Chimera: A Garrus / Shepard Romance

CHAPTER 20: CROSSROADS

Garrus and Solana watched as the trio exited the restaurant and paused just beyond the entry to exchange a few words. Once they had finished talking, Sera walked toward the shops while her mother and Anderson headed toward the Embassies. This was Garrus' chance to have a conversation with Anderson and he wasn’t going to let it go to waste. Solana knew the look on her brother’s face too well: his eyes pinpointed in thought, mandibles tight against his jaw and his subvocals humming the thoughts in his head. She sighed and sat back in her chair. The look in his eyes said it all and she simply nodded as he got up from the table, his intent clear. The questions she had would have to wait, but she fully intended on interrogating him the first chance she got.

“I’m sorry, Solana, but I really have to go,” he apologized.

“I know,” she said simply. You owe me.

He nodded, Thank you and started to walk away. He paused a couple feet from the table and turned around.

“Keep me updated on mom,” he said. Promise me.

“I will,” she replied gently I promise.

With that, he turned and left the restaurant, heading for the Earth Embassy. He hoped getting the answers he needed would be easier with Anderson than it was with Chakwas.

~~~

Picking up the flowers took longer than Sera anticipated since the shop was tucked away at the far end of the Presidium. The arrangement itself was simple yet elegant and not too large to be carried via transport back to the Embassy level. She lightly tapped up the stairs that led to the various embassies, just reaching the landing to see Anderson and Hannah emerging from the office, followed by a tall and very familiar looking Turian. Sera stopped in her tracks and stared. What was he doing here? Her thoughts raced in a million different directions, none of them ending anywhere good. The idea of Garrus talking to Anderson and her mother was fraught with all kinds of problems. Problems that she didn’t want to think about right now.

Reining in her irritation before it got the better of her emotions; she strode down the hall toward the trio, her purpose clear.

Hannah spotted her daughter coming down the hall over Garrus’ shoulder.

“Sera!” she said cutting off whatever Garrus was in the middle of saying. “Look who we ran into!” she finished, nudging Garrus to turn around.

She came to a stop in front of her mother, staring hard at Garrus. This “chance” meeting wasn’t going unnoticed and he could count on a discussion about it later. The look in his eyes told her everything she needed to know. He didn’t need to look at her to know that her pulse raced with hot anger and he thanked the Spirits that he had made it out into the hallway. Had she found him in the Earth Embassy office a few seconds earlier, the consequences would be far more severe than what they were now.

“Garrus,” Sera greeted him, her voice lightly laced with sarcasm, “to what do we owe this pleasure?”

“We were on our way to Anderson’s office and happened to run into Garrus coming out of the Turian Council office,” Hannah offered, unaware that Sera had seen them come out of the Earth Embassy.

Sera knew the tone in her mother’s voice well. It was the same one she heard time and again aboard the ships they were stationed on during her childhood. The very same one Hannah used to resolve conflicts among the crew and divert their attention to more important tasks. It was also the one that Sera used when Jack and Miranda were on the verge of a biotic blowout.

“Is that so?” Sera said, her eyes narrowing but never leaving Garrus.

He silently thanked the Spirits that she couldn’t hear the nervous waver that interlaced his subharmonics. He was extremely grateful for Hannah stepping in quickly, saving them all from a direct confrontation given the appearance of the situation. However, he knew it wouldn’t be long before Sera figured it out and put the pieces together if she hadn’t already. He would deal with that when the time came.

“Yes, I was just talking with the Councilor about the latest reports from Palaven and other things…” he trailed off.

Sera blinked, instantly realizing he was referring to his family. Her eyes clouded over with worry and concern.

“How are…..things?” she asked, studying his face.

“Well, they are….” he began.

“Wait,” Anderson interjected, “Garrus, would like to join us? We were just about to go visit Captain Shepard’s memorial. You can tell us about it on the way.”

Garrus blinked at the unexpected invitation and then looked to Sera for some indication of how he should respond. He had never met Captain Shepard when he was alive. He wanted to accept but didn’t know what the protocol was, especially given the circumstances between them now.

Sera considered it quickly and found that she didn’t mind the thought of Garrus coming along. It hadn’t occurred to her to invite him this morning but now somehow it seemed fitting, as if coincidence had brought them all here at the same time. Time, she was quickly becoming aware, was a precious commodity of which there was very little. She let the warmth of the thought light her eyes and slightly nodded her permission at Garrus.

“Yes,” Garrus said to Anderson, “I would be honored to join you.”

He offered his arm to Sera, as had seen in the countless human vids he watched while researching human customs. Sera smiled in surprise and took it. She gave his forearm a light squeeze, letting him know that the gesture was not lost on her. Side by side, the two couples walked down the hallway, toward the stairs.

“You were saying?” prodded Sera, wanting him to finish what he started to say earlier.

“Things are quickly going from bad to worse of Palaven,” he began heavily. “The Councilor says that the Reaper Task Force I started with my father is barely holding… but holding. Last he heard my father was still there coordinating the effort. My sister, Sol, was there for a while helping but needed to leave to take care of our mother. She’s here on the Citadel now. I just met her for breakfast a little while ago. Sol’s pretty confident in this new facility she found to treat our mother’s condition. She’s decided to extend her stay here and do what she can to help the refugees and the injured.”

They descended the stairs and crossed the pavilion toward the elevator. Once the elevator doors slid shut, Anderson selected the Presidium level. During the short ride, Sera thought about what Garrus said about his home world and wondered about Earth. She looked at Anderson and it appeared as if he was thinking the same thing because, even though he gave her a tight reassuring smile, he couldn’t hide the grimness in his eyes. The elevator doors opened and they stepped out into the open air scented with the sweet smell of the flora that attempted to provide the otherwise sterile level a more welcoming aura.

“Your sister? I would like to meet her,” Hannah said filling in the silence among them.

Sera shot her mother a warning glare, knowing where this was going. If it were within their range, the humans would have heard Garrus' subharmonics trill in surprise. He had not seen that coming, although the intent was obvious; he knew there had to be more behind the request.

“I can arrange something for later, if that’s okay, Commander?” he said, looking at Sera.

That he addressed her by her rank rather than her name did not go unnoticed. He was making sure that she knew that not only was he deferring to her as his commanding officer but that if this was something she didn’t want to happen, she would technically have the right to refuse without explanation. She gave his arm a squeeze again, letting him know that she didn’t miss his queue.

“I don’t see anything wrong with that. I’d like to meet her as well. After this, I need to go pay a visit to the refugee camp, anyway. There are a couple things I need to take care of.”

As they talked, they went through a series of walkways, stairs and turns finally emerging into a quieter section of the Presidium. There were less people here but those that were, were Alliance. This was a special section set aside by the Earth Embassy to honor those that gave their lives in service to the Alliance. The area was beautiful and peaceful, covered in lush greenery and a large variety of flowering plants. Some of which Sera recognized, like roses, daisies, lilies, lavender and orchids but others, though fascinating in their beauty, she knew couldn’t have been from Earth. The aromas that filled the air blended in a wondrous melody of rich yet light and fully textured serenity. The small ponds and waterfalls that were spread throughout the area were surrounded by an assortment of chairs and benches.

Garrus let go of Sera’s arm and allowed her and the other two to walk ahead of him. He had never been here before and was astounded by what he saw, smelled, and heard. His acute senses picked up everything in the near stillness. The scents of the flora were exquisite and enticing, clearly chosen for the ambiance they gave both by sight and by smell. The quietude of such a place amongst such endless activity astounded him. The sounds of the waterfalls in the small ponds were almost irresistible in their invitation to captivate a visitor to pause and watch, losing themselves in the ripples and gentle lapping. He recalled similar places on Palaven, near his home, and felt a pang of sadness knowing that they wouldn’t be there when this damn war was over. Following the trio of humans as they made their way through the garden, he came to a stop behind them in front a solitary tree tucked away in a small corner not far from a pond covered in white flowers that sat upon floating green discs.

Sera stood in front the tree: her father’s tree. She hadn’t been here since the day they planted it, though not for lack of opportunity. It was just too hard, too painful and too hard—so many memories wrapped up in this one spot. She examined the sapling, running her fingers along its clean, smooth white bark, taking in the vibrant emerald-turning-gold, heart shaped leaves. Her dad would’ve loved this tree: clean, simple and strong yet tender and lithe. She set the arrangement of calla lilies down at the base and activated the holo before standing.

Hi, Dad… I miss you.

Immediately, a tall, well-built human male appeared, dressed sharply in Alliance dress blues and standing at attention. Even though there was no vocal audio, nor did the figure make a motion to speak, one could hear the faint melody of music come from it. The same instrumental music Garrus heard Sera play last night in the bar. He had no idea what the melody it played was called but he knew he heard somewhere else before. He just couldn’t remember where or when. Unsure of what the proper human protocol was for a situation like this, he stood in silent observance listening to the music, watching mother, daughter and friend. He took a moment to study the hologram figure closely, since he had never met the Captain in life. Being able to see mother, father and daughter of the infamous Shepard family was a rare and unique opportunity. Sera was the perfect blend of her parents, inheriting her mother’s raven colored hair and pale yet lightly freckled and rosy complexion paired with her father’s deep, warm blue eyes and full red lips.

After a few minutes, Sera turned away from the hologram and made her way over to the small pond. She stood there staring at her reflection in the water, lost among the memories and the mission that loomed ahead. A gentle yet hesitant hand palmed her shoulder and, before turning, she already knew the presence behind her. She brought her hand to overlay his as she turned and felt the light taloned touch of his other hand slip under her chin as he tilted her face up. Sapphire and ice met, each reading the other. He thumbed a solitary tear from her soft cheek, reading the worry and stress in her eyes along with the sadness in her heart. She leaned into the palm of his hand seeking the caring warmth and understanding his eyes spoke of and closed her eyes.

After a few seconds, she blinked them open and flicked a glance to where her mother and Anderson should have been standing. They were gone. She looked at Garrus in confusion.

“They just left a minute or so ago,” he hummed gently.

She sighed heavily and nodded. Giving the tree one last look, she committed it to memory, not knowing if it would still be there when this wretched war was over. He watched her and then offered his arm again which she took and together they walked away.

After making their way back through the garden, they met Hannah and Anderson at the entrance, following them back through the maze of turns, walkways and stairs to the elevator. As the doors slid shut, Anderson selected the Embassy level. Before getting out of the elevator, Anderson hugged both Sera and Hannah good-bye.

“I’ll be in touch with both of you soon,” he promised as he stepped out.

The doors slid shut once more and Hannah selected the Holding Docks. After a few moments the doors slid open once more and the jarring dissonance of the level spilled into the small elevator. The trio stepped out and into the organized chaos of the Holding Docks. It was nearly overflowing with so many people of different species in long lines, milling about aimlessly lost, looking for loved ones and mourning those gone at the makeshift memorial wall. C-Sec officers and Citadel workers were desperately trying to maintain what little order there was, allocating space for incoming refugees, figuring out what to do with those who still had nowhere to go, sourcing supplies and distributing them, breaking up fights over food, water and medical supplies, and trying to connect those with lost loved ones.

“I’m going to check in with C-Sec and see how things are going,” Hannah said, turning away and heading to the C-Sec station in the middle of the main thoroughfare.

Adjusting the filter settings on his omni-tool to mute out some of the overloading input, Garrus scanned the immediate vicinity for his sister.

“I’m going to check on our troops and look for my sister,” he rumbled.

“Okay, I need to look for someone and then I’ll catch up with you,” Sera replied, walking away from him.

After walking up and down the main thoroughfare and making note of the various Bays set up to take care of the needs of the incoming refugees, she found Tactus closely guarding a storage container filled with various medical supplies. As she approached, she could see the turian give her a once-over, recognition clicking in his eyes followed by apparent confusion. Sera returned his scrutiny with an unflinching steely gaze. Even though his vibrant lavender clan markings had an elegant flourish, she could tell negotiating with him wasn’t going to be easy. She was right. An hour and several negotiating tactics later, Tactus Valens definitely proved to be a hard ass but they each got what they wanted plus a little extra.

After making the necessary arrangements to have the medical supplies picked up, Sera headed out to find Garrus. She could have radioed him but she became engulfed in the frenzied activity and trying to help those she could. It wasn’t long before she found him in one of the triage bays set up specifically for Turians. The chaotic din made it difficult to make out what he was saying to the turian female in front of him.

Sera hung back at the entrance of the bay so she could observe them for a moment. The female was smaller in stature in comparison to Garrus. Sera wondered if that had to do with genetics like humans or if it was simple Turian biology. Her plate coloring was nearly an exact duplicate to Garrus’ but the definitions of the mandibles and plate edges had a softer shape. Her head lacked the long and elegantly defined fringe of her brother but retained a definite feminine shape. Her clan markings were the same color and general shape as Garrus’ but with a slightly more feminine touch: simple small flourishes at the end of each stroke.

Whatever it was they were discussing put a very grim look on Garrus’ face. Walking up behind him, Sera cleared her throat enough for him to hear. He turned to face her, giving the females a full look at one another. They studied each other quickly, assessing each other’s appearance.

“Commander Shepard, this is my sister Solana,” Garrus rumbled, his tone formal but stressed.

“Commander,” Solana said smoothly, her voice a much gentler version of her brother’s.

She held out her hand in greeting, obviously familiar with human customs. Sera took it and grasped it firmly.

“It’s nice to finally meet you, Ms. Vakarian,” Sera replied warmly.

“Ms –,” Solana chirped in mild surprise, “No! Please, just Solana will be fine.”

“Okay, Solana it is,” she nodded and looked around at the small confined space when she heard the unmistakable staccato of her mother’s footsteps approaching and sighed inwardly.

“What’s C-Sec’s situation, Mom?” Sera asked, seeing the deep concern etched on her mother's face.

“Not good,” Hannah clipped. “They are beyond overwhelmed with the influx of refugees. The Council has its work cut out for them. We need to move faster to end this fucking war,” she ground out in frustration.

“Agreed,” Solana said solemnly. “Palaven’s wounded are starting to trickle in and if their injuries are an indication of what’s coming…”

“Admiral,” Garrus interjected, introducing his sister, “this is my sister Solana.”

“It’s an honor to meet you, Admiral,” Solana said extending her hand once more.

Hannah shook it firmly, nodding. “Unfortunately, from the reports that I’m getting, this is about to get a lot worse before it gets better,” she said, referring to Solana’s earlier comment.

“I know,” Solana sighed. “Supplies are short and we’re quickly running out of room. We just can’t accommodate them all…” she trailed off, Garrus picking up on her anxious whine.

He wrapped his arm around her shoulder to comfort her but the both knew there was little to be found in it. He nuzzled her forehead with a consoling purr that she returned. A moment passed and Hannah cleared her throat.

“My ship just radioed, they’re ready to ship out,” she said.

Garrus nodded. “Good luck Admiral, Spirits keep you safe,” he said, offering his hand.

Hannah took it and pulled him into a warm hug. He was surprised at the familiar gesture but welcomed it all the same and wrapped his arms around the older woman when he heard her whisper.

“Take care of my daughter or Spirits help you.”

When they pulled apart, he saw the glint in her eye and nodded ever so slightly. She squeezed his arms gently, letting go and turning to Sera.

Mother and daughter looked at one another before embracing each other in a warm, tight hug. They pulled away and Hannah palmed her daughter’s cheek but neither said anything. There was nothing to say. Both knew what was coming and there was nothing either could do to stop or change it. They could simply accept and survive. Hannah let go first and walked away at a brisk pace, hand to her ear, letting her ship know was coming.

Sera stood there, eyes glazed as she watched her mother walk away, fully aware that it was more than likely the last time she would ever see her. She blinked back the tears and swallowed the hard lump in her throat once Hannah had rounded the corner and disappeared into the crowd. Suddenly, her radio crackled to life as Joker’s heavy, hung-over voice spoke in her ear.

“Commander?”

“Yeah, Joker? What’s going on?” Sera replied a little more loudly than necessary.

“UGH!” he grunted. “Not so loud! Damn!”

“A little hung over Joker?!” Sera said loudly unable to resist giving Joker some payback.

“Yeah, yeah… whatever,” he grunted again. “We’re ready to ship out. Everyone’s aboard.”

“Alright! Thanks, Joker!” she said, not missing his muffled, ‘Fuck’ before cutting off the radio.

She grinned at Garrus, who only shook his head.

“That was heartless,” he chuckled, “but well deserved. I take it the Normandy’s ready to go?”

“Yep, we need to get the hell outta here. It was great to finally meet you, Solana,” she said taking Solana’s hand again. “Perhaps we’ll be able to talk more at a later time? We need to get moving, Garrus. I’ll see you on board,” she finished, heading toward the elevator and the Normandy.

Brother and sister watched the Commander’s retreating form. Garrus sighed and then grunted when Solana elbowed him in the ribs.

“Oof, what?” he grunted.

“So that’s the great Commander Shepard?” she teased.

“Yeah, so?”

“So, nothing… you did well Brother.” She grinned.

His mandibles fluttered in embarrassment.

“Be careful out there, Garrus,” she said, I love you, as she nuzzled his forehead once more.

“I will,” he replied, I love you too, he nuzzled back and walked out of the triage bay unable to look at his sister for what could be the last time.