"Officers on deck!" the sharp order from the turian sergeant had the soldiers in the rec room all standing to attention and salutes were whipped up as the Turian Primarch and Human Alliance officer strolled through the variety of organics all lifting weights and running on machines.
"At ease," Garrus rumbled, and stared around the room, "Lieutenant Vakarian, with me please."
A young Turian, his features still open and eager, his Vakarian clan markings still bright blue against the unscarred grey of his plates. He took the catcalls and teasing whistles about being busted by daddy in good grace, smacking a krogan female on the back of her head as she slapped him on the backside on the way past.
They were afforded a small amount of privacy in a small office cleared out by one of the Turian officers.
"Hey Dad," the Turian lad grinned, his voice still remarkably boyish.
"Rex," Garrus gripped his boy's forearm and pulled him forward into an embrace. The lad was unresisting and accepted the affection without the usual reserve a Turian might have shown for such a public display.
"So…is there a problem?" Rex glanced toward Shepard, then back to his father. And back to Shepard with wide eyes, "By the Spirits! Admiral Shepard!" He snapped rigidly to attention, "I'm sorry, sir, I didn't recognise you. I mean…"
Garrus chuckled, "It's alright, Rex. Relax. She is here to check out the facilities, since her daughter Aethyta is applying to join our military instead of seeing out her service on Thessia."
"Thess…" Rex frowned, "She is an Asari?"
"Yes," Shepard spoke for the first time, covering her unease with monosyllabic answers.
"Well, that's pretty…cool? We don't get many Asari, so she might be a bit of an oddity,"
"Well, uh, you can find out for yourself. The Admiral and Aethyta are staying with us for a little bit."
"Okay," Rex nodded, glancing between his father and the woman he had heard so much about.
"I will expect you and Halen home this evening. I know you are both rotating off duty,"
"Sure, no problem. I should…get back," Rex waved in the direction of the rec room.
When Rex departed, Shepard let out a breath, "He looks a lot like you."
Garrus chuckled, and reached out to touch her on the arm, "I'm sure it will be fine, Shepard."
"Are you sure we should tell them tonight?" she was still uneasy.
"The three of you mean the world to me," Garrus stepped closer and took her hands, "After twenty years, I don't want to spend another day pretending to be content on my own."
Shepard rested her brow on his own, "You are right. And Aethyta, she is my world too. She already thinks you are quite possibly the coolest person she has ever met."
"It will be an interesting evening."
"No kidding," Shepard replied drily.
The front door slammed shut, followed by the sound of two young Turian males tussling their way down the hallway to the living area of the Primarch's apartment. There was the sound of a body ricocheting off a doorway, and the two Vakarian lads tumbled into the room. And froze.
Shepard and their father were behind the kitchen counter, cooking up a meal. They were easy together, familiar with routine. And there was a long legged, utterly beautiful Asari maiden seated on a high stool. She was leaning back on an elbow, a quirk on her lips as she regarded them with amusement. She saluted them with a glass of red wine.
"You didn't tell me your sons were quite so handsome, Garrus," she drawled, her booted foot circling idly, a curve of a smile on her lips.
"Halen," Garrus pointed at the taller, with slightly darker colouring, with the top of his knife, and swung it to the younger, "Rex." He pointed at the Asari, "Aethyta Shepard." He went back to chopping something on his board.
"Admiral Eliza Shepard, you know already."
Rex, having had some warning, straightened and cleared his throat, "Uhh, yeah, hi. Admiral. Gotta go…y'know" he pointed up stairs, "Be back."
"Eliza. Or Shepard," came the short reply, accompanied with a smile, "Good to see you again, Rex. And pleased to meet you, Halen." She regarded the silent Turian lad, as his brother disappeared upstairs, "I hear you are doing well in the regiments."
"Thank you, sir," Halen nodded formally, his gaze flicking uneasily around at the newcomers, "I have been set a fine example."
Aethyta drank the last of her wine and set the glass down, "I start with the grunts on Monday. Come on, Halen," she stood up to her full height, only a few inches shorter than the Turian in her heeled boots, "take me out on the deck and give me the full gory details." She gave him a wicked smile, "I'm just sure you would /love/ to raze the daughter of the famous Admiral Shepard on the first day." Her eyes twinkled. And the lad was helpless and followed her like a puppy.
Shepard put her forehead in her hands and Garrus put a hand on her back. His voice was rich with laughter.
"My boy is about to get himself an education in how fast he can be rendered helpless by a woman," he rested his chin on the top of her head as she laughed.
"Dad?" a mystified voice interrupted their small intimate moment. Shepard and Garrus leapt apart as though burnt.
"Uhh, Rex," Garrus murmured, flustered.
"What's going on?"
"Well, Admiral Shepard…Eliza…and I…we…uh…"
Shepard looked between the two men, "Your father and I…we…" and that sentence wasn't any easier to finish.
Rex looked from one to the other. He frowned, and rubbed his fringe, "Huh."
Shepard and Garrus looked at each other.
"Rex?" Garrus was hesitant.
"So…like you two are like…together or something?" Rex looked confused.
"Yes," Garrus replied simply, sliding his arm around Shepard's waist. Rex fluttered his mandibles thoughtfully.
"Huh," he wandered to the fridge, "You two are going to set the Hierarchy on its head. The Palaven's Primarch with the famous Admiral Shepard? You two are going to set a lot of folks wondering just what you got up to back on the Normandy."
Shepard went red.
"Ew. Seriously? I toured that ship!" Rex sounded disgusted, "Man." He paused again. "So, like, Aethyta knows, yeah?"
Shepard nodded, "She does. I couldn't keep it a secret from her."
"Halen is going to spit it. He's pretty traditional."
"Yeah," Garrus agreed with a sigh, "He's going to be mad."
"Don't tell him just yet. Let him get to know Aethyta first," Rex's eyes twinkled, "I think she might help change his mind."
"You really don't have a problem with your father and I?" Shepard was hesitant, standing before the lad who was not yet quite a man.
Rex shrugged and took a sip of the drink he had snagged from the cooler, "You will take a lot of shit from the Hierarchy," he looked at his father, "Sorry, Dad but you know its true. But I figure if they owe anyone throughout history, it's you and the Admiral…Shepard. As for me personally?" He gave the Turian equivalent of a smile, "If you two get married Admiral Freaking Shepard would be my step mother."
"Hang on, that hasn't been…"
"Forget it, Shepard. We are getting married," Garrus interrupted.
She looked at him, "What?"
"I waited twenty four years for you. At some point I am going to declare before the whole damn galaxy that I belong to you."
Rex rolled his eyes, "Oh Spirits. Cool it before Halen gets back."
They took the simple food out to the deck where Halen and Aethyta sat sniping at each other. He telling horror stories about boot camp, and she deflecting him with confident ease. Rex wandered over to join them and they made space, the three lazily staring out over the landscape of Palaven, the strong sun setting on the horizon.
Shepard paused at the doorway. Her arms full of a heavy platter. She turned to Garrus.
"Yes."
He looked down at her, "Yes?"
"Yes," she nodded, "I will."