Mass Effect 1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys!**

**Welcome to the second half of The Guardian!**

**I am so excited to start on this half, and even more excited to hear what you guys thin of the new writing style. I'm working hard to make mature my writing style a bit, and to make sure it's more clean before I post, so I won't be posting as quick as I was, because I'd literally finish typing and post it, and then I'd edit later. I'm taking my time here, so hopefully it is worth it. (:**

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**Thanks to the wonderful MayriahLee, you're the best motivator on the planet. *heart emote***

**Please feel free to rate, review and even PM me if you have anything you'd like to say.**

**Without further ado, here is the first chapter for part two.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

_"You have everything ready?"_  
_"Yeah."_  
_"Are you nervous?"_

_Garrus watched the turian next to him shrug as she cleaned her rifle._

_"Yeah."_  
_"Not very talkative today." She looked up at him, apprehension clearly written all over her face. He reached out, putting his hand on her shoulder. She relaxed slightly under his touch. "You'll be just fine."_  
_"It's going to be rough, being away from a support system."_  
_"That's the point of basic training."_

_She nodded at him in agreement._

_"I can do it."_  
_"I know you can."_  
_"It's just waiting around to leave that's hard."_  
_"Your mother feels the same way."_

_She smiled, her mandibles flaring out as she looked to the targets they'd been shooting at._

_"I should go say goodbye to her. I have to be at the docks soon."_  
_"Is your armor ready?"_  
_"Yeah. It's in my room. I haven't put it on yet."_  
_"Putting it off?"_

_She shrugged again, looking down at her rifle._

_"I suppose."_  
_"Come on. She'll be wondering where we are."_

* * *

Natasha sat with her head resting on the palm of her hand, stroking Rayhel's head slowly, the silence in the room almost putting her to sleep while the events of the day kept her awake. Rayhel purred under the small blanket they'd been given for her. She stretched out on the couch, sleeping as if nothing was wrong as they waited. Natasha could feel Garrus shift behind her, leaning forward as he stared at Caeus, who sat across the waiting room.

"You ready to tell me what happened?"

Caeus looked at him, his eyes heavy as he fought off the exhaustion, his guilt tearing away at his mind every time he thought about what had happened. He shrugged at him.

"The mercs followed me back to headquarters." he said with a dry tone.  
"Followed you? That's how this all happened?"

Caeus groaned, leaning forward to put his elbows on his knees, rubbing his face.

"I was undercover, for C-Sec. I had to infiltrate the Blue Suns by gathering Intel and…. I got an order from my boss."  
"Your order was to lead them to my team for them to get slaughtered?" Garrus said harshly.

Natasha closed her eyes, more tears falling down her face. She stayed silent, thinking of the men they'd lost, biting her lip hard as she kept her sobs quiet.

"I was supposed to get you guys out of the way. C-Sec knew about Archangel and the team and they knew I was a contact of yours. They told me to slow you guys down."  
"Congratulations, you succeeded."  
"I went to headquarters to warn Calpurnia, I had to get her to safety."  
"You failed there." Garrus growled.

Natasha covered her face, trying to block out their conversation. They'd managed to stay quiet for the past hour, she didn't see why they needed to talk now.

"It may be hard for you to believe but this is just as hard for me to sit here as it is for you!" Caeus snapped.

Garrus stood now, balling his hands into fists.

"You have no idea how hard it is for us to sit here and wait. Don't think for a second that because you've been sleeping with her that she means more to you than she does to us. You don't know her compared to us."  
"Whatever you say Garrus, you're the boss." Caeus said, sitting back in his chair in defeat, looking out the window. Natasha was grateful that more silence fell over them. She blocked out the thoughts of her friend, trying to get her tears under control before she returned to watching Rayhel, her hand stroking her fringe again. Garrus paced idly around the room. Natasha felt the other turian looking at her. She looked at him, her eyes burning harshly. "I'm sorry."

She bit down the tears after he spoke, taking a deep breath.

"I told you not to hurt her." she said, surprised at how hoarse her voice was.  
"I tried to keep you guys safe."  
"You shouldn't have had to keep us safe. You should have just let us be, this never would have happened."

Caeus shook his head, deciding not to tell them about Sidonis' plans to give them up. He didn't need to try making light of what his actions had caused.

"I care for her." he said finally.  
"Pathetic." Natasha scoffed, looking back to Rayhel. "If we hadn't been gone, my daughter could be dead, and it would have been because of you."

Garrus looked at Caeus, who stared down to the floor in silence. There was something he wasn't telling them. He shook his head at the turian, folding his arms across his chest, the silence returning to the room again.

* * *

_Natasha watched as the door opened, the tall turian girl stepping out of her room in her new armor. Natasha could help but to smile at the sight, looking up at Garrus for his own reaction. Before he could speak, the turian raised her voice for him._

_"Vakarian blue." she said, looking down at herself. "I wanted to have something to represent where I came from, since I don't have markings yet."_

_Garrus smiled at her as she walked closer to them._

_"It suits you well." he replied._  
_"I'm proud of you." Natasha said, bringing her into a hug._  
_"I hope you say that once I'm done." she laughed. "Assuming I make it."_  
_"You'll make it." Garrus told her._

_He wrapped his arms around her once Natasha let go. She hugged him tightly in return._

_"I love you Dad."_  
_"I love you too Rayhel."_  
_"Call us as soon as you can, alright?" Natasha said as they let go of each other._  
_"I promise."_  
_"I love you baby."_  
_"I love you Mom." Natasha gave her daughter a kiss on the cheek before she took a deep breath, turning to the door. "Bye."_

* * *

A nurse entered the room. She let out a heavy sigh as she looked around at them. Natasha stood now, biting her lip again.

"We got the bullet out, and she's in the recovery room. She's still unconscious, but you may go in and see her now."

Caeus watched the two of them sigh in relief from the news, his own relief spreading through him quickly. He held back the wave of emotion running through him.

"You go, I'll stay here with her." Garrus told Natasha.  
"You sure?"  
"Go." She gave him a quick kiss before following the nurse out of the room. Garrus sat down on the chair next to the couch that Rayhel slept soundly on. He looked at her for a moment before locking eyes with Caeus. "Tell me what you aren't telling Natasha."  
"What?"  
"You're a smart man, Caeus. There was a reason you kept it from us that you were undercover. Protecting us from a threat that wasn't given until today? I don't think so. What else were you protecting them from?"

Caeus sighed, hating the Garrus called him out on the matter. He just shook his head. Sidonis was dead now, and it didn't matter what he would have done. It wasn't worth Garrus being angry over.

"I don't know."  
"Bullshit."  
"Just stay angry with me, it's better that way. No one else needs to be dragged into it."  
"Why would someone else be dragged into it?" Caeus cursed himself, putting a hand on his face. "Who were you protecting them from?"  
"It doesn't matter, it's over now-"  
"If you do not tell me what the hell you were doing, I swear to god you'll be in one of those hospital beds next."

Caeus knew Garrus was serious. He wanted to protect the girls from further harm. Caeus sighed heavily.

"Sidonis was going to give up the location of headquarters to Tarak."

Garrus lowered his brow plates to his eyes.

"What?"  
"They had his bondmate, and he was going to do anything they asked him to to keep her safe. Understandable, but unacceptable. I told him to pretend, but to keep his mouth shut. I got her to safety and then I was ordered to get rid of you guys for C-Sec. I didn't say anything because I knew you'd kill Sidonis. The team didn't need that. You're a hero to the civilians on Omega, Garrus. People need you. If you would have killed Sidonis, people would doubt you. I just wanted to keep the peace."

Garrus sat back in his chair, running the story through his head thoroughly, doing his best to understand where the turian was coming from. Caeus watched him, half wondering what he thought and half not wanting to know. There was a long silence before Garrus said anything in return.

"Thank you."  
"I'd do it again."  
"What if it meant she'd die?"

Caeus shook his head, pushing the thought out of his head just as quickly as Garrus had put it there.

"I couldn't put Rayhel in danger."

Garrus tilted his head slightly.

"Don't tell me you did all this for her."  
"She's an innocent child. I couldn't kill her without a conscience."  
"Don't tell me you did it for her." Garrus repeated.

Caeus knew he'd done everything he could to keep the women safe, but it was Calpurnia that drove him to do it. There was no question about it. He sighed again.

"She means a lot to me." he said.  
"Obviously."  
"She said she loved me."

Garrus smiled ever so slightly.

"At least it wasn't all for nothing then."

* * *

_"Get out, get out right now, let's go, move it!" Rayhel followed the other recruits out of the shuttle as their instructor yelled for them to hustle their feet. They made a line, all of them standing at attention as he walked down the line, taking in the sight of them. He stopped at Rayhel, snorting out a laugh. "You expecting this to be a sleep over?"_  
_"No sir!"_  
_"Not many girls come through here anymore, you have some guts coming here to be instructed by me. Do you think this is a pleasure cruise?"_  
_"No sir!"_  
_"What's your name, boy?"_  
_"Vakarian sir, and I am a woman."_  
_"Well holy hell! I didn't know a princess would have the nerve to come here. Spectres' daughter, huh? The girl scouts is next door. Listen up, you are all the same now. The turian fleet does not care what gender or clan you are from! You are all equally worthless and undeserving of the title you work for. Some of you will not make it but let's make one thing clear right now, you are a squad. You will eat, sleep, shower and run together." He looked back to Rayhel after yelling out his orders. "Does that bother you, boy?"_  
_"No sir."_  
_"You wanna make your parents proud, Vakarian?!"_  
_"Yes sir!"_  
_"You have no idea what you're in for, do you Vakarian?" Rayhel was unsure how to answer him. She knew what basic training was supposed to be like, though she was hesitant to say she knew how it would go. "You better learn to find a voice, Vakarian!"_  
_"Yes sir!"_

_He walked down the rest of the line, stopping to give the same rant to another boy that stood there with them._

_It was a hard first day, getting used to drills before being able to settle in their bunks for the night. Rayhel didn't mind being in barracks with men, it was part of military. It wouldn't be any different once she was assigned to a team. She sighed as she crawled into her bed, the lights shutting off for the night. She stared up at the ceiling for a long while, hearing more and more snores fill the room as people drifted off to sleep. It was a while before she was able to join them._

* * *

Natasha walked into the hospital room, taking in the sight of Calpurnia as she laid on the bed. She reached out and grabbed her hand, feeling her warmth. It made Natasha smile. The nurse stepped out of the room for a moment, letting her have some time alone with her friend. She squeezed her hand gently.

"I wish I was as strong as you, Cal." she whispered. "I'd be a goner for sure if it was me."

She laughed lightly, looking down at the sleeping turian. She felt tears in her eyes again.

"I was worried." she admitted. "We all were. You'll get better now though. I'll be here when you wake up, ok?"

Natasha put her hand on Calpurnia's head gently, kissing her forehead.

"I love you." she said. "Get some rest."

She let go of her friend's hand reluctantly, backing herself up to the door before she made herself turn away. The nurse gave her a small smile when she left the room.

"Would you like me to contact you when she wakes up?"  
"Yes please."

Natasha walked back to the waiting room. Garrus stood at the sight of her, pulling her into a hug when she walked up to him.

"How is she?"  
"She's sleeping, she looks just like normal."

Caeus was even more relieved to know that she was stable. Garrus looked over at him, nodding.

"Go see her." he said.

Caeus didn't argue. He just nodded back at him, walking to the door in silence. Natasha knitted her eyebrows at Garrus, letting go of him.

"He has no right." she said.

Garrus just gave her a small smile, knowing she'd be protective until he told her what really happened. He made her sit down, holding her hands and taking a deep breath before he told her the real story.

* * *

_Rayhel sat at the table in the mess hall, her head lowered as she ate her food in silence. It'd been a few weeks since she'd arrived at the base. She was growing accustomed to the military life they were training the recruits for. She was the only girl on her squad, which wasn't easy to deal with at first, but she grew used to it. Everyone in her age group didn't seem to mind. She wasn't much interested in the boys. All of them were just as young and stupid as she was, she didn't even try to make friends with them. They worked as a team in the drills and on the training courses, but otherwise, she kept herself secluded. Her drill instructor made sure to correct it anytime he saw it, which was why her stomach dropped when he walked into the mess hall. She closed her eyes, praying to the spirits that he'd leave her be for this time, but she wasn't so lucky._

_"Vakarian!"_

_She stood, saluting him._

_"Sir."_  
_"What the hell are you doing all the way over here? Your squad is over there!" he pointed at the boys who were now watching as she was scolded._  
_"I'm sorry sir!"_  
_"I don't have time for your shit apologies, get your ass over there!"_  
_"Yes sir!"_

_She picked up her tray of food quickly, walking over to the boys who made room for her. She hated that she had to act friendly to people she didn't know, but this was why she joined the military. She had to do this. She silently blamed her aunt for having such a negative social influence on her. Once the instructor left, the boy next to her nudged her arm. She glanced at him, before going back to focusing on her food._

_"You scared of us?" he joked._  
_"Hardly." she scoffed._  
_"What do you expect from her?" the boy across from her laughed. "She's a spectre's daughter, of course she hates everyone else."_  
_"Fuck off, you don't know anything about me."_

_The boy laughed, shaking his head as he shoveled more food into his mouth._

_"I rest my case. Just know the military works just as hard as your dad."_  
_"None of you will ever live up to what my dad is."_  
_"Which one?" he scoffed._

_There was only a fraction of a second that allowed Rayhel to consider taking a deep breath and brushing off the comment, but the rest of the second left her to convince herself that knocking the boy out was a better idea. As soon as she stood and lunged her fist across the table to hit his face, the drill instructors blew their whistles and rushed to break up the fight. By the time they got to them, Rayhel had the boy pinned on the floor with one hand, her other hand a firm fist, hitting him as hard as she could._

_She was brought to her feet, and so was the boy, the instructors each yelling at them separately._

_"Vakarian, what the hell are you doing to my mess hall?!"_

_Rayhel stiffened as she stood at attention, taking a few deep breaths before mustering her courage to speak._

_"Nothing sir!"_  
_"Vakarian, what do you think would happen if you and him got into it on a battlefield? Do you think the enemy will not fuck you up because you two have a pointless feud? Or maybe you don't care about this because you think you're so damn special. Spectres child, doesn't have to listen to shit."_  
_"No sir!"_  
_"If I catch anything like this again I will personally lodge my foot in your ass and kick it out of this squad. What would daddy think then?!" Rayhel was silent, knowing no matter what she said, it'd be wrong. Silence was just as wrong, but she didn't say a word. He stared at her, waiting for a response before turning to the rest of the squad who watched. "Everyone outside. Time to P.T., courtesy of Vakarian. Let's move!"_

_Rayhel regretted her actions after realizing the whole squad would be punished for it. She kept her distance from the boy until the drill instructor forced them to work side-by-side. It was a long process, but it served it's purpose to teach her to keep her hands to herself for the rest of the time she was there._

* * *

Caeus stared at Calpurnia as she slept, running the memories of her getting gunned down through his head. He got more and more upset each time he remembered what she looked like when she got hit. The sight of her sinking down to her knees on the floor, coughing up her own blood from the damage of the gunshot. He winced, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. In the moment he spent with his eyes off of her, she'd started waking up. He watched her anxiously as she stirred, her eyes blinking open groggily. She groaned as she looked around, her eyes finding him finally. He stood still, staring down at her. His heart quickened when she gave him a weak smile.

"Hey you."

He moved closer to her as she reached out a hand for him. He took it gingerly.

"Hi."  
"How long was I out?"  
"You were in surgery for about an hour. I've been here for fifteen minutes or so."  
"Where's Natasha?"  
"She's sleeping. She came to see you after you were out of surgery, but you were asleep."  
"Is Rayhel here?"  
"Garrus too."

Calpurnia seemed to relax slightly, giving him a soft look.

"Did you get fired?"

Caeus laughed.

"Not yet."  
"Are they…. All?"  
"Yeah. They're gone."

She sighed, shaking her head.

"Damn people." she said.  
"I'm sorry." he told her. "I really am."

She shook her head again.

"This isn't your fault… You kept us safe."  
"I never wanted you to get hurt."  
"I'm alright."

He bit down his guilt, trying desperately to just enjoy the fact that she was alive. He couldn't help but run the events through his head, as if scolding himself would help anything. He just stared at her as she smiled at him, obviously happy that he was there. He put a hand on her face, doing his best to return the smile.

"I was worried."  
"I'm fine."

He sighed, shaking his head slightly.

"Let's avoid this in the future."  
"Deal." she replied, her hand idly running over the blankets that covered her abdomen. "It hurts, getting shot."

Caeus couldn't help but laugh at the woman. She smiled back at him as they both enjoyed being able to see each other. Caeus waited for a few more minutes before he decided it was appropriate to call Natasha and Garrus into the room to speak with Calpurnia. Garrus came in to say hi for a few moments, but he left Natasha to sleep with Rayhel in the waiting room. When he was done visiting, Caeus settled down in the chair next to Calpurnia.

"You can sleep in the waiting room if it's more comfortable." she offered.

He leaned back in the chair, finding a comfortable spot before letting out an exhausted breath.

"I'm comfortable right here."

* * *

_"I present to you the graduated recruits of the turian basic training."_

_Natasha smiled widely, looking at the line of turians that stood, saluting their instructor. He went down the line, presenting all of them with pins. He stopped at Rayhel, pinning the pin to her blue shirt._

_"Rayhel Vakarian." he said, looking at her sternly._

_Garrus smiled as Natasha clapped with the rest of the crowd that had gathered for the graduation. He saw her tears of pride fall down her cheeks, which she didn't care to wipe away. He watched their daughter accept the pin before the instructor continued down the line. He felt his own pride rising in his chest at the sight of her among the other soldiers._

_After the ceremony was finished, Rayhel eagerly found her parents, running to hug Garrus tightly._

_"I missed you guys so much!" she said into his shoulder._  
_"We missed you too." Natasha replied as Rayhel moved to hug her now._  
_"I'm proud of you." Garrus said._

_Rayhel smiled at him, obviously touched that he'd say so. Natasha smiled at the silent exchange of respect between the two._

_"We're going to have a dinner outing tonight." she said, getting Rayhel's attention again._  
_"Where?"_  
_"Wherever you want to go. Your aunt and uncle are quite excited to see you."_

_Rayhel smiled happily._

_"I can't wait to see them."_  
_"She's been going crazy for the past three days straight. She wanted to throw you a huge party with some drinks and everything. I told her no."_  
_"Way to keep her under control." Rayhel laughed._

* * *

It was a while before Caeus was able to fall asleep, despite his exhaustion from the day. He held Calpurnia's hand as she rested in the hospital bed. He tried taking comfort in the fact that she was alive and well, but he kept reminding himself that it was his actions that led her here. He told himself he'd have to quit his job. There was no way he'd be able to go back undercover, the Blue Suns would know by now. Even if they didn't, he didn't have the heart to go back. He had to take care of her until she was healthy enough on her own again. He silently swore to himself that he wouldn't leave her side unless she wanted him to. His mind wandered to thoughts of what Garrus would do now that their base had been found. After thinking it over for a while, his eyes started falling shut. He stopped thinking of it for the night, settling on one final thought before he let sleep overcome him.

Whatever Garrus needed to do next, Caeus would be right there to help. He owed them that much. He owed Calpurnia that much.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey guys!**

**Gosh, it's been crazy, and this chapter is so damn long. So hopefully you guys appreciate it. (; On the other hand, guess who finally played that Citadel dlc? This chick. Guess who absolutely loved it. This chick. (:**

**Please feel free to rate, review, and even PM me if you have anything you'd like to say.**

**Thanks!**

* * *

_*beep*_ … _*beep*_

Natasha knitted her eyebrows as she was pulled from her sleep. She groaned, looking around for Rayhel.

_*beep*_

She sat up, realizing the sound that woke her wasn't her daughter, but her Omni tool. Garrus slept in the chair next to her, Rayhel in his arms. Natasha laid her head back down, seeing it was 0400.

_*beep*_

She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to make the sting in them disappear as she blocked out the noise.

_*beep*_

She sighed as Rayhel chirped lightly, opening the Omni tool to shut it up. She squinted her eyes, letting the incoming transmission through.

_"Natasha?"_  
"Who is this?"  
_"It's Melanis."_

Natasha rubbed her face, knowing she was far too tired to handle a phone call. Being half asleep was making her hear things.

"I'm sorry, who is this?" she asked, trying to wake up.  
_"Natasha, you have to come get me. It's Melanis."_

The man on the line was beginning to make her angry.

"Melanis is dead, who is this?" she asked irritably.  
_"I'm alive, I'm at headquarters. I used Omni gel. The mercs are dead. I need help."_

The man was talking rather fast, making Natasha even more frightened as she listened to him. She put her hand up, as if to slow him down, even though she knew he couldn't see her.

"Slow down. How did you even survive?"  
_"I heard the gunshots, I hid, I didn't have a gun. By the time I came out, the shots were over. Everyone's dead. I need a doctor."_  
"I can't…." she started, then shook her head. "I can't leave where I'm at, but I can send Garrus-"  
_"No, don't send Garrus!"_ The man seemed angry now, sighing heavily. _"I need you, Natasha. I trust you."_  
"We're a team, we all trust each other, I'm not going without Garrus."  
_"Garrus won't understand, he'll just kill me."_

Natasha considered what Garrus would do or say to Melanis, knowing he hid away while the rest of the team got shot down, including Calpurnia. She sighed, running a hand through her hair.

"Fine." she replied, getting to her feet. "I'll come get you, but I'm taking you straight to the hospital. Garrus will want an explanation whether he's here or there."  
_"I'll come up with something."_

Natasha closed out the transmission, looking around the dark room before setting her eyes on Garrus. Rayhel snored loudly beside him. Natasha smiled before walking out of the room, wondering if she'd be able to handle getting Melanis back to the hospital alone. She bit her lip, stopping in the middle of the hallway to look over at Calpurnia's room. Melanis requested she didn't bring Garrus, but he didn't say anything about bringing other help.

Caeus was shifting in his chair when she got to the doorway of the room. He caught sight of her, blinking a few times before sitting up straight.

"How is she?" Natasha asked.  
"She's been sleeping all night, so I'm guessing she's not in pain."

Natasha smiled slightly before folding her arms over her chest.

"I got a call, and I need to go back to the base."  
"What? Why?"  
"Melanis is alive and he needs medical attention, and I'm going back whether you agree to help or not."  
"Natasha, everyone was dead. There's no way…"  
"He said he hid, because he didn't have a gun."

Caeus seemed to think it over before sighing. He stood, letting go of Calpurnia's hand to walk over to her.

"Why are you asking me, and not Garrus?"  
"Melanis is scared that Garrus will kill him for deserting his team in a fire fight."

Caeus seemed to understand, straightening up in front of her.

"Let's go."

* * *

_"More drinks!"_

_Natasha and Rayhel laughed as Calpurnia waved down the bartender from their little table. Natasha shook her head at her friend._

_"You can't just flag them down, you have to go get your own."_

_The bartender brought them another round, though he seemed unhappy about having to do it. Calpurnia had had more than a few. Natasha could tell she was getting a bit tipsy, and she was just starting._

_"The pace you've set for yourself would hint to the untrained eye that you've never bonded before." Rayhel said with a laugh, watching Calpurnia chug down another glass._  
_"I'm not drinking away nerves, I'm just having fun." Calpurnia replied._  
_"As if this is your last night of freedom." Natasha said before taking a drink from her own glass._  
_"It's an excuse to have fun, let me drink!" Calpurnia said before downing another glass._

_Rayhel shook her head, staring down at her own drink with a small smile. Calpurnia nudged her._

_"I could get you laid tonight."_

_Rayhel laughed at her, shaking her head._

_"I'm good."_  
_"Come on, you're young and fresh in the military. I bet that guy would go for you."_

_Calpurnia pointed at a turian who stood at the bar. Rayhel shook her head._

_"I'm quite alright, thanks."_  
_"He's cute, right?" Calpurnia asked, looking at Natasha for some back-up._  
_"Sure." Natasha replied, half glancing at the man in question. "Go for it sweetie."_  
_"I don't want to guys."_

_Rayhel suddenly felt the need to drink with them, though she knew she couldn't._

_"Here."_

_Calpurnia seemed to read Rayhel's thoughts, sliding her glass to the girl. Rayhel huffed out a laugh._

_"I'm fifteen."_  
_"Shit, I was drinking at fifteen."_  
_"Look how that turned out." Natasha laughed, looking at the empty glasses that sat in front of Calpurnia._  
_"I'll have you know, it's common for young turians to drink."_  
_"Yet it's still illegal." Rayhel countered._  
_"Just drink and hush."_

_Rayhel looked to her mother for permission. Natasha shrugged._

_"Don't tell your Dad." she said, tipping her glass up again._

_Rayhel reluctantly took a drink from the glass, glancing around as if the bartender would come over and knock it from her grasp if he saw it. The drink burned down her throat, though she enjoyed the taste._

_"I won't tell your Dad if you choose to go home with someone." Calpurnia said._  
_"I'm not interested." Rayhel said firmly._  
_"Why not?"_

_Rayhel sighed, taking another drink from the glass._

_"He's not my type."_  
_"How do you know?"_  
_"He's just not." she shrugged. "I want someone that Dad approves of, not some guy for the night that I won't see again in my life."_

_Natasha smiled proudly, but Calpurnia scoffed, folding her arms across her chest._

_"It's funner than it sounds."_  
_"I'll be sure to tell your soon-to-be bondmate that." Natasha replied._  
_"Look, it's just expected that a turian is casual, most are at her age."_  
_"I'm not most." Rayhel said._

_Natasha couldn't help the proud smile as it returned. Calpurnia scoffed again._

_"Drink a few more, we'll see what you say then."_

* * *

Natasha looked over the bridge of the base, taking a deep breath. Caeus stayed in the shadows. He'd told her to be cautious, in case it was a trap. He was to stay hidden so that she'd have some backup if needed. She walked across the bridge silently. Upon entering the living area, she saw ten bodies lined up along the wall, all with blankets over them. She knitted her eyebrows. There was only supposed to be nine. She went to turn back, her heart filling with doubt and regret as she was greeted by a man she didn't recognize.

"You must be Natasha." he said with a smirk.  
"Who are you?"

She recognized the armor he wore and she knew the Blue Suns hadn't given up.

"You're Archangel's girl, aren't you?"

Natasha took a deep breath, glancing around the room as others surrounded her. She gave the man a look.

"What's it to you?"  
"Well. See, one of your guys shot our leader-"  
"It wasn't him."  
"I'm aware. You guys sent a mole to infiltrate us. Unfortunately, I'm the next in line. We're far from over."

Natasha tried playing off her fear, folding her arms across her chest and smirking back at him.

"So am I supposed to be scared?" she asked, looking around at the men. "You have what, five guys here?"

The man stepped forward, reaching out for her, playing with her hair, his smirk still planted on his face.

"This is going to be fun." he said simply. She idly wondered what that would mean, but she was sure it wouldn't take long to find out. She knew there were more, but she doubted the whole mercenary group would bunker down here to wait for four people. She batted his hand away as he stroked her face. He laughed shortly. "Feisty. I suppose Archangel picks them well. I hope his right hand impresses me."

Natasha balled her hand into a fist and swung it in the air, successfully hitting his face. He let his head fall to the side for a moment before smiling back at her.

"You killed my men." she said, her teeth clenched.  
"You're next." he replied, give his men a signal before putting his finger to his earpiece. His face changed to irritation quickly, looking around the base's living area. "Where?"

Natasha was grabbed, her arms behind her back as she figured they'd caught Caeus sneaking around outside, her spirits dampening slightly. He was the only fall back she had. She bit her lip, waiting for the men to do whatever they had planned for her. The man finally dropped his finger from his ear, looking over at her.

"Smart enough to not come alone." he smirked.

Sure enough, two men strode in with a struggling Caeus, forcing him to his knees in front of their leader. Natasha hung her head briefly as the man walked around Caeus in a circle, as if inspecting him for something.

"Let her go." Caeus said with a nod in Natasha's direction.  
"Why would I do that?" the man laughed.  
"There's plenty of reasons. She's a Mom, and a woman. If you plan on hitting her, plan on having to beat me down too."  
"I'll manage."  
"Well if those reasons don't stop you, you can always just remind yourself that she's Archangel's right hand. He'll kill you for this."  
"I suppose he could try."  
"Pretty cocky for someone who was just promoted a day ago."

The man tilted his head at Caeus, a smile spreading across his lips.

"You're not even a part of the team, are you? You're the mole."  
"You're just mad I killed your boss."

The man's smile faltered slightly as he squatted down in front of Caeus.

"You killed some of my men fighting your way out of here. We're even."  
"You killed my men." Natasha spoke up.

The man just smiled, not looking over at her. She desperately wanted to smack the look off of his smug face. He stood up straight, pulling out his pistol to point it at Caeus. Natasha was quick to let out a string of incoherent words as she struggled to find something to stall him with.

"What do you want?" she asked. "There has to be something you're interested in, something you want to call it even. What is it?"

He looked over at her as she prattled on, letting his hand fall to his side. She bit down the urge to give him a nasty look as he smirked at her.

"What are you offering?"  
"Anything."  
"What if I just killed him and took what I wanted?"

His eyes traveled down her body, then back up to her face. She forced back the snarl that threatened to curl on her lip.

"What would be the fun in that? Archangel would just come after you. Why not call it a truce?"

The man seemed to weigh her words, looking around at his men, then down to Caeus, then back to her.

"Put her in the room." he ordered.

The man who held Natasha's arms behind her back led her away from the living area, forcing her up the stairs of the base. He was forceful with her, squeezing her arm tightly before shoving her forward and locking her in a room. She let out a few panicked breaths as she raced to think of a solution. She opened her Omni tool, praying to whatever Gods there were out there that Garrus would wake up enough to answer his call. She closed her eyes, waiting to hear his voice. The call ended after a moment, her Omni tool shutting. She groaned, trying again. It failed. She felt her anxiety beginning to spill over as she paced the small room. The door opened after a few moments of silence. The man smirked at her again, locking down the door. She did her best to suck it up and be tough, but she had never felt so scared. Even when she had to shoot down the first intruder on Omega, she wasn't this scared. The way the man looked at her, the way he smiled, all of it just screamed horror to her. She stepped backwards as he tried advancing on her, her back pressing to a wall. He put his hand on her face, running it gently down her neck, resting it on her shoulder. He let his face move inches from hers, his breath hot on her cheek, his other hand wandering on her hip. She moved her head to the side, desperately wishing she could disappear through the wall.

"What would Archangel think if he could see this?" he asked gruffly. "What would his reaction be to me touching you like this?"

Natasha closed her eyes, swallowing the lump in her throat, doing her best to refrain from crying.

"I think Archangel is a fake. I think he's nothing but a regular guy with a death wish."

His words pricked at Natasha's patience, which she had so little to begin in the first place. She bit back any response to his words, not giving him the satisfaction. He kissed her cheek softly, pushing his chest to hers.

"What would he say to this?" he purred. "What would he do if he saw me in his territory?"  
"He'd break every bone in your body."

Natasha opened her eyes, looking past the man to see Garrus. His rifle was raised at the man, a growl in his chest. A wave of relief flooded every inch of Natasha's body as she watched the man step away from her. She eyed the gun in his holster, biting her lip before reaching out for him. He struggled against her, but she managed to get it away from his grasp, pointing it back at him. He chuckled.

"So what now, Archangel?" he said, putting his hands up in the air lazily. "You going to kill me? Torture me?"  
"I'm going to give her the chance to do whatever she wants to do in defense of herself before I decide what I'll do."

Natasha stared at the man as Garrus spoke, then shook her head.

"I want nothing to do with this pathetic waste of air." she spat back, inching closer to Garrus' side.  
"Well that settles that." he replied, staring the man down.  
"You'll never get rid of us all, Archangel. You'll lose. You'll get everyone killed, even your little bitch." Garrus stepped forward, putting the barrel of his gun to the man's chest. "I just regret not being able to watch it happen when you die."  
"My apologies." Garrus replied before lifting his gun to the man's head and pulling the trigger.

Natasha jumped slightly, looking away from the lifeless corpse that hit the ground. Garrus turned to her, taking her hand and leading her from the room. She pulled at him, planting her feet on the ground and shaking her head frantically.

"No, there's mercs down there!" she hissed.  
"How do you think I got in here? The basement? Come on."

She followed him down the stairs, seeing Caeus in the living area with a gun, standing amongst the dead bodies. Natasha looked at Garrus with worry.

"Where is Rayhel?"  
"With Calpurnia."

Natasha groaned.

"You woke her up to babysit?"  
"Relax, everything's fine."

Just as Garrus said the words, there was a loud bang outside the base. They all rushed to the door, seeing what had caused it. Two heavy mechs advanced on the bridge, pointing their rockets at them and firing.

"Move!" Caeus yelled, pushing Natasha back in the base.

They fell to the ground as Garrus got the door closed. Natasha got to her feet quickly, picking up the gun she'd dropped.

"You just had to say something!" she told Garrus, hitting his chest.  
"Let's go. Higher ground will give us a chance."

* * *

_Rayhel looked to her CO, saluting him firmly. He returned the gesture before shaking her hand._

_"Some fine work you did back there, Vakarian."_  
_"Thank you, sir."_  
_"Take a seat." Rayhel sat one of the chairs in front of the man's desk, being sure to sit as straight and proper as she could. The man chuckled. "At ease."_

_She let herself relax slightly, but she kept in mind that she was in front of a CO. He pulled out a bottle and two glasses, pouring some alcohol into them. He put one in front of her and took the other for himself. She stared down at it._

_"Don't drink?"_  
_"I'm fifteen, sir." she replied._  
_"Drink, Vakarian. It's alright." She took a small sip from the glass, doing her best to keep the nagging regret from her mind. "What's your goal in the military?"_

_The question took her by surprise, though she thought it was fair of him to ask. She cleared her throat._

_"To be the best I can."_  
_"I wasn't asking because this is a test, Vakarian, I want to know what you're working towards."_

_She took a deep breath, glancing around the room as she shifted in her chair._

_"I want to make my parents proud of me. I want to work up the ranks. Do some good for my homeworld."_  
_"How far up the ranks do you want to go?"_  
_"As far as the military takes me."_  
_"Your Dad is a spectre."_

_Rayhel wondered if it was a statement or a question. She nodded regardless._

_"Yes sir."_  
_"Ever think about it?"_  
_"I suppose…"_  
_"I'm surprised." he laughed. "Any good turian would say no, that it's not right."_

_Rayhel gave him a weak smile, shrugging slightly._

_"I've always looked up to my father, sir. He does his race proud."_  
_"That he does." the man said, filling his glass with more alcohol. He let out a sigh, leaning back in his chair. "Vakarian, I know you've only been with us for a short time, but in the few months I've watched you work on your missions, I can't help but to be impressed. You have your father's talent for success."_

_Rayhel smiled, though the technicality of his statement nagged at her. She tried accepting the compliment for what it was, but she couldn't help but to pick it apart._

_"Thank you sir."_  
_"There's a job offer that I need to assign someone to. Out of the recruits that came in with your squad, you're the best candidate."_  
_"Thank you sir."_  
_"The thing is, it's a bit of a promotion."_  
_"Sir?"_  
_"You'd be promoted to Service Chief, in order to run this mission smoothly. I can't send a private to deal with this kind of thing."_  
_"Oh." It was all Rayhel could say after his words. She was quite surprised that she'd be pushed up the totem pole if she accepted. She hated how it would look to others. She didn't want special treatment just because of who her Dad was. She wanted to work for her earnings. Though he was telling her she had proved herself the best of her little squad, others would assume she was being favored. She sighed, realizing she had grown silent in thought. The commander waited patiently, drinking from his glass in the silence. "If I've earned it, I can do it, sir."_  
_"Glad to hear it." he replied, opening his Omni tool. "I'll make sure it's official in our files."_  
_"Thank you sir."_  
_"You're excused, Vakarian."_

_Rayhel stood, saluting him before she left._

* * *

"You might wanna go say something." Garrus looked at Caeus, who nodded at Natasha. Garrus felt his heart break at the sight of her in a corner of the room, her knees curled up to her face as she cried on the floor, her hair falling around her shoulders like a cocoon. "I'll watch the bridge."

Garrus leaned his rifle up against the wall, walking over to her. He wondered which one of the many things going on was bugging her so much. He kneeled down next to her, putting a hand on her shoulder. She lifted her head to wipe her tears, looking him in the eyes.

"What is it?" he asked hesitantly.

She sniffled, shaking her head.

"I want my daughter." she cried. "I want her, and I want to be safe. I wish I could take it back, I'm so stupid."

She put her face in her hands, crying harder now. Garrus reached out, putting his hands on either side of her cheeks, making her look at him.

"Natasha, you are not stupid. The reason you came here is one of the reasons I love you. You care for the people around you so much."  
"If I die, she doesn't have a mother anymore, and if you die, she doesn't have a Dad, and she'll grow up without parents-"  
"Quit it." He could tell she was going to have a panic attack if he didn't get her out of here soon. He wiped the fresh tears from her face, giving her a small smile. "I love you."  
"I love you." she said with a deep breath.  
"I'm going to get you to safety. Someday, I promise."

She laughed at him, looking over to where Caeus stood.

"If he dies, Calpurnia will be all alone again."  
"Stop. We're going to get out of this."  
"We've been up here for two days, Calpurnia is worried as hell."  
"It's going to take time, they've got us pinned down pretty badly."  
"I just wanna go somewhere and be able to call it home without it falling apart."  
"I know you do."  
"Garrus."

He looked up to Caeus, who nodded towards the bridge. Natasha got to her feet with Garrus, walking over to the window to see what was there.

"Freelancers." Garrus noted.  
"Are we so bad that everyone on Omega wants us dead?" Natasha asked.  
"Let's take care of them quickly." Caeus told them.

Natasha stepped away from the window as Garrus and Caeus started shooting at the people who threatened their safety. Moments went by as they gunned the mercs down, using the last few clips of ammo they had left. After Garrus loaded the last clip into his rifle, Natasha heard yelling from down below. She looked over at the two of them. They watched for a moment before continuing their shooting.

"They're with Archangel!"

She knitted her eyebrows, walking over to the door they'd locked down.

"What are you doing?!" Garrus yelled at her as she unlocked it.  
"Those people are on our side!"  
"Get in here!"

He walked over to her and grabbed her arm, yanking her back in the room and locking it down again.

"We have to help them get to us!"  
"Natasha, stay in this room."

She hated how he spoke to her, as if she was a child. She looked away from him, which merited him walking away. He went back to shooting as a pounding rang out against the door. Caeus and Garrus aimed their guns at it, as ready as they could be for what was on the other side.

* * *

_It was easy being a Service Chief. Rayhel loved the job. It was easy, and the crewmates on her ship were brilliant. She disliked being in a new squad, but she enjoyed the fact that she was branching out into her career. The lack of contact between her parents and herself was discomforting, though. She hated not having time to talk to them._

_Hanging up the call she'd sent out to them was hard tonight, her reluctance very heavy as she closed out her Omni tool. Her mother had told her she was proud of her and that she was loved. Rayhel had always known her parents held her in high regard. She was their only child, but she knew she was different than other people. She'd heard their story of survival amongst everything the galaxy had went through a few years back, and she admired them both for everything. She had faint memories of how it was back then, but from what she did remember, she knew she liked it more now that there was peace everywhere. Well, almost everywhere._

_She'd been assigned to a team that was helping stabilize the boarders on Tuchanka. There were so many krogan nowadays that they were on the brink of cival war. There were only so many clan leaders to control them. It was a pity, but at least they weren't attacking Palaven, or Sur'Kesh. Rayhel shook her head at herself for thinking that way. The turians and salarians weren't any better than any other species. She had to get herself in a neutral train of thought if she wanted to keep this job. It was important that she wasn't racist on the krogan's home world._

_She pushed her food away from her, leaning back in her chair in the mess hall of the ship. She heard footsteps behind her before seeing one of her squad mates in the kitchen. He got himself some food before walking over and sitting across from her. He was silent as he ate, making her smile slightly._

_"Hi." she said, wondering if he was pretending he didn't see her._  
_"Hi."_  
_"I'm Rayhel."_  
_"I know."_

_She looked around the room, biting back her smile now._

_"What's your name?"_  
_"Cyrus."_  
_"How long have you been here?"_

_He looked up from his food, chewing it for a while before finally giving her an answer._

_"I've been a part of this squad for six years."_  
_"Wow. That's impressive."_  
_"Not as impressive as you being promoted to Service Chief after only six months of active duty."_

_Rayhel shied away from his comment, pretending to scratch her face as she went silent._

_"It's not that impressive when you remember her father is a spectre."_

_Rayhel sighed, looking over at the other turian that had joined them in the room._

_"I got to where I am because of my hard work. My father has nothing to do with it."_  
_"Right. Living up to a dead spectre is kinda hard."_

_She felt her chest tighten, her anger swelling up quickly. She didn't look at him._

_"Shut up." Cyrus said. "You two are going to get along or you're going to get thrown out an airlock."_  
_"Just getting some food." the other turian snickered, turning around the prepare himself a plate._

_Cyrus looked at Rayhel, who was still battling to keep her anger down. He took another bite of his food before narrowing his eyes at her._

_"I wasn't aware your father passed away."_

_Rayhel looked at him, confusion clear on her face. She shook her head._

_"My father's name is Garrus. He's alive."_  
_"I think he's asking about the one I referenced." the other turian said, sitting down next to Cyrus. "Tell us a story."_  
_"You obviously already know it."_  
_"Enlighten me." Cyrus replied._

_Rayhel glared at the other turian before shifting her eyes to Cyrus._

_"Do I have to?"_  
_"He does outrank you."_

_Rayhel rolled her eyes, sighing heavily._

_"Garrus isn't my biological father, he adopted me a long time ago." she said with a dry tone._  
_"Who's your father?"_  
_"Nihlus Kryik."_  
_"Really?"_

_Rayhel shook her head, rolling her eyes again._

_"I have nothing to do with him. I don't even know him, I never have. Garrus is my father."_  
_"Bitter." the turian sang, looking down at his food._  
_"Shut up." Cyrus said, nudging his arm before looking back to Rachel. "So what does that matter?"_  
_"Turians see my mother as an unfaithful bondmate and my father as a bondmate stealer, I suppose."_  
_"I don't see it that way."_  
_"Yeah, look at your family though." the unidentified turian said._  
_"Point taken." Cyrus replied._

_Rayhel could tell it was a hard topic for him aswell as he pushed his food around lazily._

_"Some turians are just too quick to judge." Rayhel said. "My parents are great people."_  
_"I believe you."_

_The other turian scoffed, shoveling food into his mouth as he shook his head._

_"And who are you to judge what my parents do in life?" she asked, biting back her anger again._  
_"This is Darius. He's an ass, but you'll learn to love him." Cyrus told her._  
_"Or not."_

_Cyrus laughed, though Darius looked up at her with surprise._

_"You may look like a nice piece of ass to the crew, and you may be a spectre's daughter, but you have to earn my respect."_  
_"Wouldn't have it any other way. Just remember it goes both ways."_

_Darius went back to his food and the room went silent._

* * *

Natasha stared in disbelief at the man who stood in front of her. He looked between Garrus and Natasha, holstering his weapon and stepping forward.

"Shepard?" Natasha said, her eyebrows knit tightly together.  
"Archangel?" he replied with a small laugh.  
"That'd be me." Garrus replied, holding his hand out. Shepard shook it as the squad mates that had followed him up put their weapons away. "We don't have much time for catching up, we're in a bit of a jam."  
"Let me help you out then."  
"How'd you find us?" Natasha asked.  
"I came to recruit Archangel."  
"Listen, help me out of here and I'll see what I can do to help you."

Shepard agreed to help them, going down to the basement to hold off some mercs who had found their way inside. Returning from the lower levels, Shepard made his way to the over watch of the bridge with Garrus and Caeus. The mercs continued to throw themselves against their defenses, trying to pull attention off the incoming gunship. Natasha took cover, flinching as bullets blazed the surrounding area, barely missing Garrus. She felt her heart sink as the bullets suddenly became rockets, finally bringing an end to Archangel's luck. Blood began to puddle underneath of Garrus as he laid motionless on the ground. Natasha didn't stay in cover to wait for the gunship to be gone. She ran to Garrus' side, tears in her eyes as she took in the sight of all the blood. She laid her body over top of his as the final shot rang out making the gunship fall from the air. She felt hands pulling her from him once it was over.

* * *

_"Vakarian, get on that gun!" Rayhel ran to the turret and climbed up the small ladder. She fired it at the enemy she faced, not letting up as they dropped. Once all of them were clear, she got off of it, taking a deep breath as her squad grouped together. The battle simulation faded away, the walls of the ship coming back to view. "Nice job guys."_

_Rayhel took off her armor as everyone unloaded their guns and took care of their own armor. She felt a hand on her back as she unbuckled her boots. Cyrus smiled at her._

_"Nice job."_  
_"Thanks."_  
_"You're getting the hang of it quickly."_  
_"This ship is amazing. The simulators help a lot."_  
_"The gun doesn't hold the talent, you do."_  
_"Thank you sir."_  
_"Keep it up."_  
_"Yes sir."_

_Rayhel enjoyed her new CO. He was encouraging, but he didn't treat her any different from the other squad mates. She wished the other squad mates would treat her like that too. She looked over at them as she settled into her casual clothes. Two of them smirked her way, making her roll her eyes._

_"They've really gotta get that subtle thing down still."_

_Rayhel looked over at Darius, who leaned against his locker. She smiled back at him._

_"They're boys."_  
_"It doesn't bother you?"_  
_"It did back in basic training, but you get used to it."_  
_"Don't you wanna knock them out when they stare?"_

_Rayhel laughed, remembering a time when she was in public with her father. A young turian was eyeing her and Garrus stepped in front of her, staring the boy down until he was scared enough to run off. She laughed, shaking her head._

_"No."_  
_"I suppose it's not so bad. You could have nightly visitors, right?"_  
_"Yeah, I think I might start hitting people if they did that."_  
_"Gotta draw a line somewhere." he laughed. Rayhel enjoyed getting to know the boy on her squad. She seemed to be gaining his respect more and more every time they practiced with the battle simulator. "Well. I should get some sleep. You should too. Big day tomorrow."_  
_"Yeah I know. It's my first high risk mission." she replied, not looking at him now._  
_"Can I tell you something?" She nodded, putting her gun in her locker. "It's my first high risk mission too."_

_She looked at him with a relieved smile._

_"Thank the spirits."_

_He chuckled, nodding at the elevator of the cargo bay._

_"Come on." She followed him gladly, knowing her bed was just a floor above where they were now. Her hopes were dimming slightly at the slow speed of the elevator. She tapped her foot impatiently. He laughed at her again. "You alright?"_  
_"I want to be rested enough. I have to make sure I bring my all tomorrow."_  
_"Ray, you'll be fine."_

_She tried hiding the smile that the nickname brought on, though she didn't understand why. He'd never called her something other than 'Vakarian' before._

_"You will too." she replied._  
_"I'm not worried. We just have to go be diplomatic."_  
_"Against some krogan. A whole turian ship. Yeah. I need to be ready."_  
_"Scared?" he asked, stepping off the elevator with her after it came to a halt._  
_"I'm not scared of them, I'm just not a good speaker."_  
_"Good thing the CO will be doing the talking."_  
_"Until things go to shit and we have to fight our way back to the ship."_  
_"I'll be with you. I'll even save you when you get shot." She laughed as they reached her quarters. She turned to him, seeing a smile on his face. He seemed to catch himself after they stared at each other, shaking off the smile. "Sleep good."_  
_"Maybe if I was with you, you'd sleep good too." She wished she could suck the words back into her mouth as she put her hand over her face. He laughed at her. "Sorry, that was wrong."_  
_"Well. That was easy."_  
_"Shut up."_

_He took a step closer to her, giving her a genuine smile again._

_"Have a good night."_  
_"You too."_  
_"See you bright and early." he said, stepping back down the hallway._  
_"Gonna talk down some krogan." she replied with a thumb up._  
_"Night."_  
_"Goodnight."_

_He disappeared into his own room before she disappeared into her own. She tried shaking the odd feeling she had in her chest, but it wouldn't settle. She sighed heavily, sitting down on her bed and rubbing her face. She didn't even know how to prepare for this mission, but she was determined to do her best down there tomorrow. Sleep would be the first factor in doing her best. Without much more thought about her turian friend or the mission ahead, she laid down and closed her eyes, sleep taking over her quickly._

* * *

Natasha wiped the tears from her daughter's eyes as she held her in her arms. Calpurnia gave her a sorrowful look.

"He'll make it." she said softly.  
"I want daddy!" Rayhel cried.  
"He's alright baby, you just have to wait."  
"I don't want to!"

Natasha heard a small growl coming from her daughter. She was just as scared as the child was. The doctors had taken him in to stop the bleeding and get his face bandaged, but Natasha knew it was worse than that. She wondered if surgery would be needed. Calpurnia sat up in her bed, looking over at Caeus as he entered the hospital room. Her face lit up as she reached her arms out for him.

"Where have you been?!" she asked as he bent down to hug her.  
"I was getting anything important I needed from my apartment."  
"Why?"  
"Shepard is here to recruit Garrus."  
"What does that have to do with you though?"  
"I'm not leaving Calpurnia. Wherever you want to go, I'm going too."  
"What about your job?"  
"Yeah, that's long gone."

Natasha could tell that Calpurnia was genuinely touched. Rayhel screamed in anger after breaking free of Natasha's grip. She let out a loud chirp, walking around the room quickly.

"Baby, just wait a bit."  
"I want daddy!"

Natasha groaned, rubbing her temples slowly. Her patience was completely gone. All she wanted was a shower and sleep. She quickly changed the list of wants as she thought of Garrus. Him being alright was definitely the first thing she wanted.

"Well, if Garrus is going, we're all going then." Calpurnia said. "There's no way he's going alone. So I hope Shepard is willing to take us all."  
"I can't even fight." Natasha shrugged, looking at her.  
"Yes you can, you just don't like it. Who does?"  
"Rayhel can't go on that ship."  
"Daddy!"

Rayhel screeched loudly. Natasha grabbed her and pointed at her firmly.

"No."  
"Daddy!"  
"No."

Rayhel blinked at her, an angry look on her face.

"Daddy."  
"No."

Calpurnia bit back her laughter.

"Definitely your child." she whispered.  
"Damn turians." Natasha sighed, leaning back in the chair.

Their attention was brought to the door of the room as a doctor came in.

"We did all we could for Mr. Vakarian, but the damage was irreparable. He suffered some blood loss, but otherwise-"

The doctor was cut off as Garrus strode into the room. Rayhel screeched loudly, running to him. Natasha stood quickly, walking over to him. He had bandages on his face and mandible. She winced slightly.

"No one would give me a mirror. How bad is it?" he asked.  
"Hell Garrus, you were always ugly. Slap some more face paint on there and we'll call it good." Calpurnia laughed.

He laughed before holding his face.

"No one make me laugh, my face isn't holding together enough as it is." Natasha hugged him, happy that he was alright. "Shepard is waiting out there for me."

She nodded, looking to Calpurnia, who worked her way out of bed. She walked with her back hunched slightly, holding her stomach. The doctor protested, but Calpurnia waved her off.

"I've got this." she said, walking to the door, Caeus by her side the whole time.  
"Let's go." Natasha said.  
"We're not all going-" Garrus was interrupted by protests from both of the women before he put a hand up in defense. "Sorry, jeez…."

Natasha walked out to the waiting room, the rest of the turians following her. Shepard stood at the sight of them, a smile on his face.

"Good to see you up and moving, Garrus."  
"Thank you for the help, Shepard." he replied, shaking the man's hand again.  
"Anytime."  
"While I know you were coming to recruit me, I have a gang that refuses to leave my side. I can't go with you without them."

Shepard looked at each of them in turn as if he was weighing the options. He took a deep breath before nodding.

"Alright. They can come."  
"Even my daughter?"

Sheppard gave him a small look of confusion before looking to the turian in his arms. He nodded.

"She's safe on the Normandy."  
"Define safe." Natasha replied, folding her arms over her chest.  
"The Normandy is one of the best ships the council has to offer. She's safe with the team I'm putting together."

Natasha was weary, but she knew her choice had already been made for her. Garrus never left her side when she needed him, and she refused to leave his side when he needed something.

So they went with Shepard aboard the Normandy. They were given a tour and were introduced to the two Cerberus operatives. Natasha hated the idea of working with Cerberus, but she trusted Shepard had a reason for doing so. After everything was settled, the three turians and Natasha sat in the mess hall, talking about the day's events and what it would be like on the Normandy. Natasha listened to them talk, feeling as if she'd fall asleep in her chair if she didn't go to bed soon. She looked down at Rayhel, who sat in her lap, her head lulled over her arm as she snored.

"Well, I'm off to bed." Calpurnia said. "I need rest."  
"We do too." Garrus agreed, standing now.

Natasha stood just to have Rayhel taken from her. Caeus smiled at her.

"You guys go have some 'you' time. We'll watch her." Calpurnia whispered to her.  
"I'm too tired for 'us' time."  
"Buck up."

Natasha laughed, following Garrus out of the mess hall. Their room was small, but Natasha didn't care. All she saw was the bed, and how comfortable it looked. As soon as she laid down, she groaned, letting out a large breath.

"Tired?"  
"Very."  
"It's been a long few days."

She sat up, looking at him as he took off his armor.

"It has."  
"I'm sorry for everything I've put us through."  
"I don't blame you for anything, Garrus. Someday we'll laugh about all of this."

He smiled, wincing afterwards. She gingerly touched the bandages on his face once he sat down on the bed.

"It's not that bad." he reassured her.

She sighed, pulling him in for a kiss. She knew he was just as exhausted as she was, but he still returned the kiss, deepening it as his tongue found hers. She let him push her down to her back and she smiled at him. It'd been a while since they'd had some time alone. They were both grateful for the time they'd been given for the night.

Natasha finally felt safe as she laid in his arms later that night. The ship had a low hum, but she didn't mind the noise. She was safe in the arms of her turian, and she couldn't be happier about it.


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey guys!**

**First off, I'd like to apologize for my lack of updates lately. I am going through a bit of a rough patch right now, and my ambition for writing is just not really present. I am sorry, and I am working on things. Also, I really haven't gotten much feedback from this so I'm kinda putting it on the back burner until I have time and the state of mind to get it running on it's normal schedule.**

**Shout out to ArchelionGen for his awesome ideas and motivation. *heart emote***

**Please feel free to rate, review and even PM me if you have anything you'd like to say.**

**Thanks!**

* * *

Natasha loaded her gun with ease as she sat silently in the cargo bay of the Normandy. She enjoyed the fact that she was getting better with weapons. She hated feeling so dependant on Garrus and Calpurnia, especially when she had a daughter to protect.

This is what she reminded herself when she fought through the prison ship that held one of the recruits Shepard was looking for. She had definitely improved with a gun, and it didn't go unnoticed. Garrus could tell she wasn't having the slight amount of difficulty gunning down the mercs that had chosen to try capturing Shepard once they got to out processing. The Blue Suns seemed to be a reoccurring nuisance for Garrus and Natasha. She thought it was humorously annoying when they walked into the base to see the warden wearing the blue armor so boldly.

She thought she must have had some continuation of courage after the mission was over and the new recruit was successfully aboard the Normandy, since she went down to the lowest deck of the ship to find her, wherever she was hiding. Natasha folded her arms across her chest, a daring look on her face as she walked towards the woman they called Jack.

"What do you want?" she asked lazily.  
"Why were you in jail?" Natasha replied.  
"What's it to you?"  
"I actually don't care why, all I know is you're dangerous. I don't want you near my daughter."

The woman scoffed at her, leaning back on the bunk she'd set up for herself.

"What the fuck would I want with your daughter?"  
"Good question. Stay away from her."

Natasha didn't give the woman time to respond before she turned and walked back up the stairs. When the elevator stopped at the third floor of the ship, Garrus greeted her, reaching out for her hand and leading her away from the lift.

"Where are we going?"  
"You and I are going to have a little talk."  
"About what?"  
"Come on." She sighed as she was dragged to a room she'd not seen before. After having two seconds to look around, Garrus put his hands on her shoulders, a stern look planted on his face. "What has gotten into you?"  
"What?"  
"Back there, on that ship… You were shooting mercs down without a sense of hesitation."  
"That's how you're supposed to fight, isn't it?"

He let go of her, taking a step back, shaking his head slightly.

"I've never seen you like that before."

Natasha could tell Garrus was taken aback by the way she'd fought through the ship as if she'd done it before. She shrugged at him, sinking into a hip.

"I need to step up, Garrus. I can't be some helpless housewife forever."

His stern look changed to one of humor.

"You're not a housewife. This is a ship, and you're not anyone's wife."

She scoffed, folding her arms over her chest.

"You know what I meant."  
"I can protect you, Natasha."

She gave him a small smile.

"I know you can, but I need to be able to protect myself. I need to be able to protect our daughter."

He sighed, his mandibles clicking.

"I suppose you did look good with a gun."

She smirked, raising an eyebrow at him.

"Did I?"

He stepped closer to her, reaching a hand out to touch her face. She saw the look in his eyes before he kissed her, her pride swelling rapidly.

* * *

Calpurnia watched as Caeus interacted with Rayhel, who thought it was funny to try scaring him. She would hide under the bed, then pop out and growl. Calpurnia could tell Caeus had no real experience with kids. He would laugh, but he didn't play back. Eventually Rayhel gave up, crawling up to sit next to him on the bed. She inspected him silently, looking at the lights on his armor, poking them as if they'd go away when she did. Caeus just laughed at her.

"You don't like kids, huh?"

Caeus looked up at Calpurnia, shaking his head with a smile.

"I don't mind them. I just don't really know what to do with them."

Calpurnia laughed as Rayhel worked her way up to his shoulder, sniffing him.

"She's a handful."  
"You don't say."

Rayhel chirped at him, running her hand on his face. He closed one eye, hoping she wouldn't poke him on accident.

"Natasha and-"

The door whooshed open, revealing a winded Natasha, who smiled at the sight of Rayhel. The little turian threw her hands up in the air, falling off of Caeus' arm and onto the bed. They all laughed at her.

"Right on time." Caeus said.  
"Mommy!"  
"On time?" Natasha questioned, picking up Rayhel after the little girl ran to her.  
"I was just about to say that you and Garrus were back."  
"Yeah."  
"What took so long?" Natasha ran a hand through her hair with a sigh, looking down at the floor for a moment. Calpurnia put a hand up, shaking her head. "Nevermind, I don't want to know."

Caeus laughed as Natasha rolled her eyes.

"I'm going to get her some food."  
"See ya."

Calpurnia stared at the door after it shut behind her friend. Caeus moved to sit by her on the bed, gently putting his hand on her leg. She smiled at him, trying to find some kind of emotion in his eyes, but she found none.

"We haven't really had time to just talk since you got hurt…"  
"Is there something in specific we needed to discuss?"

He seemed to shrug, as if to make it look like it wasn't a huge deal.

"Do you have any memory loss?"

She gave him a confused look, laughing at him.

"Is there something you want me to forget?"  
"You told me you loved me, after you were shot…"

Calpurnia felt her mandibles flare slightly before she nodded, looking away from him.

"Yeah…"  
"Did you mean it? Or were you just scared that you weren't going to make it?"

Calpurnia snapped her eyes back up to him, shaking her head.

"I never say things if I don't mean them."

It was Caeus' turn to feel his mandibles flare. He'd wondered about whether or not she genuinely felt like she loved him since she said it, and time to talk had been limited. It'd left him to simply wonder. Now here she was telling him it was real for her, and although it caused a flutter to spread throughout his chest, doubt filled his mind. He tried biting his tongue, but he couldn't help asking questions. It was just too simple to go along with it. He'd always had to ask questions, to make sure that things were firmly in place. She would be no exception.

"Define love."

She shrugged at him.

"I guess the general meaning would apply."  
"You like sleeping with me, or…?"

He caught the look she gave him and he could tell she was getting defensive.

"Sex and love are two different things."  
"Sex is fun. What is love?"

She shook her head, rubbing her face.

"What do you want me to say?"

He sighed, wondering for himself just what he was looking for.

"Is it how you loved him?"

She was silent for a few moments. He couldn't tell if she was thinking it over or if she was angry. She finally looked up at him, a small sadness in her eyes.

"That's not fair."

He could hear the strain in her voice.

"It's not over for you yet, is it?"  
"It's been over for a long time. You just can't compare yourself to him. You'll never be satisfied."

Caeus laughed shortly.

"He was that good, huh?"  
"That's not what I meant." He looked at her, their eyes meeting. "I watched Garrus keep his feelings from Natasha because he thought she wanted someone to fill in for Nihlus. That's not what she wanted, and it's not what I want. I…"

She hung her head, her eyes closed as she tried shaking off the emotion that ran through her. Caeus put his hand on hers.

"Go on." he urged, his voice gentle.  
"I could never… I will never be able to stop loving him. He'll always have a place in my heart, but… He's gone. I've moved on and gotten the help I needed. You mean a lot to me, Caeus." Calpurnia looked back up to him now. "You could never replace him, but you… You could mean just as much."  
"Could?"  
"If you let me love you."

He took his hand from hers, looking away.

"I never said you couldn't."  
"Do you want me to?"

He smiled again, looking back to her once more.

"I want to make you happy."  
"You do."  
"I don't give you much."

She reached up, her talon tracing his mandible lightly, the sadness in her eyes gone now. She smiled, pressing her forehead to his.

"You give me enough."

He pressed his lips to hers, allowing the moment to resolve itself for a moment before she quickened the kiss. Her hand traced down to his shoulder, her mouth finding the sensitive spot on his neck. He sighed, closing his eyes before pushing her back gently.

"You're still recovering."

Calpurnia just laughed, pulling him down to lay on top of her.

"Make me feel better then."  
"I don't want to hurt you."  
"We'll take it slow."

He sighed again, bringing his mouth back to hers, letting his hand wander down her body. He was gentle with her, taking it slow, moving gently on top of her once they were undressed. It was different, to be gentle, to deliberately move with ease with her. It'd always been casual, they'd never been too intimate. Her past was the exact reason he didn't let himself feel much for her. Yet here she was, willingly giving herself to him, telling him she loved him and she wanted to be his. He held his hand on her hip as he moved against her, reveling in the pleasure as well as the thought. He felt his chest tighten as his mind raced through everything. She let out small gasps in his ear, quietly moaning his name a time or two. He figured it was the weight of their conversation that made it so meaningful to him. She wrapped her arms around his torso, groaning at him as she laid her head against his shoulder. He instinctively wrapped an arm around her back, pushing into her harder. A part of him hated that she thought so highly of him, but another part knew he couldn't stay away. He'd either have to embrace it or he'd end up breaking her heart. He had to shove the thought from his head quickly to avoid being turned off. He was the reason she'd been shot. He couldn't stand to give her anymore pain than he already had.

He felt her kiss at his mandible, her lips finding his. He felt the emotion in the kiss, again reveling in what it felt like. She moaned at him, her lips leaving his briefly. He fought back the words that threatened to leave his mouth, though he was unsure why. He deepened the kiss, refusing to say anything in the heat of the moment.

It wasn't much longer before he felt her body shaking underneath him, her orgasm hitting her hard. He was right behind her, his body trembling as he filled her. They panted together silently, Caeus eventually rolling off of her in exhaustion, a quiet consensus to cuddle in order. She held herself tight to him, sighing out a large breath. He stared up at the ceiling, feeling his body relax, though the tight flutter in his chest didn't ease. What he thought was the heat of the moment remained inside of him still. He knew what he had to say, though he struggled with the words.

"Are you in pain?" he whispered.

She let out a soft giggle, running her hand along his chest.

"Not in the slightest."

He smiled slightly in response, running his talons down her arm slowly. He sighed, pushing the words forward, knowing this was his moment. He wondered if she was asleep, she was so quiet. It was just a reason to stall, though. He pushed any other thought from his mind.

"I love you."

She ran her hand along his chest again, lifting her head to give him a small, tired smile.

"Define love."

Caeus smiled.

* * *

_Rayhel watched as Cyrus approached the krogan warlord, keeping her gun ready in case something broke out. The large krogan seemed less than happy about a turian military ship on Tuchanka. She tried keeping her mind away from any other thought, but she was bothered anyways. Darius stood next to her, his gun ready as hers was, watching the situation intently. He nudged her._

_"You should go talk to him."_  
_"Shut up." she said._  
_"Nothing's going to happen."_  
_"Anything can happen."_  
_"Anything?" he said with a playful, suggestive tone._

_She peeled her eyes from her CO, looking up at the turian._

_"Would you focus?"_

_He looked back at her, a smirk on his face._

_"You already offered to sleep with me. Now you're saying anything could happen down here…Ship's currently unoccupied, if you're interested."_

_Rayhel could hear the humor in his tone as she shook her head._

_"I already told you it came out wrong, let it go."_  
_"You offered."_

_They laughed briefly, their eyes returning to their CO. Cyrus seemed to be having an easy talk with the krogan. Her mind wandered though, thinking of what it would be like to go back to the ship with Darius. She hated that she was thinking that way, but she couldn't help it. He was the first boy that had actually given her friendship since she'd been apart of the military. He was so easy to get along with. It came so naturally to her. The flirting was hard to listen to though. She knew it was out of line. Her father would be less than impressed. She was yanked from her thoughts as Darius nudged her again._

_"I was joking."_

_She smiled, looking up at him._

_"I know."_  
_"You looked uncomfortable for a minute."_  
_"Sorry."_

_Before he could say anything more, a gunshot rang out in the distance. They both snapped their heads towards their CO, who fell to the ground. Rayhel's heart quickened as she raised her rifle, scoping the krogan, who charged towards their squad. She hesitated to pull the trigger, which resulted in Darius shooting him down instead. She ran to Cyrus, kneeling down next to him as he gasped for breath. Blue blood coated his chest._

_"We need a medic!" she yelled back to the squad, opening her Omni tool. The pilot of their ship responded to her call, sending out a shuttle from the ship. She applied medi gel to Cyrus' wounds, but he looked bad. She shook her head at herself, groaning quietly as the shuttle touched down._

* * *

Natasha bit her lip as she stared at the glass of the tank-bred krogan Shepard had decided to bring aboard. She'd been standing there a few moments, her arms folded over her chest, her brow firmly set in place as she considered whether or not it was a good idea to have him here. Her parental instincts told her that he was dangerous and he needed to be shoved out the airlock, for her daughter's safety, but the part of her that remembered what it was like to be in a cage gave him sympathy. She thought back to being in jail, and though it was a short period of time, she knew what it was like to not have freedom. She'd brought that onto herself. This krogan had never been out of the tank, he'd never been given the chance to be dangerous or to be friendly. He'd never really lived. He didn't have a choice. Natasha felt her heart ache.

"I'm opening it."  
"Cerberus is clear about using unidentified alien technology." EDI replied over the comm.  
"Then tell the Illusive Man to get down here to stop me. I'm opening it."  
"Alerting Commander Shepard."

Natasha shook her head briefly, stepping forward and typing in the sequence on the console to let the tank open. She would have waited to ask Shepard about letting him out, but she didn't have the heart to let the krogan stay in there. She didn't know what Shepard's intentions were, and though it was his ship, Natasha wouldn't sit by and let the innocent krogan be caged any longer. It was simply unfair.

She waited as the glass popped open, watching the krogan fall to the ground as he coughed up water. He looked at her, blinking a few times before charging. She couldn't get away in time. He slammed her against the wall, his arm across her neck as he examined her.

"Human. Female. Before I kill you, I must know a name."  
"I'm Natasha, I'm not here to hurt you."  
"Not your name. Mine. I know things, but the tank… Okeer's legacy. His words are hollow. Grunt. Grunt. Those things are among the last that I heard. It has no meaning. It will do. I am Grunt. If I am worthy of your command, prove your strength and try to kill me."  
"We need your help, I don't want to kill you."  
"You are weak if you choose weak enemies."

The door whooshed open, revealing Shepard and Garrus, who quickly drew their guns at the sight of the krogan holding Natasha to the wall. She shook her head as best as she could, looking back to the krogan.

"Our enemies are strong, no doubt about that. You can make us stronger by fighting them."  
"This is acceptable. I will fight with you."  
"I'm glad you saw reason."

Grunt looked down, seeing the pistol she had pointed at him. He laughed shortly.

"Offer one hand and arm the other."

He let go of her, looking to Shepard, who stepped forward with a stern look on his face.

"I'm Commander Shepard." he said, shaking his hand.  
"I will follow you, Shepard."

Natasha put her gun away, feeling Garrus' eyes on her. She avoided eye contact, knowing he was upset with her.

"Come on."

* * *

_Rayhel sat on her bunk, her elbows on her knees, staring at the ground fiercely, waiting for an update on the situation. Her CO was in good medical hands, but the krogan had done some damage. She groaned at herself, putting a hand over her face as she replayed the events in her head. If she'd been paying attention, she would have been able to protect Cyrus. Instead she had let Darius distract her. She sighed. The turian hadn't sought her out since they'd gotten back on the ship and in the air._

_She stood corrected after a knock sounded on her door._

_"Come in." she said lazily._

_She sighed at the sight of him, rubbing her face._

_"Are you ok?"_  
_"That's a stupid question."_  
_"He's still in there."_  
_"Maybe if we had been doing our jobs he wouldn't be in there at all."_

_Darius folded his arms over his chest, leaning against the wall._

_"Do you really believe that?"_  
_"Yes, and you should too." she replied, getting to her feet. "There are rules against fraternization for a reason, which we ignored. Now Cyrus is…It's our fault."_  
_"We were fraternizing, were we?"_

_Rayhel snarled at him, hating the smirk he wore._

_"This isn't funny, and it's not a game."_  
_"Ray, it's-"_  
_"Stop calling me that."_

_The smirk faded slightly from his face._

_"Alright…"_  
_"We are in a unit together, and that is it."_  
_"We're friends-"_  
_"No."_

_He gave her a look of concern as she shook her head at him._

_"Why are you doing this?"_  
_"We have to focus on what we're set out to do. This, whatever this is, doesn't do anything but get people killed."_  
_"Cyrus isn't dead."_  
_"Leave."_

_He stood in his place, shaking his head._

_"I like being your friend."_  
_"You like distracting me from my work." Rayhel corrected._  
_"You like it."_

_She snarled at him again, shaking her head._

_"Get out!"_

_He smirked before turning to the doorway again. He stopped, turning back to her briefly._

_"You're ruining a good thing."_

_Rayhel watched the doors close after he left, then ran her hands over her face. She hated that she was such a wreck, tears falling down her face. She was a turian soldier, she didn't need to cry. Right? She shook her thoughts away, pulling up her Omni tool. She knew just what she needed. There was no pep talk like a military pep talk, and she knew just the person to give her one._

* * *

Natasha walked into the med bay of the Normandy, sighing heavily as she eyed the doctor, who smiled back.

"Need something?"  
"Rayhel fell. Scraped her knee. Have any band-aids?"

Chakwas laughed, seeing the exhaustion in Natasha's face.

"She's getting to that stage, is she?"  
"I turn away for one minute…"  
"Give her this, she won't feel any pain anymore."

Natasha took the tube of ointment the doctor held out to her.

"Thanks." she said, looking around to spot a quarian sitting up in the sick bay's bed. "Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt anything…"  
"It's alright." Chakwas said, looking over to the bed. "She's just resting."  
"I'm fine. Fit for duty, in fact, if you'd let me go." the quarian said.  
"What happened?" Natasha asked, knitting her eyebrows. "I haven't seen you around the ship."  
"I've been under house arrest, it would seem." she said, shifting in her bed. "My name is Tali. I was shot on a mission, and Shepard brought me back here."  
"Back?"  
"I helped him fight Saren, back before he died."

Natasha nodded, looking to Chakwas.

"Is it a serious wound?"  
"No." Tali said quickly. "I'm fine, she just worries."

Natasha gave her a small smile before turning back to the door.

"Thank you, doctor." Once she stepped out of the room, Natasha ran into Caeus, who laughed at her briefly as she groaned. "Sorry."  
"Tired?" he asked, picking up the ointment that she'd dropped on the floor.  
"Rayhel is driving me crazy."  
"Gotta love kids."  
"Where is Garrus?"

Natasha saw the look that flashed across his face before he cleared his throat, rubbing the back of his neck.

"He's uh… He's down in the cargo bay."  
"Why?"  
"Said he needed some time alone."  
"Is he alright?"  
"He seemed irritable."  
"Thanks."

She stepped past him, rubbing her face in agitation.

"Natasha?"

She turned back to Caeus.

"Yeah?"  
"I'd talk to him."

She nodded, turning back to walk to her room. She smiled at the sight of Rayhel, who snored on the floor, her arms sprawled out. Natasha set the ointment down on the bed before lifting her daughter up, setting her gently on the bunk. The turian snored loudly at her before she walked over to the door, locking it down from the outside. Natasha knew what had Garrus so riled that he'd be down in the cargo bay to blow off the agitation. The elevator stopped on his floor after a few moments of lowering itself, letting Natasha out so she could see the targets that were torn up from the bullets he was firing at them. He didn't stop after he looked back to see her. He just turned back in silence, unloading another round on the target. She waited a moment, watching the bullets fly into it before he stopped to reload his assault rifle. She walked over to him hesitantly, looking up at him. He sighed heavily.

"Let's have it then." she said.

He put his gun down, turning to her, grabbing her shoulders.

"What is wrong with you?!" Natasha let him yell, knowing he need to do it. She'd brought it onto herself. "That thing is a tank-bred krogan, Okeer made him to be perfect, a fully grown warrior at birth. You thought it was just a great idea to go down there, by yourself, with a single pistol, to let it out in hopes that he'd be nice?! What the hell is wrong with you?! Do you have a death wish?!"  
"I handled it just fine, Garrus-"  
"You could have been killed."  
"But I wasn't."  
"You can't do things just because you feel brave now. Shepard is your commanding officer, let him handle things."  
"I'm sorry."  
"If you'd just…" he stared at her for a moment, narrowing his eyes. "What?"  
"I'm sorry."  
"You're sorry?"  
"Yes."

He let go of her, straightening up and looking around the cargo bay.

"How am I supposed to protect you if you jump into danger now?"

She reached up, running her fingers along the bandaged side of his face lightly.

"You don't."

He shook his head once more, picking up his rifle.

"I can't do that."

He walked towards the elevator, his rifle on his shoulder, leaving her behind in the quiet.

* * *

_"Dad?"_  
_"Rayhel?"_  
_"Can I talk to you?"_  
_"Are you alright? It's late."_  
_"I'm sorry-"_  
_"What's wrong?" Rayhel knew her father could hear the small quiver in her voice. She cleared her throat, biting back her tears. She had to force down the emotions that ran through her. "Rayhel?"_  
_"I'm here."_  
_"Are you alright?"_  
_"My mission, on Tuchanka, it…It went all wrong."_  
_"Rayhel, are you hurt?"_  
_"No, I'm fine…I guess."_  
_"What do you need?"_  
_"I'm such a mess, and I don't want to be anymore. Just say something that a drill instructor would if you saw me crying. Tell me to stop."_

_She heard him laugh lightly over the comm link._

_"Tell me what happened."_

_Rayhel sighed._

_"My CO was shot."_  
_"Is he dead?"_  
_"No…but it's bad."_  
_"Is that it?"_  
_"It's my fault."_  
_"Why do you say that?"_  
_"I was…Distracted."_  
_"Care to elaborate?"_

_She sighed again, her embarrassment rising. She was grateful that she wasn't talking to him in person._

_"A boy."_

_He was silent for a moment._

_"Oh…How long has that been going on?"_  
_"I don't know…He's been a friend and he's nice and…We joke. We weren't paying attention."_  
_"Fraternization will get you kicked if you're not careful."_  
_"I know it will."_  
_"Do you want me to tell him to stay away? I can do that."_

_Rayhel laughed, knowing her father's head was probably spinning at the thought of her having a boy bothering her._

_"No, I'm alright. I told him off already."_  
_"Well damn." Rayhel laughed again, shaking her head. "Did you just need someone to talk to?"_  
_"I wanted you to tell me to buck up and stop crying like a child."_  
_"Rayhel?"_  
_"Yeah?"_  
_"Buck up and stop crying like a child."_  
_"Thanks." she laughed._  
_"Hey."_  
_"Yeah?"_  
_"I love you. You know that we're here for you, right?"_  
_"I know."_  
_"I'm proud of you."_

_She smiled, feeling her pride rise in her chest._

_"I love you Dad."_  
_"I love you too."_  
_"I'll get a hold of you soon."_  
_"Stay as safe as the military will let you these days."_  
_"Bye."_  
_"Bye."_

_She closed out her Omni tool, a smile lingering on her face. It wasn't the strong military pep talk she had been looking for, but she was still satisfied._

* * *

"Aunt Cal?"  
"Yes?"  
"Daddy's tough."  
"Is he?"  
"Mm-hm. I like it. He makes all of the bad guys be nice. I like that too. He loves me. And I like that." Natasha poked at the food on her plate, her head resting in her hand, her eyes heavy, listening to her daughter go on and on. Calpurnia laughed as she listened. Natasha looked down at her daugher, who played with her food in the same manner that she did with her own. Rayhel looked up at her. "Mommy loves me too."

Natasha smiled, kissing her forehead gently.

"I do." she agreed.  
"Can I tell you a secret, Rayhel?" Calpurnia said, leaning on her elbows over the table.  
"I like secrets."  
"I love you more than your Mommy loves you."

Rayhel's eyes grew wide, her mouth lulling open.

"No!" she gasped.  
"Yep."  
"That's improssible!"

Natasha let her eyes fall on Garrus as he walked through the mess hall. He stopped to chat with the quarian woman, shaking her hand. Natasha bit down the jealousy that came from nothing, looking back down to her food. It didn't go unnoticed.

"Someone's tense."  
"Shut it."  
"It's just a hand shake."  
"I know, shut it."  
"He's not talking to you, is he?"  
"He just acts like I'm not here."  
"Daddy!"  
"Rayhel, stop."  
"Daddy!"  
"Rayhel."  
"Daddy!"

Garrus said goodbye to the quarian and made his way over to the child who called for him. He glanced at Natasha, who didn't look at him, before smiling at the girl.

"What?"  
"You're tough."  
"I am?" he laughed.  
"I like it."  
"I'm glad."  
"Garrus." Calpurnia said, leaning back in her chair casually. "How've you been? Heard the last mission went well. A tank-bred krogan, huh? Heard he was let out. Kinda crazy."  
"A bit."

Natasha bit her tongue as best as she could, poking her food around again.

"Tasha has been kinda quiet about it. Wanna talk?"  
"Not really." he replied, picking up Rayhel. "Goodnight ladies."  
"Goodnight ladies!" Rayhel mimicked, waving fiercely at them.  
"Night Rayhel." Calpurnia said with a smile. She waited until Garrus rounded the corner with her, then snapped her eyes back to Natasha. "What was that all about?!"  
"Told you."  
"He's really pissed off, huh?"  
"He thinks I'm being crazy and wreckless."  
"Tasha, you let out a fully grown tank-bred krogan, without Shepard's permission and without backup… Kinda crazy."

Natasha shrugged, looking up at her.

"I can take care of myself."

Calpurnia shook her head slightly.

"Can you?"  
"I was fine."

The turian backed off the topic, looking around the room.

"Caeus loves me, by the way."  
"What?" Natasha said, giving her a small smile.  
"Well. I told him I loved him, and he loves me too."  
"Are you guys going to bond now?"  
"We hadn't talked about it, so not right now. That's alright though. It's not time yet."

Natasha nodded in understanding.

"I'm happy that you guys have each other."

Calpurnia smiled in return, their conversation dying down to let Natasha think about whether or not she and Garrus still had each other. The thought of being away from him was horrible to her, but somehow, she felt as if she knew it would end up happening. She found herself thinking of Nihlus, knowing he'd have something comforting to say while her lover was off ignoring her.

She shook him out of her head, knowing it was a bad idea to dwell. Instead she bid Calpurnia a good night and left for her room, not wanting to deal with sharing a bunk for the first time in a while.


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey guys!**

**I want to thank you guys for all the support you give me, every single time I mention that things are rough for me. I love each of you, and I want to keep this story going as much as I can. Like I said before, my updates are going to be slow for a little while, but I am trying. (:**

**Thank you to ArchelionGen. You're amazing!**

**Please feel free to rate, review and even PM me if you have anything to say.**

**Thanks again guys. You mean the world to me.**

* * *

Natasha opened her eyes slowly, hearing a smooth voice in the room. She saw Garrus sitting with Rayhel on her bed, his Omni tool open as he read to her. Rayhel was as happy as she could get, a huge smile on her face as she pointed to different pictures when he asked her to find certain things. Natasha smiled slightly, rolling to her back and sighing. Rayhel jumped down from the bed, running over to her.

"Mommy's awake."  
"Hi."  
"Mommy?"  
"Yes?"  
"I asked Daddy if I could go find the Shepard, but he said no. Can I go find the Shepard?"

Natasha laughed briefly, looking over at Rayhel, who had a patient look on her face as she waited for an answer.

"You can't go if he said no."  
"Why?"  
"Because he's your Dad and you have to listen to him."  
"You can't go alone, how about that?" Garrus said.

Rayhel looked back to him. She put a talon in her mouth as she thought about it.

"Why not?"  
"Because Shepard is busy and you can't bother him. You need someone to go with you."  
"Can I go see Aunt Cal?"  
"Straight there, alright?"  
"Bye!"

Rayhel kissed Natasha's cheek quickly, running from the room with a giggle. Natasha prayed the child would actually go find Calpurnia, and not Shepard. She looked over to Garrus, locking eyes with him.

Garrus was silent as he watched her. She sighed again, rolling onto her back, a small ache in her heart from the lack of conversation with him. She heard him let out a sigh of his own before leaving the other bunk to sit down on the bed next to her.

Garrus didn't quite understand why Natasha had done what she had, or why she was being so reckless. Maybe she didn't need him anymore. Maybe she didn't feel he was good enough to protect her, so she was taking things into her own hands. He hated the thought of losing her, or losing Rayhel. He shook his head, moving closer to her. He saw her tense up, holding her breath as he came down to her, pressing his lips to hers. She let out her breath, her hand on his face almost instantly. He could tell that she hated his distance; she was eager to have him pay attention to her again.

Natasha put as much passion as she could into their kiss, hoping he'd feel how sorry she was for pissing him off. He shifted on top of her, a hand wandering down her curves slowly. Her heart raced, knowing he was out for something particular. He wasn't interested in talking, or so it seemed. She broke the kiss, shaking her head.

"People are probably still asleep." she whispered, glancing to the door as if someone would come in.  
"Then stay quiet."  
"Garrus-"

He covered her mouth with his hand, kissing her cheek gently. She hated the thought of him doing this to her just because he could, but she didn't push him away for fear of pissing him off even further. She closed her eyes as his lips traveled down to her neck, his tongue wet on her skin. She tilted her head once he was to her shoulder, but he moved back to her neck. She cursed herself for the gesture she gave him.

Garrus felt his chest tighten when she tilted her head, knowing he could claim her for his own if he wanted. He knew she wouldn't care, though the situation of her becoming someone he didn't recognize was an issue still. He hated that she was reckless without reason. It wasn't her. Though he figured her innocence was long gone and it had been for a long time. He just hadn't seen it actively missing from her conscience.

Natasha gripped Garrus' fringe, trying to get him to make more of a move than kissing her neck, which he complied to. She let his hand slip down under the blanket that covered her, parting her legs slightly. She held back the moan that rose in her throat when he slid his finger over her sensitive folds. She bit her lip underneath his hand, closing her eyes tightly. He didn't linger for long before he lifted the blanket off of her, parting her legs further to lay in between them.

Garrus held down his growl as he pushed against her, holding his hand to her mouth still, keeping as quiet as he could. She was having a more difficult time underneath him, her moans growing slightly. He hushed her a few times, though she didn't listen. He could have sworn he heard her say 'Archangel' under his hand.

After a few quick moments, they were finished with each other, pleasure taking over them before they came apart. Natasha laid still, Garrus' hand falling off of her face. She breathed quickly, looking up at him as he stood, regaining his balance to get dressed. She took a deep breath, grabbing his wrist before he could turn away towards the door.

"What are we doing?" she asked.  
"What?"  
"Are we together or not, because I just need to know."

He gave her a hurt look, shaking his head at her in disbelief.

"Are you serious?"  
"What?"  
"After everything we have been through? After everything we've done together, you think we're not together because of a day of not talking? You think I'd just use you if we weren't together?" Natasha looked away from him, knowing he had a point, even though she couldn't help but to question whether or not he'd stay with her. He sat back down on the bed, putting a hand on her face. "I hate that you're wanting to put yourself in the line of fire, but I know I can't stop you. I just have to keep you safe."  
"I can keep myself safe-"  
"If you want to be together, you have to accept that I'm not going to just sit back and let you be crazy."  
"I'm trying to grow a pair so that I'm not defenseless."

He sighed, kissing her gently.

"I love you." he said before getting to his feet.  
"Where are you going?"  
"We're touching down on Illium today. I want to go check that new canon in the battery."  
"Do you have to fix it?"  
"It needs a calibration or two."  
"You should look for Rayhel. I doubt she went to see Calpurnia."  
"You go find her." he laughed.  
"Fine. You better calibrate quickly then, I'm sending her your way once I find her."  
"Don't you dare."

She laughed, watching him walk out of the room. Her smile faded slowly as she laid back down, happy that they were talking again. She would have to tread lightly from now on if she kept training herself up to fight.

* * *

_It had been a long trip home, to say the least. Rayhel kept to herself, not wanting to face the other turians on the ship. She kept an eye on her station on the CIC, not talking to anyone unless she needed to report a situation. The other turians didn't seem to enjoy being under another person's command, but Rayhel understood that the turian standing at the galaxy map was next in the chain of command. He was just doing his job, it wasn't his fault that Cyrus had died and now he was in control. Rayhel pushed the thought from her mind quickly, not wanting to think about her CO._

_It was hard to work on the CIC deck, knowing Darius was only a station away. She kept her eyes from him, shoving her emotions down every time they rose up to urge her to speak to him. She was sorry for telling him to stay away, but her pride wouldn't tell him that. She would stay away, and that would be that. They were almost home now. Palaven was only an hour away. She couldn't wait to touch down._

_"You gonna call me once we get home?"_

_Rayhel sighed as she was pulled from her thoughts of home and her family, looking over at Darius, who smirked as he typed on the console._

_"No."_  
_"Why not?"_  
_"I told you to just stay away from me unless it's work related."_  
_"I need to get some target practice in. You're the best sniper on the ship."_  
_"Well I'm not the best on Palaven, find someone else to go with."_  
_"I need help calibrating my gun."_  
_"Forget it."_  
_"I'm homeless, can I stay with you?"_

_Rayhel bit back the smile that threatened to flare her mandibles, looking at him with as much of a glare as she could._

_"Sleep in a gutter, I don't give a shit."_  
_"I'm sure you could spare some room at your house."_  
_"Inappropriate to ask of me."_  
_"I'll just ask your Dad."_

_Rayhel let out a laugh, shaking her head._

_"Be my guest, you'll learn what a bullet taste like."_  
_"He's that intense, huh?"_

_She raised an eyebrow at him._

_"Just towards annoying boys who won't leave his daughter alone."_  
_"Annoying, you say? That hurts my feelings."_  
_"Good."_  
_"You're pretty damn stubborn, huh?"_  
_"Stop talking." she groaned, looking down at her own console now. Her heart quickened as she recognized her screen's alerts that a hacker was attempting to bring down her firewalls. She typed quickly, blocking them out to the best of her abilities. "You're nothing but trouble, you're going to get me discharged!"_  
_"Why?" he asked, typing on his console just as fast as she was on her own._  
_"I'm being hacked."_  
_"You're blaming me?"_  
_"If you'd stop distracting me, bad things wouldn't happen on the job."_

_She managed to shut the hacker down, pulling up the ID tag on it, recognizing the ship's number. She glared over at Darius, who laughed._

_"Sorry."_  
_"You hacked my computer just to piss me off?"_  
_"I hacked it because you're so damn paranoid."_  
_"I'm not paranoid."_  
_"Then why can't we be friends?"_

_Rayhel put a hand on her hip, shaking her head._

_"This isn't friends."_  
_"What isn't?"_  
_"This. This is a boy trying to ruin a girl's chance in the military."_  
_"I would never do that to you, Ray."_  
_"Didn't I tell you to stop calling me that?"_  
_"You also told me to stop talking to you, yet here we are."_

_She shook her head again, turning back to her console._

_"Leave me alone."_  
_"Back to square one."_

_She glanced at him, seeing the smirk on his face. She did her best to ignore him, focusing on her work instead of carrying on the conversation like he wanted._

* * *

Natasha groaned as she checked the deck of the Normandy for what she thought was the tenth time, opening every door, asking numerous people if they'd seen her daughter. She knew the child would run off. She made her way up to the CIC, her arms folded over her chest, a small smile on her face. The lift came to a stop, the doors opening for her as she stepped off onto the deck. Her smile spread at the sight of her daughter sitting up by the galaxy map. She sat staring at it as Shepard stood next to her, plotting the next course for the Normandy.

"Rayhel." Natasha said, sinking into a hip, trying to set a stern face to show the little girl that she was upset.

Rayhel turned with a smile, throwing her arms up in the air.

"Mommy! I found the Shepard!"

Natasha glanced at Shepard, who just smiled. Kelly Chambers laughed at her console. Natasha kept her stern look on her face.

"Remember you were told you that you couldn't go alone?"  
"Aunt Cal didn't want to go."  
"That means you can't go."  
"Mommy. I wanted to find the Shepard. I needed his help."  
"With what?"  
"I wanted to ride the ship."

Natasha gave her a confused look before looking to Shepard.

"She wanted to ride in the elevator."

Natasha shook her head, holding her hand out to the child.

"I'm sorry."  
"She's fine to stay up here if she wants."  
"Thank you. I'll take her."  
"Bye Shepard!" Rayhel waved at him after taking Natasha's hand. "Yay, more rides!"

Natasha held back her laugh as they got into the elevator. After the doors closed, she looked down at the child, who looked up at her.

"That's naughty."  
"Mommy, I love you."  
"Rayhel, that was naughty."  
"Mommy, I love you."

Natasha sighed, rubbing her face with her free hand.

"I love you too."  
"Can we go see Daddy?"  
"I guess."  
"Yay!

Rayhel ran in front of Natasha once the elevator stopped on their floor. Natasha shook her head with a smile, watching the girl jump up and down in front of the door to the main battery. It opened after a moment, letting her inside. Natasha followed, watching her hug Garrus' leg. He laughed at her, not looking away from his console.

"How's it looking?"  
"It's running good."  
"Have you fired it?"  
"No." he laughed.  
"Daddy! I want to fire it!"  
"Absolutely not." he replied, bending down to pick her up as she reached for him.  
"Daddy, I want to fire it."  
"No."

She gave him a look as she huffed. He laughed at her once more.

"Are you going with Shepard to Illium?" Natasha asked.  
"The crew has shore leave, if you want me to do something else."

Natasha shrugged.

"Probably going to take her somewhere to entertain her."  
"Daddy, why am I dark?"

Rayhel looked at her hand intently, waiting for Garrus to answer. He wore a confused look on his face.

"You're not, it's a dark room."  
"You're lighter than me."

Natasha saw the look that took over Garrus' face now. Her chest tightened.

"It's alright, Rayhel. Everyone's different." she said, trying to push the subject from the girl's mind.  
"I want to be like Daddy." the girl replied, looking up at him. "I want paint."

Natasha smiled, watching her touch the clan markings on Garrus' face. He smiled now too.

"You can have paint when you grow up."  
"I want your paint."  
"When you're older."  
"Can I go see Aunt Cal?"

Garrus sat her down, watching her run out of the room.

"Rayhel, don't you leave this floor, understand?" Natasha said sternly.  
"Ok Momma!"

Natasha shook her head, looking back to Garrus.

"She went to see Shepard, didn't she?"  
"Yep."

He laughed, turning back to the console.

"She's asking questions…"  
"She's a kid, it's what they do."  
"You told me she'd know the truth when she could understand it. Lying to her won't help anything."  
"She wouldn't understand right now anyways."

He sighed, shaking his head as he typed on the pad.

"What do we say when she can understand?"  
"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it."

He looked over at her.

"Is it horrible that a part of me doesn't want her to know?"

Natasha gave him a smile before shaking her head.

"You only say that because you're afraid."  
"Oh?"  
"She loves you, you're her Dad. It doesn't matter what we tell her."  
"For now."

She tilted her head slightly, putting a hand on his face.

"We will deal with it when it comes up later."

He nodded, glancing back to the console.

"I should finish up in here."  
"I should go find your daughter before she runs away again."

He laughed as she walked away. He did his best to ease his mind about the situation, but nothing he told himself made his worry go away. After a few moments of trying to convince himself that the child wouldn't look at him differently if she knew the truth, he gave up, telling himself that he knew this would happen from the moment he and Natasha got together. Now he'd have to suck it up.

He glanced over at his rifle that sat next to him, groaning as he turned away from the console. He needed to shoot something.

* * *

_Rayhel stepped off of her team's ship for the first time in what felt like years, looking around anxiously for her family. She smiled at the sight of her mother, who walked over to her quickly, throwing her arms around her tightly._

_"I missed you!"_

_Rayhel could hear the small quiver in her mother's voice._

_"I missed you too Mom."_  
_"How'd it go?"_  
_"Dad didn't tell you?"_  
_"He did…I was asking because it was polite."_

_Rayhel laughed, looking around the station. Her smile faded quickly._

_"Where's Dad?"_  
_"He's home."_

_Rayhel gave her a look._

_"Why?"_  
_"He's just not feeling well."_

_She did her best to keep herself under control. She didn't need to make assumptions._

_"I want to see him."_  
_"I figured you would."_

_The whole way home, Rayhel knew she was being followed. She could tell her mother wasn't paying attention to such things, but she was. Once their shuttle landed, she took a moment to smile at the familiar sight of home before looking to her mother._

_"Stay here."_  
_"What?"_  
_"We're being followed."_

_Natasha looked out her window inside the shuttle while Rayhel cautiously stepped out. The shuttle that had followed them was landed behind their own. Rayhel sighed at the sight of the turian leaning against it, his arms folded across his chest as he wore that damn smirk._

_"So this is home, huh?"_

_Rayhel just shook her head, looking back at her own shuttle._

_"Come on Mom."_  
_"I want to meet Mom."_

_Natasha stepped out, looking over at the turian before looking to Rayhel._

_"Who is that?"_  
_"No one."_  
_"I'm Darius."_

_Natasha shook his hand after he walked over to them._

_"I'm Natasha."_  
_"Darius is a part of my squad."_

_Natasha raised an eyebrow at her daughter before giving him a smile._

_"Are you staying here while you're on leave?"_  
_"No he is not." Rayhel said sternly before Darius could answer._  
_"Are you sure?"_  
_"It's either here or that shuttle, Ray. You sure I can't stay here?" he asked._  
_"You can stay." Natasha told him._  
_"Mom!" Rayhel hissed, looking at her. She mumbled to her, shaking her head slightly. "He's lying, he has a home, he's just bothering me."_  
_"Quit it." Natasha mumbled back before smiling at Darius again. "Come on."_

_Rayhel watched Darius walk past her to follow Natasha into the house. She rolled her eyes, knowing the next ten days were going to drag by if he was staying with them. Her mood lightened slightly when she thought about what her father would say about the boy's presence. Things would be interesting, or so she hoped anyways._

* * *

Natasha stared down at her food, enjoying the silence of the ship for a moment before she was joined by the quarian, who sat across from her with her own plate of food.

"What a day, huh?"  
"Tali, right?"  
"Yes."  
"What do you mean, 'what a day'?"  
"You didn't hear?"  
"About what?"  
"The mission. We saw Liara on Illium. Then recruited an asari justicar."  
"I don't really keep up with the royalties the asari place among their people. Matriarch, jusitcar, pureblood, who cares? It's an asari."

Tali laughed at her.

"Wow."  
"Sorry."  
"At least you speak your mind."  
"If that's hard to handle, don't try having a conversation with Calpurnia."

Natasha heard more footsteps in the room, look around to see who it was. Her turian friend smiled at her as she got a plate of food.

"Why aren't we having conversations with me?" she asked, sitting down next to Natasha.  
"Tali says I speak my mind."  
"Bullshit."

Natasha smiled, looking back down to her food.

"So, you're the one with the little girl on board?" Tali asked.  
"Yes." Natasha replied.  
"How old is she?"  
"Three and a half."  
"Did you adopt her?"

Calpurnia laughed lightly.

"Oh no, she gave birth to her. Can't you tell? She's a heathen."  
"She's not too bad." Natasha said.

Calpurnia looked over at Natasha.

"You are insane."  
"Garrus is her Dad, right?"

Natasha nodded.

"Not naturally." Calpurnia corrected.

Natasha shot her a look before sighing. Tali seemed to wait for her to explain further.

"I was married before I met Garrus. She's my previous husband's biologically."  
"You really have a thing for turians, don't you?"

Natasha laughed, shrugging her shoulders.

"I guess."  
"We're awesome, what can I say?" Calpurnia said with a cool tone.  
"So you were on the first Normandy?" Natasha asked, changing the subject.  
"Yes."  
"Is it weird being on this ship?"  
"No. I like working with Shepard."  
"I was talking about Cerberus and the fact that they duplicated everything for his comfort."  
"Oh. I don't like the fact that we're working with Cerberus, but the flotilla is hard to live on. I prefer it here."  
"The flotilla is hard to live on?" Calpurnia questioned.  
"My father is an admiral there."  
"That's neat." Natasha replied.  
"It's difficult."  
"Not so difficult being here with Shepard though, huh?" Calpurnia said with a suggestive tone.

Natasha was sure that if the quarian wasn't wearing a helmet, they would have seen her blush. She cleared her throat, poking her food around.

"I don't know what you mean."  
"Yes you do, don't make me get out of control."  
"He's with someone. I'm just a part of his squad."  
"You're just admiring from afar, then?"  
"I never said that."  
"He's hot I suppose." Natasha looked over at Calpurnia, who shrugged. "What?"  
"You are in a committed relationship."  
"So?"

Natasha shook her head, looking back to Tali.

"Do you have a thing for him?"

She shrugged, not looking up at them.

"He's a good guy."  
"That other girl is just in the way?"  
"They aren't in contact, as far as I know. They just had a thing."  
"Oh. The alliance one? Williams, right?"  
"Yes." Tali said shortly.  
"Touchy subject?"  
"She's a bit… racist."  
"How'd that work out for her on the Normandy?"  
"It was hard to work with her."  
"Was it because of her racism or because she was with him?"

Tali laughed lightly.

"Either one."  
"So why don't you tell him now if they don't even talk?"  
"I won't put what I want before the mission. He needs to focus, and he probably wouldn't even feel the same way. He's human."

Natasha put a hand up to stop her, letting out a small laugh.

"Don't even. That 'cross species relationships are bad' shit is just… Shit."  
"It works for you, but you don't have to worry about living outside of a suit."  
"You're making excuses."

Tali sighed, shaking her head and looking up at her.

"You don't understand."

Natasha smirked, looking over at Calpurnia.

"If you say so."

* * *

_Rayhel woke up peacefully the first morning she'd stayed at home. She loved the familiarity of her own bed, though it was strange that she wasn't on a ship anymore. She welcomed the feeling though, getting herself dressed and ready for the day before walking out to the living room. She smiled at the sight of her Dad. He'd been too sick when she'd arrived at home, so she hadn't bothered him. He stood at the sight of her, letting her hug him._

_"I missed you." she said._  
_"Welcome home." he replied before turning back to the turian who sat on the couch across from him._

_Rayhel sighed, shooting a glare in Darius' direction._

_"Still here." she mumbled._  
_"Who is this?" Garrus asked, gesturing to the boy._  
_"He's the boy I told off. Remember, he was annoying me?"_

_Garrus seemed to understand what she was hinting at as he turned to the boy, folding his arms across his chest._

_"Is there a reason you're here?"_  
_"Rayhel invited me."_  
_"Mom invited him." Garrus shook his head. "I'm going to get some breakfast."_

_Garrus waited for her to leave the room before he sat back down, a firm look on his face as he stared down the boy._

_"She asked you to leave her alone."_  
_"She wasn't serious."_  
_"She still asked."_  
_"She's stubborn."_  
_"She's my daughter, and if she has a problem with you pestering her, I'll be glad to remove you from her space."_  
_"With all do respect, I think she likes me."_

_Garrus shook his head._

_"You obviously don't know anything about her."_  
_"I want to."_

_Garrus suppressed the growl that rose in his chest. His instinct to protect her from the boy was almost overwhelming him._

_"Stay away from her."_  
_"You don't want her to be happy?"_  
_"Don't test me."_  
_"Natasha likes me."_

_Garrus lowered his brow plates in an angry look._

_"Don't call her that."_  
_"It's her name."_  
_"Mrs. Vakarian works just fine."_

_Darius sighed._

_"You don't like me, do you?"_  
_"Not really."_  
_"You don't know anything about me."_  
_"I don't really want to. All I have to know is that you're bothering my daughter."_

_Darius smiled at him, looking towards the kitchen._

_"I'm sorry sir, but I don't feel like I'll be able to stop any time soon."_  
_"She's going to kick your ass if you don't."_  
_"Is she?"_  
_"Either it's her or it's me."_  
_"She said you'd let me taste a bullet."_  
_"I'm still debating that."_

_Darius laughed, looking back to Garrus._

_"Let me know what you decide."_

_Garrus couldn't help the growing of his agitation at the boy's cocky confidence. He was put to ease at the thought of Rayhel being able to handle herself. Though seeing someone pester his little girl was more than upsetting to him. She was only fifteen. She didn't need boys, and she clearly wasn't interested in him, or so he thought. He resorted to growing silent, a glare set on his face as he stared at the boy, waiting for Rayhel to return._

* * *

Natasha bit her lip as she rubbed her shoulder, her mind wandering far from what she was supposed to be focusing on. She was glad that her daughter was persistent in having attention.

"Mommy?"

She tugged at Natasha's arm, sitting next to her on the bunk. Natasha shook her head, looking at Rayhel.

"Yeah?"  
"Why am I different?"  
"Why do you think you're different?"  
"I don't have paint like Daddy." she said, rubbing her face. "I want paint."  
"It's really hard to explain."  
"I want paint."  
"You'll have markings once you meet a boy that you like."  
"I like Daddy."  
"I mean a boy other than Daddy."  
"I don't like boys."

Natasha laughed, running her hand down Rayhel's back.

"Someday you will."  
"Why am I dark?"

Natasha's smile went away quickly before she shook her head.

"Honey, it's something you can know when you're bigger."  
"I can be big!" she said, puffing out her chest.

Natasha laughed, biting her lip as she searched for a story to tell her daughter. She knew it was a bad idea to lie. She shook her head again, giving her daughter a soft look.

"You know how I love Daddy?"  
"I love him too!"  
"A long time ago, before you were here, I loved someone else." Natasha ignored how Rayhel dropped her jaw in surprise. "He was a nice man, and we were bonded. Remember how I told you about bonding?"  
"Biting." Rayhel said, touching her shoulder.  
"Sometimes bad things happen, sweetie. And we can't stop them."  
"Shepard stops bad things."  
"The man I loved died trying to fight some bad guys."

Rayhel looked sad for a moment.

"Why?"  
"It was dangerous for him to fight them, but he did it to keep me safe."  
"Safe is good."  
"Baby, we loved each other so much that we wanted to have a child. And we ended up having you."  
"Me?"  
"Yep. I know it's hard to understand, and someday you'll be able to understand it a lot better."  
"My Daddy's name is Garrus."  
"I know."  
"The other man was dark too?"  
"A little, yes."

Natasha saw the tears welling up in Rayhel's eyes.

"I don't want to be like him, I want to be like Daddy!"  
"I know honey."  
"I want to be like Daddy!" The door to the room opened and Garrus walked into the room, kneeling down in front of the bed. Rayhel cried, reaching out for him. He hugged her tightly and Natasha could tell he was just as upset as she was. She knew he'd been listening from the other side of the door. "I want to be like you, Daddy."

Garrus made her look at him as he wiped her tears away.

"You can be anything you want, Rayhel. It doesn't matter what you look like."

She pouted at him, chewing on a talon nervously.

"Mommy says I'm not yours." she sobbed.

Natasha put a hand on her shoulder, shaking her head fiercely.

"No, baby. You're ours. That'll never change."  
"You came from someone else, but we take care of you together." Garrus added on.  
"I don't want to be from someone else."

Natasha felt her own tears rising now. She loved how much the girl enjoyed Garrus' company. She was so desperate to be just like him. It made her heart melt.

"You know I love you, right?" Garrus asked, putting a finger under her chin when she tried to hide her face. She nodded at him. "That's all that matters."  
"I love you Dad." she said, hugging him again.

He looked over at Natasha as the girl clung to him. She gave him an apologetic look, but he just smiled.

"Go hug your Mom." he said, letting go of the girl.  
"I love you Mommy."  
"We both love you so much sweet pea. You don't ever have to feel different. It doesn't matter where you came from. Alright?"  
"Can I be like Daddy?"

Natasha smiled and nodded.

"Of course."

Rayhel smiled proudly, looking back to Garrus.

"Mommy says."

He smiled at her, feeling the relief run through him. She would certainly ask questions later, but at least now he didn't have to worry if she'd hate them for anything. He was happy she wanted to be like him, but he idly wondered if he deserved it. He looked to Natasha after Rayhel hopped off the bunk to sit in his lap so she could open his Omni tool. She smiled and he knew she would tell him he deserved this. He looked down at the pictures that Rayhel pulled up, telling her to find different ones.

* * *

_"Dad?"_  
_"Yeah?"_  
_"Was it hard raising me?"_

_Garrus looked over at his daughter. She was spinning her bottle of beer slowly in her hands, staring down at it._

_"Why would you ask that?"_

_She looked up to him, shrugging._

_"I don't think I could ever have kids."_

_He laughed, tipping up his own bottle as he thought over the question._

_"It was never hard to be your Dad."_  
_"I can't imagine being a parent. Let alone being a parent to someone you didn't have to be."_  
_"I never regretted what I did for you."_  
_"Sometimes I wonder what would have happened if you hadn't kept me alive."_  
_"Your mother would probably have went to a dark place."_

_Rayhel gave him a weak smile, tipping up her bottle and taking a swig before letting out a sigh._

_"I can't imagine being raised by Nihlus."_

_Garrus shifted slightly in his chair, looking out at the waves on the beach._

_"You would have turned out fine."_  
_"Luckily I was raised by you, I turned out great instead of fine." Garrus laughed, shaking his head before taking another drink. "What do you think of Darius?"_  
_"I hate him." he said quickly._

_Rayhel laughed._

_"Why?"_  
_"He's cocky."_  
_"Yeah…"_

_Garrus looked over at her, seeing her small smile in the moonlight._

_"You like him, don't you?"_  
_"No." she replied, her smile fading._  
_"Don't lie to me."_

_She looked up at him and shrugged._

_"I don't want to like him if you don't like him."_

_He laughed, shaking his head._

_"Don't base your life choices on me."_  
_"I don't want you to hate someone I like."_  
_"So it's easier not to like them?"_

_She groaned lightly, looking out at the waves now too._

_"He's an idiot." she stated._  
_"He seems intent on getting you to give in."_  
_"I'm a Vakarian, I don't do what others want me to."_

_He laughed again, raising his bottle to hers._

_"I'll drink to that."_


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey guys!**

**I have finally worked myself out of my funk, I think. I am feeling more ambition to write, which has been nice. I have another chapter started already and I'm working on it as much as I can.**

**I would like to thank Saddles18, Zombie Pixel, and horselover90 for your continued support and awesome reviews. I am excited that you guys like where the story is going. (:**

**Special thanks to ArchelionGen for being an awesome beta.**

**Please feel free to rate, review and PM me if you have anything wish to say.**

**Thanks!**

* * *

Natasha bit her bottom lip as she stared down at her daughter, who slept soundly on the bunk across from her own. She idly rubbed her shoulder, letting out a sigh before a knock on the door pulled her from her thoughts. She stood as the door whooshed open, forcing a smile to her face as she saw Shepard standing there.

"Something I can do for you?" She asked.  
"I came to check up on you, Natasha. Chambers said you looked upset earlier."

Natasha sank into a hip as she looked around the room.

"I imagine you have more important things to worry about." She said with a small laugh.  
"I need to make sure my team is ready before we hit that relay. If there's something you need I'd be glad to help."

Natasha studied him for a moment before nodding in response.

"There's something, but... It's a bit out of our way."  
"What do you need?"

Natasha looked over at her sleeping daughter before folding her arms across her chest.

"I don't want her on the ship when we hit that relay."  
"Does that mean you'll be leaving?"  
"I have yet to decide, but I need my daughter to be safe."  
"What can I do?"

Natasha took a deep breath, silently wondering whether or not she was sure about what she was going to ask of him.

"I need to go to Palaven."  
"I'm guessing you have someone that can care for her there?"  
"I'm hoping."  
"I'll plot a course."

Natasha nodded with a small smile.

"Thank you Commander. You've done a lot for us."  
"No problem."

He turned away, leaving Natasha alone as her mind went into over drive at the thought of what she would do.

* * *

_Rayhel hugged her father tightly before giving him a smile. Her mother wiped tears from her face as she tried smiling in return._

_"I love you guys."_  
_"Call us when you can." Natasha said, fumbling with a clasp on Rayhel's armor as if to fix it._

_Rayhel laughed and brushed her mother's hands away._

_"I will Mom."_  
_"You let me know if he's a problem." Garrus said, giving Rayhel a look._

_She smiled, nodding at him._

_"I will." She finished with her goodbyes before boarding the ship, her bag slung over her shoulder. When she was out of sight of her parents, she caught up with Darius, a smile on her face. "Hey."_

_He looked over at her briefly. She could see that there was something wrong._

_"Hey."_  
_"You alright?"_  
_"Do you need something, Rayhel?"_

_She reached out for him, putting a hand on his chest and stopping him. He gave her a look as he sighed._

_"Since when did you start calling me Rayhel?"_  
_"Can I just get to my station? I have work to do."_

_Rayhel tilted her head slightly, her brow plates lowering at him._

_"What's wrong?"_  
_"Just... Just leave me alone. Ok?"_

_He tried walking past her, but she stopped him again._

_"No."_  
_"This has gotten out of hand, alright?"_  
_"What?"_  
_"Just do your job, Rayhel. And leave me alone so I can do mine."_  
_"Why are you talking to me like this?"_

_He shoved her hand away from him, a small growl emitting from his chest. Rayhel took a step back, the confusion mixing with the hurt he was giving her as he glared at her._

_"Ya know what the funny thing is, Rayhel? You think you're so special, you think you're untouchable. You don't want to see when people care. So you have daddy fight your battles for you."_  
_"Excuse me?"_  
_"So you live your life like that if you want to, but I'm not sticking around for it. You think you're too good for anyone, there you go. Be alone."_

_Rayhel stood silently in her place for a short while after he walked past her, trying to push away the emotion that rose up inside of her. She did her best to shake it off, eventually turning down the hallway, making her way to her bunk. She didn't dwell on her thoughts or Darius' words for long. She tossed her bag under her bunk and strapped her rifle to her back before getting to her station. Darius seemed adamant on keeping his back to her. As much as it killed her that he was hurt, she wouldn't push it further while they were working. It'd have to wait._

* * *

Natasha walked into the main battery of the Normandy, feeling her blood run cold at the sight of the quarian that stood at the console with Garrus. Natasha folded her arms, raising an eyebrow as she sank into a hip.

"You just have to calibrate it. It'll work more efficiently."  
"I just can't do calibrations like you Garrus."  
"Well I can work on it with you."

Natasha cleared her throat to announce her presence, making both of them turn to face her.

"I didn't hear you come in." Garrus said with a smile.  
"I'll give you two some privacy." Tali said, walking to the door.  
"Come back a little later, I'll show you those calibrations." Garrus told her.

Tali nodded and continued to leave. Natasha set her eyes on Garrus, shaking her head slightly.

"What?"  
"You know, I'm sure there are other people that can show her how to calibrate things. As in, anyone else down in engineering. I'm sure they're well qualified."

Garrus chuckled at her, taking a step forward.

"Jealousy doesn't look good on you."  
"I'm not jealous of her." Natasha scoffed.

Garrus shook his head with a smile, leaning against the console.

"Is there something you needed?"  
"We're going to hit that relay soon."  
"Yeah..."  
"I can't keep Rayhel here. It's too dangerous."  
"What's your plan?"  
"I need to go to Palaven."  
"What's on Palaven that will keep her safe?"

Natasha looked down at her feet, her defensive demeanor fading to one of nerves. He tilted his head at her in curiosity.

"She has family there. No one else knows about it, and if we die, I want to have had her meet them. She has a right to."

Garrus shifted, folding his arms over his chest.

"I'm guessing it's Nihlus' family."  
"His mother."  
"I thought she hated you."  
"She does, but she has a right to meet her grandchild."

Garrus sighed, rubbing his face.

"I don't see what good it will do. Even if she lets her stay there, Rayhel doesn't know her. She wouldn't leave your side."  
"I think you are jumping to conclusions about this."  
"What?"  
"I'm not leaving my daughter with that crazy bitch."  
"Then... Who?"

Natasha bit her lip nervously, taking a deep breath.

"I'm going to stay on Palaven." She said.

Garrus was surprised with her and his heart ached quite a bit at the thought of being away from her. Especially with the thought of the suicide mission going poorly.

"I can arrange a place for you to stay with my family."  
"I want to meet them before I ask to stay there." she said.

He could tell she was struggling with the thought of being away from him. He pulled her closer to him for comfort. He opened his Omni tool after holding her for a moment.

"I'll try getting a hold of them."

Natasha stepped forward, kissing his cheek.

"Thank you."  
"You owe me."  
"No I don't. Besides, you already have someone coming in for calibrations."

He gave her a look, pulling her tight to his chest.

"I'd prefer you to come in for some."  
"Keep yourself under control." Natasha laughed, pulling away from him. She walked over to the door, her smile fading quickly as her heart ached at the thoughts that returned to her. She idly put a hand to her shoulder, looking back at him. "Do you think they'll disapprove of us?"  
"Why would they do that?"  
"We're together but not bonded."

Garrus could see the look on her face and he knew that it had been on her mind lately. He struggled to find the right words to ease her mind, shrugging at her.

"I don't think it'll matter."  
"Oh." She said, looking down at the ground again.  
"That's not what I meant, Natasha-"  
"No it's fine." She told him, forcing a smile. "I was just curious. I'll see you around."

Garrus felt his chest tighten as he watched her leave, unsure if he should catch up to her to talk about it. After a moment of staring, he decided against it, turning back to the console to finish his work.

Natasha tried keeping her tears hidden as she walked away from the main battery, taking a few deep breaths to calm herself down. She didn't know why she felt her heart breaking when she spoke to him lately, but it was there. He just kept getting more and more distant. Natasha knew from the beginning that he wouldn't ask her to bond with him for some time, but she was starting to think it just wasn't something he was ever going to want from her. There was no arguing that he was an amazing dad, and a great partner, but something just felt off between them and she couldn't put her finger on it.

She shook it from her thoughts after a few moments, beginning her search for her daughter, who was running around the ship somewhere.

* * *

_It had been hard for Rayhel to work near Darius with so much silence between the two of them. Even other crew members were starting to ask questions about what had happened. Rayhel just told them they were concentrating on their work, but she knew they weren't convinced. She'd never been a good liar and the damn turian had gotten her so upset that when the subject was brought up, it was all to clear that she was bothered. People caught on quickly._

_Rayhel walked onto the CIC, immediately recognizing something missing from her station. She looked around before approaching her commanding officer and saluting._

_"What do you need Vakarian?"_  
_"Sir, where is Darius?"_

_The turian looked at her, his brow plates low to his eyes._

_"He didn't tell you, huh?"_  
_"Sir?"_  
_"Service Chief Tessick was transferred to another platoon this morning."_  
_"May I ask why, sir?"_

_The turian had her a look, shaking his head._

_"I'm guessing it had something to do with you, Vakarian. He stated he couldn't work on his station effectively and since there was no other station to put him on, he was transferred."_  
_"Why does he get to choose where he works?" She said with a bite in her tone._

_The man gave her a look of warning in return._

_"Get to work, Vakarian. Tessick's station of employment is no concern of yours."_  
_"Yes sir." Rayhel said, saluting her commander before walking over to her station._

_She could already tell that it'd be a long day working on the console by herself._

* * *

The Normandy touched down at a station in Cipritine on Palaven. Natasha bundled Rayhel into heavy clothing after putting on her own armor. Rayhel wasn't easy to dress as she kept reaching for the clasps on Natasha's armor.

"Mommy, I want this." She said, grabbing a light on the armor.  
"No." Natasha said, picking the child up.  
"Where are we going Mommy?"  
"We're gonna go meet some new friends."  
"What kind of friends?"  
"Turian friends. This is our home world."

Rayhel giggled at her.

"Mommy, you are not a turian. You are human."

Garrus, who had been preparing his own armor and weapons, laughed at the child.

"Good job." He said. "Those pictures are really helping her learn."  
"She's smart." Natasha said with a smile.

Rayhel chewed on a talon as they walked out to the airlock, setting foot on Palaven. Natasha smiled underneath her helmet, looking to Garrus, then to Rayhel. She looked around curiously, her talon still in her mouth.

It took them some time to find where they needed to go, but Natasha didn't mind. She was nervous enough for how it would turn out. The ride to the small house gave her time to play it out several different ways in her head. When the shuttle landed, Natasha had to take a deep breath. She stared at the house, knowing this was where Nihlus grew up. Garrus gave her hand a small squeeze for comfort before they stepped out of the shuttle. Natasha set Rayhel down on the ground, holding her hand and knocking on the door. When it opened to reveal the woman they'd set out to see, Natasha smiled slightly, letting her take in the sight on her doorstep. The turian let her eyes shift to Garrus, then to the child, then back up to Natasha.

"Hi." Natasha said with a small voice.  
"I have to admit, I'm shocked to see you."  
"It's been a while."

Kireya opened the door further, letting them walk past her. She seemed to take in Rayhel's appearance before looking up at Natasha again.

"What can I do for you?"

Natasha had to peel her eyes from the photos around the room, feeling her emotions running high.

"I have some business to take care of. It's dangerous. I just wanted you to get the chance to meet her."

Kireya glanced at Garrus before looking down to the child again.

"This is her?"  
"Yes."  
"Wow… Doctors knew how to keep everyone alive after all."  
"It was difficult, but it worked."  
"Can I hug her?"  
"Of course."

Natasha let go of Rayhel's hand and kneeled down next to her.

"This is your grandma." she said softly.

Rayhel looked up at the woman, a talon in her mouth.

"Grandma?"  
"Yep. She wants to say hi to you, ok?"

Rayhel let the older turian pick her up for a hug. Kireya looked at her face after she was finished, smiling at how unique she was.

"She has his skin tone."  
"And his eyes."  
"They have your shape though."  
"I want to look like Daddy." Rayhel told her as she pointed to Garrus, who seemed to avoid eye contact with the woman when she looked at him.

Natasha exchanged looks with Kireya, who seemed surprised. She set Rayhel down before clearing her throat.

"You took another mate?" she asked, gesturing for them to sit at the small table in the living area.  
"Well. Not officially." Natasha said, fighting back her bitterness and putting on a fake smile. "He's helped raised her from the beginning."  
"I suppose I shouldn't voice my opinions."  
"It wouldn't change anything."  
"Well." she said, standing up and picking up a picture from the stand behind her. "I suppose she doesn't have anything of her real father's."

She looked down at the photo before holding it out for Natasha to take.

"Are you sure?"  
"I want her to know who he was."

Natasha could have sworn she'd heard a brief, quiet growl from Garrus as she took the photo from the woman. She looked down at it, unable to help the small smile that crept onto her face at the sight of Nihlus.

"Thank you."  
"You said you were going somewhere dangerous. Does she have a safe place to stay?"

Natasha looked back up to Kireya, nodding.

"I'll be staying on Palaven with her."  
"I'd be willing to take her."  
"You can have contact with her still, but I'm not leaving her. We'll find somewhere to stay."

Kireya sighed.

"I suppose that'll have to be enough for now."

* * *

_Rayhel opened up her Omni tool quickly, her anger coursing through her body like she'd never felt before. The day had been quiet, and it allowed her thoughts to build up, along with her emotions. She let the growl in her chest grow as loud as it needed to as she paced, doing her best to wait patiently for the connection to establish itself._

_"Hel-"_  
_"I'm going to kill someone!"_

_Rayhel knew her mother was probably a bit taken aback on the other end of the line, but she couldn't hold it in any longer._

_"What?"_  
_"Mom, I am so sick of having to deal with people."_  
_"Honey, slow down."_

_Rayhel took a deep breath and sat down on her bed, putting her face in her hand._

_"Darius left."_  
_"Left?"_  
_"He requested a different platoon."_  
_"He can do that?"_  
_"Apparently he gets special treatment."_  
_"Why did he do it?"_  
_"He told me I wanted to be alone because I thought I was too special for anyone else. He said I have my Dad fight my battles. He left the next day."_

_Rayhel heard her mother sigh on the other end._

_"Do you want me to get your father?"_  
_"No. He doesn't understand boy problems. It doesn't matter anyways. I'm done with them."_  
_"You can't say that after a flirtatious endeavor with one boy."_  
_"They're a waste of time, Mom! I need to focus on my work. It's what Dad would do. That's why he became a spectre, he's good at what he does. I want that. Boys will only slow me down."_  
_"You won't always feel that way."_  
_"Yes I will."_  
_"You just have to let people get to know you-"_  
_"Mom! I don't want to. I just want to do my job and get somewhere."_

_She heard her mother's voice lower to a mumble on the other end._

_"Garrus, you're daughter is about to blow a fuse, please say something to her."_  
_"Rayhel, what's wrong?" His voice was there in an instant, obvious concern in his tone._  
_"Dad, I'm done trying to make friends."_  
_"Why, what happened?"_  
_"It's not important."_  
_"If you need me to-"_  
_"No, I don't need you to do anything. I just want to work hard. I'll make you guys proud."_  
_"Rayhel, you already do."_  
_"It's not enough. I want to try harder."_

_He sighed at her, but she shook off his concern._

_"Dad, can you set it up?"_  
_"No."_  
_"Dad, I want you to set it up."_  
_"No Rayhel. I'm not doing it for you."_  
_"I want my clan markings."_  
_"You have to find a mate and a clan."_  
_"I don't want to have one, I want your markings."_  
_"I won't let you."_

_Rayhel felt the anger that was almost gone rising again._

_"Why?"_  
_"It's not right and it's not what you're supposed to do."_  
_"I don't want to be in any other clan."_  
_"Rayhel, the answer is no."_  
_"Ask Mom."_  
_"She has no control over it."_

_Rayhel bit back the urge to yell, reminding herself that her father was just looking out for her, even if she couldn't see it now. She knew she'd thank him someday. She just couldn't see it now._

_"I should go."_  
_"I know you're mad, but it'll get better."_  
_"Thanks."_  
_"Call us if you need anything."_  
_"I love you Dad."_  
_"I love you."_

_Rayhel closed out her Omni tool as she let out a sigh, shaking her head at herself. She'd earn those markings. She'd make him see that she deserved them. She'd work until he saw it. That was her goal. Nothing else would stop her._

* * *

Natasha took a deep breath as she watched Garrus open the door to the rather large house they'd stopped at. She followed him closely, Rayhel on her hip as she looked around.

"Solana?" Garrus called out.

They heard a few thumps before a turian rounded the corner, smiling happily at the sight of her brother.

"Garrus!" she said, flinging her arms around him.  
"Glad to see me?"  
"Where have you been?!"  
"Long story."

She caught sight of Natasha, tilting her head slightly.

"Who is this?"  
"Oh. This is Natasha." he said, looking back to her.  
"Look at her!" Solana said, making Rayhel smile. "She's adorable!"  
"Thank you." Natasha said with a smile.  
"How are you two acquainted?"

Natasha looked to Garrus as she bit her lip. He looked at Solana, who nodded in understanding.

"Got it." she laughed. "Want to see Mom?"  
"How is she?"  
"Doing alright today."  
"Is there something wrong with her?" Natasha asked.

Garrus looked over at her, realizing he'd never told her about his family issues. He cleared his throat.

"My Mom…. She has some health problems…"

Natasha felt a wave of anger run through her at the knowledge of Garrus keeping things from her. She shook it off quickly as she followed him through the house.

"She's been better lately."  
"Treatments are working?"  
"They're just expensive."  
"Whatever she needs, I'm here to give it."  
"What's wrong with her?" Natasha asked.  
"Corpalis syndrome." Solana said.  
"It's a turian nueral degeneration of sorts." Garrus explained.  
"Has she always had it?"  
"Only for a few years, but it gets pretty rough pretty fast." Solana told her.  
"I'm sorry."  
"She'll be thrilled to know you had a kid when you were away."

Garrus let out a light chuckle.

"Long story."  
"Looking forward to hearing it." Solana knocked lightly on a closed door in the hallway they walked down, putting her ear to it. "Mom? It's me, I have a surprise for you."

She opened the door to reveal a sleeping turian tucked into bed. Solana went to her side and shook her slightly.

"Hm?"  
"Mom, I have a surprise for you, you have to wake up."  
"Mommy, I want to sleep too." Rayhel said, rubbing her eyes.  
"You have to stay awake just a little bit longer baby." Natasha whispered to her as Garrus walked over to his mother's bedside.

The turian was very thrilled to see him, giving him a kiss on the cheek when he bent down to hug her.

"I have someone I want you to meet, Mom." he said, waving Natasha over.

She smiled warmly at the woman, who smiled back at her, a tired look in her eyes.

"Hi." Natasha said.  
"This is Natasha."  
"It's nice to meet you. I'll forget your name five minutes from now, I'm afraid."

The woman didn't seem embarrassed, though she looked apologetic. Natasha gave her a reassuring smile.

"It's ok."  
"Is this your baby?"  
"This is Rayhel." Natasha said.

Garrus took his mother's hand into his own.

"This is my daughter, Mom."

Natasha could see the surprise through the woman's exhaustion.

"You've been gone too long." she finally sighed.  
"It's a long story, and I'm sorry I haven't been in touch as much as I'd like to be."  
"I want to hold her."  
"No Mom, you're too tired." Solana said, shaking her head.  
"It's ok, she can just sit on the bed next to her. She's feeling tired too." Natasha said.  
"That's fine."

Natasha looked at Rayhel, who yawned. She stroked her fringe gently.

"This is your grandma."  
"I thought I already had a grandma." she said tiredly.  
"You have two of them baby."  
"Can I sleep?"  
"Yep, go ahead and lay down next to her."

Natasha set Rayhel down on the bed so she could crawl up to the pillows. The old turian smiled in delight, placing her hand on Rayhel's and sighing in exhaustion.

"We should let her rest for a while." Solana said, looking at Garrus.  
"She doesn't stay awake for long." he noted, watching his mother nod off into sleep.  
"Come on." Natasha followed them out of the room, glancing back at her daughter several times before they closed the door. Solana led them to the living area, allowing them to sit. Garrus chose to sit across from her in a chair while Natasha sat with her on the couch. "So are you guys bonded too?"  
"No." Garrus said, leaning back in the chair.  
"Dad is going to flip his lid."  
"We'll be gone before he can see me."

Solana gave him a look of agitation.

"You should say hello."  
"Just so I can leave with another fight between us?"  
"He might not be too upset."  
"Yes he will."  
"Well what's the story?"  
"Long story short, she was bonded with another man and he died. She was pregnant and I was assigned to protect her. We got together, and we've raised Rayhel together since she was born."

Solana nodded slowly, glancing at Natasha, who bit her lip nervously.

"Yeah, he's not gonna like that. Bondmates aren't supposed to re-bond if they've had kids with their deceased mate."  
"I'm not a turian." Natasha pointed out.  
"If you marry like a turian, expect to be treated like one." Solana countered.  
"Especially in the clan of Cipritine." Garrus added.  
"Cipritine, huh?" Solana said, looking over at her.  
"I'm going to be gone for a while, Sol."

Solana grew quiet, looking down at her hands. Natasha could tell that the woman was having difficulty with the news.

"Why?" she finally said.  
"We'll be away from the relays for a bit."  
"I suppose you're off on a luxury cruise then?"

He chuckled at her.

"You know me."

Natasha enjoyed sitting with Garrus' sister, chatting idly. The moment was cut short after a few hours, when Garrus' father walked in through the front door. Garrus stood at the sight of him. He looked around at Natasha before walking over to his son. Garrus shook his hand. Natasha felt the tension between them immediately.

"Didn't expect to see you home."  
"I did show up unannounced."  
"I trust you said hello to your mother?"  
"I did."  
"How long are you staying?"  
"Not long, I'm just visiting."  
"Still playing as spectre I take it?"  
"Doing my best to serve the galaxy."

Natasha glanced at Solana, who exchanged looks with her.

"Dad, I'm sure Mom wouldn't mind you waking her up." Solana interrupted.  
"I should go check on her." he agreed, turning away from Garrus.

Natasha saw Garrus shake his head in frustration as his father walked away.

"Well." Solana said with a sigh, putting her hands on her hips after standing up.

Natasha stood too, walking over to Garrus' side.

"That was fun." she whispered.  
"It'll get better, wait for it."

Natasha looked to Solana, who seemed to be waiting for something aswell. The turian returned to the living area, a stern look on his face.

"Can you explain to me why there is a child in your mother's room?" he asked.  
"She's mine." Natasha said quickly.  
"And who are you?" he asked, his stern demeanor softening slightly.  
"Natasha. Friend of his." she said, nodding at Garrus.

Garrus scoffed at her, shaking his head.

"Don't." he told her.

She bit her lip at him as he looked back to his father.

"The kid is mine." he corrected. "Ours."  
"So you're bonded now?"  
"No."

The turian shook his head, looking to Solana.

"Tell me he's lying."  
"Afraid not." she said with a shrug.

He looked back to Garrus.

"Are you insane?"  
"Probably a little."  
"Artus!"

The turian snapped his head in the direction of the bedroom that his bondmate called from, then looked back to Garrus. He shook his head again before turning away. Garrus glared down at Natasha.

"Don't you ever lie like that."  
"I didn't want him to be mad."  
"I don't care if he's mad, you're my family."  
"So is he."

Garrus huffed, shaking his head. Natasha saw the resemblance between him and his father as he did so, causing her to smile slightly.

It was hard to stay much longer after that. Natasha and Garrus said their goodbyes to his family and got Rayhel ready to leave. When they got back to the Normandy, Calpurnia had been waiting for them. She'd went to visit her own family while she was there. Natasha felt her heart crumbling as she realized she needed to start saying her goodbyes.

"Alright baby. Say goodbye to Daddy."  
"Why?"  
"He has to go work on some stuff."  
"I want to work on stuff."  
"No baby, it's dangerous."

Garrus reached out and took her from Natasha's hip.

"Come here." he said with as much of a smile as he could muster.  
"Daddy, can I go with you?"  
"No."  
"Please?"

She pouted at him. He shook his head with a smile.

"No. You have to stay here with Mommy."  
"I want to go with you."

Rayhel started crying, laying her head on his shoulder as he pat her back gently. The sight just made Natasha's heart crumble. She was trying to keep her tears hidden, but she couldn't help recalling the memories of councilor Sparatus and executor Pallin coming to her door to tell her that her bondmate was killed. She cringed, closing her eyes as the tears finally escaped. She felt a hand on her back, which made her look up and wipe her tears quickly. Calpurnia gave her a sympathetic look.

"You worried?"  
"What gave it away?"

Calpurnia sighed.

"He knows what he's doing."  
"So did Nihlus, he was one of the best, he was one of the top ranking spectres and he was still-"

Calpurnia made her turn to face her, shaking her head.

"Quit that." Natasha stiffened at her touch, glancing back at Garrus, who played with Rayhel to cheer her up. "Breathe. Right now."

Natasha reluctantly took a deep breath, ending her babbling as she looked back to her.

"I don't want to say goodbye."

Calpurnia was unable to come up with a response before Garrus handed Rayhel to her. He pulled Natasha into his arms. She hugged him tightly, closing her eyes to allow herself to block out everything around her except for him. He lowered his face to her ear, his voice smooth and comforting.

"I'll come back for you."

She quivered in his arms, locking eyes with him, holding her tears back as much as she possibly could.

"You better."  
"Take care of her."  
"I promise."  
"I love you."  
"I love you too Garrus. Please just… Try to be safe…"  
"I promise."

He put his forehead to hers, a small purr sounding from his chest. After a moment, he pulled away from her. She shook her head, pulling him back to press her lips to his. He let her kiss him for as long as she needed, his chest tightening at the thought of being away from his family.

Natasha mustered all the strength she had to let go of him. She looked to her best friend, holding out her arms. Calpurnia hesitated for a moment, then shook her head briefly.

"Hug me goodbye." Natasha said, dropping her arms only slightly.  
"I'm… I'm gonna stay."

Natasha knitted her eyebrows together, dropping her arms completely now.

"What?"

Calpurnia looked at Rayhel, then back to Natasha.

"I'm going to take her. You go with Garrus." Natasha stared at the turian, who looked over at Caeus, who stood at a distance from them as they said their goodbyes. "I was hurt and I'm not going to be of much use to Shepard anyways. Besides, it's my job to look after her. Godmother and all."

Natasha smiled, looking down at her feet.

"I don't know what to say."  
"You don't have to say anything."

Natasha looked to Rayhel, who seemed to not have been following the conversation anymore. She chewed on a talon as Natasha took her back from Calpurnia. She hugged her tightly.

"Baby, Mommy has to go for a while, alright?"  
"Why?"  
"I have to go with Daddy."  
"I want to go."  
"No baby, it's too dangerous. You're going to stay with Aunt Cal, ok?" Rayhel cried against her shoulder now, wrapping her small arms around Natasha. "It's only for a little while, ok? We'll be right back."  
"I love you Mommy."  
"I know baby, and I love you too."

Natasha handed Rayhel back to Garrus, which only made her cry harder. Natasha faced Calpurnia, walking into her arms and giving her a tight hug.

"Please be careful."  
"I'll try."  
"You better come back for her." Calpurnia said, letting go of her. "I can't handle kids. Guys don't come home as easy if women have kids back at home."

Natasha shook her head, looking over at Caeus, who smirked. She looked back to Calpurnia.

"Are you alright leaving him?"  
"Actually she's not leaving me." Caeus answered for her, stepping closer to them. "I'm staying if she is."

Calpurnia gave him a smile before looking back to Natasha.

"I'll be taken care of here." she said reassuringly.  
"I hope so." Natasha said in a stern tone as she looked at Caeus.  
"She will be."

Garrus hugged Calpurnia before handing Rayhel back to her. Natasha felt her tears welling up again. Calpurnia had been by her side for the past three years consistently. She hated the thought of leaving her behind, but she knew it was for the best.

"I love you Cal."  
"I love you too." she smiled, turning away from her and walking back to the shuttle that had brought her there.

Rayhel waved at Natasha and Garrus. They waved back at her, Natasha fighting tears when they turned to get back on the Normandy.

The few hours that remained in their day went by slowly. Natasha had gotten so used to taking care of a child that sitting in one place for more than ten minutes was driving her nuts. Garrus seemed to be feeling the same as he returned from the main battery rather early that night. They didn't say much about Rayhel, or the fact that Calpurnia and Caeus were both gone too. Garrus knew that Natasha wouldn't be able to sleep much that night, so he held her close to him, covering her in every ounce of his warmth that he could to comfort her. It seemed to relax her after a while, because she was asleep rather quickly once she was comfortable against him.

He, however, stayed up a while longer. He couldn't keep his mind from thoughts of what would happen to his daughter if the mission went wrong. He finally had to tell himself that she was safe as long as she was with Calpurnia, and that had to be enough. He was determined to get back to her.

Nothing would stop him from keeping his family safe.


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey guys!**

**Two in one night. Not bad, eh? Yes I know it's short, but it has plot. I am bringing the ME 2 portion of this story to a close now. I have alot of ideas for the ME 3 part, so I'm excited. (:**

**Please feel free to rate, review and even PM me if you have something you'd like to say.**

**Thanks!**

* * *

"Garrus?"  
"Hm?"  
"Where do you want to live when you finally settle down?"

Garrus looked up at Natasha, who sat cross-legged on the bunk, her elbows leaning on her knees as she idly stroked her shoulder. He took a moment to weigh her question as he sat on the bunk across from her, stripping his rifle to clean it as they prepared for the mission ahead. He shrugged.

"Guess I never really saw myself settling down."

Natasha felt the words cut at her, her chest tightening as she felt herself being pushed farther away from him. She bit her lip, watching him toy with his rifle. She winced slightly, swallowing the lump that had formed in her throat. She had to try talking. She couldn't just give up on him.

"Well Rayhel couldn't live on a ship her whole life. We'd need a home somewhere."  
"You could find a home somewhere."

Natasha hated how quickly the tears welled up in her eyes as she looked down at her lap, biting her lip harshly, trying to keep her composure.

"I wouldn't want that."

Garrus couldn't bring himself to look up at her. He could hear the small quiver in her voice. He knew she was stressed out and that she was a bit sensitive. He understood that the paranoia of being away from her best friend and daughter was starting to get to her after two weeks of travel, and he knew her defense was quickly defaulting to anger. He hated that she was so wound up, but he knew there was nothing he could do. He cleared his throat.

"I don't know what to tell you…" he said with a small laugh.

At that, she got to her feet, putting her hands over her face. He looked up at her now, silence falling over them. She took a deep, shaky breath before uncovering her face. He saw the redness around her eyes. She ran her hands through her hair, shaking her head.

"I need to go."  
"Where?"  
"Anywhere but this room."  
"Do you want me to go with you?"  
"No."

Garrus thought her answer was rather quick. She gave him a look, her nostrils flaring slightly as she fought to keep a steady breath in order to contain her tears. He nodded at her after a moment of reading her body language, wishing he knew what to say. He gave her a small shrug.

"Will you let me know if you need me?"

She bit her lip at him again to stop it from quivering as she nodded. She turned away quickly. Garrus couldn't help but get the impression that she was trying to run away from him. He knew going after her would only lead him to the dilemma of not knowing what to say, so he stayed where he was, focusing on preparing himself for the mission.

Natasha made sure she was in the elevator before she requested that EDI stop the lift so she could have a moment to regain her composure. The attempt to shake off the ache in her chest just caused the tears to fall even more than before. She leaned against the wall of the lift, her hands over her face as she cried, feeling for the first time what she truly believed was heartbreak. She just wanted someone to understand. She wanted her friends. She wanted her daughter.

Once she was able to get her tears under control, EDI let the lift continue dropping. Natasha hesitantly stepped out, hearing the low hum of the engine as she walked through the cargo hold. She could hear the engineers chatting idly about how they were ready to turn in for the night. Everyone was as prepared as they could be, and although it was supposed to be reassuring, all it did was make Natasha even more weary. She hated that this was what the galaxy was coming to. The threat of the Reapers, the Collectors abducting colonies, everything was quickly turning into a mess.

She took a shaky breath as she walked down the stairs, turning around the dark corner to see Jack leaning back on her bunk, scrolling through a data pad. Natasha cleared her throat, her arms folded over her chest tightly as if it'd help hide her from everything. Jack looked over at her, letting out a grunt of a laugh before looking back to the data pad.

"What do you need?"  
"I know there's not a lot of room down here, but I was just wondering if I can hang out here for the night…"

Jack looked back to her, her eyebrows knitted.

"You want to sleep with me?"

Natasha let out a short sigh, looking down at the floor.

"I didn't mean it like that."

Jack sat up, setting the data pad off to the side.

"What's wrong with your bunk?"  
"I don't want to be there."  
"Garrus say something to piss you off?"

Natasha bit back the tears that threatened her eyes, though she didn't understand why. The redness of her eyes made it clear that she was upset. She shrugged at her.

"It doesn't really matter. I just want to sleep here tonight."  
"Fine by me."

Natasha was surprised that the woman was willing to let her stay, but she didn't question it. She quietly found a comfortable spot to stay in for the night, the hum of the engine the only sound in the room as they settled in. It was a long night for Natasha, and she didn't find sleep easily. She was grateful when her mind finally shut off long enough for her to rest, allowing her heart to stop aching for a while. She knew that now, for the first time in a very long time, she was completely alone.

* * *

The mission was, to say the least, one of the hardest things Natasha had ever had to do. She wasn't expecting anything that had come about. With the Normandy crew abducted though, it gave the team a whole new motivation to bring an end to the Collectors. Making their way through the halls to open the vents for Legion made Natasha almost die of anxiety. She couldn't focus long enough on a target to actually take it down. She was too focused on getting him through the spaces quickly, as they would start overheating when he needed Shepard to open the way to the next vent. Eventually, they got through, and Legion was safe with the rest of the team. Miranda, who had lead the others to the rendezvous, was waiting on the other side of the door when they got it opened. As they fought to get the door closed, Jacob ran to push it shut alongside Shepard, which only resulted in him being shot by the firing Collectors. After the doors were shut, Shepard checked Jacob's body. He was gone.

In the room they were in, they found their crew members, quickly getting them out of their Collector pods after witnessing one woman being processed inside of her own. After speaking with Doctor Chakwas, Shepard sent Mordin to escort her and the rest of the crew back to the Normandy, knowing the crew was in no way, shape or form able to fight with them. Shepard appointed Miranda as the team's leader again after asking Jack to create the biotic force that would protect them from the seeker swarms that awaited them through the next area of the base. It was simple enough, staying inside the biotic bubble while taking down the Collectors that stood in their way. Natasha was rather intimidated by the Scion that decided to show up, and the husks that ran around were a bit of a distraction from taking out the enemies who actually had firearms. She was pleasantly surprised that Jack took the liberty of throwing biotics at the husks that got too close to Natasha when she was already focused on a different target. She would give Jack an appreciative nod when she was protected, and Jack would return the gesture. Natasha returned the favor by talking to her motivationally once they neared the exit. Jack was exhausted by the effort of keeping the biotics up around them. Natasha stood close to her, making sure that she was only focusing on the biotics, instead of worrying about enemies too.

They made it through successfully, though Jack needed to sit and rest for a moment once they got through the doors. As they were closing the doors, a bullet flew by, hitting Miranda in the abdomen. She doubled over as Shepard rushed to her. She gave him a weak smile, bringing her hand to her stomach.

"Fit for duty Commander."

He pat her shoulder gently before getting up to a ledge and looking out at his team. Natasha knew this was it. Only one more push, to get to the heart of the base to plant the bomb. He said a few words of encouragement before putting Miranda in charge one last time, allowing Garrus, Natasha and Grunt to go with him. The platform carried them across the base, stopping only when other platforms flew towards them with Collectors who were ready for a fight. They finished them off rather quickly, effectively taking out the two Scions who accompanied them before getting on the next platform. Natasha was happy it was almost over. All they needed to do was plant the bomb. Or so that was the plan before EDI contacted Shepard. She informed him that the base was not just full of Reaper technology, but they were actually building a Reaper. Not just any Reaper either. The large metal thing was hanging by arms, tubes feeding into the human bot that they had built. Natasha was disgusted by the sight, knowing it was the colonists that had been used to create the thing in the first place.

After a few waves of fighting Collectors and shooting at the tubes that held up the Reaper, it finally dropped, crashing down below as Shepard opened up the console of the base to plant the bomb. EDI alerted him of an urgent call from the Illusive Man, whom Garrus patched through on his Omni tool as Shepard got to work on the bomb. The Illusive Man seemed very determined to get Shepard to save the base, instead of blowing it up. He explained that the intel would only benefit them against the Reapers, but Shepard didn't listen. It was too dangerous to keep. Garrus closed out his Omni tool before the conversation could be drawn out any longer. Shepard slid the bomb down into the platform of the base before telling the squad that they had about ten minutes to get back to the Normandy before the base was going to blow up. Natasha blamed Shepard's horrible luck when he was finished talking and the Reaper climbed back up to the platform.

The fight was hard. There were plenty of Collectors and the Reaper was very tough to bring down. It'd fire a large blast with it's laser every few minutes, which brought the squad's shields down immediately if they weren't behind some kind of cover. Natasha thought she was going to faint from exertion. Garrus stayed close to her, as if he knew she was overwhelmed.

After a few long minutes of fighting, the Reaper finally dropped. It pulled the platforms down as it did so, tilting it to the throw the squad off balance. Natasha slipped, feeling herself falling down the ledge as Garrus ran for her. He managed to catch her hand, holding her with one hand and hanging onto the ledge with the other. She closed her eyes tightly, telling herself not to look down as he pulled her up.

The run back to the Normandy was a long one as the squad had to shoot at Collectors the entire way back. It was quite the jump to the airlock of the ship, but they made it nonetheless. As the ship flew at top speed, the base exploded, destroying the Collectors and their Reaper in the process. Natasha leaned back against the wall of the CIC, panting and trying to regain her composure, as did the other squad mates. After a few moments, Shepard straightened up.

"That was fun."

Natasha smiled slightly, looking over at Garrus, who was already watching her. She looked away after trying to read his expression for a moment, giving up on attempting to know what he was thinking or feeling at the time. She pushed herself off the wall after a few moments, walking lazily to the elevator, Garrus following her slowly. The ride down to their room was a silent one. Neither of them knew quite what to say to each other, or if there was something that actually needed saying at all. That's when it hit Natasha. She knitted her eyebrows, unfolding her arms as the lift came to a halt. They walked back to the room together, but Natasha didn't start undressing. She watched as he unclasped his armor, struggling with the words that she needed to express. He looked at her after a few moments, noticing she wasn't getting out of her armor.

"You ok?"

She was brought from her thought at the sound of his voice, looking up at him with a small glint of hope.

"Are you ever going to bond with me?"

He stopped working at his armor to stare at her, uncertainty plain on his face.

"Do we have to talk about this now?"

Natasha let out a short, angry huff, shaking her head at him.

"I almost died on that base. I would have fallen if you hadn't caught me, and you aren't even slightly affected by that thought."  
"You didn't die, you're fine."

She let out another huff, shrugging at him slightly.

"So you weren't worried?"  
"I was."  
"Why don't you care anymore, Garrus?"  
"I do care."  
"You've fooled me into thinking otherwise."  
"You think I don't care?"

She took a deep breath, stepping closer to him.

"Why won't you bond with me?"  
"Natasha, let it go."

She shook her head.

"If it's for the simple reason that you are not ready to bond with anyone, I understand."  
"It's not that."  
"So it's just me then?"

He sighed at her.

"No."  
"Then what is it?!" she asked, desperation clear in her voice. She needed an answer.  
"I just can't."  
"Why?"

He looked around the small room, running the words through his head before looking back to her. She waited anxiously for an explanation.

"You're not…" he sighed again, rubbing the back of his neck. "It just wouldn't be right."  
"Right?" she said, her tone turning to anger. "It wouldn't be right? Just like you raising my daughter isn't right? Or just like we're together and have a kid but we're not bonded? I think it'd be better to be bonded, considering what is 'right'."  
"Why can't you just be happy with me without being bonded?"

She winced at his words, taking a step back. She shook her head slightly.

"Because I know I'm not good enough to bond with."

He stared at her, not saying a word as she waited for him to tell her differently. Her heart ached more and more the longer she stood there, both of them unable to muster words to try fixing what was clearly broken. After moments of them simply watching each other and letting the situation sink in, Natasha gave him a weak smile.

"I can't do this anymore."

His attention was grabbed by this, his eyes snapping back up to lock with hers.

"What?"

She felt her stomach turn as she fumbled with the words, but she gave up trying to candy coat what she was telling him. She swallowed the lump in her throat as she took another step away from him.

"I can't… I can't be with you anymore."

He took a step closer to her, shaking his head.

"What are you talking about?"  
"I love you Garrus, but I can't do this."  
"Why does it have to get to that point? Why can't you-"  
"I don't want to be the woman you feel stuck with."  
"Don't say that, I'm not stuck with you."  
"Yet you put up with me and won't bond."  
"That's because I love you."  
"Not enough to bond."

He groaned at her, stepping closer. She put a hand out to stop him from touching her.

"You know this is how it has to be. I can't just be your girlfriend forever. If you can't…. If I'm not important enough for you to get over your turian pride, then… I would rather be alone."

He looked hurt, but he didn't trying getting closer to her anymore. Deep down, she knew that he would realize she was right. There was no point in them being tied down to someone they couldn't bond with. Natasha took another step backwards, causing the door to whoosh open. She gave him a small smile, tears welling up in her eyes to obscure her vision of him.

"Bye Garrus."


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey guys!**

**I am really excited about getting into this portion of the story. I hope you guys like it, I really enjoyed writing this chapter.**

**Thanks to ArchelionGen for being an amazing beta reader.**

**Please feel free to rate, review and even PM me if you have something you'd like to say.**

**Thanks guys!**

* * *

Fear was all she could feel. How could she feel anything else as she watched the footage? It wasn't just a vid on the extranet, it was really happening. People were really dying, and everything was being destroyed. It looked like something out of a movie. Everyone screaming, the explosions, the military's ships flying about as shuttles evacuated civilians from their homes.

Why the Reapers hit Earth first was beyond her knowledge. She thought that perhaps it was because the human military was quite large, and taking them out first was the smarter thing to do. Though on that note, Palaven should be in the same state. The turian fleet was quite large. Did it matter though? Did the Reapers really know, or even care about how big the military of an organic race is? She took a deep breath, shaking her head as she closed out her Omni tool.

"How bad is it?"

She looked around to find her turian friend standing there, a sad look on her face.

"Bad." she replied, getting to her feet.  
"I'm sorry."  
"Palaven will be next…"  
"It's going to be bad all over."

Natasha hugged her, letting out a large breath before letting her go.

"I need to go pick up my daughter."  
"We'll go too."  
"Caeus isn't working?"  
"They gave him the day off, considering. They wanted to focus on getting a defense plan started."

Natasha nodded. The reality of Reapers was just too much as of late. She felt a headache coming on, her need for an escape returning quickly. She knew it'd have to wait though. She needed to pick up her daughter.

"Let's head out. He has to work."  
"They're making him work still?"  
"Closest thing they have to a Reaper expert. He needs to know their plans."

Calpurnia shrugged in agreement, walking with her to the door. Caeus joined them outside, opening the shuttle door for the pair before getting himself in.

"Do you think he'll be there?"

Natasha glanced at Caeus, then shook her head.

"Solana will drop her off at the usual get together spot."  
"How long has it been since you talked to him?"

Natasha looked out of the window of the shuttle, biting her lip in silence. Caeus didn't push the subject further. He just drove to the designated meeting area and landed the shuttle gently. Natasha forced a smile as she got out, seeing the other shuttle already parked there. It opened after a moment, a turian stepping out and smiling at her before letting the smaller turian out of the shuttle. Rayhel ran to her mother, hugging her once she was within reach.

"Hey baby."  
"Mommy, I had fun."

Natasha gave her a genuine smile before looking up at Solana.

"How was she?"  
"She was good."  
"Did she get to see him? I know he's been working a lot."  
"Yeah, he took a few days to see her. I had to watch her today when he was gone though."  
"Good."

Solana tilted her head, watching Natasha as she picked up Rayhel.

"How are you? You don't look like you've been sleeping."

Natasha pretended to fix Rayhel's shirt for a moment, trying to smile.

"I've been fine."  
"Are you feeling alright?"

Natasha knew the turian could sense what she'd been doing, though she would never admit it. Not with her daughter in her arms. She looked over at her, smiling as much as she could.

"Yeah, I'm great."

Solana seemed unconvinced, giving her a small, sad smile.

"I know it's not really something you care about, but… He asks her about you."

Natasha felt a faint flutter in her chest, as she bit back her scoff.

"Not like a four year-old can say much."  
"He's just curious…"  
"I know." Natasha fought to swallow down her words, but she couldn't help herself. She couldn't pretend she didn't care. "How is he?"

Solana smiled at her, putting her hands on her hips.

"He's alright. Quiet when Rayhel isn't there. Keeping himself busy at work."

Natasha wasn't able to carry on the conversation for much longer, as her desperation to get home to fix herself became unbearable. Solana wished her well and told her to take care of herself before leaving. Natasha was grateful that Garrus' family hadn't completely shut her out of their lives.

* * *

_Tavus stood in line amongst the other squad mates, making sure to keep himself at attention as they waited for their commanding officer to join them. He'd heard that he was a hard ass, but he was prepared. He'd been able to climb the ranks easily throughout his career, and most of his officers had appreciated his work. Or so he believed. He watched patiently as the others started getting restless, letting their stance falter as they sighed and shifted their weight to keep their feet awake._

_The door whooshed open after a few more moments, all of the men fixing their attention as the officer walked into the room. Tavus didn't look over at the turian, but he could have sworn he'd seen a woman's figure, not a man's. The footsteps were slow but it didn't take long for the officer to pass Tavus. It was a woman. He kept his facial expression blank, though he wondered why he wasn't assigned to the unit he'd been told he would be._

_"Listen up, girls. I am filling in for Captain Shisk. I am Captain Vakarian. Sound off!" Tavus was reluctant to sound off when his turn came, which the captain had picked up on. She walked over to him, putting her face in front of his, a stern look planted there. "Something wrong?"_  
_"Tavus Victus, m'am!"_  
_"Victus? Bet you think you're gonna have special treatment here, huh?"_  
_"No, m'am."_  
_"I'm watching you, Victus."_  
_"Yes, m'am."_

_Rayhel walked down the rest of the line, noting to herself that she'd have to keep an eye on the turian. She'd been in his shoes before. She wouldn't let his family name define who he was in the military. He'd work for it, just like anyone else._

_Tavus knew exactly who the woman was. He knew as soon as he'd heard the name. Vakarian was that spectre that helped Commander Shepard take down the Reapers. He was a big deal around Palaven. His daughter was doing well in the military, it seemed. Every part of him wished he'd be able to just lay down and take the beating that she'd end up dishing out for him, but she was the same as him. She'd been where he is. She had to work her way up the ranks without the special treatment. Now she had power, and she'd unleash it if she had to. He smirked slightly at the thought, knowing he wouldn't back down if she challenged him. He quickly wiped the look from his face, shaking the thought away. He'd made it this far without a confrontation with an officer. He had to keep a level head._

* * *

"She's doing good."

Garrus looked over at his sister as she strode into the house. It saddened him that Rayhel was gone now. He cleared his throat, setting down his data pad.

"Is she?"  
"I told her you were good too."  
"I don't really think she cares, Sol. It's over."  
"You guys have been through a lot together. I don't see why you can't be friends still."

He scoffed at her, getting to his feet and grabbing the rifle that rested against the wall next to him. He left silently, shutting the door louder than he wanted to. He took his time trying to clear his head, hating that the first thing his sister would do is mention Natasha. He knew exactly why they couldn't be friends. They could never be just friends. After everything; protecting her after Nihlus died, keeping her alive, taking in Rayhel as his own, Omega, everything. It was hard to try thinking of her as just as friend after she'd spent four years as his piece of sanity when things went to shit. It was her choice, though, and she'd made it clear that she needed her space. It killed him to stay away, especially with the coming threat of Reapers. Earth had been hit hard, and he could imagine she was upset about it. She'd never been to her home world, but it was still home. His chest tightened at the thought of her reaction to the vids.

He parked his shuttle close to the shooting range, thankful that there was something to take his emotions out on. He tried keeping things under control, and to keep his head clear, but there was only so much one person could take before they started to crack. He was there.

After a few moments of shooting in silence, which seemed to be losing it's effect after the first shot, a shuttle parked next to his. He glanced over as he reloaded his rifle, wondering why the other turian decided to come to the range. Caeus smiled at Garrus' silence, walking over to his side to watch him fire the shot. Garrus looked over at him again afterwards, letting out a sigh.

"Been a while."  
"Been busy."

Caeus nodded.

"Yeah, you're a Reaper expert now, I hear." Garrus lowered his brow plates at him. Caeus laughed. "Just kidding."  
"I guess it's true." Garrus replied, sitting down on one of the crates he'd been using for cover. He sat his rifle down, rubbing his face. Caeus joined him. "I don't know why their not evacuating yet."  
"Where do we go? There's only so much galaxy to run around in before the Reapers destroy everything. If it's our time, it's our time."

Garrus gave him a look before shaking his head.

"No. I won't let that happen. I have people to protect."

Caeus gave him a look of understanding.

"You know I'm keeping her safe while you're distanced."  
"As much as I appreciate it, it's my job."  
"You got fired remember?"

Garrus couldn't help but smile at the figure of speech, though he felt that ache in his chest at the thought.

"Just…. Make sure you tell me if anything is going on. I know she wants space, but…"  
"I know. I'd want to know if it was me in your place. Trust me, I'm keeping you in the loop."  
"So why did you come down here?"  
"Solana called me."  
"I thought Calpurnia told her not to call you anymore after that incident."

Caeus laughed lightly, nodding.

"She did, but… Solana was worried."  
"I wish she'd stop acting like I'm a teen boy who got my heart broken."

Caeus gave him a smile.

"She's your sister. She's going to worry." Garrus shook his head, letting out another sigh. "If you ever need anything, I'm here."

Garrus looked over at him, nodding.

"Thank you."  
"Want to get a drink? I'm sure there are some girls that want to blow off some steam, with this whole Reaper threat thing going on."

Garrus smirked, nodding again.

"Let's go."  
"That's the spirit."

* * *

_"Victus?"_  
_"Yes m'am."_  
_"Why the hell is this console down?"_

_Tavus looked over at the console next to his own, then back to the captain._

_"I don't need it, m'am."_  
_"Victus, if you didn't need it, do you think the turian fleet would be sure to equip you with two consoles?"_  
_"No m'am."_  
_"Get that thing up and running before I put my boot up your ass."_  
_"Yes m'am."_

_Tavus saluted her as she continued her walk through the CIC, then turned back to the console. He held back the growl his chest. He'd never had a woman outrank him. He'd never worked with a woman in the military, come to think of it. He scoffed as he waited for the thing to boot up, looking over his shoulder at her as she plotted a new course on the galaxy map. He had to force himself to regain his calm as he snarled slightly, focusing on the console. There was one way to settle his ill feelings for the woman._

_Later that night, the crew had finished their dinner before Tavus decided to speak to her. She sat off to the side, away from the crew as a silent observer. Tavus stopped in front of where she sat, saluting her as he should._

_"What do you want, Victus? I'm busy."_  
_"I need a sparring match."_

_She scoffed before taking another bite of her food._

_"Kick whoever's ass you feel you need to, I don't give a shit. Just get out of my face."_  
_"I want to spar with you, m'am."_

_She raised a brow plate at him as she chewed, glancing at the table of now silent turians. She smirked after she swallowed her food, setting her plate down on the table so she could cross her arms across her chest._

_"You have some balls. What the hell do you want to spar with me for? Have an issue?"_  
_"I just want to settle some ill feelings."_

_She let out a small laugh, sinking into a hip._

_"This is insubordination, you realize that right?"_  
_"Yes m'am."_  
_"You know you're going to regret this, right?"_  
_"No m'am."_

_She took a step closer to him, a stern look mixed with a humored one._

_"Let's go."_

_The turians at the table snickered silently, watching Tavus follow her from the room before they got to their feet in a hurry, all of them rushing to the training deck below._

* * *

Natasha frantically grabbed pieces of clothing, one after another, shoving them into a small bag as Rayhel stood behind her, watching intently as she chewed on a talon. Natasha didn't stop to look at the door when she heard footsteps there.

"You ready?"  
"Yeah."

She stood, looking around the room before picking up Rayhel.

"Where are we going, Mommy?"  
"Somewhere safe, baby."  
"Caeus made sure to get us a safe house there."  
"We should get there and bunker down."  
"Let's go."

Calpurnia grabbed the bag before leading Natasha out of the room. Natasha looked around quickly, snatching up a picture frame as she passed it.

"Where's Caeus?" she asked, looking down at it before tucking it away in the bag Calpurnia carried for her.  
"He left already."  
"Why?!"  
"He needed to be the one receiving us, otherwise we'd be sent back here."

Natasha took her bottom lip in between her teeth, biting down harshly as she continued to follow. Everyone outside of the small apartment was so calm, everything was at peace. Natasha hated how everyone acted like Earth wasn't being torn apart as they walked around idly. As if they weren't a target at all.

The shuttle ride was long, and the jump to Menae was even more of a hassle, but they got there safely, which Natasha was grateful for. She half expected to see the Reapers when they left Palaven, but there were none to be seen. Caeus met them on the docks of the moon almost immediately, hugging Calpurnia tightly, as if in relief. He lead them to their safe house, which was very well hidden amongst the fleet, which was armed to the teeth and ready for any kind of fight.

It took a day, mere hours for anything to happen. After bunkering down in the small shack, everything went to hell. It started off with a small explosion, from the noise of a loud laser. It jerked Natasha out of sleep, though she wasn't the only one. Caeus was out of bed and to his feet in seconds, grabbing his gun and running to the door. Natasha exchanged a worried look with Calpurnia as he opened it slowly, peeking outside. He slammed it quickly, bolting it down before turning to them. He let out a sigh.

"They're here."

Staying bunkered down was their best option, and they all agreed that point simultaneously. Rayhel seemed unaware of the danger that was literally lurking outside their door, but Natasha was happy for her innocence. At least one of the four could get a good night's sleep. Natasha sat up in bed, leaned against the hard wall of the small room, stroking Rayhel's fringe as she waited. She wasn't sure what she was waiting on. Perhaps she was just ready for anything to happen. If this was the end, she was ready. She wouldn't go down without a fight. It didn't take long after the Reapers moved to Palaven for Caeus' Omni tool to beep rapidly. The two women looked over at him curiously. He simply typed his response back to the sender before moving his attention back to guarding the door.

The girls fell asleep eventually, as hard as it was with the sound of their home world being attacked by the Reaper beams in the distance. Caeus remained by the door all night, ready to take down anything that tried busting in. Or die trying. He figured the latter would occur, but it didn't deter him from staying there. His Omni tool beeped again, yanking him from his thoughts. He looked down at it, letting out a yawn.

_-Where are you?_

He glanced over at Natasha, knowing if he told Garrus where they were, he'd come to protect her. He was unsure how she'd react if she saw him, but he figured she was under enough stress.

**-Safe.**

Garrus would push him to give up the location, but Caeus wouldn't budge. He had to get Garrus to trust him with his family. He wasn't sure how much it would matter now that the Reapers were here, but he still had to try. At least chatting with Garrus would help the night go by. He knew the other turian wouldn't be getting any sleep anyways. Caeus tried putting himself in the situation that Garrus was in. If Calpurnia wasn't with him, and neither was his child, he would be a bit panicked too. He felt himself caving as he typed in his location. Garrus seemed content with knowing they were bunkered down in a safe house, though he expressed his desire for Natasha and Rayhel to be away from Palaven completely. Menae would be next.

_- You better keep her safe. Those two are my world._  
- I promise.  
_- If you need anything, you know how to reach me._  
- Stay in touch Garrus.  
_- Couldn't stay away if I tried._  
- Clearly.  
_- You wouldn't be able to stay away either._  
- Natasha isn't that attractive to me.  
_- Ass._  
- Stay safe Garrus. You have a family to come back to once this Reaper thing is settled.  
_- I'll try._

The next day, Calpurnia told Caeus to get some rest, but he refused to let her guard the door alone. Ships were flying around, firing guns at the machines. Rayhel was starting to get frightened through the day, catching onto the fact that people were in danger.

"I want Daddy." she said, looking up at Natasha with tears in her eyes.

Natasha picked her up, hugging her tightly.

"It's alright baby. Everything is going to be ok."

Caeus opened the door as a loud hum came closer, letting out a small laugh.

"Looks like the Alliance has enough soldiers to spare."

Calpurnia walked over to him, peeking out the door. She let out a small gasp of shock at the sight of Menae's state, but then looked up to where he pointed. She smiled, looking back to Natasha, who took a few steps forward.

"It's Shepard."

Natasha didn't believe her before looking out the door herself just to see the Normandy flying over them, landing a short distance from their bunker.

"We should see what he's doing here."  
"He was grounded on Earth, he's here for a reason." Caeus told her.  
"We should still go."

Caeus grabbed his gun, giving her a nod.

"We should help him." he agreed.  
"He'll want to help us." Calpurnia added.

The walk to the Normandy was a slow one, as they ducked in and out of cover to evade the creatures that the Reapers dropped off for the turian soldiers to fight. Natasha was almost sick when she saw the creatures that ate off each other when their health got low. Then she saw the other ones. She couldn't remember a time when her blood boiled more. The creature made a strange noise that she'd never heard before, but she knew exactly where it had come from. The Reapers were creating a dirty tactic for their war. Turn your own kind against you, to weaken you. The turian-looking creatures walked around with guns, their eyes glowing with a few lights spotted around their foreheads. The fringe was different. It reminded Natasha of Saren. She let the anger rise inside of her, knowing it was the only way she'd be able to stomach fighting the creatures later on.

The Normandy was closed off to them, though they understood why. So they waited, knowing Shepard would come back eventually. Rayhel chirped loudly at the sight of him, which Natasha laughed at. She hadn't chirped in so long.

"Shepard!"

They turned to face him, Natasha's smile fading quickly at the sight of the squad mates that followed him. Her heart dropped.

"Daddy!" Natasha set Rayhel on the ground, taking her eyes off of Garrus, who picked the little girl up after she ran to him. He hugged her before she smiled up at him happily. "Daddy, the bad guys are here."  
"You don't have to worry about that, alright?"

Natasha felt her stomach jolt at the sound of his voice. She hated that she still felt something for him, but she knew it wouldn't go away. She held back any sign of showing her internal battle, idly gripping the pocket of her jacket to feel the baggie inside for comfort. Shepard shook Caeus' hand and they exchanged words. Calpurnia took the liberty of protectively standing in between Natasha and Garrus, who kept his distance anyways.

"We're holding a summit to get forces together to take back Earth." Shepard explained.

Natasha took a step forward, holding back her tears as she thought of her home world.

"You were there when they hit?"  
"Yes."  
"I'm so sorry… It was hard enough to see that footage, and I wasn't even there."  
"We have a strong military. There's still hope for Earth."

Natasha smiled at his confidence, nodding in agreement.

"I'd like to help then."

Calpurnia shifted her weight, folding her arms over her chest.

"If she goes, I go."

Shepard smiled slightly, looking over at Caeus.

"Picking up a lot of strays today." he laughed.

Shepard nodded, looking back to Natasha.

"Welcome back."

* * *

_Rayhel smirked as she stretched out, watching the operations chief roll out his neck in preparation. She took a step forward first, which he mimicked, both of them meeting in the center of the training ring. Her smirk stayed in place as she kept her fists ready at her sides._

_"Want to tell me what your issue is?"_  
_"No m'am."_  
_"Tell me anyways."_

_He laughed briefly, rolling his shoulders to warm up._

_"The first day here you told me I wouldn't get special treatment."_  
_"Pissed off because I wasn't lying? You have to earn your place in this fleet. Especially on my ship."_  
_"Like you earned it?" he said, a smirk of his own growing on his face._  
_"I did earn it."_  
_"Spectre's daughter gets special treatment, that's for sure. You were promoted to service chief six months after boot camp. Impossible to earn."_  
_"You looked through my file." she said with a smile. "Cute."_  
_"It's cute that a woman thinks she can stand amongst real soldiers just because her Daddy plays as spectre."_

_She nodded, her smile growing. He gave her a look of confusion._

_"Keep it coming."_

_He looked around at the small crowd that had gathered to watch him take down their captain. He looked back to her, his confidence quickly growing._

_"I bet he's at home trying to get you a spectre position. You haven't even been a captain for more than two years. You may think you're high and mighty, but you have to earn the respect of your crew."_

_She nodded at every word he said, her smile firm in place. He finally raised his fists to fight her, bouncing for a minute on his feet. She reached out for his hand, forcing it back to hit his face. He recoiled, allowing her to hit him with her own fist. He staggered for a moment, then came back with his own fist. She took the hit well, not giving him a moment to throw another punch, as she grabbed his fist and twisted it around to his back. She put her knee to his back as he struggled, forcing him to the floor. He groaned in pain as she put her hands on his shoulders, raising his torso slightly, bringing her face down to his ear. He let out short pants, pain clear as he held still under her grip._

_"Are you done?" He gave a small wiggle, but she pushed her knee harder to his back. He cried out in pain. "Are you done?!"_  
_"I'm done."_  
_"You're done, what?"_  
_"I'm done, m'am."_  
_"I can't hear you!"_  
_"I'm done, m'am!"_  
_"I suggest you swallow your pride fast, Victus. I will throw you out the airlock faster than you can blink. Do you understand me?"_  
_"Yes m'am!"_  
_"You don't have to like me, but you will listen to me. I am your captain. Do you understand?"_  
_"Yes m'am!"_  
_"I will discharge you quicker than you can call up the Primarch to save your ass, understand?!"_  
_"Yes m'am!"_  
_"Get to your feet." She let go of his shoulders, taking her knee from his back to let him up. He stayed down, groaning slightly at the relief. She stood straight for a moment, watching him get to his knees. She lowered herself, putting her face in his. "I said get your ass up!"_

_He powered through the pain in his back, getting to his feet. He stood at attention as best as he could, not looking her in the eyes. She kept her face next to his._

_"Any other problem you'd like to share, Victus?"_  
_"No m'am."_  
_"You gonna think twice before you second guess your captain again?"_  
_"Yes m'am."_  
_"Still think I didn't earn my title, boy?" Tavus hesitated, glancing at her for a moment before looking away again. Rayhel saw the uncertainty in his eyes. "Speak freely, Victus. I already kicked your ass, may as well tell me what the hell your problem is."_  
_"You think I believe you earned your title just because you can fight? Your Dad is a spectre."_  
_"Fair point, Victus, irrelevant as it may be. If you'd like to compare my fighting skills to my father, feel free to challenge him."_  
_"No m'am."_  
_"Enlighten me, because I'm dying to hear why you have a stick up your ass. You want special treatment, boy?"_  
_"No m'am."_  
_"Why the hell are you challenging me then?"_

_Tavus felt himself shutting down, glancing at the crew who still watched them. Rayhel picked up on this, turning to the crowd._

_"Anyone who doesn't want to taste the floor needs to leave this deck immediately." she said sternly. The crew let out a groan of disappointment, but they took her order and slowly, they left. She turned back to Tavus. "I hate to threaten your post here, because I know you're trying to work for your title, but if you don't tell me why you're challenging authority, I will kick you from this team."_

_Tavus let his stance fall, turning to her with a look on his face she couldn't read._

_"I worked hard to be here." he stated._  
_"I'm aware, I read your file. You're very accomplished."_  
_"So why did you get your Dad to promote you so quick?"_

_Rayhel let out a scoff, folding her arms across her chest._

_"My father has never interfered with my rank in the military. I earned that privilege. I had the best potential coming out of boot camp. The general that promoted me told me it'd turn some heads, and that people would assume my Dad pulled strings, but that's not the case."_

_Tavus wasn't sure how to react to her explanation. He nodded._

_"I apologize, m'am."_  
_"Speaking freely, Victus, you have potential too. You just need to get over your pride."_  
_"I don't want you treating me differently."_  
_"Wouldn't think of it."_  
_"Thank you, m'am."_  
_"Back to your post, then, Victus."_  
_"Yes m'am."_

_She watched him start to walk away, smirking slightly._

_"Tavus." He turned at the sound of his name, taking in the sight of her smile. "Better clean up your hand-to-hand skills. You hit like a bitch."_

_He couldn't help but laugh at the comment, nodding at her._

_"Will do m'am."_

* * *

Natasha sighed as she sat on the edge of her bed, running a hand through her hair. Rayhel had been insistent in spending time with her Dad, which Natasha agreed to without approaching him about it. She hated that she was on the same ship as him, but she was glad Rayhel wouldn't have to live through the devastation of losing two Dads. She knew that if he'd chosen to stay on Menae, he wouldn't have been able to make it long. She reached into her jacket pocket, taking out the baggie to look at the pills there. She bit her lip, shaking her head at herself as she shook one out into her hand.

"Idiot." she whispered to herself, putting it in her mouth.

She waited, feeling the effects of the drug running through her. Her heart quickened for a moment before she laid herself down, her eyes lulling shut. She woke up the next morning to silence, which only made her sit up, alert that her daughter was still gone. She got to her feet, feeling the blood rush to her head for a moment before charging out the door, knowing exactly where Garrus was hiding. She watched the door to the main battery whoosh open, hearing the laughs of a little girl before setting foot inside.

"Garrus Vakarian, where the hell is my daughter?!"

The giggles stopped shortly after she yelled and Garrus walked around the corner, Rayhel by his side.

"Mommy!" she said with a smile, pointing to the console. "Daddy lets me play games!"

Natasha glared at Garrus, who glared back at her for an unknown reason. She folded her arms across her chest, hearing a faint growl coming from his own.

"Why the hell didn't you bring her back last night?"

He kneeled down to Rayhel, forcing a smile.

"How about you go talk to Doctor Chakwas for a minute ok? I'll be right there."  
"Ok."

He stood back up, silence falling between him and Natasha as Rayhel ran from the room excitedly. Natasha felt her stomach burning with anger as he stared at her.

"Why didn't you bring her back?" she said, almost yelling at him.  
"Well, I did try bringing her back."  
"Try? Do you not know how to get to my room from here?"  
"Kind of hard to leave my daughter in a room with her Mom passed out on the bed."

Natasha knitted her eyebrows.

"What?"  
"Oh, did you not notice that these were missing from your hand this morning?" he said, pulling out the baggie from his pocket. "Don't you remember passing out from your high?"

Natasha froze, her eyes locked on the baggie. She hadn't realized it was gone when she woke up. She swallowed the lump in her throat, holding out her hand.

"Give them to me."  
"Why are you doing this to yourself?"  
"Give them to me."  
"Natasha, you had moved past this-"  
"Things change Garrus, give me the pills!"

He shook his head at her, stepping closer.

"If I give these back, I'm not letting you anywhere near her until you're done."

Natasha scoffed at him.

"She's not yours-"  
"Don't use that! You want to be mad at me for what you're doing, fine. I will protect my daughter. There are more important things to worry about and you choose to focus on getting high instead of protecting her."

He tossed the pills at her. They fell to the floor after hitting her hand. She flinched for a moment, looking down at the floor.

"Don't pretend to know something about me."  
"Don't pretend that I don't know you."  
"You don't know shit-"  
"No, you don't know Natasha. How will Calpurnia feel about this, I wonder. I'm sure she would agree that Rayhel shouldn't be around a drug addict."

Natasha looked up at him with worry, shaking her head.

"You can't do that to me."  
"I'll do whatever it takes to get your head out of your ass. If not for my sake, at least for your daughter's. She deserves better from you." She stared at him, thinking over his argument. "What would Nihlus think?"

Natasha swung her hand across his mandible, making him recoil. She glared for a moment before picking up the baggie. He watched her leave, their eyes locking together before she turned away from him.

Garrus watched her walk away, his anger rising as she so blatantly chose her pills over her daughter. He tried to understand that it was something she had to overcome with time, but she had been sober for ten years, and he knew it. Why she chose to pick it back up, knowing she had a daughter to live for, he didn't understand. He wasn't sure he needed or even wanted to understand. He simply wanted to protect Rayhel. He waited a moment before heading to Chakwas' lab. He would keep his word to protect Rayhel from Natasha while she was high, no matter how long it took.

Natasha made her way back to her room, not even thinking about attempting to see Rayhel as she passed the doctor's lab. She knew it'd only start another fight between her and Garrus. She was confident he'd take care of Rayhel when she couldn't, and she was content with that. She locked herself in her room, sitting against the wall as she thought over the situation. She pulled out the picture frame from her bag, a sad smile threatening the corner of her mouth at the sight of her old bondmate.

She felt herself breaking down, putting her hands over her face to hide herself from whatever could possibly see her in the small, dark room, and she cried.


	8. Chapter 8

**Hey guys!**

**How is everyone? Things are starting to get easier for me. I hope everyone enjoyed their weekend. Hopefully I'll have another chapter up this week.**

**Thanks to ArchelionGen for being the most amazing person to ever walk Earth. (:**

**Please don't forget to rate, review, and even PM me if you have anything you would like to say.**

**Thanks guys!**

* * *

"It's pitiful that Jack can be a better mother than you."

Natasha felt her stomach jolt as the silence in the shuttle broke. She too was impressed with Jack, whom they'd run into at Grissom Academy while rescuing the students there. She glanced over at Garrus, who watched her intently. She shook her head.

"Fuck off."  
"Charming."  
"I'm not setting out for your approval."  
"Clearly you're not setting out for your daughter's approval either."  
"As if you're perfect."  
"At least my feet are firmly on the ground when I'm around her."  
"Shut up."

Shepard, who had been standing next to the shuttle driver, turned to them, a stern look on his face.

"Knock it off, both of you."

Natasha pried her eyes from Garrus, letting out a frustrated breath as she looked out the window. She knew he was only making comments to make her feel guilty. Rightfully she should feel guilty, but his efforts only made her want to do the opposite of what he wanted her to. She idly wondered how they'd gotten to this point. After splitting up, they'd just simply went their separate ways. Now they weren't even able to have a conversation without tearing each others heads off. She hated it. She bit her lip, glancing back to him. He looked upset, but his sadness outweighed the anger that was written on his face. He glanced at her, their eyes locking in a mutual regret for what they'd pushed themselves to. It was mere seconds, only a few moments to see that vulnerable side of each other before they looked away, both of them too proud to try to work through it.

Natasha was glad that Shepard decided to plot a course for the Citadel after they'd gotten back to the Normandy. She knew that going back would be difficult, but she wanted to do it. She hadn't been there since she'd left for Omega. She laughed at herself as the elevator lowered her down to the crew deck. Omega. It seemed like so long ago that they were struggling to stay alive there. So much had changed. She wondered how the Citadel looked, now that it'd been a few years. She was looking forward to being back.

* * *

_"Crawlsky, cover our flank. Millen, go with him. Victus, you're on my six. Got it?"_  
_"Yes m'am."_

_Rayhel felt confident that the operations chief had gotten his head cleared. She knew there wasn't a better way to bond than to work as a team. He seemed adamant on watching her back as they set foot on Tuchanka. Rayhel wished the tension between the turians and the krogan would cease, but she knew it was a long time coming that the krogan got back at them. The genophage had put everyone on edge once Commander Shepard set out to cure it. Now, this is what the turian fleet was dealing with: Over-population of a brute race and the threat of civil war. The Alliance had sent soldiers to help the turian fleet in keeping things under control, but the way the krogan saw it, it was no one else's business, and having the turians there to try keeping them under control didn't help anyone. Rayhel shook her head as she was lost to her thoughts, silently telling herself that this had been going on for far too long._

_Tavus knew this was an opportunity. It was a perfect chance to prove to his captain that he was serious about earning his place. After their fight, he had been unable to deny he'd found a new respect for her. She was very capable, and very serious about her role in the military. It gave him hope for his future career. He pushed the thought from his mind as the krogan warlord approached them, heavily guarded with a mean look on his face. Rayhel stopped in front of him, putting on a tough attitude as a defense._

_"Turian fleets are full up right now." the warlord sneered._  
_"I'm following my orders."_  
_"This isn't your planet, your military has no grounds for orders here."_  
_"Your planet is part of council space, and I will stay here until I am relieved of my post."_  
_"I'll relieve you if you don't go quietly." He stepped closer to her, bringing his face close to hers threateningly. Tavus pointed his rifle at the krogan, who glanced over and backed down. He glared at Rayhel. "Behave yourself, turians. The krogan won't be pushed around by your kind."_  
_"Don't give us a reason to push."_

_The krogan spat at her feet before walking away, allowing them to set foot on the docks. Tavus let out a short laugh once they were out of earshot._

_"I'm surprised you didn't get a head butt, rather than spit on your boots. It just goes to show how we've been able to bring them down."_  
_"Keep a level head, Victus. What our race did to the krogan isn't something to be proud of, no matter how smart our tactics were at the time. The krogan deserve respect. We should give it to them."_

_Tavus was surprised that she had the point of view that she did, but he didn't object. He watched her as she walked through the tunnels of Tuchanka, wondering why she'd respect such an opponent. They reached the clan that they had set out to speak with, which only brought more surprise to Tavus when Rayhel shook hands with the leader before giving him a one-armed hug. He watched in confusion, dying to hear an explanation for her unprofessional stance with the krogan._

_"Vakarian, I wasn't expecting to see you."_  
_"Good to see you, Wrex."_  
_"How's that tough old bastard Garrus doing?"_  
_"Good. Still struggling, but he's fighting as much as he can."_  
_"How's your mother dealing with things?"_  
_"She's not leaving his side. It's hard, but they're getting through it."_  
_"I suppose you have something for me, if the military sent you?"_

_Rayhel opened her Omni tool to transfer the data to Wrex._

_"We're securing the perimeter or your clan's location. We'll be here for a week."_  
_"If the other clans give you problems, let me know."_  
_"One of your warlords greeted us at the docks."_  
_"Feel free to knock them down a peg."_  
_"Thanks for the permission, but I'd knock them down a peg regardless."_

_Wrex chuckled at her, clapping a hand on her shoulder._

_"Keep your men in check."_  
_"Sure thing."_

_Rayhel said her goodbye and turned towards Tavus, leading the way to the clan's border that they were to patrol. He walked at her side, giving her a look of confusion._

_"What was that all about?"_

_Her lingering smile faded as she glanced at him._

_"What?"_  
_"You seemed to know him."_  
_"He's an old friend of my parents'."_  
_"Hopefully it'll make our job easier."_  
_"Don't count on others to get your job done for you. You put in your all, no matter what the task."_  
_"Yes m'am." He gave her a nod as they walked down the path to the border, meeting up with their other squad mates before setting up camp. Tavus took the liberty of first watch for the night, pacing around the small camp slowly. Rayhel admired his dedication to the job, though she couldn't bring herself to fall asleep in good faith that he'd be able to handle anything that might come their way. So she stayed up with him. It was silent for a long while before they took a seat, ending the pacing to relax a bit. Tavus tried keeping his thoughts to himself, but as the hours went by, he couldn't help the boredom that gripped at his mind. He looked over at her, seeing the sleepiness in her eyes as she scanned the area. "M'am?"_  
_"Yeah?"_  
_"Why don't you hate the krogan?"_

_Rayhel looked over at him._

_"Why would I?"_  
_"It's kind of inborn to hate them."_  
_"Do you really believe that?"_  
_"I guess not…But you're military. It's your job."_  
_"It's not my job to hate them, Victus. It's my job to keep the peace, and to fight those who can't."_  
_"They're so hostile though…"_

_Rayhel gave him a small smile._

_"If someone sterilized you, wouldn't you be a bit hostile?"_

_He let out a small laugh, nodding at her._

_"You have a point."_  
_"Add on the fact that your species would be dying, and every other race is determined to get rid of you."_  
_"That doesn't mean I have to respect them."_  
_"They are very capable enemies. Not giving them the respect they deserve leaves you vulnerable."_

_Tavus didn't quite understand why more people didn't see things the way she did. Even hearing it then made him feel like an idiot for the way he typically thought of the krogan. She had an interesting view point._

_"Yes m'am."_

_She smiled again._

_"You can call me something other than m'am."_  
_"Sorry."_  
_"My name is Rayhel."_

_He smiled at the name, recognizing their native language._

_"I'll stick with Vakarian in front of the squad."_  
_"You should stick with m'am in front of the squad. I'm your acting captain."_

_They smiled, letting the conversation dwindle. Tavus could tell she was starting to get restless with the talking. She stood, returning to her pacing for the last hour of their watch for the night._

* * *

When the Normandy landed on the Citadel, Shepard told the crew they had shore leave for the next two days. Natasha didn't quite know what to do with herself. It looked so different, and there were already refugee camps set up in certain docking bays. It wasn't the old home she used to have. She carried a sadness with her as she walked through docking bay D24, wishing she could go back to the peaceful days of living here. All she had to worry about then was taking care of Rayhel. Now there were Reapers threatening the galaxy, and she was losing her daughter. She shook her head at herself. It was her own damn fault. Garrus was only protecting their child, and she knew it. She shook off the thoughts of the turian, knowing Rayhel was safe with him while she was unable to care for her. She needed to get herself sorted out.

Calpurnia seemed to carry the same sadness as she strolled through the docking bay with Natasha, Caeus at her side. The sight of their old home was a hard one to take in, though they knew the Citadel looked a lot better than Earth or Palaven did at the time.

"They've tightened up security a bit." Caeus commented as they passed through a detector before getting in the elevator.  
"These things still move as slow as fuck." Calpurnia said, folding her arms across her chest as the lift started moving.  
"Isn't fuck supposed to be a little fast?" Caeus teased, smirking at her.

Natasha smiled at how they looked at each other. She knew they were good together, but it made her regret choosing to leave Garrus. She chose to be alone, and now she was paying the price. She let out a small sigh, looking away from them now, biting her lip.

"Think we should go see if our apartments are still standing?"

Natasha looked over at Calpurnia, who waited for an answer. She shook her head after a moment.

"Even if they were rebuilt, other people most likely live there now."  
"Think they'd let us look around their home?"

Natasha smiled, shaking her head again.

"Let's not."  
"We should go to our café."

Natasha's sadness only grew at the thought, but she agreed to going regardless. As much as she was looking forward to coming back to the Citadel, she regretted it now. The Presidium hadn't changed much, but it was different. The café had expanded slightly, making for a bigger building, but it was the same on the inside. The smell was the same, the coffee tasted like it used to, everything was normal. Natasha hated the nostalgia than ran through her as they sipped on their drinks, but she didn't mind having her thoughts off of Garrus and Rayhel.

"What's wrong?"

Natasha looked up at her friend, shaking her head.

"Nothing."  
"You're so quiet."  
"It's nothing."  
"Please talk to me…"

Natasha bit her lip, seeing the worry in Calpurnia's eyes. She glanced at Caeus, then reached into her pocket, pulling out the small baggie she'd carried around like a lifeline for the past few weeks. Calpurnia picked it up to inspect it before snapping her eyes back up to Natasha.

"Have you been taking these?"  
"Yes."  
"Are you insane?!"  
"Listen, I know it's bad, I just… I needed something."  
"Your daughter doesn't bring you enough happiness?" Natasha ran her fingers through her hair, letting out a long sigh. Calpurnia dropped the bag down on the table. "That's why he has her right now, isn't it? He knows."  
"Yes."  
"I bet he tore you a new one."  
"He wasn't happy."  
"Why would you choose this over your daughter?"

Natasha looked over at Caeus, who sat leaned back in his chair, his arms folded over his chest as he kept his eyes from hers. She got the feeling he was trying to be invisible at that moment. Natasha shrugged.

"You don't know what it's like to know there is something that will make every problem you have go away… It's just there in the back of my mind. I couldn't help it and I couldn't stop it after I started… I don't want this more than I want my daughter…"  
"Then quit."  
"It's not that easy."  
"Natasha, I know what it's like to have an addiction nag at you when you're upset, I had to go to rehab too. The thing is, shit doesn't always go your way in life. You chose to let Garrus go. Now you're taking drugs to cover up the pain from it? If you want your problems to go away, Tasha, go ask him for a make up fuck and get it over with. Pills aren't worth your life, and it's not worth Rayhel having to grow up without a mother if you end up overdosing."

Natasha took a moment to be thankful that her friend was so blunt. She knew it'd help her someday. She gave Calpurnia a weak smile.

"What do I do?"  
"Well, you need to stop relying on pills like an idiot."

Natasha laughed slightly, looking down at the baggie on the table.

"Then?"  
"Prove to Garrus that you're clean. Then start taking care of your daughter again. We'll take down the Reapers and everything can just calm down." Natasha knitted her eyebrows, trying to force back the tears that threatened her eyes. She bit her lip. Calpurnia let out a sigh. "Look. If you love him, just tell him."  
"I can't. He'd just tell me it's too late."  
"Stubborn human."  
"You can say that all you want, I blame it on every single turian I've been around for the past ten years."

Calpurnia gave her a smile, pushing the bag towards her.

"You have to get rid of these yourself. It has to be a choice you make. I'm not doing it for you."  
"Then what?"  
"We'll go rent a room or something. Or go back to the Normandy. Somewhere quiet so you can detox for the next two days."  
"Last time it took a week."  
"Last time you were taking pills for longer."

Natasha nodded, picking up the small bag and shoving it in her pocket.

"Let's go."

* * *

_"What's your Dad like?"_

_Rayhel couldn't help but smile as she looked over at Tavus._

_"What?"_  
_"Your Dad. Garrus, right? What's he like?"_  
_"Why?"_  
_"I hear good things. He's accomplished."_  
_"What else is there you need to know?"_

_Tavus smiled slightly in the light of their campfire._

_"Is he tough to live with?"_  
_"No."_  
_"Is he a huge softy at home then?"_  
_"No." she laughed._  
_"Then what?"_  
_"Why are you so curious about my Dad?"_

_Tavus shrugged, looking over at her now._

_"Guess I've never had the opportunity to talk to a spectre. He's your father. You have to know something about him."_

_Rayhel looked around, folding her arms across her chest as she leaned back in her chair._

_"He's a good guy. Very protective over his family."_  
_"If you were offered a spectre position would you take it?"_  
_"Absolutely."_  
_"Why? They do everything above the law, turian military teaches you the exact opposite."_

_Rayhel gave him a small smile, shaking her head._

_"You can't believe everything people say about spectres. Commander Shepard was a spectre, he saved our galaxy."_  
_"You can also look at other spectres, like Saren, who was a turian and fought against Commander Shepard."_

_Rayhel felt a fire ignite in her chest, though she kept a clam expression on her face._

_"You don't know the whole story."_  
_"What do you mean?"_  
_"Saren wasn't bad. He was indoctrinated."_  
_"He let himself be indoctrinated."_  
_"Believing that it would save his galaxy."_  
_"He should have known better."_  
_"If you thought that letting a Reaper control you would end up saving someone you loved, wouldn't you do it?"_  
_"That wasn't the case, he did it so we could find a way to control them."_

_Rayhel shook her head at him._

_"Like I said, you don't know the whole story."_  
_"You don't either."_  
_"My aunt was bonded to him, I know the story." Tavus raised a brow plate at her, losing his words immediately. She waited for him to respond, but he just looked away from her. "You can't put people into categories just because bad rumors go around. You have to let people create their own path."_  
_"Aren't you following your father's path though?"_

_Rayhel looked at him for a moment, thinking it over before nodding slightly._

_"It's a good path to walk down."_  
_"So is he good or bad?"_

_Rayhel laughed._

_"I wouldn't tell you my father is bad."_  
_"So… Is it true? That he isn't really your father?"_

_Rayhel let her smile falter, looking away from him._

_"Yes." she said bitterly._  
_"Touchy topic?"_  
_"I just hate the thought of not being his."_  
_"Is that why you want to be like him?"_

_She shrugged, kicking some dirt around absentmindedly._

_"I want to be able to make him proud. So he isn't ashamed of calling me his daughter."_  
_"Why would he be ashamed?"_  
_"Look, it's not important." she replied, shutting him out of her train of thought. "I'll make him proud and I'll get my markings soon. That will be that."_  
_"Markings?"_  
_"Seruvia's markings."_  
_"You aren't taking markings from a mate?"_  
_"I don't want a mate."_

_Tavus could feel his captain beginning to shut down with the conversation, so he became silent. He could tell it was a hard subject for her to talk about, and he wouldn't push it. They both stared at the fire, each of them taking time to look around the dark camp periodically._

* * *

Natasha felt her head pounding as she walked into the new nightclub on the Citadel. She'd told Calpurnia about the message she'd received and the instructions to come here. Calpurnia was more than thrilled to go, partially as a bodyguard and more as a pissed off turian that wanted answers. They walked together, spotting the blue asari sitting on the couch over to the side. She was eluding C-Sec when they approached her. Natasha rolled her eyes before she sat down next to her.

"Enjoy the show ladies?"  
"I guess there's only one rule on the Citadel." Natasha said lazily.  
"I guess so-"  
"Who gives a fuck what you think your rules are, what do you want from us?" Calpurnia snapped, refusing to sit down. Her arms were folded across her chest tightly, a stern look planted on her face.

Aria smiled at her.

"So good to see you."  
"Can't say the same. What do you want?"  
"Cerberus took Omega from me. The Illusive Man is at the top of my shit list. He will pay-"  
"Yes, we don't give a shit, what the hell do you want?"

Natasha fought to hold back a laugh as her friend harped on the asari.

"I have a proposition."  
"No shit."  
"The way I see it, if Shepard doesn't defeat the Reapers, we're all dead. It's in my interest to help you."  
"What are you offering Aria?" Natasha said in an annoyed tone, wishing the woman would just say what she needed to so they could leave the loud club.  
"On Omega, I kept the Blue Suns, Bloodpack and Eclipse in check. Now they're running a muck. No one wants that. Unite them, under my rule, and you would be giving Sheppard a powerful and ruthless effort for his war."

Calpurnia opened her mouth to respond, but Natasha was quicker.

"You didn't keep them in check, you let them kill anyone they wanted to. If you don't remember they almost killed all of us. Are you insane?"  
"What makes you think Archangel would let us do that for you?" Calpurnia sneered.

Aris smirked at the turian, then looked back to Natasha.

"Don't tell me the men did all the thinking in that operation. You women must have some guts of your own to work with them like you did. The mercs would be an essential part of your ground forces. They'd go anywhere you told them to and fight any enemy."  
"The answer is no-"  
"We'll do it." Natasha said over Calpurnia.

The turian looked at her with a bewildered expression.

"What?!"

Natasha shook her head at Calpurnia, then looked back to Aria.

"What do we do?"  
"I've laid the groundwork for all three groups. I just need you to close the deals. Meet with Narl, for the Bloodpack. The Blue Suns leader is here on the station. He'll be expecting you. I already have a deal with Jona Sidaris, the Eclipse leader. You'll just have to get Commander Bailey to let her out of jail."  
"Fat chance of that."  
"I think a united force of professional mercs is worth sweet talking him."

Natasha nodded, getting to her feet.

"Fine. I'll do it."

Calpurnia shook her head at Aria, who smirked.

"Nice doing business. Let me know if you want to talk later."  
"I'll be busy talking to my sister, I think." Aria's smirk quickly vanished as Calpurnia formed one of her own, turning away from the asari. As soon as they were out of the club, Calpurnia stopped Natasha, giving her a stern look. "What are you doing?"  
"I've got this handled."  
"Garrus is going to be pissed!" Calpurnia said. She could see the look on Natasha's face, which made her understand what was happening. "We're trying to piss him off?"  
"If he's mad… I know I can never have him. I need to do this. It'll help me get over it."

Calpurnia gave her a sympathetic look before nodding.

"Alright. Let's piss off Archangel."

Natasha gave her a small smile before they walked over to the elevator together.

* * *

_"Want to talk to me about it yet?"_

_Rayhel rolled her eyes, shaking her head as she looked through the scope of her rifle._

_"Shut it Victus, you need to focus on your job."_

_Tavus sighed quietly, looking around the perimeter that they were scouting for the day, wondering what it was she was trying to look at. After a few moments, he looked back down to her._

_"I'm just curious, you know?"_  
_"I'm curious as to why you can't take an order."_  
_"I can."_  
_"Focus."_

_He scanned the perimeter again, quickly this time, before looking back down to her. She was still looking through her scope, as if the rocks of Tuchanka would change if she stared long enough._

_"Please?"_  
_"Victus. If you don't shut it, I swear to the spirits, I will shove you off this cliff." Tavus couldn't help but to let out a small laugh, which earned him a hard glare from her. "I don't see you openly talking about your daddy issues."_  
_"I've never met my Dad."_  
_"I know exactly how he died. My parents were there…"_  
_"I didn't mean to say I didn't have issues." Rayhel could hear the shyness in his voice as she approached the topic and she let it go easily, not wanting to push him to talk about something she wasn't willing to herself. They were silent for a few moments before he cleared his throat. "Did you ever meet him?"_  
_"I was five. He never came aboard the Normandy. I was never allowed off the ship unless it was on the Citadel with my parents or something. So no. I did meet the Primarch though. Again, I was five, it wasn't important to me at the time."_  
_"I can't remember that far back."_

_Rayhel laughed with him briefly._

_"Too many fun teenage years in between then and now, Victus?"_  
_"My teens were…Bad."_  
_"Define bad."_  
_"I was trouble."_  
_"Well I know you have a clear criminal background."_  
_"I ran away a few times. Partied. Mom hated it."_  
_"I guess I never had that problem."_  
_"You were a good kid?"_  
_"I was my Dad's shadow. Never really wanted to get into trouble or run away."_

_Tavus smiled, sitting down next to her as she continued looking through her scope._

_"How old were you when they told you the truth?"_  
_"I was young, but even then I didn't understand it. They sat me down and explained it to me later. I was an early teen. My skin is darker than Dad's. Mom is human, so I'm obviously not related to him if I'm darker. Mom had this picture of my real Dad. I asked why I looked like him and they had to sit me down and explain it. I was angry for a while, but it didn't make me distanced from him. If anything, it just made me more determined to be like him."_  
_"It's natural for turians to want to live up to their clan names."_  
_"If he'd let me get the markings, I'd be happy."_  
_"Why won't he?"_  
_"It's not right, he says. I have to find a mate and take his markings. I refuse."_  
_"Is there a reason you refuse?"_  
_"No man is good enough. I'd rather take my father's markings."_

_Tavus smiled._

_"Maybe you just haven't met someone good enough yet."_  
_"I promise, I won't."_  
_"Harsh."_  
_"The galaxy is harsh."_

_Tavus shook his head with a smile, watching her put down her rifle for the first time in over an hour._

_"What's your mother like?"_

_Rayhel sighed, wishing the operations chief would give up on asking her questions about her personal life._

* * *

"Wow. Aria wasn't kidding. Archangel's girl on a leash."  
"I'm here for my own reasons."  
"Sure you are. Either way, tell her I'm impressed. In order to do business though I need my little problem taken care of."  
"Which is?"  
"A turian general named Oraka has it out for the Blue Suns. He's raising a stink over us in this sector. I'll commit my gang to Aria as soon as Oraka is dead."  
"You won't have to worry about him for long."  
"Love it. Archangel's team taking out the Blue Suns' trash. That Aria is sure something special. Oh and tell her I still expect her blue ass in bed with me."

Natasha rolled her eyes, grabbing the man by the collar and pulling him closer.

"Don't underestimate Archangel just because I'm choosing to help you. It'd be your own downfall."

She let go of him and he walked away with a glare. Calpurnia smirked for a moment, then looked over to her.

"You're going to kill a turian general? Seriously? You're sure this is a good idea? Just to get Garrus pissed off?"  
"I have no plans on killing him."  
"So what are you going to do?"  
"Talk him out of it."

Calpurnia saw Natasha rub her forehead as she made a face of pain. She opened her Omni tool, giving Natasha some pain medicine.

"Thanks."  
"Let's go take care of this merc shit. I want to give up on it already."

They went around the Citadel, taking care of the things they had to to gain the mercs' loyalty before returning to Aria in the club. She took on her typical plain attitude as Natasha sat next to her.

"Look who's here. The Blood Pack, Blue Suns and Eclipse are all in my pocket. They're yours to command whenever Shepard needs them."

Natasha nodded in appreciation.

"I'll pass the word along of the war asset."  
"Is there anything else?"  
"When are you taking back Omega?" Calpurnia asked.  
"Soon."  
"We'll help."  
"We will?" Natasha said.  
"Yes."  
"I'll take that into consideration." Aria replied.

Natasha followed Calpurnia to the bar, giving her a look of confusion after they sat down.

"Why would we help get Omega back?"  
"My sister is there. I need to know if she's alive."  
"Try getting a hold of her over Omni tool."  
"She won't answer."

Natasha sighed, nodding in agreement.

"I'm going with you."  
"Of course."

* * *

_"Hit that. I doubt you could."_  
_"It's a piece of cake."_  
_"Try it."_

_Tavus raised his rifle, aiming at the rock in the distance before pulling the trigger._

_"Shit." he hissed, shaking his head after missing the rock._  
_"No one can hit this rock, I'm telling you." Crawlsky said, raising his rifle again just to pull the trigger and miss once more._  
_"I bet the captain could hit it." Shisk laughed, looking over at Rayhel, who watched the perimeter as the boys got some shots in._  
_"Vakarian, come try it." Tavus said._  
_"Watch the tone, Victus."_  
_"M'am, come try this." he said with a laugh._

_Rayhel sighed, standing up to look at the rock they were aiming for. She let out a small laugh, looking over at Tavus._

_"You guys can't hit that?"_  
_"Look at that!" Crawlsky replied, pointing at the small rock yards away from them._  
_"I've seen you boys hit harder targets, and those were moving."_  
_"Not true." Shisk said, looking at it through his scope again. He pulled the trigger, ticking the rock. "Damn it."_

_Rayhel shook her head, taking the rifle off her back. She loaded it silently, the boys watching her as she raised it to her eye. She pulled the trigger, knocking the rock off of the larger boulder. She looked around at the boys, each of them letting out exasperated sighs and groans. She smiled slightly, going back to her post to watch the perimeter. Tavus listened to the other two boys as they tried picking a new target to work at before walking over to Rayhel._

_"How did you learn to aim like that?"_  
_"My Dad."_  
_"He's a sniper?"_

_She let out a laugh, looking over at him._

_"He's Archangel."_  
_"Who?"_  
_"Nevermind." she said, waving a hand at him._  
_"I think you hurt their pride." he said, nodding at the others._  
_"Good. They'll work harder to fix their skills."_

_Tavus smiled, scanning the perimeter with her._

_"You have some interesting views on things."_

_She raised a browplate, glancing at him for a brief moment._

_"Out of line."_

_He tried wiping the smile from his face, avoiding eye contact with her._

_"Yes m'am."_  
_"Go tell them to stop wasting their ammo. We'll need it for tomorrow. It's a long walk back."_  
_"Yes m'am."_

_Tavus walked away from her, making her feel almost relieved that he was done talking to her. She didn't understand why he made her feel so tense, but she hated it. She'd have to watch herself around him. He wouldn't intimidate her. She idly wondered if she felt intimidated, or if it was something else. She shook off the feeling, telling herself to focus and watch the perimeter like she was supposed to._

* * *

Natasha was grateful that the alcohol in her system was beginning to cease her headache. Calpurnia had talked her into staying at the club for some fun. Natasha had been weary of drinking while detoxing, knowing that covering one addiction with another would be hazardous, but she agreed to relax anyways.

"I shouldn't have done this." Natasha said, looking at her glass intently.  
"It's fun, and you never get drunk."  
"I am not drunk." she said, pointing at the turian fiercely.

Calpurnia laughed, tipping up her own glass and finishing it off.

"Dance time."  
"No!" Natasha gasped, shaking her head.  
"Come on. There's a hot turian over there."

Natahsa looked over, squinting her eyes.

"I can't see him."  
"Get up, you have to go talk to him."

Natasha let out a small groan, getting to her feet and swaying slightly. She raised her eyebrows.

"Woah."  
"What have I done?" Calpurnia laughed before pushing her in the direction of the other turian.

He looked at Natasha as she approached. She gave him a smile.

"Hi."  
"Hi."  
"I'm trying to have a good time. Want to dance with me?"

The turian smiled, setting his drink down and standing up.

"Have a name?" he asked.  
"Me? I'm Natasha. That's me." she said, pointing to herself.

The turian laughed slightly, looking her up and down.

"Are you able to dance?"  
"We'll find out."  
"I'm Vallok, by the way."  
"Let's have some fun, Vallok."

He walked out to the dance floor with Natasha. Calpurnia watched Natasha from the bar, realizing who the turian was. She turned away, drinking down her glass before gesturing for another one from the bartender. Natasha was disoriented from the amount of alcohol she'd consumed. Vallok held her on her feet most of the time, letting her grind her hips against him as his hands rested on her waist. Calpurnia looked around the bar, her heart dropping at the sight of Garrus, who was with Shepard and Caeus, having some drinks. She knew it was a matter of time before he saw what was going on, but she wouldn't be the one to stop Natasha from cutting loose. She seemed to be enjoying herself as she danced with the turian, her back to him as she moved with the music.

Calpurnia had two minutes of drinking alone before Garrus was at her side. A growl could be heard over the loud music in the club. She gave him a smirk.

"What the hell is going on?"  
"She's having fun."  
"Do you know who that is?"  
"Yes. He seems interested in her. Probably going to sleep with her, she's pretty drunk."  
"She gets high enough, she doesn't need to get drunk."  
"Are you trying to be her father or her boyfriend Garrus?"  
"I'm trying to get her to pull her life back together."  
"Where is Rayhel, I wonder."  
"Don't talk to me like I'm the bad parent here."  
"Garrus, I love you. I really do, you're a great guy and you've been like a brother to me through all the shit that's gone down but don't stand there and tell me how to treat Natasha. She's an adult and can drink if she wants to."  
"She needs to get her head clear of one substances before she abuses another."

Calpurnia stood, getting closer to his face.

"Back. Off."

He glanced over at Natasha, who stumbled over to them. She gave him a look of sadness.

"My turian left." she pouted.  
"Why?" Calpurnia asked, backing away from Garrus.  
"I don't know."  
"I do."  
"You just need to let me be ok, Garrus." Natasha said, putting her hands on his chest.

He raised a brow plate at her, looking down at her hands.

"You need sleep."  
"I need my date to come back."  
"He won't."  
"Please just talk to me."  
"About what?"  
"Please." Garrus looked at Calpurnia, who was smiling at the babble her friend was making. He took Natasha's hand, leading her away from the bar. She stumbled along behind him, but he made sure she was on her feet every time she did so. "Can we go home?"  
"Where is that nowadays?" he asked, letting the elevator close after they got in.  
"Home is where the heart is, Garrus."

He shook his head, smiling slightly at her as she swayed in the lift. Her eyes lulled slightly.

"Stay awake."

She looked at him, widening her eyes and pointed to her face.

"I'm awake!"

He nodded, laughing at her.

"Alright."

Getting her back to the Normandy was humorous to Garrus, but he wondered if she was having more fun than he was. She laughed the whole way there, leaning on him every time she was losing her balance. He guided her along the CIC, to the elevator of the ship. She leaned against the wall, her chest heaving.

"Such a long walk!"  
"I know, it's such a hard task."

They left the elevator once it stopped on the third floor. He guided her to the main battery, glancing in the med bay window to check on Rayhel. She was asleep in a bunk next to the good doctor. He was satisfied with what he saw, continuing to lead Natasha to a bed. Once he got her to his bunk, she sat, looking at him with a scrunched up face.

"I don't feel good."  
"Good thing your daughter is being looked after. It's hard taking care of two kids."

Natasha pouted, tears welling up in her eyes.

"Why do you have to be a bully to me all the time?"

His chest tightened at the question. She was drunk, and her emotions were out of control, but he knew the question was a genuine one. He sat down next to her, putting his arm around her shoulders.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean it."

She looked up at him, her eyes wet, but filled with hope.

"You didn't mean it?"  
"No." he said, smiling.  
"Oh." she said, sniffling before laying her head on his shoulder. "I love you."

He felt the jolt in his stomach, reaching up and running his talons through her hair. She let out a groan, leaning into his touch. He enjoyed the feeling of having her in his arms, but he couldn't help but to feel guilty. She was drunk, and in a normal situation, she wouldn't be cuddling up to him. She looked up at him again, a misted look in her eyes before she leaned in, giving him a long kiss that made his heart hammer. He tried resisting the urge to go further, but when she decided to pull him down onto the bed with her, he couldn't hold back.

They spent the night together, wrapped around each other as one. He couldn't help feeling that it was how it should be. Her arms wrapped around his shoulders, calling out for him. It felt right. He wished she'd never left him, but he knew he couldn't do anything to change the past. Instead he took the opportunity to savor one last night with her, knowing in the morning she'd be upset that she let herself go as far as she did.


	9. Chapter 9

**Hey guys!** **(:**

**I would like to direct you to my good friend ArchelionGen. He is currently beta reading for me, and in the process I am returning the favor for him. He is writing a Mass Effect based story, and we have decided to use some of eachother's characters. It's good fun. (:**

**Please feel free to rate, review and even PM me if you have anything you'd like to say.**

**Thanks!**

* * *

Natasha woke up to a headache the next morning. She groaned, rolling to her back as she rubbed her face, opening her eyes slightly just to shut them again when the light hit her. After a few moments, she sat up, opening her eyes again. She looked around the small room, realizing where she was as she simultaneously felt that familiarity of having been used the previous night. She tried bringing her mind to the evening, but she couldn't remember much. She shook her head, swinging her legs off the bunk, shaking slightly as she stood. She took a deep breath before walking to the small doorway, the main battery in plain sight. She walked quietly, rounding the corner of the battery to see Garrus typing on the console. He looked up at her, his form clearly tense as she stared back. She folded her arms across her chest as if to hide herself, looking down at her feet. She bit her lip for a moment before clearing her throat and bringing herself to look up to him again.

"Have fun?"

He shifted slightly, looking away from her.

"It wasn't like that."  
"You took advantage of the situation quite nicely."  
"In my defense, you were asking for it."

She could hear the small hint of humor in his tone, causing a smile to threaten the corners of her mouth. She shook her head briefly, keeping a strong demeanor as to keep the matter a serious one.

"You still should have said no, I was drunk."  
"As if we've never…"

Garrus could see the struggle written all over her face as she attempted to find words to push him out. He had expected her to yell, or to be angry, yet she seemed more confused than anything.

"That's in the past."

Garrus took a step forward, closing the gap between them effectively.

"Is it?"

A chill shot through Natasha as he reached up, his talons gently running down her arm. She looked away from him, swallowing the lump in her throat. He put his hand to her face, bringing her gaze back up to his own. He had a soft look in his eyes, one that asked if he could get closer, though Natasha was unsure why he needed to do so. For a moment, she was still, letting him bring his face closer to hers, but then something inside of her snapped. She backed away, shaking her head as she quickly wiped the tears from her face.

Garrus was surprised to see her crying. He knew what she was doing. It was what he ignored the last time she'd done it. She was giving him a way out, an option to not take it any further than what it was at the moment. She put her hand out to stop him as she backed away from his advancing footsteps.

"No." she choked out, shaking her head.  
"Why?"

She took a moment to regain her composure, looking up at him with sad eyes.

"It didn't work the first time for a reason."  
"I love you. Isn't that reason enough?"  
"Just because two people love each other doesn't mean they're supposed to be together."  
"Why can't we try?"

She walked past him, stopping at the door, her back to him as she wiped her tears. She looked over her shoulder at him, taking a deep breath.

"I don't want to talk about this. Just drop it. It never happened."

Garrus remembered when she was standing there before, asking him about his family and rubbing her old bondmark, dropping hints to him that she was ready. He remembered how he let her go, how he pushed her to the point that she was at now. He shook his head, stepping towards her. She tried keeping him away, putting her hands on his chest in a failed attempt to stop him from touching her. He put his hands on her face, bringing her towards him quickly. She was tense in his arms, her own still trapped between them as he kissed her passionately. He slowly let her go after a moment, their lips hesitantly parting. He looked down at her, wiping away her tears gently. She sniffled, backing out of his grip, looking down at the floor.

"Please Garrus…" she said, her voice strained as she looked back up at him. "Let this go."

He watched her leave with difficulty, the door hissing open just to close again once she was gone. His chest tightened, a heaviness weighing on his heart as he tried admitting defeat. He looked away from the door, walking over to the console. He wanted to finish his work but matter how hard he tried, the moment wouldn't pass. He couldn't give up. Her scent still lingered in the room, the memories of the previous night finding their way into his mind after he pushed them away time and time again. After a while, he gave up with his calibrations, leaving the room to find his daughter.

He found it difficult to be around even Rayhel at the time, the sight of her only reminding him of her mother. His line of defense was to not care about Natasha anymore, but he knew it wasn't that simple. Even after six months without her, one night proved it was still there. His feelings weren't as gone as he had thought. It irritated him that he couldn't kick the emotions. Then it hit him that he didn't have to. He didn't have to give up just because Natasha told him to. He knew she was struggling to get over him just as much as he was struggling to forget about her. All he had to do was convince her that he was worth staying around for. He suddenly felt new purpose as he sat with Rayhel. He watched the little girl play with his Omni tool as he smiled, lost in thought of how he was going to do this. He knew it wouldn't be easy, but when was it ever?

Natasha sat at the table in the mess hall, her head in her hands as she felt someone sit across from her. She looked up, giving Calpurnia a small smile before looking away again.

"Have a good time?"  
"What?"  
"I know where you slept last night."

Natasha rolled her eyes, looking back over at her.

"Yeah?"  
"Have fun?"  
"I don't remember a lot of it."  
"Maybe I should ask Garrus."  
"Just drop it." Natasha snapped, knitting her eyebrows at the turian.

Calpurnia raised a brow plate at her, folding her arms across her chest.

"Bitchy I see."  
"Look, it was a mistake ok? Let it go."  
"I wasn't judging. I was just gonna ask if it was fun."  
"I don't remember. End of story."  
"Do you remember anything at all?"  
"I remember drinking."  
"So you don't remember dancing on Garrus' brother?"

Natasha tilted her head at Calpurnia, confusion plain on her face.

"Brother?"  
"Long story." the turian said, waving her hand.  
"Was Garrus pissed?"  
"Why would he be? He got you at the end of the night."

Shepard rounded the corner, looking at Natasha with a sigh. She knew he was about to ask her to touch ground with him. The diplomats had caused a lot of trouble on top of what the Reapers were giving them. She wished they'd cut the act and let their own problems go to help, but then she realized how selfish it sounded when put into words. She stood as he stopped in front of her.

"We're going to Sur'kesh."  
"Why?"  
"In order for Wrex to send krogan troops to Palaven, we have to cure the genophage. There are female krogan being kept at a base on Sur'kesh. We're going to retrieve them and cure the krogan and move on."  
"Curing the genophage… What's next, commander?" Natasha said with a smile.

He let out a laugh as Calpurnia stood.

"I want to go."  
"No. I'm already taking one krogan and one turian. We don't need to push the salarians further."  
"One turian?" Natasha questioned.  
"Problem with me going?"

Natasha rolled her eyes before turning to the sound of Garrus' voice, sighing heavily at the sight of him.

"This should be fun." she replied, looking back to Shepard.  
"We need someone who will appeal to the female. You're able to do that."

Natasha knitted her eyebrows at him, looking down at herself before looking back up at him.

"What's that supposed to mean?"  
"You are small and harmless." Calpurnia said, taking in Natasha's appearance.  
"I'm not small."  
"Compared to a krogan you are."  
"So I'm to go in there and whisper a prayer for her?"  
"Hardly." Shepard laughed. "Just be ready to talk to her if she doesn't want to work with us."  
"Men are scary indeed." Natasha said, shooting a glare in Garrus' direction.  
"Ouch."  
"You two need to keep it together out there." Shepard told her, a stern tone to his voice.  
"Ok." Natasha agreed.  
"Let's move."

* * *

_The squad was silent as it packed up the camp, getting everything together before walking back to clan Urdnot. Tavus watched Rayhel closely, unable to keep focus on anything else. She could feel him watching her, knowing there were more questions brewing in his mind to ask her. She hated that he was so interested in her, though she didn't know to what extent it was. She only knew she wasn't going to give him any slack. It was inappropriate for him to try to know her outside of work, and she didn't see the point. She simply gave him short answers and pushed him to silence when he spoke, leaving little room for his curiosity to keep growing._

_Tavus didn't understand what he felt towards her. It was just a month ago that he felt no respect for her at all, and now he couldn't think of someone he respected more. The way she guided her crew to have another view on things, the way she carried herself with confidence, everything about her, he respected. Every time he tried speaking with her though, she seemed more and more closed off to him. It was like she was trying to keep him at a distance. He idly wondered if she'd been a part of some form of insubordination that caused her to become withdrawn from her team. It wasn't her team that she was withdrawn from, though, it was just him. He kept reminding himself that he was the only one to pry at her for information about herself, wanting to get to know her on a personal level instead of a military one. He felt a connection to her, knowing how much they had in common outside of work. She seemed uninterested, but it only made him more curious._

_So he sat now, hacked into her files on his console as the low hum of the ship carried through the dark CIC. He read her history, all the way back to boot camp. It was very detailed, and he was surprised to see that she'd been awarded several service metals during her time in the military. It didn't take long for a red flag to pop up, reading her history as a service chief, back in her early years. He was unsure why the file went as far as it did in detail, telling him everything about the incident of her commander being killed in action. He started piecing together why she was closed off, but he knew there was more to it than a mishap on a mission._

_It was late when he finally decided to close out the file and go to bed for the night, finding himself wanting to ask her about the things that had happened, but he knew it'd only get him in trouble, if not fired. He let it go for the time being, letting himself drift off to sleep, his mind still on his acting captain._

* * *

"We go in, get the females, and leave before anyone changes their minds."

Wrex played with his gun as he looked at Shepard.

"I still don't trust a word they say."  
"Let diplomacy play out Wrex. You'll get what you want."  
"We'll get them back safe." Garrus chimed in.  
"I appreciate the assist Garrus." Wrex replied, shaking his hand.

Natasha hated that she was outnumbered with friends in the shuttle. She looked up at Shepard in an attempt to make conversation with someone.

"Getting the female should be an easy task." she noted.  
"Who's the human?" Wrex asked.

She saw Garrus murmur something to him before he let out a chuckle. She let out a silent huff, looking away from the krogan. She was quickly regretting tagging along for the mission.

"Commander, I'm getting signals from the base that we don't have clearance to land." Cortex said.  
"Tell them the dalatrass authorized this herself." Shepard replied, looking at the console.  
"I knew they wouldn't keep their word." Wrex said, walking over to the door. "Time for a krogan air drop."

He kicked the door open, jumping out of the shuttle with his gun in his hands.

"Wrex." Shepard said with a warning in his tone.

Salarians rushed to the krogan, forcing Garrus and Natasha to arm themselves quickly.

"We have an unauthorized landing!"  
"Who authorized you to hold my people hostage?" Wrex replied before sending the two salarians flying back with biotics.

Red dots appeared on his armor, making him stand still as Shepard, Garrus and Natasha all got down from the shuttle. A salarian rushed to them, telling his men to hold their fire.

"Commander Shepard, please retrain your colleague! We only found out about this transfer a few moments ago!"  
"I'd like to avoid a diplomatic incident."  
"So would we."  
"You have something valuable to Wrex."  
"Something worth dying for." the krogan grumbled.  
"This matter can be resolved, but I must insist you remain under guard."

Wrex let out another grumble in protest.

"I can handle this Wrex." Shepard said.  
"Anything goes wrong and all bets are off." the krogan replied, putting his shotgun away.

Shepard walked with the salarian, Garrus and Natasha following closely behind.

"I'm Padok Wiks and I appreciate your cooperation. With war on everyone's minds, our people are on edge."

They watched a container being lowered to the ground and salarians telling the console worker to be careful with the large thing inside of it. Natasha raised her eyebrows in worry, looking over at Garrus.

"What is that?"  
"I believe that's a Yahg."  
"Not a happy one." she replied.

She saw the smile he gave her before she looked away, shaking her head slightly.

"As you can see, this base contains sensitive information." the salarian continued.  
"Nothing is ever simple with salarians, is it?" Natasha asked.  
"Work here has kept us safe for a millennia."  
"Like studying krogan?"

The salarian gave her a look before turning back to Shepard.

"The females were in poor health when we found them on Tuchanka. We brought them here to stabilize their condition."  
"I'd like to see them." Shepard said.  
"Of course. I need to authorize you for lower levels. Meet me by the elevator when you are ready."

Natasha shook her head as he walked away. Shepard gave her a smile.

"What?"  
"I hate salarians."  
"Keep it quiet."

Natasha took a deep breath, holstering her handgun and folding her arms across her chest as they walked through the base. She overheard two salarians talking about the turians being close to finished on Palaven, which only made her more angry. Garrus could tell she was growing tense, glancing at her occasionally to see her frustrated form. Shepard approached Wiks again to be told they were authorized for lower levels. Once they got the elevator to let them in, an alarm sounded.

"What's going on?" Shepard asked.

Wiks opened his Omni tool as a fighter ship took off from the base.

"Sensors have picked up activity on the perimeter. Someone will meet you downstairs. Hurry commander."

Shepard did as he was told, Garrus and Natasha getting in the elevator with him. Natasha felt Garrus looking at her, making her roll her eyes.

"Yes?"  
"Do you need a hug?"

She looked over at him with a glare.

"No."  
"Focus." Shepard said as the doors opened.

They stepped out, hearing the alarm still ringing throughout the base. Across the room, they could see a friendly salarian, who smiled back at them.

"Shepard. Excellent timing. Good to have you here."  
"Mordin?"  
"Eyesight still sharp." he said, shaking the commander's hand after walking over to them. "Surprise understandable. Came here to work."  
"You're back with STG?" Garrus asked.  
"Special consultant. Had to be me. Someone else might have gotten it wrong." he looked around, making sure they were out of earshot from the others. "Fed information to clan Urdnot. Political pressure to free female."  
"You must be Wrex's inside source." Shepard said.  
"Yes. Can explain later. Security overrides not normal. Must get off world for sake of female krogan. Females have weakened immune systems. Side effect of Malon's cure. These… Didn't survive."

Natasha looked at the krogan who were covered with blankets through the glass, her heart aching for what they were attempting to accomplish. They were trying to become mothers, simply wanting to have children, to help their race. Something anyone should be able to do. She looked over at Mordin, wondering if he was truly sorry for his work on the genophage.

"Where are the others?"  
"One survivor." he said, leading them down to a glass compartment that protected the last of the females.  
"One? That's it?"  
"Last hope for krogan. If she dies, genophage cure problematic." Natasha took in the sight of the woman, sympathy running through her at the knowledge that the krogan had to stay in a tank to keep herself healthy enough to have hope for becoming a mother someday. "Be careful. Krogan slow to trust."

Natasha stepped forward, knowing she was picked to talk to them for a reason. She cleared her throat, unsure of what to say.

"I'm Natasha. I'm here with the Alliance."  
"Are you here to kill me?"  
"I can't imagine what she's been through." Garrus said behind her.

Natasha's heart dropped at her words, but her sympathy rose after hearing Garrus'.

"We're here to take you home."  
"Why? What am I to you?"

Natasha cleared her throat again, refraining from biting her lip as she stared at the krogan.

"Have the salarians been mistreating you?"  
"Those were my sisters you saw back there. They died in a lot of pain."  
"Did the best we could." Mordin said quickly.  
"Now I know I'm the only one left. That makes me dangerous to a lot of people. What about you Natasha? Why are you here?"

Natasha glanced back at Shepard and Garrus. He gave her a small nod, urging her to keep talking. She looked back at the krogan, stepping closer to the glass.

"You're the future of the krogan race. I'm fighting for that."

The alarm sounded louder as explosions rang out on the higher levels of the base.

"Then I hope you brought an army."

Salarians rushed around, typing quickly on the consoles that filled the room.

"What's happening?" Shepard asked one of the scientists.  
"Multiple ships inbound!"

Shepard's Omni tool beeped with an incoming message.

"Shepard, it's Wrex. Cerberus troops are attacking the base. Get the females out of here now!"  
"Only one survived Wrex. It might be safer down here."  
"What? So the salarians can kill her like the others? No deal. If you still want this alliance, get her out of there!"

Shepard looked to the salarian again.

"Release the female, we're leaving."  
"I can't. Protocols states during lockdown, no specimen-"

He was interrupted by Mordin zapping him with his Omni tool.

"Objection noted. Now please release krogan." The salarian did as he was told, the glass container hissing as it was lifted from the ground. "Need to monitor pod through quarantine procedures. Meet us at next checkpoint, Shepard. Likely Cerberus opposes genophage cure."

Natasha looked up at the krogan in the glass.

"You'll see Tuchanka again. I promise."

The container continued lifting as Shepard readied his weapon, Garrus and Natasha following suit. They ran for the elevator, the doors opening to show a bomb waiting for them.

"Get back!" Shepard yelled as they turned around.

The blast knocked them forward, Natasha landing hard on her side. She winced, holding her shoulder as hands grabbed her arm and pulled her up.

"Keep moving." She hated that Garrus was the one to help her up, but she knew it wasn't the time to argue the matter. She ran next to him, getting across the room to climb the ladder. Natasha looked to Garrus after Shepard started climbing, but he just smirked, gesturing to the ladder. "Ladies first."

Natasha shook her head, gripping the ladder and taking a step up.

"Really? That's where you're going with this? Now, of all times?"  
"Nothing I haven't seen before."

Natasha scoffed, climbing the tall ladder faster knowing he was right below her. After fighting through the first floor, they reached another door that revealed a Yahg storming through, killing it's way to freedom through the Cerberus troops.

"Guess he didn't like the food." Garrus said.  
"Works for me." Shepard replied with a laugh.

Natasha was silently wishing they wouldn't have to face it later on, but trusted it wouldn't stick around long. They fought their way to the pod's checkpoint where Shepard typed in the code to get them through.

"Are you ok?" Natasha asked.  
"I'm fine."

The container raised itself again, lifting to the next checkpoint. Again they fought their way up to the next level, meeting more troops once they got to the top of the stairs.

"Cerberus must have been tipped off." Natasha said after they got through the level. "They got here too fast."  
"Every war has it's traitors." Garrus replied.

They fixed the power relay and then cleared the checkpoint for Mordin to get through with the pod. Again Natasha checked on the female krogan.

"How you holding up?"  
"I'm not your problem, Natasha. You don't know me."  
"I'd like to."  
"How many more checkpoints?" Shepard asked.  
"Just the landing area. Hope Urdnot Wrex still waiting."  
"He has to." the krogan said.

As the container lifted, more Cerberus troops landed. In a firefight, it was hard to not work as a team, especially with the way Shepard ran his ship. Natasha couldn't simply not watch Garrus' back, and she knew he was watching hers the entire way. They took cover together, they moved as one, and they took out enemies quickly. The natural way of working together bothered Natasha, but only for the reason of knowing it made it that much harder for her to get over him.

"Shepard, you must authorize the release. Pod then transfers to landing zone."

One final heavy mech dropped down for them to fight as Wrex nagged them to get the landing zone clear for him. Once the mech was finished, Wrex landed and walked over to the pod, holding his hand out to the krogan.

"Let's get you out of there."

She ignored his gesture, stepping out on her own. She took his gun from him, shooting two Cerberus troops that landed on the base before shoving it back into his grip.

"I can handle myself, Wrex."

Wrex looked to Garrus as he holstered the gun.

"Women."

Garrus gave him a smile, glancing over at Natasha, who effectively avoided his gaze.

* * *

_"Can I ask you something?"_  
_"Is this really the time, Victus?"_  
_"Yes m'am."_

_She gave him a look as they boarded the ship, the airlock beginning it's decontamination process._

_"What?" she asked with an annoyed voice._  
_"Why don't you like me asking you questions?"_

_She gave him a smirk, folding her arms across her chest._

_"I'm sure you wouldn't enjoy me prying you for information."_  
_"Well I might, except I already know you've read my file."_  
_"If only I had one." He returned her smirk, which made her drop her own. "Don't even think about it. I'll assign you cook duty for a month."_  
_"Yes m'am." Tavus said with a laugh, not daring to tell her he'd already looked at the file._  
_"Why do you want to know my information?"_  
_"I'm curious about you."_

_She gave him a stern look before the door opened for them, giving them access to the CIC. They stepped onto the ship silently, Rayhel walking at his side instead of walking quickly to get away from him. He was surprised that she wasn't running away yet._

_"Victus, if this is some kind of teen crush, you should drop it."_

_Tavus smiled, looking over at her._

_"It's not a crush, m'am. I'm too old for crushes."_  
_"Agreed."_  
_"I just respect you."_

_She stopped, turning towards him. He faced her, leaning against his console._

_"You're seeking respect in return, then?"_  
_"No m'am. Simply curious about you because I respect you."_

_Rayhel looked around the CIC, then nodded._

_"Fine. Be curious. Stop asking questions."_  
_"Yes m'am."_

_She walked over to the galaxy map, Tavus watching her intently. She gave him a look after a moment, which pulled him from his thoughts. He turned towards his console, checking the systems with a distracted mind._

_Rayhel was unsure that bringing the operations chief with her to the abandoned Cerberus facility they were to investigate was a good idea. She had to admit, the turian was good at his job, but his attention span had been dwindling lately. She hated the attention he was giving her, but she was confident it'd stop now that she'd told him to get a grip. On that note, she decided to take him along, figuring it was worth a shot to see how he'd be._

_Upon arriving at the facility, they found that it was dark, and worn down from the time it'd spent standing alone. Cerberus had been almost non-existent since the Reaper invasion, which Rayhel had been grateful for, what with the krogan's civil war brewing. Her small squad made their way through the rooms of the facility, trying to find the data they'd been sent to retrieve. She finally lowered her rifle, looking back at Tavus._

_"Let's go. There's nothing left here."_  
_"Move out." he said to the other two, turning away._

_She turned back around, scoping the place one last time, catching a glimpse of something useful across the room. The others left, making their way back to the ship as she kneeled down, picking up the data chit. She smiled before her vision blurred, something hitting hard against her head. She was unconscious quickly, falling to the ground without a chance to call out for her team._

* * *

"You have your female, Wrex. A cure for the rest of your people can come later."  
"That wasn't the deal."

Natasha followed Shepard into the conference room, seeing the turian primarch as he argued with Wrex. She had been avoided him successfully up until this point, but now it had been for nothing. He recognized her right away, his eyes traveling down her form and then back up to her face. She didn't look at him, watching Wrex instead.

"The cure can be made quickly, must have healthy male tissue sample." Mordin said.  
"You're lookin at it."  
"Will work. Must stay onboard until cure is finished."  
"Let's hope the food's gotten better."  
"Better work quick Mordin." Shepard said.  
"Will be in medbay. Eve requires tests."  
"Eve?" Natasha questioned.  
"Female's real name unknown. Aboard human vessel. Human mythology seemed appropriate, in current circumstances. Suggest speaking with her. New prospective. Surprising in krogan."

Natasha nodded, watching Mordin leave before turning back to the arguing aliens in the room.

"Anything else?" Shepard asked them.  
"There's a small matter concerning a ship we lost contact with." the primarch said.  
"What happened?"  
"I'd rather discuss it in private."  
"Turian problems can't even come close to what I've got." Wrex said.  
"What is it?"  
"Some of my men need help. The rest of it we can discuss somewhere else."  
"I'll find you both in the war room. Just be ready to talk."

Wrex followed Shepard out of the room silently, leaving Natasha alone with the primarch. She knew he wanted to speak with her, now that he knew who she was for certain. He put his arms behind his back, not moving from where he'd been standing on the other side of the table. Natasha bit her lip, looking up at him.

"I know you." he stated.  
"I-"  
"You bonded with a turian from Cipritine."

Natasha nodded, giving him a small smile.

"I did."  
"I remember seeing a human with face paint. I was there"

Natasha took in the sight of his face, a sadness growing in her as she missed being a part of that clan.

"I was bonded to Nihlus."  
"Kryik… Good man. Hell of a soldier. I'm sorry for the loss, though it's been some time."  
"I'm heartbroken about Palaven." she said with genuine remorse.

He nodded at her, sighing.

"It's hard to see our home like that…"  
"What is it you need from Shepard?"

He looked up at her, tilting his head slightly.

"Are you next in the chain of command?"  
"No." she laughed, shaking her head. "But I can get you what you need."  
"How is it that you have that kind of power?"  
"Garrus."

He tilted his head again, looking at her intently.

"He'll do anything you tell him to?"  
"He's a turian, he'll do anything to help his homeworld. If what you need will help, consider it done. You said a ship went missing?"  
"Crashed, actually. I didn't want to speak in front of the krogan… Our ship went down on Tuchanka. Now they're pinned by an advanced guard of Reaper scouts."  
"What are your men doing there?"  
"I'm sorry. That's classified, but it's vital they be rescued. They must complete their mission. It's a matter of galactic peace."  
"I'll do what I can."  
"I appreciate your help."  
"I'll fill in the commander and get it done."

Natasha gave him a small smile before turning away, her mind wandering to the fact that there was a female krogan down in the medbay. She walked to the elevator quickly, the lift moving slower than she ever remembered it doing before.

* * *

_Tavus paced the CIC quietly, listening to the two service chiefs arguing about what to do next, his mind only caring about whether or not their captain was safe._

_"We should go back, scope the place out."_  
_"She's gone, they took her. Even if we did find her, there's probably troops we have to fight through. We risk getting ourselves taken or killed. We should go get help instead of playing hero."_  
_"If we go get help, she could be long gone or dead by the time we get back with help."_

_Crawlsky looked over at Tavus, letting out a frustrated sigh._

_"What do you think we should do?"_

_Tavus continued pacing, not looking up to either of them. He considered both options, knowing either one could be risky._

_"You're the operations chief." Shisk pointed out._

_Tavus looked up at them now, letting out a small sigh._

_"Gear up."_  
_"We're going after her?"_  
_"Get yourselves ready… I need to make a call first."_  
_"To who?"_  
_"None of your concern, just get yourselves ready."_

_Tavus walked towards the elevator, typing in the highest floor on the pad, part of him wishing he didn't need to go into Rayhel's personal quarters. He did so reluctantly though, looking around to find her desk. He pulled up the console, getting into her personal files to retrieve her most recent contacts. He opened his Omni tool hesitantly, hearing the link ring out before a voice answered._

_"Hello?"_  
_"Is this Garrus Vakarian?"_  
_"Yes, who is this?"_  
_"My name is Tavus, I'm a part of Rayhel's team."_  
_"Why are you contacting me?"_  
_"Sir… I'm contacting you because your daughter has been taken by Cerberus operatives, and we're going to get her back. I wanted to warn you that we need back up, but we're not risking the wait to go get it. You're a spectre, and you're her father. I figured you'd want to help."_

_He heard silence over the link for a moment, part of him wondering if the turian on the other end was still there._

_"I'll get some guys together. Send me your nav point and I'll be there shortly. Don't do anything stupid without backup."_  
_"Sir, I'm going to get your daughter back. You can trust that."_  
_"I appreciate the dedication to your job, but don't do anything stupid."_

_Tavus was grateful that the spectre agreed to help, knowing the turian had more than capable friends to help out, but he knew he had to do this on his own. They couldn't just sit around and wait while Cerberus did whatever they wanted to their captain. They'd go back to the facility and they'd find her, and bring her back to safety. They were a team. It was going to stay that way._

* * *

"Aware krogan female find scars attractive. Garrus loyal, intelligent, aggressive. Almost like krogan."  
"For the third time doctor, I'm not interested!"  
"Ah, Natasha."

Natasha could feel her blood boiling at the sound of the conversation, walking over to the doctor and the krogan with her arms crossed, a firm look set on her face. She was thankful that Wrex barged in after her, walking over to Eve's side.

"Are you ok?"  
"I'm fine, Wrex. You can relax."  
"Can't be too careful. Can't put any faith in salarian doctors."  
"This one is different."  
"Is he? What's that?"  
"Simple blood test."  
"What kind?"  
"One that ends the genophage. Natasha, please, distractions counterproductive. Effecting comfort of patient."

Natasha was surprised that Mordin looked to her to make Eve comfortable, but she looked over to Wrex anyways, her stern look still in place.

"He was your inside source Wrex. You can trust him."

Wrex turned to leave from the room before Mordin stopped him.

"Don't forget. Still need tissue sample."  
"I'll be back." he groaned, leaving the medbay now.

Natasha gave Eve a small smile as Mordin went back to work. Eve slid off the table she'd been sitting on, catching eye contact with Natasha.

"Thank you for saving my life, Natasha. I didn't think the krogan had any allies left in the galaxy."  
"A lot of people seem to have forgotten what we owe the krogan."  
"They can be forgiven. Our actions have hardly earned friendship."  
"Part of friendship is knowing each other's name. I feel bad that I don't know yours."  
"I surrendered it the day I became a shaman of the female clans. I belong to my sisters now. Perhaps one day, when this is over, you can know it. I imagine you have questions about the genophage. Most do."

Natasha looked away from her, trying to keep her smile on her face as she shook her head.

"No… I don't need to ask what it's like…"  
"It is surprising to see someone that feels sympathy for what we go through."

Natasha looked up at her, quickly finding another topic to discuss.

"What do you think of Wrex?"  
"When he's not trying to sire half of Tuchanka, he's the best thing that's happened to the krogan, but I won't tell him that. His head's big enough already. Literally."  
"At least you have a strong leader."  
"I know in his heart Wrex wants what's best for us, though not all of the other clans see it that way."  
"I heard Mordin recommending Garrus to you…"

Eve let out a soft laugh, folding her arms over her chest.

"Don't worry."  
"Why would I?"  
"I have seen the child that runs around the ship. I also saw you fight together on Sur'kesh. I know boundaries when they're clearly set in place."

Natasha nodded, deciding not to tell her that Garrus wasn't taken.

"Right." she said, extending her hand out to the krogan. "Thanks for talking to me."  
"It's my pleasure. I'm glad to see humans treat their woman with respect. Your commander has placed a lot of responsibility on you."  
"No more than your people have on you."  
"Maybe we can show the men how it's done."

Natasha let out a small laugh.

"Deal."


	10. Chapter 10

**Hey guys!**

**I have an announcement to make...**

**As you all may have caught on by now, ArchelionGen and I beta read for eachother, and we are actually very good friends and we have come up with this awesome idea to cross into eachother's stories a bit. He is currently writing a fic called 'In the End' and I recommend going to check it out. We're going to use eachother's characters and have a fun little project together. We're both very excited to do this, and I hope you guys enjoy it. You don't HAVE to read both stories to know what's going on. The next chapter I am posting is pure introduction to the new character.**

**We hope you guys enjoy, because we're having an awesome time with this project. (:**

**Please feel free to rate, review and even PM me if you have anything you'd like to say.**

**Thanks guys!**

* * *

"They say krogan females have a thing for scars. I've got a few myself… Here's hoping no one's planning an arranged marriage to cement this deal."

Natasha rolled her eyes with an exaggerated sigh, forcing herself to not look over to where Garrus stood at his console. She knew it was important for Rayhel to see them getting along, but he didn't make it easy to sit through. She folded her arms over her chest, looking around for her daughter, who had grown silent after running to the small room Garrus had for sleeping.

"Though I have to admit, I admire Eve. The things she endured while living with the genophage, and now to top it all off, she's her people's last hope. Imagine the pressure. Takes real courage to face that."

Natasha stood, giving him a look as she wandered over to the small space Rayhel had tucked herself in. She put her hands on her hips as the girl looked up at her, two halves of a wire in each hand.

"I fix it Mommy!"  
"What did you do?"  
"I fix it like Daddy."

Natasha felt Garrus behind her, his chest pressing to her back, a small chuckle in her ear.

"Excuse me."

She moved away from him, clearing her throat to sustain the smile that was creeping across her lips. Garrus bent down to Rayhel, holding out his hand. She gave him the wires with a large smile.

"I fix it."  
"You can help me."  
"I fix it with Daddy!"

Natasha loved watching the two of them together. She always had. Now it was just harder to deny Garrus what he wanted when she saw it. He sat Rayhel up on the console, grabbing a tool that Natasha had never seen before. He told the little girl to hold one wire while he fixed the other half of it. Rayhel was as happy as she could get, watching it happen as she held on tightly to her half of the wire. Natasha let her smile spread as she leaned against the wall, a flutter in her chest. The emotion soon turned to sadness, making her turn away to rub her eyes.

"You alright?"  
"I'm fine." Natasha said, straightening up to face Garrus. "I have to go talk to Shepard about Eve."

Garrus knew she was trying to keep herself together, but it only made his pride swell. He was succeeding in getting her to fall again. The only part of it that remained to be seen was how long it would take for her to let him know it. Rayhel giggled, pulling him from his thoughts as they tied the wire together. He let her help him install it back to the console, happy to spend time with his daughter.

* * *

_Tavus lead the small ground team, Crawlsky and Shisk watching his six while another three men covered their flank. Tavus could smell blood, hearing a faint groan in the distance. His heart jumped and he fought to remain calm as they advanced towards the closed room. They positioned themselves outside of the door, Tavus listening closely for any sounds on the other side. He could hear a voice, asking questions before a cry rang out, followed by a small whimper. Tavus nodded at his squad mates. Crawlsky and Shisk prepared themselves, kicking in the door for him before all three of them walked in, their guns raised and ready for a fight._

_The other troops pointed their guns back, waiting for orders. Their leader smiled at the new guests, stepping away from the chair in the middle of the room. Tavus fought to keep his eyes off of Rayhel, knowing she had been beaten by the troops._

_"I would assume this is your able-bodied crew, Vakarian."_  
_"Let her go."_  
_"You turians are too loyal to your officers." he laughed, looking back to Rayhel. "Tell them to leave."_  
_"Let her go or we'll fire."_  
_"Tavus." He hated the sound of her voice in that moment, hearing the exhaustion and utter weakness she held. She looked at him with pleading eyes. "Go."_  
_"No m'am. We won't leave."_  
_"I gave you an order, chief, get out of here!"_

_He was saddened to hear her attempt to take on her stern voice, hearing the pain she was fighting through._

_"What do you want from her?" Tavus asked, ignoring his captain._  
_"We want information that you have no way of knowing."_  
_"I'm sure if you asked nicely she'd be more willing to talk."_  
_"I'm sure if you leave she has a better chance of making it out alive."_

_Tavus shook his head, stepping closer while keeping his gun raised._

_"You let her go, she'll tell you anything you want to know."_  
_"You can't make that promise."_  
_"I promise, if you don't let her go I will kill you."_  
_"Stubborn turian." the man said, raising his gun at Tavus._

_A shot rang out before the man fell to the ground. Tavus was grateful that the two men behind him wouldn't hesitate to pull the trigger when it came to it. The shot caused an all out firefight after the man hit the floor, the three turians ducking behind a small wall for cover as they tried taking out the operatives. Tavus heard a scream, making him stand up from cover. Rayhel stood now, a man holding her up in front of him, a gun held to her temple._

_"Drop the guns!"_

_Tavus put his hands up, setting his gun on the ground gently._

_"Alright." he said, Shisk following his lead._  
_"Where's the other one?! I will shoot her!"_  
_"There's no need to do that." Tavus said calmly._  
_"Where's the other one?!"_  
_"Right here, you son of a bitch!"_

_The man couldn't even turn his head before Crawlsky shot him. He dropped his gun quickly, catching Rayhel as she collapsed. Tavus and Shisk ran to her, kneeling down as she rubbed her head._

_"Can you hear me?" Tavus asked, making her look up at him._  
_"Yes."_  
_"She needs water."_

_Shisk fumbled for his canteen, handing it over without hesitation. Rayhel used a shaky hand to lift the water to her mouth, letting out a loud sigh afterwards._

_"Are you hurt? Do you need medigel?"_

_Rayhel looked at Tavus with half-lidded eyes, staring at him for a moment before falling back against Crawlsky. Tavus looked from him to Shisk, letting out a short breath._

_"We need to get her back to the ship. The doc will want to take a look at her."_

* * *

"Grunt?"  
"Shepard?! Shepard!"  
"What are you doing here?"  
"I could ask you the same question."

Natasha was pleasantly surprised to see the krogan running to hug the commander. She smiled at the sight, missing the crew from the previous mission Shepard was on. The reality of the end of life was setting in every time she touched ground with Shepard and Garrus. Seeing old friends, seeing the devastation everywhere, the desperation for things to continue on as normal after the Reapers… Everything was starting to get intense. Natasha knew it was only the beginning. Even seeing Jack at Grissom Academy tugged at her heart. Memories of releasing Grunt from his tank came to her mind. It seemed like so long ago now.

Garrus could tell Natasha was lost in her train of thought when he looked over at her. He knew she was taking on a lot, and he admired the fact that she wasn't giving up. He knew she'd go to any length to help end the war for the sake of her daughter's life. Even if it meant giving up her own. He shook the thought from his mind when she seemed to snap out of it, both of them lost as Shepard spoke with the krogan.

"The scans show those tunnels down there lead to a central point. If we're lucky, it's a nest."  
"Sounds like fun." Garrus said.  
"Just like old times, Grunt." Natasha chimed in.

The krogan laughed in agreement before telling his team to move out.

"Grab what you need Shepard. I'll meet you at the scout camp up ahead."

Natasha looked over at Garrus with a smile after the krogan walked away.

"What?"  
"He's all grown up…"

Garrus admired the motherly side of Natasha. He gave her a smile before they started gathering what they needed to catch up with Grunt.

"It's very quiet here." Natasha noted as Shepard stepped into a small building, Garrus following in after him. The large metal structure shifted with their weight, tipping over to toss them down into the cavern. Natasha felt her heart cave as she watched, running to the ledge. "Garrus!"

She heard them both groan amongst the wreckage, her heart filling with relief. She looked to Grunt.

"You in one piece Shepard?" he called.  
"We're ok. Keep in radio contact."  
"On our way!"

Natasha watched them get up for a moment before moving out with the krogan. She fought to keep her thoughts straight, not finding much trouble amongst the scouts. As they found another entrance, a crash sounded over the com, Natasha's heart sinking as she put her finger to her earpiece.

"What was that?"  
"Cave in." Shepard replied. "We're alright."  
"Good." Grunt said. "Didn't want to dig you out."  
"That hurts my feelings Grunt." Garrus teased.  
"Yeah yeah." Natasha hated the darkness of the tunnels as they walked through, hearing small bugs running around. She kept looking over her shoulder in paranoia, hoping she wouldn't find something following her. Grunt stopped the scouts abruptly, finding more dead bodies. "Shepard I know what happened to the scouts."

Natasha kept a look out behind them as they spoke, a strange feeling washing over her at the sight of the wiring across the floor.

"Are you seeing this Reaper tech, Shepard?"  
"We have it all over."

She hated this war.

* * *

"That wasn't webbing stopping us, that was Reaper tech."

Natasha followed Grunt and the scouts through the newly formed entrance, her eyes darting around to find Garrus. She was relieved to see him in one piece, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. He hugged her back, a small smile on his face at the realization that she'd been worried about him. He looked down at her, expecting to see a wound of some sort.

"Are you alright?"  
"Fine. There was a lot of fighting, actually. Nothing too crazy though."

Garrus was grateful that she'd decided to learn to protect herself back when she did. She was deadly with a pistol, and she wasn't reliant on any of the krogan that she'd been forced to work with. Shepard looked over at her after speaking with Grunt. She gave him a nod, which he returned before they set out to venture further into the tunnels. They found a narrow passage that they had to crawl through, Shepard taking the lead. Natasha got to her knees, crawling in after him. She could hear a growl behind her, making her stop to look back at Garrus.

"Really?"  
"Keep moving." he groaned.  
"Would you like to go ahead of me?"  
"Don't ask me where I want to go, you'll get an answer you won't like."

She shook her head with a smirk, continuing her crawling until they reached the other side. She got to her feet, knitting her eyebrows at the sight of the central cavern.

"What is that?"

Before they could reach the center, reaper walls threw themselves up, more enemy forces swarming in. It was a long fight, but it was an easy one made up of husks, cannibals and the occasional reaper-rachni hybrid. The sight of the rachni queen after the fight was a surprising one, but it was even more disturbing when it used the dead krogan to speak to them. She begged to be released, which Garrus protested, but Shepard decided to sacrafice Aralakh Company to get her free. Grunt came running through to lead them to safety, getting them through the tunnel's exit. They were cornered by more rachni at the end. Shepard and Grunt exchanged looks of worry, trying to silently come up with a solution.

"The shuttle is that way." Grunt said, pointing down the tunnel. "Get out of here Shepard."

Natasha shook her head at him.

"No…" she said, but Garrus stopped her from stepping closer to him.

With a short silence, and a pat on Grunt's shoulder, Shepard took off in the direction of the shuttle. Natasha gave a pleading look to Garrus, who grabbed her arm with a sad look in return. Grunt waited for them to get a head start before holding off the rachni. Natasha fought herself to keep walking, tears falling down her face as they approached the shuttle. Garrus walked next to her, a comforting hand on her back. As they loaded onto the shuttle, Natasha looked back, seeing a bloodied and battered Grunt trying to catch up with them.

"Grunt!"

Garrus ran with her to help get the krogan to safety.

* * *

"The mission brief identifies the commander as Tarquin Victus."  
"Victus?"

Shepard looked to Garrus, who sat next to Natasha in the shuttle.

"Primarch's son."  
"Try to raise him." Shepard said.

Natasha opened her Omni tool, scanning for others in the area.

"For a turian commander, what happened here is… Well. Let's just say the turian code isn't forgiving." Garrus said. "And that it's his son is bad for the Primarch. Promoting family without merit can bite you in the ass. What's strange is the Primarch knows that."  
"Commander, I have to land well back from the main crash site." Steve said.  
"That the best you can do?"  
"Yes m'am. The Reapers aren't aware of our presence. We'll have the jump on them."  
"Alright. Let's save this platoon."  
"The connection to Lieutenant Victus is weak, Commander." Natasha said.

Shepard used the connection to find the lieutenant before they fought their way to him. When they got there, the squad was looking beaten down, all of them simply waiting for extraction instead of trying to fight to accomplish their original mission.

"Lieutenant Victus?"  
"Commander Shepard. My men and I are in your debt. Thank you for saving so many."  
"What happened here?"

Another turian grabbed Victus, shaking him slightly.

"He screwed up!"  
"Stand down, soldier!"  
"These men are dead because of him."  
"I said stand down."

Shepard broke them up, causing the other turian to back off so Victus could speak.

"Lieutenant, what's going on here?"  
"I made a bad call. This is all on me. I chose caution and clever tactics over a head-on attack. My men paid the price."  
"Owning your mistake takes guts, but you have to get over it and move on." Shepard said.  
"Of course, it's just fresh right now. The mission is still a failure. When we've stabilized the engine, we'll go back to the fleet."  
"You're abandoning your mission?" Garrus asked, stepping forward.  
"We're down over thirty men. It'd be suicide."  
"What was your original mission?" Shepard asked.  
"There's a bomb on the planet. We were sent to defuse it."  
"A bomb? How big?"  
"Enormous. Cerberus has it."  
"Lieutenant, if Cerberus has that bomb, you have to finish your mission."  
"Haven't these men sacrificed enough?"  
"I understand. This kind of sacrifice is the hardest to ask for."  
"My men have lost hope. Even if I wanted to finish the mission, they don't."  
"It's your job to make them want to." Garrus told him.  
"How?"

Natasha felt that fire ignite in her stomach, shaking her head at the turian.

"What's wrong with you?! Inspire them, threaten them! Lieutenant, if Cerberus wins, the Reapers divide and conquer and that will be on them!"

Garrus looked over at her once she was finished, raising a brow plate before looking back to the turian.

"Listen up! This isn't about your fears or grievousness."  
"Fears?" a turian replied. "We're only afraid of the next messed up order you give."  
"Irrelevant. Court martial, death and discharge await anyone who walks from his duty. We are turian. We finish what we came here to do or we die trying." the turians watched him for a moment before he advanced on them. "Shuttle arrives any time, so get your asses in gear. Let's move!"

They saluted Victus before walking away. The turian looked at Natasha as Shepard and Garrus walked to their own shuttle. She gave him a small smile.

"Sorry."  
"You're serious about the war."

She nodded.

"I have a daughter to protect. The war needs to end." He laughed slightly, giving her a nod. "What?"  
"I have a son."  
"Then we have to finish this mission to protect the ones we love."

He patted her on the back before rejoining his men, allowing her to get on her own shuttle.

* * *

The fights to get to the bomb were quite easy, or so Natasha had thought. Cerberus didn't put up a large fight, and most of them were retreating as Shepard and his team swept through to get to the device. Once they got to Victus, they took on the role of protection duty as he hacked through to disarm the bomb. Natasha was set to protect the lieutenant, shooting anyone who was lucky enough to get past Garrus and Shepard. After a while, he told her he had to manually disarm the device.

Natasha looked up at the bomb, her heart racing as the Cerberus troops kept coming towards her. Victus had climbed high, only to have it shake and begin to fall once he got to the top.

"Lieutenant!"  
"Victory at any cost."  
"No!"

He looked down at her, placing a hand on a part of the bomb, hesitating to pull it out.

"I have a bondmate."

Natasha felt tears coming to her eyes as she nodded.

"I'll contact her."  
"Tell her I love her."  
"I promise."

With that, he pulled the pin out of the bomb, causing it to fall, taking him with it into the deep hole on Tuchanka. Natasha dropped her gun, leaning against the console as she covered her mouth. Shepard and Garrus raced over to the scene, Garrus quickly taking Natasha into his arms as she cried.

"Are you hurt?"

She shook her head, swallowing the lump in her throat before looking towards the hole in the ground.

"No."

* * *

Natasha felt herself struggling to find words as she watched the turian woman approach her. The turian smiled pleasantly after Natasha waved her over to the table she sat at. Her heart sank at the sight of a baby in her arms.

"Natasha?"  
"It's nice to meet you, Mrs. Victus."  
"Please, call me Nora."

Natasha cleared her throat, taking a deep breath before looking out on the presidium, the smell of the café reaching her as the wind swept through. She forced a smile, looking back to the woman before letting her eyes fall to the sleeping turian in her arms.

"How old is he?"

Nora smiled, looking down at him.

"Four months."  
"He's cute."  
"He's a handful is what he is."  
"My daughter was too."

Nora looked up at her, her smile wide.

"You have kids?"  
"Just one. Her name is Rayhel."  
"How old is she?"  
"She's four. Wait until he gets there, they get worse."

Nora laughed, stroking the baby's fringe idly.

"Thanks for the warning." Natasha smiled, watching the woman admire her son for a moment, doing her best to make small talk before telling her what she really needed to. Nora seemed distracted enough before looking up at the sky cars that flew overhead. "I'd never been here before the Reapers hit Palaven."  
"It's an alright place." Natasha said, looking around. "I lived here all my life before the Collector's."  
"You said in your message that you were with the alliance? You have a ship?"  
"No. I travel on the SSV Normandy."

Nora seemed intrigued by this, her brow plates rising.

"Isn't that Commander Shepard's ship?"  
"Yes m'am."  
"That must be exciting."  
"It's a bit stressful, but to be honest, any ship would be right now."  
"Is your daughter with you on the ship?"  
"Yes."  
"I couldn't imagine leaving her somewhere off the ship. Nowhere is safe." Natasha smiled, admiring the motherly instinct that she shared with the woman. "Is her father onboard with you too?"  
"Yes."  
"At least you all have each other then." Nora said with a smile, looking down at her son again. "My bondmate is on a mission. Tuchanka. Stupid krogan problems."

Natasha bit her lip, looking away from the woman.

"I was on Tuchanka not long ago."

Nora looked up at her.

"No kidding?"

Natasha gave her a sad look, shaking her head. Nora tilted her head slightly.

"Shepard was sent to investigate some missing turian scouts. Primarch Victus sent us. I was on the ground team that found them." Nora went quiet, staring at Natasha, who fought to keep back her tears as she looked into the woman's eyes. "Tarquin made a bad call. He got a lot of his men killed. They were trying to defuse a bomb, but Cerberus had gotten it. We convinced him to complete his mission, with our assistance. It was my job to protect him from Cerberus forces while he disarmed the bomb, but… He had to do it manually. It fell, and he…"

Natasha closed her eyes, tears escaping them as she took a deep breath. She hated how quiet the turian across from her was. Natasha cried for a moment before looking back up at her.

"I'm sorry."

Nora's face was wet with silent tears as she watched Natasha, her baby stirring in her arms before she calmed him. Natasha wiped her tears, watching the baby now instead of the woman.

"How…" Nora cleared her throat, shaking her head slightly. "How did you know to contact me?"

Natasha looked back up to her, giving her as much of a smile as she could muster.

"He told me about his son, and that he had a bondmate. He told me to tell you he loves you."

The words pushed Nora to closing her eyes to cry, holding her son closer to her. Natasha let her have her silence, knowing there was nothing she could say for comfort. After a while, the woman stopped crying, as if her mind was drifting into thought. They sat together, watching the presidium, watching the sky cars, Nora occasionally bouncing her son to keep him asleep when he stirred.

Natasha felt the turian looking at her, making her look in return, giving her a soft look that urged her to speak if she needed to.

"Why isn't your commanding officer telling me this news?"

Natasha gave her a small smile, looking down at her hands that rested on the table. She picked at her fingernails, biting her lip before clearing her throat.

"I lost a bondmate too."

The woman gave her a sad look, leaning forward slightly in her chair.

"When?"  
"When I was pregnant with Rayhel."  
"I'm so sorry."  
"I took it upon myself to contact you, Nora, because I know how this feels. I know what it's like to have that taken away from you, with a baby to care for by yourself. We weren't facing Reapers then, but I know how hard it was. I would have preferred a friend, someone who cared, came to tell me that my husband died, rather than the council."

Nora nodded in agreement.

"Thank you."  
"I am very busy on the Normandy, but you know how to contact me if you need support. I urge you to do that."  
"I will."  
"Your bondmate died saving Tuchanka. He was a good man, and a hero in the end. Remember that."  
"I will."

Natasha stood, Nora following her lead. Natasha gave her a smile, holding out her hand.

"It was nice meeting you, though I wish it were under better circumstances."  
"I appreciate your concern for me. Thank you."

Natasha looked down at the baby who calmly laid in Nora's arms, chewing on a talon as he blinked at her.

"He's awake." she smiled.  
"Yeah, he usually surprises me like that."  
"What's his name?"

Nora smiled, looking down at him.

"Tavus."

* * *

_Tavus sat next to Rayhel's bed, listening to the steady beep of the heart rate monitor that she had been hooked up to for the night. The doctor had told him that despite the abuse she'd been given, she just needed some rest. He wanted to keep an eye on her until she woke up, knowing she'd have words for him._

_"Executive Officer, a request for boarding is coming from a council spectre's ship."_  
_"You don't have to call me that anymore, Arkah, the captain is back."_  
_"Of course, Victus. Shall I let the spectre aboard?"_  
_"Let him in."_

_Tavus made his way up to the CIC, hearing a bustle at the new arrivals. As he walked through the deck, the noise came to a hush. The turian in front of Tavus was slightly intimidating, but he was sure that he looked that way because of the amount of firepower he had behind him. A large krogan, a quarian and another turian all stood behind him, guns in their hands as if they expected a fight. Tavus saluted the turian, who gave him a nod in return._

_"I assume you're Victus?"_  
_"I am sir."_  
_"When do we leave?"_  
_"Sir?"_  
_"You called me here for a reason."_  
_"We already extracted her, sir."_

_The turian looked around at the crew before his eyes fell on Tavus again._

_"Where is she?"_  
_"In the medbay."_  
_"And?"_  
_"She's resting. She was beaten and exhausted when we found her, but she's alright."_

_Garrus followed the smaller turian down to the medbay, his men coming with him. Tavus stayed outside of the room when Garrus went in, looking around at his backup that decided it was best to stay outside as well._

_"Who was it that took her?" the quarian asked._  
_"It was at a Cerberus facility. I would assume it was them."_  
_"Where is she?!"_

_Tavus turned at the sound, seeing a turian woman followed by a small human woman as they rounded the corner. The turian held her stomach, panting slightly from carrying the extra weight; she was clearly pregnant._

_"I told you to wait." the male turian said, putting a hand on her shoulder after she reached him._  
_"Caeus, please. That is my baby in there."_  
_"It's actually my baby, but hey. Who's keeping track anyways?"_  
_"You're her mother?" Tavus asked the human._

_She smiled, nodding._

_"Natasha." He smiled in return, unsure of what to say. "You are?"_  
_"Tavus Victus m'am. Operations Chief."_  
_"Victus?" Natasha said with a smile._  
_"Yes m'am."_  
_"Tavus…" she said, obviously thinking over the name. Something seemed to click after a moment as she pointed at him. "Nora is your mother."_  
_"Yes m'am."_  
_"I met you when you were just a baby."_

_He smiled, clearing his throat in embarassment._

_"Where is Rayhel?" the turian woman asked._  
_"Spectre Vakarian is in with her now."_  
_"Oh call him Garrus." Natasha said with a wave of her hand._  
_"Call him Archangel, he loves that one." the turian laughed._

_Natasha looked around at the others before looking back to him._

_"Have you been introduced?"_  
_"Tasha, it's not a party, they're military."_  
_"The Normandy made it feel like family."_  
_"This isn't the Normandy."_  
_"This is Calpurnia." Natasha said with a nod towards the turian._  
_"Mrs. Adinus to you, boy."_  
_"Yes m'am."_

_Caeus shook his head._

_"Calm down."_  
_"Don't tell me to calm down." she said with a hint of warning in her tone._

_Natasha laughed before the doors opened, Garrus stepping out to the hall. Her smile faded quickly._

_"She's asking for you." Calpurnia followed Natasha into the room as Garrus gave Tavus a stare-down. Tavus stood up straight, not taking his eyes from the man. Garrus gave him a nod, making him follow him out of earshot of the rest of the people. Garrus stood inches away from him, his shoulders squared out as he looked down at Tavus. "You lead the team that brought her back?"_  
_"Yes sir."_  
_"Why?"_  
_"She appointed me as her executive officer if anything ever went wrong."_  
_"Why didn't you wait for backup?"_  
_"That would have been a risk to her surviving, sir."_  
_"It could have gotten all of your men killed."_  
_"It was a risk worth taking to save her, sir."_  
_"She's your captain, she's supposed to go down before any other man."_  
_"I don't believe that sir."_  
_"Why not, Victus?"_

_Tavus tried biting his tongue, bouncing around the right words to answer him. He refrained from shrugging at him._

_"She is a captain for a reason, sir. She comes first."_  
_"Speak up, I can't hear you through the bullshit."_  
_"She's important sir."_  
_"She is important because she is a leader, a role model for you all to better yourselves."_  
_"She is an important person to everyone here because she is a role model sir, but she is also a friend, sir."_  
_"She isn't here to be your friend."_  
_"I will always be a friend to her, sir."_

_Garrus grew silent, watching the turian closely as he stood at attention firmly, not backing down from Garrus' challenging stance._

_"You have a crush, Victus?"_  
_"No sir."_  
_"Bullshit."_  
_"I have respect for her sir, a great deal of it."_  
_"Bullshit."_  
_"Sir, she is my captain."_  
_"You think I'm stupid, I know her rank. Do you have a crush?"_  
_"No sir!"_  
_"You're wreckless, Victus. Why should I trust you at her back from here on out?"_  
_"I would die to keep her safe, sir."_  
_"That's a fool thing to do."_  
_"If it meant she lived, I would gladly be the fool sir."_  
_"Garrus!"_

_Tavus couldn't help but to break attention to look over at the sound of the human voice. Natasha stood with a stern look on her face, not saying a word before walking away. He knew she was trying to help him out, but he silently begged Garrus to keep going. He knew the spectre was hard headed, he'd heard plenty of stories about it. Luckily he had the will to go against it, and he wouldn't give up._

_Garrus stared at him now, trying to put him in his place one last time before walking away in silence._

* * *

"I'll assume you didn't know about this. A good friend wouldn't hide the fact that his people hid a doomsday bomb on my planet. Right?"  
"Wrex, I was just as much in the dark as you. Honest."  
"That's what I needed to hear. Just making you sweat Garrus. Wasn't sure you could. You're always so calm."  
"I'd be happy to give krogan some lessons on relaxing."  
"We'd be happy to feed you to a thresher maw. Wrex out."

Natasha walked into the main battery in silence, her arms folded over her chest, her eyes stinging harshly each time she blinked. Garrus turned at the sound of her footsteps, laughing as Wrex ended the conversation. He saw her face, the dark circles under her eyes. He knew she'd been crying. The smile left his face at the sight of her.

"How did it go?"  
"As you'd expect it to." she said, her voice hoarse. "She had her son with her."  
"Takes you back, doesn't it?"  
"Not in a good way."

Garrus sighed, stepping towards her. She knitted her eyebrows in thought as he put his hands on her shoulders.

"Natasha, you have to let it go."  
"Everyone is losing everything."  
"Get angry, let that be your reason to fight."

She looked up at him with a slight frown.

"What's the point? There are thousands of Reapers killing everything and everyone. How are we supposed to win?"  
"Listen, I know the odds are hard to look at, but we can do this. We have to try. Rayhel deserves a good galaxy to grow up in, that's what we're fighting for."

She nodded, taking a deep breath, looking around the room.

"Have you heard from your family?"  
"Not yet."  
"You will."  
"I know everything is hard right now, Natasha, but don't forget to come up for air when you need it. Not because we need you to fight, but because I need you. Period."

She looked up at him now, seeing the look in his eyes. She knew he was trying to comfort her, but she hated his tactics. She didn't want to be lied to, or told he cared just because it'd make her smile. She wanted him to actually care. She wanted him to actually love her. She let out a small sigh, wrapping her arms around him, laying her head on his shoulder.

Garrus let her hug him, returning it in kind so she'd feel safe. He wished he could do or say something that would erase her doubt, but even he felt it at times. The war was large, and nothing would change that but the end of the Reapers. He knew they had a long ways to go yet, and she was already to this point. He idly kissed the top of her head, taking in the scent of her hair as a calm spread through him. Natasha shifted, letting go of him now, backing away slightly.

"I should go find Rayhel."

He knew she was pushing him out, and he'd let her for now. Pushing her back would only make her more distant in the end. He'd be patient, and he'd wait for his moment, and until then, he'd let her walk away. He forced a smile and nodded at her, watching her leave before turning back to his console. Making her fall for him was proving much harder than he thought.

* * *

"Come on, Pyjak. Time to cure the genophage."

Natasha smiled, watching the krogan and the salarian walk out of the war room, a firm goal set in their minds to end the mutation of the krogan race. Before she could follow them, Specialist Trainer alerted her of an incoming signal from the salarian dalatrass. Natasha wondered what it was about, remembering the woman not being overly friendly when they held the summit on the Normandy, but she obliged and went to the comm room anyways.

"Dalatrass?"  
"Natasha Kryik. We know you've reached Tuchanka with commander Shepard. By now I imagine Mordin Solus has proposed using the shroud."  
"Should I get the commander? I feel like you contacted the wrong person."  
"If I thought commander Shepard would listen to my proposal, I would have contacted him. You are working on the cure with the doctor first hand. I will appeal to you instead."

Natasha folded her arms across her chest as she knitted her eyebrows.

"Appeal to me?"  
"You can't allow your misguided sympathy for the krogan to cloud your judgment. Do you honestly believe curing the genophage will end in lasting peace?"  
"This is you appealing to me? Alright, I'll go along with it… We have to give the krogan a change. We can't condemn an entire race to extinction just because of what might happen."  
"What will happen is the krogan will reproduce out of control. We uplifted them specifically for their violent nature, not their diplomatic skills. Another war is inevitable."  
"What do you want?" Natasha asked, growing irritated with the woman's narrow viewpoints.  
"Years ago, our operatives sabotaged the shroud facility to ensure what you're planning couldn't be done. Mordin will likely detect this malfucntion and repair it."

Natasha put her hand up, shaking her head.

"You don't have to go any further. He'll repair it and we'll disperse the cure. End of story." she said, turning her back on the woman.  
"Our scanners on that STG base picked up heavy traces of Hallex in your system when they checked Shepard's ground team for clearance, Natasha. It would be a shame if charges were brought against you during your service on the Normandy."

Natasha stopped, taking a deep breath before looking over her shoulder.

"I'm not with the alliance, you can't bring charges against them."  
"I can bring charges against you."  
"You're blackmailing me into not curing the krogan, then?"  
"If you ensure that Mordin does not repair the malfunction, you will alter the cure's viability just enough that it fails. No one will notice the change."  
"Trick the krogan?"  
"They need not be any the wiser. Let Urdnot Wrex believe you kept your promise."  
"Mordin would never stand for that."  
"How you deal with him is up to you, Natasha. We can clear the records of your scans, and we won't bring up charges against you."  
"If I sabotage the cure?"  
"Think about it Natasha. It'd be a shame if your daughter grew up without a mother, because you're locked up on Sur'kesh. The choice is yours."

* * *

_"Shit."_

_Tavus looked over at the bed in the med bay, seeing Rayhel trying to sit up, holding her head in pain._

_"Hey, take it easy." he said, rushing to her side._  
_"Victus." she said, closing her eyes for a moment. Her face turned to one of anger as she ran through the memories of how she got to safety. She opened her eyes, flinging her hand across his face. He recoiled slightly, looking at her in surprise. "You ever disregard an order from me again and I will kill you myself."_

_He let out a small laugh, nodding in agreement._

_"Yes m'am."_  
_"Thank you." she said, her tone softening slightly._

_He gave her a smile, nodding again._

_"I'd do it again m'am."_  
_"Quit calling me that."_  
_"Sorry."_

_She looked into his eyes, putting a hand on his shoulder._

_"You did good in there. The men listened to you, and you completed your objective."_  
_"Thank you."_

_Rayhel watched him for a moment, unable to deny the fact that she was filled with nothing but respect for the man. He'd risked his neck to make sure she was safe. Something any soldier should do for his teammates. She was proud that she was able to teach them something, though she hated that he had been so reckless to save her. She smiled, watching him look around the room._

_"My Dad gave you a shake down, huh?"_

_Tavus laughed, looking at her again._

_"He tried scaring me, I think."_  
_"I'm sorry. He does that."_  
_"He doesn't scare me."_

_She raised her brow plates at him._

_"I'm impressed. Most are."_  
_"I'm not most." he said, looking into her eyes._

_She faltered her gaze, looking around to the console on the desk as it became the most interesting thing in the room._

_"I should get up to the CIC."_  
_"Want help walking?"_  
_"Victus, I can walk." He smiled, standing as she did, ready to catch her as she swayed. "Just a little dizzy is all."_  
_"I think you drank too much."_

_She laughed, enjoying his company on her way up to the CIC._

* * *

"I know we've beaten the odds before, but getting to that tower… I don't know."  
"We're curing the genophage no matter what."

Natasha felt Eve's eyes on her as the men figured out a plan. She knew something was wrong.

"Were you going to say something back there?"

Natasha looked at her, the guys' attention also grabbed. She sighed.

"I was contacted by the salarian dalatrass. She told me there was a malfunction in the shroud."  
"She thought we wouldn't know any better?" Wrex said with a snarl.  
"Can fix it." Mordin chimed in.  
"You just spared our race another genocide, Natasha."

She gave a small smile, grateful that they went back to strategizing. Her heart sank at the thought of the charges that would be brought up against her.

The run to the maw hammers was a tough one. Natasha didn't stop to fire at any of the twenty brutes that tried blocking their path. She ran hard, getting to the first hammer and shoving it down as fast as she could. She turned, finding a brute behind her. Before she could raise her pistol, it raised it's claw, growling at her loudly. She closed her eyes, covering her head before hearing a loud bang. She jumped, but wasn't harmed. She looked around, seeing the brute dead in front of her, Garrus standing off to the side with a shotgun. She shook her head slightly, running towards the other side of the arena. He ran next to her, shooting at the brutes to keep her safe.

"A shotgun?!"  
"What do you expect?!"

She got to the other hammer, pushing it down with all of her weight, hearing the loud ring throughout the arena. A large tremor started that shook the whole arena. Shepard shouted for Natasha and Garrus to get back to the truck.

They ran together, reaching the trucks after escaping the brutes. They panted, leaning against the vehicles after getting there. They watched the shroud disperse it's cure for the genophage, both smiling before watching the tower blow up. Natasha's heart sank as Shepard came back alone.

"What happened?" she breathed.

He shook his head.

"He did it."

Natasha didn't ask questions when he walked past her. She let out a long breath, looking over at Garrus, who still watched the tower. She shook her head, a large ache settling in her chest as the krogan got out of the trucks. Eve stood next to Natasha, watching the flakes fall from the sky into her hand.

"Thank you."

Natasha gave her a small smile.

"I'd do it again."  
"The genophage reduced us to animals." Wrex told Shepard. "You've changed that today."  
"Now we can fight for our children." Eve said. "Not against them. It's just a pity Mordin had to die."  
"He wouldn't have had it any other way." Shepard told them. "I'm sure wherever he is, he's putting in a good word for us."  
"We can thank you in person, commander."  
"Tell the turian command that we'll be deploying troops to Palaven immediately." Wrex said. "When you're ready to kick the Reapers off Earth, you let me know. The krogan are back in business."

Eve looked to Natasha, a smile shown underneath her mask.

"Goodbye, Natasha."  
"What will you do now?"  
"Spread the hope you all have given us. Even now there are clans gathering in the Kelphic Valley. I'll go speak to them and make sure this gift isn't squandered. Thank you for all that you've done. Know that Urdnot Bakara calls you a friend."

Natasha smiled, nodding at her in respect before following Shepard away from the krogan.

* * *

_It wasn't long before everyone went back to the normal swing of things on the ship. Rayhel was quick to heal after resting a few days, and she was quick to get back to work. Their priority was to go back to Palaven and report in, which she was grateful for. It gave her the opportunity to regain her bearings. She hadn't let it show that being kidnapped like she was made her slightly paranoid. She was weary, even among a crew that she knew she could trust. She wasn't in danger anymore, though convincing herself to keep calm wasn't easy. She kept her struggles on the inside, effectively keeping her crew from growing concerned. Except one._

_Tavus could tell Rayhel was struggling. He saw how she looked over her shoulder, or grew tense when something surprised her. He knew she was tough, and the beating was rather mild considering what could have happened to her, but he didn't envy her paranoia, or what she went through. He wished, for her sake, that she felt more comfortable on her own ship. It was unfortunate that she was among her own crew and still unable to relax for a while. She had become slightly jumpy, as he had picked up on. A noise would frighten her or sudden movement would cause her to become alert. He was unsure why he was so concerned for her. Was it that he wanted to be sure to keep her safe, or was it that he saw a friend suffering and he couldn't do anything to make it stop? He figured it was a bit of both, but even knowing the reason he felt uneasy didn't help a thing._

_He made a silent promise that he'd do whatever it took for her to feel comfortable on her ship again. Whatever it took._

* * *

"I was just put in charge of managing turian support."

Natasha looked up at Garrus as he strode into the main battery, unclasping the buckles on his armor. She gave him a weak smile.

"That's good."  
"You must be exhausted…"  
"I'll sleep when I'm dead."  
"We both know you need a clear head. There's no room for mistakes here. You should catch some shut eye."

Natasha got to her feet, leaning against the wall as the blood rushed to her head. She let out a sigh as Garrus put his hand on her shoulder for support.

"I'm fine."  
"You need rest."

She nodded, looking up at him.

"If something happened to me, would you take care of Rayhel?"

He tilted his head at her, his brow plates lowering to his eyes.

"What?"

Natasha wiped the tears from her eyes before they could fall.

"If I died, or if something happened to me, would you take care of her?"  
"Of course I would." She nodded in acceptance, walking past him. He grabbed her wrist, pulling her back to him. "Why?"

She looked at him, sniffling as more tears welled in her eyes.

"The dalatrass is pressing charges on me for having drugs in my system on the STG base."  
"What?"  
"If I had kept it quiet and sabotaged the genophage, she would have let it go."  
"She blackmailed you?"  
"Yeah."  
"And you think Shepard will allow that?"  
"It's not Shepard's business!" she snapped, pulling her hand from his grip. "I'm so sick of everyone acting like a damn family around here! What's it for? The Reapers are just going to rip everything apart anyways, what's the point of doing any of this?!"

Garrus let her rant before pulling her into a hug, listening to her pant as she cried on his chest. He ran his talons through her hair, giving her a kiss on the top of her head as she calmed down.

"Please rest."  
"I can't."  
"Come on."

He led her to his small cot, letting her curl up under the blankets. He sat next to her as she looked at him, laying her head down on the pillow.

"Why are you doing this?"  
"I'll go work on the console. I'm not doing it for a good time, Natasha."  
"I meant being nice to me. Why do you care? We're not together."

His mandibles flared out into a smile before he kissed her cheek.

"A man can hope."

She watched him walk away, her mind running through the day before coming back to the present. It'd been a long day, and she knew even longer ones were still to come. She had to be strong, for her daughter. Garrus had been right when he said Rayhel deserved a good galaxy to grow up in.

She sighed, letting her eyes fall on Garrus as he typed on the console before her eyelids shut, sleep finally overcoming her.


	11. Chapter 11

**Hey guys!**

**This chapter is pure introduction to the new character and the plot behind him. ArchelionGen and I are very excited about working together and we hope you guys enjoy it as much as we do. (:**

**Please feel free to rate, review, and even PM me if you have anything you'd like to say.**

**Thanks!**

* * *

He looked down at his holo pad, periodically scrolling down as he read through the mission reports of Tuchanka. He was slightly impressed that Shepard was able to cure the genophage, though he wasn't so surprised that they went through with it. He took the time to read everything in the file, the small hum of the engine above the hull surrounding him.

He looked around as he picked up a new scent, lowering his brow plates to his eyes at the recognition of another turian. After a moment of looking around slowly, he reached for his sidearm cautiously. A small growl started on the other side of the room, causing him to walk over to the sound. A small scream rang out as he got closer, making him step back. A small fringe poked out of the small space that a little turian had forced itself into.

He holstered his gun, kneeling down to the child, who growled louder at him.

"You're not Daddy." He was confused at her words. tilting his head slightly. "I want Daddy."

The child began to pout, a small quiver in her voice before tears fell. He looked around the hull, then back to the child. He was unsure of what to do, straightening back up.

"Why don't you go find him?"

She looked up at him, getting to her feet after crawling from the tight space.

"I tried. You smell like him, but you're not Daddy."

His thoughts raced now, watching the child closely as she chewed on a talon idly. He could tell she was growing bored as she looked around. After a moment, she looked up at him with large eyes.

"Where is your Mother?"  
"With Daddy."  
"Where is your Dad?"  
"I thought you were my Daddy." He rubbed his face, sighing heavily as he sat back down on his cot. The child walked over to him, climbing to sit with him. "Do you know where Daddy is?"  
"No. Do you?" he asked, grabbing the holo pad.  
"Can we play games?" she replied, looking at the pad before putting her hands on it. He sighed as she closed out his files with her beatings on the pad, letting her take it from him after a moment. "Daddy plays games with me."  
"I'm not your Dad."

She pat at his arm, making him draw up his Omni tool.

"Pictures!"  
"No." he said, getting to his feet and closing out the tool before taking her off the cot. "Come with me."  
"Can we find Daddy?" He walked with her up the stairs, waiting impatiently as she used her whole body to accomplish one stair. It took some time before they reached the top, finding the elevator once they did. The child threw her hands in the air and squeeled, sitting down on the lift's floor. He closed his eyes, feeling a quick headache start as she beat on the ground. "Can we find the Shepard?"  
"I thought you wanted your Dad."  
"Daddy!"

He groaned, thankful that the doors opened when they did. The child got to her feet, running to the galaxy map. Specialist Trainor laughed at the sight. He walked over to her, shaking his head in annoyance.

"Can you take this bundle of joy off of my hands?"

She laughed again, reaching out for the child's hand.

"Come on Rayhel, we'll go find your Mum."  
"Mommy!"

He shook his head again, allowing her to take the child on the elevator before summoning it back up so he could go back down the engineering deck. He found his way back to his holo pad, pulling up the files, trying not to think much of the child. She had mentioned him smelling like her father. He shook off the thought, trying to concentrate on the files instead of a child's silly words.

After what seemed like much too short of a time period to read, there was a loud squeel above him, making him groan as he got to his feet.

"Daddy, there is a turian down here! He looks like you!"  
"Show me."

His heart quickened at the sound of Garrus' voice, part of him wondering if he could get up the other flight of stairs before they saw him. He stayed though, watching the turians come into view. The child pointed with a squeel, a large smile on her face.

"Daddy, it's the turian!"

Garrus stood with a surprised look on his face, watching the other turian.

"Vallok?"

* * *

Natasha looked around the mess hall before walking to the crew bunks in frustration. She knocked on the door, putting her ear up to it, not hearing anything on the other side.

"Cal? Have you seen Garrus?"  
"No." she groaned.  
"Tell me if you do ok?"  
"Go away."

Natasha let out a small laugh, shaking her head at her friend's new sleeping patterns. It was early, but not that early. She raised her Omni tool, running a comm link to Garrus, hoping he wouldn't ignore her.

Garrus stood watching his brother, Rayhel jumping up and down in excitement for what she'd found.

"Is she yours?" Vallok asked, trying to break the ice.

Garrus looked down at Rayhel, picking her up as she reached for him desperately.

"You've missed a lot."  
"What's her name?"  
"Rayhel!" the child said, throwing her hands up in the air with a smile.  
"What are you doing here?" Garrus asked before Vallok could say anything else.  
"Helping Shepard."  
"By hiding in the engineering hull?"

Vallok rubbed the back of his neck, looking away from him.

"What are you doing here?" he countered.  
"I happen to be a Reaper expert." Garrus said with a light tone.

Vallok was surprised that he wasn't more angry, though he was grateful.

"Did you steal her or does she have a Mom?" Vallok joked.

Garrus looked at Rayhel, who laid her head down on his shoulder lovingly.

"She has a Mom."  
"Finally settled down?"

Garrus let out a light chuckle.

"Not exactly."  
"Long story, huh?"

Garrus nodded towards the stairs.

"We can talk."

Vallok was again surprised, but in a nice way. He nodded at his brother, following his lead. Garrus opened his Omni tool as it beeped with a message.

"Where are you?"  
"Engineering. Meet me in the mess hall."  
"Everything ok?"  
"Are you worried about me?" he laughed.  
"Shut up." she huffed, ending the conversation afterwards.

Vallok watched his brother as they got in the elevator, the small child growling at him playfully.

"Daddy, he's my friend." she said with a grin.

Garrus glanced at Vallok before giving her a smile.

"Is he?"  
"Yes."  
"His name is Vallok."

She gave him a confused look, putting her talon on her chin in thought.

"Valk."  
"Vallok." Garrus corrected.  
"V… Valk."  
"Good enough."

* * *

Natasha heard the elevator lowering on the other side of the wall as she sat at the mess table, listening to the cooks talk amongst themselves.

"Mommy!"

Natasha smiled, standing up to face her daughter, surprised to see another turian with Garrus. The man looked away from her, appearing nervous as Garrus smirked at her.

"Who is this?" she asked, bending to pick up Rayhel.  
"New crewmate." Garrus replied, glancing at Vallok. "Don't you recognize him?"  
"Should I?"  
"Right. You were drunk off your ass."

Natasha shook her head at Garrus, glancing at Vallok.

"What happened?"  
"You danced at Purgatory."

Natasha felt her cheeks growing red as she averted her eyes, looking down at Rayhel to distract herself.

"Oh."

Garrus looked to Vallok, his smirk not fading.

"This is Rayhel's mother."  
"Got it."

Natasha bit her lip, looking up at Vallok.

"I'm sorry. I was drunk."  
"I understand."

Garrus shook his head with a chuckle, sitting down at the table, Rayhel climbing up to his lap.

"So you're here to help?" Natasha asked, trying to get rid of the awkwardness that clung to the atmosphere.  
"Yes."

He didn't leave much for her to spark a conversation off of, which only made it worse. She gave him as much of a genuine smile that she could.

"Good. We could use extra firepower."  
"Glad to help."

Natasha quickly gave up, turning to Garrus.

"I should go find Calpurnia, catch her up on everything."  
"Did you say Calpurnia?" Vallok asked, stepping forward.

Natasha nodded at him.

"Why?"

Garrus smiled at the look his brother wore.

"Go talk to her Natasha. Vallok and I have some catching up to do."

Natasha let it go, walking away from the two of them with a sigh. Garrus watched her for a moment before looking over at Vallok, folding his arms over his chest.

"Don't ask." Vallok said, waving a hand at him.  
"You've been all over the board, haven't you? What happened to Valerie?"

Vallok shook his head, looking away from him. Garrus could tell his brother was unwilling to talk about it. Garrus let the topic go with ease.

"Daddy, pictures." Rayhel said, patting at his arm.

Vallok watched Garrus open his Omni tool for the girl to play with.

"Find the krogan." he said before looking up to Vallok. "So did you plan on hiding down there the entire time?"  
"She ruined it." Vallok replied with a light tone, sitting next to Garrus at the table.  
"Uncle Wex!" Rayhel said with a smile, tapping on the picture of the krogan.  
"Good job. Find the salarian." Vallok watched the girl put a talon in her mouth as she looked around at the pictures. "So you're blaming the four year old for your problems?"  
"I don't remember you saying you had a daughter last time we talked."  
"I don't suppose I did. You still didn't want anything to do with the family, why would I tell you I had one of my own?"  
"Mordin!" Rayhel laughed, tapping on the picture of the salarian.  
"Good job. Find the human." he told her before looking over at Vallok. "Don't tell me you finally got over yourself."  
"I know I haven't been a good brother…" Vallok said with a sigh, watching the little girl find the picture she'd been told to. "But I'm here now, and I want to know."

Garrus watched him for a moment as Rayhel squealed in happiness, pointing to the picture of the human.

"Mommy!"

She looked up at him, grabbing his mandibles to get his attention. He laughed at her, breaking the eye contact with his brother.

"Find the turian."  
"I've been figuring shit out, Garrus." The other turian gave him a scolding look, glancing at Rayhel. "Sorry."  
"What've you figured out so far?"

Vallok sighed, looking around at the empty mess hall.

"The Reapers… It's not the time for pointless grudges. I care about my family."  
"This isn't your family, it's mine." Garrus said, stroking Rayhel's fringe as she tapped on him Omni tool.  
"Valk!"

His looked down at her, pretending to be hurt.

"I'm a turian too."  
"Valk is my friend." she said, smiling up at him.  
"I'm not your friend?"

She frowned at him for a moment before looking back down at the picture.

"Valk!"

"Find the quarian." Garrus said, shaking his head with a smile.  
"So you won't tell me anything?" Vallok asked.

Garrus looked over at him with a small smirk.

"I have a hard time believing you're genuinely interested in my daughter. Or Natasha."  
"I'm not going to beg for information, Garrus."

Garrus let out a short sigh before Rayhel threw her arms up with another squeal.

"Tali!"  
"What do you want to know?" he asked, looking down at the child. "Find the varren."  
"Well she's obviously not yours." Vallok said, eyeing the child as she chewed on her talons.

Garrus bit back his growl, looking over at him.

"She's mine."  
"You know what I meant."  
"It's a long story that should be told elsewhere."  
"How'd you meet Natasha?"

Garrus smiled before shaking his head.

"I was supposed to protect her."  
"I think you took your job too seriously."  
"I got the job done."

Vallok smiled, watching the little girl giggle on Garrus' lap as the picture of the varren moved and growled.

"How do you know Calpurnia?"

Garrus raised a brow plate at him, a smirk on his face.

"How do _you_ know Calpurnia?"  
"I asked first."  
"She's Natasha's best friend. Has been since I met her."  
"You must be talking about me."

Garrus and Vallok looked in the direction of the third voice only to see the female turian stop abruptly, staring at Vallok. Garrus looked from his brother to Calpurnia, then back to Vallok, waiting for someone to say something.

"Anyone want to fill me in?"

Calpurnia shook her head slightly, as if to clear her thoughts before folding her arms across her chest.

"Who is that?" she asked with a nonchalant tone.  
"Don't start, I know you know each other."

Vallok looked away from her, memories flying back to him. Calpurnia shrugged at Garrus.

"We met a long time ago."  
"That's it?"  
"Of course not." Calpurnia said with a small laugh. "We hooked up."

Garrus looked to Vallok, who stared down at the ground.

"Gotta love her honesty."  
"It was a long time ago, as I said."  
"What was?"

They looked in the direction of the voice, Calpurnia faltering at the sight of Caeus. She cleared her throat as she shook her head at him.

"Nothing. We should get some sleep, big day tomorrow." she said, walking past him.

Caeus watched her leave before looking from Vallok to Garrus.

"New squad mate?"  
"Vallok, Caeus. Caeus, Vallok."

Caeus nodded at Vallok, who returned it before the turian turned to leave.

"I should go find her."  
"Night."

Garrus couldn't help but smile as the turian left, looking over to his brother once he was gone.

"You slept with her?"  
"Long time ago."  
"Should be an interesting flight." Garrus laughed.  
"Why?"  
"Caeus is her… Man."

Vallok nodded, looking away from him.

"Noted."  
"When did you guys hook up, exactly? I only ever remember Valerie in the picture."  
"It was… After Valerie. It's complicated."  
"When did you and Valerie split?"  
"I don't want to talk about it."  
"Where did you two hook up?"  
"Omega." Garrus raised his brow plates, opening his mouth slightly before closing it again, shaking his head. "What?"  
"There's no way…" he started before looking to Vallok again. "She has been with Caeus since before we went to Omega."  
"Could have been a different time."  
"I hope not. Before Caeus she was bonded. To Saren. You wouldn't be alive."

Vallok let out a humored laugh before running the thought through his head. He shrugged at Garrus.

"It's in the past."  
"I bet Caeus doesn't know about it."  
"Nothing is certain to say."  
"If you want to deny it then be my guest."  
"Natasha must have been with another guy to produce that baby. Are you just as guilty?"

Garrus glared at him, letting his growl be heard this time.

"You don't know anything about what's happened."  
"Sorry."  
"Don't assume anything about her or my daughter."

Vallok could see the defensiveness in Garrus as he nodded in agreement.

"Alright…" he said, watching the turian look down at his daughter, who stared up at him.  
"You angry, Daddy?"  
"No, baby. Keep playing." he said before kissing the top of her head.

She seemed content, looking back down to his Omni tool. Vallok could tell Garrus was serious about child.

"So how did you get to this point with her?"

Garrus sighed, looking over at his brother before leaning back in his chair, trying to find a good starting point to explain the past four years.

* * *

"Why didn't you tell me you were seeing someone?"

Calpurnia turned around at the sound of the voice, sighing at the sight of Vallok.

"Who said I was seeing someone?"  
"Garrus."  
"Garrus is a liar."  
"Don't patronize me."  
"Look, we had a good time. We were drunk. That's it."  
"It happened more than once."

She shrugged at him.

"What do you want me to say? I wasn't bonded."  
"You had been before."

She took a step towards him, lowering her brow plates.

"Don't talk to me about me being bonded." she growled.

Vallok put his hands up in defense and she backed off.

"You didn't have to use me."  
"We used each other. Stop acting like a broken hearted teenager. Let it go."  
"It's let go."  
"Then can I help you with anything else?"  
"Does he know?" Vallok asked, nodding at the turian who stood behind Calpurnia.

She turned towards Caeus quickly, hearing the growl coming from his chest.

"Know what?" he asked, looking at Calpurnia.  
"It's nothing."  
"What is it?"  
"Please… It's nothing."  
"Cal, tell me."

She shook her head, knowing it'd cause a fight.

"Just trust me when I say it's nothing. It's in the past."

Caeus looked to Vallok, stepping forward.

"What did you do?"

Vallok looked at Calpurnia, who shook her head at him. He cleared his throat.

"It's in the past." he replied.  
"From one man to another, I want honesty."

Vallok rubbed the back of his neck before looking at him again.

"It's not a big deal. We got together a long time ago."

Caeus looked to Calpurnia with a confused look.

"You… You were unfaithful to Saren?"

Calpurnia shook her head, tears in her eyes.

"Not to Saren."

Caeus watched her for a moment before looking back to Vallok.

"It's not a big deal." Vallok said, shrugging. "It was years ago."

Caeus growled louder, though he looked more hurt than anything as he looked back down to Calpurnia.

"It was back in the beginning, Caeus, it didn't mean anything-"  
"You kept it from me."  
"I didn't want you to be hurt-"  
"You lied. What else are you keeping from me, Calpurnia?"  
"Nothing-"  
"I don't believe you!" Calpurnia tried hugging him but he backed away, putting his hands up. "No."  
"Caeus, please." she said with a desperate tone.  
"No." he said, shaking his head at her before turning away.

Calpurnia stared after him for a moment before looking over at Vallok.

"Sorry." he said.

She growled, stepping towards him to swing her fist into the side of his face.

"You have no right to tell him my business!"  
"It was my business too, look at us sharing-"  
"What are you trying to accomplish?! That's my bondmate!"  
"He's not your bondmate."  
"You just fucked up any chance I had!"  
"You want to bond with someone you lie to?"

She raised her fist again but he caught her, shaking his head.

"Don't hit me."  
"Let go of me or that hand will never touch anything again."  
"I'd like to see you try hurting me."

Calpurnia brought her knee up into his stomach, making him double over and let go of her hand.

"Hope you enjoyed the show." she said, turning away from him.  
"Call me." he replied, leaning against the wall.  
"In your dreams, ass."

He smirked as she walked away, idly wondering if he'd done the right thing by being honest with Caeus. She was pissed now, but he figured it'd help them in the end.

* * *

"Caeus, please just listen to me!"  
"You snuck around behind my back, and then didn't have the respect enough to tell me about it?!"  
"I was drunk-"  
"I'm not pissed that you did it, Cal, I'm hurt that you kept it from me!"  
"What's the point of bringing it up, it was years ago!"  
"For years, you can keep secrets behind my back? Were you ever going to tell me?!"  
"No, there's no point in bringing it up!" Caeus shook his head, turning towards the doorway of their small room. Calpurnia stood in front of him, putting her hands on his chest. "No! Stay here!"

Caeus shook his head again, looking down at her hands, unable to look into her eyes.

"I love you Cal, and you…"  
"I love you too, Caeus, what happened in the past changes nothing now."

He looked off to the side, feeling an ache start in his chest.

"Would you have went behind Saren's back?"

Calpurnia dropped her hands from his chest, unsure of how to answer him. She knew the answer, and she knew where he was going with his point. She looked at him with pleading eyes, though he kept his own from her.

"That's-"  
"Different, I know." he said. "I… I wanted to bond."

Calpurnia felt tears in her eyes as he pushed past her. She didn't go after him, but stayed in the room, covering her face as she cried. The door opened after a few moments, hands grasping at her shoulders.

"What happened?!" Natasha asked, trying to get her friend to look at her.  
"He wanted to bond…"  
"You said no?"  
"I slept with Vallok."

Natasha gave her a confused look.

"You slept with him and now Caeus wants to bond?"

Calpurnia cried as she explained it to her friend, watching Natasha's concern turn to anger with each passing second. When she was finished explaining, Natasha backed away a step, putting her hands on her hips.

"He is stuck in the past?"  
"Yes."  
"It's taken care of."  
"What?"  
"Don't worry. I'll handle it." Natasha said, leaving the room.  
"Tasha, no!"

Calpurnia followed her friend as she stomped through the mess hall to find Caeus. He tried walking past her, but she stopped him by putting a finger in his face.

"You are making the biggest mistake of your life."  
"Stay out of it-"  
"No! I will not stay out of it! You want to dwell on the past instead of living your life in the now, fine. You want to kick her to the curb because of something she did years ago, fine. If this is what you are so content with doing, then be sure to stay the fuck away from her or so help me, I will rip the plates off your face and feed them to a varren, do you understand me?!"

Garrus stepped in between Natasha and Caeus, pulling her away from the growling turian as she protested, sure that she had more to say to him. Calpurnia followed them, not wanting to hear Caeus' response to her friend's anger.

"Please calm down."  
"Go kick his ass, he's breaking her heart-"  
"Natasha." Garrus said, putting his hands on her shoulders, his eyes locking with hers. "It has been a very long day. Please breathe."

She huffed a few times before letting out a groan. She took a deep breath, looking over to her friend.

"I'll kill him."  
"Let's just call it a night and we can deal with everything in the morning ok?" Garrus said, touching her face gently.

She nodded at him before turning to Calpurnia, giving her a tight hug. Calpurnia was grateful for her friend. She knew if it was Natasha, she would have done the same thing to Garrus. It was difficult to sleep that night, for everyone that was involved. The day had been a long one, and they all were looking forward to a fresh start the next morning.


	12. Chapter 12

**Hey guys!**

**Alright, we're getting back on track for the plot, with our new character. (: I'm really enjoying writing for this story. It'll be sad when it's over. ):**

**Please feel free to rate, review and even PM me if you have anything you'd like to say.**

**Thanks!**

* * *

"Alliance Control, this is SSV Normandy, are we clear to descend?" Natasha looked over to Joker as Shepard walked to his side. They'd been trying to get clearance to dock for some time now. "Alliance Control, we're headed to Zakara Ward. Are we clear to descend?"

Shepard looked at the console as Joker let out a sigh.

"What the hell is going on down there? Even if there were a system malfunction, they'd have backups online. I have a bad feeling, commander. Checking emergency channels." He typed on the console for a moment before taking on a sarcastic tone. "Hey, yeah, this is Joker. Uh huh. Yeah, no kidding. Commander. There's a communication from Thane, he says it's important."  
"Put him through."  
"Shepard, the Citadel is under attack. Cerberus troops are everywhere and they're taking control of the docks."  
"Are you safe?"  
"No. I had to evade them from the hospital. I'm at a presidium storefront."  
"Did Ashley make it out?"  
"She said she had to protect the council. I'm going to C-Sec headquarters."  
"Why C-Sec?"  
"They've been compromised."  
"I should go." Vallok said, looking to Garrus before drawing his gun.  
"I'll go with him." Calpurnia agreed, taking out her gun and following him through the CIC.  
"Alright Joker, get us away from the docks. We'll deploy in the shuttle." Shepard said, turning away from the flight lieutenant.  
"Aye aye, Commander."

* * *

_Rayhel walked through the living room of her house, sitting down on the couch with a sigh, a smile on her face._

_"Glad to be home?"_

_Rayhel looked over to see her Mom, nodding._

_"Very." she replied, her smile fading. "How is Dad?"_  
_"Not feeling good." Rayhel felt her contentment with being at home fading, a small anger rising inside of her. Natasha sat next to her, a soft smile on her face. "Talk to me."_  
_"About what?"_  
_"Everytime this comes up, you get quiet and you… It's almost like you turn invisible. You don't eat, you hardly sleep."_  
_"Can you blame me?" Rayhel snapped, looking over at her. "Humans don't deal with it, it's… Grandma had it."_  
_"The doctors aren't confirming it's Corpalis yet."_  
_"Yet."_  
_"You have to have a little faith, Ray-"_  
_"You have to look at it from a logical standpoint, Mom." Rayhel said, lowering her brow plates._  
_"Isn't it worth having a positive attitude about, if it eases your mind?"_  
_"When he ends up dying from it, no, it won't be worth it."_  
_"He's not going to die-"_  
_"Please just stop." Rayhel said with a sigh, putting her face in her hands._

_Natasha put her hand on her daughter's back._

_"Want a drink?"_

_Rayhel nodded, looking over at her._

_"I'm sorry I take it out on you…"_  
_"It's ok."_  
_"No it's not. This can't be any easier for you."_  
_"Nothing's happening yet, baby. You have to keep your head up." Rayhel nodded, watching her mother walk to the kitchen. "How's Tavus?"_

_Rayhel groaned, shaking her head._

_"Please don't ask."_  
_"Why not? You guys not getting along?"_  
_"Quite the opposite."_  
_"You guys getting to like each other?" Natasha asked, returning with two bottles in her hands, letting Rayhel take one._  
_"No." Rayhel scoffed. "He just can't keep his head out of my ass."_

_Natasha smiled, tipping up her bottle._

_"I can't blame him, you're a great girl. You've grown up into a respectable woman. I'm very proud of you."_  
_"I just don't understand him. He says it's respect, but… He acts like it's some fling."_  
_"He's younger, and although it's not much, he may not know how to act. Plus it's military. You're supposed to be close with your crew."_  
_"Not the way he is."_  
_"Garrus spoke with him."_  
_"I know. Tavus said he wasn't scared."_

_Natasha smiled widely._

_"Brave boy."_  
_"Stupid, is more like it."_  
_"He cares about you."_

_Natasha shook her head. Their front door opened before she could respond, Calpurnia letting out a huff of breath as she slammed the door shut and sat down on the couch across from them._

_"I need to get a sky car to use when the man is at work." she sighed, putting her feet on the coffee table._  
_"You live next door." Natasha laughed._

_Calpurnia widened her eyes at her._

_"Yeah." she scoffed, pointing to her stomach. "Pregnant."_  
_"My pregnancy was worse." Natasha said before tipping up her bottle again._  
_"Have I ever told you that I am sorry for tearing up your insides?" Rayhel smiled._  
_"No."_  
_"I'm sorry."_  
_"I forgive you."_  
_"I blame Nihlus." Calpurnia said, rubbing her stomach._

_Rayhel grew silent at the mention of her father, which Natasha picked up on. She nudged her._

_"You ok?"_  
_"Yeah."_  
_"She still doesn't like it, huh?" Calpurnia asked._  
_"I don't like people telling me who I am just because of him. I'm a Vakarian. End of story."_

_Natasha smiled, watching her daughter take a long swig off her bottle._

_"I hear you're still wanting your markings."_  
_"Yep."_  
_"I also hear your Dad still says no."_  
_"Can you talk to him for me?"_  
_"No. It's between you two. I told you that when you turned sixteen and asked."_

_Rayhel grew quiet, looking down at her bottle._

_"Vallok would do it." she mumbled._

_Natasha gave her a stern look before shaking her head at her._

_"If he were to set it up, you know Garrus would kill him."_  
_"I don't see why Dad won't let me make that choice for myself. How old do I have to be without a mate before he tells me I can stop being barefaced? Do you realize how people look at me in the military?"_

_Natasha gave her a sympathetic look before shrugging her shoulders._

_"Barefaced turians aren't trusted if they're males. Females are supposed to wait."_  
_"Woman who don't wait typically are looked at like a barefaced man." Calpurnia explained. "You should wait."_  
_"I know I'm never going to bond, guys."_  
_"You could bond with Tavus." Natasha grinned, nudging her again._  
_"Stop."_  
_"Tavus? That guy we met on her ship?"_  
_"He likes her."_  
_"He respects me." Rayhel corrected._  
_"Respect?" Calpurnia laughed. "He likes your ass, don't let him fool you."_  
_"No, he said it's respect-"_  
_"It's your ass."_

_Rayhel laughed, watching her rub her belly for a moment before smirking at her._

_"I know not to let him have my ass, because then I'll turn out like that." she said, pointing at her._

_Calpurnia narrowed her eyes at the girl as Natasha laughed._

_"Watch it." she said._  
_"I think she meant that you've got such a nice ass, meaning that you were irresistible, and ended up pregnant." Natasha said._  
_"Yep. That's it." Rayhel laughed._  
_"I hate you both."_

* * *

"Why are you going with me?"

Calpurnia looked up at Vallok as she loaded her gun.

"I don't want to stay on the ship."  
"Because of him?"

She cleared her throat, looking back to her firearm.

"I…" she struggled to find her words before giving up and shrugging at him.  
"You better have my back in here."  
"I've got your back." she said with confidence.

He gave her a nod before the shuttle doors opened, letting them out on the C-Sec landing pad. They fought through the troops, taking to cover for most of it. The fight was a hard one though they made it through eventually. They found Commander Bailey laying on the ground next to the elevator, Calpurnia quickly giving him some medi gel as she knelt down to him.

"What are you doing here?" she asked.  
"Trying to retake headquarters. Cerberus took it in the first push. Everyone in there is flying blind without the network."  
"How bad is the situation?" Vallok asked. "Are the councilors alive?"  
"They split up. I'll know more if I can access the terminal inside."  
"Can you get us in?"  
"I'll get the door." he said, getting to his feet. He sat down at the desk once the door was unlocked, gaining access to the network that Cerberus had control over. "Hello."  
"What've you got?" Vallok said, walking over to see the console.  
"A warning from councilor Valern. He's supposed to be here, meeting with the executor. 'Be on guard. The likely hood of betrayal from within is high.' Not a lot else, but if he's inside…"  
"One councilor is better than zero." Calpurnia said. "Where are we headed?"  
"He could be in the executor's office." Vallok replied. "It's a fairly defensible position."  
"We're on it." After linking Omni tools, Vallok and Calpurnia set off through the office, fighting through Cerberus forces to get to the executors' office. Calpurnia had a hard time focusing when they weren't shooting, looking around at the offices and small rooms throughout the building. "I haven't been here in years."  
"Is it strange?"  
"A bit." she said, shaking her head at him. "Let's keep going."  
"Want to talk about it?"  
"Later."  
"Are you sure?"

She looked over at him, letting out a small groan.

"We'll talk about it later."

He laughed at her before letting the topic slip away. They fought their way up to the executor's office, finding the bodies of Pallin and two salarian body guards. Calpurnia growled at the sight, walking over to Pallin to check him.

"Bailey, they got the executor and two salarian body guards."  
"Damn. Alright, keep searching. If you don't see the councilor's body, don't count him out yet."

Calpurnia felt her anger rising as she walked to the window, looking out at C-Sec's top floor. She tried suppressing the memories that flew to her. She caught movement from the corner of her eye, seeing councilor Valern uncloak and reveal himself.

"Found him." Calpurnia said.  
"Get him somewhere safe."

She watched him for a moment before seeing a man jump down in front of him, slowly advancing. Calpurnia shot the glass from the window, jumping down to point her gun at the man. He was quick to react, jumping up over the salarian to land and face her.

"Don't even think about it." she said.  
"He's going to kill us all." Valern hissed.  
"That remains to be seen."  
"Udina is staging a coup, he's handing over the other councilors to Cerberus."

Calpurnia heard Vallok behind her, making her smirk.

"Two on one pal, it's over."  
"No." the man said. "Now it's fun."

Calpurnia watched as a drell put a gun to his head. She smiled at the sight of Thane before he and the assassin began fighting. She urged Valern to safety, watching the man cloak himself. When he reappeared, his sword was drawn. He ran at Thane, who fought against him briefly before he was stabbed. He fell to the ground as the assassin ran. Vallok ran after him, Calpurnia staying behind to give Thane some medi gel.

* * *

_"Morning."_

_Rayhel jumped, looking over to her Dad as he slowly walked into the living room. She stood, putting her arms out to help him walk. He waved her off, straightening himself up as he sat down on the couch._

_"How are you feeling?"_  
_"Better."_  
_"You sure?"_

_He looked at her, giving her a smile._

_"I'm fine Rayhel."_  
_"We're just worried…"_  
_"There's no need to worry."_  
_"You were just leading a whole ship to rescue me last week and you spent the whole day in bed yesterday."_  
_"Rayhel, quit." Rayhel knew her father got defensive about his sickness, and she dropped it quickly. She understood him wanting to be the strong father figure for her but whether they spoke about it or not, she knew there was something wrong. "When are you taking off again?" _  
_"Two weeks. Turian Hierarchy wants me to take some time off."_  
_"Not a problem though. We enjoy having you home for a bit."_  
_"We should go shooting."_

_He grinned at her, nodding._

_"That's my girl."_

_Rayhel smiled, leaning back on the couch._

_"So… You met my friend."_  
_"Friend?"_  
_"Tavus."_  
_"You mean Operations Chief Victus?"_

_Rayhel could tell her father was defensive about the boy. She wondered if Tavus had said anything in response to his shake down._

_"Yeah." she said. "Him."_  
_"Didn't get a good impression of his sanity, but he got the job done." She nodded, picking at her talons. She could feel him watching her. "Why?"_

_She shrugged, looking around the living room._

_"Don't know what to feel about him."_  
_"I can kick his ass if you want me to."_  
_"No." Rayhel said, shaking her head._

_Garrus could tell she was truly confused about the boy. She'd typically laugh or encourage his protective nature, but she didn't even crack a smile at him. He let out a small sigh, scooting closer to her._

_"Do you like him?" She looked over at him, a worried look on her face as she shook her head. "Ray, tell me the truth."_

_She shook her head again, looking away from him._

_"He's a good serviceman. He just…"_  
_"Wants your attention?"_  
_"I don't understand it."_  
_"You're a respectable officer, Rayhel, and a hell of a woman. You can't blame him."_  
_"It's insubordination."_  
_"Has he actually told you he wanted to get involved with you?"_  
_"No."_  
_"Have you told him?"_  
_"I don't want to get involved."_

_Garrus laughed at her for a moment. Rayhel was quickly growing annoyed._

_"You are in denial."_  
_"No I'm not, I'm not interested in him."_  
_"Listen, I think he's a bit reckless, but he seems dedicated to your safety."_  
_"So?"_  
_"If you feel something for him Rayhel, don't let me hold you back."_

_Rayhel could feel a slight relief run through her, making her question why she'd feel relief in the first place. She shook it off, welcoming any other topic to get her mind off of Tavus._

* * *

"I've got a fix on the council's location, uploading it to you now. You better get up there!"

Shepard listened to Bailey as he drove the shuttle. Natasha watched the attack on the Citadel from the backseat, sorrow filling her heart. She hated the sight of her home like this. Her sorrow was shaken quickly when a man jumped down on the hood of the shuttle. He eyed Shepard for a moment before stabbing his sword through the sky car. Shepard fought to keep it under control as it fell to the ground, crashing on a small balcony of the presidium. Natasha groaned as they left the car, holding her head. Civilians ran everywhere, trying to escape the Cerberus troops that shot at them.

"Shepard, my tool says you're not in the air anymore."  
"We're on foot now. Where are we going?"  
"The shuttle pad above Shalmar Plaza. Udina's with them. If he can get them within range of that assassin, this is all over."  
"On my way."

They fought across the balcony, being introduced to new enemies along the way. Natasha hated the tiny women that jumped around with swords, wondering why Cerberus felt it necessary to train their soldiers to fight in such a way. When they got to the stairs to reach the plaza, Cerberus sealed it off. Shepard looked around for an alternate route. Natasha looked over the balcony.

"Follow me." she said, hoping down into the tunnel below.  
"Where are we going?"  
"Trust me, I know the tunnels around here."

They didn't argue as she led them through, successfully reaching Shalmar Plaza to fight more Cerberus troops.

* * *

"Shepard, what's going on?!"  
"Shepard's blocking our escape! He's with Cerberus!"

Natasha did her best to not look at the council, knowing her emotions needed to stay out of the fight. She needed a clear head.

"Just hang on." Ashley said. "I've got this. Everyone calm down."  
"I can explain this Ashley."  
"Gun drawn on a councilor? Kinda looks bad." she replied.

Shepard signaled for Garrus and Natasha to lower their guns, stepping forward.

"We don't have time for this. You've been fooled, all of you. Udina's behind this attack. The salarian councilor confirmed it."  
"Please." Udina replied. "You have no proof, you never do."  
"There are Cerberus troops in the elevator shaft behind us. If you open that door they'll kill you all!"

The asari stepped forward now, a look of concern on her face.

"We've mistrusted Shepard before and it did not help us."  
"We don't have time to debate this, we're dead if we stay out here. I'm overriding the lock."

Shepard stepped closer, raising his gun again. Ashley stood in between him and Udina, raising her gun at him.

"I better not regret this." she said with a stern look.

Shepard lowered his gun, shaking his head slightly.

"You won't."

Ashley turned to Udina, pointing her gun at him.

"Step away from the console."  
"To hell with this!"

Councilor Tevos stepped towards him, putting her hand on his wrist. He shoved her to the ground before pulling out a sidearm.

"Gun!"

Before anyone could react, Natasha raised her handgun, shooting Udina down without hesitation. Shepard looked at her briefly before walking over to the console.

"Get the council back and cover that door now!" he ordered. Natasha and Garrus did as they were told, pointing their guns towards the opening door. "Bailey?"  
"Made it as fast as we could Shepard. Looks like you took care of things."  
"Something's not right." Tevos said. "You said Cerberus was targeting us. Where did their soldiers go?"  
"Cerberus was right here but they ran to the keeper tunnels when they found out we were coming." Bailey explained. "I'll say it plain, Shepard just saved the lot of ya."

Tevos and Sparatus looked to him thankfully, shaking his hand in gratitude. Natasha gave the turian a smile before he offered his hand. She took it, giving it a shake.

"Thank you."  
"I'm glad you're alright."

His mandibles flared into a smile before Tevos stepped in to hug her.

"Thank you Natasha."  
"It's good to see you all made it, councilors." she said with a smile. "Valern is safe at C-Sec."  
"Your loyalty is inspiring." Sparatus said. "We're in your debt."

Natasha shook her head at him, her smile still plain on her face.

"We're even."

As the group dispersed, Natasha's Omni tool beeped at her. She raised her arm, knitting her eyebrows at the message.

'Meet me at Dock 42. It's time. -Cal'

* * *

_Tavus took a deep breath, closing his eyes to listen to the sky cars flying overhead. He heard a small giggle next door, a smile spreading on his face at the thought of the new family that moved in while he had been away. He found it odd that two turians were raising a krogan, but then he put it in a different light, agreeing that it was probably for the best that they'd adopted the girl. The krogan population was growing so rapidly. He took another deep breath, catching the scent of the turian behind him, making him turn around._

_"What are you doing out here?"_  
_"Enjoying home."_

_Nora stepped closer, looking around at their backyard, smiling at the sound of the child next door._

_"I'm glad you're back for more than a few days. I heard about your captain."_

_Tavus sighed, shaking his head._

_"I wish people would stop bringing it up."_  
_"I heard you lead the team to get her back."_  
_"Mom…"_  
_"Alright, alright… Just wanted to meet her is all."_  
_"Meet her? Why?"_  
_"You saved her life. Don't tell me you're not the hero that she fell for."_

_Tavus let out a laugh, shaking his head at his mother._

_"She's my captain."_  
_"Oh please."_  
_"Mom, I don't… I don't feel that way about her."_  
_"You should bond with her, I like her mother."_

_Tavus put a hand over his face with a sigh._

_"I'll ask her tomorrow."_

_She laughed at him, patting his shoulder lovingly._

_"Does she like you?"_  
_"She thinks I'm a good soldier."_  
_"You know what I meant."_  
_"No Mom. She doesn't."_  
_"Well have you asked?"_  
_"Mom."_  
_"Alright, I'll quit." Tavus loved his mother. He truly did, but sometimes she pushed too hard. He tried pushing thoughts of Rayhel from his mind, hating that he wished he was back on the ship so they could talk. He thought about visiting, but he knew it'd only make her upset. It was a bit awkward for him to know she thought he had a crush on her, and he was trying to find any way he could to convince her is wasn't true. "You should go have a drink."_

_Tavus smiled at his mother, shaking his head._

_"That'd end badly."_  
_"You have enough time to sober up. You deserve a drink."_

_He nodded at her, letting himself give into his desire for having alcohol clear his mind of his captain._

* * *

"Where is she?"

Calpurnia set a hard glare on her face, folding her arms over her chest as the batarian did the same in return. Natasha watched a shuttle fly up to the deck, parking to let them in. Aria gave them a smirk.

"Arterius."  
"You can quit calling me that before I put a bullet in your mouth."  
"Cute." she laughed, letting the two of them in the shuttle.  
"How dramatic." Natasha said, looking over at the asari.  
"There are too many eyes and ears in Purgatory."  
"So how are we taking back Omega?" Calpurnia asked.  
"This is about Shepard's war. Cerberus taking over the terminus systems seriously bolsters their abilites. Surely the Alliance has noticed."  
"Cut to the chase, we have shit to do. What's your plan?"  
"Kick them out. I have a massive fleet of merc ships that are going to punch through enemy lines and invade. Once we get there, it's ground work." she pulled up her data pad, showing them a picture of a stern-looking man. "The leader of the operation is General Oleg Petrovskey. He's the one who ousted me. He's the Illusive Man's outstanding, best-kept secret. All that you need to know is that he's a merciless bastard."  
"Sounds familiar." Natasha said with a bored tone.  
"I know my reputation. I know I ruled Omega with an iron fist. But the people were free. Their lives were theirs. I preserved that. This man took that all way and he is going to pay. When Omega is mine again, I'll give Shepard anything he needs. I have ships, mercs, eezo, all yours."  
"What's the catch?" Calpurnia asked, taking on the same bored tone that Natasha used.  
"You'll have to leave the Normandy and your friends behind."  
"That crew is a group of professionals."  
"There's no way Garrus will let us go alone." Natasha laughed, shaking her head.  
"You'll have to tell Archangel it's a girls only trip." Aria replied.

The shuttle landed, the doors opening to let the two women out. Bray, the batarian, got out with them before the shuttle left again.

"Aria will meet you on the flag ship just outside the station."

Calpurnia and Natasha left silently, not paying him any mind as they walked back to where the Normandy was docked.

"What are you going to tell him?"

Natasha cleared her throat as they were cleared through the airlock of the ship.

"I don't have to tell him anything. I'll say we're going on a trip and he needs to watch Rayhel."  
"You should be honest with him." Calpurnia said, a sadness in her eyes.

Natasha gave her a look of sympathy before they walked into the CIC. She wasted no time getting to the main battery. Rayhel ran to her in excitement once she walked through the door, Garrus chuckling at her before looking at Natasha.

"How was lunch?

Natasha gave him a small smile before looking to Rayhel.

"How about you go find your Aunt, ok?"  
"Valk!"  
"No, leave Vallok alone."  
"Valk!"

Natasha sighed at the child, who smiled widely at the idea of finding the turian.

"Fine."  
"Valk!" she squealed, throwing her arms in the air and running from the room. She tripped on the way, getting up quickly in excitement. "Valk!"

Natasha shook her head with a smile before closing down the room. Garrus raised an eyebrow at her, taking a step forward.

"Are you… Looking for something?"  
"No." she laughed.  
"You seem pretty desperate to get her gone and lock down that door. You have me alone." he said with a smirk.

She shook her head at him with a smile.

"I need to talk to you about something."  
"Does this require us going over to the bed?"  
"What is wrong with you?" she laughed.

They let the moment slide, laughing together before he took on a serious demeanor.

"What is it?"  
"We didn't go to have lunch."  
"Where did you go?"  
"We spoke with Aria."  
"T'Loak?"  
"Omega has been taken over by Cerberus forces. She wants help taking it back."  
"You're helping her? Do I have to remind you that it'd require teaming up with the same mercs we fought against for two years?"  
"I know." Natasha replied. "They're an asset to the war though, and it'd help."  
"You're seriously considering this?"

She bit her lip, shaking her head at him.

"No. I'm doing it."  
"Fine but I'm going with you." he said, folding his arms over his chest.  
"No, you can't. Just me and Cal."  
"You're not going alone."  
"Garrus." He stared at her, waiting for her to explain herself before she took a step closer, reaching out to touch the scarred side of his face. "You have to trust me."

Garrus tried fighting the urge to touch her in return. He hated that she did it to get him to cave, but he hated it even more because it was working. He let his arms drop to his sides as she stepped closer, looking up into his eyes.

"I do trust you." he breathed. "I don't trust them."  
"I won't be alone. Cal is going."  
"I don't know if I trust her." he smiled as she stepped into his arms.

He wrapped them around her waist tightly, looking down at her with a soft expression. She gave him a small smile.

"I trust her."

She wrapped her arms around his shoulders slowly. He soon felt her fingers at the base of his fringe, making him close his eyes. He let out a small moan.

"Quit that."  
"What?"

He opened his eyes, reaching back to stop her hands. He gave her a stern look.

"You know what."  
"I'm going to miss you…" she replied, letting her hands rest on his chest, playing with a clasp on his armor nervously. "I just want you to know that."

He tilted her chin up to look at him, smiling down at her.

"If you don't come back safe, I'm going to kill every merc on that ship."  
"Maybe when I get back we could…" she shook her head with a small laugh, trying to push the moment away. "Never mind."  
"We could…?"

She bit her lip at him, shaking her head again. She brought herself closer to him, kissing his mandible before backing away.

"Walk me to the CIC?"  
"Of course."

* * *

"Would you please get out of there?"

Vallok kneeled down, looking under his bed as Rayhel growled, then giggled.

"Valk!"  
"Where is your Dad?"  
"Valk!"  
"Please get off from underneath there."

Rayhel swung her talons at him playfully, making him sigh as she failed to reach him.

"I'm going to kill Garrus."

Rayhel's playful growl vanished as she whimpered for a moment. Tears soon fell down her face as she curled into a ball.

"Not Daddy!" she cried, hiding her face in her arms.

Vallok sighed, hearing footsteps at the door. Calpurnia leaned against the wall, looking to Rayhel with a small smile before turning her attention to him.

"You are horrible with kids." she noted.  
"The thing won't leave."  
"Thing?" she laughed, kneeling down next to him. "Come here Ray."

Rayhel crawled to her, hugging her tightly before glaring at Vallok.

"He's gonna kill Daddy."  
"No he's not."  
"He said so."  
"He lied."

Rayhel's tears ended as she dropped her jaw, pointing a finger at him.

"Liar!"  
"Alright, just calm down." Calpurnia said, sitting the child on the bed.  
"Why does she bother me?"  
"She likes you. She does it to…" she stopped, shaking her head before letting out a sigh. "Well."  
"Still not talking to you?"

She looked over at him, trying to find a sharp remark for a moment before giving up.

"I see you moved up in the world. Not hiding in the engineering hull anymore."

Vallok watched her as she sat next to the child on his bed.

"Is that a problem?"  
"Now I sleep closer to you." she said with a grin.  
"Was that the goal?"

She smirked at him for a moment before clearing her throat.

"I came in here because I have a proposition for you." Vallok raised a brow plate at her, making her laugh before she shook her head. "I meant I need your help."  
"That hardly changes my direction of thought."  
"I need your help killing people."

Rayhel looked up at Calpurnia, a quizzical look on her face.

"Aunt Cal, hurting people is bad."

Calpurnia looked down at the girl before laughing.

"Yes it is baby."  
"No." she said, pointing a finger at the older turian. "Bad."  
"Wow you sound like your mother." Calpurnia replied, shaking her head as she looked back to Vallok.  
"Where are you wanting me to fight?"  
"We're taking back Omega for Aria T'Loak. As much as I hate the bitch, there is… Someone there that I need to make sure is safe."

Vallok could see Rayhel's gears at work as she held a talon to her chin.

"No." he said, making her look at him.

Calpurnia seemed to catch herself, looking down at her.

"No." Rayhel replied, pointing at him.

Calpurnia shook her head as they interacted, clearing her throat to get his attention again.

"When are you going?"  
"Now."

He looked over at her, nodding.

"Let's go."

* * *

_Rayhel was very unwilling to get back on her ship at the end of leave, wishing she could stay longer instead of returning. She agreed to herself that it was a time well-spent with her family. She found herself considering retirement more and more when she thought of her crew and certain turians on her ship._

_Her defense quickly became anger towards the Operations Chief. She felt herself break slightly every time he walked away from her in defeat, knowing she was hurting a friendship because of her own issues. She often thought about Darius, and how she pushed him to his breaking point. She wondered if Tavus would get there eventually, but so far he hadn't given up._

_She took to being alone while they weren't busy. She took her meals in her personal quarters, and did her work there, alone. She was able to do it without notice for a long time before Tavus started asking questions. She was grateful that he thought it was for the reason of her kidnapping that she was being distant and she gladly took on that excuse while she tried kicking the real one. He kept pressing though, and she soon grew tired of it, telling him to either back off and treat her like a captain or she'd kick him from her ship._

_Tavus struggled to keep himself away from Rayhel, knowing she needed to talk about her kidnapping, instead of letting it get to her. He didn't understand why he couldn't simply stay away, to leave her alone, but something inside of him wouldn't allow it. It was his job to care for his teammates, and she was no exception. They all had to watch each other's backs, and he'd watch hers for as long as she needed him to. It was difficult for him, to be pushed away every time he tried talking to her, but he knew she was going through a difficult time._

_He tried figuring out why he was so loyal to her, searching inside himself to find a reason. As much as he denied any feelings for her, he considered her as a lover for a moment before shaking the thought, knowing it wasn't the reason he cared. Even if it had been, it'd require insubordination and he wouldn't want that. For either of them. She was a superior and someone to learn from, to look up to. Not someone to look for a good time with._

* * *

"So you commandeered a Cerberus cruiser." Calpurnia said, Natasha and Vallok walking at her side as she approached the asari.  
"Who's the turian?" Aria asked, nodding at Vallok.  
"You either get the three of us or none of us." Calpurnia bit back.

Vallok could tell there was tension between the two of them as they held a stare down. Aria finally folded her arms across her chest, sinking into a hip.

"Now that the guests of honor have arrived, we can start." she replied.  
"Let me guess, you're planning on infiltrating the enemy fleet." Natasha said, looking at the diagram of the surrounding area.  
"Exactly. We get close enough for a crippling blow and then my forces join the fun."  
"A lot could go wrong."  
"The assault's been planned for weeks, Natasha. For now just sit back and let me steer."  
"Not the best start to our partnership." Calpurnia said sarcastically, shaking her head at the asari as she walked over to her pilot.  
"How things begin isn't nearly as important as how they end."  
"Bitch." Calpurnia mumbled as she looked down at her feet with a snarl.  
"Bray, move through the relay, tell the fleet to wait. They only follow on my command."

Natasha watched as they completed the relay jump, Omega coming into view. She let her anger fester, knowing she'd need it to live through the fight that laid ahead. Vallok could see both Calpurnia and Natasha getting fired up at the sight of the station. Just as he thought he should get them to snap out of it, Calpurnia looked at him with a smile.

"What?" he said.  
"This is where we met." she said with a wink, turning back to Aria before he could respond.

A voice rang out on their over comm, making them the crew grow silent.

"Cruiser, we don't have you on our identification list. Identify yourself."

A voice was played back, telling them he was a captain and that they'd suffered severe enemy damage. Natasha looked to the asari.

"How did you get the captain to say that?"  
"The hard way."

Natasha rolled her eyes, shaking her head at the woman. Vallok idly wondered why the asari had chosen such allies when they clearly hated her so much. He remembered Calpurnia saying she had someone on the station to look after. He assumed that was their only reason for going.

After the ship drew closer to the station, Aria ordered Bray to fire at the opposing fleet, her own flying through the relay.

"We're being hailed by the general." Bray told her.  
"Should be interesting. Put him through."

Calpurnia turned to Natasha, lowering her voice to a whisper.

"We act as spectre's wives here. Makes us look like we know what the hell we're doing."  
"We do know what we're doing…" Natasha replied, looking at her with confusion. "Right?"

Calpurnia let out a short laugh.

"I hope so."

They watched as the image of a man took the place of the station's diagram.

"Aria. I knew this had to be you. You'll never make it. Call it off, now."  
"You're barking up the wrong tree." she replied. "Maybe you could convince my partners."

He took in the sight of the women before shrugging.

"I know nothing about them."  
"We're interested parties, fighting for the safety of the civilians you've got trapped under Cerberus forces." Calpurnia said with a stern look planted on her face. "Calpurnia Arterius. This is my partner, Natasha Kryik."

He smirked at her in recognition.

"I've heard great things."  
"Aria doesn't have much to say for you." Calpurnia replied.  
"She's not used to being defeated. It clouds her judgement. A pity you two left the safety of the council. We all sabotaged ourselves in curious ways. Perhaps deep down you look for a way out. Aria seems to think that seeing spectre forces will unsettle me. Now it's my turn." he looked back to Aria now. "I see you've gone to the trouble of augmenting that ship with Salaris armory. What a waste. I've made improvements to Omega's defenses. My canons will cut through you at will."  
"Sounds pretty confident." Natasha mumbled to the asari.  
"Yeah. He does."  
"So again, I say turn back."  
"Let's see what you've got, Oleg." Aria replied. "End transmission."

The man's holo form vanished, bringing Omega's diagram back into view.

"That went well." Natasha said sarcastically.  
"Set pre-set course. We're ramming the station, everyone brace for impact."  
"What?!"  
"Omega's kinetic barrier will stop my ships from landing. I have equipped this cruiser to take it out on impact." Natasha gave her a look, shaking her head in desperation. "Don't worry, we'll probably survive the crash."

Natasha looked to Calpurnia, who gave her a nod.

"We'll make it."

The ship took on evasive maneuvers before Bray called out a warning to Aria. Calpurnia turned to her with a growl.

"Don't be stupid, sound the evac."

Aria looked angry as she thought. Natasha was ready to take her out before she told Bray to program the escape pods to the station. They all ran as the ship was blown apart, making Natasha think of what it was like for Shepard when the Normandy was destroyed the first time. The escape pod had a rough landing, crashing them directly into a firefight against Cerberus troops. Natasha was surprised by the firepower, but she was grateful Calpurnia decided to invite Vallok for the ride. His experience was nothing but helpful against the enemy forces.

"Aria to fleet, are you alive out there?"  
"Barely. We got shredded."  
"Keep my men alive, Jerrel, that's your only job."

Natasha felt no sympathy for the asari as she desperately fought to gun down the enemies with them. She was feeling exactly what she felt with Garrus' team against all of the asari's mercs. The helplessness, the desperation for things to end well, everything was turned onto Aria now. Natasha actually felt somewhat happy about it. She kept herself focused though, fighting closely with Calpurnia as they fought through the first floor of troops.

"Ground team, report in. Bray, you there?"  
"Affirmative. Only six pods made it."  
"Start prepping for the ships to land."

Calpurnia smirked as they heard the woman trying to keep things under control. Vallok could tell the two of them weren't sympathetic towards the situation. He hoped this certain civilian was worth saving if they were going through this much trouble to find her.

"Lost two more transports. Can't keep up evasive maneuvers for much longer."

Aria seemed to be getting more frustrated every time her people would call in. Natasha smiled more and more with each one. Vallok looked at her, lowering his voice.

"You realize her fleet is your way back to the Normandy right?"

Natasha wiped the smile from her face, clearing her throat before giving him a nod.

"Right."  
"Don't let the past cloud your actions here. You two chose to team up with her, for whatever reason. See it through."

Natasha admired the turian's advice, thinking to herself that she enjoyed the fact that he was Garrus' brother. It might be a blessing in disguise that he was on the Normandy after all.

They made it to the top floor, fighting a few more troops before making it to the defense systems. Vallok looked down at the console, overriding the code to stop the canons.

"Jerrel, defenses are down. Signal the fleet to converge at the rendezvous point."  
"Already cueing up."  
"Bray, come in. Status."  
"Rendezvous stable. Hangar doors open. We'll have them in soon."  
"My birds are coming in."  
"What is this rendezvous point, exactly?" Natasha asked, trying to sound more open to the asari's ideas.  
"It's a bunker I established for my more sensitive operations. It's impenetrable with it's one life support. You'll see."

A shot rang out as they looked over at Calpurnia, who aimed up at the camera watching them.

"Hopefully they don't know where it is." she said, holstering her gun once again.

They took another elevator up, coming out on an open-roof floor. Aria sighed.

"The Omega skyline. Now I feel like I'm back."

Natasha looked around at the place, her hatred returning before they saw a force field in the distance.

"We should stay away from that." Calpurnia said, eyeing it as they took a side route around it.  
"We're close to the rendezvous. Let's move." Aria told them.

They stepped into the elevator to go up another floor. Calpurnia inspected the markings painted on the floor and walls.

"That symbol. I know it."  
"Looks like a gang tag." Vallok said.  
"The Talons." Aria said. "They used to deface my property too."

They stepped out, seeing more symbols painted on the walls.

"Here it is again." Calpurnia said.  
"Could be evidence of a resistance."  
"Might be useful."

After walking a short ways, they came to another force field, watching a mech fight a vorcha that took a step back into it. His body was in flames instantly, his cries ringing out before the mech turned on them.

"Take them out!" Aria called. Natasha was, again, grateful that Calpurnia brought Vallok with them. His biotics were surprising, but they were useful against the mechs that wore barriers on their armor. Once they were finished, they approached the force field that the mechs had been able to walk through. Aria opened her Omni tool. "These barriers are going to be a problem."  
"Are we blocked?" Natasha asked.  
"Not this time. Follow me."

She led them through a tunnel around it, opening her Omni tool when she stopped at a wall.

"What are you doing?"  
"Letting you in on a secret." she replied as the wall lifted itself to present a tunnel. "Down the ladder."

The floor below was silent. They looked around cautiously before stepping out from the ladder, their guns raised. Calpurnia and Vallok both reacted first to the sound behind them, pointing their guns at the darkness.

"Show yourself!" Calpurnia called out.

A figure stepped forward, letting out a small laugh.

"Spirits. Look who's back." she said, lowering her hood.  
"Nyreen?" Calpurnia breathed, lowering her gun to hug the woman.

Natasha smiled, thankful that they were able to find her sister in such chaos.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Aria asked.  
"Playing cat and mouse, mostly." Nyreen replied, looking at the asari. "Just trying to stay alive. If it wasn't for these tunnels…"  
"_My_ tunnels. I'm glad I showed them to you."  
"If you hadn't we'd be dead or locked up by now."  
"Nice to see you again, Nyreen."  
"You too, Natasha."

They exchanged smiles before Aria cleared her throat in irritation.

"I've got a lot of questions, but they'll have to wait. Follow us, we'll get you to safety."  
"Ready to put that gun to good use?" Calpurnia asked with a grin.  
"You have no idea how ready." They started walking down the tunnels, Nyreen and Calpurnia side by side. "Who's the guy?"

Calpurnia glanced back at Vallok, who walked behind her with Natasha at his side. She gave her sister a smile.

"An old friend."  
"Oh good."  
"How are you and Aria?" Calpurnia asked, taking note of how far ahead the asari walked.  
"It's in the past." Nyreen replied, glancing back to Vallok. "If you're done with him though, I wouldn't mind."

Calpurnia laughed, shaking her head.

"Back off."

Nyreen smirked, both of them welcoming silence as they grew content with having each other again.

* * *

"Are you sure he's not available?"

Calpurnia looked over at Nyreen, who watched Vallok in front of them after they fought the hoard of Cerbeus troops outside the bunker.

"I'm sure."  
"You claiming him?"  
"No."  
"That's all I need then." Calpurnia tried ignoring her sister as they approached the doors to the bunker, gripping her gun tighter as Nyreen watched Vallok. "Did you see him fighting those troops?"

Calpurnia glared at her, trying to fight her defensiveness.

"Why were you not focusing on the fight yourself instead of his ass?"  
"I wasn't watching his ass… Much."  
"Leave the guy alone."  
"Why?"  
"He's not interested, I promise."  
"You said your thing was in the past."  
"It was."  
"So what's the problem?"  
"Nyreen, back off."  
"Territorial as ever, I see."

Calpurnia shot her a look of death before they focused on getting in the bunker.

"I don't feel like this place is safe now that the general is clued in." Natasha told Aria.  
"I have no intention of sitting around and you both should know I assume nothing. On that note, Nyreen, you left Omega fairly angry with me." Nyreen watched the asari with a smirk. "Now you've returned. Explain yourself."

Calpurnia scoffed at the asari.

"Since when does she have to explain herself to you?" she snapped.  
"The truth is I never left." Nyreen said, putting a comforting hand on her sister's shoulder as she spoke. "I went to great lengths to keep it from you."  
"I'm not easily duped. Well done, but why?"  
"I just couldn't leave. Considering all this, I wish I had."  
"Well you always said I'd be the death of you."  
"Nyreen has military training." Natasha pointed out. "We can put her to good use."  
"You're so quick to trust, huh Natasha?" Aria asked.  
"She's my sister." Calpurnia replied for her.  
"Nyreen never approved of Omega's, oh what did you call it?" Aria said, looking back to Nyreen. "Moral bankruptcy? Are you willing to fight for it now?"  
"You'll find me very willing to liberate this station." Nyreen replied, walking away from Aria now.  
"Bray, keep an eye on her." the asari ordered. Calpurnia glared at the asari as she turned back to them. "We need to move fast, I'm itching for revenge."  
"If you think I'm gonna let you carve a bloody path through this, you're sadly mistaken." Natasha told her.  
"If you think you're going to change me, you're welcome to try."

* * *

"There's the reactor, straight ahead!"

Natasha looked up at the tall structure, running with the rest of the group to get to it. They were stopped by one of the force fields flying up in front of them. A drone popped up, taking the form of Oleg.

"I commend you. Your plan of attack was impeccable."  
"Looks like we were expected." Natasha said.  
"More like lured." Nyreen replied.  
"I knew the reactor would be your target. I gave you no choice but this route."  
"Too bad you're on the Illusive Man's side, Petrovskey." Calpurnia snarled.  
"I'm on humanties' side. You're the ones trying to start a war, for the glory of Aria. Now it's over."  
"This isn't over until your next of kin can't identify you." Aria snapped.  
"I love your bravado, but have the sense enough to know when you've been beaten. I can leave you here to rot. You might as well give up."  
"Never!" Aria said before storming over to the force field.

She lit up her hands with biotics, shoving them into the walls and tearing them apart.

"Aria, you're forcing my hand." Oleg warned before typing on his console. "We'll do it your way then."  
"Mechs!" Calpurnia yelled, raising her gun at the other side of the force field.  
"Natasha! I can't hold it much longer!" Natasha ran to the hole that Aria held open, squeezing through it before she let the biotics go. Calpurnia shook her head frantically, watching her friend on the other side. "Go overload that reactor!"

Natasha looked around to the tower, nodding in agreement before taking off in a run. Once she climbed the stairs and found the console, she became clueless, looking at it in confusion.

"What do I do?!" she called out.  
"What does it look like?" Vallok answered over the comm.  
"Lots of buttons."  
"There should be a big red button. Hit it."  
"You can't do this, Kryik." Natasha jumped at the sound, looking over to see Oleg's image next to her. "There's more at stake than you know. That reactor provides life support for dozens of wards across the station. Shut it down and thousands of people perish."  
"You hearing this, Aria?" Natasha asked.  
"Yes and I don't care, shut it down!"  
"Natasha, don't! Try re-routing the force fields away from the civilians!" Nyreen said.  
"I don't know how!" Natasha said in irritation.  
"Re-routing the power to maintain other systems." Oleg noted.  
"Are you crazy, we're almost spent!"  
"This is who you're working for, Natasha. She doesn't care who gets hurt."  
"What are you waiting for?! Overload the reactor!"  
"She'd just throw thousands of lives away."  
"Calpurnia is down. I'm stabilizing her." Natasha's mind raced at the notion that her friend was injured by her choices. She looked over at the red button, then back to the keypad, typing the configurations in to re-route the power. "You can't do it in time, hit the fucking overload. Now."  
"This shouldn't be that hard." Oleg said, stepping closer to her. "Maybe there's something inside that's holding you back. Maybe deep down you're thinking the galaxy might be better off without her. She's never going to learn. She'll never change. Even if you win, Omega loses."  
"Enough!" Natasha snapped at him, successfully getting the power to re-route itself before running back down the stairs to her friend. "Cal!"

The force field had lowered, allowing her to get to them without biotics. Calpurnia was sitting behind cover, Vallok close by for protection. Natasha knelt down next to her.

"Talk to me!"  
"I'm fine, it's a minor wound, go fight."

Natasha gave her a reassuring smile before getting back up, joining in on the fight against the mechs. Nyreen and Aria found their way to the exit, calling them over to follow. Natasha and Vallok helped Calpurnia to her feet, joining them as Nyreen hacked the door open.

"You alright?" Natasha asked them.  
"Despite your best efforts to kill me? Your soft heart almost cost me everything."  
"Get over it, I'd rather have your blood on my hands than thousands of innocents."  
"It worked, that's the point." Nyreen said. "I applaud her."  
"I suppose." Aria agreed, walking away from the two.  
"She's never been big on thank you's." Nyreen told her.

They decided to split up afterwards, Nyreen focusing on clearing out the forces in the civilian districts while Aria cleared out the tunnels to get to the central support room. Bray informed them over the comm that Cerberus was setting bombs there to take down the station. After a while, Cerberus sent reinforcements towards them, trying to slow them down so they could set up the bombs.

"Nyreen, things are under control here, what's your status?"  
"We're moving through the district and holding our own but Cerberus is starting to target civilians. Reports of casualties are coming in from all sectors."  
"Save who you can and head for the rendezvous point. We'll meet you there."  
"We'll do what we can. Nyreen out."

Once they got to the Talon checkpoint, Nyreen noted that something wasn't right and that she was going radio silent.

"What the hell is she doing?" Calpurnia asked, nerves clear in her tone.

Aria thought for a moment before something clicked.

"She's going to Afterlife!" she said, taking off in a run.

Natasha, Calpurnia and Vallok all ran with her, reaching Afterlife as soon as they could. Aria had been right, as they found Nyreen there defending civilians. Natasha was frightened at the sight of the Adjutants; viscous creatures that Cerberus had made from human subjects. They watched as Nyreen ran towards the monsters, throwing up a biotic field that surrounded her. With the creatures trapped inside, she pulled the clip out of a grenade, holding onto it while keeping her biotic bubble up.

"No!" Calpurnia screamed, running as fast as she could to her.  
"Cal, stop!" Nyreen yelled before the grenade went off, destroying everything in the barrier.

Natasha ran to her friend as she dropped to her knees, screaming as loud as she could. Natasha wrapped her arms around Calpurnia, trying to calm her down. Aria was just as effected, though she acted out in anger, rather than devastation. Natasha looked to Vallok, pointing after Aria as she ran into Afterlife.

"Cover her!"

Vallok ran in after her in time to watch her jump into a trap that stopped her from fighting the forces around her.

"Uh… A little back up?" Vallok said over the comm as a fight broke out.

Natasha made Calpurnia look at her as she cried.

"Listen Cal, we have to fight. We have to get in there or they won't make it out. Come on!"

Calpurnia listened, getting to her feet and running into the fight with Natasha. After fighting to release Aria, the general called off all of his forces. He let them in his room, looking at them with defeat.

"I surrender myself into your custody."  
"That is the most pathetic thing I have ever heard." Calpurnia replied, swinging her fist into his face.

Natasha grabbed her, shaking her head.

"No, stop!"  
"He killed my sister, he deserves to die!"  
"Kryik, I'm unarmed. I have intel on the Illusive Man."

Vallok caught Aria before she could approaching the man lying on the floor, knowing she was out for blood just as much as Calpurnia was.

"You'll say anything to save your skin." Aria noted.  
"I let you escape. I deserve mercy."  
"Is that true?" Natasha asked, looking to the asari.  
"Cerberus had taken the station and he let me go." she said. "Take him, Natasha. The Alliance can decide his fate. I just want his filth off my station."  
"Glad to see you've had a calming effect on Ms. T'Loak. I tried it once. I look forward to hearing how you pulled it off."

Natasha narrowed her eyes at him, letting go of Calpurnia to point her finger at him.

"Don't assume you know anything about where this is going."  
"From what I understand, council officials lead good lives. You and I may even become friends."  
"That's not happening." she replied, pushing him towards Aria's men. "Get him out of here."

Calpurnia growled as she watched him leave. Natasha put a hand on her shoulder to calm her.

"I want to go home."

Natasha nodded in agreement, walking over to Aria.

"I've been waiting to kill that man for months. I hang around you for a few hours and I go all soft. You're like a disease."  
"This victory came at a price, Aria. It's not 'soft' to recognize that."  
"You sound like someone trying to sell something. I admire your tenacity, and thanks to you, I have Omega back."  
"The citizens of Omega have been through a lot Aria. Don't forget that."  
"How could I? There are reminders everywhere. I'll honor our agreement. Ships, troops and a mountain of eezo. Bray will take you back."

Calpurnia stepped towards her, a blank expression on her face.

"I loved her." Aria said before the turian could say anything.  
"I know." Calpurnia replied with a nod.  
"You know what this is like…"  
"Don't go there." she warned. "Nice working with you, T'Loak."

Calpurnia turned away from her, starting to follow Natasha's lead.

"You too Arterius."

Calpurnia looked back, as if to correct her, but she just ignored it, turning again to follow Natasha out. Vallok walked beside her, knowing it was best to keep quiet until they got back to the Normandy.

* * *

_"Can we talk?"_

_Rayhel sighed, looking over at the operations chief._

_"About what?"_  
_"I have a problem."_  
_"And?"_  
_"I'm concerned about you, m'am."_  
_"We've talked about this, Victus."_  
_"I know, m'am but you just seem…. Different."_  
_"How so?"_  
_"You seem… Quiet. Almost unwilling of your post, m'am."_  
_"Unwilling?"_  
_"That sounds bad, I know, but it's just the way it seems, m'am."_  
_"What's your point, Victus?"_  
_"I just want you to know you have resources to get help."_  
_"I know."_  
_"If you need to talk… I'm here m'am."_

_He gave her a salute, walking away from her silently. He wished she'd get help, whether it was from him or someone else. He just wanted his captain back. He knew the other crew members wanted her to come back as well, as most of them had picked up on her new habits of keeping to herself. As much as he hated pushing for information, he couldn't help himself. He couldn't sit by and not do anything to help her. So he hacked her contacts to establish a comm link with the people she loved, getting in touch with an aunt, an uncle and her mother before he called it a night._

_He was determined to bring the old Rayhel back._

* * *

Garrus was tense as the merc ship returned to the Normandy's dock on the Citadel, letting it's crew off for shore leave. He watched them, one by one, step off onto the dock, waiting for a familiar face to appear. His chest tightened at the sight of Calpurnia, a smile spreading onto his face when he saw Vallok. Rayhel squealed at the sight of them, pointing to Natasha as she followed. Garrus let out a sigh of relief, setting the child down on the ground so she could run to them. Calpurnia seemed beaten down as she tried smiling for the little girl. Garrus knew something was wrong. Natasha gave him a smile after picking up Rayhel, walking to him and letting out a long breath.

"How did it go?"

Natasha cleared her throat, looking back at Calpurnia, who leaned against the wall quietly, Vallok standing with her. Natasha looked back to Garrus, shaking her head.

"Her sister…"

Garrus winced slightly, looking down at his feet.

"That's rough."  
"She's not dealing with it well."  
"Hopefully Vallok isn't making it worse." he said, looking over at the two of them.  
"She doesn't seem to mind him being around."

He looked back to her, reaching out to run his thumb along a scuff on her forehead.

"I said if you didn't come back the way you went I'd kill every single merc out there."

Natasha smiled.

"Better get to work."

He laughed at her, grateful that she was unharmed and swearing to himself he'd never let her do something like that without him ever again.


	13. Chapter 13

**Hey guys!**

**How is everyone? Life is looking pretty good right now on my end.**

**I have so many ideas rolling around for how to wrap up this story. It's sad that it's coming to an end, but I am happy with how it has turned out and the response I've gotten from it. Your support means the world to me guys. (:**

**I must ask, how are you all liking the length of the chapters lately? I have been making them longer because I've not been able to update as much as I'd like. Is it harder to get through with them being longer, do you want them shorter, are they not long enough? I'd love to hear what you guys think on that matter.**

**Thanks go out to ArchelionGen as always, for being super awesome. (:**

**Please feel free to rate, review and even PM me if you have anything you'd like to say.**

**Thanks!**

* * *

"Natasha."

The voice made Natasha turn her head as she walked through the docking bay, a small smirk growing on her face.

"What?" she said, stepping closer to the turian who waited next to a sky car.  
"If you're feeling up to it, I thought we could do something fun for a change."  
"What'd you have in mind?"  
"Something that doesn't involve fighting Reapers."  
"I don't think they've conquered the bar yet." she joked.  
"Already scoped it out, but then I thought, if this were my last day alive, I'd want to remember it."  
"So?"  
"So I had an idea." She smiled at him as he opened the door for her, letting out a sigh before getting in. She hated that her smile was unrelenting as he drove. She tried shaking it away several times, but gave up after a while, welcoming her happiness. "Ever have one thing you wanted to do before you died?"

Natasha let out a small laugh, raising an eyebrow at him.

"I got you to sleep with me."  
"Trying to make me blush?" he asked with a grin.

She laughed again, taking on a more serious tone.

"So what's your one thing?"  
"In my years at C-Sec, I always use to look up at the top of the building and think, 'I want to go up there' but I never did. There were one hundred and thirty seven regulations telling me I couldn't."  
"So you got them changed?"  
"No. Now I just don't give a damn."

Natasha smiled as he lowered the sky car down on the building. They stepped out into the wind, watching the other cars fly above them. Natasha smiled at the sight.

"Wow."  
"Figured it's time to do something stupid just for the hell of it. Might be the last chance we ever get."  
"It's incredible up here."

He gave her a grin, moving closer to her.

"I would be lying if I said I didn't hope it'd inspire a certain mood."

Natasha shook her head with a smile, raising an eyebrow at him.

"Something on your mind?"

She could see his smile fading as he looked around for a moment. She bit her lip, knowing he was going to get serious about the situation.

"It seemed like you needed some time to… Figure us out."  
"Garrus…"  
"I know we've had our rough spots… The fact is, we love each other, Natasha. Don't act like you can just turn away from it."

Natasha gave him a nod, doing her best not to fight with him. She could tell he'd worked himself up to approach the topic that they'd been avoiding since they returned to the Normandy. She let out a short breath, looking up at him again.

"You're right. I can't just turn away, because I keep hoping it'd go somewhere if we were together but I know it wouldn't."  
"Why do you say that?"  
"We split up for a reason."  
"I know I was an ass, and I pushed you away but I didn't realize I was doing it. I can fix it now."

Natasha took a step back as he tried stepping closer, shaking her head with a sad smile.

"You really think that's the reason I gave up?"

He stared at her, feeling her sadness just by the look she gave him. He shrugged slightly, letting out a sigh.

"I figured it was a factor."

She looked back to the sky car, making him grab her arm. He pulled her closer to him, seeing the tears in her eyes as she tried avoiding his.

"Please let me go." she said with a small voice.  
"Just talk to me."

She shook her head, looking up at him.

"I can't be with you because you don't take me serious enough to commit, Garrus." His chest tightened at her words, realizing what she was talking about. He released her arm, finding himself unsure of what to say in response. She quickly wiped her tears, clearing her throat. "I don't know what you want from me, and I can't just guess until I get it right. Quite frankly, I don't know if I want to know what you want, because I know it's not what I want out of the relationship."

Garrus watched her stumble over her words, knowing she'd kept them locked inside for as long as they'd been apart. He stepped closer, watching her freeze up as he wiped a tear from her cheek.

"What do you want from the relationship?" he asked, wanting her to say it.

She pushed his hand away gently, giving him a stern look.

"I'm not going to spell it out for you if you don't understand Garrus. It's not hard to figure out."

He knew she was trying to get him to say it first, but he refused. He knew she'd ask if he was ready to bond, and he didn't have an answer for her. He didn't think she had an answer anymore either. He let out a small sigh, looking over at the rifle he'd brought up before bringing her in the sky car.

"Want to shoot something?"

She walked over to the rifle, picking it up with an unsure look, wincing for a moment before looking back to him.

"I wish this war would end already."  
"Soon." She forced a smile, loading the gun. "Time to see who the better shot is."

A smile spread across Natasha's face as he picked up a canister for her to shoot at.

"Alright Vakarian, you're going down."

He tossed the bottle out into the air for her to shoot, which she took down easily. She smiled, looking over at him as he picked up another canister.

"That was an easy one. Long range, I wrote the book. No one can do this." he teased, tossing the bottle to her. "Give me a tough one."

She grinned, backing up to get a good swing in as she threw the bottle out into the air. He shot it successfully, laughing.

"I said a tough one." he told her, handing the rifle over before grabbing another canister.

Natasha watched him prepare to throw it, knowing it was just as hard for him to be her friend as it was for her to be his. She let out a small sigh, raising the rifle to aim as he threw the bottle. She shot off to the side, letting the canister fall to the ground unscathed. A smile flared Garrus' mandibles out as he turned towards her.

"I'm Garrus Vakarian and this is now my favorite spot on the Citadel."

Natasha let out a laugh, remembering all of the endorsements Shepard did on the Citadel for discounts.

"It's windy up here." she finally said with a defensive smile.  
"There there." he teased. "I know there are other things you're good at."

Natasha raised an eyebrow at him, smirking.

"Like?" she asked, walking back to the sky car.  
"That thing you do with your mouth. The one turian women can't do."

Natasha covered her face, letting out a nervous laugh as Garrus got into the shuttle with her.

"God…"  
"You asked."  
"Just drive before I die of embarrassment."

He chuckled at her, driving the sky car back to the docks in silence.

* * *

_"Has she always been this way?"_  
_"She's going through some stuff."_  
_"I guess I never thought an abduction would effect her so much."_  
_"You really think this is all because of some men beating her down? That was boot camp for her."_

_Tavus let out a sigh, shaking his head at his Omni tool. Natasha's holo image smiled at him, letting out a small laugh._

_"What?"_  
_"You two are clueless."_  
_"Clueless?"_  
_"Have you never had a girlfriend?"_

_Tavus' pride was hurt at her question, though he put on a smile._

_"What are you talking about?"_  
_"Men." she scoffed, shaking her head._  
_"Am I missing something?"_  
_"Tavus, Rayhel is going through a lot. I like to think she's over the abduction, she's tough as nails, but there are other things happening in her life."_  
_"Like what?"_  
_"You really don't see it?"_  
_"See what?"_  
_"Why do you care about what she's going through? She's just your captain."_  
_"I respect her-"_  
_"Right." Natasha said. "I call bullshit."_  
_"You and Garrus both."_  
_"I think it's something more that you don't want to see yet."_

_Tavus lowered his brow plates, shaking his head at her again._

_"It's not like that."_  
_"Right."_  
_"I'd never be…It'd never work."_  
_"That a fact?"_  
_"She's already made it clear what her view on men are. I'd never be good enough." he said, finding himself slightly disappointed at the thought. He shook it off quickly, clearing his throat. "It doesn't matter, I don't want that anyways. That's not the point."_  
_"Why do you think you'd never be good enough?"_  
_"You know how she is. Her father is the only man in her life worth her time."_  
_"Can you blame her?" Natasha laughed. "He's the only man that's been with her since she was born. Sure, she has our friends and considers them family but Garrus did something for her that not many men would step up to do. He's her Dad."_  
_"I understand it, it's just…"_  
_"Unfortunate?"_  
_"Yeah…"_  
_"She was talking about you on leave."_

_Tavus looked back to the holo image, a quizzical expression on his face._

_"Was she?"_  
_"She was trying to convince herself that she wasn't interested in you. Trying to convince her aunt and I that she didn't like you."_  
_"I doubt it."_  
_"Tavus, she's complicated. She always has been."_  
_"She doesn't even talk to me anymore. You can't tell me she likes me, even as a friend."_  
_"I can tell you that because it's exactly what she'd do if she was interested. She's always been one to hide."_  
_"Why?"_  
_"Because of who she is, how people look at her. They treat her different because she's a spectre's daughter and then want to judge her for not having Nihlus' last name."_  
_"I don't see how people can judge her based on who raised her. It wasn't under her control."_  
_"Even if it was, she'd choose Garrus a million times over."_  
_"It's still not her fault."_  
_"Tavus the thing is that Garrus didn't have to do what he did. He and I weren't even interested in each other when he decided to keep us alive. We both would have died without medical care. You have to earn her respect."_  
_"Hard to do when she hides from me."_  
_"Go to her quarters."_  
_"I'd rather not die today."_  
_"Tavus, she likes you. You just have to push her to admit it."_

_Tavus let out a sigh, rubbing his face for a moment before nodding at her._

_"I can try talking her out of her room."_  
_"Just don't tell her we talked…She'd kill me."_  
_"Our secret." he laughed._

* * *

"ETA to Rannoch about five minutes."  
"I have detected several hundred signatures in active combat."

Natasha stood next to Shepard in the cockpit, trying to keep a positive attitude about the mission that laid ahead for them. She gave him a small smile.

"So… Geth dreadnaught, huh?"  
"I already chose my team Natasha."  
"I know, I know." she said with a positive tone. "I was just wanting to ask you something…"  
"I've never seen you so nervous." Shepard pointed out, leading her away from the cockpit. "What's wrong?"

She looked up at him, trying to keep her smile on her face as she struggled with her words.

"Did I… Say or do something wrong?"  
"Wrong?"  
"It's typically Garrus and I who watch your back, and as much as I don't know why you always pick me before any of the higher trained squadmates you have, I've always been grateful."  
"Natasha, I didn't pick you this time because Tali needs to go and Garrus is the best man I have." Natasha nodded at him, anxiety building inside of her quickly. He seemed to catch this, putting a hand on her shoulder with a reassuring smile. "I know you're worried, but you have to have faith in him. He's a good soldier."  
"I know, commander."  
"I thought you didn't like him anyways." Shepard smiled.  
"I don't." she joked, watching him walk to the airlock.  
"Send him up here soon. We're almost there."

Natasha nodded with a smile, walking away from the man. She forced herself to take a few deep breaths as she rode in the elevator, hating how worried she was for her turian friend. Friend. She shook her head at herself, feeling the ache in her heart at the thought of him being a companion, rather than a lover. She rubbed her face, letting out a long sigh. Why didn't he want to bond? Why was she so set to bond? Why couldn't they just be happy without the long term commitment? Why didn't he want the long term commitment? He sure as hell wanted to raise her daughter.

She let out a groan, walking out of the lift after it stopped, making her way to the main battery.

* * *

**_"Just tip it up, there you go. Aim, and pull the trigger."_**

_Rayhel smiled as she thought back to when her Dad had taught her to shoot a gun. She touched the picture of her parents, smiling as the memory flew to the front of her mind._

**_"I missed."_**  
**_"Try again."_**  
**_"I'll miss again."_**  
**_"You can't just give up if you fail. If everyone did that the Reapers would have won."_**  
**_"You can do it."_**

_She smiled as she remembered her uncle joining in on the training. She stared down at the picture, her smile unstoppable._

**_"I got it!"_**  
**_"I knew you could do it."_**  
**_"I love you Dad."_**  
**_"I love you too Ray."_**

_She felt tears in her eyes, remembering the hug she'd given to her father after hitting her first mark. She tried shaking the memory but then she remembered her melee training._

**_"Vallok, I can't…"_**  
**_"Yes you can."_**  
**_"Don't hurt me."_**  
**_"Just swing."_**  
**_"Spirits…"_**

_She remembered a fun sparring match for her first time. She knew her uncle had taken it easy on her, but she still fought admirably. She grinned at the thought of her mother walking in on her pinning him to the floor as she growled._

**_"What the hell is going on?!"_**  
**_"Natasha…"_**  
**_"Rayhel, what are you doing?!"_**  
**_"Mom, it's alright."_**

_She laughed at the memory of her listening to her parents fight all night, Vallok keeping her company as they did so. They laughed over what had happened and Vallok gave her some tips on how to fight better the next time they were to spar. Rayhel smiled as she thought of her family, wishing she could be with them more. She wiped her tears, putting her picture back on her nightstand before putting her face in her hands. She let herself cave for a few moments, knowing if she didn't do it in privacy, she was sure to break in front of her crew. She sighed as a knock sounded on her door, making her wipe her tears quickly before getting to her feet._

_"Who is it?"_  
_"Victus, m'am."_

_She let out a small groan, walking over to the door. He took in the sight of her face once the door was no longer between them._

_"What do you want?"_  
_"Permission to speak, m'am?"_  
_"Granted." she replied, letting him in her quarters reluctantly._  
_"M'am, I wanted to express concerns."_  
_"About?" she asked, letting the door close as she watched him walk into her room._  
_"Well…You, m'am."_

_She folded her arms across her chest, planting a stern look on her face._

_"Go on, chief."_  
_"M'am, you hide in here a lot. The crew can't help but to notice."_  
_"My down time is my down time."_  
_"I think we can agree that it's becoming a little…Over-used."_

_She narrowed her eyes at him, hating that she couldn't feel anger towards him. She knew he was worried, and it made her heart flutter. She winced, shifting her weight to try getting rid of the feeling. She cleared her throat at him, shaking her head._

_"What do you expect of your captain then, Victus?"_  
_"I expect nothing, m'am. We are just concerned."_  
_"I'll try being more social then."_

_Tavus was unsure if her words were genuine or not, but he nodded._

_"Thank you m'am."_  
_"Anything else?" she asked, part of her hoping he had more to say._  
_"How are you?" he said, looking around at her untouched bed before looking back to her. "Not sleeping?"_  
_"Just not been tired." she said with a shrug._

_Tavus was surprised with her. Any other time, if he'd said that, she'd tell him it was inappropriate to ask. He took a step closer to her, watching her straighten up into attention, attempting to make herself look bigger than him._

_"I'm sorry about your Dad."_

_Her soft look turned to a hard one quickly as she lowered her brow plates at him._

_"What?"_  
_"I heard about him being sick on leave…I'm sorry."_  
_"It's nothing."_  
_"I know. I'm just…Here if you need me."_

_Again, her facial expression changed, returning to her soft look. Tavus could see her struggling for words, knowing she was grateful for him to reach out. He gave her a nod before turning back to the door._

_"Tavus…"_

_He looked back at her, putting his hand on the pad of the door._

_"Yeah?"_  
_"Thank you."_

_He gave her a small smile before walking out of the room. He couldn't help but to continue to smile to himself as he went back to his own quarters. She was definitely acting different, though whether it was because of new found feelings for him or if it was something else, he was unsure._

_After returning to his room, he got himself ready to turn in for the night, laying on his back on the bed with his arms underneath his head. He wondered what she was doing all night if she wasn't sleeping. He knew something was going on, and if she wouldn't willingly admit it, he'd have to talk her into getting over her pride. He smirked to himself as his eyes drooped, thinking of how much fun it'd be to get her to say she was interested. He didn't think much on what he would do after she admitted it, but he knew, for sure, that it'd be interesting to hear the words leave her mouth when they did._

* * *

"I'm surprised you're not getting in on the action."

Vallok turned his attention to his door, not surprised to see Calpurnia there. The turian had made it a point to bother him daily, though he never really found her to be an annoyance. He welcomed the company and gave her a smile.

"I've had enough action as of late."  
"Garrus is going."  
"He told me to watch over his daughter."  
"You're one to follow orders then?" she asked with a suggestive tone.

He raised a brow plate at her before standing from his bed, walking over to her. She gave him a smirk.

"Do you need something?"  
"Maybe."

He reached behind her, shutting his door. Her smirk grew as he got closer.

"Let me know when you figure it out." he said before taking a step back from her.  
"Like your door shut, or are you in need privacy now that I'm here?"

He smiled at her, shaking his head.

"I think you're coming onto me."  
"So what if I was?"

He gave her a stern look, shaking his head again.

"No."  
"Don't tell me no."

He raised an browplate at her, stepping closer again.

"No."

She looked up at him, feeling a fire ignite in her stomach as she took a step towards him.

"I won't accept a no."  
"You're gonna have to."

She shook her head at him, reaching out to touch his mandible gently. She heard a small, brief sigh before he regained his composure. She stepped forward again, wrapping her arms around his shoulders.

"Don't tell me what I have to do, Vallok. You'll lose this argument."

She ran her talons along the base of his fringe gently, watching him close his eyes with a smile.

"Quit." he breathed.  
"Not unless you mean it."

She let out a small laugh when he pushed her against the wall, pressing his forehead to hers. She broke the contact to kiss his cheek, moving down to his mandible afterwards. She heard him let out a sigh as she moved to his neck, keeping well away from his shoulder. She felt his arms wrap around her back, pulling her to the bed.

"Told you you didn't mean it."  
"Shut up."

She smiled, laying him down so she could climb up onto the bed, straddling his hips as she kissed at his neck.

* * *

_Rayhel cursed herself for caving to her crew's needs, though at the same time she knew it was her job to do so. Always put the crew before the captain. It was a simple rule and it was one of the first to learn, even if you weren't a captain. It was her duty to make sure they were happy with their lives, or as happy as they could be on the ship. Regardless of her personal issues, they came first. She had to drill it into her mind after Tavus left her room. She idly wondered why he'd felt the need to check up on her. Then again, he was the only crew member that had the guts to do it, and she knew if she had to choose, she'd want him to check on her every time._

_She shook her head at herself, sitting up in her bed to rub her face. Sleep wasn't coming easy these days. She wasn't sure if it was the worry in the back of her mind for her father or if it was the operations chief a few doors down. She hated the thought of it being either one. Her Dad hadn't been diagnosed with anything, and until he was, there was no reason to worry. Doctors would catch it before it became fatal. Her chest ached at the thought of it. He was her rock. Family was all she had, and ever since the Reapers, they were very tightly knit together. Between her parents and her aunt and uncles, everyone was very close. It'd been that way for as long as she could remember._

_She let her mind drift to the other possibility for her lack of sleep. The operations chief was making it harder and harder for her to actually focus on her job, rather than him or what he was doing. It'd been easy to take herself out of hiding and to be more active with the crew after his expression of concern for her to do so. The only thing she hated was that her feelings for the man weren't ceasing. Every time that damn flutter spread through her chest from hearing his voice or seeing his smile, she bit back her urge to run, forcing herself to simply focus on her job. She wouldn't be scared off of her own ship. She was the captain. He was not. It was that simple. She'd put on a good front, and wouldn't let him catch on. She'd throw up walls to keep him out, and the feelings would leave eventually. It was a good plan in her head._

_Tavus knew what his captain was doing. He was impressed that expressing his concerns to her got her to try harder with her crew. She was listening to him, though she seemed to be putting on a hard face for them instead of acting like her normal self. It only made him want to try harder. If she was interested, he'd get her to say it. He'd prove that even she could get over her pride._

* * *

Calpurnia growled as she leaned down, biting at Vallok's neck. He let out a groan, squeezing her thigh. She scratched her talons at his chest as she bucked her hips against him. She could hear a growl starting from him, making her laugh lightly before she sat up straight, getting off of him. He stared at her for a moment, watching her get on her knees in front of him. His growl grew as he ran his hands down her back, getting to his knees behind her. She urged him on, hissing at him to get him to take her. She moaned when he pushed himself into her though she was surprised at how gentle he was. She thought for a moment that he was teasing her, which made her growl louder, but after a short while, she couldn't take it anymore. She needed more of him. She reached around to his hand, which rested on her hip, digging her talons across the back of it, making him growl in protest.

He was slightly rough for a moment, before he let up. She hissed, digging at his hand again. She gripped his forearm with her talons, digging further into him anytime he'd get too gentle. She kept pushing for his primal instincts to come out, which she was grateful she did once they rose; He was just what she wanted, although it didn't last long after he let them take over. Once they came together, both of their growls lessened, each of them laying down on the bed. Calpurnia closed her eyes, feeling her body shake in the aftermath, letting out a long sigh before looking over to Vallok, who looked equally satisfied.

"Who is she?"

Vallok looked over at her in confusion.

"What?"  
"You were awfully gentle." Vallok looked away from her, rubbing his face. "Is it complicated?"  
"Extremely."  
"We don't have to talk about it then."  
"Maybe another time."

She gave him a small smile, rolling onto her side to face him. He looked over at her again.

"Let's call a re-do."  
"What?"  
"Show me what you can really do."

He gave her a grin, rolling over to give her a kiss, letting his hand wander down her side.

* * *

_"Are you afraid?"_

_Rayhel looked over to the table in the mess hall, letting out a short sigh. She didn't have to turn to see who it was. She knew the voice all too well. She gave him a small smile, bringing her coffee cup over when she sat across from him._

_"I'm not afraid of anything."_  
_"Oh there has to be something."_  
_"Nope."_

_He smiled, leaning back in his chair as he watched her take a sip of her coffee._

_"Thresher Maws?"_  
_"Please." she scoffed._  
_"Babies?"_

_She laughed, unable to stop herself from looking into his eyes._

_"Why would babies scare me?"_  
_"They scare everyone at some point. They're so breakable."_  
_"My aunt is having her baby soon. I'm actually really excited." she said with a large grin._

_Tavus loved seeing her so open, though he wondered if she realized she was doing it naturally. She had been trying to keep him out, but nothing she told herself made her stop. She tried calming her smile, though she wasn't completely successful._

_"That's it!" he said with a smile._  
_"What?"_  
_"Your aunt. You have to be scared of her."_

_Rayhel let out a genuine laugh, shaking her head at him._

_"Not even a little."_  
_"She scares me more than your Dad does!"_  
_"She's pregnant." Rayhel countered._  
_"I don't see how her bondmate is still alive."_  
_"I don't either, honestly."_  
_"How ready is she for kids?"_

_Rayhel let out a smaller laugh now, making his smile grow that much more._

_"She's not."_  
_"I'm sure your Mom will help out plenty."_  
_"I'm sure."_  
_"You're going to miss a lot."_

_Rayhel's smile faded rapidly as she looked down at her mug._

_"Yeah…"_  
_"Ever think of retirement?"_  
_"A lot."_  
_"You gonna do it?"_  
_"No." she said after a moment's pause, letting out a sigh. "I like my job. I'm not ready to quit yet."_  
_"It's not quitting."_  
_"You know what I meant."_  
_"You've done a lot in your years of service already. Why not?"_  
_"Like I said, I enjoy the job. I'd rather wait a few more years."_  
_"It's a hard choice to make. Family, or the job."_  
_"One would think it's a no-brainer."_  
_"I understand." he said gently._

_Rayhel felt that flutter in her chest. She took a sip of her coffee to lessen the awkwardness of the silence as her body reacted to his words. She looked up at him after a moment, trying not to look so sad._

_"Do you have siblings?"_

_Tavus was taken by surprise that she was showing interest in his personal life. She'd never done it before. It was only that much more confirmation that she cared for him. He shook his head at her, trying not to dwell much on her actions towards him._

_"No. Mom never…Re-bonded."_

_He cleared his throat, making her let out a small gasp._

_"I'm sorry."_  
_"No, it's ok." he said, surprised at how her question made his mind race. He shook it away quickly, looking back to her. "I never knew him."_  
_"I never knew my father either…Doesn't mean it doesn't suck."_  
_"You have a Dad." he pointed out._  
_"Your Mom is a great woman for raising you alone."_

_He smiled, a strange feeling in his chest rising at her admiration for his mother._

_"She's the best thing in my life."_  
_"Do you have any other family?" she asked hesitantly._  
_"No." he said nonchalantly. "Just me and Mom, and that's ok with me. Her parents died in the First Contact War. Dad's parents live pretty far away from Cipritine these days. Neither of my parents have siblings."_  
_"It's alright to be an only child."_  
_"You'll have some kids running around shortly."_

_She smiled, nodding._

_"I'm excited. I've never had other kids around while growing up."_  
_"Ever think about having your own?"_

_Rayhel laughed, shaking her head._

_"Have to have a mate for that."_  
_"Right." he said, nodding. "You think men are a waste of time."_

_She averted her eyes from his, looking back down at her mug._

_"Yeah…"_  
_"Or did that change?"_

_She looked up at him with a confused expression._

_"Why would it change?"_  
_"People change their minds." he said with a shrug. "Especially if another person inspires that…Change."_

_Rayhel looked down at her mug, her heart starting to pick up it's pace. She knew if she stayed she would end up slipping up and saying something that would give her away. She hesitated, but picked up her cup and stood, giving him a small smile._

_"I'm turning in. Night."_  
_"Sweet dreams." he said with a grin as she walked away._

_He knew he was pushing her the right way, making her face what she was feeling. She'd be up for a while, no doubt trying to convince herself that she felt nothing for him. She'd try harder tomorrow to keep it under control. He smiled to himself in the quiet, knowing she would try and fail. He was succeeding so far. He liked it._

* * *

"Admiral Gerrel, what are you doing?"

Natasha looked over to the quarians, hearing the argument starting. She rolled her eyes, taking a few steps towards them to be able to hear his response.

"The dreadnought is helpless." he said. "We need to strike now."  
"This is our chance to withdraw the civilian fleets safely!"

Natasha heard Tali's voice over the comm in the war room.

"What are you talking about, we're still on board!"  
"Patrol fleet, hold your positions!" Raan ordered.  
"You do that and we die!" Gerrel argued.

Natasha walked over to the quarians, her eyebrows knitted together.

"Am I hearing correctly that you're abandoning my commander on that dreadnaught?!"  
"Please, let me handle this." Raan told her, putting a hand up in defense. "We will get Shepard and his team to safety."

Natasha had to take a deep breath before she could turn away, trusting that the quarians wouldn't make another stupid decision. Rayhel sat on the table outside the war room, staring out the window in front of her. Ashley stood next to her, pointing at stars for her. Natasha smiled at the sight. Her daughter had taken a liking to having another human on board. As much as Natasha had hoped Rayhel would be partial to turians, she'd also hoped she'd be interested in her human traits as well. She seemed to cling to Ashley when she came out of the observation deck. It was slightly sad, when Natasha thought about it, that between Vallok and Ashley, her daughter was slowly growing unattached to her parents. She was becoming curious and wanted to know other people. Natasha stayed silent, keeping an eye on the war room as the admirals argued.

"I hope they know what they're doing."

Natasha turned her head to look at Ashley, who looked past her, resting her gaze on the admiral.

"Me too." Natasha replied. "They'll have hell to deal with if they leave them."  
"We can go back and pick them up. The quarians can have a nice trip back to their fleet through the airlock."  
"Ashley?" Rayhel said, looking up at her with big eyes. "What's an airlock?"  
"It lets you on a ship."  
"Like a door?"  
"Like a door."

Natasha smiled at them, loving how good the woman was with her daughter. From what she'd heard, Ashley had been rather racist on her first mission with Shepard. It seemed she'd changed a lot. Natasha was grateful.

"All ships open fire!"

Natasha snapped her head in the admiral's direction, telling herself they were attacking a different ship, not the dreadnought. Ashley rushed into the room, looking at the diagram of the dreadnought, readings of an attacking all over. Natasha followed her in, telling Rayhel to stay where she was.

"What the hell are you doing?!" Ashley hissed.  
"The dreadnaught is lost." Gerrel replied, not looking away from his console.  
"Shepard is still on that ship." she protested.  
"It's lost."

Natasha walked over to him, pushing him from the console. Ashley held her back as she tried swinging at him.

"Those are our people in there! Tell them to stop!"

A scratchy signal came from the comm before a voice was heard.

"We're leaving in a geth fighter. Transmitting rendezvous coordinates."

Joker was the one to respond to Shepard as the Normandy took off.

"Just waggle the wings or something so I know which one is you."

Natasha let her anger leave as she glared at the admiral. Ashley's grip on her loosened as Natasha calmed, leading her from the room. They both rushed to the CIC as Shepard, Garrus and Tali all walked into the airlock. Natasha didn't hesitate to fling her arms around Garrus, who hadn't even gotten his helmet off before she clung herself to him. He didn't object, putting his arms around her in return.

"Admiral Hacket is available in the war room." Traynor said over the comm.

Shepard left them silently. Natasha could feel his anger as he walked away, taking off his helmet without even a nod of recognition to Ashley. Natasha looked to Garrus, who took off his own helmet now.

"That was fun." he said with a smile.

Natasha shook her head at him, smiling in return before she noticed the geth standing by the airlock. Her smile widened.

"Legion." she said, giving him a hug. The geth stood there, his lights blinking at her. She let go, smiling up at him. "Welcome back."  
"The quarians are going to have a party with this." Ashley said, watching the geth intently.

* * *

_"Why do men suck?"_  
_"I have been asking myself that question for years, if you find an answer let me know."_  
_"Why do they have to pry? Why can't they just drop their pride and let things be?"_  
_"I think it's one of those things about proving their manhood. My dick is bigger than yours, kind of deal."_  
_"I hope I'll understand someday."_  
_"Women are just as bad with their pride, you know? Turians in general have pride issues."_  
_"That's what makes us good at what we do. We're accomplished because we don't just give up. We get the job done."_  
_"I wish turians didn't always get the job done at the moment."_

_Rayhel heard her aunt sigh on the other end of the comm, making her smile as she pictured her rubbing her belly._

_"Don't act like you aren't happy."_  
_"I am. I just wish we, as women, could skip pregnancy."_  
_"It can't be that bad."_  
_"This thing is going to make me pop!"_

_Rayhel laughed at her, shaking her head._

_"Soon enough, it'll be over."_  
_"I wonder what it will look like…"_  
_"I'm guessing it'll have plating and a fringe. Probably some talons."_  
_"Smart ass." Calpurnia scoffed. "Someday you'll have kids. I will take pleasure in making it hell for you."_  
_"I'm sure."_  
_"How is that going by the way?"_  
_"What?"_  
_"Tavus."_  
_"How do we get from having kids to Tavus?"_  
_"Have you let him have it yet?"_

_Rayhel put her hand in her face with a smile._

_"No."_  
_"You should just let the guy have some and maybe he'll back off."_  
_"Yeah, that'd be a great goal."_  
_"It's alright to have a little fun Ray."_  
_"I don't want to."_  
_"You are boring."_  
_"You're old."_

_Calpurnia let out a small gasp._

_"No I'm not." she pouted._  
_"I have to go."_  
_"Just take it back."_

_Rayhel laughed, standing from her bed._

_"Fine. I take it back."_  
_"Tell me I'm the best aunt ever."_  
_"I feel like you shouldn't be fishing for compliments-"_  
_"Say it."_  
_"You're the best aunt ever."_  
_"Good girl."_  
_"Bye aunt Cal." Rayhel shook her head again, her smile lingering as she walked to her door. She lowered her brow plates as she saw Tavus standing outside her door, casually leaning up against the wall. She folded her arms over her chest. "What are you doing?"_  
_"Well I was coming to visit, but you were having a conversation."_  
_"So you listened?"_  
_"Well…Not intentionally."_  
_"Sorry. Aunt Cal is a bit…Over the top."_  
_"I think you get your views on men from her." Rayhel laughed, leaning against the wall next to him. "She seems to think I…Want you."_

_Rayhel couldn't help but to think of her mother and how her skin would turn red when she was embarrassed. Of all the things she'd inherited from her human parent, she was grateful she hadn't gotten that trait. She gave him a small smile._

_"She thinks everyone is out for sex."_  
_"Yet she's pregnant."_  
_"Never said she wasn't one for a good time."_

_He smiled, causing that flutter to spread in Rayhel's chest. She shook her head, trying to smile in return._

_"How soon will she give birth?"_  
_"She's about a week away. Unless it comes early."_  
_"Are you going to take some time for leave?"_  
_"We just had leave."_  
_"Yeah, three months ago. Take some time."_  
_"No." Rayhel said, shaking her head again. "I can't. We have stuff to do."_  
_"Are we going back to Tuchanka?"_  
_"Rannoch."_  
_"Why?"_  
_"Top secret, chief. Can't say until we get there."_

_Tavus gave her a grin, inching closer to her._

_"Don't make me keep asking."_

_Rayhel rolled her eyes with a sigh._

_"You should really stop listening outside my door. You're going to hear something that you don't want to hear eventually." she said before walking past him._

_Tavus stood alone, wondering what he could hear from her room that he didn't want to. He shook his head as the images of her taking advantage of her alone time flooded his mind. As much as he tried shaking them from his thoughts, he found his body reacting nonetheless. He scolded himself, deciding it was time for a cold shower before he ended his night._

* * *

"Had to know the geth would figure their way into this war somehow."

Natasha looked over at Garrus as she fought to put a shirt over Rayhel's head. The little girl laughed as she sat on the console, letting Natasha dress her.

"Reapers weren't enough." she said sarcastically.  
"At least Tali is here."

Natasha bit back her defenses as Rayhel giggled, her head stuck in the shirt. She growled playfully at Natasha, her arms above her head, her hands trying to claw at her. Natasha laughed at the child. She looked back to Garrus after pulling the shirt over the girl's head.

"Any word from Palaven?"  
"Some. I don't like what I'm hearing. The krogan are there, but they're just slowing the Reapers down, not stopping them. I'm not sure it's going to be enough."  
"Hear anything from your family?" she asked, walking over to him after setting Rayhel down on the floor. Garrus was silent, looking away from her. She put her hand on his face, making him look back to her. "You will."  
"I did hear from Primarch Victus. He wants reports on fleet strength once we're ready. Still can't get used to people asking me things like that."  
"What did you say?"  
"I said, 'at some point we're going to have to decide if our fleets keep defending Palaven or we go on the offensive.'"  
"Can't do both."  
"Not with the beating we're taking. Like I said, not the sort of question I'm used to answering."  
"You know what you're doing, Garrus. Trust me. Everyone can see that."  
"Maybe. You just spend so much time on the outside, trying to get in and when you do, it's… not what I expected."  
"How so?"  
"All the questions, with millions of lives riding on the answer."  
"You do the best you can with what you know. It's no different than your days at C-Sec."  
"You're right, though I'm starting to see why the galaxy needs cold-hearted dictators every now and then."  
"They get things done?"  
"They don't give a damn about the consequences. Suppose that's what it's going to take. Ruthless calculus of war. Ten billion people over here die so twenty billion over there can live. Are we up for that? Are you?"

Natasha hated seeing Garrus so down. She knew it was reality, and that he had a point, but he was her rock. He was usually the one pulling her from a negative mind set. Now he was asking her if she was ready to sacrifice lives. She bit her lip, looking over to where Rayhel sat on the floor, playing with a wire that laid there. She shook her head, looking back to him.

"If we reduce this war to arithmetic, we're no better than Reapers."  
"A nice sentiment. Let's hope we can live by it."

Natasha sighed at him, taking his hand into her own. She leaned in, pressing her lips to his slowly. He let out a long sigh as she kissed him, putting a hand on her hip. She pulled away hesitantly, pressing her forehead against hers.

"Please don't give up." she said, looking into his eyes.

He felt his heart racing as he looked down at her. He gave her a small smile as she backed away, telling Rayhel to stop messing with the wires she was clawing at. He watched them both, knowing he couldn't let himself get down. The war was hard to deal with, but they had to keep fighting. He had to keep fighting. For his family.


	14. Chapter 14

**Hey guys!**

**I am seriously on a roll with getting chapters out there. I'm happy. (: I hope you guys are enjoying everything, we're reaching the end quickly. I am playing Mass Effect 3 as I write, you guys should see my set up. Haha, my poor XBox... Anyways, I have another one almost finished, it should be up either tomorrow or the next day.**

**Thanks to ArchelionGen, for being the best beta reader ever!**

**Please feel free to rate, review and even PM me if you have anything you'd like to say.**

**Thanks!**

* * *

Natasha sat in the main battery, holding Rayhel close to her, humming as the child slept. She stared at the door, waiting for Garrus to come back from Rannoch. She had wanted to see the quarian home world, but she knew it was more important for Tali to go. She idly stroked Rayhel's fringe as the child let out a deep sigh, cuddling closer to her mother. Natasha smiled, looking down at her. After taking her eyes off the door, it hissed open, making her heart jump. Her chest ached as she saw Vallok, instead of Garrus, though she smiled at him regardless.

"He's still not back?"  
"Not yet."  
"Damn Reapers." Natasha smiled wider, looking down at Rayhel. "How is she?"

Natasha watched him sit down on the floor next to her, pressing his back against the wall.

"She's good." she replied, staring at him.

He gave her a smile.

"What?"

She shook off her train of thought, looking back to the door of the main battery.

"Nothing, I just… Hear you've not been in contact with Garrus for some time."

Vallok nodded, looking down at the sleeping child in her arms.

"There was some… family drama."  
"He said you changed your name."  
"I did."  
"Was it his fault?"  
"I'd say it was a parental conflict."

Natasha gave him a small smile.

"Everyone has family issues." she said, reaching over and touching his hand with her own. "As long as you guys are moving past it."

Vallok was unsure of what to do other than give her a smile. Her hand retreated, returning to Rayhel's fringe to stroke her again.

"Has he said anything else about me?"

She smiled, leaning her head back against the wall.

"I hear you and Calpurnia have been sharing a bed." Vallok let out a short laugh, looking away from her to clear his throat. "Listen… Just take care of her. Caeus is still upset, and she doesn't deserve what he's doing. She made a simple mistake."  
"I know."  
"Just… Take care of her."  
"Hard to take care of her. She can handle herself." Natasha laughed with him, nodding in agreement. "Can I ask you something?"  
"Shoot." she said, looking over at him.  
"Who are you?"

She smiled, knitting her eyebrows together.

"What?"  
"I haven't talked to Garrus in years, I had no idea he had a family. A kid." he said with a short laugh. "I don't know you guys."

Natasha's smile widened slightly as she looked down to Rayhel. It'd been a while since someone had asked about her personal life. The people close to her knew her already and she made it a point to not let new friends get that close. She had her group of trusted friends, a small family, and she didn't need more. She looked back up at him, considering him for a moment before letting her smile fade.

"You don't want to know about me."  
"Why?"  
"I have a bad past."  
"Who doesn't have demons?"  
"I have several." Vallok gave her a smile, urging her to tell him something. She let out a sigh. "I don't have family, first off. Garrus and Rayhel are my family… And Cal."  
"What about Caeus?"  
"Not if he keeps this up with Cal."  
"You don't like seeing her mistreated, do you?"  
"She's a sister to me. I was never a witness to Saren being mean to her but I would have stuck up for her then too. She deserves the best."

Vallok smiled at her loyalty, nodding in understanding.

"What else?"  
"Well… I grew up on the Citadel. Lived in the tunnels for a long time."  
"You didn't get in trouble?"

Natasha laughed, nodding.

"Oh I did. That's how I met my bondmate."  
"What?"

Natasha let out a laugh, looking over at him.

"I was bonded before I met Garrus."  
"Really?"  
"Everyone is always so surprised."  
"You and Garrus seem so close."  
"He was assigned to protect me on the Citadel after my husband died… He funded my hospital visits to keep Rayhel alive while I was pregnant. I fell for him. After some convincing, he let himself fall too. We've been together every since. Well… We're not together now but…"  
"Why not?"

Natasha looked up at him, wincing slightly.

"We wanted different things." she said with strain.  
"Did he want to bond and you weren't ready?"  
"Quite the opposite actually…" she replied, looking away again.  
"Why didn't he want to?"  
"He never openly said no… He just wasn't asking or picking up my hints."  
"So you have a mark already?"

Natasha reached up and pulled her shirt down from her shoulder, letting him see her scar. He looked at it for a moment before looking back up at her.

"Can I touch it?"  
"Sure." she laughed.

He ran a finger over the scars before leaning against the wall again.

"They look different on human skin."  
"I imagine."  
"Did it hurt?"  
"Obviously."

He smiled as she pulled her shirt back up over her shoulder.

"Would he bite over it or make a new one?"  
"You're the turian, asking me about bondmarks?"  
"I've never bonded."  
"He'd make a mark over it."  
"Why do you think he won't bond?"

She shrugged her shoulders, looking at him with sadness in her eyes.

"Your guess is as good as mine."  
"I'm sorry. You guys seem like a good match." he said, looking down at Rachel. "She loves him."  
"She loves you too." she smiled.  
"Well…" he said, clearing his throat.

Natasha laughed at him, knowing he was unsure how to deal with the child's liking towards him.

"I can keep her at bay for a while if you want me to."  
"No." he said, shaking his head. "Let her do what she wants."  
"Then she'll turn out like Calpurnia."  
"Might not want that." he laughed.  
"Believe it or not, Calpurnia's parents were very strict with her."

Vallok smiled with her, a short silence enveloping them. Natasha cleared her throat, looking over at the door again.

"Back to you."

She wished he'd stop asking about her, though she sighed and tried picking something to tell him anyways.

"I used to hate C-Sec." she laughed.  
"Oh?"  
"Nihlus worked for C-Sec. He arrested me the first time we met."  
"Makes for a hell of a story for the grandkids." She looked over at him, her face blank. He caught himself, shaking his head. "Sorry."  
"I guess it'd make a story someday."  
"Is it still hard for you to talk about him?"  
"Not at all. I miss him sometimes, but… I love Garrus. I wouldn't change anything."

Vallok seemed to think for a moment before giving her a quizzical look.

"Here's a question: If Nihlus came back from the dead, and you had to choose between him and Garrus, who would it be?"

Natasha raised her eyebrows slightly, looking off into the distance for a long moment before shaking her head.

"That's a good question…." She gave him a small smile before nodding at him. "I couldn't go back. Garrus is her Dad… I'm happy, as complicated as it is at the moment."  
"What if Nihlus demanded his rights to Rayhel?"  
"He wouldn't."  
"What if?"  
"He wouldn't."

Vallok sighed, letting it go before another question popped into his head.

"Do you think Calpurnia would choose Saren if he came back?"  
"Over you or Caeus?" she asked with a smile.  
"Either." he shrugged.  
"Yes."  
"Why?"  
"She'd do just about anything to have him back." Natasha smiled at him. "He kept her stable. I have yet to see another man do so, and it's what she needs. She'd go back to him in a heartbeat."  
"Caeus hasn't fit the bill since they've been together?"

Natasha let out a sigh, thinking over it for a moment before looking up at him again.

"It's easy to fit the bill, but she compares the two, and to her, Saren was the best. She'll never say Caeus is just as good or that he's better."  
"Turian thing…"  
"Yep."

Vallok looked down at Rayhel, who stirred in Natasha's arms. They watched as the child sat up slowly, rubbing her eyes before looking around.

"Valk." she said with a groggy tone, holding out her arms to him. Natasha smiled as Vallok froze up, letting the child crawl into his lap to curl up. He gave Natasha a look, but she just laughed at him. Rayhel purred at him, laying her head on his forearm and closing her eyes. "Valk."  
"Why me?" he asked, laying his head back against the wall.  
"You'll get used to it." she smiled.

Vallok watched the child as she went back to sleep, her purr slowly vanishing as she drifted. He smiled slightly, stroking her fringe like Natasha had been doing. Natasha smiled with him, looking back up at the door in hopes Garrus would be back soon.

* * *

_"I've decided to go home."_

_Tavus looked up from his console, locking eyes with his captain as she leaned against the wall beside him._

_"What?"_  
_"I want to go home, for the birth."_

_He straightened up, giving her a smile._

_"Shore leave for us then?"_  
_"You guys have been working hard."_  
_"What about Rannoch?"_  
_"I used that good Vakarian name to pull some strings. Another ship is going in our place."_

_He gave her a mischievous grin, shaking his head at her._

_"Cheater."_  
_"First time for everything."_  
_"Are you sure you want to be there for the birth?"_  
_"What?" she said with a laugh._  
_"She's probably going to kill someone."_  
_"Yeah, my uncle, not me."_  
_"Record it, so we can have a laugh later."_  
_"You really want to see that?"_  
_"Well…Waist up would be fine."_

_Rayhel laughed with him, stepping closer._

_"Where do you live?" she asked casually._

_Tavus had to immediately suppress his grin, folding his arms across his chest with a curious look on his face._

_"Why? Want to see where I sleep?"_  
_"I know where you sleep." she countered._  
_"You want to stalk me on leave then?"_  
_"Yep. That's the whole purpose. I really just want free time to stalk you."_

_They laughed as Tavus opened his Omni tool._

_"I'll give you the location." He saw the way Rayhel smiled from the corner of his eye, a smile of his own flaring on his mandibles. "There a real reason you want to know where I live?"_

_She shrugged her shoulders as he looked back to her, watching her look down at her feet. He was slightly amazed at the difference in her. She had zero confidence as she stood in front of him, a small smile on her face, though her body language said she was embarrassed. She looked up at him after a moment, shrugging again._

_"Maybe we could see each other."_  
_"See each other?"_  
_"We could grab some lunch or something."_

_Tavus smirked, taking a step closer to her._

_"Are you asking me out on a date?"_

_Rayhel let out a laugh, straightening herself up to attention._

_"No." she scoffed. "It's just lunch."_  
_"You sure about that?"_  
_"Don't push it." she said, walking away from him._

_Tavus admired her effort to keep her feelings hidden, though they were still so prominent. He watched her body move as she approached the galaxy map, his heart racing in his chest. He was pulled from his train of thought, thankfully, though he regretted that it took another crew member to clap him on the back._

_"Don't you have work to do?" he joked, catching the line of sight Tavus had before he turned back to his console._  
_"Shut it."_  
_"You checking out the captain? She'd break you in half if she found out."_

_Tavus simply smiled, wondering what she'd really do if she found out. He felt guilt spreading threw him. He didn't want to lead her on, and he didn't want to hurt her. He wasn't interested in her the way she was him. He simply wanted to see if she'd ever admit she liked him. He shook the thoughts away, focusing on his work once more._

* * *

"It's alright."

Natasha looked over at Garrus, who laid in the bunk as she sat on the edge. She rubbed her face tiredly, giving him a small smile.

"What?"  
"It's alright that we didn't go all the way last night." he said, wrapping an arm around her waist to pull her back down to him.

She let out a soft laugh, rolling over to look at him.

"I trust you enjoyed what you got."  
"Thoroughly."  
"I feel bad for your brother, having to babysit."  
"Cal was there to help." Natasha sat up again, letting her legs hang off the bed. "What's wrong?"

Natasha shook her head, looking back down at him.

"It just feels wrong."  
"What does?"  
"This." she said, pointing from herself to him then back to herself. "I can't do this, it's wrong."  
"It's not like we have other people that we're sneaking around on."  
"We aren't together either."  
"Why aren't we? You're the one who said you didn't want to be and yet here we are."

Natasha stood, feeling tears come to her eyes. She hated the confusion in her mind, but hated her pride even more. She could easily tell him she wanted him back and he'd accept her, but she wouldn't. She heard him stand up behind her, his hands sliding past her hips so he could wrap his arms around her waist. He nuzzled into her neck, a soft purr in his chest. Natasha closed her eyes, laying her head back on his shoulder.

"Garrus…"  
"I love you." he purred.

Natasha smiled as more tears fell down her face. She picked up her head as he did with his own, looking into his blue eyes. He reached up, wiping her tears with his thumb before kissing her. Her heart raced in her chest, loving his touch though she fought to break away from him. She couldn't bring herself to walk away, but she wasn't dumb enough to stay. Vallok's question of choosing between Nihlus and Garrus found it's way back into her mind. If she'd never experienced this with Garrus, she wouldn't have to make a choice between being with him and leaving him permanently. She knew he'd wait until she chose, and even then he'd stick around. She wanted Rayhel to see them happy, and have a good example for parents, but she couldn't act like she didn't want more than what Garrus was willing to give.

She pulled her lips from his, avoiding his eyes as she stepped out of his arms. She cleared her throat and wiped her tears, looking back at him after reaching the doorway.

"I love you too."

Garrus felt his chest tighten as she walked away, knowing how hard it was for her to make a choice. He knew she loved him, and he knew she didn't want to walk away, but the fact that she wanted him to bond with her was slightly deterring. Why couldn't they stay together without bonding? He shook his head at himself, sitting back down on his bed and putting his face in his hands. Why wouldn't he bond with her? What was keeping him from marking her as his own? He wasn't sure he even had a reason anymore. He knew it was for the reason that she'd already bonded that he'd avoided the topic in the past but he knew she'd moved on a long time ago. He was raising Nihlus' daughter without a second thought, and he was still taking care of his bondmate. Garrus bit back the anger at the thought of taking care of someone else's family. That was HIS family. There was no reason it couldn't be permanent and if that was what Natasha needed, why not? He had no plans of wandering to someone else in the future.

He let out another sigh, getting to his feet again, walking out of the main battery to find the observation deck. He needed a drink.

* * *

_"When are we going on our date?"_

_Rayhel laughed, looking over at the operations chief as the ship docked on Palaven._

_"It's not a date. It's lunch, and I'll call you when I'm ready."_  
_"You like wearing the pants in this relationship." he noted. Rayhel slapped a hand to her face, shaking her head. Tavus laughed at her, watching the airlock open for them to leave the ship. He walked beside her, tossing his bag over his shoulder. "Do we have access to the ship while we're here?"_  
_"As always, chief." she said, looking around with a smile._  
_"Happy to be home?"_  
_"Very."_  
_"Call me." he said with a smile, walking away from her hesitantly._  
_"Will do." she replied, focusing on the shuttle cars that were parked around the dock._

_Rayhel wasted no time renting a sky car and driving it to her home. She was grateful there was minimal traffic as she was quite looking forward to seeing her family again. She noticed her parents' shuttle wasn't parked outside the house, making her frown in disappointment. She slowly got out of her rental, tossing her bag over her shoulder and walking up to the door. She was immediately put on alert as the door opened without her having to unlock it. She put her bag down once inside, prepared for a fight._

_"Hello?"_

_Before she could respond, the lights flipped on, revealing a large group of familiar faces._

_"Surprise!"_

_She smiled, taking in the sight of the banner above their heads that said 'Happy Birthday'. Natasha was the first to run up and hug her._

_"Happy Birthday sweetie."_  
_"Thanks Mom."_  
_"It was your Dad's idea."_

_Rayhel smiled past her, watching Garrus step closer, bringing her into a hug._

_"Thanks Dad."_  
_"I love you and I'm very proud of you."_  
_"That means a lot to me."_  
_"Out of the way!" Rayhel let go of her Dad to be squeezed by her aunt. "Lady with a baby coming through."_

_Rayhel laughed, looking over to her uncle. He looked tired._

_"You ready, Caeus?"_  
_"You have no idea."_

_Calpurnia shot him a glare, which the others laughed at. The rest of the group of people greeted Rayhel slowly. She was glad to see all of her Dad's old squad mates together for her birthday. She'd never been big on celebrating it, but her mother always insisted that it was something to celebrate, especially in her case._

_"I made the cake myself."_

_Rayhel turned to see the large krogan, giving him a smile before shaking his hand._

_"I'm glad you made it, Wrex."_  
_"Brought the kid with me."_

_She smiled widely at the sight of the young krogan across the room who wrestled with a small quarian._

_"He looks good."_  
_"He's a trouble maker…I think I'm doing it right."_  
_"Mom! He broke my visor!"_

_Rayhel watched the quarian woman walk over to her, taking the broken visor in her hands and putting a hand on her daughter's head._

_"You're safe without it." Tali said._  
_"He broke it!"_  
_"It's repairable."_  
_"Take that!" the girl said, throwing her fist at the small krogan._

_Rayhel laughed, watching Tali's life mate come to her side, scolding his daughter for hitting the other child. Wrex let out a sigh._

_"I worry about that kid."_  
_"He'll be fine."_  
_"I meant Tali's girl. She's crazy."_

_Rayhel smiled, looking down at the cake that sat on the table. The Vakarian blue stood out amongst the yellow._

_"I looks good." she said, inspecting it closely. "You made this?"_  
_"No." he admitted. "I'm a clan chief, you think I bake?"_  
_"I assume Bakara did the honors."_  
_"You can send her a message later." Wrex said, turning away to tend to his crying child._

_Rayhel laughed as she spotted a human woman across the room, making her rush to her for a hug._

_"Ash!"_  
_"Good to see you, kiddo."_  
_"I'm not a kid anymore." Rayhel said._  
_"You're always a kid to me." Ashley replied. "I remember when you were a four year old."_  
_"We used to watch the stars together."_  
_"You used to love it."_  
_"She's always loved me more than any stars."_

_Rayhel looked over to the source of the voice, hugging her uncle._

_"I'm glad you're here."_  
_"Wouldn't miss it." Vallok replied._  
_"We should go shooting today."_  
_"Tell me when and where, I'm sure your Dad would love it."_

_Rayhel smiled, as Vallok handed her a wrapped box._

_"What's this?"_  
_"Present. Just something small."_

_Rayhel gave him a look before opening the box, peeking inside hesitantly. She smiled at the small model of her ship, picking it up gingerly._

_"You had a model for my ship made?"_  
_"Figured you'd like to have one. Shepard used to collect them."_  
_"I love it, Vallok." she said with a smile, putting it back in the box carefully._  
_"I remember the days when I was Valk to you."_  
_"What?" she said, a confused look on her face._  
_"You weren't able to pronounce my name. You used to call me Valk."_

_Rayhel shook her head with a smile._

_"Sorry."_  
_"Ah, it was kind of cute."_  
_"I can pick up the habit again if you want me to."_  
_"Vallok is good."_

_She laughed, looking around to spot her mother playing with her Omni tool._

_"Wow, Mom never uses her tool."_

_Vallok looked over his shoulder before letting out a sigh._

_"She's been on that thing all day."_  
_"Who is she talking to?"_  
_"Go ask."_

_Rayhel hesitated, but walked over to her mother anyways. Natasha was quick to close out her tool, giving her daughter a smile._

_"You enjoying everything?"_  
_"I love it." Rayhel agreed. "Who are you chatting with?"_  
_"No one."_  
_"Mom I saw your tool up, you never use it."_  
_"Just talking with some friends."_  
_"All of our friends are here."_

_Natasha laughed at her, turning her attention back to Calpurnia. Rayhel tilted her head, stepping closer to Natasha._

_"Mom."_  
_"What's with all the questions?"_

_Rayhel dropped the topic, listening to her talk with Calpurnia. After a while, Rayhel was forced to sit and open presents. She hated being the center of attention among the guests, but gladly opened the gifts regardless. She received several little trinkets from the different homeworlds her friends came from, including a Pyjak from Wrex, who laughed when it jumped out of it's box. Rayhel watched it scurry around the room with laughter, thanking Wrex for the new pet._

_"Hope your crew doesn't mind."_  
_"My crew can't tell me what to do." she replied, reaching for another box._

_She admired the bow on it, loving the Vakarian blue before looking up to her father._

_"It's from you." she said._  
_"What gave it away?"_

_She smiled, untying the ribbon slowly as to not rip it. She carefully opened the box, her smile fading as she stared down at the small paintbrush that laid there, a bottle of blue paint resting next to it. She stared for a moment before looking back up to him._

_"What is this?"_  
_"Your mother and I have decided you've earned the right to choose when you'll take your markings."_

_Rayhel smiled at him, looking back down at the paint. Tears came to her eyes as she took the bottle in her hand. No other present she opened that day amounted to the one her father had given her._

_The night went by quickly, the guys deciding to go out for drinks after a while, the girls staying home to chat amongst themselves. Rayhel sat on the couch, listening to the group of women as they talked about their days on the Normandy._

_"Remember when Vallok first joined the Normandy?" Natasha asked, looking over at Calpurnia._  
_"How could I forget?" she asked, letting out a small sigh as a smile creeped onto her face._  
_"Wait, what?" Rayhel said, leaning forward in her seat._  
_"You never knew they slept together?" Natasha asked._

_Rayhel felt her world being turned upside-down as she stared at her aunt._

_"What?!" The women laughed at the look of shock Rayhel wore. She shook her head. "Unbelievable!"_  
_"He was hot." Calpurnia said with a shrug. Rayhel put a hand over her face, continuing to shake her head. "You're too much like your mother. Not adventurous enough."_  
_"I'm adventurous! I've been living with turians all of my life." Natasha protested._  
_"I wonder what it'd be like for a human to get with a turian woman." Tali wondered aloud, looking at Natasha with a thoughtful expression._

_Natasha and Calpurnia exchanged suggestive smiles, looking at her afterwards._

_"We could give you an example if you really want." Natasha laughed._  
_"I'm too pregnant, can we wait a week?"_  
_"A week?" Rayhel laughed. "Take a bit to rest."_  
_"Nope, I'll be back in the game in no time."_  
_"What I meant was a male human and a female turian." Tali said. "You hear of male turians with female humans but never the other way around."_

_Natasha nodded in agreement, thinking it over for a moment. Rayhel shook her head._

_"No."_  
_"No?" Natasha said. "Why not?"_  
_"Humans don't have enough…Spunk."_  
_"Spunk?"_  
_"They can't handle us." Calpurnia said. "They can't give us what we need."_  
_"Why does everything have to come back to sex?" Tali asked._

_Calpurnia and Rayhel laughed._

_"What's a relationship without sex?"_  
_"Well sex can be put off for a while in a relationship." Natasha said._  
_"Put off." Calpurnia said. "If sex is put off, it just builds tension and it makes the experience that much better. If it's avoided and never done, the couple misses a key building exercise for their love life."_  
_"So sleeping with Vallok was building a love life?"_

_Calpurnia let out a laugh, leaning back on the couch._

_"At the time." she said, looking over at Rayhel. "Which is why you need to give it up to Tavus before he finds it elsewhere."_

_Rayhel gave her a smile, though the words filled her mind with worry. She knew not all men were the same, and he could very well be one that would remain faithful without a sex life in the relationship, but they weren't in one together. Why would he wait around? She felt herself growing defensive at the thought of him finding another woman._

_"Tavus is a good kid, he's not a man whore." Natasha replied._  
_"Tavus is an adult and he's single. What do you think he's doing on his shore leave?"_

_Natasha shook her head, looking over at Rayhel._

_"Don't listen to her."_

_Rayhel liked that her Mom stuck up for her, though she was unconvinced that Tavus wasn't out doing something fun for his shore leave. She shook off the thought, telling herself he had every right to have fun. Just like she was._

_"Alright, I need a beer." Rayhel said, standing to go to the kitchen as the others kept gabbing._

* * *

Natasha was grateful they were going to the Citadel again, though a part of her was worried there would be another attack on it soon enough. Cerberus wasn't playing around the first time. The only reasonable outcome of pushing them back the first time was for them to regain their strength and come back twice as hard the next time. She hoped they'd give up after Shepard stopped them, though she knew it was not probable.

Garrus seemed unusually talkative with Natasha for the whole day leading up to them docking on the station. She wondered why he was being so open with her after being distant for the past week. He hadn't left her side, telling her she was beautiful, telling her she was an amazing woman. She kept quiet when he'd compliment her, unsure of what to say while finding it strange that he was throwing random remarks out there.

Garrus knew exactly what he was going to ask her, and he knew there was no way around asking this time. He'd put it off long enough. The past week with Natasha had been distant, and though it was his fault for keeping himself away, he knew he had to talk to her. He figured laying out several compliments to get her in a good mood would only bolster his chances of her agreeing to his request. He kept fumbling around with the words, unsure if there was a certain way he should talk to her or if he should just come right out and say what he needed to.

He let out a sigh, watching Rayhel run from the dock, onto the Citadel, Natasha following close behind her with a smile. She looked back at Garrus, who took his time.

"You hungry?" she asked.  
"I am!" Rayhel said, raising one hand and patting her belly with the other.

Garrus smiled, stopping at Natasha's side.

"We should eat."

They picked their usual spot on the presidium, enjoying the view from the café as they drank their coffee. Rayhel chomped on her food happily. Natasha gave her a smile, taking a napkin to the girl's face.

"Chew with your mouth closed." she said. Rayhel straightened herself up, doing her best to keep herself clean. She quickly forgot, clearly focused on the food, her mouth smacking again. Natasha shook her head, looking up at Garrus. "She's yours."  
"Yeah, I have zero table manners."

She smiled, taking a drink from her mug again. Garrus watched her, feeling his heart pick up the pace as the words ran through his head. He looked out at the sky cars that flew by, letting out a deep breath.

"What's going on with you?" Natasha asked, leaning her elbows on the table.  
"What do you mean?" he replied, looking back to her.  
"We've been distant all week and now I'm the best thing ever. You haven't shut up all day. Now you're quiet again."

Garrus cleared his throat, looking down at Rayhel.

"It's difficult."  
"Talk to me."

He sighed, watching the sky cars again.

"I need to ask you a question."

Natasha bit her lip, knowing he'd ask her about where she stood with their relationship after having the night they did a week ago.

"Listen, I'm sorry. I started it and… If I'd had a bit more control, maybe… We wouldn't have been put in that situation and we wouldn't be here right now. We should have let things be, now they're all messed up again."

Garrus leaned forward in his chair, looking at her with narrowed eyes.

"This isn't about what we did."

Natasha swallowed the lump in her throat, nodding.

"Sorry. I assumed it was."  
"I know it's been difficult. I'm sorry it's not easier."  
"It'll pass eventually."  
"I wanted to ask you about something else." he said, leaning back in his chair again.  
"What?"

He glanced to Rayhel, then back up to her.

"You said she was mine."

Natasha smiled, letting out a small laugh.

"She has been for quite some time."

He nodded, clearing his throat again before tilting his head at her.

"How about we make it official?"

Natasha was surprised that he was asking, though she felt no objections to the request. She smiled, looking down at her daughter, deciding to push him a little further, knowing it'd taken him some time to build the courage to ask in the first place.

"How so?"  
"Don't play dumb."  
"There are a few different ways to make it official. You want her to have markings?"  
"You think I'm stupid? No, I'm not giving her markings."  
"Then what, Garrus?" she said with a challenging smile. He narrowed his eyes at her, folding his arms across his chest. Her smile grew. "Say it."  
"I want her to have my last name."

Natasha sat back in her chair, nodding.

"Was that so hard?"  
"You don't care?"  
"You're her Dad, why would I care?" Garrus shrugged, looking down at Rayhel again. "We should do it while we're here."

He smiled, looking back up to Natasha, nodding in agreement.

"Let's do it."

* * *

_Rayhel took a deep breath in the darkness of the night, closing her eyes as a cool wind swept across her face. She smiled, wishing she never had to leave her home again. She'd been grateful for her party, glad that so many would drop what they were doing to celebrate with her. She heard laughter above her, her heart aching as she told herself she had to find her father and uncle. She climbed up the ladder that led to the roof, smiling at the sight of the two turians._

_"Ray, come sit." Vallok said, scooting away from Garrus so she could sit in between them. She smiled, taking her spot with a sigh, enjoying the sight of Menae. They were silent for a moment before Garrus offered her a beer. She gratefully took it as Vallok nudged her. "You like the party?"_  
_"I loved it."_  
_"You like your new pet?" Garrus laughed._  
_"I have no clue how to care for one of those things, but I think it's adorable."_  
_"I feel like Wrex is just pawning off his pests."_  
_"What could possibly go wrong?" Rayhel asked before tipping up her bottle._  
_"You let me know how that goes." Vallok said, patting her on the back. She smiled, silence enveloping them once again. Vallok tipped up his own bottle after a moment, finishing off his drink before getting to his feet. "I should call it a night before I get too drunk."_  
_"Wouldn't want to have anymore one night stands." Garrus jabbed._  
_"Get over it." Vallok groaned, walking to the ladder on the roof._  
_"Night." Rayhel said, smiling as he left._

_Again, silence hung over them. Garrus looked at her, a small smile on his face._

_"The ceremony for your markings is tomorrow."_

_Rayhel smiled, nodding her head at him._

_"Ok." she said, her voice more than a little strained._  
_"You don't want them anymore, do you?"_

_For a moment, she tried gathering words to tell him he was wrong, but she gave up. She looked over at him, giving him a sad smile._

_"No."_

_Garrus just smiled at her before looking back out at Menae._

_"He must really mean something."_

_Rayhel felt tears in her eyes as she looked away from him, her heart aching in her chest._

_"Yeah…" she said, her voice quivering._

_He put an arm around her, letting her lay her head on his shoulder._

_"It's scary, growing up, huh?"_  
_"I thought I could just go into the service and not worry about boys, and come home after retirement and be happy with you and Mom and that's it. I didn't need anyone else…"_  
_"Ray, as much as it sucks for the both of us, boys happen. The guy seems very loyal to you."_  
_"He doesn't even like me Dad, he's just a friend."_  
_"I know you. You fight for what you want, and if you ever want him to give you a chance, you have to say something."_

_Rayhel looked up at him, shaking her head._

_"He'll just say no."_  
_"Since when did you take no for an answer?"_

_She gave him a small smile, wiping her tears and sitting up straight again._

_"Can't you just kill him so he's not an issue anymore?"_  
_"Then I'd have to set up a real ceremony for your markings." he laughed._

_Rayhel looked at him, lowering her brow plates._

_"You didn't really set one up?"_  
_"Hell no." he scoffed. "I knew you'd tell me you'd changed your mind if I offered the markings to you."_

_She punched his arm, making him laugh again._

_"Ass." she said, returning to her bottle of beer._  
_"Ray, the thing is the people around you can see what's happening. You're grown up, you're twenty five years old. Let yourself live a little."_  
_"I don't want to just have fun-" she said with an irritated groan._  
_"I didn't mean for you to just go out and find any guy you can. I meant that you beat yourself up over something small like finding someone that means a lot to you. Do you think I'll be mad?" Rayhel looked at him again, her eyes quickly filling with tears. Garrus put a hand on hers, leaning closer to her. "Please talk to me."_

_Rayhel took a deep breath, looking down at her bottle._

_"You've done so much for me…I feel like bringing any other guy into the picture would just be insulting…You deserve the credit, not someone else."_  
_"I take all the credit of being your father. Bringing a guy home that you can look at as a potential mate is different."_  
_"I want you to be one hundred percent with him."_  
_"I am, you'd know if I wasn't."_  
_"You don't want to kill him?"_  
_"If he lays a hand on you, I'll kill him. If he keeps his paws off of you and keeps a safe five foot distance at all times, I think it'll work out great." Rayhel laughed, wiping her tears from her face. Garrus smiled, watching her drink her beer for a moment before looking back out at the moon. "You have to do what is right in your heart, Ray. You can't do what you think will make everyone around you happy."_  
_"I love you Dad."_  
_"I want you happy, Rayhel and if he does it, then I'm behind you."_

_Rayhel was grateful for her father. She always had been, but in that moment, she had never been more grateful to have someone like him watching over her. They sat in silence for a while longer, enjoying each other's company while they finished their beers._

* * *

"Ray Vakaran!"

Garrus and Natasha laughed as Rayhel ran around on the catwalk of the presidium with her arms up in the air, trying to pronounce her new last name.

"Vakarian." Garrus said in example to the girl.  
"Vakaran!"  
"You'll get there."

Natasha laughed, looking out at the gardens below them. She let out a sigh of contentment as Garrus chased down the child who tried running from their sight. She stopped, leaning against the railing to look at the gardens. They'd changed a bit since she'd lived there. She stared for a moment before feeling a hand on her shoulder. She looked over at Garrus, who didn't seem to realize where they were.

"Vakaran!" Rayhel said with a giggle, putting a talon on Garrus' face to trace his markings.  
"Seems like she'll need practice with pronunciation."  
"At least she's happy with her new name."  
"Now all we have to do is change yours."

Natasha shot a look at him, knitting her eyebrows together. Garrus immediately regretted making the joke, setting Rayhel down on the ground in front of them. Natasha took the girl's hand, walking away from him in silence. Garrus leaned against the railing where Natasha had been, looking out over the presidium, letting out a long sigh. He hadn't meant to make a nasty jab, though telling himself it was a joke didn't sound much better. It wasn't a joke to her, and she made to effort in hiding how she felt about it. He scolding himself several times before straightening up, giving one last glance to the garden as it clicked in his mind; this garden was where Nihlus had asked her to bond with him.

He let out another sigh, not envying the internal battle she had to have been going through. It seemed Nihlus was coming up more and more lately, and he was unsure why. Was she missing him, or wanting him to come back? He shook the thoughts away, reminding himself she'd just let him adopt Nihlus' daughter. Surely, if she wanted to keep hanging onto something of his, she wouldn't have let him change the girl's last name. Still, the thought of her wishing Nihlus was here with her forced a growl out of him. 'She's more Nihlus' than she is yours' he thought, gripping the railing tighter, his talons scratching the metal. 'Do something about it, Vakarian'. He shook his head, letting go of the railing to walk back to the Normandy.

He hoped his brother wasn't busy at the moment. He needed a beer and he needed a talk. He suppressed his growl to the best of his abilities on the way back, unable to subside his anger.


	15. Chapter 15

**Hey guys!**

**This is it! We're getting down to the last few chapters. I think there will be two more after this, and then an epilogue. I am so excited for chapter sixteen! (:**

**Shout out to ArchelionGen for being the best dude ever.**

**Please feel free to rate, review, and even PM me if you have anything you'd like to say.**

**Thanks!**

* * *

"Oh… Don't stop."

Calpurnia gripped the pillow in front of her, letting out moans as Vallok pushed into her, a growl emitting from his chest, his talons dug into her hips. She felt herself getting close to her end, reaching back and digging at his forearm. He pushed into her harder, growling in her ear from behind her as her body shook, making her gasp as the pleasure coursed through her. He slowed down as his warmth filled her, letting out a long breath. She laid herself down after he pulled out of her, laying next to her in exhaustion.

"You're giving me a run for my money." he breathed, closing his eyes.

She let out a soft laugh, rolling over to look at him.

"It's not the money I'm interested in." she said, letting a talon trace the plating on his chest.  
"Don't make me kick you out of here." he laughed after catching the look she gave him.  
"Are you getting tired yet?"  
"Just need to recharge is all." She smiled, getting out of his bunk to find her clothes. He watched her walk around without a care for showing off her form, a small smile flaring on his mandibles. "Maybe I don't need to recharge."

She laughed at him softly, shaking her head as she pulled her pants up to her hips.

"I'll be back later." she assured him, picking up her shirt.  
"Got plans?"  
"I hear Rayhel got her name changed. I want to talk to Natasha."  
"You sure?" he grinned as she bent down to the bed, rubbing a hand up the member that presented itself to her.  
"I'm sure you'll be fine until I get back."  
"That's cold, to make me wait."  
"I'm not a nice person." she smiled before straightening up and walking to the door.

Vallok laid alone for a moment, enjoying the quiet before his Omni tool beeped. He looked down at the message, concern filling him as he read the words.

'Get your ass to the observation deck. I need a drink.'

Vallok let out a sigh, sitting up to find his clothes.

* * *

_"I hear you had a party yesterday."_

_Rayhel looked up to see Tavus approaching her table. She smiled as he sat down across from her._

_"It was a surprise."_  
_"Your family happy your home?"_  
_"It was for my birthday." she said casually._  
_"Happy birthday." Tavus smiled._  
_"Thanks."_  
_"Did you have fun?"_  
_"Got a little buzzed…Head hurts but I enjoyed myself."_  
_"Calpurnia giving birth tomorrow?"_  
_"That's the plan."_

_A waitress approached their table, taking their order before giving them their drinks. Rayhel smiled after taking a drink of hers, clearly happy with her choice._

_"I'm so used to the ship's food." Tavus said, looking out the window next to them._  
_"It's nice to come home. Reminds us not to take it for granted. We can enjoy the little things a lot more." Tavus admired her train of thought, nodding in agreement as she took a few quick drinks from her glass. "I'm gonna need another one of these."_

_He laughed as she tried spotting the waitress._

_"Anything in particular you wish to discuss?" he asked, leaning back in his chair._  
_"You joined me." she replied._  
_"You invited me."_  
_"Right." she said, looking out the window. "How's your Mom?"_  
_"My Mom?"_

_She smiled at him, nodding._

_"You do have one, right?"_  
_"She's fine. Why do you ask?"_  
_"I feel bad that she's alone all of the time."_  
_"She's not."_  
_"You said you don't have family around here."_  
_"She's been hanging out with your Mom, actually."_  
_"What?" Rayhel said, her heart dropping._  
_"I guess they go way back."_  
_"I know they do but I've never seen them hang out in my life."_

_He shrugged at her._

_"They must have reconnected knowing we work together."_

_She narrowed her eyes at him, folding her arms across her chest._

_"I'd bet anything you're lying about them hanging out just to get me worked up."_  
_"I'd never." he scoffed._  
_"Uh huh."_  
_"Get anything good for your birthday?"_  
_"I have a new crew member for the ship." she said with a grin. He raised a brow plate at her. "I got a Pyjak."_  
_"Why?" he asked, laughing lightly._  
_"Wrex brought one from Tuchanka."_  
_"That'll prove to be interesting."_  
_"It's adorable, don't worry."_

_He smiled, watching her take another drink._

_"You're gonna have that gone by the time the food gets here."_  
_"Good, I can get another one."_  
_"I hope I don't have to carry you home at the end of the night."_  
_"I don't trust you to carry me home, you'll just take me to your bed."_

_Tavus stared at her, unsure if she really felt that way behind her joke._

_"What would be wrong with that?" he asked in return._  
_"Insubordination." she said, pointing a talon at him. "We'd get in trouble."_  
_"Not if we kept it a secret."_

_She smiled at him, shaking her head._

_"I'd stick with your hand."_

_Tavus couldn't help but to laugh at her. She seemed different from yesterday, as if she was more confident. He liked seeing her old self coming back._

_"So should I book the room or…?"_

_Rayhel shook her head._

_"Keep dreaming."_  
_"I heard you're getting your markings."_

_Rayhel lowered her brow plates, tilting her head at him._

_"Where did you hear that?"_

_Tavus scolded himself, trying to find a way to cover his tracks. He shrugged._

_"My Mom said so."_  
_"My mother would not tell yours that I was getting markings."_  
_"Why not?"_  
_"Because it's not true."_

_Tavus was more than a little confused with her, but figured she was lying to him._

_"She said your Dad gave you paint for a present."_  
_"He did."_  
_"So…?"_  
_"I refused the offer."_

_Tavus had to fight his smile as he watched her stare down at her drink._

_"Is there a reason why?"_

_She shrugged._

_"It's not right."_  
_"Don't tell me you already want to bond with me." he said with an egotistical tone._

_She let out a laugh, shaking her head._

_"Get over yourself, Tavus."_  
_"I will when you do."_  
_"I love you too much to get over you."_

_He smiled, liking their ways of joking around, knowing that she was serious behind her wit, to a certain extent. She took the silence as a good time to drink down the rest of her alcohol._

_"You're going to get drunk aren't you?" She gave him a grin as she flagged down the waitress for another one. He shook his head with a laugh, asking for one of his own. "Fine, alright."_  
_"Yes!" she said, clapping her hands together._  
_"You're a horrible influence."_  
_"I'm your acting captain, do what I say and drink." He smiled as the waitress gave them their drinks. He sniffed at it for a moment before tipping it up. He was pleasantly surprised with the taste, nodding in approval as he sat it down. "I knew you'd like it."_

_By the time a few more drinks set in, both of them were feeling quite satisfied with their dinner, deciding to walk home instead of driving the shuttles. Rayhel had a hard time keeping her balance, hanging onto Tavus' arm for support. She laughed at herself every time she stumbled._

_"Why is your Dad so uptight?" he asked in an exasperated tone._  
_"My Dad has seen shit." she said, nodding slowly with a thoughtful look on her face._  
_"Really?" he said, laughing at her._

_Tavus knew she was much more drunk than he was, loving the sight of his captain so relaxed. She laughed into his shoulder, apparently finding the subject much more funny than she normally would._

_"Tavus, I want a pony."_  
_"A what?"_  
_"It's an Earth animal."_  
_"I feel like anything on Earth wouldn't be beneficial to us."_  
_"That's not nice." she said, looking up at him with a concerned expression._

_He laughed at her, patting her hand that clung to his arm._

_"It's alright."_  
_"Tavus, will you get me a pony?"_  
_"I will."_  
_"We can ride it together."_  
_"Anything else you'd like?"_

_Rayhel raised her head from his shoulder, shaking it violently._

_"Nope!" she said, losing her balance once more. She laughed at herself, tightening her grip on his arm briefly. "Woah."_  
_"Alright." Tavus said, leading her up the driveway to her house. "We're here."_  
_"Where is here anymore?"_  
_"You're not making sense." he laughed, opening the door. "Shh."_

_She laughed as he hushed her, both of them walking through the dark living area to get to her room. She let herself fall on her bed once inside, looking up at him with a smile._

_"Tavus, where are you going to sleep?"_  
_"I'm going home to sleep."_  
_"What?!" she hissed, her brow plates upturned in worry. "Please no!"_  
_"I am not staying here." he laughed, helping her under the blankets._  
_"I just want you to stay here."_  
_"No." She reached out for him once she was settled in bed, giving him a soft smile. "What?"_  
_"Come down here."_  
_"No."_  
_"I am your commander!"_  
_"No, you're my captain."_  
_"Right!"_

_He laughed, bending down to get closer to her._

_"What?"_  
_"I just want to touch your face." she whispered, letting her hand gently touch the top of his head to run down his face paintings slowly. She gave him a smile, her eyes flicking over his markings. "You're beautiful."_

_He watched her, letting her surprisingly gentle hands touch his face, a confusing flutter starting in his chest as he took in the color of her eyes._

_"So are you."_

_She didn't seem to catch his remark, too focused on the white markings on his face. She lifted her head slowly, kissing his cheek softly. He put a hand on the bed to push himself up and away from her, knowing if he let himself do something stupid it'd ruin a lot of good things he currently had going for him. She frowned as he straightened up, rolling to her side with a slight huff. She closed her eyes, silence taking over the room as she quickly slipped off to sleep._

_He smiled, shutting off the light on her nightstand before walking to the door. He silently left the house, not walking in the direction of home. He smiled to himself as he approached a market, a specific goal in his mind. It didn't take him long to achieve, making his way back to the Vakarian house after making his purchase. The door was locked, forcing him to hack his way through with a slight amount of guilt, though he told himself it was for a good reason. He snuck into Rayhel's room, smiling at the sight of her still sleeping before setting down the small, stuffed horse he'd bought for her. He watched her for a minute, pulling the blankets up to her shoulders gently. She let out a soft moan as she stirred, shifting into a more comfortable postion. He bent down to her, gently pressing his lips to her cheek._

_"Goodnight Rayhel." he whispered before straightening back up, turning towards the door to leave. His heart dropped at the sight of Natasha in the doorway, her arms folded over her chest with a small smirk on her face. He put his hands up in a silent defense, but she just gestured him out of the room. Once she shut the door, he took a step closer to her. "I wasn't-"_  
_"I know." He nodded, looking down at his feet. "When are you going to tell her?"_  
_"Tell her what?"_  
_"That you feel the same way about her that she does you."_  
_"I don't-"_  
_"Right, because chiefs who respect their officers kiss them goodnight." Tavus let out a long breath, looking up at her. "When are you going to tell her?"_  
_"She…"_  
_"She likes you."_  
_"I…It'd ruin everything we have achieved in our jobs."_

_Natasha knitted her eyebrows together, shaking her head._

_"I watched Commander Shepard have a relationship with a major on his ship."_  
_"How'd that go over?"_  
_"No one gave a shit."_  
_"He was Commander Shepard."_  
_"Either tell her or leave her alone so she can get over it. As much as I like you, that's my baby you're toying with."_

_Tavus gave her a serious look, shaking his head._

_"I'd never hurt her."_  
_"You're going to hurt her if you keep urging her towards something you're not willing to pursue."_

_He nodded in understanding, looking towards the front door._

_"I should go."_  
_"Have a good night."_  
_"You too."_

_Tavus was unsure how to feel as he walked down the dark street, his gaze hard on the ground as his mind raced at a million miles a minute._

* * *

Natasha watched Shepard, Garrus and Liara all walk through the CIC, each of them shockingly silent after coming back from Thessia. Garrus glanced over at her as she waited next to the elevator. He let Liara walk past him, shaking his head at Natasha when she tried getting in the elevator with the asari. The doors closed behind her, making Natasha turn back to Garrus.

"What happened?"  
"We didn't get it. Cerberus was there… We don't know how to finish the crucible."

Natasha Looked away from him, tears welling up in her eyes quickly. She cleared her throat, trying to keep her composure.

"Oh…"

He could see the panic rising in her, his chest tightening, knowing he couldn't do anything to cease her worry. Everyone was feeling it now.

"Shepard wants to see us in the war room when he's finished telling the asari councilor the news."  
"News?"  
"Thessia is deteriorating fast…"

Natasha took a deep breath to calm herself, nodding at him before he lead her into the war room. Shepard looked upset, his quiet demeanor effecting every team member that waited for him to speak. Natasha hated how she felt, but she couldn't imagine feeling at fault for losing the information that'd save the galaxy. She could tell he was starting to get worn down. She wished the nightmare would end.

"Nobody could have predicted Cerberus would reach Thessia before us." Liara said as she cried, watching the holo image of Reapers closing in on her homeworld.  
"It's my job to be prepared." he said to her, looking out at the rest of the team. "Thessia is lost, as is the data on the catalyst. I'm sick of Cerberus beating us to the punch."  
"Let's kick them in the balls first for a change." James replied.

Shepard turned off the image, getting everyone's attention off of Thessia.

"Anyone know where they're hiding?"

EDI looked to Traynor, who looked like a deer in headlights as she stared at Shepard.

"Commander." EDI said after Traynor looked away from him.  
"Tell me you've got something, EDI."  
"Specialist Traynor was able to track Kei Leng's shuttle through the relay. Unfortunately the signal disappears in another system."  
"Of course it does."  
"However, the signal has been locked."  
"What?"  
"The system is home to Sanctuary and little else. It is a haven for war refugees. Something is actively blocking all signals from the base."  
"Traynor, EDI, nice work. Let's not waste this chance."  
"I was stationed on Horizon in that system." Ashley said. "You were the only Cerberus force there."  
"It's a slim lead." Liara agreed. "Let's hope it's the right one."  
"I don't care how slim the leads are at this point." Shepard replied. "We've come too far to let Cerberus stop us. I want that Prothean data, I want the catalyst, no excuses. Dismissed."

* * *

_Rayhel sat in a small, dark waiting room, leaning back against the couch. She heard her aunt in the next room periodically, though she tried to block it out as sleep slowly attempted to take over her mind._

_"How is she?"_

_She opened her half-lidded eyes, looking over at the door of the waiting room to see Tavus._

_"What're you doing here?"_  
_"Your Mom told me to come keep you company." Rayhel smiled, watching him take a seat next to her. She let out a short laugh, rubbing her face. "Sorry."_  
_"What?"_  
_"Sorry for getting drunk last night."_

_Tavus laughed, avoiding her eyes._

_"I had a good time."_  
_"Me too."_  
_"I loved my gift by the way." Tavus smiled. "You ok?"_  
_"Have you talked to your Mom about last night?"_  
_"Yeah, why?"_  
_"What did she have to say?"_  
_"I just told her about the night and that I had fun. She was happy I had a good time and told me I deserved it. Why?"_

_He shook his head, finally looking over at her._

_"I was just wondering."_  
_"Did I…Do anything stupid?"_

_Tavus gave her a smile, leaning back on the couch with her._

_"Just the usual."_  
_"Usual?"_  
_"Totally came onto me. Had to beat you off with a stick."_

_Rayhel laughed, shaking her head._

_"And what really happened?"_  
_"You touched my face."_

_She gave him a confused look, letting out a small laugh._

_"Touched your face?"_  
_"You were content with just rubbing my face before you fell asleep."_

_Rayhel laughed with him, trying to remember the previous night. She shook her head._

_"Those drinks were extremely loaded."_  
_"No, you just had fifteen of them."_

_She looked over at him, realizing how close they sat together._

_"Like I said, I had a good time."_  
_"I'm glad." he replied._

_They heard a small crash in the other room, making them laugh as they pictured what was happening in there._

_"Just let me do it!"_

_Rayhel let her head fall back on the couch in laughter._

_"She is going to kill someone in there." Tavus chuckled._  
_"I can just see her trying to give birth on her own." Rayhel said, picking her head up as her laughter ceased._

_They could hear Natasha trying to calm her friend down as she yelled at the doctors. Another crash sounded and though it sounded like it was starting to get intense, Rayhel and Tavus couldn't help but laugh._

_"Do NOT touch me."_  
_"Cal, calm down-"_  
_"If that doctor touches me, Tasha, I will rip his throat out and feed it to the nurse."_  
_"Cal-"_  
_"Ugh, I want it out!"_

_Rayhel covered her mouth, leaning on Tavus as she lost herself in her laughter. Tavus was right there with her, holding his stomach as the laughter began turning into pain._

_"Listen, just take it out. I don't care how, just get it out."_  
_"M'am-"_  
_"Now!"_  
_"You have to push-"_  
_"I know what I have to do! Caeus, give me your hand, where are you?!"_  
_"I'm here-"_  
_"Give me your hand!"_

_Rayhel took a few deep breaths with Tavus, both of them regaining their composure as the voices stopped shouting. After a few moments, a cry rang out, making Rayhel get to her feet, staring at the door. Tavus smiled, standing with her as they listened to the baby cry. Rayhel hugged Tavus tightly, happiness washing over her. He hugged her in return, a happiness of his own spreading through him before the doors opened. Rayhel let him go, turning to her mother._

_"It's a boy."_

_Rayhel's smile failed to fade as she hugged her mother._

_"Is everyone alive?" Rayhel laughed._  
_"She kicked her doctor across the room, but everyone's breathing."_  
_"Can I see him?"_  
_"They're cleaning up." Natasha replied, smiling over at Tavus. "Keeping her company?"_  
_"Yes m'am."_  
_"We were having a good laugh from the audio." Rayhel told her._  
_"It wasn't so funny on the inside."_  
_"I would have paid my year's salary to see that doctor fly across the room." Rayhel said._  
_"I'd put my salary in too." Tavus laughed._  
_"I think she broke his arm."_  
_"Two years salary." Rayhel replied._

_Tavus laughed with her while Natasha shook her head._

_"You two are horrible."_  
_"Vallok is going to laugh his ass off when he hears of this day." Rayhel said, opening her Omni tool._  
_"What are you doing?"_  
_"Sending a mass message to the people who bet she'd kill Caeus in the delivery room."_

_Natasha put a hand over her face, letting out a long sigh._

_"Unbelievable."_

* * *

"Any word from the family?"

Garrus turned towards Natasha.

"They made it off Palaven. It was tight, but they're ok."  
"Thank god." Natasha replied, feeling her own bit of relief set in as she grabbed his hand. "That must be a weight off your shoulders."  
"It is, though this is a war, and one burden replaces another."  
"What happened?"  
"I just had to make a tough call to make with the Primarch. He said our fleets are being decimated, so I told him to cease all offensive operations against the Reapers."  
"A full retreat?"  
"It's the only way to push back the Reapers back further away from civilians. Not many turian families will be as lucky as mine."  
"That sucks…" Natasha said, looking up at him. "I hate this."  
"How are you holding up?"  
"There's only so much fight in a person… There's only so much death before…" she swallowed the lump in her throat, shaking her head as she looked away from him.  
"Before a certain turian with no romantic skills to speak of tries to cheer you up."

She smiled as he put an arm around her waist.

"Cheer? Coming from you?"  
"Mood swings." he laughed. "Don't worry. We'll get through this."

Natasha looked up at him, laying her head on his shoulder.

"Are your ready to hit Cerberus?"  
"I'm ready for those bastards to get out of this war so we can finish the Reapers and get back to life."

Natasha nodded, looking over to the cot that Rayhel slept on.

"I should get her to bed."  
"You can stay here."

Natasha shook her head, picking up her daughter carefully.

"Goodnight Garrus."

Garrus watched her leave, an ache in his chest as he thought about the slim chances they had for taking down Cerberus. If they didn't succeed, the Reapers would win. He let out a sigh, walking over to his cot, feeling the small area of warmth from where Rayhel had been sleeping. He felt himself breaking at the thought of losing his daughter. It was a long, sleepless night for him in the main battery.

Natasha sat down on her bunk, holding Rayhel close to her, not wanting to sleep in a separate bed as her for the night. She gave into the fear that was threatening her, rocking herself slightly as she cried, praying to any gods out there that they would soon find an end to the war.

* * *

_Rayhel walked up the docks of Palaven reluctantly, looking back at her family, who waited to see her departure. She waved, smiling as they all waved back before Tavus approached her, his bag slung over his shoulder._

_"You ready?" he sighed._  
_"I miss home." she replied, turning towards the airlock._  
_"Yeah…"_

_Rayhel felt her heart drop as she caught his tone. She grabbed his arm, her brow plates lowered as he faced her._

_"What's going on?"_  
_"It's nothing."_  
_"Tavus, tell me."_  
_"Ray…"_  
_"That's an order."_

_He let out a laugh, rubbing the back of his neck._

_"I had a good time with you on leave." he admitted._

_She let her face soften, though her hand didn't release his arm._

_"Yeah?"_  
_"You've become a friend to me. A damn good one."_  
_"Why do you look so concerned then?"_  
_"Is this a private conversation?" he asked, walking out of the airlock to walk through the CIC._  
_"Come to my room." she replied, walking past him as he turned on his console._

_Tavus felt his body reacting to her words, shaking off the inappropriate thoughts to focus on what was really bothering him. She sat down at her desk once they were in her room, leaning back in her chair casually. He folded his arms across his chest, trying to find words to express his issues._

_"My mother has started…Seeing someone."_

_Rayhel gave him a smile, though he looked unhappy about it._

_"So?"_  
_"Well…He's not my father."_  
_"Is he trying to be?"_  
_"No."_  
_"You just don't want him to be." she stated._  
_"Hell no."_  
_"Just because he's seeing your mother doesn't mean he has to be your Dad. Honestly, it's just as hard for him to be in that position. He probably doesn't want to be that figure for you if it's not a serious relationship yet."_  
_"It will make my Mom look horrible."_  
_"No it won't. Turians can bond a second time in the case that their bondmate is deceased. It's rare, but not frowned upon."_  
_"I don't want him to be my Dad. Ever."_

_Rayhel smiled, nodding at him._

_"How old were you when your father died?" she asked._  
_"A few months. Why?"_  
_"I wasn't even born." she told him. "I think that if my mother had raised me to your age and then started dating, maybe I would be a little hesitant to accept it, but…I love my father. I'm beyond grateful for what he's done for me and my mother and even if I hated him, he makes her happy. If she's happy, then so am I. I'd tolerate him just for the sake of her happiness."_  
_"I guess you're right…"_  
_"I wouldn't worry about him trying to parent you until it comes up. Let the relationship have a chance before shooting it down."_

_He smiled at her, nodding._

_"Thanks."_  
_"You can talk to me." she told him._  
_"I know I can."_

_She stood, letting out a sigh before nodding towards the door._

_"Seriously though, get to work."_  
_"Yes m'am." he said with a smile, turning away from her._

_She stared after him, thinking over the situation he'd been worrying over. Tavus had never known his father, and yet he had an undying loyalty to the man. Rayhel shook her head, giving a moment's thought to her own father. She couldn't stand the thought of being raised by him. Garrus was her Dad. That was all there was to be said. She idly wondered if she'd feel that way if he'd just started dating her mother. Obviously she wouldn't know him the way she already did, and he wouldn't have raised her and saved her life, but he's Garrus. He's Dad. He's her hero._

_She shook her head again, picking up her bag and tossing it onto her bed. She pulled herself together, walking out of her room, knowing she had to get to work plotting their course. She got an appreciative smile from Tavus once he caught sight of her again, which made her heart pound as she approached the galaxy map._

_Her thoughts rested on the operations chief after setting a course, wondering how much longer she could keep her feelings hidden before he found out._

* * *

Natasha walked into the observation deck, looking over at Tali as she leaned her elbows on the counter, a glass in one hand and her head resting in the other. She let the doors close, knowing they'd just returned from Sanctuary. She'd told Shepard to choose someone other than herself for the mission. The undying possibility of Reapers killing everyone in the galaxy was starting to get to her and spending time with her daughter was at the top of her list, though from what she understood, the mission on Sanctuary went well. They'd been able to track Kai Leng to the Illusive Man. So why was Tali drinking?

Natasha walked over to her, sitting down on the stool beside her, a small smile on her face.

"Natasha." she said with enthusiasm. "Want a drink? I'm toasting Miranda, I think."  
"How are you getting drunk?" Natasha asked, looking down at her glass to see a straw floating in it.  
"Very carefully." Tali replied, her voice becoming small. "Turian brandy, triple filtered, and then introduced to the suit through an emergency induction port."  
"That's a straw, Tali." Natasha pointed out.  
"Emergency induction port." she corrected. "It's actually getting a little harder to get it into the slot. I think that means it's working. She was so rude."  
"What?"  
"What did Jack call her? Cerberus cheerleader." Tali let out a small laugh. "With her perfect genes and that attitude and… And still, she got it done. She stopped her father."

Natasha looked down at the bottles on the counter, piecing together what she understood from the mission's brief. Miranda had went to Sanctuary before Shepard arrived, trying to stop her father after he took her sister hostage. From what Natasha understood, her father didn't make it out alive.

"I didn't realize this would be so hard on you…" Natasha finally said.  
"I didn't like her. Keelah, she was such a bitch." Tali replied. "But I respected her. Sometimes that's better than liking. She did whatever it took to stop her father. She never gave into him, never changed herself to please him."

Natasha nodded, thinking back on Miranda's constant struggle when she was on the Normandy. She'd always been worrying over her sister because of their father.

"Ah." Natasha said, the thought clicking together in her mind as to why Tali was drinking for the other woman.  
"Don't 'ah' me. You sound like a vorcha."  
"Seeing a bit of yourself in Miranda fighting her father?"  
"I spent my life trying to live up to him then making up for his mistakes. Doing what he'd have wanted."  
"It's never that easy."  
"When do we get to stop reacting to our parents and start living for ourselves?"

Natasha had never known what it was like to have parents, or guidance from elders growing up. She'd always had her instinct keeping her alive in those tunnels on the Citadel. From what she'd seen of other people's parental problems, she was quite glad that she'd never had to live through it.

"I guess the answer is at the bottom of that glass." Natasha said with a smile, nudging the quarian in encouragement to finish the drink.  
"I might need help with the induction straw. Port… You know."  
"Here's to Miranda."  
"Nice job, you perfect, Cerberus cheerleader bosh'tet. Keelah se'lai."

Natasha smiled as the door behind them opened, revealing a concerned Shepard. Natasha stood, folding her arms over her chest as she walked over to him.

"She ok?" he asked. "Traynor sent me to check on her."  
"She's just… Thinking." Natasha replied, glancing back at the quarian.  
"Garrus is looking for you."  
"I imagine he is… Are we headed for the Cerberus base next?" she asked, stepping closer to the door.  
"We have to stop at the Citadel first. Hackett is ordering the Normandy into dry dock for some maintenance."  
"We're getting shore leave?"  
"It's needed." he said, looking tired as he eyed the ground.  
"You deserve some rest." she assured him.

He gave her a smile, looking back up before she gave him a nod, walking down the hallway to find the main battery. She let out a small sigh, thankful that they'd have a day or two for shore leave before making the last hit to end this war. She and Garrus would need time with Rayhel. They knew their chances of survival. They knew what they were up against. Natasha wished there was a safe place to keep the girl for the duration of their final push, but she knew it was impossible to hide her forever. The Normandy was the safest place for her to be.

No where was safe.


	16. Chapter 16

**Hey guys!**

**This is the chapter we've all been waiting for! Are you ready?! I have been freaking out over this chapter... I hope it's up to everyone's standards. I will be writing two more chapters after this one, and finishing this story up. I am also planning an epilogue afterwards, which should be fun. (:**

**Thanks to ArchelionGen for being an awesome beta reader.**

**Please feel free to rate, review and even PM me if you have anything you'd like to say.**

**Thanks!**

* * *

"Natasha!"

The shout caught Natasha by surprise, making her get to her feet quickly to find the source. Joker limped towards her, wincing in pain before she reached out to let him lean on her.

"Are you ok?" she asked.  
"You gotta go help Shepard. Mercs attacked the bar we were at. He's in casuals, he doesn't have any protection, he sent me to get the team."

Natasha felt her heart pick up it's pace as she looked down to Rayhel, who looked up at her intently.

"Take her somewhere safe, Joker, or so help me God I will kill you."  
"Go find him." he replied, walking past her to get to the little turian.

Natasha ran to the nearest transit post, summoning a shuttle to drive towards Shepard's location. Wherever he was, it wasn't a place Natasha had ever visited on the Citadel. Upon arriving, she found him ducked behind cover, rushing to him with her handgun at the ready.

"Want some company?" she asked with a grin.  
"Thought you'd like to join the party."  
"You can't have five minutes of shore leave without someone trying to kill you." she teased. "It must suck."  
"Focus." he replied with a smile, looking out of cover to shoot down a merc.  
"These aren't mercs I've ever seen." she told him, looking out to take in the sight of their armor. "And I've seen plenty."  
"This pistol is from them too." Shepard told her, letting her look at the gun briefly before going back to shooting the men.  
"We should keep it to take a closer look later."

Natasha heard her earpiece crackle before a voice broke through.

"Natasha, are you ok?"  
"I'm fine. We might need a little back up."  
"Lucky for you Archangel is your boyfriend. Joker filled me in, I'm on foot."

Natasha smiled slightly, shaking her head as she stood from cover, shooting a merc before squatting down again. Another voice broke out over her earpiece, making her knit her eyebrows in confusion.

"Excuse me, who is this? This is a secured channel and you're putting Commander Shepard's life in danger."  
"I'm doing what? Who is this?"  
"Hang on." Shepard said, leaning against the wall for a moment as bullets flew by. "Joker mentioned Staff Analyst Brooks, yes? That's her. Everybody play nice."

Natasha hated not knowing who the woman was listening to their conversation, though if Shepard trusted her, she would too. After getting through a large door that required Shepard's spectre status to open, an alarm sounded. They rushed to cover as the mercs called out orders to take them out.

"What's happening, I heard that from here!" Garrus said.  
"It's all under control." Natasha replied.  
"There's alarms all over the wards, what's happening?"  
"Thought we'd make things more interesting." Shepard joked.

Another voice joined the conversation, making Natasha smile.

"Did you sustain cranial damage during the fall, Commander?" EDI asked.  
"Brooks sent me the nav point for the sky car lot." Garrus said. "Meet you there."  
"Good." Natasha replied.  
"What do we know about the mercs?"  
"They have guns and don't like me." the Commander teased.  
"Not helping, Shepard."

They took out the mercs easily, getting themselves through to the sky car lot. Natasha smiled at the sight of Garrus, who walked towards them casually.

"Having a bad day Shepard?"  
"You could say that." he replied.  
"The landing pad is over there, but it's behind a locked gate."  
"Let's look for a control panel." Natasha said, walking past the turian.  
"Nice outfit." he said, looking down her form. She gave him a look, making him shake off the thought. "Control panel. Right."

Natasha smirked, turning away from him to find the control panel with the Commander. She smiled once she found a volus hiding in his office, though the door was locked down.

"Could you open that up please?" she asked, kneeling down to him from the other side of the glass. He opened the gate for her, not saying a word in the process. "Thank you."  
"Please leave."

Natasha felt bad for him, knowing he was scared of the mercs. She looked to Shepard, who gave her a nod before leading her and Garrus to the landing pad. The shuttle that landed only brought more mercs with heavier firepower, making the three of them hide behind cover. They heard a crash, looking up to see a large krogan jumping down onto the sky car. Natasha smiled at the sight of Wrex.

"What're you doing here?" Shepard asked after the krogan had taken out the mercs.  
"Just butting heads with the council over krogan expansion." he said, tossing Shepard one of the machine guns before an explosion rang out from inside the building.

Shepard gave Natasha his pistol, letting her examine it before she jumped into the fight. Joker arrived shortly after the gunfight began, picking them up in a shuttle to take them to an apartment. Natasha admired the place once they got there, feeling slightly jealous of Shepard's new home. Rayhel ran to her once she walked through the door. Natasha picked her up gladly, thankful that Joker kept her safe.

"Someone wanna tell me what's going on?" Wrex asked as they all grouped into the living room.  
"I didn't recognize those mercs." Garrus told Shepard. "Heavily armed and using C-Sec shuttles."

The woman identified as Brooks seemed a bit twitchy to Natasha as she paced the living room.

"I can't believe you survived all that. They had guns and grenades and those drone things."  
"It's alright." Shepard replied, opening his Omni tool. "I'm calling Commander Bailey to see what's up with C-Sec."  
"Ok that sounds… Wait!" Brooks said. "Wouldn't that just make whoever you contact a target too?"  
"She's right Shepard. It's a big risk." Garrus told him.  
"Ok, for now we run this ourselves." Shepard agreed.  
"Right. On our own. Outside the law. Yeah. Ok."

Natasha knitted her eyebrows in annoyance to the woman, thankful she had a child distracting her from getting too irritated.

"Brooks, I know this a lot to deal with." Shepard said.  
"I got shot. I had medi gel, but I took a desk job explicitly to not get shot. And you killed a hundred guys with a pistol!"  
"Well… Yes, that did happen."  
"Who does that? Well, I mean, you I guess but besides you. They said the medi gel might make me jumpy. Do I seem jumpy?" Natasha narrowed her eyes at the woman before looking to Garrus, who shrugged at her. "Everything of yours has been hacked, my program detected it."  
"Since when did hacked personnel records include heavy weapon fire?" Wrex asked.  
"Think of what criminals could do if they had Shepard's military access codes. Or spectre codes."  
"Explains why they need you dead, Shepard. Nothing to stop them until the damage is done."  
"Ok." Shepard said. "Let's figure out who they are and shut them down. Ideas?"  
"Well I was looking at that pistol you had." Garrus said, holding out his hand as Natasha handed it to him.  
"For such a tiny thing, it packs a hell of a punch. I've never seen anything like it before."  
"Let me see it." another voice said, walking in the room. Natasha gave Liara a small smile as she joined them, opening her Omni tool. "Glyph."  
"I'll gather intel for a review, Dr. T'Soni." the drone replied.  
"Alright, Liara's on point." Wrex noted. "What about the rest of the crew?"  
"Yeah, what about those slackers?" Joker asked, walking into the room with others following him.

Natasha smiled, watching Shepard walk over to him.

"You've been busy." he said.  
"I found some people who actually like being shot at."

* * *

_Rayhel slowly unpacked her bag of clothes she'd had on leave, setting them on her bed after folding them. She took her time, wishing she could go back to her family. It'd be a while before their mission on Rannoch was finished. Even then, it wasn't a guarantee that they'd be able to take some shore leave. She lowered her brow plates at the sight of a box in her bag that seemed to have been tactically placed in the middle of the clothes so it wouldn't be detected until she unpacked. She pulled it out, seeing the tag on the gift._

_'Hope you didn't think I forgot your gift. Just thought your Dad wouldn't like seeing it. This should keep you happy until you let him have it. Enjoy!_  
_-Aunt C'_

_Rayhel let out a small sigh, opening the box and widening her eyes. She thought for sure she'd die of embarrassment, picking up the toy gingerly. She stared at it for a moment before a knock sounded on her door. She quickly shoved the box and the toy back in her bag, pretending to fold a shirt she'd already finished folding._

_"Come in."_  
_"Just me." Tavus said, walking into the room._  
_"Need something?" she asked, trying not to sound nervous._  
_"How long until he land?"_  
_"Two days. Why?"_

_He let out a sigh, stepping closer to her._

_"I want to talk to you about something."_  
_"Shoot."_  
_"Ray…You're an amazing friend. I love that we're friends, but…I think we can both agree that it's…Moved past that."_

_Rayhel felt her heart drop as she shook her head at him._

_"I don't know what you're talking about."_  
_"I think you do." he replied._  
_"If you've got a crush, that's your own problem." she said, trying to take as stern of a tone as she could._  
_"How many crew members do you willingly let walk into your room?"_

_Rayhel narrowed her eyes at him._

_"Point taken, I'll meet you at the door next time."_  
_"Don't do that Ray."_  
_"Tavus, you're insane."_  
_"Am I?"_

_She looked around her room, trying to find a topic to switch over to before her eyes landed on her stuffed pony. She fought the urge to let her walls down, looking back to him with a hard expression._

_"Get out."_

_Tavus stared at her for a minute before taking a step back._

_"Do you like me?"_  
_"Get out."_  
_"You're refusing to admit it?"_  
_"Get out! That's an order!"_

_Tavus stood his ground for a moment, both of them staring at each other before he turned away. He looked over his shoulder once he got to the door, his expression hard to read._

_"I'll be back."_

_Rayhel let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding in, putting her hands on her face._

_"Fuck." she said, looking around._

_She hated that she was unable to keep her emotions hidden, but the operations chief made it so damn easy to let go. She stared at the stuffed animal on her desk for a moment before turning back to her bed. She dumped her bag out on the bed, quickly tossing her clothes into her drawer without a regard for folding them, her eyes locking on the toy she'd been given. She thought it over for a moment before issuing a lockdown on her door. She wouldn't let herself give in and tell him how she felt, but she wouldn't sit back and let irritability build up until she pushed him so far away he didn't come back. She'd get her tension out, and she'd start fresh tomorrow morning._

* * *

"We have a lead. I called in some favors to run a trace on a gun. It lead me to a casino owner named Elijah Khan. I'm suspecting he's using his profits to smuggle illegal weapons onto the Citadel. Immediately after the attack on Shepard's life, Khan made an interesting call."

Liara opened her Omni tool, allowing everyone to hear the conversation.

"I'm cutting you off. I'm returning your down payment now." Elijah said.  
"What's the problem?" a disguised voice replied.  
"Turn on a vid screen. When I sell a gun I don't want it showing up on the nightly news."  
"It won't be linked to me."  
"Save it. Our association is terminated and if you even think of coming after me, I've got info on you ready for prime time so you ponder that. Khan out."

The squad looked to Shepard, who folded his arms across his chest in thought.

"So that's our identity thief." he said.  
"Looks like he's got an ID disguiser. Those things are a pain in the ass to get around." Garrus noted.  
"Did you get anything on the mercenaries who attacked us?" Natasha asked Liara.  
"They are a private military corporation called CAT6. As most of you know, CAT6 is an alliance name for dishonorable discharges. Many have criminal records, traces of steroid abuse and they're paid by the thief, not by Khan."  
"That phone call was pretty damning stuff. How'd you get it?" Shepard asked.  
"It involved the weapon's information, Salarian intelligence and a hanar prositute with camera implants."  
"Seriously?"  
"No but the truth is boring."  
"Khan didn't sound friendly to whoever that voice was. Maybe he'd pass on that info to us."  
"That would involve some extremely smooth talking. If he sees you, he'll probably assume you're looking for revenge. The casino has a panic room. Chances are he'll have gone in there. EDI can give us programs to hack the door but the cameras and guards complicate things"  
"Yeah. Khan could disappear. Or worse. If his guards were to open fire, normal people could get hit. Like I did." Brooks said.  
"She's right." Shepard replied. "We can't risk spooking him. We go in quiet, a small team, no gun play."  
"Dr. T'Soni," Glyph said, popping up beside Liara. "Tonight, the casino will be holding a charity event to assist war refugees."  
"Purchase some tickets, Glyph, and then get a lay out of the building." Liara told him.  
"Score!" Joker said. "How close can you get? You don't usually put a back door in a panic room."

Everyone looked to each squad mate as they tried picking someone to crawl through the ventilation shaft. The person picked couldn't have tech training, which only left Brooks.

"If that's settled, it looks like there's one last hurtle to get us inside."  
"Which is?" Shepard asked.  
"Black tie required."

* * *

Natasha felt her heart racing as the women around her rushed around the room she sat in, getting things together for her. She let them get her ready, helping her to dress up for the event. She couldn't remember the last time she actually dressed up for something. Ashley let her borrow a dress, which ended up being very fit to her form. Calpurnia told her to stand, which she did, looking at her for a moment before cupping her hands underneath Natasha's breasts.

"Look at them stand up."

Natasha slapped her hands away with a laugh, adjusting the dress to make sure it was pulled up enough. Ashley waved her hands at her.

"It's supposed to sit like that, leave it."  
"I really hate this."  
"Come here." she said, opening a stick of lip gloss.  
"No, I draw the line at make up." Natasha said, waving her hand at her. "None of that."  
"Garrus will want to kiss you with your lips all shiny."  
"Would you guys stop, this isn't about Garrus. We'll be in a gun fight later, I don't need make up."  
"We're trying to get you laid before the galaxy ends, just let us help you." Calpurnia said, looking at the shoes Natasha was to put on.  
"How's things with Caeus going?" Natasha replied as Ashley fidgeted with the dress, brushing her hands over it as if to make sure it wasn't dirty.  
"Oh way to bring that up. I said laid, not loved. I'm getting enough action without Caeus."

Natasha shook her head before Ashley ran her fingers through her hair, shaking it a little to make it look fluffed.

"Alright, that's enough!" Natasha said, throwing her arms up. "I got this."

Calpurnia held up her shoes with a grin.

"Vakarian blue." she said.

Natasha sighed, taking the shoes from her in irritation. She let them fall to the floor, brushing them upright so she could step into them.

"Let's show off the masterpiece." Ashley said, stepping back to look at her.

Natasha shook her head.

"I'll be out in a minute."

The two of them nodded, leaving her alone for a moment. She looked at herself in the mirror, her eyes locked on the scar on her shoulder. She let out a sad sigh, grabbing the straps that rested on the counter to attach them to the dress. She hated the sight of her bond mark hanging out, the thick straps effectively covering it once they were clipped on. She took a deep breath, walking out of the door to be stared at by her squad mates. She avoided Garrus, walking over to the door of the apartment silently. Shepard, Garrus and Brooks joined her, walking down the hallway in their formal wear. She glanced at Garrus once they were in the elevator, a small smile growing on her face at the sight of him dressed up. She'd never seen him like that.

"Alright. Let's get in and get out. Make this as casual and easy as we can." Shepard said.

* * *

_He couldn't take it anymore. He needed to cool off. Thoughts of her just wouldn't let his mind rest. Every time he tried thinking of something else, he'd end up on her again. When he tried thinking of her in an innocent light, all he could think of was what he had heard outside of her door. She'd warned him that he'd end up hearing something he didn't want to, but he argued to himself on whether or not he wanted to._

_Tavus shook his head, flinging a towel over his shoulder as he walked up to the bathroom door. He heard the showers running, not thinking much of it as he opened the door, expecting to see a crew mate in the water. His heart jumped at the sight of his captain standing there, water flowing down the plating on her body, her hip spurs showing off so boldly to him. He had to look away from her, walking over to the sink quietly. He turned on the faucet, splashing cold water on his face to calm himself down._

_"You getting in or are you just admiring yourself in the mirror?"_

_Tavus looked over to see Rayhel staring at him, a casual look on her face._

_"What?"_  
_"You getting in?"_

_He cleared his throat, straightening up as he regained as much composure as he could._

_"Are you inviting me into your shower?"_

_She rolled her eyes with a smirk, turning back to her water._

_"Just wondering what you're doing out there." His eyes wandered down her body, causing a chill to run through him. He scolded himself silently, pulling his shirt up over his head. He told himself to take a quick shower. In and out, and that was it. Rayhel let out a soft laugh as he hesitated to take off his pants. "Don't tell me you're afraid of me."_  
_"Never." he replied, thankful he was able to keep his body from reacting to her. He knew it wouldn't last much longer. "Why are you taking a shower in here?"_

_He turned on the water on the opposite end of the showers. He knew he had to keep a distance to be able to keep himself under control._

_"I don't have a shower in my room." she pointed out. "I usually wait until you all go to sleep."_  
_"Sorry."_  
_"I'm used to taking showers with men, I went through boot camp."_

_He let out a nervous laugh, clearing his throat afterwards. Rayhel could tell he was fighting to not look at her, causing her pride to swell. She let herself peek over her shoulder at him, her body tensing up at the sight of his toned body in the water. She was grateful he had his back to her, as she wasn't able to take her eyes from him easily._

_Tavus could feel her watching him, which only made it that much harder to keep his eyes from her._

_"I'm sorry." he finally said, breaking the silence between them as his thoughts went back to their argument in her room._  
_"I don't want to talk about it."_

_Tavus washed himself quicker, knowing he couldn't rightly go over and make her focus to talk to him. Instead he focused on his shower, forcing the thought of her naked behind him from his mind. She soon shut off her water, stepping out of the shower and grabbing a towel. He watched her reflection in the mirror outside his shower, seeing her run the towel over her arms before propping her leg up on the bench to dry it. He idly moved his hands around, trying to make himself look busy as he watched her enjoy her silence. He bit back a groan as his body shook, his plating moving slightly. He closed his eyes, sticking his face in the cold water, effectively calming his body. He kept himself under the water, his eyes remaining closed until he heard her leave the room._

_He rested his forehead against the shower wall, wishing he could keep himself under control, but he knew he wouldn't be able to for much longer. Everything about her got his attention. She was amazing to him in every way imaginable. He wondered where it'd turned from respecting her to loving her, though he knew it didn't matter. What mattered was getting her to admit she felt the same way before she pushed him out entirely. An idea clicked in his mind, a smirk growing on his face. He knew exactly what to do._

* * *

"Lookin good, Natasha."

Natasha kept the fake smile on her face as they walked down the red carpet leading up to the casino.

"Never seen Archangel looking so spiffy." she replied.  
"I'm gonna need a cold shower tonight… Damn."

She shook her head, letting out a small laugh. Brooks went off to open the vents, leaving Shepard, Garrus and Natasha to mingle until she needed help. It was fun, Natasha had to admit, just mingling around with Garrus and the Commander. She and the turian stood off to the side as he spoke with some asari, correcting them on human phrases as they said them wrong. Natasha was having a good laugh, appreciating Garrus next to her along the way.

"I see you decided to hide your mark." he said, looking at the fountain behind them. "Makes you look available."  
"To turians, maybe." she replied, enjoying her view of the waterfall as well. "Why does it matter? I'm not available."  
"Seeing someone?"

She gave him a look before Brooks' voice returned on her earpiece.

"There's a guard right below me." she whispered.

Natasha jumped at the opportunity to get away from the turian for a moment, spotting the guard quickly.

"Excuse me. I think I saw someone doing drugs in the ladies' room."  
"I see. Were you able to identify the substance used?"  
"Red sand."  
"Dispatch." he said, pulling up his Omni tool and walking away.  
"You're clear Brooks." Natasha said once he left.  
"Thanks, I'm going to the panic room."

Garrus walked over to her side afterwards, giving her a smirk.

"Look at you, smooth talking your way to victory."

She laughed, walking over to the bar with him.

"Why are you concerned with my bond mark?"  
"You're covering it, but you're not with me."  
"I can do whatever I want with my mark."  
"Would you cover it if I'd given you the mark?"

Natasha tossed back the drink the bartender had given her, shaking her head afterwards.

"You won't give me one, it's pointless to discuss."  
"What if I did?"  
"Garrus, there is no 'what if'. Stop."

Natasha heard Brooks again, telling Natasha there was a guard on his way to answer an alarm she'd set off. Natasha walked away from Garrus again, spotting the guard.

"Hey!"  
"Take it easy, I'm dealing with ten different things, here." he replied, opening his Omni tool. "Find out who tripped the alarm and get them in my office by end of shift. Now you. What'd you need?"  
"Oh I'm sorry." Natasha replied, putting her hand over her heart. "Are you security? Thought you were a friend of mine."  
"You… Enjoy your evening." he said, walking away from her.  
"You're clear Brooks."  
"Thanks. I'll see if I can get to the panic room."

Natasha let out a sigh, looking over at Garrus, who shook his head with a smirk.

"What?" she said as he approached her.  
"You're enjoying this."

She smiled, looking around to see an asari consort. She smirked, looking back up at Garrus.

"If you're looking for fun, go talk to her. It's not up for debate with me."  
"I don't want anyone but you." he said, giving her a stern look.  
"Yet you can't bond with me." she replied as Brooks updated her location.  
"All you have to do is find me now." she said.

Natasha walked past the turian, who followed her at a distance. Shepard met up with them on the way to the panic room, distracting a guard so they could sabotage the cameras.

After entering the panic room, they found Khan dead, grabbing what data they could from his computer before heading back to the apartment.

* * *

"To borrow a phrase from Vega, you looked smokin' in that dress."

Natasha rolled her eyes with a smile, looking over to where Garrus stood on the balcony.

"I'm glad I can amuse you." she said, leaning against the railing.  
"I'm sorry."

Her smile faded with his, knowing he was serious.

"I don't know why you keep pushing the bonding, Garrus. You're the one who doesn't want it, and then you ask questions."  
"Do you love me?"

She knitted her eyebrows, shrugging her shoulders.

"Does it matter?"

She turned away from him, fighting back tears as she shut the bedroom door behind her, slipping off her shoes quickly. She could hear Shepard calling the team together, making her forget about changing in order to join them, leaving her shoes behind.

"Who ever has your spectre access is in the Citadel archives right now." Brooks said as Natasha was coming down the stairs.  
"Gear up and lets…" Shepard started, turning to see a volus standing behind him. "What's with the volus?"  
"Oh. Pizza guy. I got the munchies." James replied.

Rayhel clapped from the couch, a wide smile on her face.

"These archives are huge!" Brooks said. "A lot of ground to cover. A shame we can't bring everyone."  
"Who says we can't?" Shepard asked, turning to her. "All hands on deck for this one."  
"Hell yeah!" James said. "But who gets to roll with you?"

Wrex cleared his throat before Tali, Liara following suit. The volus made his own small noise, getting Shepard's attention once more.

"Who's going to pay for the pizza?"

Natasha smiled, looking over at Joker.

"Please stay with her."  
"Will do."

She pat him on the shoulder lightly, giving him an appreciative smile. She went back to the bedroom, taking off her dress to suit up for the mission.

* * *

_Rayhel could feel Tavus glancing at her periodically, growing irritated with his constant need to ask her to talk about her feelings. She wasn't surprised when he approached her, though she hated the way he saluted her formally._

_"M'am."_  
_"What?" she said, trying to take on a casual tone so he'd drop the formality._  
_"I request a sparring match, m'am."_  
_"With who?"_  
_"You m'am."_

_Rayhel narrowed her eyes at him, turning away from the galaxy map as heads turned in their direction._

_"What?"_  
_"I request a sparring match with you, m'am."_  
_"Tavus stop."_  
_"I won't back down from my request m'am."_  
_"Do I have to remind you of the last time you requested to fight me? I kicked your ass."_  
_"I've learned your ways since then. I can win, m'am."_

_Rayhel studied him for a moment before unfolding her arms, nodding at the elevator. Others tried following, but Tavus remained where he stood._

_"You coming?"_  
_"No observations."_

_She glanced around at the crew, then nodded._

_"Everyone back to work. Crawlsky, watch the deck."_  
_"Yes m'am!" he said with a salute._

_Tavus gave her a smirk before walking past her, getting in the elevator quietly. She followed him, the doors closing before she looked over at him._

_"What are you doing?"_  
_"Blowing off steam m'am."_  
_"Quit calling me that or you'll be unconscious before we get to the training deck."_

_Tavus smirked, walking off the lift after the doors opened for them. Rayhel could tell he had an idea in mind to get her to talk. She'd sure as hell put up a fight if this was his way of provoking her into admitting anything. They walked into the training room quietly, Rayhel watching as Tavus stretched out. Her mind flashed back to the first time they'd fought. He'd lost quite quickly, though he was right that he knew her better now. She would be keeping her guard up the whole way through. He'd expect her to go easy on him because of her love for him, but that wouldn't be the case. She smirked as he warmed up._

_"You ready yet, Victus?"_  
_"Ouch. Downgraded to a last name again, huh?"_  
_"You ready?" she repeated, watching him take a few steps closer._

_He bounced on his feet for a moment, a light smile on his face before he swung. She dodged him quickly, watching him bounce a few more times before he swung again. When he swung the third time, she threw her fist at him, hitting his face successfully. He staggered backwards, looking at her in surprise. She smiled._

_"You wanted a fight."_

_He stared at her for another moment before putting his fists back up to her, swinging. She dodged the first hit, but he caught her with the second, making her recoil. He didn't hesitate to advance on her, grabbing her armor to pull her closer. She kicked her leg out in front of her before he could pull her in, kicking his stomach and causing him to collapse on the floor. She put a foot on his chest, bending down slightly over top of him._

_"Done?"_  
_"No way." he said, grabbing her leg and digging his talons into her._

_She shouted out in pain briefly, not stopping to look at her wound once he was up. She felt blood running down her skin, though she advanced on the operations chief anyways. She swung her talons at him in warning, making him recoil quickly._

_"Woah."_  
_"Don't play dirty unless you want a destroyed face."_  
_"Then what would you look at?" Tavus replied with a smug grin. "I guess my body is good too."_

_Rayhel couldn't hold back the growl growing in her chest as she swung at him again. He laughed after she missed. She realized her anger was getting the better of her as he grabbed her, taking her down to the ground effectively._

_"Get off!" she yelled as he pinned her down._  
_"Admit that you feel it too."_  
_"I will kill you." she warned._  
_"Admit it, that's all you have to do."_  
_"Admit what? That I'm as weak as you? Feeling desperate yet? Obviously you are, otherwise you wouldn't have to fight me to tell me how you feel!" She gathered her energy, shoving him off of her._

_They both got to their feet, taking a moment to collect their bearings before swinging at each other again. He grabbed her from behind, holding her arms to her chest, trapping her as he let a purr vibrate through his chest. He nuzzled against the side of her face_

_"Don't tell me you're not interested." he said, feeling her relax in his arms. "Admit you love it."_

_She snapped herself out of her daze, shoving him backwards into the wall behind them, causing him to let go of her. She balled her hand into a fist, turning to him to swing. He caught it, pulling her against his chest. She stared into his eyes as he brought his face closer, mere inches from hers._

_"All you have to do is say it."_

_Rayhel punched her fist into his stomach, getting him to let go of her again. She watched him double over for a moment, catching her breath in the process._

_"I am your captain!" she yelled. "You are being insubordinate!"_  
_"I'll keep doing it until you admit you love me."_  
_"You're a stubborn man-"_  
_"You're a stubborn woman!" he yelled back._

_She was surprised that he was shouting in return; she admired his bravery. He took steps closer to her, reaching out for her. She swung, trying to keep him from touching her. He restrained her, pushing her back against the wall, pressing his body to hers to keep her still._

_"Let go of me!" she shouted in agitation._  
_"No!" he replied, raising his voice only slightly this time._  
_"Tavus. Let go." she said calmly._  
_"No." he said again._

_They stared at each other for a moment and she knew he was waiting. She bit back the words, shaking her head at him._

_"No." she said._  
_"Why?"_  
_"I don't have to admit anything."_  
_"Why can't you act like an adult about it?"_  
_"Why can't you leave it alone?"_  
_"Because I care!"_  
_"Fine!" she said, raising her voice. "I love you."_

_He watched her as she panted at him, her eyes locked on his, a furious look on her face. He was unsure what to do with her at that point. She finally let out a long breath._

_"Well?"_  
_"I didn't think you'd admit it…"_  
_"That it? Can you let me go now?"_

_Tavus did as he was told, letting her walk from the room quietly. He could hear the speed in her footsteps, knowing she was embarrassed. He scolded himself for putting her on the spot, but he knew it was the only way she'd ever tell him. He was grateful she gave in, though he was quite confused on where to go from there. He looked towards the elevator, walking to it in silence._

* * *

"That's enough!"

Natasha and Garrus pointed their guns up towards the voice that ceased the fighting amongst their crew, a familiarity in the tone. Natasha could see the figure was holding Brooks hostage. Shepard's team stopped, putting their weapons down after the man ordered them to.

"Alright." Shepard said, dropping his gun and putting his hands up. The man tossed Brooks down to the ground, jumping down after her. "Whoever you are, there's no where you can run, no where you can hide that we can't find you."  
"Hide? Why? I'm Commander Shepard." he said, stepping closer to reveal his face. "I never hide."

Natasha stared at the man, knitting her eyebrows in confusion. He looked exactly like the Commander, not a slight difference in his face or voice.

"Not exactly how I saw this playing out." Garrus said.  
"Who are you?" Shepard asked.  
"You weren't the only Shepard that Cerberus brought back to live, but at least one of us will finally do something with it."  
"Where did you come from?"  
"The same DNA as you."  
"A clone." Garrus noted.  
"Cerberus spared no expense in resurrecting you. With me, I was created for spare parts in case you needed another arm, or a heart, or a lung."  
"Where have you been this whole time?" Natasha asked, watching him closely.  
"In a coma… Until I woke up six months ago. While you were in a jail cell on Earth, I was learning to be human. Amazing what person can do with enough neural implants."  
"If you're really me, then we're on the same team." Shepard said.  
"We're not even in the same league."  
"Did the Illusive Man send you?"  
"No. He abandoned me when he had what he wanted. You."  
"So what's your point in trying to kill us?" Natasha asked, growing agitated.  
"I don't have his memories. I'd never fool my supposed friends. The ones who abandoned their duty to join the cult of Shepard."  
"You're just a pale imitation of the real thing." Natasha snapped.  
"I'm the real thing perfected. I'm without wear and tear, the doubts, the failures. I'm the lone wolf you were always meant to be without the emotional baggage holding me back."

Natasha glanced around at the team that was surrounded by mercs, a slight panic rising within her.

"No one will believe you're the real Shepard." Garrus said.  
"They will when I'm flying his ship."  
"This is Shepard! Initiate Normandy lockdown! Transmitting command codes now!"  
"Good idea. Too bad the signal was blocked." he said, opening his Omni tool. "Traynow, this is Shepard. Prep the Normandy for emergency departure. We're leaving. I'm sending the command codes now."  
"Acknowledged." Traynor replied over the comm. "We'll get underway."  
"Execute them." he said, turning away. "The cult of Shepard ends today."

As the firefight broke out, Natasha and Garrus split up to take cover. Mercs spread out everywhere, bullets flying through the small room.

"They have a krogan. Why don't we have a krogan?"  
"Wouldn't want to be you, princesses!" Wrex laughed in return, shooting down a merc in front of him.

"I think that turian they've got is Archangel. How the hell are we supposed to kill him?"  
"You're not!" Natasha called back, shooting a merc that was trying to sneak up behind Garrus.

The fight went by quickly, the two teams splitting up as Garrus and Natasha rejoined Shepard to press forward into the archives. Natasha was impressed with everything that was inside, as they were able to see moments of history playing in small spaces. Turians interrogated humans in the first contact war, a krogan overlord attacked the council to start the krogan rebellions, the termination of illegal AI's on the Citadel, everything played out for them. Natasha enjoyed watching them, though they were pressed to keep moving.

"Comander! Over here, help!" Brooks called, appearing at a doorway.

They ran to her, getting trapped in a glass biotic in the process.

"Brooks, the vault sealed us in!" Shepard said.  
"I'm not seeing an override." Garrus said.  
"Cortez! Brooks! Do you read me? Is anyone on this frequency?"

Shepard's clone stepped in the room from the doorway, a smug look on his face.

"Short answer is no, they're not." Shepard tried shooting the force field, though it didn't bring the shields down. His clone shook his head with a smirk. "The longer answer involves your friends trapped in iridium vaults and forgotten for… Well, forever."  
"Others know about this. About you. The Alliance will stop you."  
"What do you think Staff Analyst Brooks? Will the Alliance stop us?"

Brooks walked in the room, putting her forearm on Shepard's shoulder casually.

"I don't know. I don't actually work for them."

Natasha felt her anger rising quickly as the two explained how their plan lead Shepard into the trap, going all the way back to creating the dossiers when he was working for Cerberus. After the clone updated Shepard's spectre ID to his new handprint, he typed in the command on the console, causing the tube to shift into place among the hundreds of others in the archives.

Natasha looked from Shepard to Garrus, her heart pounding as Shepard stood in silence. Garrus stepped towards her, knowing she was panicked, though she shook her head at him when he opened his mouth to speak.

"We have to get out of here."  
"We will-"  
"Joker took Rayhel to the Normandy."  
"What?"  
"I told him to keep her safe, he took her to Traynor, it was the safest thing. Rayhel is on the Normandy and the clone is taking it."

Garrus felt her panic now, looking to Shepard for orders, though he just stood silently, staring at the ground as if deep in thought. Natasha shook her head, walking over to the container's walls to pound her fists against them. She yelled, shouted for help as loud as she could, trying not to cry. Shepard put a hand on her shoulder just to have it swatted away as she turned towards him.

"Don't touch me!" she yelled.  
"You're wasting your breath." he said calmly.  
"My daughter is on that ship!"  
"Calm down-"  
"Don't tell me to calm down!"

Shepard walked past her, placing a hand on the wall to lean against it slightly.

"Glyph."  
"Yes Commander?" the drone replied from the outside.  
"Unlock this thing and go find the others. No one steals my ship. Not even me."

Natasha was grateful that Shepard was calm and collected about the matter, as he got them out rather quickly. She didn't say thank you, or give him any recognition. She was too focused on Rayhel. She wouldn't let that clone take her daughter, knowing he'd end up disposing of her in some way once he found her. She had to tell herself to shake off the thoughts so she could focus, knowing if they slipped up in any way, it was her daughter that would pay the price.

They fought through the dock after taking a shuttle to the Normandy, Natasha barely giving time to shoot any of the mercs. She ducked in and out of cover, one goal set in mind; get to the airlock. Shepard didn't try stopping her as she disregarded his role as the leader, knowing there was no stopping her even if he tried. She opened the airlock, the three of them running in to find a specialist Traynor storming off the ship. Natasha's heart blazed with relief at the sight of her daughter in the woman's arms. She took her quickly, holding her close as she fought back her tears.

"What's happening?" Traynor asked, staring at Shepard. "You just fired me…"  
"It was a clone, it's a long story." Garrus replied, feeling his own relief to see his daughter unharmed.  
"We can explain more later, but for now…"  
"It's sealed." Garrus stated after inspecting the door.  
"There has to be some way onto the ship." Natasha said after a moment.  
"There's an emergency exit hatch for evacuations. It should be right… Here!" Traynor replied.

She opened the little hatch, frowning at the sight.

"Manual lock, and it's only meant to be opened from the other side." Shepard said, looking at it. "Any ideas?"  
"We need a mass effect field to break up the operation of the lock." Garrus replied.

Traynor let out a small sigh, holding up her toothbrush with sadness in her eyes, clicking it on.

* * *

The fight down in the cargo bay was a tough one. Shepard's clone put up an extreme fight, along with plenty of mercs and Brooks. Natasha had a motivation for fighting, shooting down mercs without missing, even after the shuttle door was opened. Shepard ended up trying to save the clone once they had him down, but he chose to give up, letting himself fall from the shuttle door. They returned to the front of the cargo bay after the doors were closed, Cortez approaching them.

"Fortunately, they weren't here long enough to do much real damage. Although I may need some help from James cleaning up the cargo area."  
"Plus they overloaded the heat diffusion system firing at us. Not sure if you noticed, but Shuttle Guy here did some crazy stunt flying to keep us in one piece."  
"It's nice to fly something a little more maneuverable than a Kodiak." Steve replied with a smile.  
"Any surviving mercs?" Natasha asked, looking at Joker.  
"Just one crappy ass pilot and her." Joker said, watching Steve bring out Brooks. "Alliance is taking her to a high security facility. Maybe she can give them some dirt on Cerberus."

Natasha narrowed her eyes at the woman, seeing the wheels turning as she hesitated to respond. She finally gave them a smile.

"I'll be more than happy to cooperate with the authorities."  
"Until you escape." Natasha replied, taking a step closer to her.  
"Me? Escape? I'm not a field agent." she teased, trying to pick up the act again.  
"Stop. Just stop." Natasha said, walking over to her. "You betrayed us. You betrayed Commander Shepard and the alliance in the middle of a war."  
"I was young and naïve." It took every ounce of strength in Natasha to walk away from the woman as she got closer to her face. "Admit it. You'll miss me."

Brooks broke out of her cuffs, running for cover before Natasha took out her gun, shooting the woman in the back.

"What are you doing?!" Shepard snapped, walking to Natasha with a stern look on his face.

Natasha looked back to him, a blank look on her face as she holstered her gun.

"She put my daughter in danger." she replied, turning for the elevator, not regretting what she'd done.

Garrus watched her leave, looking back to Shepard, who let out a sigh before looking over at the motionless Brooks. Joker let out a small laugh.

"Maintenance to the shuttle bay." he said, putting his finger to his earpiece.

* * *

_Rayhel sat on her bed, her stuffed pony in her hands as she thought over how everything would change now that her feelings were out in the open. She shook her head at herself for being so stupid in the first place, then reassured herself that it was natural. She then scolded herself, knowing it could have been prevented, but begged herself to not push him away. How could she? He knew how she felt. Friendship was a bit sketchy now. She let out a sigh, wishing her mother were there to comfort her._

_A brief knock sounded on the door before it opened without permission. Tavus silently entered the room, walking across the room slowly to sit with her on the bed. She didn't look over at him, keeping her eyes fixed on her pony. Tavus looked down at the animal she held for a long moment before looking up to her face._

_"I'm sorry." he said, his voice hoarse. "I shouldn't have pushed you that far. It was inappropriate and I should have let you tell me on your own terms."_

_Rayhel let out a short laugh, not looking up at him._

_"What's done is done."_  
_"Where do you want to go from here?"_  
_"Friendship obviously isn't ideal."_  
_"Why not?"_  
_"Friends aren't in love with each other."_  
_"That's not true. I bet if you asked your Mom who her best friend was she'd say it's your Dad."_  
_"You know what I meant."_

_Tavus took the pony from her hands, setting it down on her stand. She looked up at him finally._

_"I don't want a friendship."_  
_"What?"_  
_"I'm not interested in being just friends."_

_Rayhel lowered her brow plates at him._

_"Do you think this is funny?"_  
_"I would never make fun of you Ray."_  
_"Tavus, this can't happen."_  
_"Why not?"_  
_"There are regulations about this shit for a reason."_  
_"Since when did you give a damn about the rules?"_

_She shook her head, trying to look away from him. He stopped her, putting a hand on her face and sending a chill down her spine._

_"It'll hurt our careers."_  
_"Rayhel, I love you."_

_She blinked at him, unsure of what else to say. She swallowed the lump in her throat._

_"It'll ruin our careers-"_  
_"I am in love with you."_

_Rayhel stared, knowing whatever she said against the relationship would only be countered by him encouraging it. Her thoughts raced through her head for a moment before she shook them all away, settling on only one._

_"What happens when we don't work?"_  
_"We get through it."_  
_"You'll just leave."_  
_"I'm not going anywhere." Rayhel shook her head at him, looking away. "Are you scared that I'm going to be like Darius?"_

_She snapped her eyes back up to him, her heart dropping._

_"What?"_  
_"I hacked into your files a while back. I read everything. The turian military separated you two when he requested to work elsewhere. Do you think I'm going to just give up like that? Or are you scared a relationship will get someone killed, like Cyrus?"_

_Rayhel found it hard to be angry with him because she knew he was right. She felt tears in her eyes as he brought her into a hug. She held onto him, letting her tears fall onto his shirt._

_"It'll ruin everything."_  
_"I won't let that happen." he told her. "I'm not them."_

_Rayhel sat up straight, wiping her face before looking into his eyes. There was a long pause before he held her hand in his, giving her a soft smile._

_"I want this to work." she told him, her voice small._  
_"I don't care about regulations. Hell, I can lose my job. I don't care. I just want you."_

_Rayhel gave him a small smile, feeling hesitation when he leaned in closer to her. She embraced the new sensation as his lips pressed to hers, losing herself quickly in the touch as his hand rested against her face gently._

* * *

Shepard let Natasha use his apartment while others visited, knowing Rayhel needed a place to nap while the Normandy was off limits. The attack was still fresh, and he knew Natasha wanted her daughter safe. Natasha enjoyed the people who came by the visit for a few moments, though she was unsure about the idea of a party. Rayhel would sleep through a lot, but she wasn't positive about a party.

Regardless, the child was enjoying her nap so far. Natasha sat on the bed with her, stroking her fringe as her Omni tool beeped at her. She lifted her arm, letting out a sigh.

'When you have a free moment, I thought we'd check out the bar scene around here. Let's meet in the upper floor of the casino. Hopefully no dead arms dealers this time!'

She smiled, shaking her head, hearing the door close, silence falling in the next room. She got up carefully as to not wake her daughter, smiling at Shepard as he sat on the couch alone for a moment.

"Enjoying the shore leave?"  
"It's nice."

Natasha cleared her throat, sitting next to him.

"I'm sorry I shot her." she said, looking into his eyes. "I should have let you deal with her."  
"It's alright." he replied, giving her a small smile. "Just keep yourself in line next time."

She nodded in agreement.

"Deal."  
"You going to do anything while we're here?"

She let out a small sigh, running her fingers through her hair.

"Would you mind watching her for a few?"  
"Rayhel?"  
"Garrus wants me to go out for a drink. I won't drink much, just…"  
"It's alright."  
"Are you sure?"  
"Only if you promise you two are going to work out your issues."

She smiled, nodding at him again.

"Thank you."  
"Go sort it out.

Natasha stood from the couch, walking to the room, looking at herself in the mirror briefly before deciding to dress up for the occasion. She smiled, picking up the dress she'd worn earlier, reaching for the bottom of her shirt to lift it over her head.

* * *

Natasha sat at the bar alone, sipping a mild drink as the music played, observing the dancing around the floor. She idly wondered if Garrus would want to talk about their issues. She thought over their relationship, the realization of them being in a relationship already setting in her mind. They acted like a couple, though they fought more often than not and had agreed to be apart. They just weren't bonded. Why she was denying her love for him or her want to be with him, she had no answer anymore. She sighed, knocking back her drink before waving off the bartender, knowing it was a bad idea to return to Shepard in a drunken state.

"Come here often?" She smiled, looking over to Garrus as he sat next to her. She let her eyes wander away from him, catching sight of a turian woman eyeing him. She reached out, putting her hand on his thigh. He laughed lightly. "Buy me a drink first."

The turian walked away after a moment of trying to stare Natasha down, making her smile as she dropped her hand.

"You come here often?" she replied, dropping her defensiveness as she looked back to him.  
"Oh I come here often. Good place to blow off steam. Scenery's not bad either." he said, looking over at the turian woman. Natasha narrowed her eyes at him. He looked back to her with a smirk. "Though the view in front of me is even better."  
"That supposed to melt a girl's heart?" she replied bitterly.  
"No, but this voice is…" he said, taking on a cool tone. "I'm Garrus Vakarian. Codename: Archangel. All around turian bad boy and dispenser of justice in an unjust galaxy. Also, I kill Reapers on the side. You are?"  
"Natasha. I serve on the Normandy."  
"I might have heard a few things about you."  
"Oh? Flatter me."  
"Word is you're smart. Sexy. A wicked shot with a pistol. Also, you kill Reapers on the side too."  
"Uh huh. And do most girls fall for that?" she asked, a smirk on her face.  
"Well sure. You know, this voice and uh… and uh… I'm running out of banter here."  
"Make it up. Remember, we just met."  
"Right. I mean… Yeah, all the girls fall for it. Let me show you." he said with a grin, grabbing her hand.

She put a finger up, shaking her head.

"What are you doing?"  
"It'll be fun." he said, pulling her to her feet.

She heard the music starting, making her shake her head frantically before he got her to the dance floor.

"No!" she pleaded as he pulled her close to him, taking her hand in his as the other rested on her hip.

Natasha knew next to nothing about dancing. She'd never really had to do it before. Sure, there was a little bob and weave when she caught a tune she liked, but the occurrence of hearing music was quite rare in their hectic lives. He lead her through the first few steps as she clung to him, scared she'd mess up.

"Been taking lessons on the side." She shook her head at him with a nervous smile, trying to get into the groove of the dance.  
"You're gonna pay for this later."  
"Promises promises."

She smiled, biting her lip as he twirled her out. She was unsure of what to do in the small second before twirling back into his arms gratefully. She hated the viewers they were getting as the dance floor cleared for them. It only encouraged Garrus, and she knew it. She began to let herself loosen up, moving her feet with ease as he guided her through the dance. She smiled, enjoying the time as it went on. She was actually having a good time, unafraid of Reapers, unafraid of dying and only one person in the entire galaxy was able to make her feel that way. She gave him a look as they danced, wishing they were alone for a sudden moment. He seemed to catch the look, bringing her closer so he could dip her down, ending the dance as the crowd clapped for them.

"So. Think a girl would fall for that?"  
"Oh, hell yes." she replied as he straightened her back up.  
"It gets even better when you try it in bed." Natasha smiled, rolling her eyes at him. She was unable to deny the lust she felt for him right then. She took a deep breath to calm herself down before she returned to her seat at the bar. She closed her eyes as he nuzzled his face against hers from behind her. "I hate to leave so soon, but I have to go pick up the party supplies for Shepard."

She opened her eyes and turned to face him, wishing he would stay longer.

"You're going to be there tonight then?"  
"Is that alright with you?" he asked, bending down to bring his forehead to hers.  
"I want to see you." she admitted.  
"You will." She gave him a smile as he turned away. She saw the turian woman eyeing him as he left. She didn't have to say anything, as Garrus turned towards her, pointing over his shoulder to Natasha. "Isn't my bondmate a hell of a dancer?"

He didn't give her time to answer, walking away as Natasha smiled, appreciating what he'd done for her. The turian woman walked over to her as her thoughts drifted, looking to her shoulder. Natasha pulled back the strap on her dress, revealing her scar. The turian scoffed, shaking her head.

"It's a shame you feel the need to hide that he's yours."

Natasha stood from her seat, walking away from the turian before she did something she'd regret. Though, she was surprised with herself. The woman had a point. Natasha had been hiding the fact that she had bond mark, to keep herself open to Garrus, yet they weren't bonded. Granted it had been his fault the first time, but she knew he was openly trying to gain her back. She felt that warm flutter in her chest as she walked out of the casino, a small smile on her face as her thoughts rested on the turian.

* * *

"Feeling good?"

Natasha looked over at Garrus, giving him the most welcoming smile she could as she sat on her bed.

"Just needed a minute from the party."  
"You aren't enjoying it?"  
"I am." she replied, watching him sit next to her.  
"But?"  
"I just…" she let out a sigh, putting her forehead in her hands. "I just wish this was over."  
"We'll win." he told her, putting a hand on her back comfortingly.

She looked up at him, a small smile on her face. She reached up to touch his face, her eyes flickering over his markings before she locked her eyes with his.

"I'm not talking about the war."

He stared at her, his brow plates lowering only slightly, the hand on her back moving as he wrapped his arm around her waist.

"What is it you're talking about then?"  
"This. Us acting this way."  
"You can't keep me away-"  
"No, I didn't mean… I meant the fighting. Trying to convince myself to stay away or to stop going back to you. There's a reason I keep coming back." she said, not taking her eyes from his. "I love you. I don't have to stay away."  
"I don't want you to stay away." he replied, pressing his forehead to hers.

She let the familiar sensation of adoration for him run through her for a moment before she pulled herself away from him, getting to her feet.

"I should check on Ray, she's upstairs sleeping still." she said before he caught her wrist, getting to his feet quickly.

He turned her towards him, pulling her close to himself. She expected him to kiss her, though he didn't. He watched her for a moment, as if searching for something in her eyes before he ran a hand through her hair. She closed her eyes, leaning into the touch, missing the intimacy they used to share. He let his other hand grip at her waist, his talons tickling her slightly. She smiled, opening her eyes. His mandibles flared ever so slightly, his smile small.

"What?" she said, starting to wonder what was on his mind.  
"You're beautiful."

She gave him a look, a playful smile on her face.

"Not as beautiful as that turian we saw earlier."  
"You're much more beautiful than that turian."  
"You told her I was your bondmate." she pointed out.  
"So?"  
"You lied.  
"I don't want to anymore."

She narrowed her eyes at him, her smile fading slightly.

"What?"  
"I want you bond with me." She tried backing out of his arms, but he stopped her, shaking his head. "Don't run."  
"This isn't how I want this…"  
"I can't give you a ceremony, but-"  
"You're only asking because you know it's what I want."

Garrus gave her a stern look, slowly backing her against the wall so she couldn't get away.

"That's not true."  
"You haven't wanted it since we got together. What suddenly changed?"  
"It wasn't sudden… I realized I wanted to bond a while ago. It's been complicated. Let it be fixed so we can move forward."

Natasha had to fight her instinct to push him out, fighting back her tears.

"Are you sure?"  
"I wouldn't ask if I wasn't sure. You should know that by now."

She let out a small smile.

"Yeah, it's been a few years."

He smiled before putting a hand on her cheek.

"I want this."

She nodded, leaning in to give him a kiss. He pressed her to the wall harder after her tongue met his, running his hand up her arm. He pulled away from her, toying with the strap on her dress. She gave him a concerned look before he unhooked it, letting it fall to the floor as he kissed her neck. Natasha felt her heart racing, closing her eyes as his lips traced her skin. After a moment, she felt his teeth sink in, wincing as he held his bite on her. Garrus purred, wrapping his arms around her waist. When he let go, she immediately looked down, seeing the small specks of blood on her shoulder. She kissed him again as she took off his shirt, quickly finding his shoulder. She pressed her teeth against the plating, remembering how hard it was to bite through as she clamped her jaw shut. He let out a small groan as she broke through the plates, tasting his blood for a brief moment. When she let go, he looked down at his mark before kissing her again. She gave him a smile after he pulled away.

"I love you." he said.  
"Make love to me." she replied, feeling her emotions flying through her body as he picked her up. She wrapped her legs around his waist, kissing him passionately before he sat on the bed. She straddled him, not taking her lips from his, her hands on his mandibles desperately. She could tell he was losing himself too, a small rumble sounding from his chest. She was happy that it was a purr, instead of a growl. He didn't let her stay on top of him for long, putting an arm around her back to move her down underneath him as he moved on top of her.

Natasha let him have his way, not fighting to stay in control as he slipped her dress off slowly. After undressing each other and enjoying the sight of each other for the first time in what seemed like forever, they finally brought themselves together, making their hearts whole again.


	17. Chapter 17

**Hey guys!**

**Only one more chapter after this one. ): I don't know what I'm going to do with myself. This is sad.**

**Thank you to ArchelionGen, you're amazing.**

**Please feel free to rate, review, or even PM me if you have anything you'd like to say.**

**Thanks!**

* * *

Natasha opened her eyes, an immediate smile spreading across her face before she reached up to her shoulder. The new mark was sore, but she didn't care. She ran her fingers over it a few times before rolling onto her back, looking over at her mate. She kissed his mandible, causing him to stir. She kissed him again before he looked over at her, pressing his lips against hers as he wrapped an arm around her waist.

"Morning." she said, giving him a smile as he looked into her eyes.  
"Morning." he purred, pressing his forehead to hers.

They exchanged a silent acknowledgement to each other, both of them replaying the previous night in their minds before Natasha sat up in the bed.

"I should go find your daughter." Garrus was silent, watching her walk to where her clothes were, a small smile on his face. She returned the smile before dressing herself, smelling food cooking from the other room. A small giggle sounded, making her laugh. "It would seem someone already did."

Garrus got out of the bed, walking over to her before she could leave, putting his hands on her face.

"I love you."

She smiled before kissing his lips slowly.

"I love you too." He stared down at her with a smile, making her laugh again before she took his hand in her own. "Come on."

Rayhel sat on the counter, watching James cook breakfast as they entered the kitchen.

"Mommy! Eggs?"

Natasha smiled at her, picking her up as she looked over at the pan James used.

"You're cooking eggs?"  
"Want some?"  
"Sure." Natasha shrugged, looking over at Garrus.  
"I'm good." he said.  
"Daddy." Rayhel pouted, holding her arms out to him.  
"What?" he replied, taking her from Natasha.  
"I had a bad dream."  
"Tell me about it."  
"You were fighting bad guys, and they won."  
"That's not going to happen."  
"Promise?"  
"I promise."

Natasha watched him hug her, feeling a sadness rise within her. They still had to hit that Cerberus base before going to Earth. Their chances of survival were looking very slim.

Once everyone was finished with breakfast, Shepard told them to head back to the Normandy. Most of the crew weren't feeling the best, due to the amount of alcohol involved with the previous night. Reluctantly, the old crew members said their goodbyes to the current ones, and they parted ways, most of them telling Shepard they should have another party after they'd won the war. Natasha liked the idea, though the dark possibility of Reapers winning only told her it wouldn't happen.

* * *

_Rayhel woke up the next morning to a soft purr next to her, making her smile tiredly. It was almost as if Tavus knew when she woke, as he wrapped an arm around her, nuzzling his face against her neck. She let out a soft laugh, rolling over to face him. They were silent for a moment, staring at each other, neither of them feeling regret for the previous night. She gave him a soft smile, putting a hand on his face._

_"Morning."_

_He just smiled, bringing his forehead to hers. She ran her fingers over his fringe, making him lean into her touch slightly before he pulled away, looking down at her._

_"You're beautiful."_  
_"I just woke up."_  
_"You're still beautiful."_  
_"I'm groggy." she replied, rubbing her own face now. He pulled her hand away, allowing him to kiss her. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders, returning his kiss in kind before feeling his hand run down her side. She laughed again, pulling away from him. "That tickles."_  
_"Your human traits are cute."_  
_"Cute?" she scoffed. "I am not cute."_  
_"Right, sorry. You're a tough woman." he corrected._  
_"That's what I thought." she replied with a smile._

_He ran a hand over her fringe, his purr not stopping as he looked into her eyes._

_"Last night was amazing." She looked away from him, feeling embarrassment rising quickly. He made her look back to him, giving her a reassuring smile. "What's wrong?"_  
_"It would have been better if I had more experience."_

_Tavus let out a laugh, shaking his head at her._

_"I loved it."_

_Rayhel smiled at him._

_"I'm glad."_  
_"I'm sure your mother and aunt will be thrilled to hear about this." he said, sitting up in the bed._  
_"It wasn't a goal to get you to sleep with me just so I could brag about it."_

_He laughed, looking back at her._

_"You'll brag anyways. I'm hot."_

_She rolled her eyes, sitting up beside him, holding the sheet to her chest._

_"Your ego never ceases to amaze me." she said before giving him a kiss._  
_"Impressed yet?" She shook her head with a smile, looking down at the bed. "Why are you covering yourself?"_

_She shrugged at him, clutching the sheet tighter as if he'd take them from her._

_"I just am."_  
_"I've seen everything already."_

_She gave him a nervous laugh before scooting to the edge of the bed._

_"We should get to the CIC."_  
_"Ray."_

_She looked back at him, trying to make herself seem less vulnerable._

_"Yeah?"_  
_"I don't want this to be awkward."_  
_"It's not." she replied, looking away as she stood._

_He watched her for a moment as she gathered up her clothes quickly. He stood, walking over to her side of the bed. He made her stop to look at him. She forced herself to take a deep breath instead of covering herself from him. He gave her a smile._

_"It's just me."_  
_"I know." she said, closing her eyes._  
_"We saw each other in the shower before this happened." he pointed out._  
_"It's different…"_  
_"Ray, you're beautiful."_

_She opened her eyes, looking up at him._

_"I guess it's a human trait."_

_He kissed her gently before resting his forehead against hers._

_"I love you regardless of traits. Just don't hide from me."_

_She wrapped her arms around his shoulders, pressing her naked body to his, happy that he was so patient with her. Most turians were so casual about sex that she had expected him to not take it seriously. She was pleasantly surprised that he genuinely cared about her. She wasn't an object to him. She smiled as his purr continued, wishing she had the ability to do it herself. She looked up at him, giving him a smile._

_"Come on." she said, letting go of him. "We'll be landing on Rannoch soon."_  
_"I'd rather stay here." he replied, reaching out to touch her face._

_She laughed, swatting his hand away before walking past him to find her armor._

_"Get dressed."_

_He groaned, putting his clothing on slowly before telling her goodbye. Rayhel hated the silence in her room once he'd left for his own, letting out a sigh as she clasped the chest plate of her armor. She looked in the mirror, taking in the worn out color of blue and the chips and dents she sported. Her mind wandered to when she'd finally stop her military career, but she quickly felt the desire to keep going as long as Tavus was on her ship. She smiled at herself, letting out a long breath before shaking her head._

_Her thoughts drifted to the previous night, wondering how she'd tell her Mom that it'd happened. She shook it off quickly, knowing it didn't matter for now. She was much too eager to think of such things, knowing her operations chief was waiting for her in the CIC._

* * *

"Once we start our attack on Cerberus, it won't be long before the Reapers take notice. We'll be fully committed to our assault on Earth after getting that intel."

Listening to Shepard speak to Hackett from the war room was difficult for Natasha. She knew she wasn't ready for that final push, but then again, she didn't think she'd ever be ready. It was the end of everything they all knew in life if they didn't succeed. Shepard made a point of asking Hackett what to do if they didn't get the intel needed on the Catalyst, which only made Natasha that much more nervous. Shepard told them all to prepare themselves before setting a course for the Illusive Man's base. Natasha knew it was time to say the goodbye's she needed to. She and Garrus exchanged glances with each other before silently walking for the elevator.

Calpurnia stood staring at the holo image of the crucible, the reality of the end dawning on her before she felt someone coming up behind her. She turned, giving Vallok a small smile before looking back to the crucible.

"You're worried."  
"Why wouldn't I be? This is it." Vallok didn't say anything, which Calpurnia was somewhat thankful for. She knew they had to stay positive, but she wasn't one to make light of something meant to be dark. The Reapers would win if they didn't have the catalyst and she knew they wouldn't get it easily. "I'm sorry for using you."

Vallok laughed, folding his arms across his chest as he stared at the holo image with her.

"We had fun."

She smiled in return, nodding in agreement.

"Lots."  
"You should talk to him."

Calpurnia looked over at him, shaking her head.

"No."  
"You'll regret it if you don't."

Calpurnia ran the scenario of Caeus dying through her head, the pain of losing Saren filling her before she straightened herself up.

"Yeah…"

Vallok touched her shoulder, giving her a concerned look.

"Do it for me."

She let out a slight laugh, nodding.

"For you." she agreed. The walk down to the crew deck was a long one as she tried finding what she wanted to say to Caeus, knowing she had to at least say goodbye. She found him in his room, reading over a data pad. She didn't knock, letting herself in in silence. He stared up at her, setting the pad down before standing. "Hi."  
"Cal-"  
"Just let me say something…" she told him, not wanting him to tell her to leave before she got the chance to say goodbye. She took a deep breath before looking into his eyes reluctantly. "I loved Saren."

Caeus let out a short laugh, nodding at her.

"Yeah?"  
"I loved him a lot. Losing him was… Hard. Here we are, almost to the point of living or dying, and… All I can think of is how bad it hurt to lose him without being able to say what I needed to… And that's what's going to happen again if something happens to you in this push. So… I love you, Caeus. I know I'm a lot to deal with sometimes, and I know that you feel I was hiding things from you but I just need you to understand that I never wanted to hurt you. I'm sorry that I pushed you to this point."

She watched him for a moment before taking a step backwards for the door.

"I'm sorry I reacted the way I did…" Caeus replied. "I know Vallok's been keeping you company instead of me these past few weeks and I hate that because I should have been there. I should have been the one comforting you after Nyreen died, not him. I was stubborn…"  
"I forgive you."

He smiled at her, stepping forward and reaching out to pull her closer to him.

"I forgive you." he replied.

She smiled, wrapping her arms around his shoulders.

"I'm sorry."  
"I am too."  
"I'm scared, Caeus."  
"We all are."

She looked up to him, locking eyes for a brief moment before he pressed his lips to hers passionately. She was grateful to be in his arms again, feeling a small amount of peace in her vast amount of worry.

* * *

_Rayhel hated their mission on Rannoch. She strongly disagreed that the turian military was needed to help rebuild the quarian's homeworld. It'd been years since the war and the quarians were still rebuilding on Rannoch, as well as other planets they now had possession of. Rayhel thought it was a waste of time for them to be here instead of home rebuilding their own world. Every single planet in the galaxy was still recovering after such a devastating war, even after this much time, but if any planet needed rebuilding, it was Earth. Rayhel hated the humans' ways of keeping things old fashioned. Not many other races lived there, and not many advances were there either. Sure, there were the obvious advances that were unavoidable, such as Omni tools and being a part of council space, but they stuck to their roots and made sure they were the ones to rebuild Earth. Rayhel thought them quite stubborn to refuse help from others, especially fellow council races._

_She could tell her crew was just as irritated with being on the quarian's homeworld as she was. She didn't blame them. Making sure everyone was getting along wasn't their job. If the quarians needed a referee in order to rebuild Rannoch, then perhaps they shouldn't. Many still gave the geth the cold shoulder, but Rayhel pitied the machines. They only wanted to help. She remembered stories of her mother and father being friends with a geth a while ago._

_Their priority of keeping the peace on planets was starting to get under Rayhel's plates, and she was grateful they didn't have to stay long. They got their job done and another ship replaced them once they left. The time went by without much pain, having Tavus by her side to keep her head on right. Tavus didn't understand how she could have such sympathy for krogan but have zero patience for the quarians. He kept quiet about asking questions, knowing they were to remain neutral between the geth and the quarians while they were there. He, too, was grateful that the time went by quickly. All of them were eager to report it._

_Rayhel worried that Tavus would be promoted when they got back to Palaven. He was the best on her ground team, and he was a hell of a chief, and she knew it wouldn't be long before he was bumped up to the rank of an officer. She kept the small hope that when he was promoted he'd be able to stay on her ship, but she knew it was unlikely. He'd have to stay on Palaven for training and then he'd be assigned to a ship. If hers wasn't there when he was assigned, he wouldn't have a choice on where he'd be working._

_She tried keeping the worry to a minimum, not wanting to cause him to worry if he was actually promoted. They enjoyed their time together without dwelling, grateful that they finally had each other without wondering where the other person stood._

* * *

"Do you know what the best part about a battle that decides the fate of the rest of the galaxy?"

Natasha smiled, looking up at the turian who stood in her doorway.

"Winning it?"  
"I was thinking that it's a good excuse to remind the ones you care about that… You care." Natasha laid her head on his shoulder after he sat down next to her, looking over to where Rayhel slept. She let out a sigh. "Want some company?"

She smiled, taking his hand into hers.

"You read my mind."  
"Guess I'm getting good at this…"

She leaned in to kiss him, reaching up to take off his visor in the process. He pulled away from her, his blue eyes locking with her brown ones.

"I love you." she said, running her fingers down the scarred side of his face. "We've been through hell and back… I wouldn't have wanted to be with anyone else through any of it."  
"I wouldn't have made it with anyone else. You're… Everything to me. You and Rayhel both."

She smiled, looking over at the sleeping child.

"What if we die?"  
"We'll live."  
"What if we don't?"  
"She's a fighter. There are enough people around here that she'll know who you are if you don't live."

Natasha smiled, looking back to him.

"We."  
"What?"  
"She'll know who we are." she corrected.

He ran his fingers over her cheek gently, giving her a smile.

"Want to go to the main battery?"

She bit her lip at him before standing, nodding at him slowly.

"One last night before shit hits the fan?"

He laughed, following her to the door.

"Not how I would have put it, but sure."

She smiled, taking his hand and walking with him quietly to the main battery.

Natasha woke up in a sweat a few hours later, sitting upright in bed as she panted, putting her face in her hands after realizing it was just a dream. Garrus woke up quickly next to her, putt a hand on her back as he realized she was upset.

"You ok?"  
"Bad dream…"  
"I can see that."  
"I'm worried about her…"  
"She'll be on this ship the whole time, Tasha. Nothing will happen to her."  
"Unless the Reapers take down this ship." Natasha replied, looking over at him.  
"She'll be safe." he said, putting a hand on her face to calm her. She took a deep breath before pulling the sheets off of her legs. "Where are you going?"  
"I want to be near her." she replied, pulling on her pants.  
"You're going to wake her up?"  
"No. I just…" she took another breath, looking over at him as she pulled her shirt over her head. "I need to be in the same room as her for now."  
"Can I go?"

She smiled at the tone he had, knowing he only wanted to be close to his family. She bent down, giving him a slow, passionate kiss before straightening back up.

"Let's go."

* * *

_"Impressive work on Tuchanka, Vakarian. Your team is very handy."_  
_"Thank you, sir."_  
_"Rannoch is still in need of support, though you did your part and did it well, as always."_  
_"Thank you, sir."_  
_"I want to go over a few things with some of your crewmates. Please step outside."_  
_"Yes sir."_

_Rayhel saluted her admiral before turning towards the door. She felt Tavus' eyes on her as she left, making her stomach do a flip at the thought of what he'd heard from the admiral. She was surprised when the doors closed behind her, watching the turian councilor approach her._

_"Vakarian. Good to see you."_

_She saluted him without hesitation, straightening up into her best military stance._

_"You too, sir." she replied._  
_"How are your parents?"_  
_"They're good sir."_  
_"Good to hear. I'd like to speak with you." Rayhel followed him to a private room in the turian facility, taking the seat he offered her as he sat across from her. "I hear your ship is doing very well under your command."_  
_"Thank you sir."_  
_"Your father is very proud of you. He brags a lot."_

_Rayhel smiled, though she wished she could have kept a straight face for formalities._

_"Thank you sir."_  
_"Vakarian, have you ever thought of something outside of the military?"_  
_"Sir?"_  
_"Such as, working for the council?"_

_Rachel's heart dropped as she caught his meaning, bouncing words around in her head in a desperate search to find the right ones._

_"I…Have given it thought before, yes."_  
_"What do you think of the spectres?"_  
_"They're the best of the best. It'd be an honor to be a part of that."_

_The councilor leaned forward in his chair with a slight smile._

_"I'm offering you a spectre position."_

_Rayhel stared at him, her heart racing as she tried focusing on the thought long enough to process it._

_"Sir?"_  
_"I want to promote you to council space. The best assignments, the best ships, the best crew mates. You'd have everything you need to get your job done."_

_Rayhel nodded at him, clearing her throat as she lost herself in the array of thoughts that flew through her head._

_"I'm honored, sir."_  
_"I expect you'll need some time to think it over. Maybe talk with your family."_  
_"I'd appreciate that sir."_  
_"I believe you have two weeks of leave. I expect an answer by then."_  
_"Of course, sir."_  
_"Enjoy yourself."_  
_"Thank you sir." Rayhel said, saluting him once more before leaving the room._

_She saw Tavus leaving the room across from the one she'd been in. She smiled at him as best as she could, which he returned with difficulty. They stood in silence for a few moments, unsure of what to say to the other person before Tavus finally straightened himself up._

_"Where to?"_

_She cleared her throat, leading him from the building in a formal fashion, renting a shuttle for the next two weeks before they headed home._

_"How'd it go?" she asked hesitantly._  
_"Not what I expected."_  
_"What did you expect?"_  
_"I expected to be told I did a good job."_

_Rayhel brought the sky car to a hault, looking over at him._

_"They told you you weren't performing well?!" she said, her brow plates lowered in anger._

_He looked over at her in surprise, letting out a laugh._

_"Keep driving."_  
_"I'll go back and kick someone's ass right now-"_  
_"I was promoted."_

_Rayhel stared at him for a moment before continuing to drive. She felt her heart hammering, though she reminded herself that she already knew he'd be promoted. There was no way he wouldn't have been. His act of valor to save her from Cerberus had put good merit on his record. He was good at his job, and there was no way around that. He deserved a promotion. She smiled to herself, reaching over to touch his leg._

_"I'm happy for you."_  
_"You don't look happy." She tried smiling at him, but he was unconvinced. "Ray, it'll work out. I promise."_  
_"I know it will."_  
_"What did the councilor want with you?"_  
_"Nothing." she said with a shrug._  
_"Was it about your Dad?" he asked hesitantly._  
_"No." she said with a laugh. "He just wanted to check up on me."_  
_"You were offered a job."_

_Rayel glanced over at him before nodding._

_"He offered me a spectre position."_

_Tavus smiled widley, patting her shoulder._

_"I'm happy for you."_

_She put on a smile to cover up her worry, nodding at him._

_"Thanks."_

* * *

"Remember the time we went shop lifting on Omega?" Natasha laughed with Calpurnia, memories flying through her mind. An angry elcor had tried catching them after they'd stolen a new scope for Garrus, but they'd gotten away with it. "Or the time you almost got poisoned in Afterlife?"

Natasha let out an exasperated groan at the memory, shaking her head.

"I thought Garrus was going to kill that bartender."  
"Turned out someone else did anyways."  
"What about the time Nyreen met Caeus?"  
"That whore, she tried hooking up with Vallok while we were there too."  
"Guess you just pick the good ones."  
"She didn't come onto Saren, but she comes onto everyone else I'm with."  
"Saren was clearly yours though."

Calpurnia smiled, shaking her head with a sigh.

"We've come a long way since those days on the Citadel, crying over our dead bondmates."

Natasha remembered going through pregnancy without Nihlus, nodding in agreement.

"A long way."  
"Now Rayhel is almost five and you and Garrus are back together." Natasha smiled, pulling her shirt down slightly. Calpurnia let her jaw drop slightly as she saw the new bond mark. "You bonded?"  
"He finally asked."  
"That makes me so happy…" Calpurnia said, tears swelling in her eyes.  
"Why are you crying?" Natasha asked with a smile.  
"You deserve happiness."  
"Speaking of happiness, did you get laid last night?"  
"Yes I did." Calpurnia replied, wiping the tears out of her eyes as she took on a suggestive tone.  
"Caeus seems happier."  
"He got laid."  
"Poor Vallok."  
"He knows where to find me."

Natasha rolled her eyes with a laugh, knowing her friend was only half serious about sleeping with him still.

"Cal, if something happens to Garrus and I in this fight-"  
"I'll take care of her, Tasha."

Natasha gave her a smile, nodding.

"Thank you."  
"You're more of a sister to me than my own blood was… I'd give my life for that little girl."  
"I just hope it doesn't come down to that…"  
"Me too…"  
"Remember getting shot?"  
"Yes." Calpurnia laughed.  
"Remember thinking I was going to die when Rayhel was born?"  
"Yes." she sighed. "Remember meeting me?"  
"Yes!" Natasha laughed, tossing her head back. "You bitch."  
"You love me."  
"You were so mean to me."  
"Yeah, well, I didn't know you."  
"Your bondmate was more accepting to me and he was known for hating humans."  
"You know what else he was known for? Supporting Nihlus. So shut up."

Natasha shook her head with a smile.

"Such a bitch."

Calpurnia let out a laugh, continuing to exchange memories with Natasha while they waited for Garrus to return from the Cerberus base. Natasha wasn't bitter that EDI went instead of her. She saw the reasoning behind it and knew it was for the best. She just prayed everything would work out for the best.

* * *

_"Did you like your toy?"_

_Rayhel let her smile leave her face as she looked over to her aunt, Natasha's laughter also ceasing._

_"I did, actually."_  
_"And?"_

_Rayhel shrugged, tipping her bottle of beer up to her lips, pondering an answer before smirking at her._

_"Not as good as the real thing."_  
_"I heard that." Calpurnia replied._  
_"What?" Natasha said, knitting her eyebrows at her daughter._

_Calpurnia caught on too, staring at Rayhel, who shrugged again._

_"Not as good as the real thing."_  
_"I thought you were a…" Natasha said, staring at her._  
_"I was."_  
_"You gave it up?!" Calpurnia said with a large smile. "You finally gave it to him?!"_

_Rayhel laughed, glancing over to where the guys stood chatting. She widened her eyes at her aunt._

_"Ssh."_  
_"Garrus does not need to know." Natasha said._  
_"He'd go on a killing spree." Calpurnia replied. "This is perfect. How was he?"_

_Rayhel let out a sigh, a small smile growing on her face._

_"Good, I guess."_  
_"You guess?"_  
_"He was."_  
_"And?"_  
_"What?"_  
_"What position?"_

_Rayhel shook her head, embarrassment spreading through her. Natasha smiled at her daughter, rubbing her back for comfort._

_"It was special, wasn't it?" Rayhel nodded, her smile returning. 'That's my girl."_  
_"You're telling me you didn't let the guy get dirty with you?"_  
_"Not the first time." Rayhel said with a smirk._

_Calpurnia and Natasha both laughed loudly, making the guys look over in their direction. Natasha waved her hand at them._

_"Don't worry about it. Go back to your own conversation." she said._

_The guys went back to talking amongst themselves, but not before Tavus caught eyes with Rayhel, both of them exchanging smiles. She felt deep down that they'd find a way to make it work, and these would be the moments that they'd hang onto while they were away. Time with each other's family and spending shore leave together would be something to cherish after the next two weeks._

* * *

"How'd it go?" Natasha asked, watching Shepard rush from the ground team, into the war room.  
"We found it." Garrus replied, letting out a long breath.  
"And?"  
"It's the Citadel."

Natasha knitted her eyebrows at him.

"What?"  
"We have to bring the Crucible to the Citadel, but the problem is that the Reapers know that we've found out what the catalyst is. They've moved it to the Sol System."  
"Earth."  
"Yeah…"

Natasha shook her head for a moment before Rayhel, who sat on her hip, ran a hand over her hair.

"It's ok Mommy. Daddy fights the bad guys."

Natasha smiled, looking over at her daughter.

"I know baby." she said before kissing her cheek. "Come on. We have to get ready."

Garrus followed them to the elevator, unsure if he needed to comfort Natasha about her homeworld, but he figured she was a bit upset. Earth was being decimated, and now they were making their final stand there.

"Ready to head home?" he asked.  
"Home?" she said with a laugh. "Earth isn't home. My home is currently being over-run by Reapers."  
"I'm sure the Keepers are trying to keep it as clean as can be."  
"I'm not talking about the Citadel." she said, looking up at him.

He smiled at her, wrapping an arm around her waist to kiss her. Rayhel giggled as Natasha held her and kissed him at the same time, leaning in to kiss Garrus' cheek. They both shared a laugh, looking at their daughter before the elevator came to a stop.

"So Palaven is what you're looking at for retirement after this?" he asked, walking them to the main battery.  
"It's more of a home than Earth."  
"We could always visit Earth."  
"I like Palaven."

Garrus was happy that Natasha wanted to live on his homeworld after the war was over, assuming that it was rebuilt in due time.

* * *

_"I think I'm going to accept the offer."_

_Tavus opened his eyes, tightening his arms around Rayhel to ensure she was still there. It took a moment for him to register what she said, shaking off his drowsiness before leaning his face against the top of her head._

_"Yeah?"_  
_"I know you'll be assigned to a different ship if I don't."_  
_"Could you stop worrying? We're supposed to be enjoying these two weeks without a single mission interrupting us and you want to talk about work."_

_She let out an irritable groan, sitting up to climb on top of him. He gave her a smile, watching her as she sat on top of him with a concerned look._

_"Pardon me if I'm just a little worried about being apart."_  
_"Everyone has to spend time apart at some point in life."_  
_"I've spent my whole life apart from you, I don't need anymore time away."_  
_"Ray, please just let it go. I'll worry about it after leave." She let out a sigh before running her hands up his bare chest. He let out a short breath at the touch, his hands wandering up her thighs as she gave him a lustful look. "Again?"_  
_"It's still new to me, I'm not over it yet."_

_He laughed, sitting up to kiss her._

_"You won't get over it. For as many human traits as you have, you're still turian."_

_She let out a small laugh, putting her hands on either side of his face and pulling him in for a kiss. She was enjoying their time alone in the rented hotel room and she had been for the past three days. She felt bad for her family that would beg her to spend time at home for a while but she couldn't pull herself away from Tavus. There were no krogan, no quarians, no missions to go on, it was just the two of them, together, enjoying shore leave. She couldn't remember a time she enjoyed leave more than she was at that moment._

_Tavus felt slightly guilty for keeping Rayhel away from her family, and not seeing his mother, but he couldn't separate himself from his captain. She was perfection to him, like an addiction he couldn't kick, or a song he couldn't forget. She was on his mind every hour, every day and now, he didn't have to be away from her. Two whole weeks of shore leave before they'd be separated._

_They were both desperate to have as much of each other as they could before then, laying in bed day after day until Rayhel finally decided she needed to talk with her father about the spectre position she'd been offered. She knew it was wrong to accept it solely to keep Tavus on her ship, but she knew how to get her way if she wanted something and she wouldn't hesitate to do so. She just hoped that it'd go as smoothly imagined it._

* * *

It was strange, seeing Admiral Hackett on the ship. Natasha had never seen the man before. It was very official, him coming aboard with alliance soldiers behind him. Natasha had to keep Rayhel under control, making sure she didn't bother Shepard while he was with the admiral. When the time came, all fleets reported in successfully. Natasha felt herself growing anxious to touch down on Earth Hackett gave a speech to the fleets that surrounded the Normandy. Calpurnia let out a long groan after the admiral and the commander left for the war room, shaking her head slowly.

"I'm ready for this shit to be over."  
"Yeah!" Rayhel said, throwing her arms in the air.  
"Let's get to the cargo bay." Natasha told her. It was a quiet ride down to the engineering deck. Natasha had to fight back tears as she prepared herself to say her goodbye's to her daughter. She smiled at the engineers before setting Rayhel down, giving her a smile as she kneeled down in front of her. "Alright."  
"Can I go with you?"  
"No baby. It's too dangerous."  
"Someday?"  
"Maybe." Natasha smiled, putting her hands on Rayhel's face. "I love you so much."  
"I love you Mommy."  
"You stay here with Donnelly and Daniels, alright? Promise?"  
"I promise."  
"We'll be back really soon." Garrus said, kneeling down with Natasha, putting a hand on Rayhel's small shoulder.  
"Can I fire the gun?"  
"You listen to the engineers." Natasha said, shaking her head.  
"I'm sure you could hit the button a time or two." Donnelly said to the girl with a wink.

Rayhel giggled, looking up at him before looking back to her parents.

"We love you Ray, never forget that." Garrus told her.  
"I love you Daddy." she said, hugging him tightly.

Natasha hugged her afterwards, not allowing herself to cry in front of the child. After they got to their feet again, Calpurnia, Caeus and Vallok all took turns saying goodbye. Natasha smiled as she watched.

"Any guy ever gives you shit, you tell him you learned how to fight from your aunt."

Calpurnia put a fist up to the little girl, who giggled and put her small hands on top of it.

"Yeah!"  
"Or you could tell them you learned to fight from someone who is actually trained in combat." Caeus said with a smile.  
"I love you Ray."  
"I love you Aunt Cal."

After the two of them returned to the elevator, Vallok stepped closer to the girl, looking down at her with hesitation.

"Goodbye."  
"Valk!" she said, hugging his leg tightly.

Garrus gave Vallok a nod, urging him to hug the girl in return. Vallok knelt down, hugging the child carefully. She let out a contented laugh, nuzzling her face close to his.

"We should get up down to the shuttles." Garrus told Natasha.

Vallok let the girl go, standing upright again.

"Be a good girl, ok?" Natasha said, looking down at Rayhel.  
"I fire the gun!" Rayhel replied, throwing her arms in the air before running over to the two engineers.  
"Let's go." Garrus said, urging Natasha out of the room while the child was distracted.

She waited until they were in the elevator to let herself have a moment to cry. Garrus hugged her tightly as the lift lowered, doing his best to not break down with her. He let his worry turn to anger, knowing they had to finish this, for the sake of a future in this galaxy.

* * *

_"Have you made a decision?"_

_"I have, sir."_  
_"And?"_  
_"I accept the offer."_  
_"Very good. You'll make Palaven proud, Vakarian."_  
_"Thank you, sir."_  
_"You'll have your ship, and you'll have the crew that hasn't been selected to stay behind for promotional training."_  
_"Yes sir."_  
_"Get your ship to the Citadel. The council will give you your first assignment once you're there."_  
_"Thank you sir."_

_Rayhel watched as the turian councilor walked away, letting out a long breath before her crew approached her._

_"Spectre, huh?" Crawlsky said, nudging her._  
_"Lucky me, I get to take you sorry bastards along for the ride."_  
_"It's an honor to serve in council space, m'am." Shisk replied._  
_"Just sucks that Tavus can't come with us." Crawlsky said, looking over his shoulder at the crew that was to stay behind._

_Rayhel felt her heart sinking each time she gave it more thought, knowing the next few months were going to be long. She nodded at them._

_"Let me say goodbye." she said._

_They watched her walk over to the now-Staff Lieutenant, both of them exchanging small smiles._

_"Hey." he said._

_Rayhel hated the distance at what he stood at, knowing they had to keep themselves professional in the turian facility._

_"Hey."_  
_"You taking off?"_  
_"I have to get going. They want me to report in at the Citadel to get my first assignment."_  
_"It'll be nice to see it for the first time."_  
_"It should be interesting…"_  
_"Don't go looking for any hot guys while you're there. I would hate to have to kill someone."_

_Rayhel smiled, glancing around before taking a deep breath, feeling herself on the edge of tears._

_"You climbed up a few ranks."_  
_"Still a rank below you." he pointed out._  
_"A few ranks." she countered. "I'm a spectre."_  
_"I'm dating a badass." he laughed. "You still outrank me."_  
_"Well then, as I'm the higher ranking officer here, I order you to kiss me."_  
_"Do you now?" he said with a grin._  
_"Like you mean it." she added._

_She knew her crew was watching as he stepped closer, putting a hand on her waist before pulling against himself. The men made noise for them, hooting and hollering as Tavus gave her a passionate kiss. She smiled when he pulled away, his hand leaving her hip._

_"I love you."_  
_"I love you too." she replied before he turned away, walking down the long hallway. She watched him for a moment before turning back to the crew, who snickered and waited for her to say something. She let out a small laugh, nodding towards the airlock. "Alright children, let's go."_

_She knew the next three months would be hard, though keeping in contact via Omni tool would be simple enough. Tavus would be going through extensive training, seeing as he jumped a few ranks to get to where he was. She remember it happening to her though, and knew they only gave that opportunity to those who deserved it. He'd work hard and learn the job quickly, and then she'd come back for him._

_She smiled as she boarded her ship, feeling a slight satisfaction replacing her worry._

* * *

"What's it look like down there?"

Natasha walked over to the console with Shepard as the shuttle flew down to Earth.

"Not good."

Natasha knitted her eyebrows at the sight, her heart aching.

"I'm sorry." Garrus said. "I know it's not easy."  
"I barely even recognize it." Shepard replied.

Cortez informed Shepard that the team to shut down the Hades canon had been taken out, leaving no one else to take it out except them. Shepard agreed, letting Garrus and Natasha know what they'd be doing.

The canon made it significantly difficult to reach the top of the building. They did so successfully though, retrieving the heavy weapons and firing them at the canon to take it down. It was a bit of a pinch getting off the building, as Cortez had to take out a harvester threatening Shepard's team, causing them to call out for a new shuttle in the area. Cannibals surrounded them for a period of time before the shuttle arrived, taking them out of the heated area. Shepard was pleasantly surprised that Anderson was on the shuttle with the other alliance soldiers.

They brought Shepard's team to a command center, which had a good barricade around it for safety. He told Garrus and Natasha to go on ahead, allowing them to find the turian primarch. Natasha surprised that he was here, but she didn't complain. It just went to show how much everyone had come together to end this war. She was grateful to find the rest of their team there, as she was greeted with a hug from Calpurnia.

"I saw that shuttle go down by that canon, I thought it was yours."  
"Garrus is harder to kill than that." Natasha teased. "I'm alright if I'm with him."  
"Everyone seems to think he's immortal, but he isn't. Neither are you. I was worried."  
"I'm fine Cal."

Natasha saw Garrus and Vallok shake hands, a clear relief exchanged between then two of them to see that the other was alive. Garrus wasted no time helping out the turians get more supplies from the krogan that were there. Shepard joined them shortly after, saying his goodbye's to each of them before going ahead to make a plan with Anderson. Natasha felt her heart aching as she watched Garrus take a break from working for a moment. She walked over to him, her arms folded across her chest, her eyebrows knitted together.

"You ok?" he asked.  
"My turn."  
"Turn?"  
"To say goodbye."

He shook his head, reaching out to touch her face.

"Don't do that."  
"Just shut up and listen." He gave her a smile, watching her as she gathered her words. "Do you think we're going to lose?"  
"No. I think we're about to kick the Reapers back into whatever black hole they crawled out of. Then we're gonna retire and live off the vids."  
"We already have a kid. We could have more, if Ray hadn't destroyed my reproductive organs."  
"We could adopt." he laughed.  
"I'm sure there will be plenty of little krogan running around."

Garrus smiled, pulling her closer to him.

"I'm not sure if turian heaven is the same as yours, but if this thing goes sideways and we both end up there, meet me at the bar. I'm buying."  
"We're a team. I can't live without you by my side, so you better remember to duck."  
"I love you."  
"I'm glad you were assigned to me back then…"  
"I'm glad I agreed to babysit."  
"As much as I'd like to say I'd have made it without you, I know it wouldn't be true… You've done so much for me. For Ray… If it meant we'd be even, I'd gladly spend my life with you after this."  
"We're bondmates. There's no backing out now."

Natasha smiled at him before she leaned in, pressing her lips to his passionately. He tightened his arms around her waist for a brief moment before they pulled away.

"Let's do it."

* * *

**Hey guys! Me again.**

**I have decided to write an epilogue, but I want to do something unique with it. I would like all of my readers to think about things I may not have covered with Natasha, or Garrus, or Calpurnia, or even in Rayhel's adult life and I want to hear what you guys want to see more of or if there is something that wasn't talked about that you want more closure with. I currently have no ideas for an epilogue and I won't do one if it isn't necessary but if there are things that you guys wish to see, PM me, or leave it in a review, and I'll write an epilogue with scenes in it that you want to see. (:**

**Last chapter should be up in a day or two. Thanks guys!**


	18. Chapter 18

**Hey guys!**

**Here it is... The end. It really makes me sad to be posting the last chapter, but I have enjoyed writing this story so much that it's worth it. I have loved having all of the support from my readers and followers, you guys are amazing.**

**I put up a small post in the last chapter about an epilogue for this story. I want it to be a collage of sorts, I suppose. If at any point in the story I hinted at something that you have wanted more light shed on, or if there has been something not mentioned, please PM me or review, and I will put it in the epilogue. I currently do not have any requests for things people want to see, so if anyone has anything they want more of, I am up for writing some short scenes about things throughout the story, and the first half of it as well.**

**I have also put up a poll on my profile page in regards to a story idea for Saren and Calpurnia before the events of the Guardian. If you're interested, go to my profile and vote, or even review or PM and let me know if you would read it.**

**I would like to thank ArchelionGen for beta reading for this story. I would have been stuck for much longer on certain chapters if not for his help. He's amazing, go check out his stuff. (:**

**Please feel free to rate, review, or even PM me if you have anything you'd like to say.**

**From the bottom of my heart, thank you.**

* * *

Natasha bit back the tears that threatened her eyes, holding her leg as Shepard and Garrus took cover behind a tank with her. She let her head rest against it, pain surging through her after being hit by the Reaper's beams.

"Normandy, do you copy? I need an evac right now!"

Natasha tried blocking out the noise around her, feeling Garrus apply medi gel to her fresh wound. She hissed as he touched her, knowing it was serious from the amount of pain that ran through her. The Normandy was on the ground with them in minutes, the cargo bay door opening for them. Natasha could feel herself losing consciousness, and though she fought to keep her eyes open, they fell shut and her mind slipped from reality.

_"I have a favor to ask of you."_

Natasha smiled, nodding.

_"Ok."_  
_"I have a dinner to go to tonight, it's a get together C-Sec holds…"_

Natasha felt a sense that she'd heard this before. With every memory she could muster, nothing told her she'd been here before. It was just the feeling of déjà vu.

_"You want me to go hang out with a bunch of cops?"_  
_"Your charges are clear."_

She shook it off, the conversation dying in her mind before another came up.

_"You're purring."_  
_"What?"_  
_"You are purring."_  
_"I don't know what that means."_  
_"It's what cats do."_  
_"Cats?"_  
_"Don't worry. It's ok."_  
_"Whatever you say."_

Again, the familiarity of the conversation irked Natasha. She tried knitting her eyebrows in confusion, but her body protested. It was as if she was a spectator, rather than living in the moment. She knew she wasn't awake. This was a dream. Or she was re-living memories. Either way, she wanted it to stop. The conversation died down, another starting in her mind.

_"Where is she?"_  
_"She's ok-"_  
_"Where is she?"_  
_"She's being looked after-"_  
_"Where?"_  
_"Just across the hall."_  
_"How is she?"_  
_"You can hear her chirping sometimes."_  
_"Chirping?"_  
_"It's normal."_  
_"Is there anything wrong with her?"_  
_"She has a nose."_  
_"How many fingers does she have?"_  
_"Three."_

Natasha felt a happiness run through her, remembering the day she met her daughter for the first time. The conversation jumped, a new flying across her mind.

_"What do you want?"_  
_"It's not that simple."_  
_"Yes it is, Garrus. Stop thinking about Nihlus and my past and what you think I need. What do you want?"_

Natasha waited, knowing exactly what Garrus would say. She tried reaching out, as if to touch him but her body's functionality seemed limited at the moment. She couldn't feel anything. She tried opening her eyes, but again, she failed.

_"I can't do this anymore."_  
_"What?"_  
_"I can't be with you anymore."_  
_"What are you talking about?"_  
_"I love you Garrus, but I can't do this."_  
_"Don't say that…"_  
_"I would rather be alone…"_

Natasha felt her mind jumping around as the conversation started glitching, only hearing the last words before it cut out.

_"Bye Garrus."_

She felt her heart tighten at the memory, not wanting to relive anymore of them.

_"Lookin good, Natasha."_  
_"Never seen Archangel look so spiffy."_  
_"I'm gonna need a cold shower tonight…"_

She felt herself jump in her state of sleep, her body trying to wake up as a pain set in her leg.

_"I want you to bond with me."_  
_"What changed?"_  
_"Let it be fixed…"_  
_"It's been a few years…"_  
_"I want this…"_

Natasha moved her hand, reaching up to touch the scars on her shoulder.

"Don't move."

She opened her eyes, grateful that the dream was over as she looked up into Garrus' eyes.

"Garrus." she said with a groggy voice.  
"Stay still, ok?"  
"What happened?"  
"Chakwas is fixing your leg, we have to put you under again."  
"No." Natasha pleaded, reaching out for him.

A taloned hand grabbed hers, looking at her tenderly as his other hand stroked through her hair.

"You're alright." he said gently. "Just hold still."  
"Knock her out Garrus, or she'll be in more pain than you can imagine. I have to fix her leg."

Garrus was silent for a moment and Natasha watched him before he grabbed a mask. He put it over her mouth gently, making her shaking her head.

"No." she said, feeling a tear fall down her cheek as the pain in her leg increased.  
"Just go to sleep." Garrus said, pressing his forehead against hers, his talons running through her hair soothingly. "It's alright."

Natasha closed her eyes, giving up her fight against the medicine and falling asleep, no longer feeling the pain in her body.

* * *

_Rayhel tapped her talons impatiently on the console, groaning as the information that popped up in front of her came back inaccurate. She put her forehead in the palms of her hands, letting out a sigh._

_"M'am?"_

_Rayhel stood up straight, looking over her shoulder at Crawlsky, who gave her a concerned look._

_"Yeah?"_  
_"You alright?"_

_She shook her head, fighting back her frustrated tears as she looked to the console again._

_"If I had my damn operations chief on this thing it wouldn't be acting up!" she replied, hitting the buttons with more force._

_She looked over at him as he walked to her side, tapping a few buttons to clear the message._

_"I know it's hard." he said, not looking over at her._  
_"Do you?"_  
_"Yeah…"_  
_"Is there someone waiting for you back home?"_

_He let out a soft laugh, putting his hands out to lean on the console._

_"I'm going to ask her to bond with me when we get back."_

_Rayhel smiled, looking over at him._

_"I hope she says yes."_

_He laughed again, straightening up._

_"Me too." They let a silence fall over them momentarily before he turned himself to her. "Have you heard from him?"_  
_"A few days ago…He says his training isn't bad, but he hates being stuck on Palaven. I guess he's keeping my family company."_  
_"I'm sure your father loves that."_  
_"I'm afraid I'm going to come home and Dad will tell me he killed him."_  
_"Nah." he said, waving a hand at her. "Tavus is a good guy. It's hard not to like him."_  
_"Yeah, I tried for a long time."_  
_"See? Your Dad will like him someday."_

_Rayhel smiled, staring at the console for a moment._

_"Want to teach me how to run this thing?"_  
_"Sure." he laughed, tapping a few buttons to show her how to operate the console._

_Rayhel had a hard time focusing on the directions he was giving her, her mind only thinking about Tavus. He would have kept the thing in full functionality if he were here, and now, she had to run her own console. She thought it rather unfair that she had to, knowing how well he did his job._

_She told herself to suck it up after wallowing for a while, knowing she only had a few more weeks until he was on her ship again. She smiled at the thought, giving herself some encouragement to do her job a little while longer._

* * *

Garrus felt the silence slowly driving him insane as his head rested against the wall of the Normandy's med bay, his mind racing as he held Natasha's hand. Natasha stirred, catching his attention as she gripped his hand tighter, groaning in pain. He sat up straight, bringing his face close to hers as her eyes opened and searched frantically for him. She seemed to calm after seeing him, reaching up to put a hand on his mandible. She gave him a weak smile.

"Garrus." she breathed.  
"Are you in pain?" he asked.  
"No." she replied, reaching down to try touching her leg before he stopped her.  
"Don't touch it."  
"What happened?"  
"That beam ripped through your muscle. It… It was bad."  
"Can I still walk?"  
"After healing a bit. Chakwas was able to fix it."  
"Did we win?" she asked, looking around the room.

She smiled after her eyes landed on Rayhel, clearly grateful that her daughter was unharmed and only sleeping in the room with her.

"At a price…"  
"What happened?" she asked, looking back over to him.  
"Shepard made it to the beam after we took off in the Normandy. They got the crucible to fire, but…"  
"What?"  
"Shepard's not coming back…"

Natasha knitted her eyebrows, taking a few moments to process the information before she shook her head.

"Where is everyone?"  
"All synthetic life has been wiped out… He destroyed them."  
"Where are we?"  
"The mass relays aren't working. Hackett ordered all the ships to get out of the Sol system as it was firing. Joker got us as far away as he could. We landed on a planet. We'll stay here until we can get help."  
"The Normandy is down? EDI can't do anything?"  
"Tasha… All synthetic life has ended…" Natasha let out a long sigh, feeling tears in her eyes as he pressed his forehead to hers. "It's over."  
"I'm glad." she replied, looking into his eyes.  
"It looks like we'll be staying here for quite some time. It's nice outside. Shouldn't be too horrible."  
"Until we lose Rayhel."

Garrus let out a soft laugh, running his talons through her hair.

"I was worried about you."  
"It's just my leg."  
"You lost a lot of blood."

She touched his face again, giving him a small smile.

"I'm never leaving you Garrus."

He smiled, bringing his lips to hers gently.

"I guess not."

* * *

_Rayhel smiled happily as she walked down the dock, her mother hugging her tightly before her father did the same._

_"Good to have you back."_  
_"Good to be back."_  
_"How was everything?"_  
_"Had to go back to Rannoch for a while before stopping at Sur'Kesh. That was neat."_  
_"Neat?"_  
_"I've never been there. It was quite beautiful."_

_Natasha smiled, putting her arm around her daughter._

_"How was it being away from Tavus?" she asked._  
_"Probably a relief, the guy can't shut up." Garrus said._

_Rayhel laughed, looking over at her mother._

_"Hard."_  
_"I can't imagine."_  
_"I can." Garrus said._  
_"He got along with Tavus just fine, don't let him fool you."_  
_"Oh sure. After a few beers."_  
_"You liked him enough to offer him a few beers. Shut it."_  
_"He begged."_

_Natasha let out a scoff as Rayhel laughed, looking up at her father._

_"You can admit that you liked him. It's ok."_

_Garrus let out a small sigh._

_"He was…Decent."_  
_"Close enough."_  
_"Oh look."_

_Rayhel looked to where her father nodded, a smile flaring across her mandibles as she caught sight of him. She hurried her feet as Tavus smiled back to her, wrapping their arms around each other. She didn't let go for a moment, happy to have him in front of her. He smiled at her, giving her a kiss before she heard her father clear his throat behind them._

_"Hi." she said._  
_"Hi." Tavus replied, letting his arms fall from her waist._

_She didn't know what to say to him to express her happiness, telling herself to remain silent. He kept quiet as well, both of them simply enjoying the fact that they were together again. Rayhel was able to control their amount of shore leave in between her assignments, though her father told her not to push that luxury too far. She decided to give the crew shore leave for one week, allowing her to see her family and catch up with Tavus without worrying about her next job._

_She was glad to get an invitation to watch a bonding ceremony, happy that Crawlsky's girl agreed to it. She and Tavus attended together, both of them having thoughts of their own about what it'd be like to bond like that. Proclaiming your love to someone in front of your entire clan, knowing it was a permanent commitment. It had to be slightly nerve-racking. Rayhel didn't try picturing herself bonded with Tavus. She knew it was a long ways off before that would be considered, and she was ok with it. She just wanted to enjoy her time with him for a while. Tavus, however, couldn't help but to think about bonding with her. He knew he loved her. Why not? He knew it was wise to give it time though, and he didn't discuss it with her, even after they went to back to their hotel room. They had a good night together, both of them pondering the future as it now seemed so open for them. So many possibilities laid out before them, both of them content with where they could go or what they could do. They had each other. That was all they needed to keep moving forward._

* * *

Natasha leaned on Garrus as she limped through the Normandy's mess hall, Rayhel watching her closely as she walked.

"Mommy, are you ok?"

Natasha smiled at the question her daughter had asked with every step she took.

"Yes baby."  
"Daddy, are you ok?"  
"We're all ok." Garrus told her.

Natasha smiled as a familiar turian rounded the corner, a smile on her mandibles.

"Good to see you up and moving."  
"Cal!"

Calpurnia gave her a gentle hug. Natasha smiled at the sight of Caeus and Vallok behind her friend, both of them nodding at her.

"Everyone's alright?" she asked, looking up at Garrus.  
"Alive and kicking." he replied.  
"And no one wants to kill anyone?" Natasha asked, looking back to the two turians.

Caeus and Vallok looked to each other for a moment before looking back to her.

"I think we've all had enough death lately." Caeus said.  
"Everyone is enjoying the peace and quiet for now." Calpurnia told her.

Natasha was grateful for a calm after the storm, continuing to limp through the room, with Garrus' help. She felt her heart sink at the sight of the memory wall. Both Anderson and Shepard were now there, among the rest of the crew that had died along the way. She let out a long sigh, getting into the elevator with Garrus. Rayhel hopped in quickly, staring at her mother.

"Are you ok?"  
"Yes."

The walk through the CIC was a slow one, which Natasha hated. It was uncomfortably silent among the people who worked to get the Normandy online again. The cockpit door was closed. Natasha felt sympathy for Joker, her thoughts going back to EDI and the rest of synthetic life. Even Liara's drone Glyph would be gone, all virtual intelligence wiped from the galaxy. She was unsure if she would have been able to make that choice if she had to. It was a tough call. Destroying the Reapers and everything else in the process, or letting the Reapers live, hoping to defeat them conventionally. They would have lost, and she knew it. Everyone knew it. She was grateful for the minimal loss they suffered, happy to at least be alive afterwards.

Natasha smiled at the sight outside of the ship, loving the fresh air. It was a very green planet. Rayhel sat down in the grass, pulling at it with a giggle. Natasha shook her head at the child, realizing she'd never seen grass before. It'd been a while for Natasha too, now that she thought about it.

"She likes it here."  
"How long before we can go to Palaven?" Natasha asked.  
"Looks like the ship will need a few repairs, could be a couple days."

Natasha let out a contented sigh, happy to be able to stay in one place for a while. Without their commander, the team would most likely go their separate ways to rebuild their homeworlds and get on with their lives now that the war was over. Natasha imagined what it would be like to go to Palaven and build a home to settle down in. She smiled, looking up at Garrus, who smiled back. He kissed her forehead gently, knowing she was thinking about what was to come next, ideas of his own working into his mind. They watched Rayhel for a moment before Natasha laid her head on his shoulder, looking over at the sun, knowing that whatever came next would be better than what had been before, hoping for nothing but a bright future for all of them.

In time, everyone did go their own ways, as Natasha had suspected they would. The galaxy wasn't wasting time rebuilding. The mass relays were up and running within weeks, allowing everyone passage to other systems to get to their loved ones. Natasha was happy to be back on Palaven when they got there. It wasn't long before the council contacted them, offering Garrus a spectre position. He was given a ship, though he had told them he wasn't interested in having his own. Natasha liked it for a while, traveling with him while he was on his missions, Calpurnia, Caeus and Vallok tagging along as his team. They did well, helping different worlds rebuild until the turian military was able to send soldiers to help. After a long while, Natasha was ready to settle in, wanting a home instead of a ship. Rayhel was growing quickly at that point, and she needed more than a ship to grow up on. Garrus took on jobs that were strictly on Palaven, allowing his family to live outside of military life for a while. Until Rayhel enlisted in the military herself.

It was a good life for them so far, knowing they had a few more years yet before their time was going to get small. It went by fast after Rayhel left for the services, but Natasha and Garrus were happy. For that, they knew who to thank, and they did so, living each day in the moment, happy to have each other. In the end, happiness together was all that had ever mattered.

* * *

**Remember to share your epilogue requests and vote for the story in the poll in my profile. Thanks!**


	19. Epilogue

**After being given some ideas and putting it off for a couple weeks, I have finally gotten an epilogue written. It takes place 30 years in the future. I hope you all enjoy. Fun facts about the writing process of the story at the bottom! (:**

**Everyone please go vote for whether or not I should post my SarenXCalpurnia story. I have written the first three chapters for gits and shiggles, but I will post it if people want to see it. Vote on my profile page or PM me and let me know how you feel about it. (:**

**Thank you, for all the support, through both this part and the first part of this story. It means the world to me.**

* * *

"Are you ready to go?"  
"If your child would hold still, I would be."

The irritation in her voice was prominent as Rayhel struggled with her child to get him ready to leave the house. The agitated sentence had hardly left her mouth before she felt Tavus' hand on her shoulder. She got to her feet, letting go of the small turian she'd been dressing. Tavus brought himself close to her, a sympathetic look in his eyes.

"Have I told you you're beautiful today?" Rayhel closed her eyes, letting out a short breath. Tavus made her look back up at him, her eyes opening reluctantly. "Go get ready. I'll take care of him."  
"Thank you."  
"Take your time, ok?"

Rayhel nodded before she turned away from her bondmate. She let out a long sigh, listening to him talk to their son before she reached their bedroom. She felt herself slipping slightly from control, tears threatening her eyes as she heard her Omni tool beep at her. She lifted her arm, looking down to see her mother's face.

"Hi." Rayhel said.  
"Are you coming?"  
"Yes, why wouldn't I be?"  
"We weren't sure if you would be."  
"Mom… That's ridiculous."  
"Are you ok?"

Rayhel had to look away from her mother's holo image, biting back the tears again. She cleared her throat after a moment, nodding.

"As ok as you'd expect me to be."  
"I know it's hard…"  
"I can't imagine what it feels like for you." Rayhel said, looking back to her mother.

It was Natasha's turn to look away from her, a small sigh escaping her. It broke Rayhel's heart to see her mother like this. It was something she'd never seen in the past. Natasha wiped her tears quickly, shaking her head.

"He wouldn't want us to sit and cry over him."  
"Can I ask you something?" Rayhel said hesitantly.  
"What?"  
"Does it hurt like it did the first time?"

Natasha looked back to her daughter, shaking her head.

"No. It's much deeper."  
"I can't imagine losing two mates, let alone one…"  
"Let's not dwell on this." Natasha replied.

Rayhel admired her mother, but she hated how well she could push someone away. It was something she'd inherited from her, and though it served her well in the past, she knew it made her hard to deal with. Natasha wouldn't make this healing process easy, and she wouldn't let anyone help her through it. Rayhel understood it. Everyone did. For the past thirty years her parents had been inseparable. Rightfully, they should be. Now Garrus was gone and Natasha was all alone.

"I should go." Rayhel said after swallowing the lump in her throat.  
"I'll see you there."  
"I love you."  
"I love you too baby."

The holo image of Natasha cleared from Rayhel's tool. She let out a sigh as she walked to the small bathroom in her room. She looked at herself in the mirror, her white clan markings shining from the tears on her plated face. She let her eyes fall down to the counter in front of her before she placed her hands on it, leaning slightly. She closed her eyes tightly, feeling her body shake as her emotions began to spill over. She couldn't shake the empty feeling in her chest. She didn't want to even think about how everyone else was handling the news. More tears fell at the thought of her uncle. She shoved the thoughts of everyone out of her head, instead thinking of how their plan for a memorial would work. She heard a footstep behind her before feeling arms wrap around her waist. She was grateful for Tavus' patience with her. He'd been by her side for anything she needed for the past week that they'd know about her father's death.

"Do you need anything?" he asked gently.

Rayhel turned to him, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. He held her tightly for a few silent moments before she looked up to him and gave him a small kiss.

"I just don't know how to make peace with this…"  
"You have to let yourself grieve before you can make peace with it."  
"Anytime I needed anything it was him I turned to… Now I have to figure it out on my own."

Rayhel idly wished her father's immunity to Corpalis Syndrome had lasted. It was something she'd wished for a long time, even before the doctors had confirmed what his illness was. She often scolded herself for her own immunity. Being part human, she had zero risk of developing the disease. She shook her head at herself before Tavus swiped his thumb under her eye, wiping away her tears gently. He shook his head at her.

"You're not alone. I may not have answers, but you're never alone."

Rayhel gave him a soft smile through her tears.

"I love you."

He smiled in return, leaning forward to press his lips against hers. A small comfort ran through her as she stood in his arms.

"Mommy?"

Rayhel opened her eyes to look down at her son, kneeling down with as big of a smile as she could muster.

"Yes?"  
"Don't be sad anymore." he said, pointing to her tears.

Rayhel opened her arms, gesturing for him to hug her.

"Come here baby." He gave her a tight squeeze until she let him go, straightening herself up. She looked over at Tavus. "We should go."

It was going to be a long day, Rayhel could tell, and it was only 1100.

* * *

Rayhel made no hesitations to hug her mother once they landed their shuttle at the docks on Palaven. Her mother's sadness was lifted at the sight of her grandchild, who hugged her excitedly. Calpurnia gave Rachel a hug as well, patting her on the back for comfort.

"Drinks on me after this, alright?"

Rayhel let out a short laugh, nodding.

"Will you ever be too old to party?"  
"Absolutely not."

Rayhel spotted Vallok close by, her heart dropping as she took in his dark demeanor. Other than her parents, her uncle was the closest relative she had. She knew her father's death was tearing at everyone, but Vallok was feeling it deep, even if he didn't want anyone to see it. She didn't say anything as approached him, but instead just gave him a silent hug. He returned it, both of them exchanging remorse for what had happened to their relative.

It didn't take long for others to show up at the dock, all of them gathered and waiting for the Normandy to arrive. Nostalgia fell over everyone on the docks as they watched it land, memories flying to the forefront of their minds from years past.

The ship let out a soft hum after being set down so that it's passengers could dock on Palaven. Rayhel smiled at the sight of Joker, who seemed glad to be off the ship.

"How was the trip?" Natasha asked after hugging them.  
"She flies like she always has. Can't say the same for me though." Joker said with a slight laugh. "Everyone's here, huh?"  
"Most." Natasha said with a nod, looking back at the people who had gathered in her time of need.  
"I'm sorry."  
"Me too."  
"Shall we?"  
"Let's do it."

Rayhel could tell it was hard for her mother to walk into the airlock of the Normandy. A sigh sounded throughout the group of past crewmembers as they all walked through the CIC. Rayhel didn't remember much about the ship, but she knew this was where her first several years of life were spent. Once they reached the elevator, an engineer approached Natasha, holding out a small silver plate. Natasha gave him a sad smile before looking down at it. She clutched it tightly before they continued down to the lower levels of the ship. It was very silent among the small crowd, except for the engine's low hum that carried throughout the Normandy.

Rayhel didn't recognize most of the names on the memorial wall, except Commander Shepard. Still, even the one name of a man she never knew caused her the same sorrow as the rest of the group as they looked at all of the names they knew. For a while, they stood in silence, all of them surely thinking of their own memories of Garrus, or even of the past crewmembers that had been up on the wall for years. Rayhel had been against the idea of putting her father's name on the wall, and she refused to be the one to do it. She knew it was a job for her mother, and it was no one else's right to do so, unless her mother had been dead. Perhaps Vallok wanted to do it. Rayhel shook the thought after glancing over at him. He was probably grateful the spotlight wasn't on him. At least Natasha knew how to deal with the loss of a bondmate while everyone watched her.

Rayhel was pulled from the train of thought as her mother stepped forward, finally ready to put the name plate on the wall. She did so slowly, whispering something as her hands pressed against the wall. Rayhel inched closer to Tavus, who wrapped an arm around her shoulders. Natasha returned to her place beside her daughter as everyone took in the sight of the new addition to the wall. Rayhel looked over to her mother, who looked back to her.

"What did you say?" she asked quietly, keeping her voice low enough for only her mother to hear.  
"I said 'I love you.'"

Rayhel heard the quiver in her mother's voice as she looked away. Her heart ached, making her lay her head on Tavus' shoulder. She wasn't completely up for chatting about the good old times with the rest of them, but she knew her parents' friends wanted to visit with her. They'd known her since she was a kid and now she had one of her own. She was grateful Wrex was able to show up, though he was looking quiet rugged himself.

"How's your little pyjak?" he asked.  
"He's good." Rayhel said, looking down at her son.  
"I'm no pyjak!" he said, crossing his arms over his chest. "I'm a turian!"  
"Are you sure?" Wrex asked, kneeling down to get closer to the kid. "Turians are big a scary. I could eat you in one bite."  
"No you couldn't!"  
"Oh yeah?"  
"My Dad would kick your ass."

Rayhel let out a surprised laugh, looking over at Tavus. He shrugged.

"I've been trying to keep the language to a minimum, but his mind… It's like a sponge."

Calpurnia let out a laugh nearby.

"Have I mentioned how glad I am that my kid is an adult now?"  
"I second that." Vallok replied.  
"Now I just need to go back about forty years."  
"Good times."  
"We had a couple of good times, you and me."  
"We did."  
"Remember that one time? That position you put me in?"

Vallok let out a laugh as Rayhel gagged playfully.

"Nasty, I don't want to hear it."  
"Your uncle is quiet the pleaser." Calpurnia told her.  
"Why are we talking about this?" Caeus asked.  
"You're doomed, kid." Wrex said, patting the small turian on the shoulder before standing up again. Rayhel gave him a smile. "How's spectre life?"  
"It's… Uneventful at the moment."  
"She and I both told the council we'd be out of reach for a few weeks." Tavus explained. "They understood."  
"I still can't wrap my mind around you having clan markings. Last time I saw you was the day you got them."  
"That was quiet a few years ago."  
"Too many." Wrex groaned.  
"You have some years left in you." Rayhel said, though she was unsure if she was reassuring him or herself.  
"Is it ironic to you that you ended up with Nihlus' markings?"

Rayhel shrugged at him.

"They aren't his markings. They're Tavus' markings. I'm a Vakarian."  
"It's a shame that Garrus is gone. You remind me of him quiet a bit."  
"Thank you, Wrex." Rayhel said, feeling her throat tighten as she bit back her tears once again.  
"You made him proud."

She just gave him a small smile. She was sure if she tried to speak she'd break down. He gave her a clap on the shoulder before turning away from her, mingling with the rest of the group. Tavus looked over at her, trying to read her emotions.

"You alright?"  
"Yeah." she said with a strained voice.  
"Want to go?"  
"No. We should stay longer. We don't get to see them much."  
"Do you need anything from me?"

She gave him a small smile, shaking her head.

"I'm ok."

* * *

It was difficult to get back into the swing of life after everyone parted ways again. Time dragged by, although Rayhel felt herself coming to terms with her father's death. It was only a few weeks after that Rayhel found she was pregnant again, which only helped her focus on her everyday life, rather than her past with her father. After finding they'd be having another child, Rayhel and Tavus resigned as spectres, both of them more than happy to settle down with the family they had to enjoy the years raising their kids. Other crewmembers of the Normandy followed her Dad in death shortly after, but it was a while before her mother passed.

Rayhel and Tavus were happy together, and it wasn't about to change, even as their kids got older, both of them joining the turian military when they were old enough. It was a good life, and they would continue to enjoy it together, until it was their time to pass.

* * *

**The Guardian Fun Facts!**

**- The original idea for the story was for Saren to be caught and put in prison after Nihlus was killed, and he and Natasha would fall in love with eachother after some time had passed.**

**- I originally was against the idea of Natasha being pregnant, because I found it hard to picture a child in the middle of the events of everything that happens in Mass Effect.**

**- Calpurnia was supposed to die during her confrontation with Saren at the end of Mass Effect 1.**

**- I was going to end the story when Natasha, Garrus and Calpurnia were going to Omega, because I didn't want to write them on the Normandy with Shepard.**

**- Rayhel was meant to fall in love with Darius after meeting him, but I scrapped the idea after wanting her to go through more character development first.**

**- Alot of my chapters were typed on my phone by composing an email to myself and sending it when I was done so I could post them once I was near my laptop again.**

**- This story is my most successful one on this website, with Loki Laufeyson's Atonement being a CLOSE second.**

**- I have the best followers in the world. Thank you everyone! (:**


End file.

Mass Effect, Hurt-Comfort, Romance