Disclaimer: I don't own Mass Effect or any of its characters, items, or locations.

It was a rare shore leave for the Normandy crew. They were offered a chance to return to their homeworlds, no charge. Joker begrudgingly left the Normandy at the Citadel in order to see his family on Tiptree. He asked Shepard where she was headed, and she responded with a smile that she was going home.

Mindoir was pretty cold during those months. It was perfect for growing winter crops, and the blanket of fresh snow on the ground reminded Mara of her childhood. She had fond memories of shoveling the walkway with her father and building snowmen with her cousin. The cold was comforting to her.

It had been a few days since she left the Normandy, and she was starting to feel homesick. Her friends had left for the night, but she wasn't tired, so she put on her coat and went outside for a walk. It was beautiful and quiet, with only a few sounds from the main colony carrying over to where Mara was staying at her parents' old property. It was nice to be back, but it wasn't the same. She turned on her omni-tool and called one of her friends – the one she missed the most.

Joker, having finally gotten some quiet time as his dad cleaned up from dinner, sat down at his old desk to check his messages. He flicked through them carelessly until he saw Shepard's name pop up. He braced himself to be recalled early, but furrowed his brow when he saw the contents of her message. She wasn't calling him back; she was asking if he wanted to talk. He hid his messy hair under his hat and eagerly pressed "Answer".

"Did you really miss me that much?" He asked of her image.

"Oh, hey! I didn't expect you to be on. I was just going to leave you a message." She smiled.

"You did miss me, didn't you?" He insisted.

She rolled her eyes. "Yes, I did. Happy?"

"Moderately."

"I wanted to share this with somebody." Mara mentioned excitedly. "Look." She switched her screen settings and held up her omni-tool, giving Joker a wide view of moonlit, snow-covered fields. "This is Mindoir. Where I grew up."

He widened his eyes. "Wow. Looks cold." He said.

She laughed. "Oh, it is. If you were here, you'd be freezing your ass off."

"Yeah, well depending on how soft that snow is, you might have to carry me." He muttered, adjusting his hat absentmindedly.

"You know I would, too." Mara pointed and moved her arm over a little. "See there? That's where I used to live. They rebuilt it and turned it into a bed and breakfast."

"It looks a little like Tiptree." Joker stated, noting the similarities.

"I'm not surprised." She replied, turning around again. "And that's the main colony, over there. See all the lights? The big building there is the culinary school." She switched the screen back so he could see her face. "What do you think?"

"I think you look good in hats." Joker said without pause.

Mara felt her face flush despite the cold wind. "I meant about the colony."

"It's nice. Hard to imagine you farming, though." Joker remarked.

She shook her head. "Well, it wasn't easy." She responded. "This winter is mild compared to what they were when I was a kid. You might be able to stand it with the right clothes."

"I can scrounge up some coats." He leaned toward the screen. "At least there, I wouldn't have to deal with my sister."

Mara laughed. "Don't worry, Joker. In my mind, you're already here."