A/N: Um… Hello? Are any of my followers from "One of Those Relationships" and "The Talk" still around? I know I have at least one person from before still following but I get the feeling that several of you weren't too happy with my decision to make "The End of All Things" M!Shep/Ashley and you just decided to skip over that one. Well I strongly suggest you go back and read it anyways (although this little fic can be read without it and it should be noted that I wrote it before I'd played Leviathan). Not only does it establish what happened to the Reapers but it also foreshadows what is in store for Alice, Garrus, John and the others in my upcoming fic "Taken" and its sequel. If you hate M!Shep/ Ashley, then never fear, all the remainder of the sequels to "One of Those Relationships" will be labeled FemShep/Garrus so M!Shep/Ash won't be stealing the spotlight for an entire fic anymore (although Ashley will be a major character going forwards). And if you just hate Ashley, well… I'm sorry to hear that and I hope that you'll give my stories a chance anyways. (Who knows? Maybe I'll get you to like Ashley!)
On a somewhat related note, school's begun so I'm going to be a bit slower on the posting and updating of stories (hence why it took me over a month to get this done). But I swear to you, I WILL get this series done! I won't let this go the way of my Dragon Age and Infamous fics!
Alright, enough of this super-long Author's Note. ON WITH THE SHOW!
Guess Who I Brought Home!
1: Unexpected
"Are you sure you're okay with meeting my family Alice?" Garrus asked with concern.
Alice smiled "Garrus, I love you and I want this to work. You've already met my parents; it's only fair that I meet yours."
Garrus sighed "I know it's just… I'm not sure how my dad will react to our relationship." When he'd first told his father about him and Alice, he didn't really react to the news, he just seemed to accept the fact and move on. Granted that had also been when the Reapers were bearing down on their heads and he and Alice hadn't been nearly as serious as they were now. "I-I don't- I just want this to go right."
Alice leaned up and kissed the scarred side of Garrus' face, "It will, don't worry."
Garrus' mandibles spread into a smile when he heard someone gagging behind him. His smile immediately turning into a frown, Garrus turned to glare at Alice's twin John as he pretended to gag. Realizing he had Garrus and Alice's attention, John smirked. "Just wanted to remind you that you weren't alone."
Alice glared at her brother "Don't you have a pregnant wife you should be watching?"
John winced "Yeah, she's… not in the best of moods right now. I thought it might be best if I let her cool off."
"What's wrong this time?" Garrus asked "She having another one of her mood swings?"
John winced again "That's one way to describe it…"
"JOHN! WHERE'S MY BBQ STEAK WITH CHOCOLATE SYRUP AND APPLESAUCE ON TOP?!" Ashley demanded from the car.
John groaned "FOR THE LAST TIME ASH! WE'RE AT THE SPACEPORT! THEY DON'T HAVE BBQ STEAK WITH CHOCOLATE SYRUP AND APPLESAUCE ON TOP!"
"WELL THAT'S WHAT I'M CRAVING AND IF I DON'T GET IT SOON, SOMEBODY'S GONNA PAY!"
"Maybe you should take her home John," Alice suggested "Before she gets us arrested by C-sec for public disturbance."
John nodded "Alright, you have a point. We still on for dinner on Wednesday?"
"Sure," Garrus replied "Are your parents still coming?"
"JOHN!" Ashley shouted.
"I'M COMING!" John shouted back before nodding to Garrus "Yeah, maybe you could bring your family too Garrus, provided things haven't exploded by then that is."
Garrus nodded "We'll see."
"JOHN!" Ashley called again.
"HAVE SOME PATIENCE GODAMNIT!" John shouted to Ashley.
"PATIENCE?! I'M NINE MONTHS PREGNANT YOU- Ohhh…"
John's eyes widened "'Oh'? 'Oh' what? What's wrong?"
"I think my water broke…"
John became panicked "WHAT?! BUT YOU'RE NOT DUE FOR ANOTHER TWO WEEKS! Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit…"
"Maybe you should go John…" Alice suggested
"Right! DON"T WORRY HONEY, I'M COMING!" John cried as he burst into a full-on sprint to the car.
After a second, Garrus shook his head. "How much do you want to bet she's faking it?"
Alice grinned "Without a doubt. She's going to drive John insane by the time the baby arrives."
They continued waiting for the transport Garrus' parents and sister were on to arrive for several more minutes. Garrus' mother suffered from a turian disease known as Corpralis Syndrome, which affected the brain, eventually shutting the body down. Her condition had been deteriorating over the years and it was only thanks to a new salarian treatment that she starting to recover. The most recent news Garrus had received was that she had made a comeback and was expected to make a full recovery. Garrus' family was not incredibly wealthy, and the treatment had been expensive. It was only thanks to Mordin giving the program some valuable data at Garrus' request that they were able to afford sending Garrus' mom to Sur'kesh for treatment, where she would spend the duration of the Reaper War. Garrus' father and sister had remained on Palaven until the Reapers attacked. Garrus had never heard the details of how they managed to escape and frankly, he didn't want to.
Finally, several minutes later, Alice nudged Garrus "Is that them?"
Garrus looked where Alice was pointing. Leaving with the other new arrivals was an elderly turian couple wearing the same markings as Garrus. "Yeah,"
Garrus waved his parents down, smiling broadly. Garrus' father looked almost identical to his son, except for the fact that he lacked the scaring on his right cheek. Garrus' mom was smaller and slimmer than her husband and son, although anyone who would even think to call her frail would find that the turian woman could beat them to the brink of death with ease.
Garrus and Alice walked over to the elder Vakarians. "Hey Mom, Dad," Garrus said, shaking his father's hand and giving his mother a hug before taking their luggage for them.
Alice smiled and held out her hand "Hello Mr. and Mrs. Vakarian, I'm Alice. It's nice to finally meet you."
There was tense pause that seemed to last forever as Garrus' father eyed Alice up and down, his face expressionless. Then, his voice stern he said, "Is that anyway to greet your in-laws?" his mandibles twitched into a smile.
Alice and Garrus both breathed a sigh of relief when Garrus' father and mother both hugged her. Garrus coughed "We… uh… haven't actually discussed marriage yet dad."
"Why not?" Garrus' mother asked innocently "You both seem quite happy together."
"Well… um…" Garrus stammered "We… uh…"
Alice answered for him "What he means Mrs. Vakarian is that I don't like rushing into these things. We've agreed to let our relationship progress naturally."
Garrus' mother seemed to consider this for a moment "I understand, and please dear, call me Minera."
Alice smiled "Sure," she turned to Garrus' father "Um… what should I call you?"
"Vakarian's fine," Garrus' father said "it might get a little confusing otherwise."
Garrus groaned; he knew what was coming…
Alice frowned "I'm sorry, confusing how?"
Minera smiled knowingly "Oh didn't Garrus tell you? His full name is Garrus Aeitus Vakarian Jr."
Garrus sighed, "Mom…"
Alice grinned at Garrus "A little embarrassed big guy?"
"Don't start," Garrus mumbled. He looked around, searching for his sister. "Where's Sol? I don't see her." He asked, eager to change the topic.
Vakarian smiled "You weren't the only one to find love during the war. She's busy trying to convince her boyfriend that you won't bite his head off."
Garrus frowned "I'm not that bad with Sol's boyfriends am I?"
Vakarian nodded "No but he says you two know one another and that you're… ehem… not exactly the best of friends."
Garrus' brow furrowed "What do you mean? Who is he?"
Before Vakarian could answer, Garrus saw a female turian with his markings dragging a male turian with lavender markings on his mandibles along behind her. "Come on," Solana was saying to her companion "It'll be fine."
The male turian did not seem convinced "I don't know Sol, I really don't think he'll be happy to see-" the turian froze when he realized Garrus had already noticed him "Fuck."
Garrus' blood boiled over as he recognized the turian. Solana dragged him over to them and said "Hey Gar, this is my boyfriend Lan-"
"Lantar Sidonis." Garrus growled out
Sidonis fidgeted, not meeting Garrus' harsh stare "Uh… Hey Garrus…" he said nervously "Long time no see…"