[Book Four] Chapter 33: Shepard family problems

Chapter 33: Shepard family problems

The council had, of course, given their permission to modify the Andromeda Mass Relay. Instantaneous travel to Andromeda instead of two months; no one in their right mind would have objected.
So after spending a few days with his mom on Omega to catch up, Rick went back to the Celeste for the journey. The students were hyped at the opportunity to visit another galaxy and so were his employees for the most part. With the Relay and the Cassiopeia in sync the communication became also instantaneous, using the subspace corridor to transmit them.

After sending a message of warning of their arrival, Rick spends the few days until the departure relaxing with his family. Most notably Miranda whose job was picked up temporarily by Sandra. Rick had to admit, his daughter was a perfect mix between her parents and never stopped being impressed and proud by what she did. More often than not, flawlessly. She had figuratively torn apart with a smile a businessman that had tried to talk his way out of paying for the technology he had bought by using a technicality. She threw the whole book at him. Because of her youth he thought he could intimidate her and get his way, not bothering to be polite and professional but instead condescending and slipping some sexual comments. He couldn’t have been more wrong. Once she was done with him, he was out of job less than an hour later and Sandra received a call from the boss of the company himself, apologizing with a taint of fear in his voice.

When they arrived in Andromeda they were immediately contacted by Cassiopeia’s security.

“This is C-sec. Identify yourself.”
“Rick Wald. I’m sending my clearance code. Waiting for confirmation.” he replied and waited a few seconds.
“Clearance code confirmed. Welcome home, boss, though we were expecting you in two months not in four days and not with the Celeste.”
“We found a way to make the journey instantaneous.”
“Holy shit. I-I mean, congratulations!”
“Thank you.” he answered with a chuckle.
“We have a problem, boss. The Celeste…”
“Is too big to dock on to the Cass. It’s fine, we’re just passing by and will land on Ryder.”
“Understood, boss. Safe travel.”

Cutting the communication off, Rick signaled EDI to bring them to Ryder to which they were there in no time. Once there he had to identify himself and the Celeste to get authorization to land in the middle of the lake.

“It’s a beautiful world.” Kahlee commented.
“Now that we exterminated the giant venomous snake, yes.”
“I forgot about that!” the blonde woman exclaimed then turned to him to give him a piece of her mind when he stopped her by a hand gesture.
“It was me or Arianna.”
“...Still.”
“I’m not going to explore anymore, so don’t worry. The most dangerous thing I encounter now is a small static shock in the lab. Now come on let’s update the children translator with Jardaan’s language and talk to the one in charge of the colony.”

With that they took a shuttle from the ship to go to the town’s hall where to his surprise, JaaRen’Lo was present.

“That ship is gigantic.”
“It is, that’s because it’s a boarding school.”
“A school?”
“Yes, the best school in the Milky Way. Each species sends their most brilliant students there because we provide the best teachings.”
“What kind of teachings?”
“Everything. From art to warfare.”
“Impressive.”
“Just so you know, the Jardaan can send their promising young people there too. Perk of being part of the council species.”
“I’m sure our people will be very interested. Those that have money at least.”
“Oh! Money has nothing to do with it. The education is free.”

“Free?”
“Yes. My company makes so much money that I can afford to offer free education. Anything the students or teachers need, I provide. Some government or private businessmen and women make some donations too but it’s mainly me.”
“I see. But why a ship?”
“Some disciplines, like archeology or biology to name a couple, need field trips. So the Celeste, that’s the ship name, journeys through the Milky Way to provide the best study environment to the students. Plus they see different cultures and corners of space.”
“You thought of everything.”
“Not everything but I admit, a lot. I’m sure if you ask my sister she would gladly give your people a tour.”
“Your sister?”
“The blonde woman over there talking with Olassa. I may be the owner of the school but she’s the one in charge, the headmistress. Want me to introduce you?”
“Gladly.”

____________________________________________________________

After the introduction and seeing he was not needed anymore, Rick went back to the Celeste to pick up his daughters. Analysse was delighted that she could skip class for a ‘family emergency’ but Sandra proved to be difficult. She had work to do and couldn’t get out of it easily. Until, Rick simply picked her up on his shoulder with his youngest under his arm, kicked open Miranda’s office door, told her he was borrowing the girls and went on his way to the Normandy with a giggling Analysse and a protesting Sandra. After three slap on her ass, the latter kept quiet and resigned herself to her fate. The Normandy exited the lower part of the Celeste and raised from under the lake’s water before departing for the Cassiopeia where this time they could dock.

Still carrying his girls he brought them home.

“ADAM! HELP!” Sandra pleaded at the sight of her favorite brother.

Rick’s eldest son, chuckled at the sight as he was drinking a beer on the couch and got up. He challenges his father in a staring contest for a moment, before relieving him of Analysse and backing away.

“TRAITOR!”
“I love you sis but dad is not the kind of trouble I can’t get you out of.”
“Eh! Smart boy!” Rick said with a smirk. “Could you take Ana and go pick Siobhan from school? I think it’s time the two reunite.”
“YAY!”
“Sure, dad.”
“Thanks, Adam.”

He waited for Adam and his charge to exit the room to put Sandra from his shoulder to the couch where he sat and made her rest her head in his lap where he began to let his fingers run through her beautiful black hair.

“...”

“...”
“What the hell, dad?” S andra whispered, liking what he was doing.
“I don’t know.”
“You don’t know?”
“I just wanted to bring Ana and you here and spend some time with you like this.”
“...Weirdo.”
“And proud of it.” he replied with an infectious cheeky smile. “But if you don’t like it…” he said and stopped what he was doing before Sandra protested.
“You don’t get to kidnap me for your twisted pleasure and stop in the middle! Finish properly!”

He smiled further and went back to what he was doing. They stayed there in silence, Sandra loving having her dad all to herself for a short while and being taken care of. Rick could swear she was loving it so much that she purred a bit.

“Sooooo…..”
“So?”
“Now that we’re alone, without you mothers watching your every move… Is there anything you want to talk about?”
“...Not really why?”
“I don’t know, I just want to hear anything you have in mind, good or bad. I want my baby girl to be able to talk freely to me about whatever comes and goes through her pretty head. What makes her happy, what troubles her. I also want her to relax.”
“... I’m pissed that my dad left for three years, nearly four.” she said with only a hint of reproach.
“You chose to stay.”
“I know but I wish you’d have made the same choice. I know it’s selfish but…”
“It’s alright. There is nothing wrong with being selfish from time to time.”
“...”
“...”
“I saw you and mom a few years ago…You know, doing…” she revealed, dropping a bomb.
“Oh… Do you need therapy for dealing with it? It can be pretty traumatic.”
“Perhaps but not for the reason you think.”
“I see… Or rather, I don’t. Why would you need therapy if not for the obvious then?”
“It… aroused me…” she whispered so low he almost didn’t hear it.
“That’s normal, it…”
“No! I mean… I wanted to be in mom’s place. The way she looked… she was truly beautiful… She was truly happy and… I wanted the same thing. To be in her position with you ordering me around, servicing. I mean… at the moment it was you because you were my reference but…”
“You’re a submissive then.”
“I thought so.”
“You’re not sure?”
“No, because I wanted to be in your place too. Being the one in control.”
“Oh! You’re a switch then. Like me.”
“A switch? Is that the word for it?”
“Yes. Someone who likes to dominate but also likes being dominated.”
“I see.”
“I’m surprised you didn’t speak of that with your mothers.”
“I… couldn’t. Momma is open minded but not really knowledgeable or into it. Mom is… I didn’t want to embarass her or make her feel bad, making her think that it was her fault or something. And I was pretty embarrassed too.”
“Not with me?”
“No, never with you. I feel like… I could tell you anything and you wouldn’t judge me, you’d just listen.”
“You’re correct in that though you didn’t come forward.”
“Like I said: embarrassed.”
“I’ll give you links to some extranet research to know more about it. Real links to real articles, not some fantasy power trip from a three hundred pound dude that fantasizes the thing in his sick mind.”
“Thank you.”
“Anything else?”
“Just… I think I’ll be single my whole life.”
“Come on, you’re nineteen you have your whole life in front of you to find the right guy or girl.”
“Guy but I know I won’t because none of them can hold a candle to you. They’re not a hundredth of the man you are. That makes things impossible.”
“Nothing is impossible, San…”

He was cut off by Sandra bringing his head down and hers rising up. Their lips met for a moment then separated.

“Leeha is not the only one with a serious father complex. I love you, dad.”
“... You said that...”
“I lied.”
“...”
“...”
“I'm going to get in so much trouble with your mom for this… Sandra, I’m your father…” he said softly trying to let her down gently.
“I’m a Shepard. We are Shepard.”
“Sandra…”
“I don’t care.” she said as she raised herself from his lap and sat in it leaning back against his shoulder. “We are what we are. There is no use in denying it. It’s in our blood.”
“... I really failed at being a father.” he said mournfully.
“You did not! You’re the best! That’s why I love you!” she exclaimed, turning herself to face him and grabbed his shirt tightly. The seriousness in genuinity in her eyes couldn’t be missed nor mistaken.

Before he could answer the door opened and Adam with his youngest sisters in each hand came in. Siobhan saw Sandra and ran towards her to hug her.

“Sandy!”
“Hey, Shoobie-doo! How are you doing?”
“I got to skip class thanks to Ana and Adam, so great!”

 
Sandra smiled at that and any display of emotions from a few seconds earlier was gone so were any thoughts about it about the conversation. Rick had to silently admit that she was very quick to adapt and did the same though the conversation never left his mind leaving it quite a bit out of everything happening around him. He didn’t even notice the rest of the family coming in.

____________________________________________________________

“So what has gotten you so focused?”
“...”
“I think you need more than just a question to have him back among us, Jane.” said Ashley who turned to her side in bed and kissed her husband square on the lips. After being unresponsive at first for a few seconds, he answered in kind. She knew at that moment it was time to pull back. “Are you back with us, now?”
“Sorry… I just…”
“Had a lot on your mind. We saw that. The question is about what?” questioned Jane.
“... I’m not sure if I should talk about it… It was shared in confidence.”
“Could that threaten our family?” This time it was Ashkey who asked.
“... I don’t know, possibly?”
“Then if there is a possibility, you ought to share. It’s not like we’re going to scream it into the coms all over the station.” argued the redhead.

Rick took a moment to think about it. On one hand, he needed advice because he couldn’t deal with it alone, on the other he wanted to protect his daughter from her aunts’ judgment. In the hand he opted to talk, the consequences of not doing it were more important and could be more disastrous.

“Sandra is… A Shepard through and through.”
“A Shepard through and… Oh. Oh! Ooooooh!” Jane exclaimed in realization.
“Adam?” Ashley asked but Rick shook his head negatively.
“It’s you, isn’t it?”
“... Yeah…” he replied in a whisper.
“Are you sure?”
“She kissed me and if that wasn’t enough, Jane, the look in her eyes said it all.”
“And it’s a problem because? You’re already having sex with your sister and mother.”
“Ash, the difference is… Our mom is the last one from her generation. She doesn’t have any siblings or cousins, neither do we. So far it’s on the adult side of things that it’s happening.” explained Jane then Rick explained further.
“She has plenty of siblings, some still very young. It could screw the dynamic of the family up… And that’s from an objective point of view. Subjectively… I’m her dad! I shouldn’t… I should threaten her suitors, walk her down the aisle, protect her from predators and not… take her innocence away.”
“Okay, lover, I’m stopping you right there. Arianna? She may need you like that. The protective dad and all. Sandra? Sandra was ready to survive and deal with the world on her own ever since she was a kid. She got your cunning mind after all. And now that she’s an adult she doesn’t need you to protect her anymore.  Now about the family… yeah it could be bad. They’re all too young. The boys may look at you differently and Leeha… Let’s not begin with her.”

“Does everyone but me know that she had a father complex too?!”
“Yeah, kinda. I’m not sure about Adam but the boys definitely don't know. Anyone else? As big as the nose on a face.”
“Should we talk to mom about this? Maybe she…”
“Hell, no! The one idea she will get into her head would be to have her way with Sandra and nothing else.”
“...Probably but she may have some insight. Grandpa was her first after all. She may know what Sandra is thinking and feeling.”
“Your family is really special.” Ashley joked.
“Maybe it’s really genetic. I should check it just in case. We can’t go on like this. Sure gene therapy exists but constant inbreeding? It will come to a point where all genes are bad and nothing can be done about it.”
“That’s… a good idea actually. Do that, while I’ll talk with mom.”
“Jane…”
“I’ll make sure she understands she needs to keep her mouth shut about this.”

Rick let out a tired sigh then suddenly got out of bed.

“What are you doing?” Ashley asked.
“I need some air and time to think.”

Ashley and Jane exchanged a look but didn’t say anything, watching Rick dressed up and leave their bedroom.

____________________________________________________________

Days passed and Rick tried his very best to not be alone with Sandra. Not because he was scared to be with her or uncomfortable but because he didn’t have any answer to give her. The easiest way for him to do that was to lock himself in his lab and work on the nanomachines whose development was advancing quite nicely or his new secret project when he was fed up with the former. He was so stuck in his own mind that he never noticed that Sandra and Analysse went back to Celeste the day before.
Taking a break for lunch he went to Arianna’s lab which was a few rooms down and was pleasantly surprised when as he entered he saw his daughter in the middle of a kiss with Sara Ryder. Not missing the opportunity he quickly took a picture with his omni-tool to immortalize the moment. He did so just in time as the two young ladies broke away from each other, smiling stupidly at each other.

“So, it’s official then?” he asked from the entrance leaning against the door frame. Sara kept her cool but Arianna jumped in surprise.
“DADDY!”
“Daddy? The brunette repeated.
“She never really grew out of it. Though now she only calls me like that in private or when her emotions are all over the place. Like right now.” explained Rick with a chuckle.
“That’s cute!”
“I know right! It always makes me feel like the best dad in the world.”
“Daaaaad!”
“So, Sara… Are you my daughter’s girlfriend now?”
“Yes, or at least I hope so, sir.”
“Of course you are!” shouted Arianna with conviction.
“You can drop the sir, Sara. Just call me Rick or if it’s too familiar for you Boss is good enough.”
“Boss it is, Boss!” the brunette replied in a chirpy tone.
“So was that your first kiss?”
“We were not!”
“What is that then, Arianna?” he said using his omni-tool to display the picture he had just taken.
“Daaaaaaad!” she shouted, clearly embarrassed as she went to him and tried to get access to his omni-tool to erase the evidence. He didn’t give her the pleasure and from behind Sara was laughing at their antics.
“It goes right into your family album. Titled ‘Arianna first kiss with her first girlfriend.’ ”
“Noooo!” she yelled.
“Oh come on! It’s an important moment in anyone’s life. It’s rare to have a picture of it, you’re lucky. Sara, what do you think?”
“That I’d like to have a copy, boss.” she answered with a smile.
“Sara!”
“Oh, I’m liking you girl. Maybe I won’t have to threaten you to take good care of my baby girl.”
“You’re her father, so it’s your privilege, but not really necessary.”
“Yeah, I’m liking you more and more.”
“Dad! Enough! What do you need?”
“I wanted to have lunch with my eldest daughter but I guess she already has other plans.”
“Yes!” / “No.” the young women replied  at the same time then shared a look.
“I came here to invite her for lunch too, then one thing led to another and you came in.”
“How about we’re all having lunch together?”
“Works for me.”
“Sara… Are you sure? My dad is…”
“Don’t tell me, I want to find out for myself. I’ve read the stories, saw the series but I want to make my own opinion of him.”
“... Arianna, if you don’t marry that girl I’m adopting her into the family.”
“DAAAD!”

____________________________________________________________

The lunch the three had together went well. Arianna had been mostly quiet and apprehensive as she listened and watched her girlfriend and her father talk normally about their own experience in life. Until Rick made a particular comment.

“You know  that’s a funny situation you’re in, Arianna.”
“How so?”
“Sara is technically three years younger than me yet she’s two years younger than you physically. I don’t know if you’re into older women or younger… I’m confused.”
“... I… never ever thought about this. Only you would think of something weird like that, dad.”
“Or you. You got my way of thinking. You’re a weirdo too, sweetie.”
“I’m not!”
“You totally are, Ari.” said Sara.
“Traitor!”
“Not really. I think it’s adorable. I mean… That’s what attracted me to you in the first place after your red hair.”
“Redhead for the win!” shouted Rick and presented his fist to Sara for a bump which she did.
“Hell! Yeah!”
“I can’t believe this…”
“What? Your girlfriend and dad hitting it off?” inquired Sara.
“Yes!”
“Sweetie, people would kill to be in your place right now. And for once I’m glad I don’t have to break bones of a cocky little shit.”
“What?”
“Oh, Arianna didn’t tell you? She entered Celeste Academy at university level at eight. By the time she was fifteen and already looking like the prettiest student around there were lines of suitors trying to date her…”
“It was annoying. The only thing I wanted to do was study, so I told them all, if they could beat my dad then I wouldn’t mind going on a date. Ninety% of them fled.”
“And the ten percent left tried, I assume?”
“Yeah. I stopped counting after one hundred. In the end my own students were so sorry for those idiots that they took care of them discreetly before they came to me.”
“Really? I never knew that!”
“Ari, your whole biotic class saw you as their little sister and took up the job to protect you from behind the scene.”
“God… That explains so many things… Like some jerk that bothered me one day and the day after kept his distance. I thought it was you at first then dismissed it, you clearly didn’t know anything.”
“While I always kept an eye on you, directly or indirectly, I have never interfered in any way in your school life. Except with your suitors coming my way.”
“Thanks, dad.” she said and her father simply winked at her.

Lunch went on after that and Sara was invited to come over for breakfast or dinner, as long as she called in first. It was an offer that she accepted gladly and in the years to come the days where she was absent were less than the days when she was present.