Chapter 6

Jakob and Lia were walking hand-in-hand to the docking pad Lia's parents were scheduled to arrive on. Jakob had to pull a lot of strings with associates he has to do this for him. "How long will you parents be staying with us again?"

"Three days. That isn't a problem is it?"

"Oh what? You think since I'm a human, I dread over the time I am forced to spend with the in-laws? Racist!"

"I'll just take that as a no."

"Yeah I'm joking, I was just curious. Oh yeah I almost forgot to mention Rax and his mom will be over for a few hours."

"No problem with that. When will they be coming over?"

"They'll actually be meeting us here." Jakob looked to the right of him. "Hey look! There's Rax over there."

Rax also noticed the two. He approached them and shouted.  "Jahkoby! What's up!?"

"Nothing much bro!" The two gave each other a one armed hug. "Where's your mom at?"

"Oh she couldn't come, she has a date…with an asari."

"What? Matron? Matriarch?"

"Maiden"

His eyes widened and both his brows were raised. "Ohhhh."

"Yeah." Rax looked over to the quarian Jakob was previously holding hands with. "Ah the lovely Miss Lia."

Lia extended her arm and greeted the turian. "Hello Lilihierax nice to finally meet you in per- Whoa!" Rax had lifted her off the ground and squeezed her tight.

He whispered to her, "Thanks for bringing my brother back into the light."

She whispered in return, "It was my pleasure, Rax."

Once Rax had placed her back down on the ground, Jakob stepped in between them and threw his arms around both their necks. The two aliens in turn threw an arm around his and the group proceeded to the docking pad. They saw two quarians walking exiting the airlock of a small, rundown ship. Jakob was about to call out to them but he said something else instead. "Oh Jesus, no." A salarian and a human, both in C-Sec attire, stopped the couple before they even stepped off the catwalk. He removed his arm from the two aliens and sped up his step.

"No, you don't understand! We have clearance to dock here." Ken argued.

"Just follow us to the academy and we'll get all this straightened out." The salarian officer informed.

Jakob stood about two feet away from the two C-Sec individuals. "Is there a problem here, officers?"

The human faced him "Sir, this C-Sec business, just…" The salarian officer whispered something in his ears. Jakob noticed a brief expression of fear come across the human's face. "Are these two quarians with you?" Jakob nodded. "Okay then, sir. Have a pleasant evening." The two officers departed.

Lia and Rax joined back up with him. Rax patted his shoulder. "Damn, Jake! I guess you weren't joking about strangling that guy."

Lia ran up to her parents and hugged them. "It's so good to see you two again!"

"Oh, it's so good to see you too!" Mari exclaimed before looking at her daughter's love. "Jakob!" She ran over to him and wrapped her arms around him.

"Nice to see you too, Mrs. Karia!" Jakob said as he returned the hug. Ken approached the two and waited for his wife to release his grip on Jakob.

Jakob extended his arm and Ken shook it with both hands. "It is so good to meet you, son!" Ken looked over to the turian. "Who's this?"

Jakob responded, "This is Lia's other partner. You see, we're reverse gender polygamist." Ken's head slowly turned back to whose hand he was shaking. Jakob started to laugh, followed by everyone else. "This is my dear friend Lilihierax Vrikarn."

"Oh so you're the 'fine piece of ass' our niece has been telling us about." Rax's head just dropped while Jakob almost fell to the ground laughing. "Speaking of which, where is Rana?"

Lia replied, "She couldn't make it, she said she has plans."

Mari shook her head, "Oh Keelah."

"I feel the same way, Mom."

"So are you guys ready to head over to our house?" Jakob inquired, the whole group agreed. "Okay then let's move out." The group departed from the docking pad. The quarian parents didn't have any luggage since they didn't really need any. On the way there, the whole group was conversing, mainly asking questions to one another. At one point, Jakob managed to drag Rax out of the herd. "Hey Rax, check it out." Jakob pulled a small, black, leather case out of his pocket and showed to the turian.

"Is that what I think it is?"

"Hell yeah!"

"No way! Nice bro! When are you going to pop the question?"

"I'm not quite sure yet. I'm waiting for her to be ready to come out of her suit, whenever that might be. We're going to have the most perfect day and at the end before we go home, I'm going to propose in the most epic way possible."

"That is awesome. I would wish you good luck, but I think I already know what she'll say."

"Thanks man. If she says yes, will you be my best man?"

"I'd be honored, Jakob"

"What are you boys talking about!?" Lia called out to the two.

Jakob slipped the case back into his pocket and called back, "Nothing!"  Jakob looked back at his turian friend. "Thanks Lilihierax, that really means a lot to me. So does this mean I can be the best man at you and Rana's wedding?" He punched him in the arm and rejoined with the quarian family. "Come on Rax! I was joking!"
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"Here we are everybody! Make yourselves at home!" Jakob exclaimed upon entering the house.

"Wow Lia! No wonder you fell in love with him. Look how nice this house is! I wish your father took care of our room half as well as Jakob does here."

"Whatever Mari. Ow!"

"So that's where Lia gets her hostility from." Jakob thought out loud before being slapped upside the head. "Ouch! Lia!?"

"Meh. I like your house back on Earth better."

"If you say so, Rax."

"Ha! What's that?" Ken asked, pointing to the young lover's newly acquired piece of art.

"That's a version of the painting American Gothic with me and Lia's heads. It was given to us by uh…an acquaintance of ours. Now come on guys, sit down." The group did as he requested. He turned on the vid projector and turned it to the comedy channel. They all talked to one another and laughed, whether it was caused by something someone said or from what they were watching.

Two hours had gone by, Mari headed over near the kitchen and signaled Lia over. Once she got over there, they took a seat on the barstools. Mari took her daughter's hands into her own. "So do you really love him?"

"With all my heart, Mom. I don't know how I got so lucky to find a man like him."

"I'm so happy you found someone who you love and loves you in return. I don't think anyone back on the Flotilla could love you as much as he does. I thought no good would come from you going to the Citadel for your pilgrimage, but I was gravely mistaken. I also thought that humans were not to be trusted. I thought they were greedy monsters, but again I was horribly wrong. I'm so sorry for those things I said Lia."

"It's okay Mom. I knew you and Dad wouldn't approve, but I had the feeling you two would like him."

"What's not to like about him?"

"Well he can be a bit of a smartass at times."

"Oh don't worry about that sweetie, your father can be the same way." There was a roar of laughter coming from the living room. Apparently with the girls gone, the guys felt more comfortable telling more dirty jokes. "So do you think he'll ask you to marry him?"

Lia looked down and was her prose turned bashful. "Oh well…I think he will…I mean I don't know when…but I'm sure…" She looked over towards Jakob. He felt her gaze and looked her way, he gave her a smile and a wave. She gave him a wave in return before looking back towards her mother. "He definitely will."

"So have you two 'linked suit environments' yet?"

"Mom!" She looked back to make sure none of the boys were listening.

"It's okay, you can tell your mother."

"We haven't yet, but we will soon. I ordered all the antibiotics and other things that will bolster my immune system over the extranet, and they're scheduled to arrive in four days."

"Please be careful, Lia, whenever your father and I linked environments, we were terribly sick, but trust me it was worth it."

"As much as I want this, I can't help feeling nervous."

"Don't feel that way, even if he is a different species, you shouldn't get too sick."

"It's not that…what if he doesn't find me attractive or if I can't satisfy him?"

"Lia, I think he loves you too much to let petty things like those get to him." She stroked the side of her helmet. "And Lia, the last time I saw your face was when you received your first suit on your twelfth birthday, and you were gorgeous. I know Jakob will find you beautiful. And I don't think anyone does good their first time to be honest with you, just do what your instincts say and you should be fine."

"Okay  Mom, and thanks."

"Your most certainly wel…I swear Lia, I am going to kill your father." Lia looked in the living room and saw her father doing something like her cousin was doing in the store. "Lia, what's that?" Her mother asked pointing to the fruit bowl.

"An apple."

"Will you please pass me the apple?" Lia complied and handed her mother the fruit. She hurled it towards her husband, but it didn't hit its intended target. Instead it became impaled on Rax's fringe, causing him to panic.

"What is that!? What's on my fringe!? Jakob get it off!"

"Calm down you overgrown infant! I'm trying!"

"Sorry Rax! I never was good at pitching."

Then Ken foolishly shouted, "You were always good at catching!" Jakob and Rax fell to the floor laughing; Jakob was rolling around, holding his sides while Rax was slapping his knee and banging on the floor. A pear flew across the room and impacted on Ken's groin. He fell to the ground groaning, adding to the human and turian's laughter.

"Thanks honey."

"No problem Mom."

Rax managed to stand. "Okay guys, it's getting late. I should start heading home, Spirits know what my mother and that asari are doing."

Jakob, still on the ground, replied, "Later Lili!" He walked out of the house with the apple still on his head.

Mari walked over to her whimpering husband and assisted him in standing. "Rax is right, lets get's to bed. Will you two show us to our room?"

Like her mother, Lia helped her lover off the floor. "Yeah, let me help Chuckles here first." They walked the quarian couple to the guest room, and they fell in love with it.

"Hey Mari, do you think the Conclave will let us take leave more often?"

"No, but it would be nice if we could."

Jakob and Lia retired for the night as well.  They crawled in bed and cuddled with one another. "I like your parents!"

"I knew you would. You and my dad are just alike, and as you saw, my mother and I are very similar."

"So what were you and Mom talking about?"

"Uh…nothing. Girl stuff. So what were you and Rax talking about on the way over here?"

"Uh…nothing. Guy stuff."

"If you say so. Good night."

"Good night."
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Jakob woke up as he does every morning: having his body death gripped by Lia's embrace. He loved it though. He didn't want to do this all morning since they had company over, and she became reluctant when it came to releasing him ever since he told her he was going to commit suicide if it had not been for her. He rubbed her shoulder, she purred in response, and whispered to her, "Lia…Lia, come on baby doll wake up." Her eyes slowly opened, Jakob always loved seeing that, she nuzzled her head under his chin.

"Morning, love."

"Good morning to you too. Since your parents are here, you know we can't spend all morning in bed." She grunted at him. "Come now, Lia, don't be rude." Her grip on him tightened. "Okay, you asked for it." He grabbed the outer toe on her right foot with the big toe and the toe next to it on his left foot and wiggled it back and forth.

She giggled, "Okay! Okay! I'm getting up! Please stop!"

"Glad you listened to reason. Now let's see if your parents are up yet." The two crawled out of bed and headed to the guest room. They peered inside to see her parents still lying in bed.

"Don't worry you two. Mari and I will get out of bed…eventually."

"Okay, rest well you two. Ugh!" Lia jumped on Jakob's back.

"Take me back to bed!"

Jakob sighed, "Yes dear."
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Jakob and Lia did a great number of things with her parents. They took them to many stores and sights around the Citadel. Of course they did receive a lot of stares. The remaining two days had passed and they were bidding their farewells. "Bye Lia and Jake, we really had a good time."

"We really did. Me, you, and Rax have to hang out a lot more, those were some of the best laughs I've ever had."

"Remember what our daughter did to you, Ken. I hope we can come again sometime soon."

"Oh you will." Jakob winked. The quarian parents got what he meant, but thanks to their mask, Lia couldn't see their reaction.

"Okay then Jakob. I'm really looking forward to it."

"As  am I. Later Son. Good bye Lia." The two boarded the ship and took off. The young couple stood there and watched the vessel disappear into the light-violet nebula.

"I can't wait for them to come again."

"With all that laughing you boys had, I don't blame you. How are you so certain that they'll be back soon?"

"Sixth sense."

"Sure."

The two made their way back to their home. Before Jakob could unlock the door, they were stopped by a turian carrying a somewhat large box. "Excuse me, are you…" he looked at the package, "Lia'Karia nar Raeillion?"

Lia was a bit confused. "Yes?"

"This has all the supplies you ordered."

"Wow, it's early."

"Yeah we upgraded the engines on our delivery vessels about two weeks ago. HQ hasn't entered that in the computer yet so the ETA of packages people order are always off. I can't complain though, I love the look on peoples' faces when they see they've gotten their package early. Now will you please sign for this?"

"Sure." The turian handed the box to Jakob and handed an OSD to Lia. She signed her name and handed it back to the turian. "Thank you, sir."

"No problem at all. Have fun you two!" The young couple looked down and blushed, causing the turian to laugh before he walked away.

They walked into the house and Jakob placed the package down by the couch, which the two sat down on. Jakob was the first to speak. "Soooooo."

"Yep." Lia rubbed his leg, after which Jakob put his own on hers.

"Remember Lia, take as long as you need. Whenever you're ready, tell me so I can start planning out that perfect day."

She said very quickly, "Tomorrow!"

"Lia, are you sure? If you're not ready, I have no problem waiting. I've gone twenty-one years without sex, a few extra days won't kill me."

"No Jakob, I'm ready now. I know planning out tomorrow might not be easy, but I truly am ready."

"Is this really what you want?"

"Yes, I want this. I need this."

"I'll take your word for it then. Good thing we're doing this tomorrow; a lot of exciting things happening that day. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to make some calls."