"DADDY!!" a child's voiced followed after Jane's entrance. He struggled in his mother's embrace, excited at the sight of his father. Jane walk towards the two and handed the young toddler to Jared.
"H..hey, pup! The hel-h-how did you get here?" Jared tried his best to maintain his fatherly composure in front of the toddler, his voice slightly quivering at the unexpected appearance of his son.
"Mommy meets Daddy!! Johnny wanna meetss Daddy!!" the toddler answered with glee. The short answer brought laughter to the Commander, who was sat comfortably next to him, with a glass of Traynor's swill in hand.
The young admiral held the toddler and shot a look at Shepard's direction. The type of look that says "I'll kill you if you say anything", but the inaudible threat fazed through the amused Commander. In the end though, Shepard gave in to his friend's threat and stopped his laughter. His old friend, who was known as the "Butcher of Torfan" and who is apparently the youngest admiral ever, was pegged down by a his toddler son. Although amusing Shepard was intrigued by the presence of the child as well as his namesake.
"Jane, you named him John?" Shepard question the third Shepard.
"NOT JOHN, JOHNNY!!" Johnny rebutted. The toddler squirmed ferociously in the arms of his father. It seems he was not afraid of the unknown. Well, if the father looked like his face alone could stop the Reapers, being afraid of stranger was something non-existent to the toddler.
"Hush, lil' pup" Jared rocked his son to and fro, trying to soothe the toddler's outburst and hopefully succeed in cradling Johnny to sleep.
"Yes" Jane nodded "We sort of named him after you. I hope you don't mind". Her voiced trail a sight hint of sadness.
"It's fine, Jane. I;m actually honored" Shepard smiled. The little tyke rested comfortably in his father's arms. It was an odd sight, a man whose face was only holding together thanks to extensive input of cybernetics is holding his child who looks back to his dad with no fear of the man's cybernetic scars, but enjoying the view.
"I was thinking of changing his name, but he seem too attached to it. I guess I should start calling you Blue instead of John to avoid any awkwardness, huh" the Admiral said, calling his Spectre friend after his old nickname.
John smirked at the comment. He reminisce a few years back. Jane and Jared met up with Shepard at the Normandy's docking bay, giving the Commander one final farewell on his mission. Jane, already 3 month's pregnant with Jared's baby, hugged Shepard, saying goodbye. Jared followed after and telling him to kick some synthetic ass on his mission. All three Shepards were almost inseparable. Ever since their days as a marin, even when all three got into the N7 program. They were together on Elysium, where Jane earned her Star of Terra. The only time when they were not together was during when Jared was stationed to Torfan and shortly John went to Akuze.
It was a twist of fate when John Shepard was chosen to serve on the Normandy. They had joked on how in another lifetime, their roles would have changed. After one last hug and a tearful goodbye, the Earthborn, Sole-Survivor of Akuze went on his dubbed, "routine mission", unbeknownst to the fact that it'll set him on his path to his end. And his resurrection.
Shepard looked back at his friend's son. This child was living at the worst time within his cycle. At the same time, would be the first generation to enjoy the era of galactic peace.
IF they won. He felt the pressure of one more hope rest on his shoulders and the memory of that one child he failed to save. Both felt real, but only the latter dug deep. At the very least, he knows what he was fighting for, but was it enough?
"John, are you ok?" Jane asked the Commander, whose faced suddenly went dark.
"It's..it's nothing"
"To hell it's nothing!" Jared exclaimed. Jane glared at her husband, cursing in front of their son. Then she noticed both of Jared's hands covering little Johnny's ears. Ignorant by what the adults were saying, the child stayed silent, allowing his imagination to craft whatever sort of story that comes to mind.
Worried by how the conversation was going to steer to, Jane gently took her son from Jared's embrace and tried to see if any of the gentleman on background would like to handle her baby, although when she thought about, it did not seem like a wise choice.
Before she could decide though, the so-called "gentlemen" have already left the premises. Somehow, the group of cold-blooded, dangerous, unpredictable individuals went passed the war-hero turned councilor. She was amazed by how nimble they were, but then felt a bit pissed by getting ignored without a second notice. Well, standing here feeling a bit dumb-founded (a slightly insulted) would not do her much.
Jane left the two to their conversation. Hopefully she could find someone to nanny the toddler. Preferably someone with experience..or an interested party. Jane was then flanked by an asari in what seems like red armored tights. She could tell that the blue alien was older than her, how many centuries she does not know, but there was an air of peace and tranquility, but also cold and sharp, like a well polished blade. She wore what seems to be a crown on her forehead.
"Allow me to be of assistance if you need" the asari said
"Umm..thank you..."
"Samara" the asari answered
Samara. That's one of John's old companion Jane thought "You're the Justicar" she accidentally let out
"That's right, Councilor. I have also heard many things of you"
"I hope all good"
"Indeed. Your actions on Elysium is nothing short of courageous and heroic. I've met many on my travel who wished to thank you for what happened on that day"
Jane smiled. She could feel the strength and sincerity behind the words the Justicar said. There have been many who said what she did back on Elysium was foolish and a that she only did it for the fame. But there were others who thanked her, the colonist that cried with tears of joy, grateful for her actions to saving them.
"Thank you, Samara. Although all I did was my duty, I'm thankful for those words"
"You did more than that. It seems like a common thing among you three. Whether it has to do with the name or just simply the ideal you each stood for, you three always seem to go beyond the call of duty"
"John is stubborn like that and my husband just hates following the norm. When he would never allow the unjust kill him without a fight, especially back in Torfan" Her tone grew somber when she mention Jared's act.
She remembered seeing his face when he came back. Completely burnt and bandaged. There was nothing left of Jared's old face. At least the surgery to redeem his face was successful, but his face has changed completely, as so was the man inside. He did not mind, though. The old Jared, as his wife, died back on Torfan. Flesh covered most of his face, but the cybernetic input filled in what the flesh could not, making his face show glowing scars. Among the things that was still the same was his dark-red hair, which he managed to grow through the years. One of his eye, however, was replaced, hence the mismatched color. He did not have full function of his face either, but Jared enjoyed the looks that people would give when he smiled at them.
"Are you an Asari?" the young toddler asked. His blue eyes filled with curiosity on the beautiful alien. The question threw Jane's train of thought, focusing back to reality.
"Indeed I am, little one"
"Your so....BLEW! and and..PWETTY!"
"Johnny, please don't shout when you talk to uncle John's friends, it's rude" Jane lectured Johnny.
"Uncle John?" the toddler cocked his head
"He's the man talking to your daddy. You met him just now. I mentioned him on the way here, were you listening?" The toddler shook his head. Jane sighed and looked back at Samara "I'm sorry, he gets excited when he meets someone interesting"
"I do not mind. His observation rivals our fearless Commander" Samara stated
"You could say that again" Jane chuckled. It was comforting for some reason. Talking to these people who served under John, they don't just act like their just another soldier. It's like talking to a relative of the Commander. Jane lingered on the thought for a moment and then asked the Justicar.
"Could you tell me about John. I mean, what happened after his...return" Jane flashed back to his funeral almost 3 years ago, where she cried, devastated at the lost of her closest friend. She could almost feel blood flowing out of her eyes. She did not, could not, say anything during his funeral. Now it was a distant memory. A memory which she had Jared to thank for helping her through the stages. "John didn't really call back and we sort of drifted after all these years"
Samara smiled sadly "I can tell you what I can. But from your tone, you mean to know something deeper, for that I know someone that can tell you who Shepard truly is"
As if on cue, Tali appeared beside Samara. Just finished reciting the elements and dancing her ass off, she decided a nice drink would do.
"Hey Samara, who are you talking to" the quarian asked. The shallow pants that followed told the two women how tired the quarian was.
"Good, you're here. I was talking to the councilor here about the commander and you know more about him than I as he is your
hesh'la" The kheelish word rolled from Samara's lips. Jane cocked her head, unknown to what the last word meant. But Tali's reaction showed more to what the words meant.
K-Keelah, Samara, do you have t-to say that to everyone" Tali stammered, her face blushed behind the visor, forgetting the fatigue she had moments ago "I-I mean, yes, John and I are together but you don't need to say it in front of this stran-" as she was about to gesture Jane, Tali suddenly felt like there was something familiar about the human. She stopped at her tracks and looked closer at the human.
"You look familiar" Tali said. Then it struck her. "You're that human who was with that scary man back at the docking bay years ago!"
It also came to Jane. She remembered reading about the Commander's team on Anderson's report. John team consist of a few different species, among them was a female quarian who helped him chased Saren and as well as assisted him on the Collector's base. It was a remarkable feat that changed Jane's perspective on all quarian. The young councilor also remembered hearing from Anderson on keeping a certain quarian safe no matter the cost when Jane was still a Commodore under the SSV Einstein. She finally got what he meant by that.
The war hero grinned. She asked Samara to hold her son for a moment and turn to Tali. She grasped her hand.
"I've heard so much from you, Tali'Zorah" Jane started "But what I really want to know is how John was doing and you apparently know exactly what I mean"
"W-what do you mean-"
"Don't be coy with me, girlfriend! I've been around John for a long time and I can tell when someone is interested in him. You are not the first girl to fall for him, but you are definitely
the one for him" Jane spoke to Tali like a high school gossip about their crush. "So lets play a game. Tell me something about John after his return and I'll tell you some interesting stories from when he was just a recruit, including all his
embarrassing moments" The bait was set and Tali took it. She nodded in agreement and walk towards the living room, occupying one side of the couches. Samara and Jane followed after.
Time for a little payback The young councilor thought to herself.
