Over The Line
Garrus rolled over on his side. He couldn't sleep. This thing with his father was still eating away at him. He rolled over onto his back and looked over at Shia'va. She looked beautiful when she was asleep. The years had changed her. She was still the same Commander Shepard. But at the same time, the soldier in her had become less and less noticeable. She had become the woman she always wanted to be. She was still big on discipline, and she had raised the girls right. They knew what was right and what was wrong. Shia'va's hair had grown the length of her back. She seemed to like it that length, and Garrus couldn't disagree with it. She looked stunning with longer hair. He draped his arm over her midsection and pulled her close. He was surprised to find that she was awake and probably had been for the past five minutes.
Her hand moved along his arm as she turned her head to look at him. "Can't sleep, sweetheart?" She asked. She already knew the answer but she wanted to hear it from him.
"No, I can't and I'm sorry." His mandibles flexed a bit. "I know this shouldn't bother me."
Shia'va rolled over and looked Garrus in the eyes. "Garrus, I remember the day I came home with the girls. I don't think there was another star in the system that could have shown brighter than the smile you had that day." Shia'va kissed Garrus on the lips. "And I remember how furious you were when you finished your call to your father on Palaven. That call alone bothered you for weeks." She scooted closer to him. "Do you remember what I said to you after?"
Garrus nodded. "You had told me to focus on the girls. That they were the other thing that kept me from dwelling on what happened. But this feels different, Shia. This time it feels like there's a hidden agenda."
Shia'va smiled and rolled over on top of Garrus. "Then maybe I should give you something to at least distract you for a few hours, Mr. Vakarian." Straddling Garrus, Shia'va felt Garrus enter her. She moaned softly as their bodies began to move in a dance they had done so many nights before. She pulled Garrus up to her so their lips met. Garrus had known what Shia'va meant. This was a distraction, yes. But it was not meant as a fling. Shia'va knew when Garrus felt things crumbling down around him. She knew when he was beginning to feel that things were going out of his control. Garrus himself was a Turian who handled things by doing it. Not by diplomacy or words. And this thing with his father couldn't be handled by brute force. This, what Shia'va was doing, making love to him. During times like this it was her way of telling him of how deep her love for him was. Like he did for her, she would walk through hell for him and their children. It was a silent way of her telling him that she would stand by him and support him, no matter what he decided. This is why Garrus loved her so much. This is why he loved their children so much.
Garrus wrapped his lips around her nipple as Shia'va continued to quicken her pace. The two lovers keeping silent in their throes of ecstasy so as to not wake their sleeping children. He could hear her quickened breathing and placed his talons on her the sides of her face, enveloping her in a deep and passionate kiss. As their bodies came together, he could feel her heart beating. The feeling of her heart beat in time with his; it caused pride to swell in his plated chest. To know that their souls were still one, that their love would win out even in this dark time. He could feel her tightening down on him.
Shia'va was so close but she could tell Garrus was too. He was going deeper into her and it only served to push her further to climax. As both reached the pinnacle of their dance, Shia'va held onto Garrus tightly, her body filling with his warmth, shuddering in sheer pleasure. She heard Garrus grunt quietly as he held her as tightly as she held him. She also heard him whisper the words he spoke every day and meant when he said them. 'I love you.' She smiled as both of them collapsed onto the bed. He stayed inside of her for a few more minutes before she slid off to his side and laid her head on his chest. She didn't have to ask if he was feeling better. She could tell by the way he held her. It was the same embrace he held her in the hours before the assault on the Collector Base. After twenty minutes, Shia'va looked up to her husband to see that he had finally fallen asleep. His mind was at peace as long as she was with him.
The next morning, Shia'va walked into the kitchen to see Kiyoko, Mikazuki and Garrus sitting at the table. The two girls were having a bowl of some cereal and Garrus was enjoying some tea. Shia'va went over and gave the two girls a kiss good morning. She went over and grabbed a cup of coffee and then moved over to Garrus who put his arm around her waist. She leaned down and the two kissed.
Mikazuki and Kiyoko giggled seeing their parents kiss. "You two kiss a lot." Kiyoko got a grin on her.
Shia'va smiled as she looked at her children. "Well, that's what you do when you are in love with someone. Your father and I have been in love since long before you were both born. And we're still in love with each other to this day."
The comm unit in the other room was ringing and Mikazuki went into the living room to answer it. "Kon'nichiwa, Vakarian jūkyo. (Hello, Vakarian residence.)"
A Turian female was on the other end. "Oh, uh, hello. I'm looking for Garrus Vakarian." The Turian female had no idea what Mikazuki had just said.
Mikazuki really didn't like that for the past couple of days, people were having a hard time understanding Japanese. This was her mother's language and it was a primary language here in New Hiroshima. She turned towards the door. "Chichi, Komu rinku wa anata no tamedearu. Kore wa, ikutsu ka no Turian joseidearu. (Father, the commlink is for you. It is some Turian female.)"
Garrus got up and walked into the other room, seeing his sister, Solana. Garrus put his hand on Mikazuki's shoulder. "Mikadzuki wa, anata no haha to imōto to issho ni kitchin ni modotte kudasai. (Mikazuki, go back into the kitchen with your mother and sister.)" Garrus told his daughter in Japanese.
Solana blinked at her brother. Garrus was able to speak the human Japanese language? She watched as Mikazuki left. "Garrus, it's…been too long." She seemed a bit uncomfortable. "Was that Ki..Kiyokini?"
Garrus' mandibles flexed a bit. "No, that was not Kiyoko. It was Mikazuki. My oldest." She was acting even more evasive than his father. "What do you want, Solana? Did father put you up to this? Hoping maybe I would listen to my little sister?" He crossed his arms over his chest.
This seemed to catch Solana by surprise. "Father is there? When did he get there?" The shocked seemed genuine but Garrus wasn't sure what to believe from his side of the family anymore.
"Don't feign ignorance with me, Solana. You knew father was here, didn't you?" Garrus was actually on the verge of being indignant.
"Garrus Vakarian. You know damn well I wouldn't try to lie to you. Father left Palaven nearly a week ago and hasn't been home since." Her own mandibles started to flare a bit.
"He's been here trying to tell me that the clan leaders would welcome me back if I completely dissolved my bond to Shepard and left my children behind. Not that I would give a damn what the clan leaders think." Garrus shot back.
Solana groaned and covered her eyes. "Oh spirits its worse than we thought."
"What do you mean?" This had actually caught Garrus' attention. He started to think that something may have gone very wrong on Palaven.
"Garrus, The clan leaders had no idea you and Shepard were bonded and had children. Do you remember Sovan Altanis?" She tilted her head a bit.
"We were in C-Sec together for about two years." Garrus responded.
"His father passed away about two years ago. Father has been filling that spot for the interim. And no one had seen how much that short time had changed him." She shifted her weight uncomfortably. "Garrus, we're afraid father is trying to destroy the unions of those who left the clan. He's trying to purge out the mixed blood. And..well…we think he's coming after Shepard and your children. This is not what the clan wanted. They respect Shepard greatly, but they never agreed to this."
Garrus looked down a moment. His father has gone over the line with this. A stray thought crossed his mind. What if Jorum Talid also had something to do with this? If he had promised Garrus' father that this would drive the human from the shadow of the clan, then Shepard would be an easy target to pick off.
Solana looked at her brother, worried. "Garrus? Spirits please say something."
Garrus' mandibles flared. "I'll handle this, Solana. Tell mom I said hello. And tell her I love her." Garrus shut off the comm. It was no longer safe for Shia'va or the girls on Watson. The only place they would be safe would be at an Alliance facility or even the Citadel. He walked back into the kitchen where Kiyoko was dancing to some music playing on the extranet radio station. He watched her and smiled a bit. His youngest girl was meant to dance. She was beautiful and graceful. He looked over to Mikazuki who was reading a book on the Ming Dynasty. He then looked at Shia'va, the mother of his children, dancing with Kiyoko. A smile graced her features as she lifted her daughter of the floor and kissed her mandible. Garrus' expression seemed to go somber. If he didn't do something, all of this joy would be taken away from him.
Shia'va set Kiyoko down and saw Garrus out of the corner of her eye. She turned to him and her smiled slowly faded. She saw the look on his face. It was a look that she saw only one other time. That time being when he was looking for Sidonis. Whenever he talked about his men, he sounded empty. But that look also meant that he was going to be donning his armor again. He was going to be Archangel. She walked over to him and took his talons into her hands. "Garrus…"
He blinked slowly, looking at his family. "Shia, I need you to take the girls and go to your mother's or your brothers' . Either on her ship, any Alliance station or the Presidium on the Citadel. There's something I have to take care of. And I don't want anyone using you to get to me." He knew what she was going to say. "Shia, I know what you want to say, but you have to trust me on this, please."
Shia'va didn't like this. Normally she would argue the point with Garrus. But if he was becoming so focused. She thought for a minute and knew who she was going to contact. "Alright, Garrus. We'll go the Citadel and contact my mother. Come on, girls. Let's go get packed."
Solana looked at the blank viewscreen. "Spirits, Garrus, please don't do something stupid. She looked over to her mother who was sitting in the chair looking very sad. Whatever Garrus' father had become, it was tearing his family apart. Solana only hoped Garrus could stop it before it got any worse.
A/N: Oooooh…intrigue! But not as much as we'll see in four days! FOUR DAYS! I hope ya'll are ready! And I'm sorry for those of you in the British Isles and what's going on with . But soon you'll save the galaxy with the rest of us! Keep on keepin' on!