Forgotten Bomb
Shepard stepped into the shower behind Garrus and wrapped her arms around his waist, resting her face against his back. He rumbled and cupped one of her elbows, brushing his thumb back and forth over her wet skin. She didn't ask, nor did she really care, but she was pretty sure he'd just come up from spending time with Jack. He had that relaxed aura about him—as if all of his tension somehow evaporated—that he always had after sex. She knew she hadn't really been interested in sex since … since Kahje, and of course Garrus would never pressure her, but he had needs. And so, she was really glad he and Jack had each other.
She rubbed her face against the warm plates of his back before pressing a kiss to his cowl. He rumbled again and turned in her arms. He rested his mouth plates against the top of her head and pulled her in closer, holding her tight. She took a shuddering breath and willed herself to relax, letting the amalgamation push and pull at her mind as she soaked in his scent.
"Garrus," she muttered against his keel.
"Hmm?" He didn't lift his face from the top of her head, but he began stroking his hand along her spine.
"I love you," she said, but what she meant was 'you mean everything to me, you're the only thing keeping me going right now, and I feel like if you weren't here, my heart would simply stop beating inside of my chest'.
Shifting, he bent down enough to butt his forhead against hers. "I love you, too."
She sighed and brought a hand to his face, brushing her thumb back and forth over his cheek and mandible. "How's Victus settling in?"
Garrus chuffed and straightened, flicking a mandible and smiling. "I see why Jane likes him so much."
Shepard dropped her hand, curling her fingers over his cowl and chuckling as Jane became more alert at his use of her name. "The two of you got along pretty well on Menae, too."
"Hmmm." He flared his mandibles and nodded. "I can see that, yeah. And this was when I ran a—what'd you call it, Jane? Reaper something or other?"
"Reaper task force," Jane said. "And it's what you called it."
"She says you called it a reaper task force," Shepard said with a nod. Memories of falling from the barricade right into a swarm of husks and brutes flooded them for a moment, but not so much they forgot where they actually were or didn't feel Garrus' warmth soaking through their skin.
"Your dad and Fedorian set you up with a token group to help shore up turian defenses in preparation. When the reapers hit, you were acting as a military consultant on Menae." They ran their hands along his keel before hooking their fingers back over the edge of his cowl and licked water from their lips. "That's where we find you, kicking ass and taking names." Sometimes it helped them move on to lay the cards out, review the sequence of events, instead of trying to push the flashbacks away. "You tell General Corinthus that you can take us to Victus' last known location. James and …" They paused, breath catching in their throat long enough to pull a worried trill from Garrus. "James and Liara are with us."
He carded his fingers through their wet hair, further grounding them in the moment. "I wish I'd taken the chance to get to know her better."
"You would've …. And she'd changed so much over the years." They swallowed, their throat constricting with grief, but still, thinking of Liara brought a smile to their face. "When we came back and found her on Illium … she wasn't the same person at all."
"I'm sorry." He pushed his forehead against hers again. "I know you still miss her. Miss all of them."
Shepard sucked in a deep breath, reorienting herself and nodded. "I do, yeah. But, you know … Garrus, if you want to talk about—" she said and then swallowed once more, "if you want to talk about those you've lost … or if you want to talk about Thane—" She cut herself off when her throat spasmed and a sob escaped.
He pulled her in close again, cupping the back of her head and guiding her face to his chest. He stayed quiet, save for the soft rumble he often used to soothe her, while she cried for a few moments. "It was …. Hmm. It was hard, seeing him like that at the end. It took so much out of him so quickly."
Squeezing her eyes closed, tears mixing with the water from the shower, she nodded. "He went quietly," she said, voice breaking. "He was gone, already, when I woke up. I wasn't sleeping very deeply. Couldn't the whole time we were there, I didn't want him to be alone in the end. But I still slept through it … so I think he must've gone in his sleep, too."
"Maybe it was easier on him, then," Garrus said, absently stroking her shoulder blade.
"It probably was," Jane offered, squirming under the weight of Shepard's grief.
She nodded, responding to them both when she said, "I think so, yeah."
"Do you think …" He trailed off.
She pulled her head back to look up at him. "What?"
"Do you think he was at peace?" Garrus fluttered his mandibles, and a soft, barely audible whine laced through his words. "Spiritually, I mean. Do you think he found the redemption he was looking for?"
"I hope so." She nodded and wiped the tears from her eyes and cheeks despite still being hit with drops of water from the shower. "He helped rescue over a million people from the collector base and prevented the loss of who knows how many more?" She sucked in a deep breath. "But, I think reconnecting with Kolyat brought him more peace than anything else stood a chance of doing—no matter how hard on himself he could be."
"I think you're right," Jane said.
Shepard knocked on one of the doors leading to one of the rooms Starboard Observation had been partitioned into. A moment later, the door opened on Harath, and warm, fragrant, dry air rolled from the room.
"Commander," Harath said, tucking her hands behind her back and offering Shepard a light bow. "How may I be of service?"
Forcing a smile on her face, Shepard said, "I thought I might check in with you, make sure you're settling in alright." She stepped into the dimly lit room when Harath stepped to the side and waved her inside. "Have everything you need. I apologize for not coming sooner."
"You've had your battle sleep ripped away from you by the loss of someone you loved, Commander." Harath gave her a small, consoling smile and gestured at a small table she'd set up in the corner of the room. "It's impressive you're engaging with the world around you as much as you are."
Shepard pressed her lips together, forming a thin line of a smile and took a seat. A small bowl of oil sat on a warmer, its fragrance soothing. Harath sat opposite of Shepard and folded her hands on top of the table. They studied one another in silence for a few seconds.
"If there's anything I can do to make this time easier for you," Harath said, voice low, sympathetic, "please, don't hesitate to ask. I didn't personally know Sere Krios, but we all knew his name. We all knew how skilled he was, and what he did to aid you against the collectors. I know I can never hope to be as useful to you as he surely was, but it's my honor to be here with you now as we face this new enemy."
Jane grunted. "She seems very … smooth. I wonder how much of that's social training and how much is just her personality."
Jane was right, but Shepard felt fairly certain it was primarily social training. Harath seemed to say all the 'right' things, her voice hitting all the 'right' inflections, carrying just the 'right' tone. Which, to Shepard, meant it was all empty bullshit. But, she couldn't fault Harath for using her training; not when it was probably all the woman really knew. And who was to say that, despite the scripted responses, she didn't feel some genuine empathy for Shepard.
"You look young. How old are you, Harath?" Shepard turned up an empty palm in concession. "If you don't mind my asking?"
"Not at all." She tipped her head. "I was born twenty-four cycles ago, and I began my training seven cycles later."
"Twenty-four. Damn. She is young, even by drell standards." Jane sounded as worn down as Shepard felt. "Older than some of the others we've picked up, but still. What is it about war that just sucks in the young in droves only to line them up first to die?"
She agreed with Jane. But, unfortunately, it didn't really matter. What was that old saying? All's fair in love and war? They needed every goddamn body they could get to make sure the reapers didn't win and to maybe … maybe be lucky enough to break the hellish loop all the Shepards were stuck in.
"And your first kill?" Shepard raised her brow as she studied the other woman's plate fusion patterns and markings, committing them to memory. She hoped Harath would prove good enough to at least keep herself alive.
Harath smiled and folded her hands on the table. "Under guidance, at thirteen. Alone, at fourteen."
Nodding, Shepard took a moment to process the new intel. Despite the heartache, she couldn't help but to compare everything Harath said to what she'd learned about Thane's experiences. She knew Thane had been one of the best and Harath probably wouldn't be able to hold a candle to him—she'd even said as much herself—but Shepard didn't really have much else to use as a standard by which to gauge Harath.
She hummed and asked, "Do you have a preferred method?"
"Not particularly, no," Harath said with a slight shrug and headshake. If Shepard's questions bothered her at all, Harath definitely didn't let it show. Maybe she was hiding behind her battle sleep, using nothing but training to guide her reactions.
"Were you also trained by Rakira?" Shepard didn't really know why she asked other than because she knew the man had hurt Thane. Though she guessed either way, it wouldn't really tell her much of anything about Harath.
"No, I guess it won't," Jane said, "She's not a freelancer like Thane was. Her loyalties will lie with the Compact, not us, not our mission."
"True," Shepard thought in response, "but that doesn't mean we can't forge that loyalty with her to some degree just like we did with all the rest."
"I was not, no." The faintest flicker of a frown briefly flashed over Harath's face, the first hint of any negative emotion. Of any real emotion. "It's my understanding he hasn't personally been involved in training in quite some time."
Shepard filed the response, as well as the little slip in composure, away for later consideration. "Have you worked with a team before? In a combat situation, I mean."
"No," Harath said, shaking her head, and then she turned out a hand, "but after your visit with the Illuminated Primacy and drell representatives, the Compact began cross training. I've spent these last few weeks training with those of the Compact who act as our soldiers, our medics, and our diplomats. Had I remained on Kahje, I likely would've continued to train in other areas as well, but I was pleased to be chosen to join your crew, instead."
Shepard found herself pacing the mats in the hangar, sweat rolling down her face and the back of her neck. With the retrofits, it really didn't look like the same area she'd gotten used to while sparring with Thane. But it was. Even if it wasn't, the exercises and meditations she'd gone there to do were ones he'd taught her, and so, Thane was never far from her thoughts. It'd made her attempts at meditation pretty pointless, and instead of centering her, the exercises left her feeling amped up and like she needed to tear something apart with her hands. Or maybe that was coming more from the amalgamation. It was getting harder and harder to tell, anymore.
"You're angry because you're trying so goddamned hard not to be sad and to not fall apart again." Mild annoyance but mostly pity seeped off of Jane, doing nothing to help Shepard's mood. "You're only letting yourself grieve in small doses, and that's just not how it works. You've always sucked at this. I guess we all have, but you'd better figure it out before you end up losing it again. No offense, of course …. We just have too much to do. Like you told Anderson, we've spent enough time on the Citadel recuperating."
Biotics flaring around her and pooling in her fists, Shepard spun toward the sound of something scraping across metal. Victus stood over by one of the pieces of exercise equipment, back to her as he adjusted the settings. She let out a soft scoff, shaking her head at her own obliviousness. She hadn't heard the elevator, nor had she seen him cross the room, she was so lost in her thoughts. Stepping off the mat, she grabbed her towel and bottle of water off of one of the crates. After wiping her face, she slung the towel around her neck and took a drink while starting toward the elevator.
"Good morning, Commander," Victus said, taking a seat on the attached bench and grabbing the bar hanging above his head, strung up on a pulley. "Please, don't let me keep you from your … routine." He began slowly pulling the handle down, lifting the weights.
She stopped, body still angled toward the elevator, but pushed a smirk onto her face as she turned her head to look at him. "You're not. I was done a while ago … it wasn't very productive." She shook her head, realizing the turian must smell her rage and anguish as much as her shock at his presence. "Sorry we haven't had much of a chance to talk, yet. Let EDI know when you've got a few moments, and I'll come find you."
"Or," he said, still raising and lowering the bar at a slow, steady interval, "we can talk now." Lifting the bar again, he tipped his head in her direction just enough to make solid eye contact. "On the mats, if you'd like. It seems like you could use a target for some of that frustration."
Shepard snorted, turning to face the general completely. The amalgamation stirred, restless and unsure of what to make of the suggestion. Even Jane seemed to hesitate.
"Trust me, General," she said, moving to sit on one of the machines next to him, "you don't want to make yourself that target right now." It wasn't meant to be bravado, she just didn't trust herself not to lose control at the moment. Hopefully, that was something he understood.
"I'm sure you've read my service record by now." He straightened his head, resuming his workout. "I fought in the Relay 314 incident; or as you humans call it, the First Contact War." He let that linger for a second, his point still locked behind his teeth. "I've fought enough humans to know what I'm getting myself into."
"I doubt that," Jane said. "He could've fought the whole damn war himself and still not know what he's getting himself into with us. And that's even before you started absorbing the others' biotic strength and skills. Not to mention training with Thane …. Sorry."
Shepard chuckled, the sound empty and dry on her tongue, and sat her water bottle and towel on the floor before adjusting the weight settings, giving herself a moment to process. "Actually, I haven't," she said to Victus, opting to change the subject, "I prefer to learn about my crew first hand. I don't tend to look at their records unless a reason comes up. I don't know much about you, at all, Victus, other than you're a general who doesn't exactly play things by the book, and you're not far down the line from being Palaven's primarch."
"Spirits, don't remind me," he muttered then chuffed. "I also know a diversionary tactic when I see one, but I respect your decision, Commander."
She let out another soft chuckle, one with a little more feeling. Just sitting and talking to someone else, especially someone willing to not push at her walls, was helping to calm her more quickly. "Thanks." She closed her fingers around the hand grips and pushed against the bar, extending her arms and feeling the burn in her already tired muscles. "So … tell me about yourself, Victus."
"I get the impression you're looking for something more than a list of my military accomplishments." He didn't speak for a second, and she let his observation stand as answer enough. He fluttered his mandibles when she glanced his way. "I'm afraid there's not a lot else to know about me. I've made a lifelong career out of my service, and I can't imagine ever wanting to do anything else."
"He didn't mention Tarquin. Interesting." Jane hummed. "I suppose that makes sense. He's meeting us under different circumstances, and he doesn't need us to rescue Tarquin currently."
"That's fair," she said to Victus, turning Jane's thoughts over in her mind while focusing her attention on exercising for a moment. "I'm pretty sure I could've lived a thousand different lives and always still ended up right here." They smirked as she spoke, listening to Jane's laughter in the back of her head.
He turned his head to look at her, studying her, taking her measure. "You say that with conviction."
"I suppose you might say …" They shrugged between reps. " … I was born for this. I signed on with the Alliance pretty young."
"I hope you'll forgive me, but whereas you like to get to know your crew in person, I never go into a mission without a full brief. I like to know what I'm getting myself into, especially if there are others relying on me." He flicked his mandibles, something in his eyes saying he was braced for impact, as if he fully expected to piss her off and pay the consequences. "The first opportunity I had, I took the liberty of learning as much as I could about you, your crew, and your current mission objectives."
"Yeah?" She raised her eyebrows, flashing her teeth in a grin. Despite everything, she was really starting to like the general, too. "Find anything interesting?"
He chuckled. "Quite a bit, actually. I was impressed by your service record—what I could gain access to, at least. I'm sure there's much more that's classified, especially with your rise to Spectre."
"Yeah, there might be a few things." She pursed her lips and nodded as she adjusted her grip. "I bet there's a few classified missions under your belt, too."
"Under my … ah, right, human idiom. Yes, I suppose there is." He grunted, appearing to work a little harder to pull the bar back below his chin. "There were a few things—not necessarily about your service, but there were a few things I had to ask Vakarian for clarification on."
She hummed and took a slow breath. "Let me guess: How can I have died during an attack on the last Normandy?"
"That was at the top of the list," he said, glancing her way with a nod, "yes."
Of course it was. It was at the top of everyone's list. Next was …. "Maybe some follow-up questions about Cerberus?"
"Indeed. Vakarian assures me that Cerberus has recently been taken over by someone you trust with good motives and more ethical methods." He turned toward her, but she only watched him out of her peripherals. "And he personally watched you eliminate the so-called Illusive Man."
"Mhmm." She nodded, remembering the grim satisfaction she and the amalgamation felt with her hand over Jack's as, together, they put that sonofabitch down like the rabid dog he was. "Well-deserved bullet between the eyes."
"From what I've heard about Cerberus," Victus said, something low and dangerous in his subvocals, "it was better than he deserved."
Shepard turned to look at him again, catching his gaze for a moment, and she nodded. "Agreed. So, any follow up questions for me on anything, or are we just pretending you didn't divert the conversation back to your military service and then divert it again to talking specifically about me?"
Victus laughed, warmth returning to his voice and eyes as he let the pulley roll back and the weights settle before releasing the bar. "Fair point, Commander. Hmm. What would you like to know?"
"It's alright, I don't want to push." She grinned. "I just wanted to make sure you know you're not the only one skilled at spotting diversionary tactics."
Fluttering his mandibles, he smiled and dipped his head. "It's alright, go ahead and ask your questions. I'll do my best to answer them."
"Might as well, if he's giving you the green light," Jane said.
Shepard hummed and nodded. She figured it'd be best to start with a topic she already knew a bit about; it'd cover her ass if she happened to mention Tarquin down the road. "Are you leaving family behind on Palaven?"
"I have a son, yes. Tarquin. It's unlikely he'll remain stationed on Palaven for long, however." He fluttered his mandibles and smiled. "He did suggest he'd gladly join your crew, if you decide you need anyone else, when I told him I was leaving with you."
She chuckled. "Father and son working together, side by side. Wouldn't that make things awkward?" Truthfully, she wasn't sure how the amalgamation would handle working alongside another living, breathing, dead man. They hadn't handled Grundan Krul too well at first, and they'd never even met him before. What would it be like with Tarquin? They'd watched him die time and time again?
He seemed to give it actual consideration, face taking on a more serious cast. "Personally, perhaps. Professionally? No, not at all. We'd make it work. It's our duty."
"I'll keep that in mind," she said, not willing to rule it out just yet. She'd talk to Garrus, see what his thoughts on the matter would be. "Is Tarquin the only family you have?"
"Yes … his mother and I … we just learned early on that we had very different ideas of what it means to be bonded and how to parent Tarquin." He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees and turning his gaze to the floor between his feet. "Regrettably, I believe I grew to be my father despite wanting to avoid the very thing. I'm fortunate Tarquin doesn't hate me and hasn't removed me from his life. I'm trying to repair the damage I've done. Something my parents never bothered to do, which is why I haven't spoken to them since …" Victus looked up at her again. " … well, since just before he was born."
"That's a long time." She frowned, the idea of willingly going so long without talking to her parents—had they still been alive—not sitting right with her, but it wasn't her place to condemn Victus for his personal choices. "They must've been pretty terrible to you."
He grumbled and stood, moving to a leg press machine. "That's one I'd really rather not talk about, Commander, if you don't mind."
"Got it, no problem." She let go of the handle and leaned over to pick up her bottle of water and towel before standing. "We'll be at Thessia in a couple of hours, and I've got some reports to look over and messages to respond to before we arrive. I'm sure diplomatic talks with the asari don't sound all too interesting, but I'd still like you there."
Situating his feet against the press, he met her gaze and gave her a quick jerk of a nod. "I'll be ready."
~6969696969~
"Shepard," Wrex said, giving her the best smile he could manage at the moment.
Humans smiled too damn much, and for most of them, he couldn't give a damn less if they couldn't read his expressions easily or if they felt intimidated by him on looks alone. Shepard, though … she was his sister, even if she wasn't his broodmate, and so he'd make the effort. With the reapers growing closer and closer, his workload as well as the flood of ambassadors wanting to talk to him day in and day out tripled, easily. He was exhausted. Not that he'd ever admit it. To anyone. Though of course the shaman just seemed to know.
"Hi, Wrex." Shepard returned his smile, but it lacked the warmth he normally saw there, and her eyes … he swore they looked a little dimmer each time they talked ever since that smart-mouthed pilot of hers died. She sucked in a deep breath, puffing out her cheeks before letting the air seep past her lips, blowing loose strands of black hair around her face. "I just wanted to check in with you, see how things are going. The others wanted to say 'hello', too," she said, using the coded phrase to let him know she needed privacy to talk openly.
Grunting, he nodded his head then pushed himself up from the stone slab of a throne. It was getting late, anyway. He should check in with the shaman, see if she was ready to hunker down for the night. Afterall, they had a race to repopulate.
Shouldering past his guards, he grumbled and said, "I'm taking one of the Tomkah's and heading out. Why don't you go see if any of the females are willing to spend the night with your ugly asses? Be back here when Aralakh crests the horizon."
He couldn't remember either of their names, but one was from Clan Jorgal and the other Clan Quash. It was their second day guarding his dias, and they'd be there another two days before they were replaced by members of other clans. He couldn't say he exactly liked the idea of being 'guarded', but krogan did a lot based on tradition and ceremony. And with the clans being united, it was important to make shows of trust as much as strength.
The one from Clan Jorgal caught a glimpse of Shepard on Wrex's omni-tool as he passed, and the man immediately stood a little straighter. When Shepard's gaze slipped to him, the Jorgal clansman gave her a nod of respect. It filled Wrex with pride, both that the krogan understood and showed Shepard the respect she was due and because his friend, his sister, had proven herself more worthy than any other living soul. It brought an easy smile to his face, which seemed to then do the same to Shepard's.
"How's Garrus?" Wrex asked, making small talk while he made his way to the Tomkah.
She nodded, seemingly more to herself than to Wrex, and said, "He's … we're …." She trailed off and swallowed, her smile having evaporated quicker than hot piss on stone rubble during midday. "Thane's gone. The Keperal's Syndrome finally won out a few days ago. We're both grieving, but we're managing."
Wrex's mood soured. He didn't really know the drell Shepard had claimed as a mate, but Grunt once spoke about Thane's skill in a fight with great admiration. Thane had made Shepard happy, Garrus seemed to like him well enough, and he fought well. Wrex didn't really need to know much else. "The next time you come this way, we'll have a drink in his name and a pit fight in his honor."
Shepard chuckled, a little color returning to her face, and she shook her head. "He wouldn't really be thrilled with either of those ideas, but I'm sure he'd have appreciated your intentions."
"Celebrating the dead isn't for the dead, Shepard." He scoffed, shaking his head and rounding the corner toward the Tomkah's. "It's for the living. Trust me. Krogan know death and we know loss. Thane might not have enjoyed the thrill of the hunt, but I hear he was damn good at it, and I know you sure do. So does Garrus and that other fiery little human he spends time with. You get your asses here when you get the chance, and we'll celebrate Thane the way krogan do it, and you'll feel better afterward."
She chuckled, the sound weak, and nodded. "I did just spend the morning feeling like I wanted to rip something apart with my hands even though my goal was to center myself and meditate."
"See?" He reached up and opened the door to the Tomkah his mechanic had nodded him toward. "You're one of us, Shepard." Climbing inside, he slammed the door closed behind him and glanced over his shoulder, double checking the back was empty before turning his attention to Shepard. "Alright, we've got some privacy. What do you need to talk about?"
Raking her fingers through her hair, she huffed and leaned back in her desk chair. "There's a bomb on Tuchanka."
"What the hell do you mean you forgot to tell me there's a bomb, Shepard?" The words left Wrex in a roar, and Shepard winced. He didn't rightly care just then, though. Sister or not, the woman was lucky she was so far out of reach at the moment. Balling his free hand into a fist, he punched the dashboard of the Tomkah, leaving a dent in the metal and shattering one of the auxiliary control covers.
"I'm sorry, Wrex." She furrowed her brow and rubbed her hands over her face. "I'm sorry. I know this is a huge deal, I do. But I've already got things in motion to get it taken care of, I just need you to give me the green light to let the Shadow Broker send a team."
He growled, punching the dash again, sending bits of plastic flying across the vehicle as a casing snapped open. "How can you forget something like this?"
"Stop yelling at me, Wrex!" And there it was, that fire in her eyes. There was the woman he first met and helped to take down Saren. The human who stood across from him on the beach on Virmire, staring down the barrel of his gun without flinching as she talked him into bombing the krogan breeding facility. "Goddamnit, I'm doing the best I can." She rammed a finger against the side of her head again and again, jaw set, as she ground her words out between clenched teeth, "I've got an entire fuckload of information and even more crazy going on up here. So excuse the hell out of me if it takes me a little while to get shit all figured out. I have to weigh the pros and cons of sharing every little piece of intel and when to share it. So, yes, occasionally, I lose track of a few things—especially when I die or when I'm in the middle of a goddamned mental breakdown!"
Wrex growled again, but he shut his yap. Shaking his head, he stared at the broken dash, trying to cut through the rage and pull himself together. He had to think. Everything inside of him wanted to board a ship, fly to Palaven, and rip apart every damned turian he could find, but … but he knew that wasn't the answer. "Did Garrus know about this?"
"No," she said, giving him a small but definite shake of her head. "It's highly classified, and honestly, the Hierarchy themselves have forgotten about its existence."
He somehow doubted that—not to say Shepard didn't believe it to be the truth, but that the Hierarchy didn't know damn well they had a nuke buried on his planet. They probably reached for the trigger every time a krogan crossed their paths just to keep from shitting on themselves. "I don't think I want the Shadow Broker dealing with this one."
" … Why not?" Weariness filled her voice, her purple eyes narrowing when he looked back at the screen. "What are you thinking, Wrex?"
He could practically hear the voices in her head begging him not to do something stupid. Under other circumstances, the thought might've made him laugh. "Don't worry, Shepard," he said, "I'm not going to go on a rampage. This time. I'm going to handle this the diplomatic way and pass it on to our new Council member once I figure out exactly who that's going to be. Your name won't be mentioned, but I want this one to be handled on the record. I want the whole galaxy to know what the Hierarchy did, and I want them to know the krogan are rising above it."
Her eyes widened. Then she blinked. Then her eyes started getting all watery, and he sighed. He really didn't get enough credit for all the crap he put up with.
"It'll shake things up a lot, but honestly … I think it's a fantastic plan," she said, wiping her eyes.
Exasperated, he shook his head. "Then why are you crying?"
She snorted and wiped her face again before shaking her own head. "I don't even know anymore."
"Humans are so weird," he muttered.
