Chapter 53: Returned
Disclaimer: This author in no way profits from the writing of this story. All characters, dialogue, or other referenced material from the Mass Effect trilogy belong to BioWare.
Author's Note: This story does not necessarily follow any particular timeline and may not be considered chronologically accurate.
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As a side note, my Word doc for this story/series just hit 300 pages - I am blown away by how this has evolved! Hopefully you've enjoyed reading it as much as I've enjoyed writing it, and hopefully it'll continue to please us both (:
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The next several days passed quickly, with Vadix ruminating on his startling realization and many of the associated potential sequences of events—did she like him? did she love him? did she tolerate him? did she want him?—as they continued to perfect their ability to impersonate their superiors.
The human took to it must easier than Vadix, according to him anyway. Cass thought that perhaps all turians were uptight while on the job because her partner was doing an admirable job pretending to be the sniper.
Cass at least was enjoying herself.
When Shepard wasn't too preoccupied with serious possible world-ending matters, she was always game for playing pranks—something the pair of them attempted every chance they got. With the aid of a wig, pretty soon they could even fool the turians, at least from a distance. Up close, they could smell too well for the women to maintain the charade.
In between shadowing their bosses, Cass tried to help Vadix recognize signs of suspicious behavior. This was something he took to more readily, as it was very similar to some of the work he'd done on the Citadel as a beat cop. With that analogy in mind, the young man felt far more comfortable learning and studying this particular subject with his most recent partner.
Plus, it helped him focus on the task at hand instead of his confusion over the way he felt for her.
Almost without noticing it, the time had passed, and Commander Shepard was directing Joker to set a course for the galaxy's capital. It had been a fortnight since Cass and Vadix had left the only home they'd ever known, and both felt a strange sense of eager dread.
As they prepared to depart early that evening, Cass sensed Vadix watching her as they stood in the crew's quarters, stuffing overnight bags. Though she had finished packing, she was too nervous to acknowledge his gaze and was surprised by his line of questioning when he finally spoke.
"Do you want to come home with me?" His voice was soft as sincsilla fur, like he was afraid to spook the fretting human, tensed to flee.
Stressed as she was, Cass managed only a strangled laugh, higher pitched than normal. "That's the most direct come-on I think I've ever received."
Vadix looked confused at this suggestion, but no less sincere. Perhaps he simply understood that she had nowhere to go but was too prideful to ask for help. She deflated, recognizing the metaphorical outstretched hand of mercy.
"Yes, thank you," she sighed, fiddling with the edge of her bag, "that would be lovely. If it's not too much trouble, that is." Maybe she should have said no. Cass didn't want to impose on Vadix or his parents.
Assuming he meant to stay the night at his parents' home.
Surely he wouldn't invite her somewhere else. Just them. Alone.
Right?
He reassured her and, with his attention now focused on his own bag, didn't notice the panic rising in her face. "No trouble at all. Thanks to my father's work, my mother is used to unexpected visitors—plus, I'm pretty sure she wants to meet you. She'd have my hide if I didn't invite you for dinner at the very least."
Cass thought her throat might seal shut. "Wait. She wants to meet me? Your mother? Why? What did you tell her?" She internally cringed at the word vomit but was still unable to stop it.
Vadix stared at her, as though he wasn't sure which question to answer first. "Well," he began, clicking his mandibles with indecision, "when I explained I'd be leaving the Citadel for a while, they wanted to know details. And I wasn't sure how much Commander Shepard would want us sharing, so I mostly just told them about you." His voice faded out as he registered the concern plastered on the human's face. "Cassana, is something wrong?"
Sluggishly, her brain tried to work through the path that had led to this point:
Vadix had thought her important enough to mention to his parents.
Or was she so unimportant that he felt comfortable talking about her with his parents?
Whatever his reason, his mother—HIS MOTHER—was interested enough that she wanted to meet her son's partner. Human partner. Female human partner.
Was she the kind of mother who had very specific expectations for her child? Or was she going to be accepting of the alien?
Did turians expect guests to bring a gift? Cass had no idea what the custom was and suddenly felt entirely unprepared to visit the Citadel.
"Maybe I better just stay here." The words were stifled as they came out of her mouth, and she sat down, her back to her friend, blushing furiously.
But, of course, he wouldn't be deterred so easily. "Hey," Vadix murmured as he came around the bunk, sitting across from Cass. "What's wrong? Are you alright?"
She nodded quickly, knowing to explain what was really going on inside of her mind would be entirely too embarrassing.
"You don't look very good," he offered, resting a talon on her knee, rubbing the pad of his thumb back and forth. Then he sat up straighter, like the most brilliant idea had pinged into his skull.
Uh oh, Cass thought, feeling the blood drain from her face.
"I know! What you need is a nice home-cooked meal. Come on!" Vadix stood up quickly, dragging her with him as he deftly picked up both their bags and rushed out the door.
He didn't let go of her hand the whole walk—run, really—from the docks to his parents' home in the Presidium.
When they arrived, Cass was breathing heavily, thanking her lucky stars for all the exercise they'd done the past month. Without it, she would've dropped dead before reaching their destination. Even still, she was glad Vadix had carried her bag home for her.
Shit. She was about to meet Vadix's parents!
Clutching his forearm, Cass got his attention before he could open the door with his omni-tool. "What if they don't like me?" she whispered, voicing the fear presently at the very top of the list.
His answering smile was comforting, and he covered her fingers with his, holding them tightly for a moment. "Don't worry. What's not to like?"
And then the door was as open as her mouth, shocked by the compliment, by his belief in her.
At least one of them was confident.
Cass followed Vadix through the entryway and into a large main room, larger than her entire apartment. The Ramraka's home was clean and simple, soft edge lighting making the whole room appear welcoming despite its austere decorations—or lack thereof.
And then they were being greeted by a red turian woman who gripped both of their arms at once, glancing between the pair and smiling widely. "Honey," her tone was mildly chastising. "You should have told us you were going to be home. I'm completely unprepared."
"I'm sure that's not true, Mother," Vadix shot back warmly.
If the friendly exchange wasn't endearing enough, Cass felt a strange thrumming where she was physically connected to the unfamiliar turian, a sensation that made it feel like her insides were melting in a very pleasant way.
"Vadix, will you introduce us?" His mother asked purposefully, darting pointed looks at Vadix as she outright stared at the human in her home.
"Oh, right," he stuttered, and Cass thought the vibration in her arm shifted slightly. But she could have been imagining it, as it was gone almost as soon as she noticed the change. "Mother, this is Cassana Arvius, my work partner. Cassana, this is my mother, Trebaana Ramraka."
The young turian had dropped his arm so he could face the two women for whom he cared most in the known universe. He felt oddly nervous: though he expected his mother to like Cassana easily enough, he still wanted her approval.
Trebaana, sensing her son's unease, along with the anxiety radiating off the human, turned fully toward the redhead. The turian held both of Cass's arms, her scales a deep contrast from the other woman's skin, but nearly matching the locks that tumbled around her neck. "Cassana," she murmured gently. "It is lovely to meet you. Vadix spoke very highly of you when he was home last."
Cass blushed for the second time that morning, dipping her head in gratitude. "Thank you," she muttered, unsure how to address the older woman.
Like a psychic, Vadix's mother clarified as she pulled Cass farther into the room. "Of course. And please, call me Trebaana. We're not as formal as we may look," she winked over her shoulder.
"In that case," the redhead recovered, "please, call me Cass." There was something about this woman that was inherently soothing, exuding compassion.
It was exactly how she wanted others to feel around her.
Trebaana was speaking again. "I'm afraid Dartius, Vadix's father, is at work still, though he should be home soon. He'll be so pleased to meet you." She met the human's eyes with sincere warmth, and Cass felt an echo of that feeling from a few moments ago, like her insides were softening. "In the meantime, let's make you something to eat! I'm sure the fare on that starship can't compare to the Citadel's cuisine."
"You're not wrong," Cass mumbled without thinking. Then she froze, worried she sounded too ungrateful. After all, having a meal three times a day was a luxury as far as she was concerned.
But Vadix's mother simply smiled to herself as she moved around the kitchen, continuing the conversation with ease, "Tell me about yourself, Cass. I want to know everything."
"Well," she began hesitantly, taking a seat at the bar while Trebaana worked on the other side. "I've lived on the Citadel my whole life, never been anywhere else. Actually, I guess that's not true anymore. We recently visited Tuchanka, which was surprisingly different! I could hardly believe my eyes."
The turian nodded knowingly. "Oh yes, very dissimilar from here, as well as the other home worlds! So you've not been to Thessia or Palaven yet? Though I suppose right now may not be the best time for traveling," she trailed off, staring into the space between her son and their guest.
Cass tilted her head, curious what was on the other woman's mind. "No, not yet unfortunately. I've always dreamed of traveling, but never had the means. And honestly, I figured I'd always be here, so I didn't think too much about it." Cocking her head in the other direction, she murmured to herself, "Crazy how my life has changed so much, and so suddenly."
Vadix took the seat next to her, settling in with a strange mix of discomfort and relief. "You and me both," he agreed softly. His eyes rested on hers for a long, meaningful moment and Cass felt her heart rate pick up.
He had the audacity to smile significantly at her physical reaction, the cheeky bastard.
Two could play at that game.
"So, Trebaana, did Vadix tell you about—"
"Mother, when will Father be home?" he cut her off quickly.
One of Trebaana's brow plates jumped as she gazed at the pair of them, sitting in her kitchen. This was behavior she had never observed in her son, but it was something she'd long yearned to see. Perhaps there was hope yet. Grinning, she answered, hinting at a scathing edge, "You know it's not kind to interrupt, Vadix."
The women exchanged a smug glance, much to Vadix's chagrin. He slumped at the bar, glaring at his partner from the corner of his eye.
His mother continued, "Apologies, Cass. You were saying?"
For a moment, the human watched Vadix, considering her options. When she decided, she chalked it up to the liquescent state of her internal organs. "Did Vadix tell you about the time we went people-watching and I found out he's a fantastic artist?"
Now Trebaana looked sharply at Vadix. "No, he did not," she intoned. Cass could tell some underlying communication was occurring between mother and son, but she didn't know what exactly it was.
Vadix, slipping into a much more immature attitude than Cass had ever seen, rolled his head around his neck, sighing heavily. "Cassana was helping me learn about facial expressions and body language."
The older turian perked up. "'Body language', eh?" She winked at Cass.
She winked!
Oh shit.
Did that mean…
No, she couldn't think it and risk jinxing it.
"I hope that's not all you've been teaching him," Trebaana said, the implication of her words reflected in her eyes.
Cass could not believe her ears.
Vadix, on the other hand, was completely oblivious. "Spirits, Mother. I'm not totally incompetent, you know."
Trebaana shrugged, her eyes glittering impertinently. "I never said you were, honey. But you don't know everything, of that I am certain. Just as much as I'm sure that Cass could introduce you to many new and exciting prospects."
The human's eyes widened perceptibly, blush hurrying across her cheeks, for the third time that day, in time with her speeding heart.
Did his mother just give her permission to pursue him?
No, permission didn't even cover it.
It sounded like Trebaana wanted Cass to deflower her son.
What the fuck?
Glancing between the women, the young turian began to realize he was missing out on some unspoken understanding. The feeling made him want to flee.
Cass beat him to it. Standing swiftly, she queried in an uneven voice, "Could you point me in the direction of the restroom?"
She refused to look back at the older woman yet. She was afraid to see her expression.
Her partner had tensed at her sudden movements, but he pointed wordlessly to a door at the end of a short hallway at the side of the room. Cass knew he knew something was wrong, but she couldn't explain it. So she darted away without another word.
Slipping into the small room, Cass plopped onto the toilet, completely clothed, and put her head in her hands, forcing herself to take deep breaths.
It was less calming than she'd hoped.
What was Trebaana playing at? Did she mean what she said?
Who did she think Cass was? His work partner? His friend? His fuck buddy?
Why was she encouraging them to have sexual relations? Was it because of Cass, specifically? Or would anyone do at this point?
Was his father involved in this scheming? Did Cass mean anything to them at all? Or was she just a means to an end? What plans did they have for their son?
Didn't they expect him to have turian babies? Didn't they know she couldn't give him that? Was she supposed to be his trainer, help him gain experience and skills?
Had Vadix told them about her consulting job? Had they laughing at the ridiculousness of it? Did they believe her a loose woman? Or worse, a sex worker?
Is that why his mother believed her capable of teaching him "new and exciting" things?
But.
What if she wanted to do exactly what Trebaana was insinuating?
Maybe she would do exactly that.
But not with Vadix.
No, she was not going to be pushed around simply because she came from lesser means, or a run-down neighborhood.
She didn't need charity, from them or from anyone. She'd survived this long, thanks entirely to her own efforts. It wasn't the first time she'd been judged for her decisions, and she knew it wouldn't be the last.
At least she could make her own decisions, with no reservations or regrets.
In fact, she'd make one right now.
Before she could think it through, Cass had drafted a message indicating, in no short terms, just how she'd like to spend the night—fucking drunk and drunken fucking—and sent it to the first two people on her recent contacts list: Anara and Duron.
Closing her eyes, she leaned back, relishing the feeling of being completely unattached, spontaneous, free. It was her life, and she would live it however she fucking wanted.
A soft knock interrupted her musing.
"Cassana? Are you alright?"
Damn him for being so observant. And thoughtful.
Heaving a deep breath, the woman stood once more and slumped toward the door. Cass unlocked it, letting it slide open.
Vadix nearly fell into her.
He caught himself on the edge of the door jamb. "Oh, you're here. Right. Good." Fumbling for words, his eyes appraised her, searching for some sign of distress. "Is everything…" Vadix trailed off.
In the silence that followed, Cass looked at him, really looked at him, and remembered everything she'd come to appreciate about her partner: his kindness, his innocence, his protective side, his awkward responses, his genuine concern. The list went on.
As suddenly as her rage had appeared, it evaporated.
Maybe it didn't matter what his parents thought. What was really important was what he thought, what he wanted.
And if he wanted her, well, perhaps that was the only thing that mattered.
Gingerly, Cass placed her palm against his cheek. She couldn't tell him, not yet, not with words. But maybe soon she could show him.