Another day when Lantar and Dartus woke up in their bed, they dressed up and Lantar helped his loved one to make something to eat. During their breakfast, Lantar was introduced to Dartus' plan of the day. First, they were going to the local law reinforcement where Lantar would apply himself and Dartus would be there to vouch for him. Then they would go and meet Garrus at the meeting place. Of course, Dartus didn't mention anything about anything about Garrus at all. After their breakfast, they decided to follow their plan and so headed first to the Local Law Reinforcement headquarters. Once there, they went in Personnel Department for Lantar to set his application for officer. Some procedures had to be made like basic information including name, date of birth, planet and city of origin, education, occupation before and so on. There was also additional information about detailed description like blood group, interests and sexuality. When it came to sexuality, Lantar became so red in face that he was glad he didn't start sweating. Dartus saved him and plainly said "He's mine. That should be enough." Once answering all the questions in Lantar's file, there was practical part needed. He was taken down to the training field with moving targets where the asari administrator had to write down expert opinion about how skillful Lantar was with gun. His score wasn't bad. He destroyed 8 out of 10 targets. They returned to the paperwork again once the practical part was done. If Lantar wasn't with Dartus, he would need another certificates and reports like recommendation from psychiatrist about qualification to do the service or report of health state. Thanks to Dartus and the fact that Lantar worked for C-Sec, they were ok to skip this step and simply accept Lantar between them.
In the meantime, Garrus Vakarian was on his ship. He polished his guns and sorted them by their severity, power and size, "There, nice and clean. You bad boys should be ready before my shore leave ends!" Garrus thought, smiling down at his guns as if they were his kids. Well, they brought him luck so far, especially his sniper rifle. Yes, that sniper rifle Garrus wanted to use against Lantar to take his revenge. He looked at it and placed talon on it, tracing it from its barrel to the handle, "We've came through a lot together, didn't we? If you could speak, what would you tell me that time in Zakera ward? More important is, what would you tell me now?" Garrus sighed, "Lantar had birthday. He is… 24? Damn, five years since we met and it almost seems like we met just yesterday. He doesn't look older, but definitely changed inside." He said and his omni-tool was flashing with incoming message. Garrus activated it.
We'll be at 'Golden pit' with Lantar at 4 PM. Be ready to use the right words.
By the way, I didn't tell him anything about you coming.
Dartus
Garrus read the message, his heart was racing, "What is that…?" Garrus asked, holding his armor plate where the heart was, "Am I… nervous? Damn, I barely feel nervous! Last time I was this nervous it was when I had my final exam at school… why am I so nervous? I fought Saren, Collectors, Reapers… am I really afraid of failure? The fact that Lantar will turn his back on me? Is that it? But Garrus… it was you who caused all this. Yes… I caused it and I am afraid of the consequences." He thought. Garrus walked to the airlock and opened it. But when he wanted to go through it, he looked back at his guns. Something was on his mind.
4 PM. Lantar and Dartus sat together by the table. Dartus ordered table for three because he knew Garrus was gonna come, but Lantar was suspicious and found it rather funny. As if some ghost would be there sitting with them. Well, it was going to be big surprise for Lantar, "Can't believe you decided to spend another credits on me in one of the most expansive restaurants on Illium. Why?" Lantar asked the other turian sitting next to him, "Well for many things of course. Yesterday was your birthday, you came relatively healthy and alive to me, today you became member of the police and shortly, why the hell not, right?" Dartus smiled at Lantar who smiled back. Lantar looked down to his glass of liquor, "Right… but somehow I get the feeling you're not telling me something. Why did you order table for three people? Who's coming?" Lantar smiled at Dartus, trying to be nice even he sensed mischief behind this, "Hey, once we'll eat, my ass will need a second chair at some point!" Dartus laughed but Lantar's face didn't change. He didn't laugh to Dartus' joke, his smile was still the same but it made it look rather piercing through Dartus' eyes. It looked like Lantar said 'Don't try to fuck with me in every possible way and tell me what's happening.' When Dartus realized that Lantar was getting tired of hiding the truth, he stopped smiling and leaned closer to Lantar, "Look, kid… I need you to promise me something." Dartus said, "What is it?" Lantar asked, taking a sip of his liquor, "We're gonna meet somebody here and… it would be good if you stayed calm and let everything go well." Dartus said, placing talon on Lantar's thigh. Lantar smiled at him, "Alright, Dartus. I'll do it for y-" Lantar spotted Garrus standing at the other entrance in his formal wear. Garrus was approaching them and Lantar gave Dartus annoyed look, "When did he come to you…" Lantar asked with poison in his voice, "Yesterday. He was looking for you and I promised to organize meeting. Lantar, kid, give him a chance…" Dartus said and Lantar sensed he had no other choice than listen to him.
It was Dartus so why wouldn't he do it for him? Lantar looked at his glass and Garrus stood by the chair, "Good afternoon to both of you. May I uh… have a seat?" Garrus asked. Dartus nodded with smile but Lantar drank all glass at one go and smacked it against the table. Dartus and Garrus looked at Lantar as if he had to decide it, "Yeah… I don't have my gun anyway so you can stay calm…" Lantar said, the poison in his voice was significant and Dartus gulped. Garrus carefully took the seat between Lantar and Dartus as they sat by the round table. None of them seemed to know how to start the conversation. Lantar didn't want to talk to Garrus, Dartus wanted to stay optimistic, but Lantar's behavior was concerning him so he was still concentrating on him and Garrus… he was glad Lantar didn't tear his frills apart once he appeared. Finally, Dartus decided to speak, "So, Garrus, Lantar was accepted in local law reinforcement as an officer. We're working together now!" Dartus said, "Yeah? That's great news! It's good that you're still after injustice, Lantar. Illium isn't that safe as many people think!" Garrus said, smiling but Lantar kept staring at his drink as he poured another glass of liquor, "Somebody had to. I guess that is something you taught me on Omega, Archangel." Lantar said, the poison in his voice was getting stronger and he drank another glass at one go. Garrus gulped like Dartus did, "Dartus told me how you and him found each other… I am happy for you, Lantar." Garrus said but Lantar seemed that his words only hurt him. The glass was crushed under Lantar's grip and it shattered into many pieces. People around in the restaurant luckily didn't notice anything, but the atmosphere was really tense and both, Dartus and Garrus could feel it. Garrus pulled his collar on neck to get some cold air under his clothing as he was getting hot due to the nerves, "Now you're happy for me, Garrus. You think that one night with Dartus would erase what you did to me?! My face still hurts and my stomach hurts as well. When I sold our ten friends to the Blood Pack you had option to get over it and forget about me. You had two fucking years! You grew grudge towards me instead and longed for vengeance. You want me to get over something you did to me two days ago?!" Lantar gazed at Garrus with hatred in his eyes, "I didn't expect you to deal with that so easily, Lantar. I knew what I did was wrong, and I realized that right after you left. I didn't expect talking to you would be easy at all. Not after what I did… I was nervous before coming here." Garrus explained, "Yeah… I don't know what to think anymore, you know?! First, you wanted to shoot me, then you let me go, then you found me and treated me like a friend, a best friend! You already forgave me! But when I confessed myself to you, you almost had to break my jaw! Now you come to apologize! Why, Garrus?! Why don't you just settle with some opinion?! Do you want me in your life or not?! Why did you pretend to care when you only threw me away like that?! Why?!" Lantar said, getting upset. Garrus was wordless for a while. Dartus was slowly standing from his chair, ready to leave with Lantar. But Garrus grabbed Dartus' talon, shaking his head. Garrus looked back at Lantar, "I cared, Lantar, honestly. But you don't deserve me, because you deserve better." Garrus said, looking at Dartus who smiled at him. Lantar wasn't capable of reaction. He just stared at Garrus, "You may love me, but you can see we are pretty different guys. When you talked to me about Jane, you were right. I need to move on. But I cannot love you, Lantar. It's just not possible for me. Even if I tried, you wouldn't be entirely happy with me. Yeah, I guess I should have told it to you this way instead. Attacking you, nearly breaking your mouth, threatening you with gun and repelling you from my house when I already did my best to get you from fever, it wasn't the best idea and I regret it." Garrus said and Dartus sat down, sensing that Garrus picked the right words, "Your presence hurts me, Garrus. It only gives me hope that something could be possible. It's that dangerous hope that brings great disappointment when failure occurs…" Lantar said, closing his eyes. After he opened them, he saw Garrus' talon reached out, "Let's not dwell on past anymore, Lantar. We can stay friends so the memory on our friends lost on Omega never dies." Garrus smiled at Lantar. The youngest turian sighed, feeling a great weight falling off. He smiled back and grabbed Garrus' talon, shaking it, "I'll have your word." Lantar said and Dartus felt better as well, "Alright, boys! Enough of this emotional shit! I'm starving!" Dartus remarked, "Yeah, right, we should order something finally!" Lantar added with smile, "Not so fast." Garrus said, bending down, "Garrus? What are you doing?" Lantar asked and Garrus pulled out something long covered with wrapping paper, putting it on table, "I know you had birthday yesterday, Lantar so I thought it would be shame if I didn't use the opportunity to give you something when we finally put our past behind us." Lantar used his talon and tore a piece of the paper to see what was inside, "Hell no! You've gotta be kidding me! For me?!" Lantar said, "What's inside, kid?" Dartus asked curious himself, "I think you deserved her. She remembers everything. Saren, Collectors, Reapers, even you." Garrus smiled, "Dartus, he gives me his sniper rifle!" Lantar said, putting the wrapped rifle down so he wouldn't alert the whole restaurant, "Well, Garrus, didn't expect that from you." Dartus said, "Well, neither did I, honestly. I was cleaning them and when I was about to leave, it was like she spoke to me. Call me crazy, but I sensed it was time to let her go the same way I let Jane go." Garrus said and after that all three of them ordered something to eat. Rest of the afternoon was peaceful. No hard feelings occurred, Garrus and Lantar were finally dealt with past and Dartus was also glad to know Garrus was reasonable and knew how to talk to Lantar.
After the dinner, Garrus split himself from Lantar and Dartus who disappeared inside Dartus' apartment. Garrus' duty was done here. He made things right, gave Lantar one of his best guns and was ready to go home on Earth and get some rest before his duty as a soldier started again. He got into his ship and was about to start up the engines, when his omni-tool flickered again, "Hmm? Who could that be?" Garrus thought, checking the incoming message:
Come and meet me in the view tower on Nos-astra port if you didn't leave Illium yet.
LS
Garrus stared at the message, thinking what Lantar could have in plan. Should he be worried? Does Dartus know about it? Garrus decided to listen to Lantar. It couldn't be dangerous since there were other people in the view tower. Garrus left the docking bay and called cab to take him to Nos-astra view tower. Once there, he took an elevator to the top floor, expecting Lantar would be there. On the top floor, there weren't many people, but the view was marvelous just looking from the elevator outside. Majority of the tower globe was made of glass, only the floor was metallic. Garrus looked around to find Lantar between the people around. He spotted the young turian observing Illium near the glass wall of the globe. He walked behind Lantar, not touching him as his eyes were locked to the view, "I'm here. What do you need?" Garrus asked and Lantar continued with observing Illium, "After the dinner, I and Dartus discussed some things." Lantar said calmly, "Like what?" Garrus asked and Lantar turned to face Garrus, "Dartus has kids on Palaven… well, actually they are around the same age as you but you know what I mean. The matter is, he had to leave them with his wife when he enlisted in the First contact war. His wife died and he was alone for the kids. Dartus didn't want to explain those little ones that their mom died. He didn't have the courage so he left them to authorities." Lantar explained, "That's… kinda mean towards the kids." Garrus crossed his arms, "Yeah but I understand that. What I wanted to do was to take Dartus on Palaven so he could see them." Lantar explained, "Hmm, then buy tickets to Palaven. I don't see why you need me here." Garrus said, "One thing is that you have ship already, but that's not the main reason." Lantar said and Garrus frowned, "Solana contacted me and you have shore leave one more week. I thought you could use this opportunity to visit your mother." Lantar explained. Garrus sighed and went closer to the window, "I don't know if she can even recognize me. With the tumors… she may have damaged memory." Garrus said, "But Solana will be there… you can be sure she will remind her." Lantar assured him, "Maybe… Alright, I guess it's time for me to pay her a visit. It won't be easy for me to see mom, though. I hope it's not only me and Dartus who's having unfinished business back on Palaven." Garrus said and looked at Lantar, as if he expected he had also somebody to visit, "Uh… yeah… I think… we can see my parents too." Lantar said, pushing the words hardly out of himself, "I'll let you know when we're ready tomorrow, ok?" Lantar asked and Garrus nodded.
Garrus went back to the docking bay of Nos-astra and changed his plans. Instead of heating up engines of his ship he decided to use his personal cabin to sleep over one more night. Lantar arrived back to apartment he shared with Dartus. Dartus was curious once Lantar closed the door behind himself, "What did he say?" Dartus asked, "He agreed. We'll get ready tomorrow and head for Palaven." Lantar plainly answered. Dartus was sitting at his console when Lantar lied down on the bed, "You're tired, kid, aren't you?" Dartus asked, looking at Lantar, "Got unused to all the stuff that's needed to be done when you apply somewhere." Lantar said and Dartus switched on TV, "I was picking some movie for us to watch. Think you're good with it or we're gonna sleep right away?" Dartus asked, "Well, when you offer a movie…" Lantar chuckled and Dartus joined him in bed soon. They ended their day with watching a movie and falling asleep afterwards.