food here is fantastic."

"Maybe..." Miranda took a sip, pleasantly surprised by the quality. "Hm. This is good."

"From Kaidan's family's winery," said Shepard, beaming. "I have a case reserved for you."

Miranda then noticed something strange. Shepard had only brought back one glass; her own choice of beverage was a cup of hot chocolate with marshmallows floating on top.

"You don't like the merlot?"

"No, I love it." Shepard reached for her mug and warmed her hands with it. "But one of us has to be sober in case we get a call to save the galaxy during the party."

Miranda snorted softly. "Twice is more than enough. They should call someone else next time."

"Tell that to the Council." Shepard shifted to fold one long leg under her, settling comfortable on the couch with pillows behind her back. A tired sigh escaped her lips. "I'm glad you made it, Miranda. It's good to see you again."

Smiling, Miranda raised her glass to her former captain. "Likewise, my friend."

"Sorry for stealing you from your sister. I'm sure she wants to spend Christmas with her big sis."

"It's quite all right," said Miranda after taking a nice, long sip. "Oriana is busy. She's going on a trip with her friends."

Shepard shot her a teasing glance. "How come you're not tagging along?"

"You really think she'd let me?"

"That doesn't stop you from keeping tabs on her."

"Never does. But she doesn't have to know."

Shepard paused as if a thought had just hit her. She then asked, "Wait... Have you been keeping tabs on me, too?"

"Took you long enough to figure that one out," said Miranda with a hint of a teasing smile. "I need to make sure my Lazarus project is doing just fine."

They both knew it was nothing but a joke; Shepard had long become more than her project, more than her captain. She was her friend – a rare, real friend.

"I appreciate the thought, Miranda, but you don't have to worry about me. I'm happy here. Besides, you're busy enough with your company."

"Oh, please don't remind me of work."

A playful glint lit up Shepard's eyes. "So what's it like to run a multi-billion credit cooperation?"

"Boring. Meetings all day, everyday. I swear those idiots couldn't make a decision on their own. No wonder my father loved this job; he was a control-freak."

"So are you." Shepard's smirk grew. "Come on, Miranda, you love being busy. You wouldn't know what to do with yourself if you had a day off."

"Yes, that's true," Miranda admitted reluctantly. "I don't mind the workload, but, sometimes... I miss going out on missions. Running and jumping, bullet dodging..."

That familiar smirk turned into a wistful smile. "I hear you... I miss that too. But maybe it's not a bad idea to try something else. Starting another chapter in our lives..."

"Yeah..." Miranda breathed then raised her wineglass. "To new chapters in our lives."

Shepard raised her cup of hot chocolate. "And many more."

Team SR-1

"I really like the tree, Kaidan," said Tali who had long folded her current hand. She sat back and watched the poker game unfolded, not at all upset that she had lost another round. "It's so pretty and bright."

"Thanks," Kaidan replied with a smile, then tossed two more chips into the growing pile in the middle of the dining table. "We're planning to do this every year, come join us."

"Oh, I will." Tali nodded, reaching for her drink. "Come on, Vakarian. You're so slow."

Garrus checked his card once again before putting them down face down. "I'm out."

It was their pilot's turn. Joker studied Kaidan with narrowed eyes before he decided, "You are bluffing, Alenko. I can smell it. C'mon, let's see it! Show me what you've got."

Hiding a grin, Kaidan revealed his cards on the table. Full house. "Sorry, Joker. I wasn't bluffing."

"Shit." Joker tossed his cards down, his face scrunched up. "That's brutal, man. Brutal! I'm losing my shirt here!"

"Me? Brutal?" said Kaidan with a laugh. "Wait til Aerin sits at this table. We'll all lose our shirts."

"Except for me," said Tali. "I'll get sick without my suit. Aerin wouldn't do that to me."

The pilot's sour face didn't last too long, though. When Kaidan gathered the cards to shuffle, Joker had already recovered and started sipping his beer. "Just how did you get that giant tree up here anyway? Did you shove it in the elevator?"

"I used my biotics," said Kaidan with a shrug. "Opened the windows and pulled the tree up from the street."

"You're shitting me." Joker raised an eyebrow. "All the way up here? We're on, what, the 20th floor?"

Garrus, too, gave Kaidan a surprised look. "I didn't know you could manipulate the mass effect field from this far."

"I was kidding," Kaidan revealed, chuckling. "The tree isn't real. It came in four sections and we assembled it here."

"Really?" Joker craned his neck to get a better view of the living room where the object of their discussion was located. "Looks like a real tree, smells like a real tree. And I swear I saw Grunt munching on one of the branches."

"Maybe I should buy one and bring it back home," said Tali, leaving her seat to appraise the tree from afar. The poker game was all but forgotten by the four participants.

"I'll show you the site I ordered it from," said Kaidan. "They have different shapes and sizes."

"I have to ask, Kaidan," said Garrus after taking a sip from his drink. "Aerin told me you humans put a tree inside the house, just so you can put gifts underneath it."

Kaidan nodded. "That's the tradition, yes."

"Here's something that has been bothering me since she told me this afternoon." Garrus shifted in his seat to face Kaidan directly as if they were discussing a serious diplomatic issue between humans and turians. "Why can't you hand the gift directly to the person?"

"Oh I know," Joker piped up. "I think it has to do with Santa."

"Santa?" said Tali. "Who's she?"

"He," Kaidan corrected her. "Santa Claus. Old Saint Nick. He's a... Here, it's easier to show you." He booted up his omni-tool and searched for a second before showing them a screen with a picture of an old man in full white beard, wearing red suit with white fur trims and matching red hat.

"Let me guess," said Garrus. "Red is his favorite color."

"But what does he have to do with the tree?" asked Tali.

"It's a century-old tradition," Kaidan explained. "A story we're told as kids that Santa will come down from the chimney when we're sleeping during the night of Christmas eve – tonight – and he'll leave presents under the tree for us."

"Wait," said Garrus, "You're telling me, you expect a break-in during this day every year? And you know exactly where the point of entry will be, and still no one has ever thought to patch this security hole for centuries?"

"You know," said Joker, leaning back in the chair, stroking his chin thoughtfully. "I never thought about it that way."

Garrus continued his train of thoughts, "And how could one man probably break into every house on Earth in one night?"

"With FTL, and an army of clones," Tali answered.

"And a very deep pocket." Kaidan started to laugh under his breath. "Must be one hell of a sleigh. FTL with the rooftop down, and unlimited storage on the backseat."

"Reindeers," Joker reminded him. "Don't forget the reindeers."

"What's... rain dear?" Tali asked, tilting her head, completely puzzled by the human myth.

Kaidan showed their alien friends a picture on his omni-tool. A colorful picture, drawn in simplistic style that would appeal to young children. Dashing across the starry sky were eleven reindeers pulling one open sleigh, Santa holding the rein with one hand and waving cheerfully with the other, an over-stuffed red sack of gifts was stored on the backseat.

"That's cute," said Tali, her smile could easily be heard through her voice. "Their leader has a shiny red nose."

"Flying creatures pulling an overloaded skycar?" said Garrus. "Somebody gives him ticket."

"It's just a story to keep kids in line," said Kaidan. "There's a catch, you see – you don't get to have a present from Santa unless you're nice enough that year."

"That's bribery," Garrus pointed out, taking another sip from his drink.

"It's true," Kaidan agreed, "but it's effective. Well, for younger kids who still believe in Santa."

"As the saying goes," Joker added in a singsong tone, "'He sees you when you're sleeping. He knows when you're awake. He knows if you've been bad or good, so good for goodness sake.'"

"Okay, now it's even worse," said Garrus. "Not only does he break-and-enter, he's also a stalker. Back at C-Sec, that's more than enough to lock him up for a long time."

"He doesn't exist, Garrus." Kaidan shook his head, laughing.

"That's what they said about the Reapers, but we all know the truth." Garrus glanced around suspiciously in jest. "We should increase security tonight, Kaidan, in case we have a stalker in red suit breaking in."

"What stalker?" asked Shepard when she joined them in the dining room along with Liara.

"Santa," Kaidan and Joker replied in unison.

Shepard blinked once with a blank expression, then broke into laughter. "I don't know about you, Vakarian, but I look forward to Santa's visit."

Joker gave her a dumbfound look. "You actually believe in that?"

"Why not?" Shepard shrugged. "I've seen the impossible."

"Aerin herself is one," Liara pointed out. "We lost her once, but she's back with us again."

Kaidan couldn't agree more.

"I've been nice this year," said Shepard. "Hell, we all have. Saving the freaking galaxy is more than enough to put us on Santa's nice list for many years."

"Well, in that case, I'm sending in my request to the man in red," said Joker. "I've my eyes on the Blackout for a while. Fastest skycar in its class. Top speed of 650 kph!"

"Have fun with the speeding tickets that come with that skycar," Kaidan quipped.

"Pssh, all I need to do is name-drop you or Shepard and I'll be off scot-free. 'Why, officer, you want autographs from both human Spectres? Sure, I can get you some. No problem. You see, we saved the galaxy together, not just once, not even twice, but three times.'"

"The day you get the Blackout," said Kaidan, "Aerin and I will sign a bunch of autographs for you to keep in your shiny new ride."

"Only if you let me take it for a spin first," Shepard added to the terms with a sly smirk.

"Hell no!" said Joker immediately. "I've seen what you did to the mako!"

"If this Santa of yours could afford Joker's skycar," said Garrus, "you think he could get me an Atlas mech?"

"You two are so greedy," chided Tali. "I'm only going to ask for a nice bed in my new home. Decent furniture is still hard to come by on Rannoch."

"You don't need Santa for that," said Liara. "I'll see what I can do."

"What about you, Liara?" asked Kaidan.

Shepard answered it for their old friend, "She needs to disappear to some place where none of her contacts could reach her. Somewhere warm and sunny, where she could sit back and do absolutely nothing."

A gentle smile appeared on Liara's face. "That sounds nice. I'd also like to have a chance to explore some ruin again. The thrill of making a discovery is something I miss the most." Liara turned her big blue eyes to him. "And you, Kaidan?"

What would he ask for? Kaidan blinked, his mind came up blank. He was already living his dream... He reached out to take Shepard's hand in his. "All I want is right here, so... nothing." Well, maybe there was one thing more.

That earned him a sweet smile from Shepard.

"Aw, come on, Alenko!" Joker protested. "A skycar? A mech?"

"Or the latest prototype gun?" Garrus offered.

"A vacation," Shepard suggested. "A few weeks off, so we can head to the Citadel, then to Palaven, Tuchanka, and Rannoch."

That sounded tempting...

"That's not Santa's department, Shepard," Joker pointed out. "It's the Alliance. Send in a request for time-off."

Kaidan gave Shepard's hand a gentle squeeze. "So what do you want for Christmas?"

"Anything?"

Smiling, Kaidan shrugged. "Sure, why not?"

"The Normandy," said Shepard without hesitation. "I want to be back on the Normandy and travel across the galaxy with you guys again."

"And face life-threatening situation daily?" asked Liara airily.

"Twice a day, T'Soni," corrected Garrus. "Going to hell and back two times a day. Three if our commander is bored."

"I miss the sound of her engine," said Tali. "Wuhwuhwuhwuh..."

"It does sound like that," said Liara.

"You know what I miss? My throne," said Joker. "Leather seat that has been broken in and fits me like a glove..."

"And the forward cannon," Garrus added. "That old girl took down those Collector bastards in two shots."

The grin on Shepard's face widened with each of their friend's input. When her eyes met Kaidan's, he held her gaze lovingly. For a brief moment, they merely stared at each other with a matching content smile. Whether Santa existed or not, all they needed was right here.

This was perfect.

A/N: Just in time for Christmas eve. Didn't get a chance to write all the other interactions between different characters. Shepard/Grunt. Kaidan/Miranda. Miranda/Jack. Chakwas/Shepard/Kaidan. Garrus/Zaeed/Grunt. Those are a few I want to explore.

The next part (last chapter) is already written. If I couldn't come up with anything soon, I'd post the ending to this short fic next.

Thanks for reading! Merry Christmas!