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Chapter Text

"Get out of my shop you Blue Sun of a bitch. I don't pay protection to anyone let alone the likes of your dumbass." Gaia's blood was boiling. She fearlessly walks toward the Blue Suns member standing in front of her small gun shop as her words shoot out with contempt.

Her outburst had drawn the attention of onlookers from the street, and the area quieted down slightly as they watched. The Turian standing in front of her obviously didn't look happy.

"What the hell did you just call me?! No solo little girl is going to get away with that." The Turian reaches for his weapon, having had enough of the human's insults.

Gaia, without so much as a blink, lunges for the Turians gun, twisting it with both hands to force it from his grip while at the same moment, her leg kicks with all of her might right at the Turians knee.

"Fuck you!" The Turian loudly exclaims as his leg crumples underneath him. His gun quickly goes skidding across the metal street of Omega, as Gaia pulls it out of his grasp.

"Tell your boss that I'm not interested in his offer, and I never will be." Her voice was low and gravely with anger. She doesn't wait for the Sun to say anything before walking back inside her small shop, her fists clenched. Each footstep clangs against the metal street, practically sounding out her rage.

The Turian goes quiet before sheepishly leaving the market area. A few snickers can be heard from the crowd but everyone quickly goes back to business. The sight is pretty common on the station.

Gaia's eyes quickly focus back onto her terminal screen, typing in her next supply order, getting back into work for the day. You can't even tell she just had her life threatened a few moments ago; you know, just another normal day in crime central.

Lost in her work, she doesn't even look up as she hears someone walking in. "Feel free to take a look around. The catalog is open with all my current stock. If you need anything else I'll just be a moment."

Whoever has just walked in, a Turian by the sound of their footsteps, walks around her shop, apparently looking at her stock on display. Gaia finishes what she's typing and looks up to see them surprisingly standing in front of her counter.

"So, is that a normal occurrence? Or just here?" The Turian is leaning against the counter, doing his best to get somewhat eye-level with her. Gaia quickly scans over him; he appears to be around the same age as her, with light grey plating and a blue colony tattoo. He has blue and black armor adorning his tall frame, but the item that catches her eye the most is a blue visor, covering one of his eyes. She's seen the same design before, but it's uncommon to find outside of the turian military, much less on Omega.
"I mean, for Omega, yes. Very normal." Gaia slides off her stool and closer to the counter, standing up straight as she can in front of the much taller Turian. "For my store, no. That sort of thing doesn't happen much. The kid didn't know what he was getting himself into. Most mercs are smart enough to keep their guns in their holsters." Her head tilts to the side, a stray brown curl falling from her bun. "You're not from around here are you?"

The Turian lets out a quiet laugh at her words, his mandibles softly flicking out. "You could say that."

Gaia's eyes narrow, she can't help but feel the slightest bit of recognition as she looks at him closer. She's sure that she's seen him somewhere before. "Wait, I remember you. You're one of the turians that beat up that group of Blood Pack members at Afterlife."

The Turian raises a brow plate, his face going back in surprise as he realizes she recognizes him.

Bending down to reach for something under the counter, Gaia comes back up holding a small can of dextro tupari which she pushes towards him on the counter. "On the house. It was nice to see someone actually sticking up for somebody for a change. It's not something you see very often on Omega." A smirk crosses her face as she lets out a small laugh. "The fight sure made for a good show too. You had those Blood Pack boys running with their tails in between their legs."

The Turian slowly takes the can off the counter, his mandibles filtering ever so slightly. "I wouldn't say it was anything special. Just stood up for someone." A small chuckle escapes him, but Gaia can almost swear he would be blushing if he were human.

"Besides, I saw what you did to that Blue Sun a moment ago." The Turian's head tilts slightly, his gaze appraising the human in front of him. "That display almost suggested you know your way around a fight yourself." A gloved finger flicks towards Gaia, and the turians facial plates move into what she can only call a smirk.

Memories of a life Gaia would rather leave forgotten, fight to break free, to be remembered and acknowledged. But not today, she doesn't have the time for that today. Pushing them aside she simply hides behind a fake smile. "Oh please, that was nothing. The kid couldn't hurt a fly if he tried." She shakes her head, holding up her hands in fake surrender. "I'm no soldier. I just make the guns, I don't shoot them."

"Now," Putting her elbows onto the counter, she leans over, going back to the matter of business. "What will you be needing today? Or did you just stop by to chatter?"

Chapter Text

"Of course, come back any time!" Gaia waves goodbye to her last customer of the day. She breathes a sigh of relief, the day is finally over. It's been a very busy day, mostly working double time to complete orders, everyone needing ammo and mods, having to put in orders for new parts and guns. But it's finally time to close up and go home and Gaia is more than ready. The shutters crash behind her as she types into the lock, sealing the doors behind her until it all starts over the next day.

The streets are as quiet as they get on Omega and the lights are dim for the night cycle. Neon and orange reflect off dark metal hallways and streets. The maze of alleys and passages half hidden open up before Gaia's feet, passages her feet have touched many times over the years. Her footsteps echo off the metal streets, joining the sounds of traffic and machinery.

But there it was, that feeling once again, of someone following her, eyes watching from the darkness. But tonight it was different. No longer the silent tug in the back of her mind she has grown used to in the past week, but a skin-crawling feeling of steps following her. Goosebumps cover her arms as the hair on the back of her neck stands up; she's watching every shadow, every road, all holding the chance of danger.

She starts to become hyper-aware of the fact that the road is empty, no one ahead or behind her, it's only her and the mystery following her. Her eyes glance from building to building, looking for hiding spots and escape routes, but all she's met with is dead-end alleys and worn-down houses.

*Don't look behind you, don't look behind you, keep going forward.* A good idea, until she comes face to face with a pistol around the next corner.

Gaia stops in her tracks, a hand reaching for the small pistol she has hidden in her jacket. But she never gets the chance to pull it.

"Don't even try it. I've had enough of your little games." A hand forcefully grabs her, pulling her towards her attacker; the Blue Sun mercenary, back for revenge. "You really thought you could embarrass me like that and get away with it."

Gaia is up close and personal with the Merc, his mandibles flaring, showcasing his white colony tattoos and exposing his sharp teeth. His pistol is trained on her stomach, pushing into her skin as he growls empty threats.

But his grip on her arm is weak, Gaia can already feel how to escape it even as his claws wrap around her forearm. He has her too close, one good shove and she could off balance his long legs without a thought. Hell, Gaia's not even afraid, her breath still calm and even. This kid has a lot left to learn.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you. Let go of me and we can both forget this ever happened." Gaia talks to him as though he is a child, which in her eyes he is. She can tell he's not even out of his teens and even as he threatens her life she feels bad for him, wondering what led him to living a life such as this.

"Ha! As if you have any place to talk, I'm the one with a gun in your side!" As though to prove his point the Turian jabs his gun into her ribs once more, but he still doesn't shoot.

*Yeah and I'm the one who already has an escape plan. Jesus, when did the Blue Suns get so lax with recruitment? And when did they start hiring kids?! pendejos*

But all plans come to a stop, as Gaia sees the glint of a scope above her. The merc is quickly ignored, as her eyes lock onto the spot, staring up into the dark alleyway where only a hint of neon reflects on glass.

She doesn't have time to react before blue blood is splattered over her face, spraying into the air like a fine morning mist. The gun in her side slips, falling to the ground, the hands that once held it going limp. Lifeless eyes meet her before the Turian collapses, his blood oozing onto the street, leaving a blue-colored stain, ever-growing on the ground.

Gaia's lips part as she stares down with wide eyes. She doesn't breathe, she doesn't move, she just looks, looks at the turian whose body now lies dead. In a single second, his life is taken from him, his blood now joining the sea of Omega's memories.

The sound of footsteps behind her breaks Gaia away from the sight. She quickly looks back up to where the sniper had been moments ago, but only shadows and black greet her. With a pounding heart, she glances around her, trying to find the source of the shot. Her eyes flicker from building to building, catching on windows and stairwells but finding nothing.

*Fucking Omega and it's shadows! I could be dead in a second and I wouldn't even know who hit me.*

A turian appears out of the shadows of an alleyway, causing Gaia to spin around in surprise. He's wearing black and red and her eyes quickly take note of the simple pistol on his hip, nothing that could have killed from such a range. He doesn't speak or even look at her, just walks up to the man's body, completely ignoring Gaia. "Hmm. Was almost worried you would miss for a second there. "

"Please, you know I never miss." Shock quickly returns to Gaia as someone else joins them. The turian from the bar, and from her store, with the blue tattoo and visor. A M-92 Mantis is thrown over his shoulder, and even Gaia is impressed with the gun and the skill it took to make such a clean shot in the dark. Of course, the visor probably did most of the work for that.

The newcomer turns to look at Gaia, his mandibles relaxing into what can only be called a smile. "Looks like it's a good thing I was around. That Merc had you in a rough spot." His eyes flash with an emotion Gaia can't quite read. Concern. "You ok?"

"I'm fine." Gaia glances back at the body on the ground, as she walks over to the two mysteries, who seem utterly less mysterious now that she recognizes one of them. "Nice shot by the way, but I was handling everything fine myself."

The one in black holds back a scoff. "Excuse me, we just saved your life. The least you could do is not have an attitude about it." He looks at Gaia, glaring down at her as though she were a small child getting into trouble.

The fact that the Turians are more than a foot taller than her doesn't bother Gaia a bit. Her arms quickly cross and she looks back at him, her eyes shimmering with defiance. "I didn't ask you to do anything. I had everything under control."

"Hold on you two." The Turian in blue steps between them, holding up his hands to create some distance. "We got off to a bit of a bad start here I think. I'm Garrus and this is Sidonis." His head gestures towards the other Turian, who refuses to even look at Gaia now.

Garrus continues on, ignoring his companions' behavior. "We have a proposition for you."

"For the record, I still think this is a bad idea." Sidonis' mandibles snap and his arms cross. He finally looks down at Gaia with narrow eyes. "We have no idea if we can trust her."

Garrus seems none too pleased with the interruption. His mandibles click together as he looks back. "Sidonis, that's enough. We need supplies whether we like it or not. And she may be the only way we can get them."

Gaia watches with slight amusement as the two bicker with each other. This seems to have been a topic of discussion before now, but Sidonis is quickly getting overruled. She makes a mental note of it for later, Garrus is clearly the leader of whatever this operation is.

"Do what you want Garrus. I've told you enough about her." Sidonis gives an exasperated wave as he walks away and back into the street.

Garrus sighs as he turns back to Gaia. "Ignore him. We just; what is it you humans say, aren't seeing eye to eye at the moment." The Turian rubs a hand over his face as he speaks. He's more than ready to be done with this whole encounter.

"You're the one who's been following me all week aren't you?" It's an almost perfect explanation for Gaia. From what she's heard, this isn't the first time they've talked about her and it would almost perfectly explain why he's here tonight. But she is clueless as to why. Supplies is all Garrus had said, but then why hadn't they just come to her store like they had before?

"I wouldn't call it following, more observing you than anything else." Garrus said it as though that made it any better. "I had to make sure you weren't working for anyone else. And I needed to know if you were even able to fulfill my request in the first place."

*Why would it matter if I work for anyone else or not? And request? What in God's name does that even mean?!* Gaia's face makes no attempt at hiding her thoughts from Garrus, who looks like he's already regretting this whole thing. Her eyebrows furrow, and her fingers gently tap her other arm.

"Uh huh.." Gaia almost smiles as she sees the nervous movement of the Turians mandibles, but keeps her sass to herself. "Why exactly... are you needing to know these things?" Well, Gaia can only keep sass back so much, especially when putting her hands on her hips just gives such a nice effect.

Garrus sighs, letting out an untranslatable rumble with his breath, before gesturing for Gaia to follow him. "Humor me for a moment, it's... Complicated."

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"So, you basically just need someone to run supplies for you? Get you ammo, guns, explosives, that sort of thing?" They are stopped in front of Gaia's apartment building, discussing the last details of Garrus' proposition. Gaia leans against the wall next to her, crossing her arms and tilting her head as she thinks it over again.

The turian has grand plans for what he wants to do in Omega and Gaia finds herself both looking up to him and thinking he's naïve. Bringing justice to a place like Omega is no small feat, and it was sure to cause problems, but even she isn't able to deny that the station needs it.

"But you also want to make sure that I'm going to be secretive about who you are and what I'm giving you." Gaia's gaze falls to the ground and she runs the sole of her boot over the ground in front of her. "Well, I'm not sure if this is going to bring you any consolidation, but I don't work for any of the gangs. Aria and I have an understanding, however, it is only in regards to renting my store."

Gaia looks up and meets Garrus' eye again. "I make a living selling weapons, to everyone. I sell to money, not to name. That means I sell to mercenaries, bounty hunters, gang members, and anyone looking to protect themselves. I wouldn't be in business very long if my customers didn't trust me. As long as you can pay me I'll get you anything you need, no questions asked." Gaia takes a step forward towards him, flashing a reassuring smile. "And nobody's gotta know."

Chapter Text

"mamá! Mamá please no, no I'm sorry! MAMÁ PLEASE!" Cries no one heeds. Silence is the only answer.

A hand around her wrist, pulling on her arm, dragging her across the floor. The carpet burns. No one cares. Tears fall down red cheeks from green emerald eyes, but no mercy is given. She doesn't even try to run or fight. That urge left her years ago.

A hand raises over her head as she lies on the floor. She braces for what she knows is coming, cowering on the floor. And there it is.

One....

Two.....

Three....

Four.... Always four

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The alcohol burns down her throat, hell, Gaia doesn't even know what it is, she just asked for the first bottle the Asari bartender could grab. She wasn't allergic to dextro, so as long as it's not some Krogan or vorcha poison she would be alright. The shot glass clinks as she puts it back on the table, waiting for more liquor. She doesn't particularly feel like remembering tonight, and alcohol is the best way to ensure that.

"Gaia, Aria wants to see you." Gaia doesn't even try to hide her groaning as her head bangs down on the bar top. She quickly regrets it though as her skin meets something sticky. She turns her head, still pressed against the glass, to see Grizz staring at her, one of his brow plates raised up. She can practically swear he's smirking.

"Why can't I ever get drunk in peace? I swear I'm the only person in this god forsaken station who gets interrupted." They both know that's not true. Even now Gaia can hear someone in Afterlife fighting, but at least they are more than likely drunk, which she wishes she was. Defeated, Gaia lifts her head up and raises her hands. "Alright, alright I'm going. But I better get a drink out of this."

Gaia can hear Grizz's chuckles as they walk over to Arias booth. The stairs weren't nearly spinning as much as she hoped they would be. Grizz stays at the bottom of the stairs but still watches to make sure she isn't too tipsy, which she wasn't, much to her dismay.

Gaia's arms cross as she stops in front of Aria, she's too buzzed to even try and hide her annoyance. Her weight is on one leg as her hip tilts slightly to the side, while her face portrays to all the world how she doesn't want to be here. "You called?"

The little display greatly amuses Aria, who can't help but half smile at the young human. She waves for Gaia to come and sit next to her. "Since when did you start drinking?"

"A while. I'm not exactly a child anymore Aria." Gaia sits on the couch with a sigh, one leg crossing over the other as she leans back. Her head falls onto the back of the couch, and she closes her eyes as neon lights dance over her face.

"True, but when you've been around for as long as I have, everyone is a child to you." Aria looks over at Gaia quizzically, taking her time to study her. She's known her for over a decade now, yet she's never seen her acting like this. She hasn't been acting much like herself at all since her return to the station a few months ago. But the asari doesn't have much time to ponder such thoughts.

"Go home Gaia. Afterlife isn't a safe place to get drunk alone."

"You sound as though I would care." Gaia halfheartedly laughs but doesn't even open her eyes as she grabs a bottle from the table. It's quickly brought up to her mouth before she takes a long sip. It tastes like sweet fire on her tongue, and burns all the way down into her stomach. "Tonight, I do not give a rat's ass what happens to me. I won't remember it by tomorrow anyway. And I plan to keep it that way. This day isn't worth remembering."

A long pause fills the air between them as Gaia finally lifts her head and opens her eyes. Her gaze fixes on the bottle in her hand, which holds a mysterious blue liquid. A long sigh escapes her lungs as she rubs the opening of the bottle. "It's been that way for a long time. And will be next year and the year after."

Arias' forehead wrinkles slightly, as she looks over at Gaia. "All the more reason to go home. The last thing I need is for you to cause trouble, or worse, get hurt. You'll have your family knocking on my door wondering what the hell happened. Your family is hard enough to deal with as it is so let's try and keep the maiming to a minimum." One of her legs crosses the other and she raises an arm to rest on the back of the couch.

Gaia laughs weakly at the comment. She knows it's not true, her family doesn't even know she's on Omega. "God Aria. I didn't think you actually cared." A small smile touches her lips but she continues to stare into the still liquid in front of her.

"Very funny Gaia. I just don't want you to die before making that pistol you owe me. You know, for being so nice to you and all." Aria is smirking now, the corner of her lip raised, as she glances at Gaia.

A hand waves and within a minute a new bottle is placed on her table. Purple fingers wrap around it and she holds it out in front of Gaia. "Here. Go home and take this. It's free, only if you wait till you're home to open it. I'll make sure you get there safely, you still owe me for that little shop of yours. Don't die on me before I can collect." Her tone of disinterest doesn't take away from the seriousness of her words. If Gaia stays, Aria won't hesitate to throw her out at the first sign of a fight; she wants what she's owed.

With a sigh, Gaia grabs a hold of the bottle. "Alright, but only if I can keep both." She flashes a toothy smile. "Asari have rather good taste in booze." The jokes are half hearted, hiding the storm of feelings inside her.

Aria waves her off. "If it gets you out of here you can take the whole bar. Wait, no. Never mind. Go home Gaia. I'll make sure no one kills you on the way there." With a roll of her eyes Aria picks up a datapad and promptly ignores Gaia, who stands up, two bottles in hand, and walks back down the stairs.

She's a little more wobbly than when she first came up but still barely buzzed. She knows someone from Aria is following her so she makes no effort to be sneaky, walking out of the club and into the orange-lit streets. *Oh thank God it's quiet. I can never stand the music in there unless I'm drunk*

Gaia glances down at the two bottles in her hand as she makes her way down the street to the transport station. *How pitiful. It's been five years... I shouldn't be fucking doing this...* Her shoulders drop down as her eyes, unfocused, cast down at the street. Closing them, she takes a deep breath, letting it out slowly as she pushes her thoughts aside and instead focuses on the slight buzz going through her blood. She needs more alcohol.

Light flickers up and down the small elevator, taking Gaia up to her apartment. Crackling music plays over the broken speaker, which Gaia long ago learned to ignore. Eventually the door opens on her floor and she steps out into the hallway, walking past the lines of doors, ignoring anyone going by. She keeps her eyes low, mostly studying the dingy carpet lining the hallway, stained with things, she doesn't even want to know.

She turns the corner, tucking a stray curl behind her ears as she walks, eager to get inside and forget this whole mess of a day, her goal since she had woken up. She finally reaches her door and starts to type in her access code, her other arm hanging low, weighed down by her alcoholic bounty.

The door next to her slides open and a family of three chattering Turians walk out, looking to be the picture opposite of Gaia at the moment, laughing, happy. She knows two of them, the father, Corpus, and his daughter, Lunette, but she doesn't recognize the third; a teenage boy, whose crest hasn't even come in all the way.

Corpus sees her, and waves in her direction, his mandibles relaxing down. "Oh, Gaia. Wasn't expecting to see you already. Usually you're still down at the markets this time of day." He glances behind him at the two kids. "I don't believe you have met my son yet." Corpus gestures towards the boy in the group. "This is my son Kellic. He just got back from his year of service at Palaven. We're going out tonight to celebrate his official citizenship."

The young Turian nods at Gaia who waves at him in return. She suddenly feels hyper aware of the fact that she's carrying two large bottles of liquor, and probably looks like she has just spent the afternoon in a bar, which she has, but she also doesn't feel like sharing that with the world. She slowly puts the bottles against her leg, trying to conceal them as well as she can, but she can see Corpus' gaze flicker down to them. But his eyes stay there only a moment and he continues on as though nothing was there.

"You kids go on ahead of me, I'll be there in a bit." Corpus speaks softly to his kids, but his mandibles stay close to his face. Gaia bites her cheek as the two kids walk off, she knows he's in dad mode but she doesn't feel like having a parent lecture about her drinking habits. It's just her and Corpus in the hall and his attention is now fully on her.

Gaia's lips form the smallest of smiles as she looks down at the floor, avoiding his gaze. Her arms swing behind her, the bottles hitting her leg. Corpus doesn't say a word, and an awkward silence falls between them both, a silence which Gaia is finding maddening.

"Ok, ok look I can explain." The words come out in a torrent, and her translator has to work double time, barely picking up on half of the words she's saying, and most of what Corpus hears is just random gibberish mixed with Spanish. "It's been - día muy largo- I don't really want to have this conversation - mismo sobre esto- and I shouldn't even have to be explaining this so-"

A three fingered hand waves in front of her, quickly snapping her out of her monologue. "Gaia, I'm not even going to pretend like I understood any of that." Corpus' mandibles relax down as he sighs. "I'm not asking for an explanation kid, spirits, as much shit as you've been through in your life, I'm definitely not going to go and tell you how you have to deal with it. I just want to make sure you're ok. Call it fatherly instincts."

Gaia stands perfectly still, one hand raised and her mouth still open after her interruption. Corpus has no clue of the heartache he has just released in her as her mind races to her own father. Here she was, in a city famous for crime, being checked on by a Turian of all people, instead of her own damn father. And the hurricane of emotions this wakes is one she is not at all prepared for.

Gaia looks down, as her hand slowly lowers, her tongue unable to articulate anything as she flounders for words. But Corpus is patient, he simply waits for her, as her mind comes reeling back in. She swallows her mouth suddenly dry. She can't look him in the eye, instead turning her head back towards her own door. The storm of feelings inside of her races and races closer to her heart, beating at the gates to be set free... But she can't, not today, not right now, not here... This doesn't feel safe.

"I'm fine, Corpus, don't worry about little old me." The gate is locked tight and the storm shoved back into shadows as her mind dissociates. She looks up at him and smiles softly, forcing emotions onto her face and her eyes to soften. She can play the part, she has for years. "Now go on and enjoy your kiddos, and tell Kellic it was nice to meet him."

In a mad dash Gaia opens her apartment door, slipping inside and locking it before Corpus can say a single word. Leaning against the door she lets out a long slow breath. Her head bangs against the metal behind her, as she tries to sort her thoughts in any way, but it's already too late for that. Opening a bottle she makes her way to her bed, falling back into the brown sheets as she drinks away her sorrows, and drowns out the pain.

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Hangovers make a person question if drinking is worth it, and Gaia is doing just that. Cold water splashes onto her face as she scrubs the sleep from her eyes. She's already thrown up three times, and is still feeling nauseous, but hey, she met her goal, her brain holds no memories of the night before, besides the two empty bottles laying on her nightstand.

The dingy and dim lights of her bathroom just make her look even worse. Gaia barely looks in the mirror as it is and the sight of her looking like an actual zombie isn't encouraging her any. Her hair is a tangled mess and the dark circles under her eyes practically look like black eyes. Well, they could honestly be black eyes, she doesn't remember.

She grabs a hold of a pair of scissors laying on her sink. "Well, another year gone by, another year of forgetting." Her fingers run through her mess of brown curls, carefully untangling them. "Finally long enough to braid, yet here I am cutting it all off again. Huh, maybe next year huh." She laughs, it's all she can do to not sob.

She pulls her hair back, tying it up into a low ponytail. The scissors, open and resting right above her hairband, wait for her to cut. Staring into the mirror, she watches herself, slowly cutting away into her hair, letting each curl that falls take away the pain, the memories, the grief she has felt in the last year. She purges herself of any recollection, anything that could possibly keep her in the past in a vain hope to move on.

She stands in front of her mirror, her curls now loosely hanging, right above her shoulders. She stands in a pile, a pile full of things she wants to forget, she wants to leave behind, the reminders of why she hates herself. A single tear falls down her cheek, and she knows, it's not happening this year.

Chapter Text

"Woah! Watch where you're going, you two." Gaia laughs as Lunette and Kellic race down the hallway. The two turian kids slide to a stop as they look back at her and wave.

"Sorry Gaia." Lunette can barely get the words out past her joyous giggles. So unlike most turians her age, but a welcome relief from the usual violence of the station. Kellic was already having a hard time keeping her out of trouble, course, he was almost no better than her. Tall and lanky, the poor boy was still all limbs, and about as awkward and uncoordinated as they come. It's a wonder he passed his service requirements.

With only a moment of pause the two continue on down the hall, their voices and laughter filling it with an unnatural light. Gaia can only shake her head as she walks to the elevator, stretching out her arms above her, trying to wake up still. It's delivery day for her, and she would be doing a lot of running around.

Omegas streets are crowded with the usual morning rush, miners and mechanics off to work long shifts, and shop owners like Gaia opening up for the day. The lights were as bright as they can be on the dirty station, casting a yellowish orange glow over the market area. People were already up bartering as Gaia walks down to her stall, through the crowd of people needing breakfast or supplies.

The small door of her shop opens, as Gaia steps inside, setting off a flickering of yellow light. Boxes of ammo and parts greet her as she sorts through all of her merchandise, putting together orders and preparing for deliveries. Labels are printed and boxes stack up by her door, all ready to be shipped off to where they need to go. But one box in particular gets her special attention, no record is made of it, even as she fills it with a multitude of items, from guns to explosives, not to mention the dozens of thermal clips.

She stuffs a few odds and ends into her pockets, safe from falling, before she takes the packed and labeled boxes next door to be delivered.

The large box that is left in her office makes Gaia tired just looking at it. "My lanta, I'm going to have to charge him extra just for carrying this." In actuality Gaia has absolutely no trouble carrying it. She works with metal and machinery all day, she's no lightweight and has plenty of muscles to spare, and if she was honest she probably enjoys showing them off, though she would never tell that to anyone.

Gaia makes her way to a transport station as quickly as her awkward package allows her. She hitches a ride to a different sector, far from the hustle and bustle of the market. Her Carnifax is carefully stowed on her hip, with another smaller pistol of her own design stashed in her jacket. A bit of extra security just in case, she didn't feel like having her hard work stolen from her today, nor did she feel like making yet another trip.

As she climbs up the stairs of the parking garage, she hopes that Garrus told the group she was coming again. He met her outside last time and the last thing she wants to do is barge in unannounced and unexpected, but her omni-tool isn't exactly in reach at the moment to call him. And she knew all it would take was one well timed shot from any of them and she was a goner, well, maybe two. The shielding she has hidden under her jacket could hypothetically let drop and run, but she doesn't really feel like testing out that theory today.

Water dripping from pipes joins the noise of cars going by, a perfect backdrop to the dirty walls and floor. What a perfect example of the current state of Omega. At least there wasn't anyone taking sand on the stairs.

As she draws closer to the door of the house, tingles run over her skin and the hair on the back of her neck raises. "It's just me, Sidonis. You can relax." She calls out to the Turian she knows is standing guard, crossing her fingers that he's not in a shoot first take her stuff later mood. The two haven't been able to get along much since Garrus hired her, not that Gaia doesn't try, she has nothing against him, but she also knows he has every right to be wary of her. Her old reputation isn't one that's easy to forget; just five years ago she would have been one of the people on the group's hit list, and they both know it.

Soon he appears in the stairwell, holding up a rifle, which she quickly notes is still well enough in his hand for him to shoot her at any second. "Yeah, yeah I know. Go on in, Butler will show you where everything goes, him and Garrus are already expecting you."

Gaia nods, readjusting the box in her hands till she can pry it open while it rests on her hip. She pulls out a small bag before throwing it at Sidonis. "Here, a surprise."

Sidonis barely manages to catch it and looks down at it in surprise. "Dextro candy? What's this for?" But by the time he looks up Gaia is already halfway up the stairs. She certainly isn't above bribery.

The door opens and she's greeted by a few people who remember her. She's only visited once before and is already seeing new faces in the group. *Hmm, Garrus is recruiting quickly.*

She walks through the house, being guided by what little memory she has and a few yells from the crew as they watch her walk around lost, until she finds the weapons station and starts unloading everything.

"Need help?" Gaia jolts up in surprise, her hands firmly wrapping around a scope, as she quickly turns around. But her startled expression soon fades away when she sees Butler's goofy smile.

"God, I almost killed you. Don't you know better than to sneak up on a lady like that." Gaia laughs, giving him a playful scowl. She lets out a long breath as her body relaxes again, lowering the scope back down to the table. No need to break it already.

Butler puts his hands up in surrender "My bad, my bad, I didn't mean to scare you. I just saw you carrying all this stuff and thought I would give you a hand."

"Well, thank you, I think. But I got it." Putting a few things onto the table she reaches around in the box until she finds what she's looking for. "Here. I found this at the market and got some to share with you guys." She throws him the bag which he catches with ease, though admittedly a little bit awkwardly.

"An industrial size bag of candy? Where the hell did you find one this big?" Butler says with a laugh, as he moves it from hand to hand, one eyebrow raises up as a curious expression crosses his face. Gifts aren't a usual thing for the group, especially not from someone they hired to fix guns.

"I have my sources. To be honest I mainly got some to bribe Sidonis, but then decided I might as well get everyone something too." Gaia laughs with him as she finishes putting everything else away. "And hey, share them. They are meant to be for everyone."

Butler chuckles and shakes his head side to side as he drops the bag on the table and looks through the rest of her box. "Don't worry, I will. Though if we're supposed to be sharing, why is Garrus getting his own bag'' A smirk grows on his face as his voice takes a teasing tone and his hand gently pokes the offending bag.

Gaia just rolls her eyes, she swears Butler is worse than a high schooler some days. "He's a Turian, Butler. He can't eat any of those. I got Sidonis his own bag too." She points her thumb back towards the stairs to prove her point and shakes her head. A few more items get placed on the table before she turns to face him again, this time with her hands on her hips. "Also, he's the one paying for all of this stuff, and paying for a portion of my bills at the moment. I think that warrants his own bag."

"Hey, who do you think works to get him all that money?" Butler chuckles, standing up straighter and slightly puffing up his chest, his eyes full of mocking pride.

Which of course, just makes Gaia laugh and roll her eyes, rubbing the bridge of her nose. "Uh huh." She grabs the bag and a few other items from the table. "Now come on, where is he? Or are you going to make me go find him myself?" She puts a hand on her hip, shifting her weight to one leg while holding up her items with the other.

Butler shakes his head, practically beaming a smile, and points up a flight of stairs. "Up the stairs, where he always is. He hardly ever leaves the room up there unless someone needs him. Which to be fair usually is a lot." He gently hits the side of her arm. "But hey, be careful up there. You never know, he might try and convince you to stay up here with us hooligans." He says it with a wink and a not very well hidden smirk.

"Please, you know I'm no soldier. I just make the guns, I don't use them." Gaia laughs through the lie, she has never given the idea any thought and just plays it off as the joke she pretends it to be. They both know she's more than capable of joining but she is perfectly content living the life she has now.

"Oh, is that the little story you told Garrus?" He was definitely smirking now, making no attempt to hide how funny he was finding this, meanwhile, Gaia was feeling more and more a mixture of wanting to punch him and uncomfortable.

"I haven't told Garrus anything, nor would I have to." she points an accusatory finger at him. "I have you guys to do all the gossiping for me."

Butler chuckles and puts his hands up in defeat. "Fair enough I guess, there are plenty of stories about your younger years to go around. He has to know at least some of them are true." He pauses and scratches the back of his neck. "Some of them are true right?"

"Goodbye Butler." Items in tow, Gaia walks up the stairs to the second floor, waving to Butler behind her as he's left to put everything else away. He's smiling though, and certainly doesn't mind, one of these days he would get her to spill the beans, if not to him, maybe at least Garrus. In the meantime he would be content with annoying her, the girl has to make friends somehow.

Gaia quickly reaches the door and it opens as soon as she walks up though, she still knocks on the wall, just in case. It's always safer when dealing with a sniper after all. "Hello? Anyone up here?"

She finds Garrus tinkering away at a sniper rifle, leaning over a table, the only sign that he even notices her is a small tilt of his head while he works. "Hey, I thought that was my job." She smiles and walks over to him, leaning against the table as she looks at his project.

He glances her way, but still stays focused on what he's doing. His mandibles relax and he stands up straighter so she can see what he's doing. "Hell Gaia, I can handle my own gun. You don't have to fix every gun here." He puts his tools down and lets out a small chuckle before looking down at the items in her hand. "Were you able to get everything we needed? I'm sorry I didn't give you much notice for some of it. We don't always have a lot of options after a job."

Gaia nods to his question. "Mhm, and don't worry about it. I wouldn't be much of a weapons tech if I couldn't improvise what I needed. I already dropped everything else off downstairs, but I did bring up that scope you asked for. With the specs you wanted I figured it was for your Mantis." She puts the scope onto the table and then holds up the bag also in her hand. "And, I brought a little something extra I found for you."

"Dextro candy? You didn't have to do that." He slowly takes the bag from her outstretched hands, studying the bag while his mandibles softly click. He sounds almost surprised by the small gesture.

Gaia just waves him off, it really wasn't that big of a deal for her. "Oh don't worry about it. I got a good deal on it. I got another bag for Sidonis and a big bag of levo stuff for everyone else to share too. I'm not gonna lie, I hope it earns at least a few brownie points for everyone."

As Garrus opens the bag and eats a few pieces Gaia quickly sneaks a hold of Garrus' rifle and goes to work attaching the new scope. She manages to get the old one off before Garrus could even protest, quickly unscrewing it and getting the new one clean and ready to be put on.

"What did I just say?" Garrus sees her and tries to protest but Gaia knows it's too late for him to even say anything now. Instead he just lets out a small sigh, leaning against the table to watch her.

She can't hold back the smug smile that comes to her lips, he barely let her touch any weapons the last time she was here and she wasn't about to let that happen again. She glances up at him, not stopping her work even as she talks. "What? You pay me to do this, don't you?" Her smile slowly turns to a smirk as she returns her attention back to the rifle, putting the new scope into place. She's glad it fits perfectly, she had to make it herself and was worried it wouldn't align.

"You know, there are other weapons you can work on while you're here." Garrus crosses his arms and shakes his head, feigning exasperation. But Gaia sees his shoulders relax, and notices his eyes slowly following her hands as she works.

"Oh is the mighty 'Archangel' worried I'm going to mess up his precious gun?" She laughs as she clicks the last piece into place and starts securing everything down. Gaia can tell he hates it when she calls him that, but she finds it too funny to not pester him slightly. Besides, she's not the only one that does it.

Holding up his rifle she gives it one last inspection, making a few small adjustments before handing it back to him. She can't keep the proud smile off of her face, she did a fine good job, if she says so herself.

"Spirits, not you too. I swear you guys make me regret that name more and more each day." His exasperation just makes Gaia smile more, joking around with him was quickly becoming a favorite pastime for her when she works here. His hands take hold of the rifle, extending the barrel as he looks down the scope, adjusting everything to his liking, which Gaia also notes, doesn't take very long.

"Oh I know, but I'm also not the only one that does it. I heard plenty of your own crew joking around by calling you that the last time I was here. It's funny." Gaia leans back against the table, folding her arms and smiling as she watches him look over her handy work. "Besides, you know you like it. The lone worker of justice in Omega. The turian vigilante making crime rates dip and mercs think twice. THE ARCHANGEL." She chuckles, seeing him getting annoyed by the small flicks of his mandibles but also the fact he was too distracted with the rifle to really be paying attention.

"Riiigggghhhtttt." Seemingly satisfied with the scope he folds the gun back up and sets it on the table, shaking his head at her comment. "I didn't start doing this to become some local hero you know? Innocent people were getting hurt by gangs who only cared about their next red sand shipment. And I could do something, so I did."

Gaia smiles softly and walks with him to the door. She doesn't fully understand his reasoning. The act of doing 'good' just for the sake of it is still something that she can't quite understand. "Yeah I know, still doesn't get rid of the fact that you ARE turning into a bit of a local hero. I mean people here will still hate you for messing with the crime economy but there's no helping that."

Garrus lets out a long sigh, pausing right before the door. "Yeah, yeah, I know, let's not talk about that." He rubs the back of his head as a small chuckle leaves his throat. Gaia glances up at him, her eyes studying his face, for what she doesn't even know.

Yet, there it was again, curiosity. It lights up behind Gaia's eyes as she looks at the Turian beside her. It's still such a strange thing to her, anyone being out for anything but themselves. And all just in the name of doing good and right. She's not even sure she knows what those words mean, but she knows he does. Even so, she can't help but wonder if there's more to it than that, because there has to be. Right?

But then, they walk down the stairs and Gaia sees the motley crew that calls Garrus their leader. The mishmash of races, and backgrounds, and just, people, somehow all working together behind 'good'. God, it's been so long since anyone has reminded her of that word, but as she helps Butler finish putting everything away, and continues to talk and listen and laugh with everyone here, she starts to think, maybe it does exist and maybe she can do some good in this world after all.

Chapter Text

"-t's my idea first!"

"But it looks like shit! You don't-"

"Let's be civil-"

"-need to bite off anybody's head-"

*What the hell is going on over there?* Gaia looks up from her workbench and across the room towards the kitchen, where most of the Archangel crew was huddled around a table, arguing. Curiosity gets the better of her, and she puts down her tools and walks over, just to see what all the fuss was about. A slew of papers and datapads were laid out on the table, with some of the most god awful designs she had seen in her life. Extranet articles about the human tradition of angels, and ways of drawing wings, as well as other symbolisms were open on almost every pad, and everyone seemed to be holding a pencil.

"Uhh, what are you guys doing?"

Butler was the first to answer her, his arms crossed as he huffs. "We're trying to convince Garrus to make a tag symbol for Archangel. He said he would only do it if we come up with a design he likes but no one can agree on what to do."

"Or maybe its because no one here seems capable of drawing anything." Sidonis juts into the conversation, leaning back in a chair, rubbing his head. "I mean, I'm no artist, but nothing on this table really screams out 'Archangel' to me."

And for once Gaia very much agrees with him. Most of everything looks like a kindergarten art project, and with the amount of humans on the crew she was honestly amazed no one seems to know what angel wings even look like. Oh gosh, theirs even devil wings in the pile. Her catholic family would scream. "Do... do you guys even know what angels are?"

"Well, we've looked through enough articles to know."

"They have feathers right?"

"I don't want to have to wear bird symbols on my armor. Humans are stuck up enough about them as it is."

Gaia can very easily see where the problems are coming from. She sighs and shakes her head, this is not what she was planning on dealing with today. "You don't have to have a bird just because their feathers. Though I do think using wings would be a good idea. Here." She grabs one of the pens on the table and a blank sheet of paper. "Let me see if I can make up something."

"Just try and make it not look like a gang, oh and, for the record, I still don't like the idea." Gaia smiles as she hears Garrus yell down from upstairs. Most of the table rolls their eyes and Gaia shares a knowing glance with Butler. They both agree the group already looks like a gang even without the logo.

The entire table crowds around her as she starts to draw, her hand steadily flowing across the paper, making near perfect edges and lines. Her hands are well practiced with the task, showing off the years worth of blueprints and part designs she's had to come up with. Wings form from sharp angles, each side perfectly mirroring the other, meeting to make a sharp point.

The table is quiet as they watch her continue to make a few different designs, so quiet in fact that even Garrus notices the sudden lack of noise, and walks over to watch with everyone else.

"Here, how do these look?" She turns the paper around so everyone at the table can see, but is surprised as she notices everyone already huddled around her. She had been so focused that she hadn't even noticed them before. Compared to everyone's earlier, eh, *attempts* Gaia's actually looks like it was professionally done.

"I didn't know you could draw." Gaia rolls her eyes and hides a smile as the thought is repeated around the table.

"I literally design guns for a living. Besides, someone here has to have at least a little artistic talent." A smirk crosses her face and a few in the group laugh at her snip. After a few moments everyone looks up towards Garrus, who is busy perusing everything on the table.

"Well, I definitely know which ones I'm not picking." He pushes away a small pile of other papers as everyone laughs. Some of the, umm, designs, included flaming swords made out of squiggles, someone's attempt at an 'angel helmet' (not even Gaia could figure that one out), and, something Gaia was pretty sure was an attempt at wings, even if it did look more like a demon, and dear Lord is it supposed to be on fire?

"Hey, some of those aren't that bad." Everyone at the table looks over to Butler, most of them holding back laughter. His idea is in the denied pile (trust me it's for good reason), and he seems almost offended by everyone laughing at it.

"Oh don't be dramatic Butler. You're not the only one who can't draw for shit."

"Trust me, yours isn't even the worst up there."

"I think Gaia has us all beat."

Soon the entire table was back to discussing and talking amongst themselves, except now, they were deciding which of Gaia's designs to use. Gaia just stands back from the group and goes back to her other work. The pistol she had been fixing was still patiently waiting for her, her tools all in the same place as before. She tunes out the loud group focusing her hands back to the gun in front of her, replacing the clip attachment and adding ammo compatibility.

"Are you not wanting to join in on the chaos?" Gaia looks up to see Garrus leaning his back against the work table and looking over the group in the kitchen. His head tilts down to look at her as his eyes follow her hands as she works.

"Oh no, I'm not getting mixed up even more in that madness. I'm ok right here, with the guns to keep me company. Oh well and you now." Gaia chuckles, a small smile appearing on her lips. "I'm almost done with everything. I upgraded all the thermal clip holders to be compatible with the newest models and made sure pretty much any ammo type could sync in. So you should be golden here for a few weeks at least, though I heard that a few new additions will be hitting the markets soon."

"Now, how the hell do you know that?" Garrus leans down, his elbows resting on the table and his head resting on one of his hands. Bending at the waist, one ankle crossing around the other as he gently taps his foot against the floor.

Gaia raises an eyebrow at him and flashes a toothy grin. "I've been in the weapons trade for almost ten years now, Mr.Vakarian." A smirk plays across her face as she speaks, putting extra emphasis on his name. "I've had plenty of time to learn some secrets." She points the tool in her hand at him. "None of which I will ever tell."

Garrus' mandibles flare out slightly and he blinks a few times while almost taking a glance over her. "Wait. Ten years?! I... I didn't think you were old enough to have been doing this for that long."

Gaia pauses, unsure of whether or not to take that as a compliment. "I mean.... I'm not... Old." She can't hold back a laugh, especially as she sees his face express shocked horror. "I'm only 25 Garrus, oh my god." A hand covers her mouth as she tries not to laugh, meanwhile Garrus' eyes widen, and he stays stock still, with a few random mandible flutters being the only sign of movement.

She quickly waves her hands at him, coughing as she fights more laughter. "No, no, it's ok. I've been making smuggling runs since I was 15. That's given me plenty of time to learn some trade secrets." A slight blush is on her cheeks and a wide smile touches her lips, though her words do not seem to settle Garrus anymore.

"Oh." He awkwardly scratches his neck and clears his throat. "I guess that's true. Must have made for an interesting time growing up. Though, isn't that a little dangerous? 15 is a little young to be doing all of that."

"Well, I wouldn't say dangerous. The dangerous stuff didn't really start for a few years. I was mostly just selling to regulars. Even criminals have rules." The pistol in her hands comes apart, as she finishes modifying the ammo inputs and changing out the clips. "The family name tends to get me pretty far too."

"Oi, you two! You going to come and decide or are we just supposed to guess? Cause I really don't think you want Butler to decide!" More voices and laughter call them back over to the kitchen.

Gaia rolls her eyes, sharing an exasperated look with Garrus. "They're not going to let me finish until you decide on something are they?"

"Nope."

"Well then, what are we waiting for?"

Chapter Text

*Food, rest, oh my God sitting down,* these were the only things going through Gaias's brain as she walks into her apartment after a long day. Her bag drops to the floor by her door, she's too focused on food to care about putting it away. An apple is grabbed, and her fridge opens, anything classified as food is fair game in her hungry eyes. The oven gets turned on, some random dish thrown in, and Gaia finally can sit back on her couch and breathe, well that, and absolutely devour that apple.

A random movie plays on her TV but she's not even paying attention, she's practically melting into the couch, almost half asleep already. That is at least, until her comm goes off. "Ugh, you've got to be kidding me." Her arm raises and she opens her omnitool, the name Dahler Corinthus flashing over her screen.

Her frown is quickly replaced with a smile as she answers. "Well hello there, wasn't expecting a call from you today."

"Well, good morning to you too, or whatever time it is for you." The Turians signature laugh makes Gaia smile, it has been too long since she's heard it. Much too long.

"It's 'night' here right now actually, or as close as you can get to it on a station. I just got home from work, about to eat dinner."

"Well, I'm sorry if I'm interrupting your meal. I'm on leave for a few days and thought I would check-in. See if you actually plan on visiting anytime soon." The emphasis he puts on the last sentence makes Gaia roll her eyes. She knows it's been years since she's seen him but a trip from Omega to Palaven isn't that simple.

"Dahler..."

"What! It's been three years. Heaven forbid I miss you, we've just been friends for 15 years."

"17, but who's counting."

"Yeah, you're not helping your case any with that."

Gaia snorts, shaking her head. "I really want to visit Dahler, believe me, I do. I miss seeing your spikey ass. But.." She doesn't even have an answer. How do you tell your best friend you can't see them simply because it hurts? She's not the same person she was the last time she saw him, hell, she wasn't the same person he knew then either.

"But what? I know you don't have a good answer. Just because I'm an officer now doesn't mean you get to pretend we don't have time."

"Dahler, that's not it."

"Then what is it, Gaia? What? Hell, when we were kids you used to do everything you could to visit. What happened to the girl who used to drag me into trouble, the one who blamed everything on our dads, who nearly got me arrested countless times?" The painful laugh she hears over her comm makes her heart ache.

"Dahler... We're just... We're not..." A loud sigh escapes her lungs, and she rubs the bridge of her nose as her brain desperately tries to find an answer that isn't there. "We're not those kids anymore Dahler."

"Bullshit."

—------------------------------------

"How did I know you were behind this?" The voice behind her makes Gaia smile, it's been too long since she's heard it.

"Dahler! Or should I say Private now?" Her Turian friend waves a hand at her, rolling his eyes. Gaia wishes they weren't in public or she would have hugged the shit out of him. "I see your crest finally decided to grow in. Was about time too."

"Ha ha very funny." He stands beside her, holding his hands behind his back. The artificial light in the room reflects off of his dark brown plating, melding into the yellow tattoos that cover his face. He's taller than Gaia remembers, much to her dismay. The height difference only ever grows between them between visits. He's just as skinny as ever though.

"So, what exactly did you call me over for? I was told I'm here to help you?" Accusatory eyes glance over at her and Gaia has to fight the grin spreading over her face.

"I did. And I do." She quickly points at him, a weak attempt to prove her innocence which Dahler sees right through. "I may, however, have lied about just how long... The help is going to take." She softly bounces on her toes with her hands clasped behind her back, doing her best to look oblivious.

"Uh-huh." His arms cross and he shakes his head. "Alright, let's get this over with. I can already tell you have some plan schemed up for later."

Gaia fakes a gasp and puts a hand on her chest. "Who me? Never!" Her face breaks back into a smile and she pats her friend on the shoulder, walking up the hall to the loading docks. "Come on Dahler, have some fun."

A long sigh leaves his lungs but he begrudgingly follows behind her. They reach the door to the docks and Dahler gently knocks on the top of her head, now covered by a helmet. He can practically see the playful scowl that he knows is on her face. "Alright helmet-head, you win."

"Pfft, please, your one to talk spikey."

"Spirits, I never want to help you again. Why do you have to talk to all of these people?" Dahler is now sitting down against a wall, looking over at Gaia who was typing into a datapad. It had been a few hours of work already but they had finally finished and not a moment too soon for him. He didn't think Turians could haggle and bargain so much or that Gaia had to deal with constant negotiations but here they are.

Gaia glances up from her pad, smirking at his remark. "Please, it's not that bad. You get used to people bothering you after a while."

Dahler chuckles, looking over his friend once more. She's changed, well, more like grown up, in the last few years. Her laughs are fewer, and her smile shows less teeth. For the teenager she is, she acts more and more like an adult every time he sees her.

Gaia reaches down and pulls on his arm, her toothy smile making a small appearance. "Alright, work is done. Let's go get into some trouble."

"Gaia."

"Don't even try arguing with me. We've both been goody two shoes for too long, it's time for at least a little bit of mischief." Gaia practically skips out towards the exit and Dahler has no choice but to follow along behind her. He doesn't mind, it's always been like this. She finds some kind of adventure for them to do and he makes sure she doesn't hurt herself in the process... And that she doesn't get in... Too much trouble, though he usually fails in that regard.

"Where exactly are we going?"

"The old temple. I finally have enough time to get all the way up there before I have to leave."

"The old temple? Why the hell do you want to go there? And it's closed, no one's allowed in. You seriously want to break in?"

"I wouldn't call it breaking in. We're just... Exploring."

"I really doubt anyone else is going to see it that way." Dahler sighs, standing in front of the old building, fallen halfway into ruin. Plants cover the old stone, weaving in and out of broken windows and open doorways.

"Well, then they should have made a better fence." Gaia was already halfway inside, squeezing past an old doorway half covered in roots and leaves. Dahler looks around, his mandibles nervously fluttering against his cheeks as he makes sure no one is around to notice them. With a sigh he follows after Gaia, stepping over rubble and pushing aside branches as they both enter inside.

Gaia is already off exploring, looking at every statue, admiring every broken thing in the run-down place. Dahler has never believed in the old spirits but even he can't help but feel a slight sense of wonder as they walk around. It's such a small thing in the big galaxy, yet it demands such respect, even after years of neglect.

Dahler looks over in surprise as he sees Gaia heading up an old staircase. "Are you sure that's a good idea?"

"Nope."

Annoyance crosses Dahler's face, he knows Gaia's is beaming currently. She holds no caution and walks as though the place isn't hundreds, if not thousands of years old. Dahler however, eyes each step with suspicion, the last thing he needs is to go falling through the floor.

The old temple becomes a practical jungle gym for the pair, both risking old floors and forgotten paths as they look around, fascinated by all they find. An hour goes by and they hardly notice, taking in the old history and art of a time long forgotten.

Dahler's face soaks in the rays of the sun, he's sitting on a balcony, leaning back on his arms with his head turned up to the broken ceiling. Gaia is lying down on the pedestal of an old statue, long decayed beyond recognition. A sketchbook and pencil are in her hand, and she spends a quiet moment putting down on paper the view in front of her eyes. For once, it was peaceful, and still, with only the sounds of animals and the wind joining them.

"Dahler" Gaia's voice is a soft, strained whisper. Almost... Painful. Her eyes, unfocused, stare past the paper in front of her, looking but not seeing. "Does it.... Does it ever get easier?"

Even through her visor, Dahler can still sense the pain in her eyes, the quiver of her voice, and the hurt resting in her words. He looks down at the floor below them, letting his legs hang down off the edge, a deep sigh filling his lungs. "Yeah, it does. But you never stop feeling it."

"Do you think... It will ever get better? That it will ever stop?"

Pebbles fall to the floor below as Dahler gets up and steps over to her, sitting down next to her and propping his chin on her helmet. "Yeah, it will. It just might take a while." A small chuckle rumbles in his chest. "You're too stubborn to live a life you don't want. Give it time. I'm sure you'll get out eventually."

Gaia's smile goes unseen, but it's there. Her body relaxes again as Dahler adjusts his seat, their backs leaning up against each other. His carapace always made for a good headrest, even if his back was a little pokey.

The sun eventually hits their eyes, reminding them of the passing of time. "Alrighty troublemaker, time for us to get going before someone starts looking for you. Or worse me."

"Why is it worse for you?"

"Because I don't exactly fancy having my Sergeant up here yelling at me. That woman could scare the balls off a Krogan, probably best them in a fist fight too. "

"Oh she sounds great to me. It would be funny to see you get your ass kicked."

"I'd still be in less trouble than you would be. Last time I checked you're the one with the record, not me."

"Hey! To be fair, you were always my partner in crime. I didn't get into trouble alone. It's not fair your dad's a general. Mine's just a charismatic criminal."

"A charismatic criminal that's kept you out of jail."

"Humans would call it juvie but close enough." A shrug of her shoulders left the pair dying of laughter as they found their way back to the exit. A quick peek outside, both of them scanning around to make sure no one would see them, and the coast was clear.

Quietly, they slipped back out the door, gently pulling away plants, and stepping outside. Once they're clear of the 'do not go in here' zone, the pair looks back at the ruins. Dahler gently rests his arm on her shoulder, leaning on her slightly, shifting his weight as he puts one leg behind the other, he always seems to use her as an armrest. "Well, that was definitely an adventure. Come on, you're coming over for dinner tonight. Mothers orders."

Gaia's eyes widen, laughing in surprise. "Wait, how does your mom know I'm in town? And how did she have enough time to get me food?"

The smirk on Dahler's face tells her all she needs to know. She rolls her eyes and... regrettably jabs him with her elbow. He responds in kind, pretending to ruffle her hair through her helmet, which just shakes her head around. "Let's go before they have the whole city looking for us. No arguments either. It's too late for you to go off for the day, and I know you have time. Besides, your dad isn't here to drag you back home."

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Silence comes over both of them. Gaia hears Dahler's long sigh and curses herself as she feels tears welling in her eyes. The rumble in his voice is deep and quiet, and his words come out slowly as if he's testing the waters with his words. "Gaia, I'm not... I'm not pretending like I know what happened. And I'm not asking to know. I just... I'm worried about you ok. It's been 4 years since you left Palaven, and I've only heard from you a handful of times."

"I know..... I know you don't have to tell me anything, and I know there's something you're trying to keep from me, but I just..." The tears fall, as Gaia hears the pain in his words. Her body sinks back into her seat and her legs curl up underneath her. She can't do anything but listen. "I just want to make sure you're ok. "

Her stomach twists. She hates this question. Hates it and avoids it. Because every time she hears it she knows she has to lie. "Dahler, I am ok. You don't have to worry about me."

"Gaia... I always do."

Chapter Text

"Oh come on, come on, Gaia please be awake." It was as dark as the blinking neon lights and smoke-covered orange bulbs of Omega could become in the small apartment building. The lights inside dim with only the faintest streaks illuminating shadows against the walls. The hallway was still and dead quiet in the night cycle, the only disturbance; a young turian woman frantically ringing a door. Her head swivels as she glances around, eyes darting back and forth across the hallway, her fingers intertwining and wringing as she bounces softly on her feet.

The door opens to a very much half-asleep Gaia, her curly hair messily wrapped into a bun, eyes half open, wearing sweats and a crop top. "Oh spirits, did I wake you up? What am I saying? Of course, I did, I’m so sorry." The turian's words come out quickly, stressful chirps reverberating in her throat as she steps toward the groggy human.

"Lunette? What the hell are you doing up?" As Gaia wipes the sleep from her eyes she slowly starts to notice the worry filling Lunette’s eyes, taking note of her quick speech her translator has to pause to even understand, and the small never-ending movements of her hands and feet.

"It's my dad.” Lunette takes hold of Gaia's hands, pulling her into the hallway, her mandibles fluttering open and closed as she looks down at her feet before scanning across the room. “He hasn't come back from work yet. He's usually home hours ago. I waited as long as I could, I didn't want Kellic coming up with any ideas but I'm really worried."

The words seem to pour out of the poor thing, causing Gaia's brain to fill in missing words when all she hears are random syllables. "I know this probably seems so childish and I shouldn't worry but I don't know what to do. We don't have any weapons and wouldn't know how to use them even if we did. I'm scared to go out this late alone and-"

"Ok, ok" Gaia gently squeezes Lunette's hands before taking a deep breath, giving her a reassuring smile. "Lemme get dressed and I'll go out to look for him. He probably just got called out for a second shift and the com lines at the mines are down. You know that happens a lot." Gaia's reassurances don't seem to help settle Lunette’s anxieties or stop her fidgeting but it's enough to quiet her while she waits. Gaia reemerges with shoes and a jacket, then leads Lunette back to her apartment door.

"Ok. Thank you, Gaia." Lunette was still fiddling with her hands, her mandibles nervously twitching together. "Not many people here think twice about us."

Gaia smiles softly, Lunette reminds her so much of her younger sisters, so nervous and shy. She squeezes her arm one last time, hoping to show in any way that she cares. No one deserves to feel like they're alone. "I'm sure everything's fine, just keep an eye on your brother and I'll be back before you know it."

The street lights were dimmed hours ago, but there was still a steady crowd of locals going through the streets. Shops were still open, vendors were still selling. When you live on an asteroid floating through space time doesn't really have much effect on you.

Gaia navigated her way through, scanning the crowds and streets, looking down every dark alley and side corner she came to. Corpus works in the upper mines, but there's a whole host of places he can be between there and home. One street at a time, one street at a time.

The main thoroughfare showed no sign of Corpus, just workers trying to get home through the mess of shops and salesmen. Gaia asks around at a few vendors, hoping for anyone who has heard about him. "Check dock 3. His crew was stationed there tonight." Was the most she was able to get out of anyone, so off she went. The roads quickly clear out as she goes further from the main road. Odd groups of workers scatter about across the roads, mixed with Omega's usual... inhabitants.

Dock 3 was close to gang borders, a common place for drugs, deals, and fights. The few lights there were muddled with red smoke, fresh from an addict's pipe, the methodic sound of nearby machinery, drowning out the noise of puking drunks and fighting couples. Passed out batarians, wobbling humans, arguing krogan, and groups of people drooling over red clouds, but no sign of her friend. No sign of much of anyone besides the aforementioned souls. Odd, there should be at least a few sober people about.

The street grows quieter and quieter, and not just from the lack of people. Everyone she sees is silent, tight-lipped, and avoiding her gaze. Her footsteps turn into an echoing cacophony against the metal streets, almost as if the sound itself was forbidden. Something wasn't right. A liquid glint, shining blue in perfect droplets on the ground. Then red. Then shimmering green.

Her steps stutter as her eyes catch it, following the trail with her eyes up the street. The liquid was drying, thick, sticky, and congealed, but growing in abundance the further her eyes went.

Her eyes follow it, up a narrow street, half concealed in the dark; and there she sees. Someone so familiar, yet unthinkable. Laying on the cold street, alone in the dark. He wasn't moving, he wasn't breathing. He was gone.

"No. No. No, no no no no." Corpus. Anyone but him. Not him. It can't be.

Yet here he is, laying face up on the street, his blue eyes, once filled with kindness and wisdom, now dull and lifeless, while a blue puddle seeps out around him.

Gaia's legs can't run any faster, her feet frantically striding towards him, as her lungs freeze up inside her chest. But she already knows he is dead, already knows he is long gone from here. She knows before she collapses next to him, calling out his name to the empty street, vision blurry with tears. She knows before her hands reach for his cold body, before her fingers are coated in his blood; her friend is gone.... again.

Gaia's fists close, turning white as hot anger floods her veins. Of all the people in this godforsaken place, Corpus was the last one deserving of a death like this. To be shot and abandoned in the middle of the street, left to bleed alone. Rage burns her eyes, nails digging into her skin as she glares down at the puddle beneath her.
No one cares who he was. No one cares that he's dead, about the family he was leaving behind. She hears it in the silence, feels it in the stickiness on her hands, the cold on her knees, sees it in the empty streets echoing her tears.

No. No. No. She cares, she remembers him, and she isn't going to let him be forgotten, like all those friends before. Not again.

Chapter Text

The floor is a river of blood, their bodies, rocks in the ground, from which the rich crimson flows. Blue eyes stare back at her, the only light in the looming darkness of death. 'No, no, no! I don't want to go back here, not here.'

Her feet move of their own accord, as her mind screams and claws at the useless wall of her eyes. She doesn't stop, she doesn't hear, her focus never leaves those blue eyes.

Cold metal touches skin. "Kill her, or you die. Price your life. Pay for your incompetence, pay... For your freedom."

She knows without seeing. Her grandfather stands behind her, pistol drawn to her skull, ever ready to make her body join the river.

Shaking, rattling, ice cold against the heat of a beating heart. She can't raise this pistol, she won't. How could she? Not Mirna. No, no. Not Mirna.

But then, those blue eyes smile. Wrinkles form on lilac skin as words spill out in a voice that feels like home. "I have lived my life, now live yours."

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"What do you mean you don't know anything? How does the one person in charge of this place not know anything?!"

"Watch your tone." Blue eyes crackle in front of her. The asaris expression doesn't change, but a buzz of biotic tension flits between them. Gaia fights rolling her eyes as she takes a deep breath, Aria leaning back in her seat, legs crossing as she turns her head to gaze over the floor below them. "I may be the closest thing to a queen this damned place has, but that doesn't mean I control every rogue gaggle of Blood Pack that have taken action into their own hands."

Gaia's head snaps back to the asari, who is now smirking through a smile, hidden behind a glass. "Wait, what!"

"Hmm? Oh did I say something? Must have slipped my mind." There are days when Gaia wishes she was biotic; today was one of them, just to have the pleasure of smacking this arrogant asari around a few good times.

"I don't want games Aria. This is serious. You know I wouldn't be asking if it wasn't."

"Oh yes, I guess it was, as soon as you came storming in here asking for names." Aria sets her drink down and a playful innocence flits over her face, quickly replaced with a mischievous grin. "I thought you were done with this business. Taken to the quiet life, going straight. Huh." A small chuckle huffs out of her lungs. "As though you could escape your blood."

"I really hate you sometimes."

"Trust me, the feelings mutual."

A sigh lifts her chest as Gaia rubs the migraine from her eyes. "You know I'll find out myself if you don't tell me. And you won't like how. Please Aria. I need to know who killed him."

"And what will you do with this, newfound information? You know I do prefer to keep conflicts to a minimum, at least," A huff of laughter and a crooked smile "Outside of the regular gang activities. And as far as I'm aware, you left your daddies little... Business. When those idiots find out I told you they would just get more angry at me than they already are. And I do not need any more trouble in my life, I have enough as it is."

Gaia drops her gaze, frustration and defeat dragging down her will. "I did leave. I would never...." Her voice trails off. Five years she had been running away from her family, her blood, how could she have honestly thought she could keep out forever?

"I'm going to find out, and I'm going to kill whatever sick-minded snake decided it was a good idea to kill a friend of the Saywards." Gaia doesn't even spare the asari a glance, turning on her heels and marching down the stairs.

A proud smile softly touches Arias's lips, a wave of her hand and a few hush whispers to Grizz and the turian quickly goes to follow the young woman. "Ya know, for a human, you're not that bad kid. I wish you'd have let me make you something in this world." The asaris eyes follow her as Gaia walks out of the club, recognizing all too well her fire and grit.

The door clicks shut behind her, the soft hum of electronics quieting down as she leans back against it, a soft sigh escaping her breath. Tired, so tired, weeks worth of change is bottled up inside of her. So much is different than just a month before.

"KELLICK!" A loud crash echoes into the back room, as a cloud of dust rushes in. God, what has he gotten himself into this time?

Mumbles of pain mix with bursts of laughter as Gaia tentatively peaks into the next room, where she finds Kellick laid out on the floor covered in yellow paint, and his crest pushed through the slats of a ladder.

Ok, I see why Lunette is laughing now.

Biting her lip, Gaia tries to hold back her laughter, at least until she can see if he's hurt. "Kellick, what on Earth are you doing? I didn't even know I had a ladder, let alone the paint."

Lunette has now officially lost it, she's laughing almost to the point of tears, leaning on the store counter to even stay standing. "Oh my god Gaia, it was glorious. He got bored, and decided to rearrange things, and then found a bunch of random shit in the back. Next thing I know he's like this."

"Are you going to keep telling your story or are you going to help me?" Oh God, he's stuck IN the ladder, yellow paint dripping down his plates, as he does his best turian impression of a scowl.

"You dumbass, it's your fault you're like that in the first place. I told you not to go snooping around." Lunette shakes her head, crossing her arms, still fighting back laughs.

Gaia runs her hand over his face, trying to wipe off as much of the paint off as she could, but mostly only managing to smear it more. "Oh Kellick, this is going to take you forever to get out of your plates."

Huffing a sigh the poor kid looks up at the ceiling, tilting his head back in a vain attempt to unstick himself. "Well, that's just great ain't it?" Giving up he lets out one last huff before falling back onto the ladder with a clank. The dramatic effect was greatly lessened by the mere fact that he currently looks like someone flipped over a yellow turtle.

A few hours of cleanup later and the shop looks good as new, minus a few extra blotches of yellow that refuse to come out, Gaia just says it adds character anyway.

"I'm sorry Gaia, I didn't mean to make such a mess. It probably put you behind on order. I'll help you out with anything you need to catch up this week."

"Kellick, it's alright. Really. I'm just glad nothing happened beyond a bit of spilled paint. You're not invincible ya know?"

Lunette laughs at that. "No, but he definitely thinks he is."

The three of them all end up sitting together on the floor in silence. The feel of cold tiles on her palms somehow eases away so much stress and worry, as Gaia leans back on her hands. No words are spoken, but an air of sad understanding fills the room.

Since their father's death Gaia has been doing everything she can to try and help take care of the turian kids. She visits them almost every day and helps with whatever they need. To help them keep up on rent, she hired them both, Lunette helps run the front taking care of customers and taking orders while Kellick helps Gaia in the back with the heavy lifting.

A lot has changed, but by God Gaia wasn't about to leave them alone. Pains touch her chest as she looks between the two, their heads low, fiddling with fingers and clothes. She is going to give them justice, no matter what it takes. She will hunt for as long as she needs to until they get the closure they need.

Even if that means, becoming the person she no longer wants to be.