Hello dear readers! Now before you all kill me, I'll explain why I haven't exactly been writing in a while…..laziness. Okay that's not the entire reason, truth is that I just never got around to it; I've been busy writing my novel and high school. But here is a little love letter to all you guys who enjoy A Very Merry Normandy Christmas. This is the story of how Tali finally became Shepard's lover….then again this wouldn't be a comedy if there weren't some road blocks along the way. So without further a due, as an apology for not updating A Very Merry Normandy Christmas yet, here is Stars and Shuttles.
Tali banged her head over and over again against the engineering console. Shepard had been down there earlier to see her, it took all her willpower not to squeal like a quarian school girl and hug him when he made his surprise visit. Then again he hugged everyone on the ship, he gives Garrus hugs, Grunt, Thane, Kasumi, everyone. He even gave one to Jack, which earned him a biotic push into the wall nearly denting it. He did get his revenge later by putting a speaker the size of a beetle under the floor of her room that let out a constant beeping that kept getting louder and louder, driving the inmate crazy. But today it's what Tali did when he hugged her is why she's beating her head against the console now.
Shepard had snuck up behind her in the mess hall and gave her a huge hug and lifted her in the air, which wasn't very hard considering her light weight. He was laughing and had a huge grin on his face as she was screaming and laughing with him, while also weakly hitting his back. "What's wrong Tali? Don't like my hugs anymore?" He said as he continued to laugh. "Shepard put me down before I spank you!" She practically shouted. Shepard had a startled look on his face as he put her back down on the floor. Tali was blushing immensely, her fingers pressing and rubbing against each other as she tried to stammer out an apology. "What did you just say?" A look of confusion on his face. Tali did not respond, every word she tried to say had come out as just incoherent rambling. "Tali…" He began before she walked away blushing and mumbling to herself. All Shepard could do was smile and write a small note down on his note book he had in his pocket.
"You stupid stupid bosh'tet!" She yelled at herself as she tried to work. Kenneth and Gabby looked on as their boss berated herself vehemently. "Poor lass," Kenneth said, shaking his head. "You would think Shepard would have noticed by now that she loves him." Gabby sighed and looked at the data streaming over her screen. "I know, he's just so oblivious to it. I mean how can one man be so oblivious to a woman's feelings toward him?" She said looking at Kenneth. "You're right about that, especially with those hips of hers."
"And there you go again." Gabby said while sighing in annoyance.
"Oh come on I'm only speaking the truth!" Kenneth protested.
Tali listened to the two argue, her own humiliation still dwelling on her. She had stupidly said something out of an attempt to be playful and subtle but instead just managed to humiliate herself. It's not like this was the only time she had tried to win Shepard's affections. In fact the whole damn crew has tried hooking the two of them up. Tali smiled and restrained a laugh as she remembered the various failed attempts to make Shepard hers. Garrus had tried taking them out to a dinner on the observation deck and had to 'excuse himself', leaving the two of them alone together.
Shepard looked out at the stars, smiling to himself. Tali had asked him what he was looking at and he told her about the constellations. She had sat at rapt attention as he was telling her all about it, pointing at each star with one hand, his other shifting behind her. He had almost knocked over her drink if it wasn't for his quick reflexes catching it for her. She smiled and thanked him, sipping her drink. A wave of exhaustion hit her, it affected her to the point she couldn't walk back to a sleeping pod, which made Shepard have to carry her back in his arms. Not that she minded but it was slightly embarrassing to have to be carried back to your pod like a drunk krogan.
Kasumi had given it a shot with the romantic comedy approach, by taking them to the bar. She had two plans that could work, the first was to try and get Tali jealous and get her too accidently admit she loves him in a jealous fit. All it managed to do was put four girls in the hospital. Kasumi then tried getting Shepard jealous by getting guys to flirt with Tali while Shepard sat right next to her. This time however all the men did was either spit on her, call her names, and cursed at her. They all ended up in a hospital with broken bones, scales and other broken limbs from Shepard's anger. This cost a lot of money in hospital bills and having to pay for all the broken furniture. Both dates had ended in either Shepard or Tali getting pissed off.
Miranda told her to take Shepard to the movies, since he loved watching them and critiquing them. Tali decided to take him to see the new blasto movie. She had smiled and laughed at his riffing and constant jokes throughout the film but it did get them both kicked out of the theatre. He kept apologizing for it but she laughed and told him it was alright. Even though it ended in disaster Tali was at least content in the thought that she made Shepard happy and got to spend time with him.
Kelly had suggested taking him dancing, which everyone agreed was a bad idea.
It seemed like every time Tali tried to reveal her feelings something always got in the way and it frustrated her to no end. But maybe that's how it should be, Tali would always love Shepard and he would be the oblivious bosh'tet he always and probably marry some Asari or human woman. Tali activated her Omni-tool and looked through all her files on human courtship, mating, and a little bit of her porn. 'I've tried all these stupid dating manuals and none have worked! Why did I think it was a good idea to buy a human mating book by a turian author!?' She thought to herself. Tali sighed and tried to focus on her work. But all she could think about was him, his brown hair, blue eyes, sexy ass…."Damn it Tali don't go there!" She shouted aloud. Blushing bright red as her fellow engineers stared at her, she kept trying to keep him out of her thoughts. Luckily the intercom interrupted whatever thoughts she had. "We'll be docking at Desura fueling depot in 30 minutes." EDI said over the intercom. Tali sighed in relief and walked over to the elevator, then pressed the button for deck 2, CIC. She sighed and waited to reach the top.
Tali waited outside the air lock, watching Shepard as he spoke to the pretty merchant lady. She could tell she was flirting with him, and thankfully Shepard was acting oblivious. When they finished the transaction and Shepard turned around, she saw the woman reaching for Shepard's full ass. 'That ass is mine!' She nearly screamed as she was about the pounce on the woman. However she saw Shepard turn around and tell the woman something, which shocked her and she looked slightly offended. Shepard just laughed and walked to the air lock. "You coming Tali?" He asked with a smile on his face. "Oh uh yeah, I'm coming." She said smiling. Shepard walked in with her to the Normandy, then he made a left turn and went to talk to Joker, he whispered something in his ear. Joker smiled and nodded at the commander in understanding. Shepard walked out and headed to the elevator. "EDI make sure no one disturbs me, I have something I need to do."
"Affirmative, Shepard."
Tali jumped in the elevator with Shepard and pressed the button for deck 3. Shepard clicked on the button leading to the shuttle bay and waited as the doors closed. Tali shifted on the balls of her feet, waiting for the doors to open. Shepard smirked while looking at her, looking up and down her body. "Something wrong Shepard?" She asked, secretly hoping he was checking her out. "It's nothing Tali, I'm just wondering how Quarians get in those suits in the first place." He replied giving her a friendly smile. "Oh….okay." She said, twiddling her fingers. "Disappointed?" He said jokingly.
"Oh what no!" She said quickly.
"Sure." He said teasingly, dragging the word out in a playful manner. The door opened to deck 3 and Tali quickly ran out before she could embarrass herself anymore. She could hear Shepard laugh as the elevator doors closed behind her. She grumbled, "Stupid bosh'tet and his stupid teasing." She walked forward, continuing to grumble to herself. She went up to Gardner and asked for her usual paste. He heated it up and gave it to her. She thanked him and sat down at the nearest table. She activated her Omni-tool and read some more cheesy romance novels, hoping that maybe they'd give her some inspiration on how to win Shepard over.
She read chapter after chapter, hoping for something but it was all something that she had tried before. She sighed unhappily and checked the clock; she had been sitting there for several hours. She jumped up and was about to head for the elevator, when EDI's voice came over the intercom, "Tali, Shepard has requested your presence in the Shuttle bay."
"Thank you EDI." She said, trying to conceal the happiness in her voice. Shepard wanted to see her? She wondered what for. Maybe some help with maintenance for the shuttles? He may have been making an excuse to spend time with her! She didn't know nor care, she would get to spend time with him and was excited. She ran to the elevator and nearly broke the button for the shuttle bay from pressing on it too much.
It felt like an eternity before the doors opened to reveal the shuttle bay, and the man of her dreams lying against the door, checking the clock on his Omni-tool. She ran over and gave him a big hug, incredibly happy to see him. "Hi Shepard!" She said with a bit too much enthusiasm in her voice. He smiled and laughed, "Hey Tali." He said as he returned the hug. She realized what she was doing and let go in a sudden flash of movement, the blood rushing to her face. "So uh um…what did you need to see me for?" She asked hoping her visor concealed her blush. Shepard put a hand on her shoulder, his kind smile warming her up inside. "It's a surprise Tali, but I think you're going to like it." Shepard opened the shuttle door to reveal a large interior, a table in the center, which was a clear recent addition, and windows on either side of the doors and walls. There were seats on either side of the shuttle, enough room to fill six people.
Shepard got in and sat down on one of the seats, then looked at Tali, wanting her to join him. She got in on the other side, which considering the size of the interior was exceptionally easy. He closed the door behind her and hit the wall behind him, which indicated that the cockpit was behind the wall. "Joker we're ready, open the shuttle bay doors."
"Aye, Aye Commander." Joker said over the intercom in the shuttle, a slight hint of amusement in his voice. The shuttle bay doors opened as the shuttle lifted off the ground and into the empty space outside. Tali looked out at the window and could see all the twinkling stars, like jewels in a vast ocean of black. She turned her head, noticing Shepard pulling something from under the table; it was a large basket, a smell emanating from the wooden object. He smiled and pulled out many tubes, all of which were paste of various flavors and delicacies. Next he pulled out two wine glasses, then two large bottles, the first containing lemonade and the other containing turian brandy. He smiled and tapped the bottle containing the yellow liquid. "Sorry I'm not sharing alcohol with you, you know I'm not a drinking man Tali, could never stomach the stuff." He poured the lemonade into his glass and the brandy into hers. She was about to reach for one of the tubes but Shepard grabbed her hand and gently nudged it back. "Nope, wait a moment; I got something else in mind." He took out a plate and a spoon. He took the tubes and gently sprayed each flavor out across the plate in separate mounds, each neatly separated from each other. He handed her a spoon and laid the plate down in front of her. He then pulled out a box, containing a freshly cooked pepperoni pizza, which he set off to the side so they still had room in front of each other. He then placed a plate in front of him and put two slices in front of him.
He took a sip from his drink, and smiled at her. A smile she had never seen before, and a look he gave her that he had never directed at her before, at least that she had seen. "Enjoy the meal Tali, I made it myself. Well the paste I had to buy that, and the lemonade, and the brandy….but everything else I made." She giggled and took the spoon, then digging it into the first pile of paste and then sliding it into the induction port. For the next twenty minutes they had joked and laughed, talking about random things and gossiping. Shepard looked out the window and smiled. "We're here." He said excitement clear in his voice.
"Where?" Tali asked, looking out and seeing something magnificent. A star, tinted blue, glowing brightly in the darkness. There was a station orbiting the star, it was medium sized station that appeared to be collecting solar energy. "You're probably wondering why we're here." Shepard said, looking at her. She couldn't help but look at him with a questioning expression. He chuckled and put his hand on hers, her face started to glow bright red from the blush. "It's about to begin." He said a knowing smile on his face.
"What's about to begin?" She asked, wondering what he was talking about. He smiled and squeezed her hand, then looked at the clock, his smile growing larger. "That." He said simply, pointing out the window. She looked outside and saw cannons coming out of the station, pointing out into the blackness of outer space. Tali gripped the table in anticipation, and then it happened. The cannons fired in all directions, a multitude of colors and beauty shooting across the sky, in front of the star and up till it reached far into the darkness. Tali watched in amazement as they fired continuously into space. Some of the rounds exploded into many colors ranging from red to blue, green and orange, the shuttle was far enough not to be hit by the shots, but close enough to admire the beauty. Tali could barely take her eyes off of it, the spectacle unfolding in front of her. She looked over at Shepard, who she noticed was looking over at her and the event outside.
The colors reflected slightly on his face, dancing in his blue eyes, his trade mark smile, his big warm smile, plastered on his face. She looked down at the table, gripping her hands as she nervously spoke. "Shepard…." He looked over at her as he leaned back in the seat. "Yeah Tali?"
"I…I uh…um…thank you for taking me out here."
"It was my pleasure Tali, what do you think?"
"It's beautiful." She said, putting a hand on the glass.
"I hope so; I waited a long time to come here. Died while I was at it." He said in a joking manner. She never got how he could take his death so lightly; joke about it like it was just a minor incident. She remembered all the feelings she felt when he died. All the emotions boiling and brewing inside her like a storm. The regrets she had, her memories of their time together, all of which culminated when she was alone back on the flotilla, crying herself to sleep. Now she had a second chance to tell him, she would not let her insecurities and shyness get in the way this time, this time she would tell the man in front of her she loved him.
"Shepard…I…I have something to tell you…" She said in a low whisper. He turned his attention to her, sitting at rapt attention. "Yes Tali?"
'No backing out now…' She thought. Her face turned bright red; she felt it get really hot in her suit, her fingers rubbing against each other. Shepard looked worried at her and leaned in close, observing closely. Tali's blush grew brighter with how close he was to her visor. "Tali are you sick? Do you have a fever or something?" He asked in a worried tone. 'He cares about my health, maybe he cares about me enough to...to….'
"No no! It's nothing, just got a little sloppy while doing some suit repair." That was a good excuse, at least to her it sounded plausible. Shepard just raised an eyebrow and sat back down, his expression changing to one of curiosity. "You know with how your people get sick so easily with just a suit rupture, I wonder even I could handle living inside a suit my whole life."
"Well we're in our suits even among family. The most intimate thing we can do with another quarian is link our suit environments. We get sick at first and then we adapt. It's our most important gesture of trust, of acceptance." She explained. "I haven't trusted anyone enough for that though. Except…well, no quarians. Um. You know what I mean." She said nervously, her head tilting down to hide her blush.
"It's hard to tell by your visor Tali, but are you blushing?" Shepard said in a teasing tone.
"What no!" She shouted a little too loud. "It's the fever I swear! That came out wrong; I didn't mean it like that. It's, um… Wow, it is really hot in here." She nervously tried to explain herself but the look on Shepard's face indicated he wasn't buying it and was on the verge of laughter. She sighed and looked up at him. "It's just that tradition also signifies a willingness for, um, intimacy." She rubbed her arm as she continued. "I wasn't trying to…It's not always like that. It's more… How did we even end up talking about this?"
Shepard had a smirk on his face as he responded, "Wait a minute." He said holding up his hand. "It sounds like you're suggesting something, Tali." He said in a tone that sent shivers down her spine. This was her chance, she summoned up all her courage, laid back in her chair and spoke in the most seductive tone she could manage in her nervous state. "What could I possibly be suggesting? I mean, a young woman gets rescued by a dashing commander who lets her join his crew and then goes off to save the galaxy? How could she possibly develop any kind of interest in him?" There, she did it. She had basically told Shepard she loved him. She had let him know how she felt; she had bested her shyness and finally told the man how she felt. He was silent for a while, simply staring at her. Then he laughed, a laugh that echoed in the throughout the shuttle. Tali felt her heart shatter into a million pieces.
The man she loved was laughing at her. Tears began to well up in her eyes, she brought her hands up to her visor and was about to cry, when he stopped. He gripped Tali's hand, that smile of his shining at her. "Tali I already knew you loved me since the SR-1." If Tali's heart wasn't shattered enough it pretty much turned to dust. "I knew from the beginning, I'm not an idiot. I noticed your glances at me, how the inflections in your voice rose, whenever your spoke to me you were pretty much standing on your tippy toes. I'm not some oblivious moron who never noticed, I've known for a long time. All those times our friends tried setting us up, I knew what they were up to, I sabotaged all their attempts." Tali's heart sank deeper and deeper, her throat choking up and her world crumbling around her. "When Garrus tried, I distracted you by telling you about the constellations and spiking your drink with a tranquilizer that put you right to sleep. Or that time Jack and Zaeed sent us to a street fighting tournament, I'm the one who purposefully put my name on the list of fighters and fought. When Thane took us to that museum that was one of the few times I didn't try anything and enjoyed myself with you. When Kasumi sent us to that bar, that time I didn't do anything but I really was pissed off when people insulted you." Every word out of Shepard's mouth seemed like poison to her, tears streaming down her face as he continued to speak.
"Now you're probably wondering why, why did I do all that? Why did I sabotage every attempt of our friends to get us together, even though I knew you liked me?" Tali just sat there in silence, only the sound of her sobbing was heard. "Because I wanted to do it on my own terms. I had tried while on the SR-1 and I never had the chance due to both Liara and our mission with Saren. I waited for the anniversary of this station just so I could tell you, I love you Tali Zorah vas Normandy nar Rayya." Time seemed to slow down for Tali; those words were something she didn't expect to hear at this point. 'He just said…'
"I loved you from the moment I met you, everything about you sang beauty to me. I always thought your suit looked badass, I thought your personality was amazing. Your laugh which is adorable, your accent which I find incredibly sexy, your selflessness, and how much you cared about everyone. I saw the way you were acting when I was talking to that woman on the fueling station, I just simply told her you were my girlfriend and she should back off. My love for you is why I sabotaged every attempt of our friends to hook us up. I wanted to tell you on my own, I wanted to set up something grand and amazing, something we would be telling our children when we're older."
'Our children….?' She thought to herself, her heart piecing itself back together.
"I took you to the anniversary of this station. Its survived pirates, raiders, anything you can name it's been attacked by it, and its survived every time. So each year they celebrate by putting on one hell of a show. That's why I brought you out here Tali, why I bought the paste and cooked all this food and paid to own this shuttle, just so I could tell you I love you." He sipped his lemonade and ate another slice of pizza. She didn't know what to say, she dreamed of this moment for a long time and she had no words. She was utterly speechless. He smiled a loving smile and looked at her with kind eyes, "Yeah I know, I'm a clever bastard, managing to pull this off was hell, took me a while to come up with this too. You wouldn't believe what I had to go through to pull this off. Honestly I don't give a fuck as to what your species looks like under that mask. Because I fell in love with a woman whose face I couldn't see and I couldn't give two shits as to what she looks like. You are an amazing, wonderful, beautiful woman Tali, and meeting you was possibly one of the greatest things to ever happen to me." Shepard finished his slice and refilled his drink.
"Really? You never…" Tali didn't know what to say. Of all the ways this could have gone, of all the times she messed up and embarrassed herself trying to impress him and make him love her. This whole time he loved her anyway, no matter how much he teased her and played with her, how much she humiliated herself on accident, even not seeing her face, he loved her for the woman she was. Shepard got up from his seat, walked over to her and kissed her visor, sitting down next to her, wrapping an arm around her. "So what do you say Ms. Vas Normandy?" She didn't say anything; all she could do was jump into the man's arms and embrace him. All her emotions and feelings pouring out at once, her nearly crying for joy. He just wrapped his arms around her and held her close, the hood of her visor brushing up against his hair.
"Thank you Shepard, thank you for everything." She said, sitting up and straddling his lap, putting her hands on his cheeks. "It was my pleasure Tali." He said, his grin bigger than ever. She leaned down and did the Quarian equivalent of a kiss, the part of her helmet that glowed whenever she spoke pressed gently against his lips. 'Damn this suit.' She cursed in her head. He picked her up in his arms as she leaned into his chest. They continued to watch the spectacle outside, their new relationship blossoming under the glow of the blue star.
There, I hope you all forgive me for not writing enough. I promise I will update A Very Merry Normandy Christmas more often from now on. Please leave a review on this, I love reading your reviews, it's what keeps me going and writing. Also leave more reviews on the Normandy Christmas story, it needs some more. Anyway I love you all and hope you love this story.