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It’s a grueling battle, just the three of them against a legion of enchanted wolves and spiders, a black-masked assassin, and the vampire lord calling himself the Illusive Man - and on his home turf, Cronos Castle, no less. But finally Jane Shepard, Garrus Vakarian, and Tali’Zorah vas Normandy were able to wipe the blood and the grime from their boots, victorious.
“What do we do with it now?” Tali asked as they dragged the last corpse to the pyre. “I mean, it seems a shame to just let a whole castle go to waste. But maybe I’m just biased given how long my people have wandered, looking for a place to settle down.”
“I think we must have killed every last monster and sprung every last trap in this place,” Garrus noted. “So it’s probably safe to stay the night, at least. I’m spent.”
Shepard sighed. “We did tell Joker not to come back until the morning,” she grumbled. “Let’s at least camp in the courtyard. Nice and open out there. Like old times.”
They managed to sleep, through dint of their exhaustion if nothing else, all three snugged together close against the chilly night air. A new day dawned, and somehow the castle looked less terrifying in the morning. Its towers seemed less ominous; its shadows just shadows, not dens of foul beasts. “Let’s do a proper search in the daylight,” Garrus suggested. “See if there was anything we missed. Like a place to take a decent bath.”
“Suitable for the blood of virgins, don’t you think?” Tali teased as they discovered the Illusive Man’s private chambers and massive bath. A pulley system in the next room led to a well for ease of filling and heating the water, and with everyone working together, the massive, round, brass tub was filled with the three of them and nice, mundane water.
“I wouldn’t know anything about the blood of virgins,” Shepard said with a sigh, sluicing water through her hair, making a disgusted face at the filth and gore that washed out. “But it is damned comfortable.”
“Yeah,” Tali agreed, and took her turn with the cake of soap, scrubbing everywhere she could reach. “We should keep it.”
“In all seriousness, Shepard…you probably could keep the castle.” Garrus pointed out, rubbing his sore feet under the warm water. “I doubt the Illusive Man left a host of heirs, and you’d probably do better by the local vassals than he did.”
“What do you think? Are we ready to settle down then?” Shepard turned to let Garrus wash her back, savoring the touch.
“Monster-slaying’s a young woman’s game, Shepard,” Tali pointed out. “And so is raising a family.” She rubbed her bare belly meaningfully.
Shepard’s eyes widened and she instinctively pressed her hand below her lover’s navel, letting Tali cover it with her own hand. “You’re…” Tali nodded. “Well, damn. I mean, I never thought about protection, what with the whole Daywalker thing, but…” Shepard leaned back against the side of the massive tub. “That would be one way to have an heir, I guess.”
“Didn’t think the two of us would want to spend the rest of our lives with you, Shepard? I’m devastated,” Garrus teased.
“I did,” she muttered. “I just didn’t think the rest of our lives was going to be very long.” Tali and Garrus each kissed her, tender and comforting, one on each cheek. “Fuck, you’re going to be a mom! You’re going to be a dad! I’m… I’m gonna be a mom.” She rubbed the tears from her eyes. “Let’s celebrate, and then get dressed before Joker gets here. And then…” she gazed around the room, “I reckon we got a new home to redecorate.”