Dolphin-san: Hello again! Thanks to everyone who reviewed my first chapter, and I hope you lie this one just as much. Oh and to answer a little question, this is after the events of Mass Effect three. And no, I did not agree with the last fifteen minutes of the damn game, so this is slight AU. The Reapers were destroyed, Mass Effect relays were not destroyed, Shepard didn't die and, most importantly, Joker did not flee a combat zone and strand the rest of the crew in some backwards ass part of the galaxy. So that's all of the AU there is, the rest sticks with the game play through the games where ever it gets referred back to. Enjoy xx.

Chapter 2

Garrus walked along the corridors of the Normandy, his feet automatically taking him from the main battery to the galley. It had only been a week but the new crew seemed to be settling in nicely. He nodded a greeting to those he passed but the long day was beginning to take its toll. His eyes slid shut as he stood in the elevator, allowing him a few seconds of rest before snapping open as the door alarm pinged. Stepping out into the ship's new dining area, Garrus noticed Tali leaning against the counter between the tables and the kitchen talking to Ahlenso. He was just contemplating waiting till they finished when Tali waved him over.

"Hey Garrus. We were just talking about how to convince Shepard to use one of the cargo bays as a growing chamber," Tali told him as he came closer. He could tell from her tone of voice that she was happy with this idea. Maybe it reminds her of the Flotilla, Garrus thought.

"I did say that if he doesn't allow it then I can simply freeze most fresh vegetables and fruits, but there's some that that won't be possible for." Ahlenso looked over to Garrus. "Actually, a lot of the fresh foods on Palaven don't freeze very well, and while they are still edible, I can't justify using them. I think the cold temperature ruins their taste and I want to be able to provide the crew with the best quality of meals."

"Wow. I've never met a human who would notice that about our food." Garrus paused. "Actually, I've never met a human who would eat our food."

"Well, not everyone knows how to make it safe to eat," Tali said. "I think it's great that you took the time to learn, Ahlenso. You know, there's a lot of people in the galaxy that treat Quarian's with suspicion, and I always think that if they just took the time to get to know us, we'd get along fine," her voice trailed off into silence. Garrus moved to comfort her, but was beaten to it.

"All that matters Tali is that we know you, and we know you're people." Ahlenso put her hands on Tali's shoulders. "And while you're on this ship, you know you're not alone." She smiled at the masked face before her.

"I know. Well, I'd better get some rest. I need to be up early to oversee a tech update on the main engine." With a small wave Tali left, heading for the crew quarters. Garrus leaned heavily on the counter, letting himself sag lifelessly onto a seat.

"You look exhausted, Garrus. Will you even be able to stay awake long enough to eat?" Garrus noted the joking tone in her voice and didn't open his eyes. Instead he let his head slide off his arm onto the counter-top.

"I know I should eat something, but I'd really rather just head to my room." He sighed. "Although I might not even make it that far." The sound of chopping and pans being lifted onto a hob drifted over to him.

Garrus cracked one eye open a fraction. Ahlenso stood with her back to him, working quickly. She always seems so confident when she's cooking, he thought. He watched as she tossed some shredded vegetables in oil then flash fried them before adding noodles. She stirred it together and added some seasoning before turning it into a bowl, which she placed in front of Garrus.

"It'll at least give you the energy to get back to your bed," she said with a little smile as Garrus picked up a fork. "It's alright for you to eat, don't worry."

He had to stop the moan as the hot food filled his empty stomach, it would have just embarrassed him, and he finished the meal quickly. As Ahlenso took the empty bowl from him, he smiled at her. The small gesture made her pause.

"What?" he asked.

"It's just I don't think you've ever smiled at me yet," Ahlenso told him as she turned to load the bowl and pans into the washer. "You normally just come in, get something to eat, sometimes we talk but you've never smiled."

Garrus felt a shock go through him. He couldn't believe he'd never shown even that small courtesy to the person who made his meals. "I'm-"

"I think it's just that you've been so busy with work." She smiled at him. "Don't worry, I've not been offended by it, it's just that it was. . . nice to see you smile." Ahlenso was sure that, if a Turian could blush, Garrus' face would be on fire.

He looked up at her. She was leaning on the counter as well, her face cradled in one hand. She'd closed her eyes. Even under the artificial light on the ship, her long hair gleamed blue. Garrus noticed, at close range, that she had light freckles covering her nose and cheeks. If he had to hazard a guess at her height, she would be about five foot eight. He had to stop himself from thinking about her waist; his experience with females of other species told him that they don't exactly appreciate it. As she opened her eyes again Garrus noticed the tiny flecks of brown mixed in with the green.

"And you said I looked exhausted," he said as she yawned. "You were in here working already when I came up this morning. That was at seven."

Ahlenso raised an eyebrow. "My work isn't exactly as taxing as yours. Besides, I'm normally an early riser. I always had to be up to make sure my little brother got to school." Her hand went to the necklace again. Garrus noticed that though it seemed to have a pendant on it, she was always careful not to let it show.

"Wasn't that your parent's job?"

Ahlenso looked down at the counter top. Garrus could feel sadness radiating off her in waves.

"Look, I'm sorry if me bringing them up is painful for you," he said, lowering his voice. "You don't have to tell me anything, I just didn't think before I spoke."

"No, it's okay." A sad smile came onto her face as she looked back up to meet his eyes. "Someone should know. I've heard people say how talking about it can make you feel better, it helps you move past it." She stopped.

Garrus looked behind him. The few people that had been there when he arrived had made their way down to their own cabins. They were alone in the room.

"Do you want to sit at a table to talk? You've been on your feet all day."

They moved over to one of the tables, Ahlenso paused to get some drinks. Garrus waited patiently for her to start.

"I was six when my brother was born. It was one of the happiest days of my life because it meant that I was a big sister, that I had someone to look after, be a role model to. My father had been one of those men who was never really happy that he'd had a girl, and my mother wasn't very interested in anything that didn't have something to do with her military career, so I was usually ignored." She paused. "That sounds terrible. Don't get me wrong, I never wanted for anything. And I was quiet happy when I got sent off to school. But when my little brother came along. . . I saw it as an opportunity to act like, well, a real family.

"Of course when I was at school, my parents had a nanny look after him. He was always happy whenever I came home. I doted on him. Sometimes I thought that it was impossible to love someone so much, but I realised that's what family is about. Unconditional love for one another. When I thought that I knew that, no matter how they may be seen to act, our parents loved us, too.

"They died when I was fourteen, during the Skyllian Blitz. Shot during the first wave of attack. Suddenly it was just me and my brother, and even though we mourned for them, we were happy because we still had each other. I decided that we should move then. We travelled around a lot, never really staying in one place for too long, and we learnt everything we could about whichever culture we were then a part of. You should have seen how much he flourished. He was like a sponge, whatever he learnt he just soaked it up. It was because of the traveling that I became so interested in the cuisine of different cultures, and the differences between levo- and amino-based foods. I added the task of learning how to cook these foods to my own studies, and not only cook it but find the fresh produce, identify what could be used in a meal, and more importantly begin to test what could be done to them to make the previously dangerous foods safe.

"When we eventually settled in one place, I noticed that what I'd learned had never been written down or even learnt by other humans, or anyone else, so I decided to do it myself. He helped me with it actually. His illustrations were brilliant, almost like looking at the real thing. I made sure to teach him how to cook the meals I wrote about of course, he even helped me when I would go to find fresh ingredients. I don't think I've ever been happier than when I was with my little brother."

Garrus just watched her as she talked. He noticed that her face lit up a little whenever she mentioned her brother. She had a small smile that seemed to always be there, and dimples appeared when the smile spread. He found himself smiling when they appeared. Her voice stayed soft as she reminisced about her parents. Garrus found himself staring at her closed mouth, and realised that she must have finished talking a while ago. He snapped his eyes up but she was still looking at her now empty cup.

"I really miss them," she whispered.

Garrus reached over the table and touched one of her hands.

"They did love you, Ahlenso. Even if they don't show it much, all parents love their children." He paused as she smiled again. He tried to think of something to say that would lighten the mood a little. "So, you sounded very proud of your brother. Is he a chef like you? An artist? What's he doing now?"

Ahlenso met his eyes steadily, the sad smile back in place.

"He's dead."

Dolphin-san: Well, that's another chapter out there for the world to see. Hope you enjoyed it, please R&R!