#tali on the other hand never had this but did have some resentment towards her for not coming with her as she tends to see aris as the last
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arolesbianism · 3 months ago
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I should rly start eternal gales posting again I need to make sure the ppl who follow me know how much Tali and Aris make me to insane so that the isat au can have its full effect but alas I am allergic to drawing the human eg cast like 99% of the time and rn the only thing stopping that from being 100% is that I like fucking around with different art styles sometimes
#rat rambles#oc posting#eternal gales#honestly most of the times that Ive drawn them in recent memory has been either because I needed to remake their refs or because I wanted#to change smth abt my human artstyle and needed to use them as my test dummies since making dure Im still calable of drawing them is vital#shout out to them for forcing me to start learning how to draw humans so I could neglect to give them basic features for years until#something or another forced me to give them another facial feature#but nowadays they have successfully earned noses eyebrows ears eyebrows again noses again and also fingernails ig#maybe I should try to redraw some old eg art at some point that might be easier#but yeah aris and tali are the favorite children most of the time I love putting them through the horrors#longggg story short aris's mom was abusive towards both of their dad and that lead to him rebounding onto tali's mom and then tali's mom#died during childbirth and tali has a bunch of health issues which lead to him becoming even more depressed and stressed and that's on top#of his ex stalking him and harrasing him while abusing aris whenever she had custody and while eventually she lost custody she still kept#threatening their dad until he died when the two were lil kids and the two moved with their shared grandparents who took the death of their#son rly poorly and it sparked a bunch of conflict between them leading to them divorcing and aris chose to stay with her grandpa while tali#left with her grandma and the two didnt interact for years until they ended up in the same online friendgroup and had an awkward reunion#the two have a complicated relationship for many reasons but one of the roots of their disconnect is that aris' mom Hated tali and heavily#demonized her and tried very hard to drill it into tiny aris' head that both tali and her dad were people she was supposed to hate#and while aris never hated either of them she did feel the pressure like she was supposed to even after her mother was gone#and she felt even more that way after tali left leading to her feeling very uncomfortable upon her popping up again#tali on the other hand never had this but did have some resentment towards her for not coming with her as she tends to see aris as the last#remnant of the happy family she feels she was supposed to have but lost#and after her grandma died and she was left to go through some horrific shit alone that comfort that the idea of aris brought began to#override any anger she may have felt towards aris and she clung onto aris rly hard after the two reunited even if for the first few years#aris was deliberately distant most of the time#aris ends up being struck Hard by guilt once the two actually meet in person again during the main plot due to a variety of reasons#but the big initial one is that first moment she has where she goes wait. did she always have prostetic legs. uh oh.#tali getting to play that fun game where she lives in enough of a high tech environment to have fairly fancy prosthetic limbs but not w#enough for them to feel like more than a hinderence most of the time#theyre heavy and clunky and it sucks to try to clean them because she has to keep one arm on at all times and this has lead to infections
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ncisjes · 5 years ago
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One Last Time
PAIRING: TIVA
Rating: A really light M. It’s in there but you can skip if you want.
FF.net
The door swings wide as the room key flies across the air, sliding across the table, and eventually somersaulting to the floor.
What a day.
Attempting to multitask, Tony feels out the lamp on the side table and somehow manages to turn it on without knocking it over while removing his suit jacket. He really did not understand the need to get dressed up and go to dinner, but Senior insisted they needed to break the monotony of eating room service every day. Even though the exhaustion from the past two weeks was starting to really wear on him, Tony reluctantly agreed to go out and have an authentic Italian meal.
Tali looked beautiful in the velvet maroon dress they had bought for her earlier that day. It was all smiles and giggles as she made art with her spaghetti. A handful of noodles in each palm, she decorated the table, the floor, Tony’s face, and even the waiter’s jacket with red sauce and pasta.
If Ziva were only here to see this.
Tony was grateful that Senior had agreed to keep Tali in his room for the night to allow Tony to get some much-needed rest. After a bath, singing lullabies, and tucking in Tali with her keh’lev, he walked mindlessly to his suite down the hall.
The nights were the worst for him. Only when Tali had drifted off to sleep would he allow himself to break his playful dad demeanor and let his mind race and wander to Ziva. At first, he felt lucky if he was able to sleep, but the dreams of her seemed to be even more encompassing than his thoughts. No matter how many times he thought or heard or said she was gone, it still felt like a knife to the heart each time.
Letting out a sigh, he began unbuttoning his shirt when suddenly the air thickened and every hair on his body stood at attention. Someone was watching him from behind. Before he could turn around to see who it was, a hand clasped over his mouth in a vice like grip and another forced a dagger against his throat. Reaching for the SIG he no longer carried, Tony quickly scanned the room for an object to use as a weapon. Warm air caressed his neck as his assailant began to speak.
“When I let you go, please try to keep your voice down.”
His whole body goes rigid at these words. He feels the release of the knife first and then his mouth, and for a moment he can’t bring himself to turn around.
Could it be?
Their eyes lock when he turns to face her. Time stops, and every emotion he has been burying the past few days washes over him. He can’t move. He can’t speak. He can’t breathe. His mind is racing with thoughts, but he can’t quite seem to grasp them. It’s almost as if he is waiting for her to disappear again; for this all to be an illusion. Slowly shutting his eyes, Tony takes a deep exhale knowing this moment will be over as soon as his eyes open. When she is still standing there, his mouth seems to move on its own.
“Ziva…” he whispers.
She gives him a small but begrudging smile before responding, “Hello, Tony.”.
They stand in silence for a few moments more as Tony is still in disbelief that this is happening. It really doesn’t seem real until Ziva asks, “Where is Tali?”
She already knows the answer.
His eyes study her as he responds. “She’s down the hall. With Senior.”
Ziva’s face falls a little as she wrings her hands.
“I wanted to see her, but perhaps it is better this way.” She lets out a weak smile, knowing that this request was more selfish than beneficial.
“Look, Tony, I know I have a lot of explaining to do…” She starts to say as she makes her way towards him.
Tony doesn’t let her finish. In a flash, he closes the gap between them and wraps himself around her. Their lips meet as he pulls her entire body against him. His hands entangle themselves in her wild curly hair. Ziva responds by enclosing her arms around his torso. The kiss is filled with so much fervor that it is almost painful.
Wanting to feel every inch of her, Tony’s lips skate across Ziva’s jawline to her neck, then just below her ear making Ziva moan. Continuing his amorous assault, he kisses her neck down to her chest to the cup of her bra before removing it along with her shirt.  He begins to move them toward the bed, undoing the button and zipper on her pants in the process. Ziva finishes the job of unbuttoning Tony’s shirt, and quickly shucks it off before pulling his white undershirt over his head. Pushing her back on the bed, Tony yanks Ziva’s pants off, taking her panties with them, and deposits them haphazardly on the floor. Making quick work of his belt, button, and zipper, he drops his pants and boxers. Giving a swift kiss to her center, he slides into her waiting heat.
Staring down at her naked body bathed in moonlight, her hair splayed across the sheets, Tony begins to slowly thrust. Their eyes lock once again, saying everything they verbally can’t express. Ziva wraps her legs around his waist and lifts her hips to meet him. It doesn’t take long for them both to tumble over the edge. Tony collapses on top of her, breathing in the scent of her hair. Ziva wraps her arms around him, hugging him tightly, never wanting to let him go. They lie there silent for a few moments, skin pressed against skin, matching each other’s breathing.
The air seems to change as Tony withdraws and rolls over beside her. They both stare at the ceiling. The tension is palpable in their silence.
“You could have told me.” Tony says before he stands, squatting to pull up his pants. He walks across the room to retrieve his shirt.
Sitting up on her elbows, Ziva watches him move around the room, confusion etched across her face. They are going to do this now?  She knew it was coming, but she expected things to go in a completely different order.
“I know.” She whispers, not making eye contact. Her demeanor showed her remorse.
“You know?” Tony asks in disbelief.
Feeling vulnerable laying naked before him, Ziva gets up and quickly dresses. Running a hand through her wild hair, she finally meets his eyes, seeing the anger in them. She takes a deep breath before beginning.
“I know you must be upset Tony. I know the past few weeks must have been difficult with everything that was shoved onto your plate. That is why I came here. I believe I owe you an explanation.”
“An explanation?” He scoffs. “You kept our daughter from me for two and half years. You apparently faked your own death and sent her to me without even a phone call. It better be one hell of an explanation, Ziva.”
“Tony please. Keep your voice down.” She pleads with him. “’Faking my own death’ as you put it, was not my doing. There was an opportunity, and we had to take it. Of course, I did not want you to find out this way. If Orli knew I was here…”
“This is all her doing then? Did she tell you to keep Tali from me as well?” He seethes.
“No, the opposite actually. Not telling you was my choice.” Her face falls again, wringing her hands to control her emotions.
“Why Ziva, why wouldn’t you tell me?” Tony questions exasperated at this point.
“Because I did not know how!” It was her turn to yell. She begins to pace the room. “What was I supposed to do, call you up and say, ‘Hey Tony, I know that I said wanted time to figure things out on my own, but I am pregnant, and I need you?’ That is not me!”
 “You’re right. It’s not, but I had the right to know you were carrying our child!” He shouts back. Her stubbornness breaks as she turns away from him.
“You do not understand.” She whispers. Tony begins to ask her what he doesn’t understand, but she holds her hand up to silence him. “When I found out I was pregnant with Tali, I was still dealing with everything. Leaving NCIS, the pain and hurt I had caused people, letting you go. I still was not alright, and when you went back to DC everything just seemed to go back to normal for you. You got a new team member who seemed to mesh seamlessly. You were dating. It felt like your life picked up without me right where you left off. I did not want to take you away from that.”
“That wasn’t your choice-” He starts, but she silences him once again.
“I know that, but I also knew what I needed to do in order to feel safe and secure with my child. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would be a mother Tony, but when I found out I was pregnant I knew I did not want her to have the same childhood as I did. Never knowing when, or if, Abba would come home. Not being able to interact with him when he was home because he was either still working or too stressed and tired. Missing school because there was a threat against him which put my entire family in danger. I did not want that for our daughter, Tony.”
“I would have given it up in a second if that is what you wanted.” He responds, the contempt in voice beginning to fade.
“Would you? Think about it, Tony. If I had returned to U.S. and stayed home with Tali, would you really have left N.C.I.S?”
Tony knows she’s right. He wouldn’t have.
“And even if you did, you would resent me for making you leave the job you love. You needed to make that decision on your own, the same way I did.”
“You are probably right, but even so that did not give you the right to keep her from me.” He crosses his arms and turns away.
“You are right. It is a decision I shall regret to the end of my days.” She says softly, her eyes filling with tears.
The silence falls between them again as Tony stares out the window at the rain and thunder that color the evening sky. Ziva stands rooted in her spot, waiting for him to speak.
“So what now? You’re off to save the world on some secret Mossad mission and you need me to take care of her?” He questions with disdain.  
Thrown completely off guard by his question, Ziva’s face contorts with confusion. “What?” Is all she can muster before her fury sets in. “Is that what you think? That I sent you Tali for some mission?”
“I don’t know what to believe.” He says curtly when he turns to face her. “Hell, a few hours ago I thought you were dead. A few weeks ago, I didn’t think I was a father. A few months ago, I thought you were in Israel still trying to find yourself, but boy was I wrong! So, excuse me Ziva, if I really don’t know what I believe right now!”
He turns to stare out the window once more. Staring down at her hands, Ziva begins to wring them together in another attempt to reign in her emotions. After a few steadying breaths, she begins to tread lightly towards him. She stares at his profile from behind, committing it to memory as she had done so many times in the past, before enveloping him in a huge hug from behind. Tony tenses for a moment, expecting some form of pain as Ziva usually resorted to when she really needed him to listen. When all he felt was the warmth of her body pressed against his, he allowed his arms to overlap hers, his palms holding her in place.
“I cannot change the past Tony.” She croons softly in his ear, when suddenly the air shifts once more. Tony turns and wraps his arms around her and pulls her tightly against him.
“I thought I lost you.” He whispers to her, his voice breaking. His hands tangle themselves in her hair once more as the soft tears fall from his eyes. He kisses her chastely, and Ziva feels the wetness on her lips.
“I know.” She whispers to him, their foreheads pressed longingly together.
“I came looking for you.” He says firmly.
“I know.” She allows herself to smile and laugh. “Eshel told me. He said you vowed to search every end of the earth until you knew I was longer on it.”
“I did. I may have been inebriated at the time, but deep down I didn’t really believe you were dead. Just didn’t feel right. No body, no crime. I had planned to keep looking for you until…” His voice began to trail.
“Until? You decided to stop looking for me?” She pulled away to study his face.
“I would have spent the rest of my life searching if it meant one day I would find you, but Senior said something to me, and it just made sense.”
A small pain stabbed her heart at Seniors dismissal, but she wanted to know what prompted this, so she asked, “And what did Antonio DiNozzo, Senior, say to persuade you?”
“He reminded me of how it was when my mom passed, and while he didn’t literally look for her, he looked for in every figurative sense of the word. Alcohol. Drugs. Sex. Women. Money. It wasn’t until he stopped looking, stopped trying to fill that void, that he was able to heal, and in turn I was able to start to heal.”
Ziva stared into his emerald eyes. She had seen them so many times before, but now they carried a little more pain and a little less sparkle.
“I didn’t want that for Tali, so after doing some soul searching and losing it for a little while, I decided to let my desire to find you die in Israel. To leave your memory in peace.”
Ziva stared down at the floor, not realizing the emotions her death would bring about in her own inner being. Tears begin to fall down her cheeks as Tony cupped her chin.
“Hey,” he calls, breaking her from her reverie while he thumbs her cheek back and forth. “It didn’t work. Even here I still look for around every corner. I don’t think I would have ever stopped looking Ziva, not really.”
“I know.” She laughs once more. Looking up at Tony as he brushes her tears away, she begins to tell him the real reason for her visit. “I knew you would never stop looking, which is why I knew I had to come see you.”
Tony’s eyes bored into hers as he stood up a little straighter, realizing this was important.
“When I did my soul searching after my father’s death, I went to apologize to people to I had hurt in my time at Mossad as I had told you the last time we saw each other. It was in doing this, that I made my presence known to people who thought I was dead. People who wanted to hurt me because I had hurt them. By trying to right my wrongs, I instead put a target on my back, and possibly yours and Tali’s as well. When I realized I was pregnant, I stopped making these pilgrimages and focused solely on my health and well being for the baby. Tali was about 18 months old when Orli began to get word that someone was looking for me.”
“Who was it?” Tony questioned.
“I do not know.” Ziva responded shortly.
“Well, where are they?” He continued.
“I do not know that either.”  
“Well we have to tell Gibbs, and Abby and McGee can help too and-” Ziva cut him off by placing her hand over his moth before he could continue.
“Tony, that is what I am here to tell you. I do not want anyone’s help. I brought this upon myself and I will finish it myself. Your help is not necessary.”
“Ziva you are not going to do this alone, how many times do I have to tell you, you are not alone in-”
“TONY!” Ziva yells, cutting him off for the final time. “I know that I am not all in this world, but my world consists of people I love and I would like to keep it that way! If I wanted to put Tali in danger I would have kept her with me!”
The lightning strikes and it is almost as if it illuminates the lightbulb in Tony’s brain. Tali. How would they protect Tali? He quickly scans through the people in their lives that he could trust to keep her safe, but no matter how many solutions he came up with, Tali would never be safe because she was the one key to hurt them both. Ziva could almost see it click in his mind on why she came to the conclusion she needed to do this on her own.
“When Orli started to hear traffic that someone was looking to kill me, she helped me dodge them by having Mossad say my whereabouts where anywhere but where I was. I was spotted all over the globe, but when they figured out that all these leads came up with dead ends, they came looking for me in Israel. Orli found out only hours before the attack was set into motion. Luckily we had a contingency plan in place.”
Tony stared at her, sensing whatever she was about to divulge was very difficult for her. “I knew it was time for me to send Tali to the one person I knew would protect her the same way, if not more, than I would… and that person was you.”
Ziva buried her face into Tony’s chest as she began to sob uncontrollably. Tony could not imagine what it was like to have to say goodbye to their daughter. He had only known her for a few weeks, and he could not fathom spending more than a day without her. He held Ziva tightly, kissing her hair and whispering to her it was okay.
“That is why I am here Tony. I need you to promise me. Promise me that you will not come looking for me. Promise me that you will keep our daughter safe. Promise me that no matter what they say they will do to me, you will protect her at all costs.
Ziva began to sob again and all Tony could do to comfort her was to repeatedly say I promise as he held her close. Rocking her back and forth gently, his own tears began to stream down his face as he realized he would be saying goodbye to her once again.
“I don’t want to lose you. Not again.” He whispered to her hair. Ziva looked up to him through bloodshot eyes and smiled a soft smile.
“You will not lose me Tony. No matter where I am, I am always with you. That is why I sent you my necklace, to give you a sign that I am still here and I am still fighting, for us.”
Tony cannot help but kiss her. He cups her face as their lips touch, and he feels her breathing hitch. Grabbing her by the hips, he lifts Ziva up and she wraps her legs around his waist. He carries them back to the bedroom. Depositing her onto the bed, he climbs between her thighs and begins to kiss his way up her body. Reaching the top of her shirt, he begins to unbutton it slowly, making her watch with hesitation. Once he is done, he kisses her belly, silently wishing he had seen her pregnant. Ziva reads his mind and gives him a small sad smile, but he wipes it away with a deep kiss. They take their time with each other, teasing and tempting one another closer and closer to the edge. They make love for what seems like hours, wanting to savor every last moment together. Ziva rides him to their release, screaming Tony’s name and collapsing on his chest.
They lie there together, coming down from their highs when the air shifts one last time. The realization that she must go hits them like a ton bricks, and neither says anything in hopes that it will prolong their time with one another. Laying with her cheek pressed to his chest, Ziva begins to draw circular patterns on Tony’s left arm. His right-hand skates down to small of her back and begins to do the same. They lie there in silence enjoying the others touch, very well knowing it may be the last time they feel it.
After some time, Ziva comes to her senses and lifts her head just enough to say, “It is going to be light soon. I must get going.”
Tony instinctively wraps his arms around her to hold her in place. Even though he knew this was coming, it is still so hard to let go. “I wish you would stay.” He says softly to her hair.
“I cannot.” She says with great pain in her voice. We’ve been through this.
“I know.” He whispers.
When Ziva moves to get up, Tony lets go without hesitation. Feeling an immediate loss when he withdraws from inside of her, Ziva moves to sit at the edge of the bed for a moment. Letting out a large sigh, she begins to dress, locating each item of clothing strewn across the room. Tony follows suit, wanting to properly see her out. When they both are fully clothed, he takes Ziva between his arms and holds her. Kissing her hair, he vows to himself this will not be the last time he does this.
“Take care of our girl.” Ziva says as she looks up at him, and Tony kisses her deeply to confirm he will protect their daughter with his life.
Ziva eventually pulls away, her mission calling her to return to the safe house Eshel had set up for her. They do not exchange I love you’s or even goodbyes, because deep down they each know how the other feels and hopes this will not be the last chance to say to one another.
With her hand on the handle, Ziva takes one last look back at Tony, smiles, and says, “Hardest 180 of my life.” Before slipping through the door without a sound.
*-**-**-**-*
The next morning, Tony wakes to sunlight streaming through the windows, illuminating the room with warmth. After a quick shower he heads down the hallway to Senior’s room where Tali is playing with the blocks they bought her in Israel that have the Hebrew symbols. Senior has already ordered breakfast for the three of them and is preparing Tali’s pancakes when Tony walks through the door.
Was it all a dream?
When Senior smiles and asks, “Did you have a good night son?
Tony knows it couldn’t have been.
FIN
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freelancervermont · 8 years ago
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Yo Bailey is super cute! Can I have a run down of her story? How'd she handle the major storylines? Did she romance anyone? Did she survive?
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Mass Effect: Powerless
L - R: Garrus, Alessa, Armando-Owen, Farrin’s Boyfriend (Grey+Maroon), Farrin (Blue)
Okay so because when I talk about Alessa, I am usually referring to her AU: Powerless. So because she is different (meaning her story line) from her game canon version, I am going to split this ask between the two of them. To start, I will talk about Game Alessa.
Under the cut for length (it ended up being pretty very long!)
Alessa Shepard
Alessa’s background is an Earthborn Sole Survivor, Infiltrator specializing in sniper techniques, Paragon to Squad, Renegade to duties and civilians.
Alessa was abandoned on the streets in an unnamed location in British Columbia at the age of 5. Her parents were drug addicts who just left her there. She waited for days, wanting them to come back and they never did. She survived by honing her skills and tricking civilians to give her things as well as stealing and breaking into places.
As she got older, she was recruited into the most dangerous gang in the Southwest region of Canada. Drug addiction set in, as well as the abuse by those ranking above her. Alessa started suffering from the PTSD and related trauma from sexual assault as well as drug addiction.
When she was 16 she decided to run. She ended up bruised and bleeding in an abandoned alleyway near Vancouver. She ended up OD’ing from drugs, passing out, and her heart eventually stopped. She was found moments later by a man we now know as Admiral Anderson (he was only a Commander at this point in my HC). He brought her back and understandably she fought him, mostly because she was scared. She was then taken to an Alliance run rehabilitation facility.
After spending a year and a half living at this facility, learning to live again, she decided to enlist.
Story Decisions:
From ME1: Alessa originally felt for Ashley, she understood the losing of your squad and watching everyone die. But as she got to know Ashley, she began to resent her and her attitude. She thought Ashley acted entitled and stuck-up. She hated it. However, she never did enjoy leaving Ashley behind on Virmire. Despite disliking Ashley, she didn’t want to lose another squad member.
Alessa hated authority, especially the Council. Therefore she let them die during the battle for the Citadel and appointed Anderson as the Councilor.
Alessa romanced Kaidan.
From ME2: Alessa was unable to deal with her own death, let alone working alongside Cerberus. In the resulting trauma she was extremely reclusive and usually locked herself in her quarters, only keeping an encrypted private comm line with Garrus and Joker and Dr. Chakwas.
Alessa gained all loyalty from squad members except for Legion. When it asked if they had a soul, Alessa said no. She destroyed the Collector base, however Legion ended up dying at the beginning of the assault.
Alessa is very anti-AI, even towards EDI.
Alessa romanced Garrus, but as a romantic relationship and not sexual.
From ME3: Alessa was hit extremely hard by the attack on Earth as well on other worlds. She just couldn’t keep up, she just couldn’t do it. She went everywhere and did everything she could (ex. All DLC and explored all systems), going so far as to cure the Genophage. Being unable to broker peace with the Quarians, the Geth destroyed the fleet. She took Tali’s death extremely hard.
Saying good-bye to Kaidan in London was the most difficult thing she ever had to do. She knew she wasn’t ever coming back, and didn’t want to leave him. At the Crucible, she refused to make a choice for the Catalyst, therefore dooming the entire galaxy. Despite the ending, she had sound reasons. Every option presented, she knew would be good for many, but not good for everyone. She had faith that future generations would be able to deal with the Reapers, and make sure that their creation/cycle wouldn’t be repeated.
Alessa did not survive the ending of the trilogy.
Alessa Shepard-Bailey
Alessa Bailey has the same general background/introduction as my game Alessa. She went through the same addiction and trauma. She also specializes in the same things.
The biggest difference between my AU and the game is plot. I’ll try to keep it simple so I don’t have to explain the entire world I built. The BIGGEST difference is the existence of Reapers. They don’t exist in my AU. The biggest threat was the super evolved Geth.
Starting with the time period of ME1. The threat was Saren working for the Geth. The reason for his altered appearance was due to the Geth altering him as a pawn in their plan. The ship that attacked the Citadel was in fact a Geth dreadnought.
Alessa didn’t romance anyone during this time.
During the time period of ME2, Alessa did in fact die as the Normandy crashed on Alchera. The Collectors do exist in my AU and she did work for Cerberus to stop them. However after the destruction of their homeworld, TIM tried to recruit her officially but instead she stole the Normandy and flew it to Vancouver.
Alessa didn’t romance anyone during this time, although her friendship with Garrus grew. She also first encountered Bailey during this time, however it was for only a moment.
During the time period of ME3 is when shit really started happening for her. Due to her stealing Cerberus property and handing it to the Alliance, TIM saw this as an act of “treason” and ended up declaring war on the Alliance. Enter War with Cerberus.
During this war, Alessa relapsed on drugs. She was unable to cope with her service history or her life. She just couldn’t handle the trials of war anymore. She started using in secret. Garrus got suspicious after her mood would sporadically improve for short bursts. He ended up catching her using after a mission and confronted her. Despite his dutiful nature, he had a soft spot for Alessa and turned a blind eye. Though he didn’t actively enable her, he also did not stop her from using.
Towards the end of the war with Cerberus, Alessa met up with Bailey again on the Citadel during shore leave. This ended in some… “fun” in his office.
After the war ended and Cerberus lay in ruin, Alessa’s addiction only grew. It all came crashing down when she had passed out on the floor of her cabin only to be found by Kaidan and Garrus, who revived her. By the time Alessa regained her bearings, she could overhear Kaidan reporting to Alliance Brass. She attempted to attack him, but was unsuccessful. Alliance Brass threatened to strip her of her rank if she didn’t complete rehabilitation and forced leave on the Citadel.
Alessa was then dropped off on the Citadel with her belongings. She was met with Bailey at the docks, who was unaware of her situation. During her rehab and stay, she was able to sneak drugs around and started using in secret again. Bailey had stopped by one evening to see if she wanted to go out, only to find her passed out in her bedroom. He was forced to report her to the Human Embassy which headed the rehab program for soldiers. Alessa was then put on 24/7 supervision.
3 months went by and her casual relationship developed with Bailey. She began to get clean and received regular visits from Garrus when the Normandy was docked (now run by Kaidan).
Unfortunately around the beginning of Fall, she relapsed unbeknownst to Bailey. Alessa had snuck out of supervision and found drugs in the lower wards. Alessa was arrested by CSEC and her actions reported now to Alliance Brass. Several weeks later she was sitting under guard in her Penthouse with Bailey and received an incoming message from Alliance headquarters. A dishonorable discharge.
Alessa broke down. Without the Alliance she was nothing. Realizing the heightened risk of her relapsing yet again as well as her endangering her own safety, Bailey had her guard doubled as well as ordered the Embassies to increase her rehab treatments.
During Alessa’s recovery this time around, the casual relationship with Bailey went from casual sex to staying overnight and into the next day or two. Alessa was so confused, she didn’t understand how to deal with these feelings.
One evening when Bailey came over, he found Alessa passed out drunk in the living room. Her heartbeat was slow and he panicked, he carried her to the shower and turned it on hoping to wake her. He sat on the floor holding her, just hoping and wishing for her to wake up. This was the moment he realized he had more than casual feelings for her. He didn’t want to lose her.
After Alessa woke up and was sober, they had a deep talk. They realized something was there but Alessa obviously was afraid not only of commitment, but of disappointing him. She wanted to be better, to get healthy, but didn’t want to disappoint him by relapsing. He said all he ever wanted was to see her happy and to be healthy and clean, and that he wouldn’t ever abandon her in such a time.
This was the real start of Alessa’s change. From then on she hasn’t used since, she drinks occasionally but only really weak drinks. Normally she just reaches for soda or water or the virgin cocktails. There are moments where she wants to use again, especially whenever she sees the Normandy docked. She is thrown back into those dark memories.
It took Alessa about 6 months to work out of the constant supervision and rehab treatments. During these 6 months she met and became friends with Bailey’s 2nd in command Farrin, a Turian CSEC officer.
On Alessa’s 1 year anniversary of being clean, almost 2 years after her dishonorable discharge, Bailey proposes to her in their penthouse on the Citadel. Alessa graciously accepts.
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