Series Title: After the Reapers
Pairing: Garrus/Shepard
Author: Knights-Honour
Disclaimer: Mass Effect universe © BioWare
Any character you haven't heard of © me
Author's Notes:
Thanks go to my Beta; Blueglaceon, who despite having little knowledge of the Mass Effect universe, agreed to edit the series anyway. Thanks, Blue!
This is set a week after Happiness and a few days before the first of the Union stories, which I'll be working on next.
Meeting the Folks
"Citadel Control, this is Normandy SR-2. Requesting permission to land," Shepard and Garrus could hear Joker's voice as they approached the cockpit.
"Stand-by for clearance Normandy," came the Citadel's response. "Clearance granted. You may begin your approach. Transferring you to an Alliance operator."
At that, Joker looked to Shepard, eyebrows raised. "Looks like word has reached the Alliance brass of you cutting ties with Cerberus."
"I'm not surprised. With all the errands I did for Aria to pay for the repairs to the Normandy back on Omega, it was bound to leak back to them and the Council."
"Normandy, this is Alliance tower. Please proceed to dock eighty-five."
"Roger, Alliance tower. Normandy out."
"If word got back to them, think they'll finally accept that the Reapers are real?" Garrus questioned his mate.
"Like I said before; I'm not holding..." Shepard suddenly trailed off as one of the ships they were passing on their way into dock caught her eye. "EDI, what's the name of dreadnaught we're passing?"
"It is SSV Orizaba, Commander," EDI responded, confirming her suspicions.
Shepard said nothing as she made her way over to the window, watching the dreadnaught as they passed it. She remembered hearing a news broadcast in her travels, though exactly where was hazy, about her mother; that Hannah Shepard had turned down a promotion to Admiral, believing that serving as a Captain of a star-ship honoured her daughter's memory better. And then there was the e-mail that she'd sent to her daughter once she'd heard, second–hand, that her child was alive...
"Kat?"
Shepard didn't respond, still wrapped up in her thoughts as she continued to stare out the window as the Orizaba disappeared from sight.
"The SSV Orizaba is the ship that the Commander's mother is currently commanding officer of," EDI informed the Normandy's Gunnery Officer in lieu of Shepard's silence.
"Thank you, EDI," Garrus rumbled as he continued watch his mate.
"You okay, Commander?" Joker queried.
"I'm fine," Shepard replied as she turned back to the pilot. "Take us in, Joker."
"Aye, aye, ma'am."
"EDI, can you alert the entire crew that there's a meeting in the CIC after we've docked, please? I've got a few announcements that I want to make before everyone disembarks."
"Messages away. Enjoy your shore leave, Commander. I will keep you up-to-date with the progress of the last of the Normandy's repairs."
"Thank you, EDI. Make sure you have some downtime of your own, too, you hear? You're a member of this crew as well."
"I will try."
~ o ~ o ~ o ~
"What do you mean you can't tell me anymore?" Hannah Shepard demanded.
"Just that, Hannah," David Anderson did his best to placate his old friend. "That's all Shepard told us when she was here."
Hannah started to pace, a mixture of worry, despair and helplessness blooming on her features, and that tipped the human Councillor off.
"You've heard from her?"
"A week ago. She sent me an e-mail, said that she was a few hours away from heading through the Omega-4 relay."
"The Omega-4 relay?" Anderson questioned in shock, but before he could ask any more, a turian C-Sec officer entered the room.
"Councillor Anderson," the turian snapped to attention.
"At ease, Sergeant Haron." Anderson returned the salute.
"I apologise for interrupting, sir. But Captain Bailey thought you'd like to know that the Normandy has just arrived, and is in the process of docking as we speak."
"Whereabouts, Sergeant?" Hannah asked immediately.
"Dock eighty-five, ma'am."
Without saying another word, Hannah Shepard left the room.
~ o ~ o ~ o ~
The crew were talking amongst themselves when Shepard stepped off of the elevator and into the CIC. As she stepped up onto the Galaxy Map, she noted that the majority of them were in casuals, eager and ready for their shore leave to begin. She didn't blame them, though, after the ordeal that the Collectors had put them through; they deserved the week-long break they were getting. Clearing her throat, she addressed the crowd. "Our fight against the Collectors wasn't easy, but things are about to get a whole lot worse. And taking in to consideration that we've cut ties with Cerberus, I wouldn't be doing my job as your commanding officer if I didn't say the following. For those of you who no longer wish to serve on the Normandy, you may leave when we dock and there will be no incriminations or reputations for doing s-"
"Are you trying to get rid of us, Commander?" the thick Scottish accent of Kenneth Donnelly interrupted her speech as the Engineer stepped forward. "Because I know that I speak for the entire crew when I say we're not going anywhere. You'll need the best manning the Normandy if we're going to have any chance of coming out of this thing alive."
"We agree with Engineer Donnelly," Legion spoke up. "The Old Machines arrival is imminent. To disband our unit now would be counter-productive."
"Not to mention that you've already proven that you'll go to Hell and back for us when we're in danger. What more can a crew ask of their CO?"
Shepard felt like a weight had been lifted from her shoulders as she swallowed the lump that had formed her throat. "In that case, there's just one other announcement I'd like to make," her eyes sought Garrus' as the Turian came to stand by her side. "Garrus and I are to become life partners," Shepard smiled when saw Tali clasp her hands together in joy as the rest of the crew offered their congratulations to the betrothed couple. Waiting until everyone had quietened down again, she continued on. "We intend to have the ceremony preformed while we're on the Citadel and we'd like it if you'd all attend the celebrations. And with that said, everyone's dismissed. Enjoy your shore leave."
It didn't take long for the crew to filter out of the room until just she and Garrus remained. Stepping down from the Galaxy Map, she wrapped her beau up in a hug for a few moments. When Shepard drew back, she regarded her soon-to-be husband tenderly. "So, what's our first step?"
Garrus had just opened his mouth to respond when a voice spoke up from behind them.
"Kathryn?"
Shepard stepped around Garrus to find Hannah Shepard standing a few feet from them. "Mom?"
Wordlessly, the two women strode towards each other and wrapped each other in a tight hug. "My baby girl..." Hannah whispered as mother and daughter clung to each other, tears flowing freely. They remained that way for what seemed like hours, drawing comfort from the fact that they were together again.
Eventually, the Shepard matriarch drew back. "I hear congratulations are in order," she commented, looking from her daughter to the Turian behind her and back again.
Shepard blushed as she wiped her own tears away with the palm of her hand as she turned to Garrus and gestured for him to join them. The Turian observed, as he came to stand by his mate's side, that mother and daughter were the splitting image of each other, though Hannah's eyes were brown and she had a few grey hairs streaking through her ebony locks.
"Mom, this is Garrus Vakarian. Garrus, my mother, Hannah Shepard."
Garrus held out a hand. "It's an honour to meet you, Captain."
Hannah regarded him silently for a moment, and Garrus began to feel uneasy. Had he done the wrong thing? He knew that handshakes were how humans often greeted one another. But then, Hannah smiled, stepped forward and wrapped him up in a hug. Garrus froze, stunned and unsure of how to respond as beside him, Shepard covered her mile wide grin with her hand as she struggled to keep herself from laughing out loud at the expression on his face.
"Call me Hannah," she chided him when she drew back. "We'll be family before long. And it's a pleasure to finally meet you as well."
"Finally?" Garrus repeated.
"Mmmhmmm," Hannah responded cryptically, stirring his curiosity. Had Shepard been talking about him with her mother? "And on that note, it would seem that we've got a lot to catch up on." Hannah addressed the pair, bringing Garrus' attention back to the present. "Care to join me for lunch on the Presidium?"
Shepard looked to Garrus, who nodded his head, before. "Lead the way."
Smiling and chatting, the three made their way towards the Normandy's airlock.
Fin.