Garrus tried, he did, but he couldn't help side-eyeing the kid as they walked into the shuttle.

He had approached Jack in the armory the day before, as he was cleaning copies of the Carnifex that Dr. Solus had given Shepard. He looked up, surprised. He was wearing another one of his hoodies, although this one was grey and had an alliance emblem on it.

"How did you know about Dr. Saleon?" Garrus asked immediately.

"You really think you have privacy, don't you?" Jack asked. "You're a public figure. Someone leaked the report to Cerberus."

"So you, what, just took information from them?" Garrus frowned. "I thought you weren't one of their people."

"I'm not," Jack leaned back against the wall and crossed his arms. His green eye caught some of the overhead light, and the shade felt unnervingly unnatural. "But I won't look a gift horse in the mouth. Besides, I wanted to know what kind of person the great Garrus Vakarian was."

"And what kind of person is that?" Garrus asked.

"A wild card too shortsighted and violent to be trusted on his own," Jack said.

"You shoved a gun in Miranda's face," Garrus pointed out.

Jack rolled his eyes. "That is so last week. Miranda and I are cool now." Jack paused, then added, "You know, considering how many corrupt Citadel cops there seem to be, I can understand being pissed at them."

"Truly magnanimous," Garrus drawled.

"Hey, man, you're angry at the world," Jack said. "I get that."

"Do you?"

"Yes," Jack said. "I do. But being angry at the world makes you do stupid things. Like your whole Captain Cosmo schtick."

"'Captain Cosmo'?" Garrus asked.

Jack stiffened some. "Some human thing. You would've never heard of it."

"I'll be sure to look it up after this," Garrus said. "It's not like there's much on you anywhere on the extranet."

"I'm old-fashioned," Jack said. "I like my privacy."

"Is that why you use antique weapons? You're just so old-fashioned?"

"I didn't make ryncol, man," Jack said. "But it works."

"And that Krogan," Garrus said. "The one you set on fire?"

"Oh, yeah," Jack smiled fondly. "That one. I'm pretty proud of those shells. Made them myself."

"His screaming didn't bother you?" Garrus asked.

"Are you saying it bothered you?" Jack said. "Well, congrats on your bleeding heart."

"Shepard-"

"Trusts me," Jack said. "And you just don't like that someone's telling you the truth."

"The only person who talked to me like you betrayed me," Garrus said. "Got my whole team killed."

Jack hummed. "Sorry to hear that. Doesn't mean he wasn't right."

"What would you know about this?" Garrus asked. "About anything? How old are you, 19?"

"23," Jack said.

Garrus snorted. "You're not. Why do you lie so much? What have you got to hide?"

"A lot of porn," Jack said. "You can go find it if you like, perv."

"Shepard showed me your dossier," Garrus said. "What paramilitary were you involved with?"

"The Tin Men," Jack answered.

"'Tin Men'?" Garrus narrowed his eyes.

"They used to be lumberjacks on a colony in the Terminus systems," Jack explained. "Then they lost all of their limbs when Batarians took over the colony. They got prosthetics, some guns, and fled into the woods. They've been fighting in there ever since."

"And how did you join them?" Garrus asked.

"I followed the yellow brick road," Jack grinned.

"What?"

"Hey, that's how it happened," Jack said. "Believe me or not."

Garrus didn't. That night, he'd gone to Shepard with what he'd learned, and after processing for a moment, she shook her head.

"I guess he has a sense of humor," she said.

"I got the feeling he was making fun of me somehow," Garrus said.

"He was referencing The Wizard of Oz." Shepard said. "A vid from a long time ago. Also from the 1930s, though. Why does all of hsi cultural awareness stop after 1950?" Shepard hummed. "Either way, just lay off with the questions. It's obvious that he won't give either of us a straight answer."

"You've got it, Commander," Garrus had said.

Now, Garrus was still having some trouble taking the kid in. Instead of armor, he was wearing a green-gray hoodie, sweatpants, and abused sneakers. Garrus had learned from Shepard that the pistol he was holding dated back to 1935, and that the double-barreled shotgun design was well over 200 years old. And the gas mask's design, too, resembled masks made in the early 20th century, aside from the clear, polarized visor that hid his face. The whole picture rankled Garrus a bit. The kid looked incredibly unprofessional, and if not for the tiny generators apparently sewn into hoodie and sweatpants, he wouldn't even have shields.

"You checking me out, Scarface?" Jack asked.

"No," Garrus said. "Wondering how you intend to fight in that, though."

"You've seen me do just fine," Jack said. "Don't worry about little old me."

"Sure," Garrus said.

"Cut the chatter," Shepard interrupted. "The sun on Haestrom has degraded unusually fast; that means it will shred your shields if you stay. Garrus, you stay back and watch our flanks. Jack, you're taking point."

"Yes ma'am," Jack said. "Got my pulse slugs ready and rearing to go."

Garrus wanted to ask what a pulse slug was, but the shuttle door opened, and now, well - now it was time to see his friend again.

Jack fought like an animal. Garrus had seen some of it back on Omega, but faced with nonorganic targets, Jack apparently felt no need for subtlety or propriety. The one piece of modern equipment he used was a standard-issue Alliance knife, which he was unnervingly talented with. Whenever a Geth was getting to close, he would throw it, and it landed right in the middle of the Geth's head every time; that wasn't when those "pulse slugs" of his weren't blowing holes in the Geth begin with. Oh, and the ryncol molotov cocktails. He used those liberally.

Garrus hadn't spent much time on vacation. On leave? Sure. But the vacations that Shepard had told him about, on those few times when her mother did have time off, didn't match with his experience. Shepard had told him, while they talked in the garage late into the night, about one trip to the beach. Altana City? No, Atlantic City. Atlantic. In Atlantic city her mother rented a condo, and Shepard got herself sunburned because she refused to wear sunscreen. "Fine," her mother had said. "I'll save the suncreen for my damn self.", and Shepard woke up the next day wincing just about every time she moved. Shepard talked about it fondly, though. She also talked about it after revealing some bare details about Torfan.

Why was this all occurring to him as Haestrom's sun tore into his shields? Call him a romantic.

"Hey, Scarface!" Jack shouted as he dove behind a wrecked mining laser, "Prime at ten o'clock!"

Garrus finally got himself into some shade, and three years ago Garrus wouldn't have had any idea what ten o'clock meant, but that was just one of the many things Shepard had taught him. Garrus found the Geth Prime and nailed it in the center of its head once, twice, thrice, and down it went. He also picked off another Geth that was trying to flank around Jack - or he would have. He would have, but Jack somehow noticed it too and put one slug in the Geth's torso, stumbling it, then another slug into its head. The poor thing slowly keeled over, giving one last twitch before hitting the ground.

To some frustration, Jack fit pretty well into their team. He often went out on his own, but never without running it by them first, and getting Shepard's go-ahead. He looked unprofessional, he didn't carry himself like a professional, but he fought like one. A professional guerilla fighter, to be sure, but a professional. It was... remarkable, especially with how old his equipment was. But while Garrus provided overwatch, he made incisions into the oncoming Geth lines, almost seeming elegant at times - until he tackled a Geth and stabbed it nearly a dozen times in the throat.

They found dead quarians the further along they got, until, at last, they found some place quiet. Some place quiet with a terminal, and with that terminal...

"Shepard!" Tali said. "What are you doing here?"

"I have an offer," Shepard said. (Garrus noted that Jack had conveniently placed himself out of the terminal's line of sight.) "But that comes second right now. Your people are in trouble. How can we help?"

"In... a lot of ways. Keelah, everything was going fine until - no, later. I can complain later. Right now, we need to get rid of the Geth. The other marines got me into the observatory. Link up with the marines and we'll go from there."

"Got it," Shepard said. "How do we get to you?"

"You might need to use some mining explosives. I - I know, but it's all so chaotic. Use whatever supplies we have left. We should have some." Tali was quiet, then said, barely above a whisper, "I hope."

They indeed did need those mining explosives, and after more rock and more Geth, they found one lone quarian huddled behind a large block of cut limestone, which Geth fire was hacking away at alarmingly fast. They took up positions next to him, but all the marine did was glare at Jack.

There was also the Geth colossus, but that was another matter entirely.

"What are you doing here?" The marine asked with more than some hostility.

"I felt like sunning," Jack said.

The marine sighed, shook his head, then looked to Shepard. "I hate to say it, since you're working for Cerberus, but it just might be good that you're here, Commander."

"I'm working with Cerberus," Shepard said. "But I understand the sentiment. Kal'Reegar, right?"

"Yes ma'am," Kal said, before sighing again. "Injured, but I'm swimming in enough immuno-boosters to make up for it."

"It's an honor to work with you," Shepard said. "Now, about the big problem."

"Right. That." Kal said. "I have a few rockets left, but alone, I couldn't do much. If you can flank it, you can probably take it out."

"I'll stay with him," Jack said.

"Like hell you are," Kal said.

"Please," Jack said. "Just hear me out. Then I'll leave you to cuddle with the rocks on your own."

"Jack," Shepard said sharply. "That's enough."

"I can take care of myself, kid," Kal said. "Now, if you want to serve as a distraction..."

"That's what I was thinking," Jack said. Kal blinked. "Yeah. You're already injured, and the Commander and Garrus need someone to draw fire. I'll be the guy."

Garrus could hear Shepard's raised eyebrows as she asked, "You're sure?"

"Yeah," Jack said. "Then I'll circle back around to Reeger and provide first aid. "

"I've got that handled, buddy," Kal said.

"I have something to help," Jack said. "Do you think Shepard would have taken me here if she didn't trust me to help you guys?"

Kal hummed, then said, "Okay, fine. But you're not giving me medi-gel. Is it even sterile?"

"I have something else," Jack said. "And I've triple-checked it. It'll help. You're already flagging, I can see it."

Kal sighed a third time. "You distract, circle back around to me, while Shepard and the turian take out the colossus."

"Sounds like a plan," Shepard said.

"Hold on, Commander," Jack took his backpack off and unzipped it, pulling out a tin can with duct tape around it that read "NG" in rough handwriting. "Throw this at the Colossus's feet. Or claws. Whatever."

Garrus, again, could hear her raised eyebrows. "What is this?"

"Call it homebrewed," Jack said. "But trust me, Commander. It'll work. Pull the pin, chuck it, and it'll do the rest."

Shepard sighed. She looked at Garrus for a long moment. Garrus looked back.

"Alright," she eventually said. "On three."

Tali heard the explosion even inside the observatory. The camera feed showed Shepard throwing a grenade of some kind - that almost looked like a tin can - and then a fire ball larger than anything Tali had ever seen produced by a grenade of any kind. The colossus tipped over and went flying several feet, as did some other Geth. There was a small storm of dust, and then, to her astonishment, a small mushroom cloud.

When the dust had cleared, half of the Geth colossus was gone, and the rest was scorched. Geth caught in the blast were gone, and in their place were black scorch marks. Shepard recovered from the shock first, and Tali watched as Shepard picked apart what Geth remained, some of which were missing arms and legs, and limped toward Shepard ineffectually, making small electronic whines. But the Geth that had been vaporized - that meant - no -

"Area cleared!" Shepard announced, and it didn't take long for Jack to appear, an arm thrown around Kal's shoulder, helping him walk.

Tali opened the door, silent, and took longer to leave the observatory than she should have. But when the doors had opened, he was still there, still helping Kal. Tali had drawn her shotgun without thinking.

"Get your hands off of Kal," Tali said. "Hands behind your head!"

Jack should have let Kal fall and drawn his own gun, but he didn't. Instead, he cocked his head, a silent really?

"Tali," Shepard said.

"It's okay, ma'am," Kal said, before descending into a coughing fit. He said, hoarsely, "It's okay."

Tali glared at Jack for a bit longer, before slowly lowering her shotgun. "Fine. But he stays right there until we leave."

"You're welcome, by the way," Jack said. Tali could hear him rolling his eyes.

"Jack," Shepard said, then she turned back to Tali. "That works for us."

"Okay, Shepard," Tali said. "Okay." she looked to Garrus, and smiled with her eyes. "It's good to see you, Garrus."

"Same here," Garrus nodded.

Tali got Kal out of Jack's reach with more force than she intended, making Kal wince, but at least he was away from that Cerberus bosh'tet. She lead Shepard and Garrus deeper into the observatory, although she couldn't help herself from glancing back at Jack, who had sat down against a wall and begun reading a paperback book titled The Making of Casablanca.Why he brought it into a warzone, Tali had no idea.

Tali's mission on Freedom's Progress, and her successful negotiation of getting Veetor back into Quarian custody, had earned her the Haestrom assignment. An even bigger team had been granted to her - a team that had been alive when she woke up that day. By the time she at last laid down on her bunk and tried to get to sleep, everyone except Kal was dead, and she was now serving on a Cerberus ship.

Keelah.

Tali had found quarters with the other engineers, close enough to the engine core that she could hear it running from where she slept. The other engineers were nice enough, so welcoming that in her exhaustion, she almost felt comfortable, until she reminded herself of what Cerberus did on the Idenna. Some of it came out as hostility, and that very quickly turned off her new coworkers. Tali sighed and turned over on her cot, but after another half an hour of chasing sleep, she decided to just get up and go on a walk.

She properly explored the ship, to some looks from the guards on the night shift, but if they wanted to stare, let them. Tali had half a mind to seek out Garrus, but he was probably sleeping, and she didn't want to wake him. So she wandered the Normandy, feeling very, very alone.

Somehow, in her wanderings, she turned a corner and came across Jack drinking in a dead-end hallway, huddled against the wall, facing a large window. He was wearing a t-shirt, and scars climbed up his arms. In one hand was a bottle, and in the other, a small photograph.

He took a long drink, then said quietly, "Happy birthday, Dad."

Jack took a longer drink, sniffled. His hand tightened on the photograph. In a few minutes Jack was crying, hugging the bottle and the picture to his chest like a child, folding in on himself. Tali stared, quite unsure of what to do. Leaving was the obvious choice, this was clearly none of her business, but...

Eventually, Jack noticed her, and his green eye glowed some in the darkness.

He said nothing as he unsteadily got to his feet, putting a hand on the wall to keep himself from falling over. It didn't work, and he dropped the bottle and the photograph. Instinct brought Tali forward to catch him. His hung his head like a beaten Varren, and when he at last brought it up, Tali saw the collection of angry scars on his face, as well as what looked to be blackened, dead veins around his green eye.

Jack didn't glare it her, nor did he react much at all. Hopelessness seemed to drip from his teary eyes, and soon enough the hand on the wall fell away, and his knees buckled underneath him. Tali held him up through that, too, in spite of how heavy he turned out to be.

"Where are your quarters?" she asked.

Jack shook his head. "I don't want to bother you."

"You're not," Tali said, and she was surprised to find that she meant it.

Jack's eyes bored into her, utterly haunted. "You don't care about me."

"Just show me to your quarters," Tali said. "You're drunk."

Jack looked down to the photograph, and Tali followed his gaze. The picture was missing some of its corners, but Tali saw a young boy holding an air rifle and an older man with an arm around his shoulders. A boy who looked very much like Jack, and a man who very much appeared to be his father. Both of them were wearing blue jumpsuits, and when she squinted, Tali could make out the number "101" on the collars of them.

Jack jerked out of her grip and collected the photo and the bottle. He shouldered past her, and she had to catch him again as he tripped over his own feet. Tali caught him again, and this time he relented, and silently lead her to his quarters. Tali opened the door and walked him to his bed, taking the photo and bottle from him; the label on the bottle read on a terribly worn label: "Scotch". Tali let him go perhaps a hair too early, Jack didn't seem to notice as he hit the mattress.

Tali took in the room: the poster for a vid called Casablanca, a workbench of some kind, two crates with everything from bullet casings to lunchboxes, a laundry hamper almost overflowing, and a footlocker with clothes spilling out. Photos were spread across his desk, and Tali couldn't help looking at them: all of them showed Jack, except for a few of a slight young woman with short, unkempt brown hair. There was one of Jack and the young woman, and then one of both of them with a scruffy looking dog sitting between them. There were a lot of photos of dogs, actually: one of one with brown and blue eyes and one of a dog with hateful yellow eyes. Jack, turned away, couldn't notice her staring.

Tali shook her head. Not her business.

Still, the Tali picked up the bottle of scotch and the first photograph and while she placed the scotch on the desk quickly enough, she lingered on the photo. The boy was certainly Jack, she decided, or he had been. The younger Jack was beaming. She looked over to Jack, then back to the photo, before gingerly placing it back on the desk and leaving the room.