Chapter 11 - Vancouver

Amelia
June 15th, 2187

I walked into James's apartment, flopping Traynor down on the couch from the fireman's carry she was in, as James did the same with Ashley into his bed. Emerging from the bedroom, he looked at me, "Thanks, Lola."

I smiled at him, "Least I could do, but they'll think better of challenging me to a drinking contest next time."

James laughed, "They will have definitely learned their lesson. I don't know how you do it, Lola, for someone so tiny." He poked my shoulder.

I scowled at him playfully. I wasn't that short, standing just under 1.75 meters, but I looked very petite next to Garrus or James. "Enhanced liver, thanks to Cerberus, and, as Jack would say, 'one all-powerful biotic bitch.'"

James laughed, "Cheater," He grabbed two bottles of water from the fridge, underhand tossing one to me, which I caught easily, knocking back the entire bottle immediately. He flopped down onto the recliner with a sigh, shaking his head, "Man, that chick is loco."

I chuckled, "Yea. She is pretty crazy." I stood from where I leaned against the wall, "I should go back to my hotel. Goodnight."

"Night, Lola. Come back in the mornin'."

-0-

June 16th, 2187

I stifled a yawn as I walked through the door of James's apartment, the smell of cooking eggs and cilantro hitting my nostrils. "Morning!" He called through the atrium.

A groan came from the couch, followed by Sam demanding, "Why are you so loud? Why is it so bright in here?" Traynor was still lying on the sofa, a forearm over her eyes. The room was completely dark, save for the light streaming in from the small kitchen.

"'Sthematter?" I asked, a little louder than strictly necessary, with a teasing smile, "A lil hungover there, Sam?"

She groaned again, "The last time I drank so much was in college…"

"Really, Sam? You were a party girl in college? I dig it." James called from the kitchen, again louder than strictly necessary. Sam just groaned again, rolling herself over and pressing her face into the crack of the couch cushion.

"You look cute like that, Sam. You should do this more often." I patted the woman's shoulder, laughing as she groaned again and shrugged off my offending hand.

James turned on the lights, causing Traynor to outright yell in frustration before turning onto her stomach and burning her face into the pillow. He walked into the room carrying four plates of huevos rancheros, and the room filled with the delicious smell of refried beans, pico de gallo, and lime juice, causing my mouth to water.

"Hey, Lola, can you go grab Mamacita from the bedroom?" I just cocked an eyebrow at him, silently asking the obvious question. "What?" He asked, trying his best to look innocent. I snorted, standing to get Ash from the other room.

Garrus
June 19th, 2187

I had just stepped out of the shower when I heard the chime from my terminal, signaling an incoming call. I sighed, mentally preparing myself for whatever volus delegate or asari ambassador would need me to take care of today. It seemed that my job never had off hours, much to my chagrin. I squeezed my eyes shut, taking a calming breath before hitting the answer button.

I waited with my eyes still closed, but there was no sound from the other end of the line other than a slight giggle. "Hrm… Not what I expected to hear…," I thought, one eye flicking open to see who the caller was.

I was met with the beautiful sight of Amelia's face, Vakarian clan markings freshly painted over her pale cheeks in their vibrant blue color, contrasting very nicely with her sparkling green eyes and red hair. Judging by the closeness of her face, she was using the camera on her omnitool. Her hair was still wet and matted to the sides of her head, pressing into a pillow. My mandibles went wide at the sight of her. Nothing else could release the tension after a long day at the office than her, even if she were lightyears away. "Hey, what's up?"

She smiled back at me before breaking into a yawn, the camera leaving her face as she stretched. "Nothin'," She said once the camera had returned, "Just wanted to talk to you before going to bed." She looked at me for a moment, her eyes full of contentment. "I miss you. The bed feels cold and empty without you."

"Oh, so I'm just a hot water bottle?" I teased, no malice in my words, "I miss you too." It was the fourth night of Amelia's week-long trip to Earth, meaning she'd be back on Palaven in five.

"Yes." She deadpanned, a mischievous smile brewing on her features.

I scoffed at her, giving her a look that eventually broke her resolve for teasing, "No, I wanted to hear your voice before I went to bed." She gave him a sheepish smile.

"Hmmmm." I hummed, long and slow, enjoying the shivers running up her body, "I think that can be arranged."

Amelia
June 20th, 2187

The door chimed as I walked into the small shop in downtown Vancouver, "Be out in a second!" A silky voice called from somewhere out of sight. A moment later, a beautiful asari wearing a summery yellow dress came out of the back, walking towards the counter, carrying an air of confidence about her. "How can I help you?"

"Hi, I'm Amelia. I had an appointment with Delilah."

"I'm Delilah. Nice to meet you." She extended her hand to me for a shake, "What can I do for you?" The asari returned with a smile, her eyes appraising me.

"I need a dress for my wedding," I stated, a bubbly smile forming over her face, finally realizing that I was marrying Garrus, and would spend the rest of my life with him, a thought that made me absurdly happy.

I pulled up an image on her omnitool, showing the asari at the counter. The dress was elegant in its simplicity, something I strove for when deciding among my favorite designs. "I was thinking of something like this," I gesture to the screen on the omnitool, showing the image of a simple white halter dress that would bind at the neck, exposing the expanse of my back and shoulders. "Take some liberties on the design. My only request is that it is this color rather than white." I lightly brushed a finger across the clan markings running down my cheek. Even though I was away from Garrus and Palaven, I still spent time every morning making sure they looked proper.

Delilah took in a deep breath as she looked at the image. "Wow, that's beautiful. Your mate will especially love how the neck looks on this." With a knowing look, she pulled back the collar of her shirt, revealing an old, long healed, and slowly fading bondmark.

I frowned at the asari, "You have a turian bondmate? Why are you here then?"

"I have a human wife now, Sasha. She runs the books of the shop, but I had a turian mate who passed to the Goddess one hundred and fifty years ago," Delilah said with a sad smile.

"Oh, I'm so sorry…-" I started, cut off by Delilah's hand. It must be hard to outlive your partner. I certainly don't envy her.

"It's okay. It's a long-healed wound." She took a breath and smiled easily, "Anyways, I would be happy to make this dress for you. I can have it ready in two or three weeks."

A smile returned to my face, "Thanks, Delilah, that'll be perfect."

-0-

"Traynor, what makes you think that I, of all people, want to get a manicure?" I demanded, reinforcing my point with exaggerated hand motions.

"C'mon, Shepard…" Ashley said, snatching one of my hands from the air by the wrist, bringing it close to her face to inspect, "Look at these things…" Now she shoved the hand back into my face, forcing me to look at them. The edges of my fingernails were chewed down to the bed, not to mention the deep grooves running alongside each nail, from where I bit when I was nervous or anxious.

"What? They look fine!" I said exasperatedly, knowing I was wrong, but I am too stubborn to admit it. I'd die on this hill.

Regardless of how I felt, I still found myself in a chair while two women worked on my hands just moments later, and I had to steel myself from lashing out with my biotics. God, I hated being touched, except, you know, by Garrus. I tried to imagine the scrubbers were his leathery touches, but it was just too alien, ironically.

"Traynor…," There was danger in my smooth voice, "I am going to kill you…."

The feel of the file against my nails sent tiny shockwaves of my biotics dancing on my arms, but I gritted my teeth in an attempt to tough it out. The woman took notice and gave me a reassuring smile before reaching for a bottle of cuticle oil, lightly brushing it along my nails and the ridge of my skin. "These should soften your nails some. It'll make it easier to file." The woman angled her head a bit towards the wall of nail polish, where a dizzying array of colors for me to choose from sat. "Any particular color you're interested in?" She smiles brightly and reaches out a hand to lightly touch my cheek. "We have some nail polish that would match this color if you're interested?"

It was easier once the file was put away. I leaned back and watched as the woman placed a clear coat over my nails before the sweep of Vakarian Blue nail polish. I remembered the few moments of normalcy my life had before Mindoir. My mother bought some cosmetics and taught me the basics. A small, fond smile flashed across my lips as I remembered my mother once painted my nails a vibrant pink. Unfortunately, that all fell by the wayside when the attack came.

However, the fleeting moment of peace was short-lived as the salon employees moved onto my feet. Having someone touch my hands was one thing, but someone touching my feet was an entirely different matter. "Traynor... " My voice even lower and more menacing this time, "You are SO fucking dead."

The woman seemed to pity me, shaking her head a little, "Don't worry, no nail file, I promise! Just need to soak your feet, and then we can paint it another pretty color?" She gave me a bright smile and held a bottle of gold nail polish. "This would look lovely on you."

Once it was all done, I looked at my hands, loathing to admit that the nail polish color made my engagement ring pop.

-0-

I sat at an outdoor diner overlooking English Bay, Joker seated across the table from me, with Edi sitting between us. I looked over the restaurant's railing, situated on the observation ring of one of the skyscrapers that remained standing. Like Cipritine, Earth's capital had been rebuilt substantially in the seven months since the War had concluded, and all the rubble and debris had been cleared away, but there was still noticeable scarring in the city. I just watched as people walked around below and the cars whizzed by above. It was peaceful, in a melancholy way.

I turned my attention back to the scruffy pilot, who was wearing his usual SR2 cap, but a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, rather than his regular uniform. "Where were you the other night? I missed you."

"No offense, Shep, but being around a dozen sweaty, drunk marines just seems like a bad idea for someone in my condition." He answered before stuffing his mouth with another bite of his burger.

"Hey! Who are you calling sweaty?" I demand, hiding a smile under my mock offense.

"Shepard, my scanners indicate that you are perspiring a little," Edi said, the robotic voice dripping with humor.

I sighed, leveling a glare at the android, "Thanks, Edi…"

"Anytime, Shepard." Edi turned her face away from me, returning to the statuesque pose she was in before the comment.

"So, what have you been doing since I left?"

Joker rolled his eyes dramatically, "You know, the usual Alliance stuff. Paperwork, more paperwork, and then some paperwork, sitting around, doing nothing, followed by even more paperwork. The Normandy hasn't even left the dry dock since the War ended." He gestured wildly with the french fry in his hand, "And, worst of all, they took away my leather seat…" He let the emphasis hang for a moment before continuing, "So what about you? Civilian life making you go soft?"

"Yep, and soon I'll look like the Pepsi logo," I replied sardonically, jabbing a finger into my still very tight core, nothing but the skin giving under the pressure. I took a bite out of my second burger to make a point. Even when I wasn't actively using my biotics, I still had to eat three thousand calories to not lose weight.

"So, how is Garrus? Still got that pole wedged up his ass?"

"Only when Tevos is around."

"Ha!"

-0-

June 21st, 2187

My trip was nearly over, but I found myself walking down the street in downtown Vancouver one last time before I headed back to the spaceport. As I walked, I decided the city had a certain vibe to it that no other place I had ever visited possessed. It was as if you could feel the spirit and energy of the place flowing through you just by being there. You could feel the pulse of wherever you were in your very being, thrumming alongside your heart. It was something neither Mindoir, a sleepy farming colony, nor Palaven had, that was for sure. I'd miss that when I returned home.

Palaven was home. I wondered for a moment when that became true, deciding that it always had been, but it had nothing to do with the planet itself but more to do with the person I lived with. Wherever he was was home.

I walked a little further before coming across the restaurant I was hunting, a small hole-in-the-wall diner that Kahlee had asked to meet in. As I went through the door, I spotted my foster mother sitting at a table near the entrance.

For once, Kahlee wasn't in her dress blues, and I had to rack my brain trying to think of the last time I had seen her not wearing them. Instead, she wore regular civilian clothes and sat reading with her glasses balanced on the tip of her nose. "Hey, Aunt Kahlee."

The older woman smiled, "Hey, Ame. How are you doing, honey?" I had a close bond with her foster mother, only beaten out by Anderson before and Garrus now. I love her just as much as I loved my birth mother.

We enjoyed our meal together, catching up on events from the past seven months since Anderson had died. Our discussion eventually moved on from times past to times in the not too distant future.

"So, my girl is finally getting married?"

I felt the swirl of butterflies in my stomach, still in disbelief of what my life had become, "Yea… I can't wait."

"I am so excited for you, sweetie. I know David wishes he were here to hand you off. I didn't know your parents, but I know they do too."

I felt a small tear roll down my cheek at the reminder of my birth parents, "Thanks."

After another hour of talking, I took my leave, hugging Kahlee goodbye. As I walked towards the spaceport, my omnitool buzzed, alerting me to a call.

The screen lit up with the face of Dr. Chakwas, who was all smiles. "Karin, hey!" I greeted my physician and friend.

"Amelia, good to see you. Listen, I know it's last minute, but there is something I need to show you before you leave Vancouver. I am downtown, sending you the coordinates." I was surprised at the doctor's caginess, not outright saying what she needed. Karin had always been a particularly blunt person. My curiosity was piqued.