Green Eyes and Brown Hair 3/?
anonymous
January 20 2014, 01:25:04 UTC
Two weeks later, Garrus-juggling bottle, crying baby, and oversized blanket-managed to use his foot to open the door to his apartment. “No, I do not want prayers for my dead-“
It was none other than his sister at the door, who stood there with a bag over one shoulder, her arms crossed in front of her chest, glaring.
“Oh. Sorry, Sol. Hi? I’m just-“
“Oh! Garrus, she’s adorable!” Solana’s face changed completely. “Dad! Dad! Oh, Garrus, what’s her name?”
“Uh, Sol, I was just trying to-“ The child began wriggling, her cries increasing.
Another voice chipped in. “Son, I understand there are communication difficulties, but why did you wait to-“
And Ashley Jane Shepard-Vakarian chose that moment to belt out her opinion of the proceedings at the top of her lungs. Solana and Kaius Vakarian both stopped, mid-sentence, and cringed at the noise. Garrus stepped out of the doorway and began shifting his weight, rocking, bobbing, easing the child’s distress.
“Easy, AJ,” he hummed, letting his subvocals rumble in a low register, hoping to soothe her. When she quieted, taking the bottle again and nursing contentedly, Garrus looked back up at his father and sister, who’d come inside and closed the door but hadn’t moved further, instead watching Garrus with tiny AJ.
“Is AJ a common human name?” Solana asked quietly. Garrus could hear the hesitance in her subvocals.
“Nickname, yes. It’s… short for Ashley Jane.”
AJ eventually dozed off after Garrus burped her over his shoulder, and Liara returned from a series of meetings to the Vakarian family in the living room, talking in hushed tones.
“Dad, Sol, this is Liara T’Soni.”
“Dr. T’Soni, we’ve heard a lot about you.” Kaius stood and inclined his head regally. “Kaius Vakarian.”
“Solana,” the youngest turian added with her own nod.
“Nice to meet you both,” Liara said. “Garrus, I have some… news.”
He nodded and looked at Solana. “You want to hold her?”
“Oh! Yes!” Solana took the snuffling bundle carefully, keeping her talons clear, peering at her face.
Garrus followed Liara into the kitchen. “What is it?”
“Garrus… Kaidan’s alive.”
Blood roared in his ears and he gripped the countertop tightly.
“He’s being transferred to a local hospital to finish recovering from an injury, then being stationed here for awhile. I… I wanted you to know. Just in case.”
Garrus grit his teeth. “He still loved her. She… she said he hadn’t let go. She had, but…”
“He’ll find out, somehow, Garrus, that you have her child. The name isn’t exactly… subtle. And she’s very human.” Liara looked at him with sympathy etched in the lines of her face. “Hannah Shepard is… anxious to meet her. Understandably.”
“She still on the Kilimanjaro?”
“Returning for repairs soon. I’ve been in contact. I’ll let you know when she arrives.”
“Thanks, Liara. For all of this.”
“Of course, Garrus.” Liara smiled, put her hand on his cheek. “It will work out, somehow.”
It was none other than his sister at the door, who stood there with a bag over one shoulder, her arms crossed in front of her chest, glaring.
“Oh. Sorry, Sol. Hi? I’m just-“
“Oh! Garrus, she’s adorable!” Solana’s face changed completely. “Dad! Dad! Oh, Garrus, what’s her name?”
“Uh, Sol, I was just trying to-“ The child began wriggling, her cries increasing.
Another voice chipped in. “Son, I understand there are communication difficulties, but why did you wait to-“
And Ashley Jane Shepard-Vakarian chose that moment to belt out her opinion of the proceedings at the top of her lungs. Solana and Kaius Vakarian both stopped, mid-sentence, and cringed at the noise. Garrus stepped out of the doorway and began shifting his weight, rocking, bobbing, easing the child’s distress.
“Easy, AJ,” he hummed, letting his subvocals rumble in a low register, hoping to soothe her. When she quieted, taking the bottle again and nursing contentedly, Garrus looked back up at his father and sister, who’d come inside and closed the door but hadn’t moved further, instead watching Garrus with tiny AJ.
“Is AJ a common human name?” Solana asked quietly. Garrus could hear the hesitance in her subvocals.
“Nickname, yes. It’s… short for Ashley Jane.”
AJ eventually dozed off after Garrus burped her over his shoulder, and Liara returned from a series of meetings to the Vakarian family in the living room, talking in hushed tones.
“Dad, Sol, this is Liara T’Soni.”
“Dr. T’Soni, we’ve heard a lot about you.” Kaius stood and inclined his head regally. “Kaius Vakarian.”
“Solana,” the youngest turian added with her own nod.
“Nice to meet you both,” Liara said. “Garrus, I have some… news.”
He nodded and looked at Solana. “You want to hold her?”
“Oh! Yes!” Solana took the snuffling bundle carefully, keeping her talons clear, peering at her face.
Garrus followed Liara into the kitchen. “What is it?”
“Garrus… Kaidan’s alive.”
Blood roared in his ears and he gripped the countertop tightly.
“He’s being transferred to a local hospital to finish recovering from an injury, then being stationed here for awhile. I… I wanted you to know. Just in case.”
Garrus grit his teeth. “He still loved her. She… she said he hadn’t let go. She had, but…”
“He’ll find out, somehow, Garrus, that you have her child. The name isn’t exactly… subtle. And she’s very human.” Liara looked at him with sympathy etched in the lines of her face. “Hannah Shepard is… anxious to meet her. Understandably.”
“She still on the Kilimanjaro?”
“Returning for repairs soon. I’ve been in contact. I’ll let you know when she arrives.”
“Thanks, Liara. For all of this.”
“Of course, Garrus.” Liara smiled, put her hand on his cheek. “It will work out, somehow.”
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