The greenhouse was one of the first structures Glen built while planning Shepard's home. Shepard planned to live on Rannoch for the rest of his life, Glen perhaps longer, so the ability to produce fresh food was a must. The large, circular room was in the center of the living quarters, and extended to the very top of the home.
A small artificial stream split the greenhouse in half, separating the dextro plants from the levo plants. Glen had made several trips to a small moon two systems from Rannoch to get enough levo-nutrient dirt to grow the cornucopia of fruits, veggies, and mushrooms that had become a staple of both John and Glen's diet. There were several fruit trees on the top level, apples mostly, though Glen hadn't been able to resist growing a banana tree.
That day, however, Glen was busily working in the dextro side of the greenhouse, second floor. There were a few plants there, mostly transferred crops from the live-ship, though Tali herself had discovered a few local plants and shrubs that produced edible fruit. Still, there was plenty of room for Glen to plant the first strawberry sprouts. Screep assured her that the plants had adapted enough to absorb nutrients from the dextro soil, though apparently they would need several more treatments as they went.
Glen just finished packing dirt around the final strawberry plant when she heard the sound of a door sliding open above her, followed by Tali's voice. "Oh! Hi, Glen! I didn't expect to see you working this side of the greenhouse."
Tali was standing just outside the scrubber chamber connecting her and John's part of the house to the greenhouse. She knelt beside Glen, presumably to get a look at the new plants.
"Ah, Tali." Glen said, thinking quickly. "Found these little guys while I was checking the support beams under the house this morning. Liked the look of them."
Glen glanced at Tali to see if she was buying her story, and was surprised to see her friend undoing the last of the clasps of her mask. It let out a soft hiss as she removed it, revealing the smooth gray skin and gentle lines of her face. A mass of black hair tumbled down as she pulled the rest of the helmet from her head and let out a sigh.
Glen stared; she'd seen Tali's face before, but only in a picture John misplaced a few months previous.
"Damn." Glen said, "No wonder he wanted it back so badly."
"Excuse me?"
Glen tore her gaze away from her friend's face. "Just thinkin' out loud. Um …I know I've got scrubbers installed on all the doors here, but is it okay for you to have your mask off around me?"
"Gene therapist's orders." Tali said. "They feel taxing my system a little might help the therapy start taking. Besides …" Tali blushed slightly, the purple tinge in her gray skin more noticeable on her cheeks. "You're family. If anything, we should've done this earlier."
Blushing herself, Glen said, "I'm honored Tali, really, but in here? With all the dirt and plants?"
"Keelah, Glen, you sound just like John. I survived far worse back on Earth after that mobile transport nearly squashed us flat.
"That's …" Sighing, Glen rubbed the back of her head and said, "That's a good point. Just … if you start feeling a little stuffy-"
"I'll put my mask back on." Tali promised, laying a reassuring hand on Glen's arm. "I'll be fine."
"Strong girl." Glen thought as Tali picked up a set of pruners and looked over the plants for signs of wilting.
It had been nothing short of a miracle that Tali survived the injuries she received on Earth during that final run. Glen still remembered the look on John's face as the Normandy took off, leaving them to make it to the Crucible. Glen shook her head; hard to imagine
Shaking her head, Glen asked, "So, you have a chance to catch up with Kasumi?"
"A little. She wants to go shopping later."
"Not sure what she has in mind is technically shopping."
"Actually, I was hoping that you and Liara would come with us." Tali said it in an off-handed way, but Glen could see her friend's hand tremble ever so slightly. "I, um … I want to pick up something for John. It's our anniversary soon."
"Oh?" Glen cocked her head to the side. "A nice dress, perhaps? Something scarlet, silky, and strapless?"
Tali's cheeks darkened ever so slightly. "You think so?"
Glen opened her mouth to reply when a blast of water caught her full in the face. Tali let out a surprised squeal as she too was caught off-guard by the automated sprinklers. The two scrambled out of the main door, the scrubber making a faint humming sound as they passed. Glen stifled a laugh as Tali tried in vain to stop the spray with her hands.
"Fighting a losing battle there, girl." Glen said, "Best to just get outta here."
"R-right! C'mon; my room's closest."
They hurried back into John and Shepard's part of the home. Tali quickly excused herself before rushing into the bathroom, leaving Glen dripping just outside the scrubber, staring at John and Tali's living room. Glen made certain that their section of the home was the largest, and even built much of their furniture. A long horizontal window looked out over the plains where John once felled a Reaper with nothing more than a targeting lazer. The imprint on the canyon floor from where the creature's shattered husk landed was still faintly visible, now partially overgrown with the tall amber grass that grew everywhere on the planet.
Tali emerged from the bathroom in a fluffy purple robe. She handed Glen a thick blue towel before continuing to dry her own hair.
"Thanks." Glen said before doing her best to dry off, at least enough to stop dripping on the carpet. Her eyes caught on Tali's bare hand.
"No more suit today?" Glen asked.
Tali sighed and shook her head. "This isn't like the suit I used back when we were on the Normandy; I can't just isolate sections off, and believe me when I say that the water got everywhere."
"Still feeling okay?"
"I'm fine." Tali said with a resigned sigh. "Wasn't there supposed to be a warning before the sprinklers activated?"
"Yeah," Glen said, drying her feet. "A loud one too, I made sure of it; I don't like getting sprayed in the face anymore than you do. I'll look into it."
Glen headed for the door, only for Tali to quickly step in her path. "You don't have to go right now, do you? I mean, it's not like it's a major problem, and you've been so busy lately, I was hoping we could, y'know, hang out for a little while. While my suit dries, y'know."
Glen gave her friend a curious look. "You got something in mind?"
Tali practically bounced over to the couch and picked up two controllers. The main screen activated, showing the title screen of a game called, "The Sakamota Sisters."
Tali held out a controller, an expectant look in her eye.
Chuckling, Glen said, "All right, but I get to play Bethany."
"Deal."
Tali curled her legs under her as Glen took the seat beside her. Taking the controller, Glen added, "Oh, and about the shopping trip later …"
"Yes?"
"Think we can risk the door for another trip to Vinta?"
Tali's pale eyes brightened with her smile as Tali no doubt thought of the previous visit she and Glen took to the world Glen once (and would one day again) call home. "Ooh! Can we go to Muonsol again?"
Glen grinned. She'd noticed Tali's yearning looks the last time they were in Muonsol, where sweeping gowns of silk were in fashion. "Think I know just what you're looking for. We'll make sure Johnnie-boy remembers this anniversary for a long time."
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