fandomtownies | Outback Steakhouse, early Friday Evening

It had taken most of Thursday night for the awkwardness between mother and daughter to fade away. But eventually it had and they spent the rest of the night and most of the early morning talking about everything from what had happened once Allie had left Kanin, to which of the many books piled around the room were Allie's favorite. After an early morning trip to get Tracy breakfast, they returned to the apartment and slept for the day.

Friday evening meant a search for dinner. Allie knew at some point she would have to get to work. But for now, she was going to let her mother sample more of the many types of food this world had to offer.

Tracy	Tracy was looking at the menu in shock, fingers fluttering. "I don't know what to choose. Some of this doesn't sound familiar at all." She paused and said, "A baked potato sounds good. And a small steak." She looked at Allie. "Are you going to eat anything?"
Allie	"Try whatever you like," Allie encouraged her. "Take advantage of being here. Unfortunately I can't enjoy this. But you can tell me all about it." The waitress placed a loaf of fresh bread on the table before scurrying off. Allie couldn't help but take an appreciative sniff of the warm aroma.
Tracy	Tracy couldn't resist the smell either, but she forced herself to take a sip of her drink before taking a slice of the bread and buttering it. "We never had this, not even when I was younger. But my mother told me all about what there used to be," she said. "I wish you could enjoy it too."
Allie	Allie shrugged, she'd mostly come to terms with what she was missing out on and knew there was no way to change it. "I get by. My big indulgence is to get a cup of coffee at the Perk and enjoy the smell of it while I read."
Tracy	"How long have you been here?" Tracy asked, taking a bite of the bread, and closing her eyes to savor it. "MMmm."
Allie	"Almost four months now," Allie replied. The long-ingrained habit of always being aware of her surroundings had her looking over as the door to the restaurant opened and new guests came in. "Oh."
Kaidan	Kaidan and Ashley had had a good, long talk about everything that had happened since her death last night. He was still on edge because of it, guilt playing up worse than ever, but for Ash's sake he'd avoid sulking too much. She wouldn't be here long, after all. She'd swapped out the top layer of her armor so she wouldn't have to sit around with the heavy stuff bearing down on her all day, and she'd taken her hair out of the bun. It was almost off-putting for him. "Welcome to Outback Steakhouse," Kaidan said as he walked in, "Best place for a good steak on the island."
Allie	Knowing it was unlikely that her mom was the only visitor to the island, Allie put two and two together and came up with an answer that made her winch. Especially in light of the conversation she and Kaidan had just had about people making it back from a mission. After a moment's thought, Allie waved her hand. "Hey you."
Ash	Ashley raised an eyebrow, turning her head towards the source of the greeting a couple of moments before Kaidan could. "Friend of yours?" she guessed.
Kaidan	"Yeah, that's Allie," Kaidan said, following her example of turning towards the noise. "Hey," he called back, louder. Wasn't sure he should ask after her guest. Or come over. Or interrupt at all.
Allie	Feeling her mom's curious gaze shifting between her and the people at the door, Allie beckoned Kaidan and his friend over. As much as one part of her wanted to jealously guard what little time she had with her mom, another part wanted people to meet her, so that when this was all over, they could remind her that no, it hadn't been a dream.
Ash	"Then stop standing there with your foot sticking out of your mouth, Commander," Ashley said, and started off walking towards Allie without even giving Kaidan time to respond.
Kaidan	Kaidan blew out a big breath and lingered briefly on the fact that this was completely insane before he followed. "Allie," he said, "This is Gunnery Chief Ashley Williams. She... used to serve with me."
Allie	It was Fandom. Insanity was a way of life. They should be used to it by now. Allie had bit back a laugh when vampire hearing let her hear Ash's comment, but it didn't stop her from smiling as Kaidan introduced them. She got to her feet and held out her hand. "It's an pleasure to meet you."
Ash	"Nice to meet you too, ma'am," Ashley said - it was about as formal as she got - and gave Allie a very firm handshake. "Are you another one of the LC's teacher buddies?" To her credit, she didn't snicker about it this time.
Kaidan	"She's a bartender, actually," Kaidan said. He hoped Allie wouldn't force him to explain too much to Ash about the whole vampire thing - that might take time they didn't really have. "And she's a friend."
Allie	Awww Kaidan, way to warm Allie's non-beating heart. She'd do her best not to complicate things. "Please, call me Allie. And I'm more like the door-check, bouncer, bartender herder," Allie grinned, resisting the urge to one up that firm handshake. "Eric won't let me serve till I'm twenty-one." Appreciate the irony of the thousand year old vampire being concerned with the local liquor laws. She wasn't psychic in any way, but she still feel all the unasked questions her mother had as she watched the introductions. Turning with a bittersweet smile, Allie made her own introductions. "This is my mom, Tracy Sekemoto. She's...visting as well. Mom, this is Lt. Commander Kaidan Alenko. I told you about him last night."
Tracy	"It's a pleasure to meet both of you," Tracy said, smiling slightly. "Won't you please join us? It's been a long time since Allie and I had guests with us for dinner."
Ash	Watch Ashley. Watch Ashley sit on a so how old is this girl, LC?. She still shot Kaidan a look. "Nice to meet you, ma'am," she added a moment later. "We'd be happy to. Right?"
Kaidan	"Right," Kaidan said easily. (Because that part was easy.) "Like Ash said, it's nice to meet you, Mrs. Sekemoto." He offered her a hand, while Ash slid into a seat.
Tracy	"Tracy," she said. No need to explain that she'd never been married. Somehow, Allie hadn't mentioned that Kaidan was her mother's age while they were talking last night. Hmm. "How long have you been here on the island, Commander?"
Tracy	"Tracy," she said. No need to explain that she'd never been married. Somehow, Allie hadn't mentioned that Kaidan was her mother's age while they were talking last night. Hmm. "How long have you been here on the island, Commander?"
Kaidan	"Since last summer, about seven months ago," Kaidan said. "I was dispatched as a kind of diplomatic liaison. And teacher." He felt uncomfortable. Admittedly, that wasn't a strange state for him to be in, but still.
Ash	"He means babysitting duty," Ashley tossed in.
Allie	Technically he was older then Tracy. Not that Allie would ever point that out. Besides she was eighteen, legal, AND IT WASN'T LIKE THAT. Geez people... "I don't know, I think it's a lot more then babysitting. People need to know there's more options out there," Allie said. "I never realized that until I got here."
Kaidan	Kaidan hadn't really had time or... well, felt like it... to have the conversation with Ash about how lost he felt these days-- and that dating anyone was miles away from his mind. "It isn't what I would've picked for myself," he said, "But yeah, it's good work. A lot of these kids are pretty special."
Ash	Ashley'd stop ragging on him the moment he proved he didn't have a close social circle made up entirely of barely legal kids. Honest. Probably. "Oh, please," she said, rolling her eyes. "You're a soldier, not a teacher. Sir."
Allie	"It's called multi-tasking. He's doing both. Where were you last week, Kaidan? With the rachni?" Allie asked. She was a fierce little terrier. Out to defend her friend.
Ash	"...Wait, there's more rachni?" Ashley said, sitting up. "The hell? You didn't tell me about that--"
Kaidan	"A terrorist group named Cerberus got a sample of their own and infested a few listening posts with clones," Kaidan interrupted, before she could go off more. "It's not Shepard's rachni."
Tracy	Tracy put her hand on Allie's shoulder to pull her back a little, realizing that Kaidan's friend didn't know anything about their world either. Not following most of this, she said carefully, "So you've both been on the front lines of a war?" She squeezed Allie's shoulder.
Ash	"We're professional soldiers, ma'am," Ashley said, abruptly shifting back into her talking-to-civilians tone. "Last year we were at the front lines of a galaxy-spanning conflict. That's where I... died."
Allie	Allie let herself relax under her mother's touch. "Then there's another reason to appreciate his being here. Because if he wasn't, I'm pretty sure you wouldn't have been able to make this visit." Reaching up, she squeezed her mother's hand. "Same with my mom." God, where was the waitress. Allie had a feeling the table could all use a drink or four.
Kaidan	Ashley looked about ready to pound back a whiskey or five. Kaidan was busy clinging to the blood in the veins in his face - if this kept happening he was never getting his old complexion back. "Whatever the reason, we're here now," he said, "And... someone's got to wave over that waitress."
Tracy	Tracy didn't have any problem with picking up the bread basket and waving it toward their server, if only to dissolve some of the tension. "The food here is excellent. The best I can remember ever, possibly." She leaned back to smile at Allie, and added, "I'm incredibly glad she's here, and not-- elsewhere. And that she's making friends." What Allie had told her about Stick had made her heart hurt. And made her wish to get Kanin back more understandable. But it still worried her sick. She turned to Chief Ashley, and smiled. "So what do you think of this island, aside from the quiet by comparison?"
Ash	"It's just a place, ma'am," Ashley said, shrugging one shoulder. "But the folks seem to be good people." That was... mostly what went for politeness with Ash.
Allie	"Believe it or not, that's pretty out of the ordinary for us," Allie replied. "Getting used to people being nice just because and not wanting anything in return took some getting used to." Of course that would be the point when the waitress bounced over and cheerfully asked for their orders.
Tracy	Tracy was quieter as she said, "The city where we lived was under tyrannical control after a plague. And the famine that goes with that." Vampires were not going to be brought up by Tracy first. She turned to the waitress and gave her order, voice only a little shaky.
Kaidan	"Allie has told me," Kaidan said quietly. "I'm sorry. I can only imagine how hard it must have been." He looked towards the waitress and ordered something extremely full of steak. And a drink.
Ash	"And just get me a whole bottle of scotch," Ashley said, rubbing at her temple. "Sometimes people suck." Succinct, but accurate!
Allie	Allie had debated ordering food and trying to fake it, but ultimately decided that it wasn't worth the chance of becoming violently ill in the middle of the restaurant. Because dinner wasn't awkward enough. She waved the waitress off when she tried to take her order. "Food allergies. I'll get something later."
Tracy	"Yes. On both counts," Tracy said to Kaidan and Ash, then leaned back with a small sigh. "I'm glad Allie can't go back there, as of yet. I'm hoping she won't for quite a while." Kaidan would probably know why Allie would still try. She couldn't ask, but she could hope that maybe he'd look out for her daughter, if she ever did.
Ash	"I don't know," Ashley said, her eyes darting to Allie. "I don't know what training your daughter has, ma'am. But if it were me? I'd want to be out there, putting up a fight. Somehow."
Allie	"Very little formal training," Allie admitted honestly. "But I'm still here when a lot of others aren't. And when the time comes that I can go back, at least now I'm in a position where I'm not completely screwed by the odds." Not that they were ever going to be in her favor.
Kaidan	"Even when you're screwed by the odds, you can be surprised by the things you can do," Kaidan observed. Though... Ashley hadn't really been around anymore when he'd discovered that.
Tracy	"I suppose that's true." Tracy looked at Allie, thinking. "Could you get more training, here? Would that help? Or... I don't know. The technology here is so much better. A better weapon or two?"
Allie	"Mom, when the time comes, I'll be prepared. I promise. You saw the sword. Rabids won't be an issue." She'd proven that when she walked into the mass of them after being forced to leave the Eden outpost. "And the others? I don't know. But if things are going to change, I have to do it."
Ash	"A sword?" Ashley said, blinking. "That's a new one. Kind of poetic, I guess... but really?"
Kaidan	"She doesn't really... come from where we're from," Kaidan said. "You know, like Jack said-- for some of us, the supernatural is more normal. Sometimes that means chopping off heads instead of putting bullets in them." Ashley would get that.
Allie	"Exactly. For certain things, it's the only way to make sure they stay dead." Or at least deader then they started. "Plus well, if you have issues. It's a pretty easy way to work them out." Better living through violence. As a therapy it worked pretty well.
Ash	"Trust me," Ashley said, "With a big enough shotgun, anything stays dead... and you don't risk a knife between the ribs doing it." Vampires better be happy they never pissed Ash off.
Allie	"Not one on one. Not when they can heal themselves from just about anythig other then being blown up. Like Kaidan said, it's supernatural. There's an entirely different set of rules." The steak knife on the table would lend itself to a quick demonstration, but that would be tacky.
Kaidan	Kaidan sighed. "Can we please not talk about killing things over dinner?" he said. "I mean. You're welcome to shoot someone when we're done, Ash."
Ash	"Nah," Ashley said, sounding like she was really mulling it over. "Nah, I think I'm good."
Tracy	Tracy looked genuinely relieved at that. "Thank you... So, what was it you said you teach again, Commander?"
Kaidan	"Shop class," Kaidan provided. "Last term I did a class on astrophysics. But I missed getting my hands dirty."
Allie	The conversation continued and food was eaten. No voices were raised, weapons drawn, or fangs flashed. It was probably one of the most awkward dinners ever, and Allie was pretty sure she'd be buying Kaidan drinks at the bar for forever. But all in all, she'd count the night as a success.