Author's Disclaimer: I don't own a thing belonging to Mass Effect. Three of the characters belong to another author, RaeDMagdon.
Author's notes: Diana belongs to RaeDMagdon's Mass Effect stories; I just asked to borrow her for a gift fic ^_^ Any mention of her siblings, Athena and Benezia, also belong to her. Thanks again, Rae! I hope you all enjoy.
"Melding with Aunt Ashley"
A Diana story for RaeDMagdon
Everyone knew her Mom and Dad saved the galaxy. It's in all the textbooks at school.
It seems ever since Diana had learned to read, she was finding footnotes or sections about her parents in one shape or another in the new school curriculum. Commander Shepard was written about in glowing terms, her deeds and adventures compelling to read about. But Dad was just Dad to her. Her red hair was fascinating, and she was ready with a laugh or joke with her sisters, and she loved them all with an exuberance Diana knew was lucky.
Dad was Dad, not the Savior of the Galaxy. Mom was Mom, not Commander Shepard's bondmate, or Matriarch Benezia's heir. Nezzie had gotten their grandmother's name, but they'd never met her. She had died long before they had been born.
It was definitely strange to have famous parents. Diana knew they tried not to let it impact their personal lives, and mostly home was their sanctuary. But in school, or in public, it was hard not to notice all the calls, the asks for a holo, or a handshake, or even a hug. Dad doled out hugs to strangers rarely. Mom didn't go for that at all.
But Diana loved whenever her parent's old friends, her "war buddies" came by to visit. They called Wrex Uncle Wrex, and Tali Auntie Tali, and even Ashley let them call her Aunt. She seemed to like Diana best, sharing jokes and stories with her.
But they were going over The War again in school. And Diana wanted to ask Aunt Ashley a few questions Mom or Dad glossed over.
"We're going over The Fall of Thessia in school," Diana broached the subject one evening. Her mother's fork clattered to the table; Dad took it better in stride, but the side of her jaw was clenched noticeably.
"Again?" Dad tried to joke. Her mother shot her a subtle look.
"Athena's class already went over that in length, but I expect we'll have more questions this year," Liara said.
Athena pulled a face at her sister across the table, but Diana went on.
"I know you don't like to talk about it, but I was thinking I could ask Aunt Ashley a few questions. She found the Prothean Beacon with you two, didn't she?"
Dad nodded, looking lost in thought. "She did. If not for her, I don't know how we would've made it out…."
"Shepard," Mom hissed and the two shared a look. Mom softened her features when Dad took her hand across the table.
"Sure, you can ask her. Ash has been a lot better at telling war stories than we are," Dad said, and Diana did a little leap in her head. Her parents would ask their aunts and uncles over for a visit the following weekend. She loved Auntie Tali and Uncle Garrus and Uncle Wrex always gave them varren back rides. Auntie Miranda could keep Nezzie busy while she got to ask Aunt Ashley her project questions.
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Later that night before tuck-in time for bed, Diana sidled near the kitchen for a glass of water. She was surprised to see her parents were already there, whispering together in one of their secret conversations, so she ducked back around the corridor beside the area to hide. Peeking, Diana noticed Dad's lips finally pressed into a firm line and her mom pressed their brows together. Her dad's eyes filled with the swirling black in her mom's as they melded and continued their discussion quietly between themselves. Diana fidgeted, noticing tears leaking from the corners of Dad's eyes. She wanted to make herself known and comfort her, but Mom was handling it.
Her hands rubbed up and down Dad's arms in the physical world as they shared their thoughts and feelings. Dad's lips stretched in a smile finally and they kissed. Diana frowned and looked away. She was glad they loved each other, but there was knowing it, and there was walking in on it. When they separated, Diana coughed and stomped toward the kitchen loudly. She was pleased to see her parents look up, smiles on their faces instead of tears.
"Just getting my bedtime glass of water," Diana announced. Dad got a glass and filled it for her.
"Try not to knock it over this time," she warned, and Mom laughed.
"No one has sleep time battles like you, Shepard," she teased. Dad laughed.
"I won't," Diana promised and carried the glass to her room with both hands. She called out a good night to her sisters down the hall and waited for Mom to tuck her in and turn out the lights.
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"We're here! And the girls got too big. They're going to wear me out!" Wrex bellowed as he all but filled the room with his voice and presence. Athena and Diana scrambled to hug him around the shoulders, and he lifted them high in his arms. He'd brought two of his children, a son named Shepard and a girl named Mordin. They clambered around Wrex's feet.
Benezia was too small, so Miranda picked her up, whispering a story to her. The baby grinned up at her, fingers tugging at the edges of her long dark hair. Shepard and Liara watched approvingly, talking offhand to Uncle Garrus and Auntie Tali in the corner. Diana noted Dad's arm wrapped snugly around Mom's waist and she grinned to herself.
The doorbell rang and Diana looked expectantly as Dad opened the apartment door. Aunt Ashley was there, in an Alliance tunic and fatigues. Her long dark hair was tinged silver at the temples, but she still looked every bit the warrior as her holos. Same as Dad, really.
Shepard and Liara greeted her warmly. Uncle Garrus barked a joke at her, and Ashley laughed loudly.
"Diana wants to ask you some war time questions," Dad said to her. Ashley's eyes met hers across the room and Diana gave a shy smile. Aunt Ashley winked at her then turned to her parents.
"Sure, that'd be fine. What do you want me to show her…."
Athena and even she had gotten a few bad images of war-time battles from their parents, despite their trying to censor the worst of things. It was inevitable really, but Diana was glad she wouldn't get the pants scared off her in this melding like that one time with Mom.
"Fall of Thessia. The beacon in the temple. Show her…" Dad murmured lowly, and Ashley leaned in, nodding. Mom took Dad's hand and squeezed it. Diana got there was something really personal in this story, but she didn't know what it could be.
Diana waited, playing with Mordin and little Shepard, as her mom quickly melded with Aunt Ashley. Her dark eyes filled completely with the black of the meld as she held her mom's hand, sharing memories. Ashley nodded visibly and blinked. Her own eyes were back, the black faded as Mom smiled at her. Dad oddly hugged her after that, holding her close. Diana was pleased to see Mom looking content in Dad's embrace and grinned as Aunt Ashley came close.
"Hey, Di. Doing the war time reports in school, huh?" she asked. She sat at Diana's level, nudging her shoulder. Diana grinned.
"Yup! There's always so many stories about Mom and Dad…and you, and Normandy's crew," Diana said.
"The price of winning. You get famous," Aunt Ashley teased. She took Diana's hand. "Okay, kid. When you go in, hand over the reins to me. I'll show you what I saw there…."
Diana nodded. With a small "Embrace eternity" whispered, she held her aunt's hand, falling into her mind easily. Ashley's mind vibrated with a heavy jolt, then Diana was pulled forward, as if by the arm. Explosions erupted in the memory and Ashley steered her toward the temple. It was a right mess, torn up by reaper fire and creatures, the husks, brutes, and harvesters. Bullet holes dotted the pews leading to the large statue of Athame.
"It was here, where your dad sensed something…" her aunt whispered to her and Diana's gaze was directed toward Dad, younger, poking around the temple relics. She stood before the statue of Athame and tilted her head back, eyes closed, mirroring Athame's expression.
"There's a prothean beacon here!" she called. Mom's head whipped in her direction.
"What? You're certain?" she demanded.
A contentment settled over Diana as if Aunt Ashley were patting her shoulder mentally. "That's where we found the prothean VI that gave us a clue. But we lost it to Cerberus…"
A flash of gunfire; Mom and Dad and Aunt Ashley kneeling behind the pews for cover as a dark-haired human flipped in impossible arches, avoiding their fire.
"We lost the fight. Barely made it out…" Ashley murmured in her mind. Diana felt herself pulled along. Mom and Dad arguing in the shuttle, the sag of fatigue and defeat dampening Ashley's memories of the day.
"What happened with Mom and Dad?" Diana asked. A mental sigh and Ashley led her away from the memory.
"You'll have to ask them that. Anything else you want to see…."
An abrupt flash of color and an echoed laugh; male, human. "Get yer ass in here, Lt. Commander, you need a drink!"
Diana paused. "Who was that?"
If a blush could be shared in the meld, Aunt Ashley was doing that. "James Vega. He was on Normandy's crew…."
Lt. James Vega, Alliance Navy. Diana remembered the footnote in her history textbook.
"I remember him. Dad's talked about him," Diana said. Ashley sighed, the sound echoing through her mind. She directed Diana away from a memory of drinking with James.
"He was a good man, a great soldier. Your dad was training him for N7…."
"He made it, didn't he?"
An uncomfortable color tinged Ashley's mind. "He did. Posthumously…."
Then Diana remembered the section in the chapter about Lt. Vega. "He died….didn't he?"
"Before Athena was born," Ashley sighed. Dark edges crept into the corners of her mind. "He defended your dad from a grenade thrown by enemy forces. After the war ended, offshoots of Cerberus had banded together to try and force the turian military from Earth space. It was a big fight. It ended on one of Earth's ship ports. We were sent to end the dregs of Cerberus and free the turians they'd taken hostage. And James died at the end of it…"
Diana got there was an ugly story there. She reached to assure her aunt and Ashley wrapped her in a mental embrace. "It's okay, Di. Many people like James died to assure you kids would have a future worth living…"
Diana ended the meld as gently as she could, stammering over the edges in her inexperience. Aunt Ashley was waiting in the physical world, a few tears in her eyes. Diana gave her a hug and was relieved when Ashley hugged her back warmly.
"I'm sorry…" Diana stammered. Ashley rubbed a thumb across her cheek, wiping a tear away.
"Don't worry about it, kid." One of Ashley's fingers bopped her nose, making her grin. "I'm just glad to be here with you now."
"Thanks, Aunt Ashley."
"Anytime, Di."
End.
End notes: Thank you, Rae, for borrowing a few of your characters. I hope everyone enjoys. Stay strong, my lovelies.
Sincerely, pen
5/13/2023
-shepard and liara had had a fight after the fall of thessia and dad had mad e it up to her, begging her forgiveness.