Mass Effect: Each Story Has A Million Tales.
Summary: "There is always more than just one side to a story- and more than one lesson to learn. Follow Garrus Vakarian as he stands by a promise that he means to keep, contemplates the true meaning of life, death, and the ultimate sacrifice, and as he confronts someone who should have been behind him all along. Follow Adelais Vakarian as he mends a broken bond, and as he comes to terms with a terrible loss of his own. Follow Kolyat Krios as he navigates through a very dangerous place, only to find another- under the guidance of someone who may or may not be there at all. And follow Commander Joleen Shepard as she goes through her past and present, only to find herself in the middle of a battle for her future." (Garrus' Story: 'The Promise-Keeper.' Adelais' Story: 'The Old Soldier.' Kolyat's Story: 'The Wanderer.' Shepard's Story: 'The Missing.')
Warning: "This is a heavy one- some swearing, angst, implied adult situations, adult situations, a few character deaths, violence, and blood. All the big ones this time. Remember, this is my Shepard, my feelings on the game and what should have happened and will happen, with my own opinions and storyline, so no nasty comments. Got it? Good." (Commander Joleen Shepard: War Hero, Earthborn. Soldier. Paragon. Romanced Kaidan Alenko in the 1st game, Garrus Vakarian in the 2nd and 3rd. Shot and killed Udina during the Citadel Coup.)
Disclaimer: "I do not own Mass Effect. At all. So don't make me say it again."
Author's Note: "Just so you all know, the name 'Adelais,' is Latin for 'Noble,' and the name 'Carissa' means 'the most beloved one.' Personally, I just thought the two names fit the story and what the characters were meant for."
I Now Present to You
The Beginning of the End.
N._.S._.S
Chapter Forty: The Promise-Keeper X.
"Vakarian!"
Garrus turned his head at the call of his name. He had been waiting outside the elevator for about fifteen minutes now. His arms were folded and his talons clicked nervously against his armor. When he saw Kaidan, he quickly pushed himself off the metallic wall.
Joleen and Garrus had agreed to meet in her cabin after thirty minutes after they arrived back at the Normandy- enough time for both of them to freshen up before going up to the top of the Presidium, and enough time for Garrus to get what he needed from Alenko.
Thankfully, Garrus had called ahead to ensure that the crew didn't go crazy the moment she came in. All that was needed for her not to get suspicious that something else was going on were a few squeals and tears from Tali and Chakwas, hugs from Liara, and a wave of applause from Kaidan, Vega, Joker, and EDI.
They were going to set up the real celebration while Garrus did the rest- and because of Shepard's usual oblivious, unsuspicious nature, even after all this time, everything was still working out perfectly.
"You got it?"
"Of course I got it," Kaidan replied, digging into his uniform's pocket and carefully pulling out a small, slightly worn, midnight blue, velvet box, "I just picked it up from Councilor Hackett's office."
"Thank you for picking it up for me." Garrus answered, taking it from him.
"Sure. It took a long time to get it, though. The Alliance wouldn't hand it over until they got your letter and Admiral Hackett's permission in lieu of Joleen's and Anderson's," Kaidan explained.
"She doesn't know?" Garrus asked, "They haven't told her about it?"
"Of course not. Hackett's a good man, Garrus," Kaidan answered, gruffly, "He didn't say anything."
"Thanks, Kaidan. I owe you one."
"No, you don't," Kaidan told him, waving him off, "Just don't screw up."
N._.S._.S
Of course Garrus knew about Ranger's ring.
He'd heard about it from Joleen personally, during their Presidium date.
The ring that she had buried along with her first love.
The way she spoke about it, and the way her usually confident, dark brown eyes darkened, revealed that she truly regretted leaving behind that pretty amethyst-set gold band in New York.
She didn't even know whether the grave was still standing.
"He died in the Blitz," she said, suddenly, dark eyes not meeting his. Her arms were folded behind her back, and she refused to look at him as she spoke. "He sacrificed himself for me."
Joleen's eyes had flared back to life and she finally looked over at him. "I won't let that happen ever again."
Everyone saw her as a hero for what she did that day.
She saw it as her greatest failure.
Because she failed to save him.
It made a twisted kind of sense, actually. It explained why she was the first to leap over cover and into the fire first, how she reacted to the deaths of Ashley, Mordin, Legion, and Thane, and why she was so determined, especially during the Suicide Mission and the Reaper War, to keep her team together.
Why she was always willing to sacrifice herself.
"Is it stupid," She had sighed, quietly, just before London, staring at the beam with an odd, considering look, "To wonder if he'd have done a better job than me?"
"Yes," Garrus had answered, "Because no one could ever have done it better than you."
She had smiled warily at him, but her eyes weren't in it.
After his father had left him in Huerta, Garrus had decided what he was going to do. First, he tracked down Kaidan. The Spectre had been suspicious of him at first, and then promised he'd look into it when Garrus told him why. A few hours later, he came back saying that Garrus needed both Joleen's and Councilor Anderson's written permission to even know about that ring- it was "Confidential personal Alliance property," Kaidan had called it.
So, Garrus set to convincing.
It took three days alone to get Hackett (the stand-in for Anderson) to even consider letting Garrus propose to Shepard with that ring- a "conflict" the Councilor had said about it.
"It would mean everything to her, sir."
"To you or to her?"
"Both, sir."
Finally, though, soon after Garrus had accepted Bailey's C-Sec offer, Hackett had sent him a message on the same datapad that had the C-Sec reentry form on it, saying that the ring was on its way to the Citadel, and a certain Spectre would deliver it when he saw fit.
That Spectre, of course, was none other than Kaidan Alenko.
N._.S._.S
As Garrus had expected, she was waiting for him.
She wore her old, worn midnight blue, sleeveless turtleneck that she loved (she'd always admired the blue of Garrus' face-paint, but never had the guts to ask him how to do it, although Garrus had offered to show her several times), a pair of even darker blue jeans, her old, high-heeled, laced-up combat boots, and her "old-school" wire-rimmed silver glasses.
Of course, bringing the ever-knowing, legendary Commander Shepard, she had already brought up her old Javelin and his Viper from the depths of her closet, preparing for another "contests."
Carefully making sure that the little blue box was hidden where she wouldn't even be able to notice it even if she had somehow known about it, Garrus joined her by the bed. She was staring at the fish swimming happily in the large tank she kept.
"I can't believe you remembered to feed them," she murmured as he approached.
"I didn't," Garrus answered, casually, "EDI did."
Joleen chuckled softly as he unconsciously reached for the Viper, but Shepard beat him to it. She hefted both weapon cases over her shoulder and grinned at him- dark brown eyes flashing as she did so.
Oh, right.
The infamous over-the-shoulder-heft that everyone always complained about endlessly every time she did it (he'd pretended to be okay with it rather than the worried he actually was).
That habit was left over from her working the docks as a kid.
Even now she still had the scars where the heavy crates broke her always lightly-burned skin.
How could Garrus forget about it every time she carried something like that?
"Not a chance, big guy," she told him, winking as she made for the door, "Come on."
N._.S._.S
Bang!
"You call that a shot?" Shepard teased over the howl of the fake wind, "Has my best Turian gone soft without me kicking his butt the whole time?"
"You wish! It's windy, remember?" Garrus called back in reply, knowing full well that she had used that same excuse with him last time they were up here.
"You liar! You did that on purpose!"
She was right, of course.
He had done it on purpose.
It was like she had never been gone.
"This isn't any fun if you miss on purpose," she pouted as she took aim.
Like last time, Shepard refused to put on her visor, which automatically tuned her sniper rifle's scope to her vision- but, of course, it shouldn't have mattered.
Stupid things give me hat-hair, she'd once complained about the visor, unaware of how endearing (okay, fine, downright cute) she sounded until later that evening, when he'd told her how Thane actually had to duck under the seat of the shuttle to keep her from discovering he was laughing at her.
Keeping a close eye on her scope, Garrus discovered she moved a little to the right just before shooting.
With an off-centered position like that...
Bang!
She'll miss.
"Kind of like how you did last time?" He retorted, casually as she put back on her glasses. At his words, her eyes widened a fraction of an inch in surprise.
He scooped his arm around her. "There's no way the legendary Shepard would miss such an easy shot like that on accident," he told her, "Especially not after how I watched you turn a little to the right just now."
Of course, she denied it.
"I- I have no idea what you're talking about, Vakarian." she said, lips twitching with the lie.
Garrus raised a brow-plate in amusement and tightened his grip. "Oh?" He leaned in and pressed their foreheads together, "I guess I was imagining the whole thing just now?"
Her cheeks flushed as she realized she'd been caught- again. "Okay, okay. You caught me."
"What, the legendary Shepard is afraid of hurting her favorite Turian's feelings?"
"Hey, you're the one with the ego here, not me." She laughed back, kneeling down to pack away the two sniper rifles. "I have to keep it up somehow, you know."
Somehow instinctively knowing that now was the time, Garrus knelt beside her, swiftly pulling the little box out of its hiding place and placing it where he knew even with her terrible eyes she would have no trouble seeing it- on top of her weapon's case.
So, when Joleen glanced up and reached for the second case, there was a small, midnight blue box waiting for her on.
"Garrus..." she breathed, her voice infinitely smaller than he'd ever remembered hearing it.
He knew she knew what was coming.
She had to.
"Open it," he stated, simply.
With suddenly shaking hands, she did, slowly.
And when her dark brown eyes widened in sudden silent agony, his throat constricted.
N._.S._.S
I TOLD you people this is a SPECIAL CHAPTER!
Y U NO BELIEVE ME?
XD
Okay, okay, I'm playing.
You see, I wanted to try my hand at sappy goodies.
You all deserved it for sticking around this long.
Coming up:
Shepard's reaction.
Enjoy!