Game: Mass Effect

Pairing: Shepard/Tali

Genre: Romance, Drama

Rating: T

A/N: I won't be working on this much until "Incentive" is done, but I really wanted to get this out there and start generating some interest. I've got fanfics for my other favorite LIs, Garrus, Miranda, and Jack, so I really wanted to get one going for the adorable Tali.

Alliance and Admirals

.:.1.:.

The room was sterile. She was sure of it, and yet…

Tali'Zorah vas Normandy sighed and wrung her hands together in apprehension. It was a habit she had developed when she was younger, one that had spread like an airborne virus once she'd boarded the Normandy. It was funny, really, how one little thing could catch on like that. It had started with Commander Shepard and gone from there, with each person she had spent long periods of time with quickly adopting the little tic, and those individuals going out and infecting others.

Maybe she should have been flattered that she was able to influence so many people, but she was a bit disappointed that it had been in such a trivial way. Why couldn't everyone have picked up some of her engineering knowledge or become more conscientious about sanitation? Why couldn't they have learned something useful from her rather than developed the practice of twisting their hands together in a moment of anticipation?

Sighing again, the young quarian admiral moved to look out the window, only to remember that they were in a starship's medbay and that there were no windows. She supposed she could go to the lounge of the ship, but quickly decided against it as she had seen enough of the blackness of space for a lifetime. She wanted to be where she was, with someone familiar. After spending a month on a tropical planet, unaware of what had happened to her people, to her love, she didn't want to leave that which had become her home—him.

The Normandy's crew was all floating around those days, doing whatever they could to help whatever race they were a part of. Tali had been a bit sad to see them go, even though after weeks of seeing no one besides them she had grown irritated with certain members of the crew. She missed them all now and wondered what they were doing, if they were well, what damage had been done to their lives.

She wondered if Garrus had managed to get in contact with his father and sister, she wondered if James Vega had managed to find his deadbeat dad and kind uncle. She wondered if Javik was with Liara and if Grunt was still running around proclaiming the glory of his Battlemaster. She wondered if Jack was still celebrating with her kids and where Kasumi had stolen off to. She wondered where Samara, Zaeed, Kaidan, Miranda, Jacob, Wrex, and everyone else she cared for was.

I hope Kal'Reegar is alright…

She probably should have been with the other Admirals, most of them having returned to their newly reclaimed homeworld of Rannoch, but she had elected to stay behind with a small team dedicated to towing the geth's ships out of Earth's orbit. They were all dead, having gone silent when the red beam of energy had surged forth from the Citadel and traveled across the entirety of the Milky Way via use of the Mass Relays.

It had been to everyone's shock and dismay when EDI had suddenly gone offline midflight; no one had been in the cockpit with Joker when it had happened, but he had grimly recounted their last moments together, the jaws in his muscle pulled tense, eyes haunted. Tali had taken a look at the AI Core, but had been unable to find what had led to EDI's silence, but when they had finally regained contact with the rest of the galaxy she had been able to put two and two together.

Why am I thinking such depressing thoughts?

Tali stilled her hands and looked down at her feet. Her mouth was screwed up in a pout, confusion and dismay written across her face.

And to think this all started because I was wondering whether or not I should take off my mask…perhaps I should check in with the cleanup crew…

Looking over her shoulder, she ran her eyes over her love. He had seen better days to be sure. He was wrapped in bandages from head to toe, right arm and left leg in a cast. He was healing incredibly fast thanks to the upgrades Cerberus had given him and the care he received round the clock by Chakwas. Miranda had been around at the beginning of his recovery when they had pulled him from the wreckage and had made sure that everything was in order, fixing what wasn't. Tali had never realized just how many cybernetics were holding the Commander together until she'd seen his flesh torn away, a sight that she wished she could forget.

She had nearly had a panic attack at seeing him so beat up; the fever that he'd suffered from would have killed a quarian. Luckily the Commander was no quarian and had been able to pull through, though on that same note, unluckily he wasn't a quarian and there would be problems when their relationship came to light.

Oh, why am I worrying about that now? Shepard is barely clinging to life and here I am worried about what my people are going to say about him and I being together.

She took her lower lip between her teeth and bit down gently, shifting her stance uneasily as her brain refused to drop the subject.

I guess it is a legitimate concern. We lost a few ships and some good crews at Rannoch and Earth. We're going to need every quarian reproducing to keep our numbers up, and Shepard and I can't procreate.

Her cheeks heated up at the thought of her extracurricular activities with the Commander.

Then again, Shepard did save our people and broker peace with the geth. He saved the galaxy too! Surely they won't oppose our relationship. True, I'm an Admiral, and true, Shepard is a Commander of the Alliance and a Council Spectre, but he's also the poster boy of the Reaper War—a war we won through galactic teamwork. Wouldn't it look good for our species as a whole if Shepard and I stayed together? A Council species member having a successful relationship with a member of a species once thought to be the scourge of the galaxy?

She couldn't help but squeal at the idea, her hands clapping together enthusiastically.

Oh! This is turning out to be just like Fleet and Flotilla! A star-crossed love between two different species! Granted, Bellicus and Shalei still had their problems, but they worked through them. So Shepard and I are going to end up alright too, right?

Swallowing hard as the apprehension she'd felt earlier returned, she looked at the sleeping Commander.

It didn't matter what her people would think of her relationship with Shepard if he didn't recover. She had been completely truthful in saying that her father wouldn't have approved of their union, but she had hope that her people—specifically her fellow Admirals—would approve.

Shala'Raan would be happy for Tali, yet cautious and the voice of reason offered in place of her father. "Auntie Raan," as Tali called her, wanted her to be happy but had also been very close with her parents and would want the best for her late friends' child. She was older than both Shepard and Tali, and would bring her wisdom to their situation. Zaal'Koris would likely be partial to the couple, but as for Han'Gerrel and Daro'Xen…Tali didn't know what to expect. If they didn't approve, she wasn't sure would she would do, though Shepard would think of something. He always did.

He's always saving me. Ever since we first met, he's always been going out of his way for me, for his crew, for the galaxy. Isn't it about time we did something for him?

Tali wanted to take him back to Rannoch; she wanted to build those houses she had dreamed about all her life, with him at her side. She wanted him to be there to witness the sunrises and sunsets, she wanted him to be able to call Rannoch his planet as well. He'd been born in space like she had; wasn't it about time they got some solid ground beneath their feet?

Without another moment's hesitation, Tali deactivated the locks on her helmet and slipped it off, clutching it tightly in her hands. Her long hair, freed from its prison, fell down around her shoulders, her pale purple eyes burning brightly in the muted atmosphere. She walked a few paces over to where Shepard lay and leaned over him, her expression one of sincerity and loss.

There would be much to deal with once he woke up. The Admirals, the deaths of the geth and EDI, the staggering amount of damage that had been to every nook and corner of the Milky Way, the consequences of his actions…

But for all that was out there, ready to face him—them—she was just grateful that he was alive.

"Wake up, Shepard. Rannoch may be waiting for me, but you are my home."