"She takes me on missions with her and everything, but the moment we do something as simple as a supply run, she gives me a babysitter." Cass grumbled.
"She only does it because she cares." Liara replied; keeping pace with the teen.
"We're on the fucking citadel, for Christ's sake." Cass paused at Liara's warning glare. "Sorry."
"With everything that's happening now, we should be traveling in teams." Liara argued.
"This is unnecessary. Besides; I have my own business to take care of and I can do it without a babysitter, Liara." Cass scowled. "Don't you have some broker things to do?"
"Well, yes; but I don't think it's appropriate for me to leave you alone."
"Come on, Liara. I'm fine. I can take care of myself easily and unless you want to be hanging out with Aria T'loak for the next few hours-"
"You are not getting involved with her again." Liara groused as they walked through the crowd down to the café overlooking the presidium.
"I never stopped being involved with her." Cass rolled her eyes, dropping into the seat across from the Asari ungracefully. "You make it sound like I'm sleeping with her."
"Cassandra! You're- You can't-"
"God, Liara! I was joking. Jeez." Cass put her hands up in mock defense.
"Sorry, I just-"
"Don't like her. Got it. Most people don't." Cass stood. "Anyways, I should really get going-"
"Cass."
"Liara; seriously?"
"Fine. Just don't tell your mother." The Asari sighed.
"Thanks Liara!" Cass grinned, half hugging the Asari before tearing off into the crowds once more.
"You're kidding." Cass' tone completely flat.
"Do I look like I am kidding. This is what I need you to do; so you do it." Aria replied whilst examining her nails. "I want the Blood Pack, Blue Suns, and Eclipse under control; you can do that."
"Me? Seriously? What serious mercenary is going to listen to me? And how is this even supposed to help us win back Omega?"
"All of them will listen to you." Aria answered seriously, eyes bearing into her young protégé. "You have my name, and your mother's name behind you. Use that. As for Omega, we need to use them, and to use them, I need them under control, as I have said."
"But-"
"No. I've seen you kill before. Do what you have to. Just take care of it."
"Why can't you?"
Aria laughed wickedly. "Are you that naïve? Maybe I've put too much faith in you. If you have neglected to notice, we're on the fucking citadel; C-Sec is watching my every move."
"Fine. I'll take care of it." Cass growled. "But I'm doing it my fucking way."
"That's my girl."
Cass groaned as she could make out the bald head of Darner Vosque at the end of the dock. She had already dealt with Jona Sedaris, there was no way she was letting that crazy bitch out, and Sayn was easy enough to convince; but Vosque was going to be a whole new puzzle.
"Ah, I see Aria sends her little lackey." Vosque sneered.
"Cut the shit, Vosque. You know why I am here." Cass retorted.
"Then you know what I need."
"And what exactly is that?"
"General Oraka has been snooping around in my business- he needs to go." Vosque smirked, stepping close to the girl.
Cass grimaced; she couldn't kill the general…
"So now you know what needs to be done. And tell Aria the next time we meet I'll have her blue ass in bed with me…" Vosque paused, eyeing the girl; a gleam in his eye. "Or perhaps, you would do nicely."
Cass suppressed the urge to throw the punch as the Blue Suns leader rubbed her hair between his fingers.
"You've grown into-"
"Stay AWAY from MY daughter!"
Cass' eyes widened as Vosque went crashing to the floor; knocked out cold; her mother standing beside her, rubbing her knuckles on her right hand.
"What the fuck?!" Cass exclaimed as she gather her bearings. "Were you following me?!"
Shepard didn't respond, but instead grabbed her daughter by her upper arm and pulled her away from the unconscious mercenary dragging them toward the dock entrance.
"LET go!" Cass ripped her arm away as the duo entered the elevator.
"Cass." Shepard warned.
"What did you do that for?! God! I could've handled that! You probably just screwed me over; if he remembers! Shit!" The girl ranted pacing the small space.
"I was protecting you- The Blue Suns? Seriously? Why would you ever get involved with them, and The General-"
"I wasn't going to kill him! I'm not stupid."
"Why were you even speaking to him?"
"I'm doing some business for Aria-"
"Goddammit, Cass!" Shepard exclaimed. "Nothing good will-"
"I know what I am doing!" Cass growled. "I do this for Aria, we get war assets. The Blue Suns, Blood Pack and Eclipse are the largest mercenary groups in the galaxy; to have them fighting, you do the fucking math."
"Cass-"
"Don't "Cass," me! I knew what I was doing- You just came charging in become he was hitting on me-"
"He was more than-"
"So what! I could've handled Vosque; And why the hell were you following me anyways?"
"Liara told-"
"Of course she did." The teen interrupted.
"I'm sorry. I just want to protect you."
"I know. But you don't need to." Cass emphasized as they exited the elevator, back on the presidium level.
"I'm sorry. But I still don't think this is something you should be doing."
"And you are entitled to your opinions-"
"As your mother, my opinions are the only ones that matter." Shepard replied.
Cass rolled her eyes, pausing in thought; she smirked. The look didn't go unnoticed by the commander who raised her brow in question.
"Since you're so adamant about this; I'll let you help."
"You'll what?" Shepard frowned, not quite believing the words that just left her daughters mouth. Didn't she just say no…?
"You heard me; you can help." Cass leered. "But we're doing it my way."
Shepard frowned further but nodded, following after the girl.
"Hey Narl." Cass nodded at the Batarian while entering the room; her mother trailing uncertainly behind her.
"Cass." Narl greeted; eyes moving to the commander. "I'm surprised you got her to help."
"I know." Cass grinned. "Plan should go off without a hitch."
"Plan?" Shepard frowned.
"Put your hands behind your back and get on your knees." Cass instructed.
"You're kidding." Shepard's forehead creased.
"I'm not." Cass said dryly. "Hurry up, and try to look like we beat you up."
Shepard scowled, but did as asked; just in time as the Blood Pack garbed Vorcha entered.
The red eyed alien laughed sinisterly. "Aria's instructions to board citadel undetected were one thing, but now this! Commander Shepard, want you to know that your head will be hood ornament on my personal shuttle."
"Keep your distance, Crete." Cass growled; stepping in front of her mother. "So you agree to Aria's terms?"
"Most definitely, Aria can use Blood Pack as she sees fit." Crete barked.
"Wasn't talking to you, Crete." Cass scoffed. "Gril?"
"You have my word!" Gril responded. "Now open fire!"
Cass' pistol flew up; firing once shot into Crete while Narl killed the last Vorcha; As Shepard stood; Cass walked forward, leaving only a foot of space between her and the new Blood Pack leader.
"Don't double cross Aria, Gril." Cass threatened, "Now get out of here."
"I'll clean this up. You should go too." Narl coughed.
Cass nodded goodbye, her and her mother walking out the door.
"You could have let me know the plan." The mother stated, following her girl down the hall.
"I could have, but it was more fun this way." Cass smiled. "You should have seen your face."
"Ha." Shepard frowned, drawing the girl under her arm and pulling them along. "So, what's next. And also, in asking this; I am not at all condoning any of this; nor the fact that you blatantly ignored me when I said no."
"Yeah Yeah." Cass replied sarcastically. . "Sure you're not."
"I absolutely am not. I am doing this so I can make sure you're safe." Shepard responded.
"Got it." Cass rolled her eyes. "And it's fine. Cause we're done."
"What about the Blue Suns? And that guy- Vosque." Shepard spoke with disdain.
"Turns out he doesn't remember jack shit about what happened before you knocked him out cold; and Oraka is backing off because I made a deal with some arms dealers for him. Everyone is happy."
"When did you do all of that?"
"When you were off making kissy face with Liara when we stopped for lunch." Cass explained simply.
"I was not!"
"Were too!" Cass laughed.
Cass rolled her eyes before trotting off toward the Normandy's docking bay; leaving her mother behind.
Shepard followed after her; a look of confusion on her face. How does her daughter know arms dealers?
"It's done." Cass stated; falling onto the couch beside Aria; she had snuck off ship while the commander was busy with requisition forms.
"Good."
"So what's the plan?" Cass asked. "For Omega?"
"It will be soon." Aria's eyes gleamed. "We'll bring fucking fire down on Cerberus. I will call on you when it's time."
Cass nodded before standing, "I'll talk to you soon."
"Fine." Aria paused. "Cass."
"Yeah?"
"Good work."
Cass nodded, turning her back before breaking into a grin.
The teen frowned while glancing out of the corner of her eye. She had been sitting on the cabin's bed for the last hour or so playing a game on the data pad, while the commander continued to watch her silently from behind her desk the entire time. It was driving Cass crazy.
Another glance and the teen snapped.
"What?"
"Huh? I didn't say anything." Shepard frowned.
"You've been staring at me for an hour; so what? Is there something you need to tell me or are you just being creepy?"
"I am not being creepy!" Shepard scowled, arms crossing over her chest in indignantly. "And I have not."
"Have too!" Cass argued.
"I haven't."
"YES, you have." Cass growled. "So you want to tell me what's up or should I go find somewhere where you won't watch me for a fucking eternity."
"Cassandra!"
"Sorry-" Cass mumbled, acknowledging her slip, "But really, what's up?"
"Fine." Shepard relented. "I suppose I was just thinking; after everything you did today, well, I'm impressed. Not exactly in your choice of companionship-"
"I am not sleeping with her!" Cass shrieked. "Why does everyone make it sound like I'm-"
"I- You? What? Who?" Shepard choked out.
"Shit. No- you used companion- I just thought that you thought that I'm fu- sleeping with Aria." Cass stammered; sheepishly rubbing the back of her hair.
Shepard visibly paled. Was her daughter that old already? Was it time for the talk?!
"Cass; you're, um, not, you know… Are you?"
"Sleeping with Aria? No. Never."
"So you're not, um, sexually-"
"God mom! We are not having this conversation." Cass held her hands up. "No way!"
"Cass, I really think that if you're at this, um, stage in your, uh, life, the we should talk about-" Shepard began to explain.
"No. No way. Nuh uh. Not going to happen." Cass interrupted, pounding toward the door; Shepard a few paces behind.
"Cass! Come back! Do you want Liara to be here too? I can go-" Shepard stopped as the elevator doors shut only a few inches from her nose. Shepard sighed. "That went well…"
"So your mom tells me-" Liara began.
"Oh god. Not you too." Cass groaned.
"Cass, I'm just trying to-"
"Liara. Please." Cass groused; her eyes begging. "I came down here," the girl motioned to the completely silent space underneath the engineering deck, "To avoid this conversation."
"I really think we should talk about this; your mother too."
Cass laughed. "You're serious, aren't you? Like really really serious about this."
"Of course we are!" Shepard nearly ran down the stairs, making her presence known.
"You've really got to stop following me around." Cass spoke. "It's getting really creepy."
"Cassandra." Shepard warned, hands making their way to her hips.
"Cass, we just want to talk and, uh-" Liara frowned, uncharacteristically at a loss for words.
Laughing even harder, the girl had to stop herself from doubling over. "I can't believe you two!" She breathed. "I am nearly 18 years old and you think that I haven't had sex yet? Or perhaps you think I have but I'm- what is it? -Not being safe."
"Cass!" Shepard and Liara practically shrieked, as if the mother had expected none of this, her little girl doing- she didn't even want to think about it.
"I mean, come on, I spent 2 years on my own; it's not like I've taken a vow of celibacy or something." Cass snorted.
"I- Who was- no. No, I don't want to know- I-" Shepard stammered; while Liara stood there, gaping.
"Well, I'm glad we had this talk." Cass grinned sinisterly, before sauntering toward the stairs. "it's really something to see the Great Commander Shepard brought to her knees by a sex talk." Swaying her hips almost obscenely, Cass whipped around at the base of the steps, the girl's eyes gleamed. "Have fun processing."
Shepard and Liara both paled, sharing mirrored horrified looks; watching as the girl strolled away.
AN: I'm on time! I'm even early! Yay me! Anyways, Probably be curing the Genophage next; and then possibly off to Omega and beyond! Also, I really like the Citadel DLC, so I was thinking of throwing that in as a couple chapter part too, but thought I would ask your opinions on whether you want it or not. Please Review, Thanks!