You’re lucky I slept with half a platoon once or I’d have no idea what you were talking about. Who: Beth and Wrex and the teeniest bit of Alma. What: Wrex gives Beth the Talk. When: Sunday evening. Where: Urdnot Ranch. Rating: PG-13 for language, allusions to sex. Status: Complete!
Wrex had sent Alma with one of the ranch hands to fetch some things for dinner, because he wanted to meet Alma's 'friend' without the girl being nearby. It would be easier to get a read on her.
He wasn't particularly inclined to be all that approving, but that wasn't entirely fair. Wrex had to put aside his personal feelings. He couldn't really prevent Alma from dating until she was forty. He just didn't want to see her get hurt again, and he didn’t really know this girl. Cheerleaders didn’t necessarily have the best reputation, and yes, he did read the Valarnet.
Would reputation match reality?
Beth had shown up at the time that she was requested, and yes, she’d dressed up. She wore her favorite dress - a black shift that fell just below her knees with some black flats. She still looked great, Alma would like it, but no parent in the world would ever disapprove. Her blonde hair was loose and flowed down her back as she made her way to the door.
Wrex's cabin was set back a ways on the property, but it was pretty easy to reach if one had the directions. Alma's zen garden was visible on the north side of the building. The front door was warm, and welcoming.
He opened the door as the girl approached, looking down at her with open curiosity and only the barest glimmer of a grumpy expression on his face.
He gave her a once over, and she seemed to pass initial inspection. "You must be Beth. Come on in. Alma's getting things for the meal. I thought we could have a chance to talk."
Beth looked at the zen garden with genuine interest. Things already smelled good and Beth gave Alma’s dad a raised eyebrow. “She didn’t say her dad was a brick shithouse. No wonder she had me dress nice. Do you need help cooking anything?”
One of Wrex's eyebrows went way up. Shepard hadn't said the kid had a mouth on her. But then Shepard's idea of 'sassy' was unique and interesting. Beth certainly qualified as that.
"No, everything's taken care of. We just needed some veggies." He let Beth in, closing the door for her. "Have a seat, kid."
“Is this where I promise not to get her pregnant? I promise not to get her pregnant.” Beth smiled, holding a hand over her heart as she went to sit down. “Sorry, I’ll be serious now, I just had to get that out there.”
Despite himself, Wrex found himself smiling. "If you could get her pregnant that would be a minor miracle or you've got a quad." Because for a man who dreamed of being a Krogan, a pair wasn't enough. It had to be two pairs.
He took a seat across from her, leaning forward. "I know Shepard gave you the third degree already, so I won't go back over all that. Are you having sex with my daughter?"
“A … quad?” Beth blinked. “What the - “ She shook her head to get rid of the admittedly gross mental image. But his bluntness made her laugh. “Define sex. It’s different for everyone what sex with two girls constitutes.”
She had a point. He tried to wrap his mind around two women having sex (which took the mental image of Shepard and Liara and made him squint and blush at the same time). "What do you define it as?"
Beth winced. “I - we haven’t done much. So in my definition we aren’t? I’ve... we’ve done some things, but Alma’s still a virgin by … “ This was just awkward, and it made Beth blush mightily. “Alma’s a virgin by every technical definition. I told her that she’s setting the pace for everything since I’m not a virgin, and I want her first time to be more special than mine was.” Alma’s dad was easy to talk to, but there was no nice way to tell a parent that you’d gone down on their daughter in the school showers.
Wrex grunted, holding up a hand before he got any details. He didn't want any details. That was just wrong. "That's... good I guess."
Zevran had wanted it to be special for Alma too, but that was something different entirely. Violence wasn't still entirely out of the question but his anger was cooling. Slowly.
"She wouldn't stop talking about you. I suppose I should thank you for making her forget about that damned porn star."
“She told me about him. He sounds too milquetoast to actually hurt her, but I get why you’re pissed off.” Beth crossed her legs and shook her head. “But he wants to protect her, which is going to bite both of them in the ass if they don’t realize that Alma doesn’t need protecting. She can protect herself just fine. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I want to protect her too, but I want to do that by making her happy. Not bullshit white knight crap. She showed me what she can do, it’s not like she’d get physically hurt by anyone.”
"Shepard shot him." Wrex sounded both annoyed and admiring. Shepard was a hell of a woman. He sat back, folding his arm. "She showed you what she can do? All of it? And you're still here? I'd rather she not have to defend herself from getting hurt by someone. She doesn't need the guilt and second guessing that comes with using her abilities that way."
It was Alma's feelings that needed protecting. As much as Wrex wanted to physically protect her, Beth was right - Alma could defend herself.
“She showed me. And if it was justifiable defense, I think she’d be okay. A slasher flick self-defense type situation, no problem. She just needs someone who’ll keep that really innocent part of her … not safe, but someone who’ll honor it. Honestly, I’m more than a little jealous of it. I don’t think I was ever born with that.” Beth’s voice was quiet, and she looked down at her hands, their perfect red polish job.
"Everyone is born with it, kid," Wrex replied, softly. His voice seemed strange, coming from the gruff brick shithouse. "And deep down, everyone still has it, no matter how much the world might have worn it down. Just takes the right person to help you find it again. Alma is probably the right person to find yours. Somewhere beneath that polished exterior."
“Not everyone,” Beth murmured, shaking her head. “She helps me experience it, though, and that’s good enough. I’d fight for her. I’d - yeah, I mean, I know you’re upset that I’m going to have sex with your daughter someday. But if she wanted me to become a nun with her, I would. She needs someone around, and I want it to be me for as long as she’ll let me. We’re teenagers, it might not last forever, but hopefully it’ll be as long as we can make it.”
"Try to hold off until she's forty." Wrex grumped. He didn't think that was likely. In fact he highly doubted they'd make it past the next week. He scratched his jaw. "She's really...been a handful. When she couldn't control her powers as well, we all knew when she was..uh...hornythinking about certain things." God help them when she had wet dreams.
That made Beth laugh. “You’re going to love that she can come over to my house sometimes, huh.” She stood up and went to wash her hands. “Seriously, though, I have to be able to help with something. I’m kind of an ass if I just come and mooch food and don’t pitch in.”
"Fine. I'll put you on PT duty. Take care of the potatoes. I'll call Alma and tell her to get her ass back here." Wrex got to his feet. He was going to miss having Alma around on weekdays, but Shepard had a good idea with the school thing, and it wasn't right making Alma commute every morning into the city.
Beth gave Wrex a salute before moving over to clean and peel potatoes. “You’re lucky I slept with half a platoon once or I’d have no idea what you were talking about.”
Wrex stared at her. "What?"
“What?” Beth looked at him blankly while rinsing a potato.
"Can't tell if you're serious or pulling my chain, and your online reputation isn't helping with that." Yes, he'd stalked her online. It was for entirely legit purposes.
“How many people are in a platoon? I’ve only done three guys in the service. All were in the corps, though, wonder if Shepard knows them.” She started to peel, shrugging her shoulders. “I’m not a saint. I’m actually kind of a horrible bitch to most people, but Alma makes me not want to as much. Did you stalk my journal for cheerleeders or Alma?” She couldn’t help teasing him.
Wrex's brain went to Kasumi in a cheerleader outfit and he waved away the mental image that was not needed at this time. He squinted at Beth. She was what, sixteen, seventeen? He could probably get those bastards arrested. "She know about that?"
How does one ask if a seventeen year old has been tested?
“Yes she knows, I’m seventeen, and no, I didn’t file for statutory even though I probably should have.” She shrugged. “I got them back anyway, it’s dealt with. They don’t serve Uncle Sam anymore, at the very least. How do you want these chopped?” Beth looked up at him, her mask off for once; the head Bitch of the school was just being herself.
"Slices." Wrex grit his teeth. "You clean? I'm ex-military too, I know what those kind of guys are like."
Beth proceeded to chop the potatoes, nodding. “Yeah. I got tested right after, then six months after again. I’m also really fanatic about protection. Ask Shepard, I gave her some for her girlfriend.”
A dry look passed over Wrex's face. He was conflicted. On one hand, Beth was rather shameless. Blunt, sassy, but shameless. "I don't want to know about protection, but I'm glad you have it."
On the other hand, she seemed to have her head on straight. "Sounds like you made some mistakes."
Beth snorted. “You could say that. It’d be an understatement, but you could say that.” She sighed, looking at him. “Look, I’m not the ideal girl for anyone, I’m already really fucking damaged. But Alma makes me work harder to be a good person, and I love her so - “ She shook her head. “Sorry. I should focus so you don’t have to run me to the hospital or anything.”
"Right. I forgot how easy teenagers fall in love." Wrex set about getting the rest of dinner ready, so it didn't burn. There was meat. He hoped she wasn't a vegetarian. Or at least not a militant one.
"She said as much though. That she thought you needed someone to patch the holes in your heart. That girl is sometimes older than she should be."
“It’s sad.” Beth smiled a little and continued chopping. “If she does that for me, I do it for her, I think. Tickle fights cure a lot of things.” She started working on her next potato. “So, Alma told me a little about this place. What inspired you to start it?”
"Someone has to do it." Wrex replied. He got down some plates and bowls, and set them on the dining table. "I got tired of what I was doing before. I hated the way kids were treated at Juvie. I thought there had to be a better way."
Wrex shrugged a shoulder, turning the heat off on the stove and getting out a pan to fry the potatoes. "I had some savings, so I started the Ranch so I could try to turn some kids' lives around. Been pretty successful at it. That big earthquake a few months ago knocked us on our asses, but it also gave us a chance to rebuild. Alma probably isn't the only kid with gifts like that. They'll need a place. My partners and I intend to give them one."
He glanced at Beth, and added. "Tell me if a year ago, you'd suddenly woken to terrible nightmares and powerful abilities, it wouldn't have turned out bad for people around you. We're here to help cases like that."
“Oh, my parents would be toast.” Beth dried her hands since she was done with the potatoes and sat down. “You’re a good man, Alma was right. Scarier than Shepard, but a good man.”
"Scarier than Shepard? Really?" Wrex grinned at her, like that was the best compliment he'd ever received. Fuck yeah, scarier than Shepard!
“She’s kinda hot, so maybe that’s why.” Beth shrugged.
"Yes, she is. Neither of us are ever going to get to tap that. Dump the potatoes here." He indicated the pan.
“She’s got a girlfriend already. Is she cute too?” Beth did as instructed, but with a wicked grin on her face.
“Liara? Liara is adorable,” Wrex replied, as he started to fry up the potatoes. “Probably the most adorable woman you will ever meet, in any life. I’m actually not sure how Shepard scored a woman like that.”
He didn’t trust that grin.
Beth paused for a moment, smiling, then shook her head. “Opposites attract, or so they say.” It explained her and Alma, after all. “Are you married? I know you adopted Alma, I just want... to know more about her.”
"No, I'm not married." Wrex shook his head. He supposed he was still 'complicated' with Kasumi. "I think I'm allergic to marriage. But Alma needed a father, and I've always wanted a kid, so it kind of worked out. I did it for her.”
“I wish my parents wanted me.” Bet wasn’t surprised she’d said it to Wrex, but she was surprised she’d said it at all. It was how she’d always felt, she’d just never put words to it before.
Wrex looked at her, a profoundly sad expression on his face. "I'm sorry, kid." He could tell her that sure, they wanted her, but he didn't know the situation and he'd found far too many kids who really weren't wanted. It was another reason Urdnot Ranch existed. He wasn't going to sugarcoat anything. Beth was the kind of girl who liked it straight forward and honest.
"You're welcome here any time, and not just because Alma wants to chain you to her bedroom."
Beth smiled, and impulsively she did something she’d never done to any other adult. She reached out and hugged him.
Wrex blinked, nearly flailing and upending potatoes all over the place. He put down the pan and then put his arms around Beth. He'd meant it. If Beth's situation was remotely any bad, the Ranch existed to help kids in need. Primarily those in Juvie, but ..well to be honest she probably wasn't that far away from ending up there.
Beth’s eyes closed and she bit her lip hard. Crying wasn’t her style, but it was so nice to have a hug from someone who expected nothing from her. No sex, no being a perfect child - this man didn’t really care what she did as long as it didn’t hurt Alma, yet he was still nice to her.
Rubbing her back, Wrex gave her a soothing, reassuring sound. There were lots of men like that, and it was a sad thing that Beth had never met one before now. He kissed the top of Beth's head. "Everything'll be all right."
Alma smiled at them from the kitchen entrance, silent as a ghost.