Okay, I wrote this really quickly because it’s officially @aveline-the-dragon-slayer‘s birthday today and I wanted to get them something!! So a post ME3 short fic, featuring Dalila Shepard, Xavia Hale (their OC whom I love very much), Liara T’Soni and their daughter Heidi. I hope you like it, AJ!!! <3 <3 <3
Everyone forgot about birthdays while Dalila and Xavia were recovering. Dalila had just recuperated her ability to speak, and Xavia was now able to walk around a bit, with some medical help. When Xavia’s birthday came up, she was not expecting anything to happen. Technically, she had not even given that information to her girlfriends. However, she had noticed that since Dalila could talk, she asked what day it was, as if she kept forgetting it—or she was preparing something, making sure she did not sleep past the day she was awaiting.
On the day she knew it was her birthday, Liara walked in with their daughter in her arms, her great green eyes scanning the room and the people in it, a party hat on her head. Liara was wearing a matching one, and so was Dalila—although without the string around her neck to avoid damaging restoring tissues.
“Wh—what’s going on,” Xavia said, not even as a question.
Heidi reached out for Xavia to hold her. Liara stepped closer to her bed, and while passing their daughter to her, pressed a kiss to the top of Xavia’s head.
“Happy birthday, dear,” she said. Dalila echoed the wishes in a rougher voice, but a smile just as bright. Xavia stared at them all, with their dumb party hats and could not hold back her tears.
“I told you she’d cry,” Dalila said.
“Oh, don’t be smug now, darling,” Liara replied. “It’s hardly the time.”
Heidi wiped the tears on Xavia’s cheeks with small, adorable blue hands. “How did you even know it was my birthday?” she asked.
“I’m still a Spectre,” Dalila said. “I managed to get access to your file for…an important mission. I know it’s not much, but it’s hard to organize anything when we’re both in the same room pretty much all the time.”
Xavia laughed through her tears, “It’s perfect.”
The door opened, revealing Frieder and Kaidan coming through, wearing the same party hats, and respectively holding a cake and small gift bags.
“Kaidan had to pull a few strings to get this in,” Frieder said, referring to the cake, “but I knew they’d make an exception for Spectre Hale’s birthday.”
“He said ‘pull a few strings,’ but I really just had to ask to the reception… Really no big deal,” Kaidan added, lightly jabbing his husband in the ribs.
Xavia could not wipe the smile of her face. So many birthdays before—most of them, really—had gone unnoticed or flat-out ignored, but the most important people in her life decided to throw her a birthday party although no one was really in shape to celebrate anything. For once, she was speechless. She hid her face behind Heidi’s head, covered it in kisses.
“Aw,” Dalila reached for Liara’s hand. “Look honey, she doesn’t know what to say.”
“I just—” Xavia sharply inhaled. “Love you all so much.”
Liara smiled at her fondly. “We love you too.”