Chapter Text
It never failed to amaze Shepard how normal EDI seemed. Aside from the fact that the woman never aged, of course. The same couldn’t be said for EDI’s companion though; Vrolik’s syndrome had really sunk its teeth into Jeff Moreau and was aging him faster than it should have, sending him into a wheelchair about three years after they’d rescued London from Omega, and putting him out of commission for good. The pilot now spent his time being wheeled around by EDI – his "wife-slave", he called her – and inspecting any high-level Alliance ships. He also taught basic flight in a special school on the Citadel where the different species’ navies sent their top helmsmen.
But now, as EDI stood in front of her, stirring something spiced very obviously with curry, Shepard still couldn’t seem to wrap her head around the fact that EDI wasn’t actually human.
“What are we eating tonight, EDI?” Shepard asked, taking a swig of her beer.
“I have procured a special levo delicacy that we can all enjoy.”
“Do you know what it’s called?”
EDI met her eyes and upturned her mouth in a sly smile. “It’s a surprise.”
“You won’t even give me a hint?”
“I have it under control, Shepard. You don’t need to worry.”
“All right, EDI. You haven’t poisoned Joker yet, so I’m sure it will be all right.”
The other woman smiled at her, “They will enjoy it without the threat of botulism or poisoning. This I assure you.”
“Thank you. That helps a bit I guess.”
EDI turned from the stove and looked fondly into the next room where Joker and Garrus were telling an exaggerated version of one of their war stories. Shepard could hear the varied laughter of her children and locked eyes with her husband. He tilted his beer to her and she smiled at him brightly.
“It is nice to see you as a family woman, Shepard. It suits you.”
“Thank you, EDI. I have to admit that it wasn’t what I saw for my future, but I would do anything for my kids.”
“Are you enjoying living on the Citadel?”
Shepard shrugged and took another sip of her beer. “I miss Earth. But the kids love it here and it makes sense for us to be here. Earth isn’t that far away, so I can commute. It’s worked for us the past nine years.”
“Is Garrus enjoying his new role?”
“I think he is, though he’d never admit it. As much as he hates bureaucracy, being Executor means that he gets to merge his bureaucratic duties with the law and he enjoys the whole enforcing the law part of it. Plus, he likes being able to make some improvements, and he's got a keen eye for what hasn't worked for C-Sec in the past.”
“It could be worse, Shepard: he could be a diplomat.”
Shepard laughed, “Or a politician!”
“And the kids?” EDI asked, an almost pained expression souring her usually prim face.
Shepard looked back over at her children fondly, but her heart rate really picked up as she studied her husband. “I’ve really enjoyed watching Garrus as a father.”
“He seems as though he’s taken very well to it.”
“He has. He loves being around them, telling them stories, showing them his guns,” Shepard chuckled, “London told me the other day that she wanted to be just like me and Garrus when she grows up – she wants to enlist. Garrus was ecstatic.”
“And what do you think?”
“It scares me, but it makes me proud in a sense. Though I’m sure she’ll probably change her mind once she’s old enough. The Alliance and the turian military have both offered our children spots in their ranks when they’re old enough. They’ve done it for most of the turian-human hybrid children. Miranda’s daughter Lydia is a little spitfire; she’ll be smarter than both Miranda and Dominic. Maybe she's got a future in bio-engineering?”
“And your boys?” EDI was asking.
Shepard sighed. Her boys were another story altogether; David was five and Alexander three, but they were busy and smart, and both were fascinated with the Navy and, much to her dismay, Daddy’s rifle collection. But London, even at eight years old, had really stepped into the role of big sister, and often helped her mother catch the agile little boys as they tore around the house, scolding them, at least until Garrus arrived home. Then they were perfect little angels and he was relative putty in their little hands.
“David has learned how to make calls via omnitool,” Shepard said, “So he’s taken to calling Garrus while he’s at work if I’ve told him that he can’t have something and complaining about me. Garrus thinks it’s hilarious. It’s become hard to control. And London… that girl can wail like you’ve never heard. It’s like a Banshee, EDI. I’d take an infinite loop of husk sounds over that girl screaming at me any day. Alex is quiet and pensive, but that was how David was before he turned five. Now I can’t keep him out of anything.”
EDI chuckled, “You love being a mother though, don’t you?”
Shepard smiled. “It has its perks.”
“I envy you.”
“There are still lots of orphans that need good homes, EDI.”
“But I do not believe that this home would be the most constructive home to grow up in.”
“Why not?”
EDI sighed and placed her hand on her face in a decidedly human gesture, “Jeff is not agile and I fear that not being able to participate in family activities would be emotionally damaging to him. And, in turn, this would effect the livelihood of the child as well.”
Shepard looked over at Joker, who had pulled David onto his lap and was tickling him, a wide smile plastered over his face. London was in a huff, standing beside his wheelchair, her arms crossed over her chest in a move she’d evidently learned from her father, and tapping her foot on the ground in a move she'd learned from her mother.
“Uncle Jeff,” she heard London’s familiar whine, “what about me?”
Garrus grabbed his daughter and brought her onto his own lap. “And what about Dad?”
She heard London shriek with laughter as Garrus began to tickle her.
“MOM!” Shepard heard London scream, “MOM! He’s tickling me!”
“Play nice in there,” Shepard warned.
“Mom?” the youngest Vakarian child, Alexander Thane, wandered into the kitchen, clutching a book. His big green eyes were thoughtful. “Read to me?”
Shepard bent down and kissed his forehead. “I think your Uncle Jeff would love to read to you. He needs a break from your brother and sister.”
Alex nodded at his mom and then turned and smiled at his aunt. “Dinner yet, Aunt EDI?”
“Soon, Alex,” EDI replied. She watched him slowly walk back into the living room and approach his uncle with his book.
"Read to me, Uncle Jeff?" Alex asked.
EDI smiled as Joker looked over and met her eyes with a smile of his own.
“He is a good uncle to your children,” EDI said finally.
“Have you two ever talked about starting a family?”
EDI turned back to the stove and lifted the lid off of one of the pots in front of her. It filled the kitchen with a delicious, spicy scent, and Shepard felt her mouth begin to water.
“I have attempted to approach the subject with him, but Jeff is not very receptive to my inquiries. The last time I tried to speak with him about it, he suggested that we buy some fish.”
“Fish are hard to take care of. Believe me. Children are almost easier – they let you know before they starve to death. But, then again, there isn’t really a VI that can handle your children for you.”
“I suppose I must simply accept that I was very literally not built to be a mother. Though it is nice to have children in the house every once in a while. We both enjoy it immensely when your family visits.”
Shepard stuck a spoon into the curry quickly before EDI could swat her away. “You can take them anytime you want.”
“I may take you up on that, Shepard. There are several child-friendly areas on the Citadel that they may enjoy exploring with me.”
“EDI, remember when you asked me for help before you and Joker got together, and I told you that your company was all that matters?”
“Yes. I have a perfect memory.”
“It’s the same thing with my kids – you can buy them whatever you want, hell, you can take them whatever you want, but, in the end,” Shepard sighed, looking lovingly at her family in the next room, “it’s your company that matters."
EDI looked back at the scene in the living room, and a broad smile hit her lips. “Yes, yes, you’re right.”
“Of course I’m right!” Shepard joked, “I’m always right.”
EDI rolled her eyes. “You do have a higher percentage of being correct in most situations.”
“Hah! Can you repeat that when Garrus is around?”
“No.”
Shepard chuckled and stuck a spoon into the curry again. EDI didn’t even swat her hand away, but Shepard saw her smirk.
EDI sighed and looked down at the curry that she couldn’t taste, and then over at the children that she couldn’t have. There were so many things surrounding her that reminded her of just what she couldn’t have, but as she watched Shepard and Garrus lock eyes over their children’s heads, and heard Jeff’s loud, expressive voices as he read to Alex, she realized that everything she’d ever wanted was right in front of her.
And, as she looked at Shepard, who had dipped another spoon into the curry, she knew that she felt the very same way.