Disclaimer: I own nothing! Only my OCs…

A/N: This is the beginning of the romance stuff, so see if you can guess who goes with who!

Reflection

"Ancient Sounds…" I muttered, looking at the sign above the door. I walked in to find a whole assortment of countless instruments. It was a sight to behold. As I walked among the stands, I noticed some of them didn't even look like instruments. There were ones from various times and species, even some were Batarian.

"Why won't you? Did I do something wrong?" I looked over and noticed two Asari. One was sitting, the other standing over her. The standing one looked worried and confused, but her tone was probably more firm than she wanted it to be.

"No, I just…" the sitting one was on the verge of tears. It made me feel like I should do something, but what?

"Is this because I'm an Asari?" the standing one demanded. I noticed she was teary too, but she hid it well. The other Asari didn't notice because she was staring at the floor. She didn't say anything. After a moment, the standing Asari stormed out of the shop, silently crying. The one that was sitting started to cry too as her tears finally spilled over. This was awkward…

After a moment, I couldn't help but approach her slowly, my sensitivity to crying people winning out. She didn't notice as I got to her, so I gently rested my hand on her shoulder. She jumped and looked up at me, but relaxed as I gave her a warm smile. I looked around for something and found it a few feet away. I quickly retrieved the violin and went to stand by the Asari silently.

"What are you…?" she trailed off, looking desperately confused. I knelt down next to her and looked her in the eye.

"I'm a friend. I think I can help, but you'll have to trust me." I said it in earnest, trying to seem non-intimidating. She hesitated as she searched my gaze, but nodded after a few moments.

"Okay." she whispered, wiping away her tears. She reminded me of myself a bit. When I was a kid, I would cry on my own and hide myself from others. After a while, I got tired of emotion, so I just locked it away as best I could. Sometimes though, it would slip through in stressful times.

"Close your eyes." I requested. She first took my hand, then did as I asked. "Now, think of the one you love. Imagine being with her, in her arms. Remember everything you love about her." I said, speaking slowly, soothingly. It was making me a little embarrassed, but I once did the same thing with one of my friends back on Earth. I was hoping it would work this time too.

She slowly smiled as I spoke, keeping her eyes closed. I slowly stood up and placed her hands together. She sighed quietly, joy and sadness mixed together. I knew Asari looked down upon 'pure' relationships, so this Asari was most likely trying to protect her significant other from those disdainful stares. In the end, it would only hurt them both.

I set the violin on my shoulder and got comfortable. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. I started to play a soft melody, trying to soothe her. I was always trying to help people. It was like Shepard, just without the epic adventure. Either way, I wanted to help this Asari. She looked a little surprised when I started to play, but kept her eyes closed and concentrated on her love. I really wasn't one for mushy stuff either, and it actually made me nauseous. Yet even so, I was always the one forced to be the matchmaker for my friends. They'd always ask me advice and bring people to see me, so I eventually got a feel for the melodrama.

I played for what felt like eternity, but was only about seven minutes. I know, it was a long melody, but I kept playing to make her feel better. As I finished, I felt she was no longer stressed. The atmosphere was peaceful once again. I ended it on a soft note and let it fade away. I opened my eyes and took the violin off of my shoulder, seeing she was smiling as she looked up at me.

"That was beautiful. I feel much better now." she said, standing up and giving me a hug. I couldn't help the blush that engulfed my cheeks at the praise, seeing as how I wasn't used to it.

"I hope you'll tell her why you were protecting her. I know you don't want her to get hurt, but you need each other." I smiled. It was a good thing I read a book once that had the same situation. In the end, the guy died… I really hated that book.

"How did you…" she trailed off, seemingly surprised.

"Because I saw this once before. One of them died from the heartache." I said, smiling at her sadly. She got teary again as she gave me another hug.

"Thank you. I will tell her right away." she said, getting excited. Just as she said that though, the Asari from earlier came in, looking depressed. I'd bet money that she was outside the whole time, trying to figure out if she should come back or not.

"Kerri, I…" she mumbled, looking down. As soon as Kerri saw the Asari, she ran up to her and hugged her as tight as she could. I couldn't stop the smile that crept onto my face as the other Asari looked utterly confused, elated and worried all at once.

I set the violin down and made my way out as Kerri explained everything to the other, apparently named Cora. It was nice to give someone some measure of happiness. It was good to get away from the drama too, since I wasn't quite used to the whole love thing. I got to the door and stepped out without looking back. I didn't want to intrude anymore than I already had, so I thought it best to leave.

"Wait!" someone called. I turned around to see the two Asari maidens rushing up to me. I wondered if Kerri was going to charge me or something, since she held the violin I played in her grasp.

"Yes?" I asked, a little confused. Both looked extremely happy, that was for sure. Kerri held the violin up and handed it to me.

"This is to show my gratitude. I would've been lost if it wasn't for you." Kerri said. I blushed again, completely taken aback.

"I can't take this…" I muttered helplessly. It was nice, but I didn't want to take free handouts just because I gave some advice.

"Please, I wouldn't feel right if you don't take it. It's thanks to you that I have my soulmate back." Cora smiled, holding Kerri's hand.

"Well, I… Alright, then. I'll take good care of it." I said, giving up. I could see that they wouldn't be dissuaded, so I may as well have.

"Take care, Kiruey." they both said, giving me hugs. Was that an Asari word or something? I'd have to ask Liara about that later. They went back inside the shop then and left me with my thoughts. They certainly look happy…

"Kiruey?" I mumbled, turning to walk down the way.

…

"Excuse me, have you seen a crimson eyed girl recently?" Shepard asked. They had gone through at least six music stores so far with no one having seen her. She was starting to get worried. Maybe she got kidnapped somehow.

"Crimson eyes?" the Asari asked seeming to think a little. They were in a store by the name of Ancient Sounds. When the group entered, they found two Asari at the back.

"Yes." Shepard said, catching her breath. She'd been running, too.

"You just missed her. She left five minutes ago." She answered, "Is she alright?" she asked, sounding concerned. Shepard wasn't sure why they'd worry about Avaera, but it didn't concern her yet.

"I hope so." the Spectre said, already leaving.

They walked on some more after leaving the store. After a few minutes, Shepard caught some odd noise coming from an alley to their right. She stopped the group and they all listened intently, trying to figure out what it was.

"That's Ava!" Gregori exclaimed, rushing into the alleyway. The rest of the group followed soon after. Shepard wondered how they could know whether or not it was their sister just from listening to her play. She shook her head and followed them in.

At the end of the alleyway was a large, clean balcony that overlooked the whole Citadel. It shone in the artificial sunlight, along with the Reagas'Kar armor. Shepard looked to the end of the balcony where the sad melody originated. Indeed, it really was Avaera. Shepard was surprised at the skill with which she played the violin, but even more so at how much it affected her. That melody held such powerful emotion that it choked her up a little. It was obvious this was how Avaera conveyed her feelings.

As the melody ended, Avaera turned around to see the group. She looked a little surprised, but mostly just tired. Shepard could see the small glint of despair in her companion's eyes.

"Hey, guys." she greeted, sounding calm. Her brothers each said hello and left it at that. It seemed they had a deep bond. It was a little surprising to Shepard that they weren't ragging on their sister for walking off like that.

…

After I told them about what happened after I left, we all decided to head back to the ship. On the way, Shepard asked me what the name of that melody was. I told her I just improvised from and old Beethoven song. It conveyed his own despair at losing his one love. She didn't ask how I knew the song though. Maybe she just figured it was because of my visions.

Once we were onboard, we learned the ground team was already back from their own errands. After a few minutes, the Normandy took off from the Citadel. The Commander said we were going to Noveria next, too, so The ETA was two days. I made my way to the med-bay storage room. As I walked, Jake told me he was going to talk to Shepard and the rest of the guys were just going to hang around. Corey went to engineering and the twins were going to harass Joker.

"Liara?" I asked, poking my head into the doorway. She looked up from her work and stood to greet me. I walked in and took the time to notice she was looking at me like a new microscope. It was just a bit unsettling.

"Do you require something?" she wondered.

"Yeah, I need a meaning." at her confused look, I continued, "What does Kiruey mean?" I asked. Her eyes widened a little, but she thought about it before answering.

"It's a very rare name these days. For an Asari to call someone by that name, they show a deep, very personal gratitude. It is literally translated as 'my guardian angel'." she explained, sounding curious. It was pretty cool how she knew that so well.

"I guess that explains it then… thanks Liara." I said, turning to go. She reached out and gripped my wrist gently though, keeping me from leaving. This had me feeling I would get a bunch of questions.

"If I may ask… where did you hear that?" she inquired. I turned back to her and nodded. I told her everything that happened starting from leaving the ship that morning. I felt that she'd want to know what happened anyway, so I went into detail. I even told her my thoughts and feelings throughout the events. She was quiet the whole time unless she had a question. It was kind of cute the way her eyes sparkled with eagerness. Wait, did I just think that?

"Amazing. May I hear you play the violin?" Liara asked. She looked so excited, I couldn't really say no and disappoint her.

"I guess… What do you want me to play?" I asked, getting the instrument ready. She thought about it for a moment, looking like her life depended on it.

"I'd like to listen to your melody from the Asari's store." she said, looking a little shy. I nodded and set the violin on my shoulder, taking a breath and closing my eyes. I heard Liara sit down and I started to play.

…(Corey's POV)

I entered the engineering room to find Tali working on something. The core was certainly large and shiny. I couldn't help but stare at it as I approached the station. I didn't even notice Tali had turned to me until she actually said something.

"You're Corey, right?" she said, getting my attention. I bowed my head a little in greeting, remembering it was a sign of respect in my sister's eyes. She'd always tell us to treat others the way we wanted to be treated. Not that she had to tell me, of course…

"The one and only." I responded. She giggled a little at my tone. She had such a cute laugh… wait, did I just…? Maybe being an alien made my mind go whack.

"What do you need from the engineering station today?" Tali asked, amusement in her voice. A smile tugged at the corner of my mouth, but I squashed it down. There wasn't any need for me to start getting buddy buddy with anyone. Even if that someone was an adorable Quarian. What the…? I'd need to talk to Ava later.

"Well, I was hoping to hang with you." I proposed. In the end, I wanted to learn more about this stuff. The technicalities of the machines and how things worked. Unfortunately, she gasped at me and started to wring her hands together. What did I say?

"Hang? Isn't that a Human expression used to describe a form of execution?" she asked, incredulous. Oh, right…

"I meant I'd like to accompany you and, you know, talk or something…" I explained, trying to get her to not think I was suicidal. She calmed down, but she still looked nervous.

"Well, if that's what you meant…" she trailed off, looking around. She really wasn't used to attention, huh?

"Yep. Why don't you tell me about your people?" I proposed, evidently surprising her. I guess she didn't get many requests like that very often. After a moment or two, we launched into conversation of the Quarian people.

…(Jake's POV)

I found Shepard at the CIC, overlooking the map. She looked like she was concentrating really hard, too. I saw she was looking at a planet that was emitting some distress signal. I got a little closer and recognized it as the one where Admiral Kohoku's men were killed. The Thresher nest was right beside the beacon, if I remembered correctly.

"Shepard? You look like you could use some help." I said, walking up to stand beside of her. She looked at me, then shrugged.

"Know anything about what we'll find down there?" she asked, gesturing to the planet below.

"Yeah. Kohoku's men are down there." I said, not really going into detail. I didn't want to have Ava beat me up later because I told the Commander something bad. The two already acted like sisters, it was weird. When I helped Ava take Shepard to her quarters, she didn't seem bothered at all. That was weird because Ava definitely wasn't a touchy person. Nor was Shepard, but she was passed out when we helped her.

"What's their status?" she inquired, looking a little surprised. I only shook my head as if to say I didn't know, but she, unfortunately, saw through it. This was one of those times I wished I was as good at lying as Ava was.

"I know you know." she stated, eying me. I sighed and put my hands up in surrender.

"They're dead, Shepard. They were drawn to that beacon just like we were. Only problem is, it's set next to a Thresher Maw's nest. It was a trap." as I spoke, she grew angry. It was obvious she had hoped for something less gruesome.

"Damn it. I hadn't wanted to think they'd be dead…" she said, leaning on the railing.

"Sorry. We need to get down there and disable the beacon though." I said, looking down at the hologram.

"We can't have more people die because of it." she agreed, crossing her arms.

"My sister and I can come with you. We know how to take out a Thresher without any trouble." I announced confidently. Really, Ava and I always came up with the various weak points of different species. It wasn't only the Mass Effect creatures we discussed either. We talked about the Thresher Maws earlier in the day, working a new strategy in.

"What do you mean?" she asked, taken aback a bit. I smiled at her and crossed my own arms.

"We can kill one without back up. We'll be able to at least distract it enough for you to take out the beacon." I explained. She just looked at me like I was crazy.

"How would you do that?" she muttered, taking in my grin.

"It's a surprise, Shepard, but if you want to get to that beacon without getting killed, you'll need our…skills." I paused before I said skills, but she just sighed and looked down at the planet.

"Fine. But you'll have to take someone else with you." she conceded.

"I know, I'm taking Ava." I said, already leaving before she could answer.

…(The twins)

"Give me back my hat!" Joker yelled, turning in his chair to see Gregori and Victor. They had stolen his hat a few minutes ago and they had yet to give it back. They loved to tease people, but Gregori was the one with the big brain out of the two. Both were smart, but Gregori was a genius like their older sister. He was also the tame one of the two.

"Say please." Victor sing-songed, holding it behind his back.

"Give it back or I'll shoot you!" Joker responded, reaching for the twin.

"That's not nice, Joker." Gregori said, mock scolding the pilot.

"I don't care!" he shouted, completely annoyed.

"Say please or we'll call Ava." Both said in unison, grinning at his expression.

"What, you can't fight me?" Joker challenged, smirking as if he won something. The twins looked at each other, then back down at him.

"She might not break your bones…" they said. It was obvious they were insinuating that they would break his bones themselves if they were challenged. The startled pilot opened his mouth, then closed it as if trying to speak, but failing.

"It's okay Joker, she's usually nice." Gregori said with a smile. Victor snickered as he put the hat back on Joker's head, then both departed, leaving a thoroughly harassed pilot behind.

…(Avaera's POV)

As the melody ended, I sighed and put the violin down, opening my eyes. It was actually a variation of a lullaby I used to listen to. It was very old back on Earth, having originated from Scotland in the sixteenth century. It was rarely known, but it had a soothing effect to it.

"That truly was beautiful!" Liara gushed, blushing. I could feel my cheeks heat up a little, but I ignored it.

"I tried to put some feeling in it…" I said, rubbing the back of my neck.

"Yes, I could feel your emotion in the music! I do hope…" she trailed off, getting my attention. I was afraid I did something wrong, but when I saw her small smile, I couldn't help but blush a little more.

"Yes?" I urged, wanting to make her feel comfortable enough to say what she had to.

"I do hope you will play once more…" she suggested, looking down at the floor. I felt relief wash over me from her statement. I felt pretty good, and it wouldn't be any trouble. I liked to play it anyway.

"It would be my pleasure." I said, and bowed to her, making her giggle. I started to play a song reminiscent of the theme from The Last of the Mohicans. It was a good movie even if a few good people died. A minute or two in, I heard the door open, but continued to play. My eyes were closed too, so I wasn't going to see who it was without breaking my concentration.

As it drew to a close, I couldn't help the smile that came to my face. I liked to play for people and help them feel better with the music. It was also a way for me to convey my emotions in a way I'd never be able to do with words. I could release what was pent up inside, even if only a little.

"Wow. I never would've pegged you as a violinist." I turned to see Ashley standing in the doorway, smirking. At least she didn't hate me for being an alien. Of course, it would be hard to think of me as one, seeing as how I looked like a Human. I noticed Jake standing behind her, seemingly excited.

"Yeah, I know. Need something?" I asked, looking between the two visitors.

"We're going down in the mako soon. Get ready." Ashley said, then left. Well that was to the point.

"Ava, guess what I got Shepard to let us do?" he said, practically jumping up and down. I looked at him for a moment before shrugging.

"What?" I asked, not bothering to guess. He leaned forward and whispered the news in my ear. I felt my stomach turn to lead and the blood rush from my face. Thresher Maw? I remembered our discussion that morning, but it was only hypothetical! Before I could respond, he bound out of the room, no doubt unable to wait. In our plan, he was the one with the easy part!

"What is wrong?" Liara came up and looked concernedly at me. I looked at her slowly, trying to formulate the words.

"My brother's going to get me eaten… by a Thresher Maw."

A/N: Now we're getting to the fun parts! Who doesn't like a Thresher scene? ;) Review or I'll stop writing! It would be much easier…