Happily Ever After And Then Some

Family Reunion

Shelby furrowed her brow in confusion at Dannie. "22 years? What are you talking about, Dannie?"

Dannie bumped the man's arm, encouraging him to speak. "You really don't remember me, do you?" The man's voice was smooth, and a bit deep.

"No. Sorry." Shelby said with a little shake of her head. Garrus was standing just behind her, and to the side a bit, watching intently.

"I used to always mess up my b's and p's so I just called you Shelly."

Shelby's features softened as a look of pure shocked disbelief spread over her features, she was absolutely speechless. Garrus looked to her in surprise, he knew why Shelby was so shocked just based off what she had always told him.

"You thought I was dead." The man added.

"My God." Shelby's voice wobbled out as her eyes watered and she covered her dropped jaw with her hands. "Dan." She said as a tear of joy ran down her cheek and her legs started to give out on her, so Garrus quickly caught her and helped her stand back up.

"Hey, Shelly." Dan smiled out.

Shelby ignored the shaking in her legs, ran over the few steps over to Dan and tightly wrapped her arms around him.

"I thought you were dead."

"I thought YOU were dead." Dan said as he tightly hugged his older sister.

After a moment, Shelby pulled back and smiled at Dan as she put her hands on his cheeks. "You're all grown up. How are you even here?"

"I was hit with a piece of concussive ricocheted debris. I wasn't actually shot. But I did have to witness mom and dad give their lives to save me. Just as the Batarian that killed them was coming for me, he was shot through the head, and it hit off the house. It broke off a piece of the siding, hit the back of my head, and it was enough to knock me unconscious. Next thing I know, I'm waking up in Huerta Memorial with Aunt May and Uncle Ben at my bedside. They took me home to live with them and Dannie in Tennessee. Dannie and I both graduated and we decided to stick together for a while, so we both ended up here. Now, tell me how you managed to escape death."

Shelby scoffed lightly a bit. "If you want to get technical, I WAS dead for two years. Cerberus got ahold of whatever was left of my body, and brought me back to stop the collectors. Then I went back to the Alliance and destroyed the reapers, where I got out barely alive."

"So, you're like a zombie?" Dannie asked, not quite getting the concept.

Shelby chuckled a bit in amusement. "No. I'm 100% alive, I assure you. No parts damaged, missing or donated. I'm me. I was just dead first."

"Then she laid at death's door AGAIN after the final battle." Garrus pointed out.

"Yeah. But I lived."

"You got hit by a Reaper beam!"

"Didn't we already go over this?" She asked with an amused smile.

"Not with us, you didn't." Dannie pointed out.

"Okay, okay." Shelby said and explained her position in the war and how it brought her within death's grasp. "I was hospitalized for six months and the doctors didn't think I'd make a full recovery like I did. I wasn't exactly in a rush to back on my feet though since I didn't have to worry about the reapers at our door."

"And while you took your sweet time, the whole crew was recovering from the heart attacks you gave us." Garrus teased her.

"Sorry. I didn't exactly plan on getting Reaper beamed." She said with an amused smile.

"So, this is your boyfriend?" Dan asked curiously.

"Husband." Shelby smiled out.

"Garrus Vakarian. It's great to meet you, Dan. I've heard a lot about you." Garrus smiled out and stuck out his hand.

"It's great to meet you too, Garrus." Dan smiled out as he shook Garrus' hand.

"When was the big day, Shelly?"

"Two weeks ago."

"Is he good to you? Do you love him?"

"Daniel." Shelby chuckled out with a 'come on now' manner.

"What? I'm the brother. It's my job."

"Fair enough. Si y si." She smiled out.

Garrus smiled at Shelby and wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

"Has Shelby taught you Spanish yet, Garrus?" Dannie asked curiously.

"Not officially. But she uses it enough that I can pick up a handful of words."

"That's still great." Dannie smiled out.

"Has she at least taught you what Te amo means?" Dan asked curiously.

Garrus smiled. "Of course. It means "I love you." That's normally how she tells me that."

"Good girl, Shelly." Dan said with a little smile and a nod of approval.

When Shelby and Garrus got back to their hotel room late that night, they had planned out half of their trip spending time with Dan and Dannie, which they were both looking forward to. Shelby went over and laid on the bed to wait for Garrus to get changed into his pj's and wound up falling asleep in 15 minutes that he was gone with her day clothes still on. Garrus saw her when he came out of the bathroom and smiled. He took off her denim jacket and shoes for her, leaving her in a nice t-shirt and skinny jeans. Garrus pulled back the covers and got into bed with Shelby without disturbing her.

"I'll see ya tomorrow Shel." He quietly smiled out and cuddled up to her before falling asleep.