A/N I couldn't resist the image of Shepard, fearless as she may be, being intimidated by the thought of meeting Kaidan's mother. So, in true evil author fashion, I wrote it!
She awoke slowly that evening from a fitful nap, the voice of her nightmare child, strangely inhuman, still echoing in her ears and his transparent image giving her a chill she felt to her bones. She turned her head and was startled to see not Kaidan in the chair to her right but a small quiet woman. Her visitor was engrossed in the datapad she held so Kat took a moment to observe undetected. She took in the diminutive figure, the straight posture, the black hair threaded with gray piled in a bun on the woman's head. She noted the jawline and cheekbones and hairline she'd recognize anywhere and after just a few quiet seconds, she identified her visitor. Kaidan's mother.
Kat had never considered herself a coward but she had to ask herself since her immediate reaction to seeing the mother of the man she loved sitting calmly at her bedside had been 'where are the Reapers when you need them?' if that made her one now. She glanced around the dark quiet room surreptitiously and realized she'd have no backup for this encounter, they were alone. When the eyes that met hers were a clear whiskey brown, Kat was not surprised, and her identity was confirmed.
She saw a gentle and somewhat familiar smile come over her visitor's face, then heard the woman's soft gentle voice say, "Well, there you are, awake finally." Mrs. Alenko shifted, placing the datapad on the bedside table and leaned closer to Kat. "I hope you don't mind that I asked Kaidan to give us some time alone," she continued in her quiet tones, "I thought we should meet."
Kat mused that Kaidan's future wellbeing depended heavily on the result of the next few minutes and tried to find something to say that wouldn't make her sound as out of her element as she felt. "Mrs. Alenko?" was what came out, despite the fact that it sounded inane even to her own ears.
The other woman didn't seem to notice, instead, she laughed softly and replied, "Got it in one, but please, dear, call me Marina. I think we have too much between us to stand on formality."
Kat nodded, repeating, "Marina," dutifully. "I'm Shep- er, Kat," she told the woman.
"Yes, I know," Marina nodded. "Savior of the galaxy, decorated war hero, and the woman my son is going to marry. It's really only the last that I came to meet today, although I will say thank you from myself and on behalf of all the people you have saved. You are a remarkable woman, Kat, we owe you a debt."
Kat found herself coloring at the earnest gratitude. She didn't take praise well, and hearing it from Kaidan's mother was too strange a situation for her to process. She squirmed a bit, trying to think of a reply and again, eloquence failed, "Uh…" was the only thing she could vocalize. Great, she thought, she's gonna think I'm a moron.
Instead, Marina smiled warmly, and nodded as if Kat had just recited epic poetry. "Just so," she said, almost to herself, "Kaidan would never have fallen for a prideful woman. But you, my dear, should probably accustom yourself to hearing those words. I expect you will have people lining up outside your door to tell you soon."
Marina sat back, comfortable in Kaidan's recliner and studied Kat for another moment. She's beautiful, she thought to herself, but she doesn't know it. Not modest – I'm sure if someone asked her, she'd happily list her weapon's qualifications and combat achievements with pride. But her looks, Marina mused, were not something she'd ever think to consider an asset. She also noted the strength of character in that face, the set of the shoulders. She wasn't unaware that she had made Kat uncomfortable, she regretted it, but she had wanted to assess the woman for herself, so she had brought the full weight of a mother's guilt to bear and chased Kaidan from the room earlier. She was impressed that Kat had not backed down from it, but rather still sat meeting her eyes, waiting for Marina's point.
This woman, Marina realized, was her son's equal in every sense and her heart lifted, happy that she could not only approve of her son's choice in mates but revel in it. She knew they'd likely never have a peaceful relationship, and she was glad for it. Peace was boring. No, these two would have passion and fierce love, and yes, they'd fight, but they'd always find their way together. It was the most any loving mother could ask from the woman her son would marry.
She took Kat's hand in her own and looked into her wide emerald eyes and smiled again. "I can see why he loves you so much," she told the woman who became the daughter of her heart in that moment.
Kat smiled and squeezed the other woman's hand back gratefully. "How could I not love him when he's so much like his mother?" she queried softly.
Kaidan found them sitting like that when he returned to the room ten minutes later, laughing together and sharing what he guessed to be, with some trepidation, stories of him from his childhood. He paused for a moment to give thanks that the two women he loved most were well on their way to a firm friendship and walked in to join them, grinning like a fool.