The Alenko Family Home, Vancouver, Saturday

"...And that's her at twelve," Abby said, smiling down at the picture. "She'd just climbed up the neighbor's tree and shaken the branches until the bugs came out. Our mother was so angry, but dad, he just smiled and said, 'I never liked that neighbor anyway'." She looked at it a little bit longer, and then reached out and turned off the screen. "Sorry," she said. "This visit... was kind of an impulse thing. I would've brought more if I'd thought it through. And I definitely wouldn't have inconvenienced your family by staying here."

"It's fine," Kaidan said.

He was having trouble keeping his eyes dry.

"I appreciate that you stopped by anyway," he said. "I mean. I don't know how far out of your way we were, but..."

"I took a shuttle here from London," Abby admitted.

Kaidan blinked. "I thought you said you were in the neighborhood. London... London's on the other side of the planet."

Abby shrugged, and laughed sheepishly. She didn't sound like she'd been keeping entirely dry either, but Kaidan hadn't found it in him to look her in the eye while she was showing the pictures. Something... well, if it hadn't been for him-- anyway. "This is my first visit to Earth," she explained. "If you're from the colonies, this is the neighborhood."

He sat back. "Well, uh... in that case, welcome to Earth," he offered.

She cradled the picture frame in her hands. "I was invited here to talk about Ash," she admitted. "I mean... she's the first human to receive both the salarian Silver Dagger and the turian Nova Cluster, it's kind of a big deal. But it's weird being surrounded by all of these people who've heard of her, but never met her. Didn't know her until she was already dead and buried."

"I know what you mean," Kaidan said. "The Alliance has me stationed on Earth now. Not here. Somewhere quiet. Lots of people there, they've all had their own crosses to bear - Ash just becomes my pity party, you know?"

Abby shot him a wry look.

"Okay, okay," he said, "I should take that back before she decides to come back from the grave just to make me pay for saying that."

"And she would," Abby said.

"Yeah," Kaidan said, smiling a little. "She would. Maybe that's what I miss some days. Shepard - Shepard came by a lot to talk about it, after it happened. And that was good, that helped. But now that he's gone, I just keep thinking-- Ash would've never let me do this, you know? She would've rolled her eyes and said 'I miss the skipper too, LT, but I'm going to put a boot up your ass if you keep sulking like that.'"

"Oh god," Abby said, "I don't even know what she'd think of me showing up here, talking her up to complete strangers."

"She'd probably have been happy she didn't have to do it," Kaidan said wryly. "I mean, she'd be happy she finally beat the Williams curse. Real happy. But all that pomp and circumstance? She would've gone crazy."

"Probably started waving her shotgun around," Abby said wistfully, "Threatening to come after them with her boomstick."

"Yeah." Kaidan smiled, a little. It was so easy to picture it. And here, with this girl who was a lot like Ash and yet... completely different, it became even easier.

"Anyway," Abby said, rubbing at her arm. "I need to go. My ride off-planet leaves in a couple of hours."

Kaidan nodded. "I'll get you to the station," he said. "It was... I'm really glad you came here to talk to me. I mean-- it was good. I'm glad." He took a deep breath. "And if you or your sisters need to talk to me again about everything that happened... or you need anything else... feel free to come find me, okay?"

She got up to her feet. "I will. Thanks," she said. "And... thanks for everything you've told me about her. About what happened. It's... I feel better now."

The corner of Kaidan's mouth tugged up a tiny bit. "Yeah," he said. "Me too."

[[ establishy again. ]]