The Renegade Adored

Disloyalty: "Oh, wonderful! Can this really be my poor little self?" (Fairy Tales, Traditional)

They stopped at Omega first, and Garrus stocked up on nutrient paste and borrowed some armor from a friend, with Hayden's approval of the color scheme. After Omega, they went to Ilium, where they sent the shuttle back to the Normandy and took the commercial flight to Amaterasu. They flew steerage, so they wouldn't have to put their weapons through security, and alternated keeping watch while the other slept. From Amaterasu to Earth, they had to go first-class to avoid security hassles over their weapons. They ordered dinner in their cabin, and laughed as they realized it was the first time they had ever had dinner together, just the two of them.
Garrus didn't realize that he had fallen asleep, but woke up to a soft, white light filling the cabin. He picked himself up from the floor, and crossed the room to where Hayden was standing, gazing out the window in silence. The view was beautiful. A distinctly yellow sun, blazing with energy, illuminating a blue and white ball hanging like a jewel against the backdrop of space, surrounded by glittering planets in every color. The reflection was bright enough to fill the entire room, but soft and white. Even at this distance, Earth seemed to vibrate with life. Huge oceans dominated the surface, in a shade of blue unlike any other. Land masses, in every shade of red and brown and green, lay beneath the slowly swirling, fluffy white clouds as the ship circled the globe for its docking approach.
Garrus couldn't think of the right words to describe it, and instead just stood with Hayden, his arms around her, and watched.
She turned, put her arms around him and lay her head on his chest with a satisfied sigh. "It's wonderful," she whispered.
Garrus smiled when she said it. She wasn't looking at the planet. Her eyes were closed. He held her close, savored the moment in silence.
They were among the last to disembark, a common courtesy given to first-class travelers.
"And now the fun begins," grinned Garrus as they approached the security area.
"Welcome to Shanghai!" chirped the woman at the Customs desk. "Do you have anything to declare?" She looked curiously at them.
Hayden pointed at the military security office for special cases. "We're just going to go over there."
The woman from Customs looked at Garrus again, then at their suspiciously weapon-shaped bags. "Okay." An armed officer escorted them into the office, then stood outside.
"Hello, welcome to Shanghai," said the security officer. "Let me just scan you for ID...." He scanned Hayden, waited patiently. Whatever he was expecting to see, the data on his screen made his eyes pop open very wide. Then he tilted his head in confusion. "What the ... I've never seen someone set off so many warnings at once."
Hayden grinned.
"You have three outstanding warrants for your arrest, two restraining orders, an override permitting you to carry weapons anywhere in council space, and you're dead."
Garrus chuckled.
Hayden frowned. "Wait, what? There's no overdue library book?"
Garrus laughed outright at that, and the security officer looked down again. "Oh. Yeah, there is.... You know, you can just go on in, it's not like I can stop you."
Hayden stepped aside so Garrus could get scanned.
"Seriously?" The disbelief in the officer's voice made both of them break into laughter which they tried to hold back. "It says you're dead too. And that I should arrest you, right after it says that I should assist you in your investigation and provide all necessary police powers."
"Well, I'd say that sounds about right," smiled Garrus.
"There's also a note here to tell you to call your father."
Hayden snickered.
"Oh, come on, I just called him two days ago!" Garrus entered a reminder into his omni-tool. "Fine, fine. Anything else?"
"Well, are you planning to disturb any governments?"
"Nope," said Hayden. "Might kill some smugglers though."
"Oh, that's all right then. Welcome home, Commander Shepard, and welcome to Earth, Officer Vakarian."
Hayden and Garrus walked out of the security area and headed to the transport hub. Hayden led Garrus to the UNAS terminal.
"Another security checkpoint?" Garrus grumbled.
"It's just a formality," she assured him.
The soldier at the UNAS checkpoint stared. "Hello, may I ask what the purpose of your visit to the States is?"
"No," said Hayden bluntly, and handed over her SIN card to be scanned.
"Well, ma'am, I uh..." The soldier kept reading. "And is the, uh, alien with you?"
"Yes."
"Well, ma'am, I can't stop you, but you are aware that there has been an unusual amount of anti-alien activity in the region?"
"What, you don't want a bunch of gang members killed in mysterious ways?"
The soldier looked at their bags, and at Garrus. "Welcome to the UNAS, please enjoy your stay."
Hayden led the way past the commercial terminals, up towards the top of the transport tower.
"So, like, this job sucks. I can't believe they waste money to keep someone here in Shanghai, this is for interplanetary travel, for fuck's sake! Nobody comes here from offworld. Oh, hold on, one sec, fucking lost tourists." The bored young woman at the counter pulled her comm unit away from her head. "Hi, this section is for corporate travel only."
"Yeah, I know." Hayden handed over her SIN card.
"Uh..." The agent scanned the card, and sighed heavily. "Jojo, I'll call you back in a bit." She disconnected her call, and started typing at the terminal. "Well, hello, what is the purpose of your travel today?" she asked, starting the script.
"Business."
"Uh huh. And who am I booking on the shuttle?"
"Employee and domestic partner," Hayden grinned.
The agent stared at Hayden, but was too well trained to question. "Okay, I've got a CI shuttle ready for you. Destination?"
"HQ, Southeast, Insurance Division."
"Right." She tapped a few more buttons. "Okay, you're all set."
They started walking away, and the agent, assuming they were out of earshot, picked up her comm unit again. "Oh my god, Jojo, you won't believe what I just saw! A Human and a TURIAN! Seriously! I know, right? Gross!"
Garrus chuckled. "We'd be more polite on Palaven."
"They would have waited a few more seconds to start gossiping?"
"No, they would have just shot you back at the first checkpoint."
A shuttle appeared, emblazoned with a series of various corporate logos. They loaded their luggage, and boarded. "This shuttle is currently a charter for the Carbide International Corporation, and will be flying direct to the Carbide International Corporate Headquarters transit hub in the United North American States," the shuttle's AI announced. "Welcome, Carbide International employee. We appreciate your hard work, and hope that your travel experience was a positive one. Please make sure that you have your travel papers and social identification network cards available and ready at all times." The shuttle AI continued droning security warnings and corporate personnel instructions for the next few minutes while it flew them to the American continent.
Hayden snuggled Garrus, but didn't sleep. Garrus was too fascinated by the view to sleep. He held Hayden in his arms, and marveled at the vast expanse of ocean below.
"Your ancestors crossed that in vessels made of wood? With no maps and no idea where they were going?"
Hayden nodded.
"That certainly explains a lot about Humans."
Hayden grinned.
The shuttle landed at the port of Charleston, the center of the UNAS Carbide International corporate holdings.
"Oh, yet another checkpoint. What is the point of all these?" Garrus asked. "It doesn't add any additional layers of security."
"It keeps people employed and off the streets," Hayden explained. "You have no idea how important that is on Earth." Hayden walked up to the receptionist.
"Hello, welcome to the Carbide International corporate headquarters may I see your identification please?" the receptionist rattled off without looking up.
Hayden held up her SIN card to the scanner.
"Hello employee, welcome back.... You're late for work, and your pay has been docked... um..." The receptionist finally looked up. "Is this a joke?"
"Nope," said Hayden cheerfully.
The receptionist's eyes grew wide as she stared at Garrus. "What is that?"
"Domestic partner," Hayden smiled, "just like it says on the form."
"Hello," Garrus waved at the girl, who shrank back.
"Okay, you know what? Fuck you, I don't get paid enough for this shit." She furiously punched some buttons on the terminal, and handed Hayden a packet. "Just get away from me."
Hayden giggled, and took the employee re-orientation packet. "Come on, before her head explodes." Hayden lifted her bags to her shoulder, and Garrus did the same, following her out into the streets of downtown Charleston.