Chapter 8: Arguments
"Fucking Batarians! What the hell were you thinking?!" Tess raged while pacing back and forth across the living room of her family's mansion while staring back at her equally irate husband as their children peered at the altercation from the stairs while trembling.
The situation that was currently unfolding was more than a little unnerving for the Hunter children. They had never seen their parents get into a serious argument before and the heated exchange that was taking place at that very moment was the first time that any of them had witnessed their mother and father at odds. Their cousin, Nisiz, had done what she could to herd them upstairs as soon as Mal returned after hearing about a recent decision that he'd made in regards to offering sanctuary to a ship full of wounded batarians. She was certain that Tess would be furious at her husband and sure enough, she had been right. For now, all she could do was keep them from stumbling into the crossfire.
"I was thinking that I didn't want to send a ship full of wounded children back to who knows where with no food or supplies. I was thinking that they'd suffered enough and I was thinking that maybe this grudge of yours wouldn't extend to a bunch of innocent kids who aren't guilty of anything." Mal seethed while holding baby Jordan.
"Mal, listen to me. I'm not saying you should send them into a den full of raiders, just get them the hell outta here. Send them to Omega, let Aria deal with them. They aren't all children and I don't fucking trust them." Tess fumed.
"I've said it before, they aren't all slavers and terrorists. I've fought and killed plenty of batarians in my lifetime but I've also gotten to know a few. They weren't saints but they were alright guys, Tess. I think it's about time you let this go." Mal countered.
"You know, up until now I've supported every decision you've ever made. But this time you've gone too far. I'm beyond disappointed in you right now. I'm actually ashamed to call you my husband." Tess shot back before she could stop herself.
She immediately realized how badly she'd hurt him after seeing the look of shock and distress that had appeared on his face. For a moment there was nothing but a tense silence before Jordan started crying. Without another word, Mal quickly grabbed a diaper bag and made his way to the front door while carrying his youngest son.
"Where are you going?" Tess quietly demanded.
"Away," Mal bitterly replied. "Before I end up saying something even worse than what you just did." he added with a slightly pained expression before finally departing.
After he left, Tess simply stared at the door for a few moments as tears started to fill her eyes. "Shit!" she furiously screamed before swatting a vase from a nearby pedestal to the floor, instantly shattering it and terrifying her children even further.
After watching Tess fall to her knees in grief, Nisiz released a sigh before turning to her young charges who were still rooted to their spots halfway up the enormous staircase. "I think it would be wise for all of you to wait for me in your rooms. I'll have to help your mother clean up her mess and prepare something for all of you to eat." she calmly explained.
"That was bad. That was really bad." Lucas solemnly stated.
"Really, REALLY bad." Leon agreed.
"Why were they both so angry?" Olivia desperately pondered.
"I've never seen them yell at each other like that before." Ray anxiously added.
"Daddy went away. I'm scared." Layla whispered before shedding few tears.
"Me too." Sasha agreed before crying with her twin.
"D-Dad's coming back, right?" Nate whimpered.
"I'm certain that he will. He just needs some time to cool off and so does your mother. Batarians happen to be a sensitive subject for her and for good reason. Unfortunately, even the best of us can be blinded by hatred when we're plagued with bad memories. Now run along. I'll come up to check on all of you in a little while. Everything will be fine, I promise." she assured them while gently drying the twins' tears with a handkerchief.
After observing the children slowly make their way upstairs, Nisiz calmly descended them herself and casually lifted the destroyed remnants of the vase that Tess had broken with her biotics before skillfully depositing the fragments into a trash bin. Afterwards, she approached Tess who was still kneeling on the floor in anguish.
"Why did I say that to him? Damn it, why?" she wept.
"Because you wanted to hurt him and it appears you were successful." Nisiz stated rather placidly.
"I know, alright!" Tess snapped back in tears.
Nisiz allowed her to wallow in frustration and grief for a few moments longer before finally offering her own perspective. "This ill will that you harbor towards batarians isn't unique. There are many who consider them to be nothing more than thugs and criminals. Sadly, the actions of those who've proven themselves to be exactly that haven't done much to change people's perceptions. But despite the stigma surrounding their species, there have been a few notable exceptions to what the galaxy at large believes them to be. In fact, I can't help but see a certain parallel between the batarians and the vorcha, though I think both would be disgusted by the comparison."
"What do you mean?" Tess sniffed.
"The vorcha have been considered as nothing more than vermin for centuries. My own clan is just as guilty of abiding by that belief and reinforcing that dogma as everyone else. They've lived as scavengers, hired muscle and shock troops for mercenary bands who considered them to be little more than varren who could use guns. But look at them now. In the span of less than a decade, they've modernized to the point of attracting the Council's attention. They've demonstrated the ability to not only form a cohesive government and military, but also the intellect to put their unique adaptation traits to good use in their engineering and construction endeavors. One could easily argue that this is all due to Mal's leadership and that would certainly be an accurate assessment. But the fact remains, they were always capable of such accomplishments, they simply required a firm hand to guide them. If they aren't wasting their time fighting and murdering each other, they're obviously capable of some rather impressive feats of advancement and I don't think that it's foolish to assume that the same could be said of batarians, especially with the Hegemony gone. If they aren't being led by terrorists or hateful, misguided extremists, I personally believe they could prove to be capable allies, perhaps the best kind." Nisiz explained.
"Nisiz…you know what they did to my family, what they cost me. I can't just forget that and I can't ignore their slave trading either." Tess quietly responded.
"That rage of yours really is a marvel, almost like a krogan's." Nisiz suddenly mused. "It probably gives you a great deal of power when necessary but also blinds you to the lessons you could be learning from others, especially your husband." After taking notice of the look of confusion on Tess' face, Nisiz decided to elaborate. "I've heard about Mal's past experiences with the Shepards and various other factions across the galaxy. That unpleasant business that occurred several years ago and placed a schism between him and Angelica's mother was unfortunate but also fascinating. He chose to distance himself from all of them but reserved his hatred for those who'd actually wronged him. Despite his animosity towards Admiral Shepard, Mal never stopped trusting the man's other children, Ethan Shepard in particular. I've always found that fact intriguing and admirable to a certain extent. Having been raised by a krogan battlemaster and being so heavily influenced by their culture, I assumed he'd be as irrational as most of their kind and yet, he's not. Had Wrandok or one of his stubborn progenies been in Mal's position, they would've sworn vengeance on the admiral's entire family and likely gone to war with the Council itself. It's the little differences like that that have made me glad that our clan agreed to join you. Mal isn't a perfect man but he is a reasonable one and I believe having his influence will help temper our own men." she calmly explained.
"He keeps his eyes on his real targets. He always has." Tess sighed.
"I think your former Zodiac Commander friends would agree and offer their own appreciation for that fact." Nisiz concurred.
"I won't deny that that happens to be one of the reasons why I love him but I still can't agree with this decision." Tess stubbornly persisted.
"Good, if couples agreed on everything life would be rather boring." Nisiz quipped. "Do you honestly think Dartak agreed with my decision to follow Wrandok to this station?"
"Now that you mention it…" Tess pondered.
"I've raised many daughters Tess but Zel'me is by far the most troublesome and I fear she may prove to be a headache for all of you as well in a few years." Nisiz joked. "She's still very young by asari standards and eagerly awaiting the opportunity to join one of your sons on an adventure once they're older."
"That would explain why she's always hanging around here." Tess replied before shifting her thoughts back to Mal. "What am I going to do?" she hopelessly wondered.
"Make it clear that you have your own objections when it comes to Mal's decision but don't allow them to prevent you from supporting him. And Tess, do try to see things from his perspective. As I said before, he has a very unique and refreshing way of focusing his ire and I believe we could all benefit from his example. For now, I think we should get started on dinner and begin planning how you'll apologize to him when he returns." Nisiz replied encouragingly before extending a hand to Tess who smiled a little as she took it. After being pulled back onto her feet, they both quietly made their way to the kitchen.
"Of course I decided to pick a fight before he could get started on cooking." Tess joked somewhat sadly while staring around the kitchen and noticing Mal's apron draped across a chair near the counter.
"I will assist you but I think we should decide what to make first-"
"Mal! I've procured the ingredients as you requested. I'm certain your pasta will once again be a unanimous hit with everyone." TED cheerfully announced after entering the front door.
"I believe we have our menu for the evening." Nasiz humorously stated while gently placing a hand on Tess' shoulder causing her to smile a little.
Mal had no idea where he was going as he walked the streets of Hunter's Haven in a fury while carrying his son. He was considering crashing with some of his friends but he knew they'd all insist on discussing the situation and he wasn't in the mood for words of encouragement or worse yet, more criticism. Mason hadn't openly voiced his disapproval about Mal's decision but he could tell that he wasn't thrilled with the idea of having batarians on the station either.
"Goddammit, I really wish I was still just a merc." he grumbled after storming through the neighborhood shopping area. As he did so, Jordan started to cry once more and Mal quickly found a bench to sit on as he gently rocked the little boy until his sobs finally subsided. "I guess I'm a disappointment to you too, huh?" he sadly inquired while staring down at the toddler.
"Mal?" a familiar voice suddenly called.
He quickly looked up to discover Taya walking past while pushing a stroller. She had obviously just finished her grocery shopping based on the bags she was carrying. "Hey Taya. Nice day, isn't it?" he politely greeted but she immediately picked up on the unease in his tone.
"What's wrong?" she anxiously asked after approaching the bench where he was seated.
Mal took a moment to smile at the baby in the stroller that she was pushing. As shitty as his day was turning out to be at the moment, he was glad to see that at least one of his decisions had worked out well enough. "She's gotten bigger. So they're all growing normally now, right?"
"Yes, Cherish is quite healthy and so are the others. They're all maturing at the normal rate of human development and will of course share the same benefits as other superhumans once they fully-Don't change the subject, Mal. What has happened? I know that something is bothering you. I always know." Taya persisted.
"I guess you would." Mal quietly joked before getting to his feet. "It's nothing Taya. Just something I'll have to work through on my own. I'll see you later." he brusquely added before preparing to walk off.
"Mal!" Taya suddenly shouted causing him to turn around. "I could use some help with my bags." she said sternly while staring back at him with an adamant look on her face. Mal simply grinned before quickly relenting and joining her.
Less than an hour later, he found himself inside of Taya's expansive apartment, one of the many that made up the Eden Towers, the largest and most elegant of the residential complexes that occupied the Hunter's Haven District.
"You could've had a house. You know that right?" Mal teased while observing Jordan and Cherish playing together in a playpen near the kitchen while Taya busied herself preparing dinner. "Not that there's anything wrong with this place. It's a lot bigger than I thought it'd be.
"You say that every time you visit." Taya replied brightly. "Which hasn't been often enough lately." she quietly added. "I hope you don't mind asari red wine, I wasn't expecting guests and I'm afraid I don't have much else."
"It's fine Taya, I didn't want to impose to begin with." Mal replied dismissively. "You should've just let me check into a hotel or maybe stay with Virgo and Vince-"
"Absolutely not!" Taya instantly cut in before promptly dropping a spoon. Under no circumstances was she planning to allow Mal anywhere near Virgo at the moment. Given the current state of affairs, she wasn't convinced that the woman wouldn't take advantage of the situation. "Mal, you're always welcome here and I haven't gotten the chance to spend any time with you recently. We've all been rather busy and our annual gatherings have been one of the few occasions where everyone has had the opportunity to get together and catch up. It's quite silly now that I think about it. We live on the same station and in the same district and yet we hardly see each other outside of work and parent teacher meetings in the institute." she pondered in exasperation.
"With any luck, our workloads will be getting a lot lighter soon enough." Mal leisurely replied while taking a seat in a chair near the playpen. "Everything's beginning to solidify and I've got a lot more capable soldiers under my command now. Heshtok is flourishing, Terminus Wolves Inc. is expanding, the vorcha are thriving and this station is prospering more than ever. It won't be long before we can get back to annoying each other and our kids." he joked.
"That does sound nice but right now I'm more concerned about you and Tess." Taya replied after exiting the kitchen and presenting a pair of baby bottles to Jordan and Cherish who eagerly accepted.
"You really do look cute in everything, don't you?" Mal teased after seeing the bunny printed apron that she was wearing.
"I'm being serious." she replied in embarrassment while blushing slightly.
"I know." Mal chuckled before growing serious. "I'm not apologizing, Taya. What kind of man would I be if I gave those people a simple foot in the ass after everything they went through to get here? Tess won't be the only one to fight me on this but I don't care. I've made my decision and I'm sticking with it." he stated in a determined tone.
"It may not mean much but I'll support you and I know Tess will too once she's calmed down. Her past with the batarians has left her with many scars that may never fully heal but she loves you and no matter what happens, she'll always stand by your side." Taya assured him.
"Right now, I find that a little hard to believe. She said it herself, I'm just a disappointment that she's ashamed of." Mal bitterly countered.
"Mal, I'm sure she didn't mean-"
"Taya, I don't really want to talk about it anymore." Mal quietly interjected. "Now, why don't you tell me how life as a mother has been treating you? I want to hear all about how you and Cherish have been getting along. I haven't gotten to check in on her half as often as I should and I want to make sure you're both doing okay." he pleasantly added.
Taya wanted to pursue the subject but in the end she decided to relent. She hadn't seen Mal in quite some time thanks to her work on their secret project and her new responsibilities as Cherish's adoptive mother. They spent the next few hours talking and enjoying each other's company over dinner before eventually retiring to bed for the evening. Mal slept in a guestroom while Jordan shared a crib with Cherish in Taya's room. After watching the two toddlers fall asleep, Taya couldn't help but smile. She then quietly tiptoed from her room and made her way down the hall before peering into Mal's room. She quickly grew alarmed by the troubled stated of his slumber as he tossed and turned in his bed while groaning. After stealthily slipping into the room, she carefully approached him and gently placed a hand on his face as her eyes dilated. She was instantly bombarded by scenes of Mal and Tess' argument earlier in the day and his abrupt departure with Jordan.
"I just can't leave you alone can I?" she whispered softly after ceasing the connection while brushing Mal's cheek. His body had already begun to relax and a moment later he was resting as peacefully as the children in the other room. After placing a kiss on the spot that she'd just caressed, she quietly slipped out of the room and summoned her omni-tool. She knew better than anyone that stubborn people occasionally required a gentle push.
"Taya?" Mal called after awaking the next morning and entering the kitchen. He quickly noticed a note on the counter that explained how she'd taken the children with her to get some fruit to go with breakfast. "She could've woke me up. I wouldn't have minded going with her." he stated before yawning.
As he turned around to head for the bathroom, the doorbell suddenly rang and he found himself reluctant to answer it. The last thing he wanted was to start a chain of idle gossip that could possibly complicate things with Tess even further or damage Taya's reputation. "Worst case scenario, I'll just kill whoever's knocking." he muttered while making his way to the door.
After opening it, he was shocked to discover Tess holding a bouquet of roses. "Hey." she quietly greeted.
"Hey." Mal replied in a somewhat confused manner while scratching his head before inviting her inside.
Meanwhile, outside of the apartment and down the hall near an elevator, a familiar asari with a stroller took a deep breath after observing the scene before finally entering the lift with the two children who were accompanying her. Caring for someone was proving to be a beautiful but painful experience.