Character(s): Shepard & Tali.

Disclaimer: As always, I own nothing. Mass Effect belongs solely to BioWare and EA.

I found this piece on my hardrive and I guess I must've written it shortly after completing ME2 last year. A sort of behind-the-scenes look at what I think should happen after Tali's loyalty mission.

This occurs in the same universe as my other story, To Build A Home, but may be read by itself. Note: For those interested in my ManShep's background and history, I'm not just going to come right out and say what he is by calling him a colonist/spacer/earthborn/war hero/sole survivor/ruthless/paragon/renegade. Nope, you'll just have to keep reading and find out for yourselves what exactly he is.

Oh, and if you're interested in my ManShep's appearance, I have posted him on the ME2 Shepard Faces database under the name 'Nolan Shepard.' The picture I uploaded as 'Graywolf633' kinda sucked because I play on the PS3, but he is a pretty attractive guy, if I do say so myself. I know I'm pretty happy with him.

I know that this isn't one of my best works. I found it on my hardrive and decided to publish it as-is so someone out there would enjoy it.

Anyway, constructive criticism is welcome. Please, no flames.

Elevator Revelations

oOoOo

Their return to the SR-2 Normandy via shuttle passed rather uneventfully and, as they wordlessly handed their weapons over to Jacob for maintenance and repair, he grinned widely. He must have noticed Shepard's M-76 Revenant assault rifle being more scorched and battered, courtesy of the geth, than it had been when they'd first set out for the Migrant Fleet. In all honesty, Shepard's favorite rifle seemed to be on its last legs as he had a nasty habit of hitting things with the butt of his rifle when they got too close.

He held it up and gave Shepard a look of amusement. "I thought this was supposed to be a 'noncombatant mission,' Shepard," he jibed, remembering the Commander's debrief prior to leaving the Normandy, and how he'd said that they'd only come to the Migrant Fleet for Tali's trial and that he wasn't expecting any resistance.

Commander Nolan Shepard, for his own part, glowered to himself. "Things don't always go the way we plan," he growled in return. His voice was filled with weariness, showing how much the effort of fighting their way through an outdated star-ship, crawling with geth, and dealing with malicious politicians had taken its toll. He'd never liked politics. Now, Udina aside, he suddenly remembered why.

Jacob nodded sympathetically. "I hear that," he agreed, setting aside the squad's weapons on his work-bench so he could set to work right away cleaning them, checking their integrity, and modifying them to the best of his abilities. After all, it was his job to stay up-to-date with the latest weaponry technology. Weapons were, first and foremost, their best line of defense against the Collectors.

Next, it was with a heavy heart that Shepard, Garrus, and Tali headed towards the elevator. Halfway there, Garrus remembered that he needed to have a few quick words with Joker regarding his current kill-count, and hastily excused himself. Shepard watched him go, a small smile playing on his lips.

Typically, he and Garrus would host a friendly competition on routine missions in which they competed for the highest number of kills, and it ultimately pitted Shepard's aim with his M-76 Revenant against Garrus's efficiency with the M-92 Mantis. They never really came out with a clear victor, but it was a testament to their comaraderie nonetheless. Shepard himself had been in low spirits for the entirety of the last mission, however, so had declined participation in their friendly and on-going competition, though he knew that Joker would likely be looking forward to hearing the latest statistics for his small betting pool.

Shepard pressed the button and, as the elevator slowly crawled its way to the CIC, he shot Tali a cursory glance. He'd noticed that she'd been unusually quiet since the end of her trial, which wasn't a good sign at all, and wanted to know if she was okay.

She looked tired, her helmeted head drooping ever so slightly, which wasn't an altogether unexpected thing. After all, she'd had a trying day. With a slight twinge of wistfulness, he realized that he thought she'd be ecstatic after his brilliant performance, exonerating both her and her father through his use of clever wordplay and by rallying the crowd in her defense. Apparently, he was wrong.

Then, he touched her shoulder tentatively and offered her a small smile of reassurance when her softly-glowing eyes leveled to his. "You should get some rest," he told her gently. "That trial was as tense as any battlefield I've served on."

Her head drooped a little more. "But I want to work," she returned quietly. He frowned to himself upon realizing that her voice was oddly devoid of that same enthusiasm she'd been bursting with when they'd first met. He couldn't quite remember if she'd sounded that way since their reunion on Freedom's Progress, and so this revelation bothered him in a way that he couldn't quite put his finger on.

"I can focus better when I'm working," she went on. "It helps take my mind off some things."

Shepard nodded sympathetically. He definitely understood the value of mind-consuming work, which left his mind too exhausted to ponder certain other topics. Such topics that included whether or not they could actually pull off a suicide mission, why the Council still denied his claims about the Reapers, and certain quarians he just couldn't stop thinking about. "I understand," he said. "Just a few hours, then? You need some time to settle a few things, and I'm sure the Normandy can wait. She's a good ship. Ken and Gabby can handle her for a bit while you get some rest."

She seemed willing to press the issue, but resignedly relented. She knew better than to argue with Shepard, who never seemed to take no for an answer. "But . . . All right, Shepard. If you think it will help."

The elevator door slid open and, together, the two stepped into it. Tali pressed the button for Deck Three, and shot Shepard a quizzical look when he refrained from pressing the button for Deck One. He waved aside her concerns, feeling heavy and burdensome on his feet whilst still encased in his combat armor. At the moment, there was nothing more he'd like to do than undress and take a long shower after such a strenuous day.

"I'll go up after you're dropped off," he explained. Then, he grinned lopsidedly. "Someone has to make sure you don't slip away while we're all busy and head down to Engineering."

Oh, my knight in shining armor.

It was something she'd heard on the vids, something she didn't quite understand, but she chuckled at the thought nonetheless while her mind pondered his outright concern. She knew his armor was bulky and burdensome and anything but shiny, and that he disliked wearing it aboard the Normandy. Usually, he couldn't wait to change into his proper crewman attire, which was lighter and much more comfortable. It was just another one of his quirks that she appreciated. He'd never liked wearing anything that established rank or superiority over the human members of his crew. Instead, he wore what was standard-issue among them, which encouraged their camaraderie. Ultimately, crewmen were more comfortable around him and much more willing to talk because he was such a friendly person whilst, at the same time, he had absolutely no qualms about making his criticisms known as a proper CO should.

They didn't speak for some time after that. Every second that passed seemed like an eternity as the elevator crawled towards its destination. And, for the hundredth time, Tali remembered how much she hated the thing in the first place, simultaneously wishing that there was something she could do to make it go a little faster. Idly, her mind began to delve into the ways she could modify it while they descended into an awkward sort of silence.

It didn't last long, however, as it quickly became too much for Shepard. "I would have done it, you know," he muttered suddenly, crossing his arms over his chest and looking tense. She looked up at the sound of his voice. He wasn't looking at her, but rather staring at the wall in stalwart concentration.

"What?" she asked in mild confusion.

He looked up and, suddenly, emerald-green eyes met indistinct silver through her violet mask. "Handed over the evidence, I mean. I would have done it if you hadn't asked."

She almost gasped, feeling the same rush of panic upon first realizing what her father had exactly done. What he had almost caused. Inwardly, she knew that his research would have torn the Fleet apart, and his memory of being a prominent Admiral who had always poured much of himself back into the Fleet would be forever tarnished. Completely torn to pieces, in fact. Not to mention those who would condemn her for betraying her late father and saving her own reputation.

"Shepard, you can't—"

He looked away quickly. "I did it for you," he interrupted quietly. "Not for him."

She stared at him in puzzlement as they once again descended into silence. "Why didn't you?" she asked at last.

"Hmm?"

"Why didn't you hand over that data? You said you didn't only because I asked, but . . . why?" she asked curiously.

His expression changed suddenly, morphing into a small smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. These days, it never did. "Because I trust you," he answered simply. Because I think I might love you. "Because you're my friend, and you stood by me when no one else would." After all, Horizon is still a fresh, raw wound.

He took a deep breath and continued, somewhat stiltedly. Almost as if he found the subject difficult to broach. "You and Garrus and Joker and Chakwas . . ." he said. "You're all I have of my previous life, Tali. Not even a single part of this ship is a piece of the original Normandy, you know."

She doesn't quite know what to say. After all, what could she say? I'm sorry? Somehow, that didn't seem to quite cover it all. A certain warmth spread through her body upon hearing that she's needed and that he considers her a good friend. She would have been happy being something more than that, but she'll settle. She's a quarian, after all, so she's more than used to settling.

Tentatively, she crossed the elevator and embraced him. She wrapped her arms around his armored body and he threw his arms around her, and they hugged. It was awkward and difficult to reach around his inflexible combat armor, but they somehow managed.

"You're my friend, too, Shepard," she mumbled into his shoulder. She lingered just a little too long in his arms before pulling away. "You've always been there for me when I needed you most," she told him sincerely. "When we first met on the Citadel, you saved my life. Since then, you've been saving me every time I turn around. On Freedom's Progress. On Haestrom. I owe you my life and now my father owes you his, too, if he were here. You've always been a good friend to me, and I . . . I'm with you, Shepard. I'll be with you until the very end." Upon her conclusion, she nodded resolutely to herself, determined to uphold this unspoken promise any way she could. He deserved no less.

"Thanks, Tali," he said gratefully. Then, the moment was gone, and his lips curled into another one of his lopsided grins. "But you really didn't have to get all teary-eyed and sentimental for my sake." He only said it to lighten the mood because, inwardly, he didn't like what she'd said. He didn't like to think of there being an end. An end sounded permanent, like death, and that was something he didn't even want to consider at this point.

She sighed in exasperation and playfully shoved him away. Between him and Garrus, they were always, always teasing. Unlike Garrus, however, Shepard always seemed to know the right thing to say to cheer her up. He was proficient in knowing when to tease and when not to tease, which was something she could definitely appreciate.

"I never properly thanked you for clearing our names, did I?" she mused. "It was kind of fun watching you yell at the admirals. And you spoke very well on my behalf." She chuckled. "I think they were surprised that a human would speak for me. They just don't know you, I suppose. Always undertaking the impossible."

His eyes gleamed mischievously. "You know me so well," he teased with a sly wink.

Against her better judgment, she let that one slide. "Anyway, thank you, Shepard. I truly appreciate it."

At that precise moment, his timing was as impeccable as always, and the door slid open, revealing the Crew Deck. "Anytime, Tali," he told her even as she stepped out onto the deck proper. "I'll come by later and we'll talk, okay?"

He didn't know it, of course, but she was smiling inside her helmet, and it was her first real smile in a long, long time. "Okay. See you later."

I know, I know. But contrary to belief, ManShep did not just say 'We'll bang, okay?' Extra points for whoever gets that reference.

Please, read and review to let me know what you think. I mean, should I keep writing...? Should I just give up now and write myself off as a failed writer...? Come on, I love random messages. :-)