Chapter 49

A History Revealed

My Comments :

I shouldn't be allowed to write after watching romance shows. My writing turns all gushy and full of feelings.

Mm. The confrontation felt rushed, too. I need to work on my patience. Regardless, enjoy this lovely chapter filled with wonderful bits of Shepard history. I can already feel the delicious flames of hate coming off of all of you when you realize what I've done.

I am so evil.

The Story :

"You have got to be kidding," Shepard groaned, leaning back in her chair. "Don't I ever have time to just sit down and relax? I'm going to be the mother of one of those families!"

Joker glanced to the side. "Comm- I mean Ad-"

"If you call me Admiral instead of Commander, I will seriously poke you in the arm hard enough to fracture your Humerus."

The pilot feigned hurt. "I like the bones in my arm staying intact, thank you. Anyway, are you actually going to tell me what you're complaining about, Commander?"

Shepard grumbled something unintelligible before slipping lower into EDI's chair.

"I'm not a Turian. I don't have super hearing, Commander."

"I'm freaking pregnant! Again!"

Joker glanced at her, surprise flashing in his eyes before, mere moments later, being replaced by humor. "Really, Commander? Trying to create your own little army of Hybrids there?"

Shepard shot him a glare. "No. I am not trying to create an army. Just no."

Urz stood from his spot behind Joker's chair, lumbering over to Shepard before jumping on her lap and laying there.

"A-ah!"

"Ha ha! He really does like you, Commander."

"Don't make me sic' him on you, Joker."

"You would never do that. I'm too amazing."

"Cocky much?"

The pilot chuckled before waving his hand in a dismissive manner and turning back to his controls. "You should sleep on it, Commander. Might make you feel better."

"Mm," hummed Shepard in response, lifting Urz to carrying him under one arm before going to do just that.

~ Break ~

"Hey, Kas?"

"Shep? Oi, it's been too long." Kasumi smiled on the other side of the vid call, before noticing her old friend's expression. "Whoa. What's wrong? I've never seen you so terrified. Not even after Akuze." A cringe. "Sorry. Too soon."

Shepard was collapsed in a chair in her near empty hotel room. "Are you busy? Anywhere near Omega?"

"You're lucky," the master thief responded. "Just finished a job there. Why? You on the station?"

"I need to talk to you in person."

Kasumi eyed her friend with a curious, steady gaze. "In person, huh? I'll be there in a few."

"I didn't even tell you where I was."

"Hun," Kasumi replied, trying to use a strange accent to lighten the mood, "I could tell where that ugly wallpaper was from any day."

~ Break ~

It hadn't taken long for Kasumi to find out what room Shepard was in and to sneak into said room. She found her friend curled up in a ball on the couch, trembling.

"Shep!"

Shepard started at the sound of her friend's voice. "K-Kas. You scared me."

"I tried to make as much noise as possible coming over so I wouldn't," she responded, the hood still covering the majority of her face. "Tell me what happened, from the beginning." Kasumi plopped down on the couch next to her friend, putting her feet on the coffee table.

The woman nodded, sitting up with her knees still hugged to her chest. "Remember when I told you about that guy I was with for a few months? Here on Omega?"

"I remember. Bastard broke your heart, right? Said he never wanted to see you again."

"Yeah. Him. I was at the bar at the Afterlife VIP section. Ari let me in."

"Ari?"

"T'Loak. Aria. Queen of Omega."

"She lets you call her Ari?"

"Only in private," Shepard admitted, glad for the small distraction to lessen her nerves. "Anyway, I was probably really drunk."

"Probably?"

"I don't really remember much."

"So really drunk. Not 'probably'."

"Let me finish." Shepard managed a glare at her friend.

"Fine. Fine. No more interruptions." Kasumi grinned, trying to hide the concern that had been in her eyes since she'd arrived.

"So I was sitting at the bar, drinking away the dreams of giant worms, and I was about to ask the nice bartender for another drink when he just brought one for me. Said it was from an old friend and that it was my favorite. I had no idea what he was talking about since I too drunk to figure it out, but I drank it anyway. And he was right. It was totally my favorite."

"Are we getting off track?"

"Oh, right, sorry." Shepard leaned back, staring at the ceiling. "So I suddenly notice that some guy has been standing behind me. Probably for a minute or two." Her face scrunched up at the mention of the man. "He sits down next to me and says, 'nice to see you, S'. So I just stared at him. Something in my brain said I knew him, but I couldn't remember for the life of me." She shook her head. "I wish I had. So he stares back for a moment before it dawns on him that I'm drunk off my ass. Just a quiet drunk. After a few minutes of me staring at him, he finally says that I've had one too many and need to sleep. I didn't even argue when he dragged me out of the nightclub 'cause my brain said I could trust him. Stupid brain."

"Story, Shep. You need to get to the part that made you curl up in a ball and cry on the couch."

"Right. Sorry. Anyway, he brings me back to his apartment and tosses me in the bed to let me sleep. Something was off about him, though, like he'd prefer to be doing something else."

"Jumping you?"

"How eloquent, Kas. But probably, yes. Next thing I know, my drunk and depressed mind has one thing leading to another. When I woke up the next morning, he was gone. Ari said he'd left the station. Apparently, he was leaving that day anyway." A light frown overtook her face, the tears welling up in her eyes once more.

"So this guy has you doing this? Because you had depression s-"

Shepard's cheeks flushed red. "Ah! You don't need to just say it! And that's not just it."

"Then what is, Shep? I'm starting to get confused. And that doesn't happen easily." The Master Thief's worry had only been increasing. It was starting to get ridiculous. "Just tell me."

"I'm pregnant."

Kasumi froze, her eyes locked on her friend's face. "You're what?!"

"Pregnant. That one night stand got me pregnant."

"With that guy's kid."

"Yes." Shepard's head lowered, her eyes unable to raise from the ugly green carpet on the floor.

"Are you gonna tell him?"

"How can I?! I have no way of getting in touch with him without Ari's help and he didn't even leave me a damned note!"

"Calm down, Shep. We'll get through this." Kasumi draped an arm around her friend's shoulders. "Have you thought about what to name this kid?"

"When would I have time for that?!"

"Just think about it," the woman said, a small smile visible under her hood.

Shepard's breathing calmed as she began to consider it. "If it's a girl, I'd name her Mara."

"And a boy?"

"Matthew."

~ Break ~

Shepard awoke with a start, her eyes moving rapidly about her room. The fish were still swimming in the tank, Cinders was squeaking, and a very warm body was sleepily urging her to lay back down and go back to bed. Definitely back in the present.

"Shep?" Garrus grumbled, his subharmonics showing his displeasure at being woken up, but still conveying curiosity as to why.

"Mm? Oh, sorry, Garrus. I didn't mean to wake you." She laid back down, snuggling against him and reveling in the warmth he provided. "Just had a weird memory pop up."

"Which one?" he hummed, yawning before burying his face in her neck.

Shepard didn't respond right away. She made a small grunt, showing that she'd heard the question but was unsure of how to answer it. Her tired mind wandered to a few other things before she focused on the task at hand. Garrus had shifted a little to lift his head and eye her in unrestrained curiosity.

"The one where I realized I was pregnant with Matthew."

Garrus' mandible flickered in a combination of emotions Shepard was too tired to place. "You never told me who that was."

Jealousy. Shepard eyed him in return. There was jealousy in his subharmonics. It wasn't something she heard all that often. "And I'd prefer to keep it that way. The only people who know are me and Kas. Well, Ari probably knows."

"Ari?"

The woman froze, realizing her slip-up. "N-nothing! N-no one!" Spirits she needed a coffee.

Garrus' mandibles flicked once more. This time Shepard realized the annoyance behind them. "Who's Ari?"

Shepard buried her face in her hands, moving to sit up a little. She ignored the low growl of annoyance form her fiance who was enjoying the heat she was providing. "Promise you won't tell anyone?"

"I don't tell any of your secrets, Shep."

"It was my old nickname for Aria when I was younger."

"You had a nickname for the queen of Omega?"

Shepard groaned in the most distressed way she could manage. "She would have me come in and use me to be different from everyone who came to grovel to her. I didn't mind talking back to her, and she found it refreshing."

"There's something you're not telling me," Garrus said after he realized she wasn't going to elaborate.

The woman sighed. "She used to say I was the best stress relief."

"Wait, what? So you and Aria-?"

"Yes." Another groan emanated from her lips as she recalled all of the embarrassing moments she'd been through because of her old friend. "And I guess she never forgot."

"What makes you say that?"

"Right after we retook Omega she-" Shepard cut herself off. She was digging herself into a hole, wasn't she?

"She what?" Garrus asked, his eyes stating he wanted to know, no matter what he had to do to find out.

With a sigh, the woman looked at him. "She kissed me. Didn't really seem that happy about it either. Afterwords she said never to speak of it again, so I hadn't. Until now."

"She kissed you. Right there?"

"You were, like, a room away."

"I know," he growled, flopping back onto the bed with an annoyed grumble. "And you're avoiding my earlier question. If Kas and 'Ari' know who this guy is, why can't I?"

"Because you'd probably kill him."

That was when Garrus froze. "I'd only kill him if I knew him; you know that." He sat up. "Who is it?"

Shepard didn't respond right away, opting instead to be very interested in her alarm clock that wasn't working for some reason. Maybe it needed a charge?

"Shep."

Did that thing even get charged? EDI would probably know how to get it working again. Oh. She might know where to get an automatic feeder for Cinders, too. Shepard blinked a few times, actually beginning to space out. How long did space hamsters live anyway? Much longer than regular hamsters on Earth, apparently. For all she knew, Cinders could outlast Urz. She tilted her head to the side. Where was Urz, anyway? Usually he slept at the foot of the bed or nestled himself between her and Garrus. Maybe he'd realized her dream was freaking her out and went to get coffee. It was a strange habit he'd gotten into of managing to get someone to make her a coffee while he was down there and put it into a bag for safe carrying. EDI even operated the damned elevator for him. From what she knew, and based on the fact it was usually made with almost the right amount of chocolate, it was probably Kaidan, Amara, or David. It could be Matthew now, too. Kasumi told her he liked his coffee the same way.

"Shepard."

The woman shook her head, snapping out of whatever daze she had gotten herself into. "Huh?"

Her fiance-once-more sighed in exasperation. "You zoned out trying to ignore me, didn't you?"

If she didn't know for a fact that Garrus would have seen right through it, she would have lied or at least tried to change the subject. Instead, she just looked back at the clock, picking it up.

"It's broken," she murmured, a delicate frown on her face. "I was wondering why it wasn't lighting up." Her eyes were narrowed a little, confusion sparkling in them.

The Turian beside her knew quite well that when she was either too worried about something, or the response about that something, she would close up and drift off, trying to put it off for as long as possible. "Shepard, just answer the question."

"He doesn't know," she responded, quiet. "It was a one-night stand." Tears pricked into her eyes as the feelings from that time flooded back into her. "He was gone the next morning. Ari said he'd left the station. She didn't even know where he'd gone or what ship he went on. Trust me. Her, Kas, and I all tired to find him." Her shoulders slumped forward, the confusion in her eyes changing to sadness.

Garrus eyed her with hesitation. She was still staring at the 'broken' clock, though he knew it was just turned off. He'd done it himself when it woke him up and he noticed how heavily she'd been sleeping, proving how tired she must have been.

"It wasn't like I had any other way to contact him either. Besides, I'd been drunk off my ass when I saw him. Didn't even recognize him." Shepard's hands lowered, resting in her lap. Her eyes, while looking at the clock, were far away. "If he'd really cared, he'd have found a way to stay. That's what Kas and Ari both said." She closed her eyes and shook her head. When her eyelids rose once more, her eyes were focused again. "That's in the past. My point is that if you tried to kill him for leaving me alone with Matthew, he'd know. And I don't want the bastard to know, even for a second, that he has a child as accomplished and well-liked as Matthew." With a second shake of her head, the tears dissipated and she put the alarm clock back on her stand.

"So that's why you don't want to tell me?"

"You'd make sure he knew why you were killing him," Shepard explained, turning to look at her fiance for the first time since she'd zoned out. "Trust me." Her eyes narrowed a tiny amount, unease rippling through them. "Hell, I remember what you were like with Saleon and Sidonis."

Garrus tensed. She had a good point there, and he didn't miss the feeling behind her words. He recalled that whenever the topic of either man was brought up, whether by himself or a crew member, Shepard would always tense up. The one day he had asked about it, she replied, "you weren't you. It terrifies me to think of you ever becoming like that again." Joker once said that he was like that when Shepard went missing, but she didn't have to know that. Especially not right now.

"The worst part is," she continued, unaware of where his thoughts had been going, "you'd probably believe me the second I told you who it was. And then I'd be stopping you from killing him." Shepard regretted the words the instant they left her mouth. Shit.

Her fiance's old C-Sec skills went into overdrive as an uneasy feeling settled in the pit of his stomach. "He's on the ship?" he questioned, going through the list of possibilities. He knew who it definitely couldn't have been – Joker, Vega, and a few others – just based on the timing and how old Matthew was. Based on the fact Matthew was clearly a Human, with no other blood present, that left out several other possibilities. The remaining option wasn't making the queasy feeling lessen any. From what he could tell, the only one left was Kaidan. But based on the fact neither Kasumi nor Aria had any reaction to meeting him, that couldn't be it.

"Please stop thinking about it. I just got up. I don't really feel like breaking up a fight."

Garrus' mandible stuck tighter to his face. Someone Aria and Kasumi didn't like and had the possibility of being with Shepard at the time? She mentioned being drunk, which meant if it was someone from her past she didn't like, she wouldn't have cared. That meant-

The Turian shot out of bed, mandibles fluttering in pure anger.

"You kept thinking about it, didn't you?"

Garrus didn't respond. Instead, he just stood up, making a beeline for the door.

"Are you really going to go out there naked?" Shepard asked, already slipping her own clothes on.

Her fiance shot her a look before rushing to grab his own clothes and armor. In no time flat – thanks to her N7 training, no doubt – Shepard was dressed and rushing out the door.

"EDI! Whatever happens, do not open the elevator door for Garrus! That's an order!"

"Shepard," she heard the angered hiss even from the elevator.

"Acknowledged, Commander."

"Don't you dare," Garrus growled, watching his fiance smile with the most sympathetic expression she could manage as the elevator door shut.

~ Break ~

Shepard stepped out onto the Engineering Deck. Her old friend was just outside the elevator, a smirk playing on her lips.

"You have a bug in my room don't you?"

"Well, I would plant one on you, but someone would find it," Kasumi responded, her usual bright manner still present.

Shepard sighed, turning to the right. "Then you know what we have to do."

"There really is no place to safely hide him, Shep."

"The AI core," she responded without missing a beat. "There's a shield in there. We had Legion behind it when we first activated him, before we knew he wasn't a threat. Do you mind, EDI?"

"I will not allow bloodshed inside the AI Core," EDI stated.

"Is that a yes?"

"For now. Should the situation persist, I shall take Javik's suggestion and vent them both out the airlock."

"Javik's suggestion?" Shepard asked, her steps pausing just outside a room that, while usually occupied by her Krogan allies, was being borrowed.

Kasumi shrugged. "I just happened to be chatting with a certain Prothean when I heard your interesting conversation. He wanted to listen too."

"Of course he did," the admiral grumbled, opening the door.

A surprised mercenary turned towards her. "S? What the blood 'ell are you doing in here?"

Shepard sighed, seeming tired despite the fact she had just woken up. "You're coming with me, Massani."

"And why would I do that?"

"Because I have a secret to tell you. And I'm going to save you're life," Shepard responded, not even having to think about her answer. "Honestly, the longer we stand here, the longer we give Garrus to figure out a loophole with what I told EDI."

Zaeed frowned at her, seeming to contemplate what she was saying before shrugging. He knew her well enough to know when she was being serious. And hearing about both saving his life and Garrus in those sentences sealed the deal. He hadn't stayed alive all this time just to get killed by his ex-girlfriend's fiance now. "Lead the way."

Shepard sighed again, though this time it was more in exhaustion than anything else, turning on her heel and stepping into the elevator, Kasumi and Zaeed in tow. They got out on the Crew Deck, the ride having gone by in contemplative silence.

"Oh. Hey, mom!"

"Hey, Amara." Shepard smiled at her daughter, rubbing her head before turning around the corner. The maternal instinct in her told her to stop and have a good conversation with her about Matthew, but the need to keep her fiance from killing someone on the ship won out.

"Ugh, mom! My hair," the girl growled before stepping into the elevator, her lips raised in a smile despite her complaint.

The new admiral stepped into the Med Bay, glad for once that Chakwas wasn't there. She didn't need the questions right now. The door to the AI core slid open as EDI spoke up;

"He has found the loophole," she informed them. "Amara wished to speak with him."

"So you opened the door for her, not for him," Shepard mumbled. "Impressive." Without delay, she pushed Zaeed into Legion's spot, pulling the confused Geth out of the way as she did so. "EDI! Activate the shield! Garrus will be here any second."

The mass effect barrier rippled to life just as the Med Bay door opened once more. Shepard breathed a sigh of relief. "Just in time."

Garrus pushed past the group, pounding his fists on the barrier. "Shepard! Let this damned barrier down!"

"Nope," she responded, leaning against one of the many machines. "Not until you calm down." The tension in her body eased slightly. She knew how sharp Garrus' talons were. No need to get more scratches by trying to drag him out of there, let alone hold him back from attacking Zaeed.

The Turian turned to glare at her. "And why did you never tell me this?!"

"In my defense, I only just got back to ship. And you only just met Matthew."

Zaeed coughed from his perch on the seat Legion never actually used, reminding them he was still there. "Someone mind telling me what this is about?"

"Why don't I?" Kasumi butt in, sounding much too happy to do so.

"Be my guest," Shepard said, sighing again. She didn't really feel like explaining it, and the look in everyone's eyes suggested that this wouldn't remain a secret for long.

"So a little while after a small incident on Akuze," Kasumi started, noting how everyone sobered up at the mention of that mission, "Shep here went to Omega to try and unwind for awhile. Aria got her into the VIP lounge so less lowlifes would bother her. While there, she got drunk enough that her brain was barely functioning and Massani there showed up."

"I didn't realize she was that drunk when I bought her that drink," he added, raising his shoulders in a shrug at Garrus' resulting glare.

"Anyway, he got her out of there before something bad happened and they got together again for one night only, like an old band."

"Kas."

"Right, right. Got to have my fun, Shep." Kasumi chuckled before turning back to Zaeed, since she was explaining for his benefit – and maybe a little of her own amusement. "Long story short, that one night together got Shep here pregnant."

Zaeed froze, his eyes locking onto Shepard despite the fact she couldn't bring herself to look at him.

"Of course, you left the next morning without any means of contact and little Shep did her best to give the little guy the life he wanted." The thief's eyes flashed with cruel humor. "Think about it. If you hadn't left her that quick, it could be you raising a family with her instead of the big guy here."

"Kasumi!" Shepard sounded mortified.

"Commander," came a familiar voice over the intercom. "I thought we promised to tell each other everything, like good siblings." Despite the clear attempt at easing the situation, Shepard recognized the surprise in her pilot's voice.

Zaeed leaned back against the wall. "So Matthew is-" he cut himself off, unable to finish.

Garrus, noting the mixture of horror and surprise – though there was a lot more of the former – on the mercenary's face, turned on his heel and left the room to go let off some steam. Legion soon followed, confused over the situation and for some reason deciding Garrus would be the best to ask. A few moments later, Kasumi left to go find a few certain individuals, leaving her friend alone with the old mercenary.

"I have a son," Zaeed managed, eyes cast towards the floor.

"Matthew Shepard," came the admiral's response. "It probably won't be long until Joker spreads this around the ship, so be prepared."

"You never told me."

"And why would I? Kasumi was right. Had you stuck around, maybe you would've found out and you could have helped me raise him. Maybe." Her eyes finally managed to move towards Zaeed. "I told Matthew he didn't have a father. It was easier than saying he had one who he may never meet."

"He's gonna found out, S."

"I'm aware. Now he's old enough to understand why." Shepard stood up, stretching her neck as her eyes moved away once more. "Could you imagine trying to explain to a young child that his father wasn't around because it was just a fling? Poor Matt would have been so confused and probably bullied had the other kids found out. Regardless, as it was, he tried his hardest." Feeling a sense of obligation to the man she only slightly despised, she continued, "he was Valedictorian of his high school class, you know. He entered the Alliance right after that. He wanted to follow in my footsteps. Showed nearly as much promise as I did. Was top of his unit through training; became an N7, too."

"He sounds just like you," Zaeed muttered under his breath.

"Yeah, well, he seems to have inherited more than his looks from me." She sighed, looking towards the ceiling. "If things go well, I'm sure he'll want to tell you all about it himself."

The mercenary managed to look up, a strange look flashing across his eyes. "If things go well?"

"Where do you think Kas went? I would have told him myself, but apparently she wants that particular honor." Shepard shook her head. "I don't think I'd be able to do it anyway." With a sigh, Shepard stood up. "EDI? Can you bring down the barrier? I'm pretty sure Garrus isn't going to wring his neck anymore."

"Pretty sure?"

"As you wish, Commander."

The admiral felt her lips curve into a small smile. "Thanks, EDI." She turned to leave, listening to the barrier fizzle out of existence. "And good luck, Massani."

The mercenary grunted. "Luck to you, too. We're both gonna need it."

~ Break ~

Shepard tapped her fingers against her desk, humming to herself as she listened to old music. A list of unread messaged stretched for what seemed like forever on the terminal before her. For the past twenty minutes, that's all she'd done. Sat there and stared at the terminal. Another message popped onto her screen. She didn't even notice. For all twenty minutes, Shepard hadn't read a single one.

"Commander."

The admiral jumped a little, surprised at the interruption. The corners of her mouth twitched upwards at the preferred title. "What is it, EDI?"

"Matthew wishes to speak with you."

"Right." All traces of a smile vanished. "Who has he spoken too since I came up here?"

"Kasumi spoke with him, Amara, and David all at once. He sat in silence before trying to reach your cabin."

Shepard sighed, leaning back in her chair. She couldn't understand why he wouldn't go confront Zaeed first, let alone why he hadn't talked with Garrus, Amara, or David. Honestly, she'd rather avoid this situation for now. Have more time to think about it.

"He is threatening to bypass my systems if I do not allow him to enter your cabin."

"I doubt he'd be able to," she responded.

"He is now threatening to gain the aid of both Tali'Zorah and T'soni."

Shepard felt her smile from earlier return before standing. "Let him up, EDI. Only him."

"As you wish, Commander."

With a yawn, the woman walked over to her couch, grabbing her favorite N7 sweatshirt and slipping it on. She really was tired. The events of this morning were already weighing on her and she'd only been awake for an hour.

The door behind her hissed open. "Mom."

"Matt," Shepard responded, turning around and feeling the smile disappear once more at her son's appearance.

Matthew's eyes were narrowed ever so slightly, his hair ruffled in a way that made it look like he'd been running his hands through it. His N7 jacket wasn't zipped up showing the white shirt underneath, which was unusual for him. Strangest of all, underneath the end of his jean legs, Shepard noticed his shoes were on the wrong feet.

"You didn't have to rush here. Come on and sit on the couch, fix your shoes."

The boy's eyes widened, both shooting down as his hands lifted his pant legs. "Dammit."

Shepard managed a small smile, sitting down on the edge of the couch closest to her bed. "You don't need to sit next to me or anything. Just sit down and try to take a deep breath or two. You look as tense as a coil."

Matthew grumbled something unintelligible before plopping down on the other end of the couch and leaning forward to fix his shoes. "I guess you know why I'm here?" he asked.

"Yeah," she responded, despite the fact she knew the question was rhetorical.

"Mind explaining?"

The admiral leaned forward, placing her elbows on her knees and clasping her hands together. "Yeah. I can." She took a deep breath, just staring straight ahead. "Back before I was an N7, I visited Omega. Massani kept me from getting killed by a couple mercenaries who were trying to mug me. We ended up together for a while. Long story short, we broke up with him saying he never wanted to see me again." She laughed, a small, self-deprecating chuckle. "Your grandfather, Anderson, blocked all the incoming messages from him. I didn't know that until a little while ago, actually. Anyway, shortly after the failure of a mission on Akuze, I went to Omega to relax. Aria let me into the VIP section and I drank the night away. I met Massani again that night, long after the point I should have stopped drinking. The next morning, he was gone. Not even the smallest trace he'd ever been there. Two weeks later, I learned I was pregnant." Shepard leaned back, sighing. "There was no way to get in touch with him. What would I have told you as a kid? That your dad was an ex-mercenary who your mother had a fling with? I never thought I'd see him again, let alone that you would meet him." Her eyes closed. "I figured that, at least as a kid, it would have been easier for you to think you didn't really have a father other than the truth."

Matthew sighed, putting his face in this hands. "I guess I understand. I mean, you only just met him again recently, right?"

"Yeah. There's been so much happening, I never got the chance to think about what to do. I definitely didn't want anyone to figure out like this." Shepard opened her eyes, leaning forward again. "I can call him up if you want. You two won't be bothered up here. It would be private."

"I don't know if I could talk to him right now. I'm so confused," Matthew groaned, slamming into the back of the couch.

"You'll have to talk to him eventually."

"I know," he grumbled. His eyes widened as they shot to his mother's. "Can you be here?"

"What?" Shepard's back straightened, eyes flashing with confusion.

"When I talk to him," Matthew explained. "Can you be here?"

Shepard shifted with unease for a moment before sighing and nodding. "Yeah. When you want to talk to him, I'll be there."

"You know, mom," Matthew managed, a small smile on his face. "I haven't really known anyone here that long, but there is something I know for sure. Zaeed may be my birth father, but Garrus has been acting like a real dad since I got here."

Shepard smiled, her eyes softening. She slid along the couch to give her oldest son a hug, eyes filling with sentimental tears.