Thank you The Read Celt for beta reading the story.

Disclaimer: I do not own Mass Effect, nor the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

"This is all the intelligence I could gather," Eran Dutas declared as he handed the datapad to Nalik's mother. She was seated behind a desk in the reception room of the family's spacious home.

"Thank you," she said coolly, then gestured towards the door. "Gartin will provide you with your compensation for your services."

The investigator made a small bow, turned around and left, and she wasted no time turning the datapad on and starting to go through the information contained in it.

Subject: Human. Female.

Name: Alice Thompson

Age: 22

Born on Earth, family still living there. More details under "Family Background" in section 2.11

Currently studying engineering on the Citadel (curriculum, grades, submitted essays under "Education" in section 4.5), working part time in gift shop.

The image of a young woman accompanied the descriptions, smiling into the camera. She studied her face for a long time, trying to catch what her son saw in her, but came up empty-handed. How could he choose a human over his own race? His own family... the wishes of the dalatrass... What went wrong with the imprinting? Something must have happened, for he always walked his own path, resisting their every attempt to make him follow the road that they had designated for him.

She sighed, then opened a folder titled "Holos" and scrolled through the pictures Dutas had taken in secret. Nalik and his girlfriend smiling at each other; laughing at something; holding hands; kissing; walking somewhere, his arm on her shoulder and hers on his waist, looking so happy together.

She leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes as other, much older images flashed up behind her eyelids: A young drell envoy, mysterious and attractive, whispering sweet things to her, holding her hand, trying to convince her to defy her family and follow him, leaving everything behind. But she couldn't—she wouldn't. She knew her duty, and signed the reproduction agreement with a respectable salarian clan. She knew that the love she felt for the handsome drell would not last, just like her connection to her salarian mate, the father of her daughters, faded after a while. Or would it have stayed strong? Would she have been as happy with him as Nalik seemed to be with this human girl?

No, she shook her head, that's not possible. Just like Nalik would one day lose interest in this girl. But it might be too late by then. She had to act now.

Her mind made up, she straightened in her chair and called for her assistant.

"Gartin. Book me passage to the Citadel as soon as possible."

"Alice Thompson?" asked the tall, hooded figure at her door.

"Yes."

"My name is Sulil. I am Nalik's mother."

"Oh! Ah, nice to meet you. Please... come in." Alice gestured towards the inside of her apartment. Her heart was suddenly in her throat and her blood rushed to her face. "I didn't know you were coming—I guess Nalik forgot to mention..."

"He doesn't know I am here," Sulil coldly interrupted her as she strolled in with a stiff back. She looked around, evaluating everything from the size of the apartment to the arrangement of the furniture. Alice was never happier that Nalik was such a neat freak and kept the apartment tidy and organized.

"Ah, can I get you something? We do have some salarian food and drinks at home."

"No, thank you." Sulil looked at her with appraising eyes, taking a mental note of the fact that Alice had said "we" instead of "I". So, they are living together now.

"I'll get to the point, if you don't mind," she said as she took a seat on the couch. "I want you to stop seeing my son."

"What?" Alice gasped, all color drained from her face.

"Our dalatrass has negotiated a reproduction contract for Nalik with a very good family. It would be extremely advantageous for Nalik and our clan to sign this contract. He will not have a better chance than this to become a father and for our two clans to enter into such a fruitful alliance. But for that to happen, your relationship with him has to end."

"Does Nalik know about this?" Alice asked in a low voice.

"Yes."

"And?"

"He refused. That is why I am here. I know my son. He has a rather... stubborn nature. I was hoping that you might be more reasonable than him."

"Why should I give him up? I love him." Alice's eyes hardened and her shoulders squared as she leveled her gaze at the salarian female sitting on her couch.

"Love," Sulil waved a dismissive hand, "does not last. There might be some fleeting attraction in the beginning, but it will fade."

"Not for us."

"Please. It's just not in our nature to keep a romantic interest alive in the long run. I assure you that it will happen to you, too. But by that time it will be too late for Nalik to find another opportunity like this. It is both in your interests to stop this liaison now."

"I don't believe that."

"Fine," Sulil sighed, "then consider this. Salarians' life expectancy is much lower than humans'. He probably doesn't have more than about 20 years left. Wouldn't it be better to avoid the heartache now?"

"Then we'll enjoy every minute to the fullest. Besides, life expectancy is just that: an expectancy." Alice shrugged. "He might live longer, and I might die sooner than expected."

"And how about reproduction? You cannot have children with him. Are you willing to give up parenthood, too?"

"We can still be parents. We can adopt."

"You... You are as stubborn as him!" Sulil exclaimed and rubbed her forehead in exasperation—the same way she always did when arguing with her son.

"Just one of the reasons we are a perfect match." Alice grinned, having a smug feeling that she had won the debate. There was nothing Nalik's mother could say to turn her away from her love. He was the only one she wanted to be with, and she was not going to give this up just because of some silly salarian contract.

'A perfect match.' Sulil sat in silence for a while, pondering these words. Maybe this human was right. Maybe she was the perfect match for Nalik. Alice obviously loved him; she couldn't provide the children and the political and economic alliance a daughter from a prominent salarian clan could, but she would make him happy. He would certainly be miserable if he was forced to give her up and follow the path the dalatrass had set for him. If he was even willing to do that, which was not very likely, given his temperament and obstinate nature.

"Does your family know about this?" she finally asked.

"Yes."

"And what is their opinion?"

"Well, they did not like it in the beginning, but they have come around."

"They have probably given up trying to convince you."

"I'm sure they would love to commiserate with you about that," Alice laughed.

"So..." Sulil smiled, her first warm gesture since she'd arrived, "tell me about yourself."

When Nalik arrived about an hour later, he was astonished to find his mother and Alice on the couch, having tea together, and chatting amicably about something.

"Mother," he gasped, frozen to the spot as he stared at the two women. "What are you doing here?"

"Am I not allowed to visit my son and his girlfriend?" She cocked her head to the side and looked him up and down, trying to determine his state of health from the color of his skin, the shine of his eyes and the shape of his horns. "I have been having a nice conversation with Alice. Why can't you be more like her?" she nagged. She always had to nag him about something—she considered it her sacred duty.

"Excuse me?" Nalik gaped at her, her unexpected remark just adding to his confusion.

"She works and goes to school. She's going to finish her studies and become an engineer. Why can't you do the same?"

"Mother," he sighed, rubbing his forehead, "why are you here?"

"Well..." She knew it was time to come clean, since he would never stop pestering her until he discovered the reason behind her visit. "I wanted to discuss the reproduction contract."

"I already told you I'm not interested." He inhaled impatiently as he sat down in the armchair next to the couch.

"I know. I thought I could convince Alice... But," she held up her hand, stopping him as he was about to say something, and not in a very pleasant manner, she could tell, "she has convinced me that you two are... a perfect match."

She smiled at Alice, who smiled back, then she looked at her son with a serious expression on her face.

"However, the dalatrass will not be so easy to impress with your love story. I am certain that she will try to do everything she can to make you give in. Unless..."

"Yes?" the lovebirds exclaimed together, as if on cue.

"Unless you two sign your own contract before that happens."

"We do what, now?" Alice asked, not sure she'd heard it right.

"What do you humans do when you merge two families?"

"Umm... We get married."

"And do you sign a contract then?"

"Well... I guess. In a way."

"Perfect," Sulil nodded, then continued, "so, you two should get married. Then it will be too late for the dalatrass to do anything. I will do my best to convince her of that."

Alice and Nalik stared at each other then at Sulil, for what seemed like forever, before Nalik spoke.

"So... Alice, do you want to get married?"