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Carry On	By : Larania Category: +M through R > Mass Effect Views: 6956 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: Disclaimer: Mass Effect belongs to Bioware and Electronic Arts, not me and I make no money from this work of fanfiction at all.

Chapter List
- 5
- 6
- 7
Carry On
Chapter Four
Disclaimer: Mass Effect belongs to Bioware and Electronic Arts, not me and I make no money from this work of fanfiction at all.
Warnings: adult language and situations, mentions of dub-con and non-con, mpreg, sexual situations, threesomes, gender-bending and birth.
Characters/ pairings: Colonist War Hero Paragade ManShep/Kaidan/Garrus, others mentioned.
Summary: The Reapers are here, and amidst that backdrop, Commander Shepard struggles with gathering allies, caring for his child and fighting for his sanity.
~*~*~*~*~
Kaidan had to wonder how he had arrived in this surreal purgatory.
Not Purgatory, though god knew he could use a few drinks. No, instead he was here, listening to upbeat, simple music explaining the virtues of sharing in a room decorated in vibrant reds, yellows and blues. Parents cradled their children in their laps. The healthier ones were in a small play area, crawling or toddling on cushioned mats under the eyes and indulgent smiles of their caretakers.
Like most places on the Citadel, there were constant news feed overlaying the walls; none were reporting on the invasion. Yet he could hear the whispers of dozens of omni-tools and communicators, volume set to low, humming the words 'Reaper,' 'under attack,' and 'devastated.' He saw flashes of teeth, false smiles, when the kids asked what was going on, where was Uncle David or Mama? He was busy with work, she was fighting the bad guys. No, really, all those people in the vids outside were okay, just sleeping.
The smiles fell away as soon as the kids weren't looking, revealing fragile, stoic faces and red-rimmed eyes. It had been maybe five hours since the initial attack, and two since they had gotten through the relay. Now Kaidan was here, on the Citadel, about forty minutes since the Normandy had docked and Shepard had asked (personally, not an order) for Kaidan and Vega to take Bean to get checked out.
Another twenty minutes, checking themselves into the children's section of Huerta Memorial and waiting on a neonatal specialist after being called back to a tiny examination room with a window looking back into the reception area. Another five waiting with Vega, Bean in his arms and a quiet fragment of his mind churning I'm-a-Daddy-I'm-a-Daddy-I'm- oh dear god I have no idea what to do-I'm-a-Daddy-
Vega had taken up a position as guard next to the examination room door, and Kaidan's eyes went from the translucent window to the PSAs scrolling on the walls about childhood illnesses, the dangers of a fetus developing in zero-g, making sure that turian children got enough aluminum in their diet, or offers of discreet genetic testing for asari children and potential counseling afterwards.
"Hey, Lieutenant Vega? How did you meet D- the Commander?" he asked, his gaze turning back to the baby in his arms. Bean, for his part, was cooing and had gotten his hands up (sans mittens, Kaidan had taken them off to look at the baby's miniature fingers and nails) to examine with same seriousness Kaidan had. His Mom and Dad would be so thrilled to find out they were grandparents-
If they still were alive.
Then he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He was a trained soldier. He had Shepard back. He could handle this.
"I was assigned as his guard," the young officer answered, shrugging. "But more like his babysitter for the first five months. They picked me because I respected him, and knew that he wasn't crazy for talking about the Reapers." He scratched his scalp. "Then they told me about all the weird genetics shi- uh, um, bull." He looked at the babies outside, then at Bean. "Shepard's a little protective. Won't let me swear in front of el Niño there."
"I'm not surprised," Kaidan answered, before looking down to Bean, who was studying his face with the same intense concentration that Derek had when he had to make a big decision... just before his face broke into another big, gummy smile.
Kaidan felt his own smile spread across his lips as something warm, fierce and protective balled up under his heart.
"It's hard not to like el Niño," Vega said, and Kaidan looked up to see the gentle smile on the soldier's face.
They were interrupted a moment later as their doctor, an asari matron with faded indigo skin named Reyka R'en, entered, tapping on a datapad.
She was kind, taking the suddenly squirmy baby from Kaidan and putting him on the examining table to weigh him, scanned him with her omni-tool's medical sensors, and took off his onesie and diaper to look at the contents while clicking her tongue.
"He's a real cutie," the doctor said, smiling, before pausing, and tapping her ear. "Ah, and it sounds like you're going to have a visitor in a few minutes." She crooned when Bean whimpered and she put a fresh diaper on him, replacing his onesie and re-wrapping him back in his blanket. "I'm sorry, I know it's cold... My goddess!" She gently tickled the bottom of one of Bean's right foot through his sock as she picked him back up. "He's so big for such a young human! What is he, two, three weeks old? What's he been eating?"
Kaidan opened his mouth, then shut it. He didn't know.
"Mostly breastfeeding," Vega said, somehow keeping a straight face. "His Mama's supply is kinda limited, though, so sometimes he gets a bottle."
"Are you the father?" the doctor asked Vega, who threw his hands in the air in defense.
"No," Kaidan protested, cutting in. "I am." Vega got a bit of a smirk on his face at Kaidan's indignant tone.
"Ah? You're a couple?" She looked confused, but didn't pursue as she handed the baby back to Kaidan. That was when Bean started to toss his head back and forth, making sucking motions with his mouth.
"It's a long story-"
Then Bean let out a cry, a repeating bleat that filled the room and made Kaidan wonder how someone so small could make him feel so helpless as he patted Bean's diapered backside in a vain attempt to calm him down. He had no idea what it meant, or where to start.
"He's hungry," Vega said when Kaidan looked up at him. "That's the 'My tummy's empty, get the warm milk thing here now' cry. You'll figure them out. Shepard got it in about two days."
"Yeah, but Shepard-"
Walked in at that moment, followed by Liara and Doctor Chakwas. He took one glance at the situation, shook his head, and offered his arms. Kaidan stood, giving Bean over readily as he continued to cry. The desperation in the cry dwindled when Bean realized he had changed hands, his cry turning more to a plaintive warble.
"And you only really like me when you're hungry, don't you?" Derek murmured, kissing Bean's head. "Doctor, is there a quiet place I can feed him?" He rocked back and forth.
"Are you his father, too?" she asked, looking back at her datapad. Then she did a double take. "Commander Shepard?" She sounded a bit breathless.
"Yes," Derek answered, face tense as Bean's cries started to pick up again. "Is the exam over? I don't think he can wait."
"I'll send you my report," Doctor R'en said. She paused. "You can continue to use this examination room. I'll let the staff know you aren't to be disturbed." She nodded to them, leaving the cramped space just a bit wider.
"Can I have the chair?" Derek asked, nodding to where Kaidan was standing. He nodded, moving out of the way and letting Shepard take a seat. He did so, and started working the front of his fatigues to open the closures. "Are you all okay with me feeding him while we talk? We need to go over the sitrep."
There were nods all around, and Kaidan blinked a few times before it hit him that Derek had all of the female plumbing. And it wasn't like they had any bottles or formula with them.
"Need some help with that?" he offered, reaching for the closures at Derek's nod. Together they got Derek's shirt open. "How the hell did you know he was hungry?"
"I didn't." Derek's face turned red. "But I, um, filled up and, um, over." He sighed, and pulled off the left patch, which was dark and saturated if not dripping. Kaidan blinked, stomach flopping to see the changes in his lover's body, curious to see more as Derek put Bean to his chest. God, he felt bizarrely proud as Derek winced and Bean grunted in hunger as he sucked. He didn't know if he should be embarrassed by that or not. After all, Commander Shepard had given him a child. If that wasn't something to feel a bit of pride about, what was?
Derek smiled down at Bean, rocking him a bit before looking up at his audience. "I saw the Council. It went about as well as it always has." He sounded bitter, but calmed. "I also had a meeting with Udina. During that meeting Councilor Sparatus suggested going to Palaven and getting their Primarch off-world to chair a War Summit with the Salarian and Asari leadership." Derek frowned, then quirked half a smile. "Didn't take it real well when I said 'I told you so.' But at any rate, this might be our best bet to get help for Earth and building the Prothean device." He paused.
"I spoke with Hackett over the QEC. I've been given control of the Normandy again, and we'll be leaving in a few hours once the Normandy is stocked and fueled," Derek murmured, but he didn't sound happy about it. "And... now I need some feedback." He turned to Kaidan, meeting his eyes. "Do you have any family not on Earth?"
"What? No." Kaidan's mind went blank. "I had an aunt on my mother's side, but she died years ago and her children stayed around Vancouver as well. My parents had cousins, but we didn't stay in touch. Why?"
Derek looked down at Bean, whose fingers were curling against Derek's shirt. "My parents never told me about any family they had on Earth, and I never found any records of siblings. So family's out." He closed his eyes. "Under normal circumstances, Alliance regs state that I need some kind of family plan in the event I ship out," Derek said, sounding uneven, unbalanced. "But I don't have anyone to leave Bean with, and taking him back to Earth would be tantamount to suicide. Or homicide, depending on who was asking me."
"I think I see where this is going," Liara whispered. "If you like, I can use my connections to find a foster family. It wouldn't be ideal, but-"
"But then I may as well hold the gun to their heads myself, Liara." Shepard turned to her. "Under normal circumstances, in a normal war, that would work. Send the children to the countryside for their safety. Yet Cerberus has made this personal. They want Bean, I don't know why, but they want him. And the Reapers..." Derek rubbed his eyes. "They know about him. And they want to hurt me. Not just Earth, or humanity, they want to hurt me. They're going to target anywhere Bean goes."
"You want to take him with us," Liara said, lifting an eyebrow. She pressed her lips together. "On an active warship?"
"Is it any less dangerous?" Derek dropped her eyes, stroking Bean's hair. "There will be no safety, nowhere to run." He gave a soft sigh, chin dropping. "I know this better than anyone. And I can't do this without knowing he's safe, and that's with me." He looked up, meeting the gaze of his friends and crew.
"Tell me that you'll help me in this," Shepard pleaded. "I can't do this alone."
Chakwas, who had remained silent until that moment, shrugged. "I am not a pediatrician, but I suppose I can brush up." She gave them a grim smile. "And if the Normandy is destroyed, then the war has pretty much been lost, hasn't it?"
Liara didn't answer, just pinching her lips together and nodding.
Vega snorted. "Should've known I couldn't get out of babysitting that easily." His face turned serious as he nodded. "You know I want to go back and fight, but I get it. What you're doing is important, too. Besides, you know I can't say no to Niño here." His serious expression cracked as his lips quirked up. "But I get to be Uncle Jimmy, okay?"
"Uncle Jimmy?" Derek said, lifting an eyebrow in amusement, before the smile dropped, eyes distant. "Yeah, that sounds good. Thank you." He grimaced suddenly, looking down at Bean. "Slow down. That hurts."
"So." Shepard straightened in the chair. "Do your emergency shopping, get your gear together and we'll be heading out at four hundred. Understood? I'll probably be here for another thirty minutes. Bean's just getting started. Dismissed."
There were nods all around as Doctor Chakwas, Liara and Vega all got up to leave... With Kaidan staying behind.
"That means you too, Kaidan," Derek said, settling down to rock Bean again. His face softened. "This is... we've got to take the opportunity to gear up while we can."
"I know that, but you've said we have a few hours." He found he was frowning, walking over and kneeling beside Shepard. "But we need to talk, and I think now's a good time for it."
"About what?"
"I understand why you want to take Bean with you, and I'll support you both," Kaidan said, slowly, keeping his voice reassuring. "But... God, Derek, you'll probably hate me for this. But you should be evacuated to a civilian facility in order to heal, not getting ready to go to a war zone." He put one hand on Derek's arm, moving up to his shoulder. "I know you're still a great soldier, but if you go out there before you're ready? You could wind up getting killed. Again. I don't think I could take that."
"Then what should I do, Kaidan?" Derek didn't sound angry, just tired. "Cerberus managed to kidnap me from Alliance HQ. The Reapers are here. I'm surprised they haven't tried to take the Citadel yet." He shuddered. "Don't you think part of me wants to take Bean and run?"
Kaidan startled.
"Yeah, never thought I would hear me say it, either." Derek's breathing turned ragged. "But you and I both know it has to be me out there. People believe in me."
"You don't have to do all of this yourself." Kaidan grabbed a stool and sat next to Derek, putting an arm around his shoulders. "Let us help. Let me help."
"I want to believe you," Derek murmured, leaning back against him. Silence dropped over them for several moments, the only sound being Bean continued to eat.
"I have a question," Kaidan said, watching Bean's eyes open and close in contentment.
"Shoot."
"Why 'Bean'? His name is Gabriel, right? Why not Gabe, or Gabbers, or something like that?" The question just occurred, flying out of the rest of the maelstrom of thoughts. "Or hell, why not Ash?"
"Go ahead and use those, if you want." The corners of his lips lifted, a smile lurking under the worry. "I am simply continuing the great and glorious tradition of my mother giving her offspring incomprehensible and silly nicknames no one else will ever use. My brothers were Goober, Small Fry and Speedy. Jane hated Princess."
Kaidan chuckled, leaned in to press his forehead to Shepard's. "What was yours?"
Derek's smile crawled towards his eyes. "Wouldn't you like to know?"
"Come on, really, tell me." He brushed his lips against Derek's. "Please?"
"Maybe one day, if you're very, very good..."
~*~*~*~*~
Derek smiled; it had been a long time since he had heard children laughing.
At least, he thought he heard laughter.
He lifted his eyes, blinking as shadows squirmed and writhed, coating the ground in darkness as they lapped at the edges of the barn yard. The sounds of life- the twittering not-sparrows, the pained grunts of the cows at milking time, his brothers cackling as they chased their howling cat, the babies babbling- cut off mid-note as Derek got to his feet. All that remained as the faint hissing of the wind.
The woods closed in around him as he blinked, rubbing his head as a pain started behind his left eye. He thought he could see a small form in the distance. He jogged forward, avoiding stepping in the dark pools that lurked behind the trees. The small shape, a child, was laughing as he swooped and swerved his small fighter about.
Derek knew the boy, recognized him. Yet even as he wracked his mind to come up with something- a place, a name- it slid through his fingers like so much water. The boy's dull blue eyes were cheerful as he turned to Shepard, running towards him with his arms wide and lips spread in a grin-
-When the red scream tore through the air, making the ground and air tremble-
The boy stopped, all joy dropping from his face as he jerked, twisting, trying to find where the sound came from. Then he turned and ran, vanishing into the opaque shadows.
Derek slid into a crouch, hunting for any source of the sound but nothing emerged from the twilight veil. He straightened, making a slow walk in a circle. He couldn't leave the boy out here alone.
It took a moment to find the boy, but his white hoodie glowed in the dim and Derek walked towards him through the skeletal trees. Trees he didn't recognize. He looked back; he had no idea where he had come from, and no idea where he was going. He couldn't see the farm anymore.
He turned back, and now all he could hear was the boy sobbing in fear. The sound tore at his heart.
He tried to run, but it felt like he was swimming in molasses as he struggled towards the boy. The boy, hunched over, tears streaming down his face. Then he caught sight of Derek, standing up, face clearing in relief.
When horror dropped down his face, blue eyes flickering to green and back, as his gaze fixed on something behind Shepard. Derek heard footsteps, crunching in the dried and dead weeds under their feet as he forced himself to whip around.
Then blackness covered his vision as a hand hid his eyes, lips against his ear.
"Don't look," Jane whispered.
Then the crack of a pistol broke the silence.
~*~*~*~*~
Derek tore himself free of the dream with a gasp and a curse at the sound of Bean's terrified howl filling his cabin. He reached over to the right, instinct and habit from the past eleven days saying that his baby would be in a basinet beside his bed before he remembered where he was. He cast about, looking at the pile of diapers, baby clothes, blankets, pumps, bottles and canisters of formula, before remembering the repurposed crate they had used as a crib on his left.
"Hey, hey you," he murmured, reaching down to scoop Bean up, bouncing him and patting his backside. "It's okay, Papa's here. Did you have a bad dream, too? Papa did, too, but we're okay." He glanced over his shoulder, peering into the shadows for any sign of danger. Of Jane. "We're okay. There's no one going to hurt us here." He hummed, checking Bean's diaper as the baby's shrieks faded into a weak whimper. He took another look at his cabin, wondering where Kaidan was, guilt hissing in his ears as he kissed Bean's fluffy head.
"You hungry?" he offered, reaching for his N7 hoodie's zipper, pulling up his tank top. He wondered how long it be before he started addressing his crew with the same soft sing-song when they were distressed. Hopefully he wouldn't get to the point he was so far gone he offered anything else.
Derek wasn't full just yet, but he had enough of a supply of milk to keep Bean calm as the infant latched on. The pain was brief before fading into something comforting. After that nightmare, he had to wonder who was getting more out of this, himself or his son, as Bean's cries turned to tired coos.
"Though my eyes could see I still was a blind man, though my mind could think I still was a mad man," he crooned to his boy as he wiped Bean's tears. "I hear the voices when I'm dreaming. I can hear them say-" His cabin bell chimed. "Yes? EDI, who is it?"
"Liara T'soni. She wants to speak with you. Shall I tell her you are indisposed?"
"No." He looked down at Bean, whose eyes had drooped closed. He checked the time. About two hours until they arrived at Palaven. "Given that we have to stretch the supply of formula as long as possible, people are just going to have to get used to me being," he paused, eyes darting back before he sighed. "A mammal." He swallowed, lips spreading in a grimace. "With female-ish tendencies, about ten percent of the time."
"Very well. Shall I send her in?"
"I would appreciate it."
The doors slid open a moment later, showing Liara, clad in her (now clean) white suit. "Hello, Shepard," she said, walking inside. She paused, one side of her mouth twitching as she saw him cradling Bean. "Hello, Gabriel. How are you doing?"
"We're just shaking off some sleep." Derek stroked Bean's red face while looking up at Liara and nodding towards a seat on the sofa. He hissed when Bean shook himself awake and bit down, hard. "Be careful, sweetheart," he cautioned, even if Bean was too young to understand. Bean let go anyway, cooing and sniffling before shutting his eyes to go back to sleep.
Liara winced in sympathy as she sat, tangling her fingers together. Derek eyed her, wondering exactly what he was going to say, now that they weren't being dogged by issues of galactic importance. 'Why didn't you do as I asked?' 'Why did you betray me?' or just start with 'What happened?' It was human nature to assume conspiracy, right? How the hell did he ask her that, when he needed her resources as the Shadow Broker?
And when had his friend become just a resource?
"Can I... help you with something?"
Liara glanced away. "I've been forwarding reports on the Prothean device to the turian Councilor." She shifted, before looking back when Bean cooed in his sleep. "We can't build it without Council support, but the turian Councilor won't budge until we have their Primach." She kept looking down at Bean, even as Derek rocked him out of habit.
"Can I hold Gabriel?"
Derek blinked, before nodding slowly, cautiously, as she walked to where he was sitting on the bed and sat beside him. He didn't know if he wanted her this close, but he didn't think she could or would harm his son.
And, if she did...
"Support his head," he instructed her, feeling her gloved hands against his as he eased Bean into her arms. "His neck is too weak to hold it up by himself yet."
Bean's eyes opened, giving Liara a very suspicious expression as he stared at the white lump in front of his face. His tiny fingers tried to grip what was in front of him. His mouth opened, and soon his lips joined his fingers in investigating this new feature before him.
Liara's eyes were huge, before letting out a nervous giggle.
"Er." Derek rubbed the back of his neck. "Babies use their mouths and lips because, um, more nerve endings and... god, well, at least he sort of knows what to do with those things..."
"It's all right, Shepard," she said, and pulled off one of her gloves to touch Bean's tiny face. "Asari also nurse our offspring, though I doubt I would be able to produce anything as a maiden."
"Yeah, um, he's always hungry. And if he was able to talk he would probably be asking me why I don't have something so convenient," Derek said, feeling his ears and the back of his neck heat up as he zipped up his hoodie.
Liara smiled, wistful and awkward, her fingers tracing the shell of Bean's ear as he stopped investigating her covered breast (leaving a large, damp spot on her suit) to give her a pouty lip. Derek didn't know if it actually meant anything, but damn that pouty lip always got to him.
"I wouldn't be brave enough to bring a child into a galaxy that's been threatened with annihilation," Liara whispered, glancing up at Shepard then away again. Derek had to look away, guilt shredding his insides before he rallied.
"Liara, I need to know what-"
The door of his cabin chimed then opened, and a young woman he remembered vaguely from when he arrived on board walked in, carrying a datapad. Kaidan was on her heels, balancing two overflowing meal trays, one in each hand.
Liara stood up, grimacing, walking towards the exit. "I was just going."
"Liara?"
"Yes?" she paused, turning towards him.
"Baby?"
"Oh, yes," she said, putting Bean back in Shepard's arms. "I'm sorry." She put one of her fingers in Bean's tiny hand, watching it squeeze. She headed towards the door and stopped, beside Kaidan and the new crew member.
"He's named after the Archangel?" she asked, staring straight ahead, voice high and tight.
Derek peered at her, frowning. "Yes."
"Ah." She turned and left, through the door and disappearing into the elevator.
"What was that about?" Kaidan asked, watching Liara leave. Derek shrugged, more interested in the trays Kaidan was holding and the steaming mugs on both. He was flustered that he hadn't gotten to speak to her about why she hasn't passed on his message to both Kaidan and Garrus, but the food was more interesting. With Bean being constantly hungry, so was he.
"An update on what was going on with the Prothean project?" he said, shifting Bean to his left arm while taking the food tray with his right and putting it on his lap. He snatched up the egg sandwich and stuffed his face, following it up with a long swig of coffee so he wouldn't choke.
"Commander Shepard, I'm Specialist Samantha Traynor," the pleasant young woman began. "We met briefly when you came back on board." Her eyes kept darting to Bean and back, her lips twitching when Bean's pout got bigger.
"Yes, I remember you," Derek said, rubbing his eyes. His boy was in a good mood, even with his big lip. "Would you mind holding him while we eat?" he asked.
"Can I?" she asked. Her voice was full of, for lack of a better term, squee. She put her datapad on the coffee table. "It's been such a long time since I saw a baby and-" She made grabby hands, and Derek gave her an indulgent smile as he handed Bean over. Bean's expression went back to being confused as he was once again presented with the large round thing in front of him, but to his Papa's relief he didn't try to put his mouth on it. "He is so cute! He's got your eyes- Oh, it must have been heartbreaking to leave his mother on Earth-"
"He's our son," Kaidan corrected, sitting across from Derek on the bed and picking up his own sandwich.
Traynor rocked Bean, blinking. "He didn't have a surrogate?" She didn't mention the potential timing of their fraternization, even if she had to be thinking it.
Derek shook his head, taking another gulp of the terrible instant coffee as he tried to think things through. It wasn't like any masquerade was worth maintaining, especially on his own ship, especially when he was breast feeding. The Alliance could worry about their image after they managed to survive the Reapers. "I carried him."
Samatha blinked, but she waited for him to explain.
"I'm intersexed. I've got two functioning sets, including a womb." Derek gave her a weak smile. "I'm male-gendered, but, um," he shrugged, nodding at Bean. "Yeah. He's ours." He looked over in time to see a half- goofy, half-terrified smile cross Kaidan's face.
"Oh." To Samantha's credit, she took all of this in stride. "Congratulations. How old is he?"
"Now? Eleven, twelve days."
"Wow. He's very big for such a fresh baby," Traynor murmured, she said, bouncing Bean, before getting to a chair, grabbing a pillow to put under him. "Are you going to be a big, famous Spectre one day, just like your daddy?"
Derek chuckled, keeping an eye on everyone as he inhaled his food, Kaidan doing the same. Kaidan finished first- he had less food on his tray- to pick up the datapad.
"Here's the sitrep. The ship is basically the same, despite the retrofits. You've already seen the new war room and its QECs." Kaidan said, flipping the images across the datapad. "Pretty much the only changes involved were bringing everything up to Alliance regs and a new paint job. From what I've heard, Anderson was going to use the Normandy as his mobile command center."
"All right, we know that's not an option." Derek said, feeling pained and old as he said that. He was stealing the Normandy from Anderson again. "And the crew?"
"There aren't many of us," Traynor said. "Most of us were here working on the retrofits when the Reapers attacked. I worked in lab- I never thought I would be serving on a ship." She hadn't looked up from Bean. Not that Derek could blame her. Call him a bit prejudiced, but his son was the cutest baby in the galaxy. Her face scrunched up as she cooed. "But I'm honored to serve under you, Commander. As long as you need me, that is. And I got to meet you, you precious little darling." She took both of Bean's hands and was moving them back and forth. "They onwy sent me to oversee the wetwofits, yes they did, yes they did!"
"Some of our systems require further testing," EDI said, cutting in the stream of baby-talk. "And Specialist Traynor has been extremely effective during installation. I would prefer that she remain."
"Got it."
Traynor looked up and towards the intercom, shocked out of her baby-fit. "Wait. Since when does a virtual intelligence make requests?"
"EDI is an A.I., Sam," Kaidan answered her. "She's completely self-aware."
"Oh, I knew it. I knew Joker was lying," she muttered, but turned her attention back to Bean when he creaked at her.
"Jeff requested I pretend to be a simple VI to protect myself. I apologize for the deception."
Traynor's face turned a vibrant red under her dark complexion. "Thank you, EDI. And I apologize for all those times I talked about how... attractive... your voice was."
"Right." Derek found his lips twitch. "And don't let Joker find out you were taking about EDI like that. He might get territorial. Or if you do, invite me down to watch."
"Now, on to the reason we're here," Traynor said hastily, straightening, still holding Bean's hands. "Major Alenko came down an hour ago and asked about making a babysitting roster. We've been working on that; asking for volunteers among the off-duty crew, people with childcare experience." She smiled, but it didn't hit her eyes. "Much of the crew have families they've left behind. We've had no shortage of bodies signing up. So don't worry; Gabriel will be taken care of. When you're fighting, he won't be alone."
Derek blinked, and swallowed down the lump in his throat and reached for Kaidan's hand. The other man took it, and squeezed, watching the relief making Shepard go limp. "Thank you."
"You're welcome," Traynor said. "I'm happy to help. When you're ready, Admiral Hackett would like to speak with you over the vid-com."
~*~*~*~*~
Garrus Vakarian rarely prayed. He remembered praying when the first Normandy had been destroyed and hearing that Shepard had been lost with the ship. Then again when he had sought revenge on Sidonis, he had prayed to do what his team had wanted, to help their spirits rest.
Now, he prayed for his world as he listened to Palaven Command's com chatter, watching the fighters take off to protect the Primarch's shuttle as he lead his small squad of troops to distract the nearest Reaper forces. He was perched, covering his squad as they attacked with his sniper rifle.
He prayed because out of a squad of four, two went down. He prayed when a Reaper, an actual fucking Reaper, landed in front of him and waded through their fighters like they were insects. Not even flies. Bits of dust. He prayed for his people, when the Primarch's shuttle burst into flames, the coms going down, as he retreated with his remaining squad and wondered if there really was a chance for his people.
He fought for hours after that, taking down swarms of husks, the turian based marauders, and a brute as he tried to get orders. At least he knew his small squad was doing better than most.
Only losing half.
Then his prayers were answered when the coms came back up.
The Normandy was in orbit.
To be continued.
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