A/N: Here's another prompt inspired piece! There is actually a whole "night before" scene where Shepard admits some pretty serious stuff about her injuries after the war. I want to revise & edit it to combine with this piece eventually. It was just way to angsty for the feeling I wanted to go with for this prompt however, so it was omitted.

Prompt #32: I love you, in a way I can't return.

There was sunlight filtering in through a crack in the curtains. It was the first time in months she had woken up slowly, without the aid of an alarm or someone else. She would have likely slept for several more hours, but her stomach had different ideas. It had been growling loudly on and off for the last half and hour and she was forced to wake up. With a sigh, she leaned heavily on the dresser next to the bed to help get leverage to stand. Stiff muscles greeted her every morning now, despite how comfortably or well she slept.

"Kaidan?" she called, hoping he was somewhere nearby.

There was some shuffling from the kitchen and the sound of a chair scooting back.

Golden brown eyes and a warm smile greeted her, "Hey, you're up."

"Yeah. Took me a minute. I'm guessing that everyone else is already awake?"

"Yep, my parents got up early and I wanted to let you rest as much as you needed to," he pushed her messy hair away from her face and leaned over to kiss her.

She moved away from him with a laugh, "I wouldn't do that if I were you," she warned, "I have some fierce dragon's breath this morning."

"Maybe I like it," he claimed and kissed her anyway, "feeling better?"

Nodding, she placed a hand over his heart, "Can I get some breakfast?" and then with the tiniest bit of hope in her voice, she asked, "Is there coffee?"

He chuckled and said, "Yep, Dad said that they had to do some bartering to get it, but they managed to get some coffee for our visit."

"Oh! They shouldn't have done that," guilt tore at her gut.

"Io, they wanted to do it. Believe me, they are so excited we're here and they want to make sure we're having a good time. It's important to them. Just don't make a big deal, it might embarrass them," He ran his hands down her arms and gripped her tightly for emphasis.

"My lips are sealed."

With his help, she walked slowly to the kitchen which, she found, was in full bustle.

Kaidan's mom was chatting warmly with his father as she peeled and cut some potatoes. His father was busy whipping what looked like eggs.

"Good morning!" His mother dropped the peeler, wiped her hands quickly on a towel, and came over to them, hugging her as tightly as she dared.

"Kaidan, you are too lucky, she's so pretty, even when she just woke up!" His mother framed her face with her hands and mimicked his earlier action, pushing her messy hair back and behind her ears.

"My god, how'd you end up with my son?" She winked, knowing full well how handsome a man he was.

"Mom…"

"I don't know?" was all she could squeak out as she blushed, her cheeks pushing against his mother's hands as she smiled.

"Sit! Sit!" his dad pulled out one of the chairs at the bar for her and set down a steaming mug of coffee in front of it, "Cream? Sugar?"

"She'll take both. Thanks Dad, I can get it," Kaidan squeezed his father's shoulder as he went to grab her the necessary supplies.

"Thank you," she sat and instantly began warming her hands on the mug.

"So, we thought scrambled eggs and potatoes for breakfast?" His mother had gone back to her peeling.

"Sounds delicious!"

Kaidan set down the sugar and cream in front of her and she doctored her coffee, breaking the milky clouds with a spoon.

"So, Io'ken-"

"Please, call me Io," she waved his father off with a smile.

"All right, Io, did you have any thoughts as to what you want to do while you're here? We can show you around and I'm sure Kaidan will have some ideas, but what about you?

Contemplating the choices available to her, she just said, "Well, I'm hoping to relax. Enjoy the scenery. I have a book or two I'd like to start. Really, I'm just so happy to finally be here, to meet you, to spend some time outside a ship."

"That, my dear," his mother pointed at her with a potato spear and she giggled, "sounds like an excellent list of things to do."

"Honey, don't you let her deviate from that plan," his mother said as he pulled up the chair next to her and sat, "I want her to relax and enjoy herself, ok?"

Kaidan grabbed her hand and laced his fingers through hers, giving her a squeeze.

"Don't worry, mom, I'm sure she will."

She leaned her head against his shoulder and saw both his parents smile at the action.

Soon enough, the smell of the frying potatoes and eggs wafted around them in the small space. They all chatted amiably while the food cooked, sizzling and popping in the pans on the stove.

In short order, a heaping plate was set in front of her, some buttery toast smooshed in next to the eggs. She eyed the meal hungrily as it had been months since she had seen anything that looked so appetizing.

"Dig in!" his dad chuckled and pressed her plate closer, "We don't stand on manners here! Eat!"

Neither of them needed a second invitation and they started in with gusto.

Grasping a newly warmed cup of coffee a short time later, she sat as Kaidan started in on the kitchen clean-up. She had offered to help, but they all knew it was just her being polite. It was still hard to stand for long periods of time and she was somewhat unsure on her feet, so she sat and watched as his mother stacked the plates to the side of the sink while he ran hot soapy water to wash them off.

The whole scene was better than she ever could have imagined, as she watched him hug his mother with one arm and plant a kiss on the top of her head.

His father sat down next to her and began talking quietly, without preamble, "You know, Io, you make him incredibly happy, happier than his mother or I could have ever hoped for. He might not always tell us directly, but we can tell."

She shifted a bit in her seat, not sure what to do our say in return.

"He worried about you greatly, more so this time than the other time, that time when your ship went down above Alchera," he stopped for a second to make sure she was all right, "because this time I think he knew. I honestly believe that he could feel that you didn't die when that thing went off."

His father paused again, but this time it was to watch his son dry dishes, a hint of a smile on his mouth.

"The fact that they even found your body on the Citadel was incredible. The fact that you were still alive, miraculous. He called us the day that they found you and we knew then that we weren't going to see him for a long time. There was no way he was going to leave your side after that."

Embarrassed by the admission, she busied herself with a thread at the hem of her shirt before saying, "I was surprised when he told me that he had given you updates. I didn't think that anyone would care."

"Oh we most definitely cared. It was important to him to include us in your recovery. You see, to him, you have always part of this family. He knew that we'd want to know what was happening with you," he took her hand gently, afraid that she may not want to be touched, but when she didn't pull away, he continued, "because to us, Io, you are part of this family, too."

That did make her tear up, and his father stopped to make sure she was all right, "I'm fine, I'm just really…"

"It's ok, I understand."

She smiled again and wiped her eyes.

"I guess I just wanted to say this, to say thank you for making our son so happy. We always hoped that he'd find his way through the darkness of his past, but this is better than we could have ever imagined."

He stopped talking as the last dish was placed in the drying rack.

"Hey, you two, what are you talking about?" Kaidan came up behind her chair and began massaging her shoulders.

"Oh, it's nothing," she said, scooting her chair back to stand, "I think it might be a good idea if I get out of my pajamas now, if that's ok."

"Of course, babe," He let her lean on his arm while she stood.

Before she turned to go back into the bedroom, she grabbed his father's hand and gave it a quick squeeze, "Thank you," she said.

He grinned at her and gave her a little nod, "You're welcome."

It was a slow process, walking, but as always he was patient with her.

"Kaidan?"

"Yeah?"

She stopped and leaned against the wall of the small room they were sharing.

"I just want to say thanks. I didn't know what to expect when you planned this trip. I wasn't sure how your parents would feel about me, after what I've put you through."

"Io-"

"No. I really need to say this," she gathered herself as best as she could, "You could have had anyone in the world, someone who wouldn't put you in harm's way, someone who wouldn't die and then come back, someone who wouldn't pull a gun on you," flustered by her own words she had to stop.

Continuing on with a sigh she said, "Someone who knew how to say these things correctly."

He smiled a bit at that, knowing her propensity to cock things up when she was trying to be serious.

"But instead of that person, you have me. You've been there in times when maybe you should have left. You been through all of it, and then you bring me here, to the heart of who you are and it's just, well, it's more than I can give back."

He came over and wrapped his arms around her, resting his chin on the top of her head. She felt his biotics buzz against her skin with a familiar warmth.

"Io, you need to realize," she could hear his voice through his chest, "I did this because I lov-"

Pulling away she put a finger to his lips, "I know. I just needed to say it because this means more to me than you'll ever know. It's something I can never adequately return."

Reaching up, she wrapped her hands around his neck and pulled him down to her and she kissed him, trying to relay to him just how much, how desperately she loved him back. He broke it off, breathless, but grinning.

"Kaidan Alenko, I love you, too."