Judging from the length of the line outside, the rebuilt Ryuusei's Sushi Bar was even popular than the old one. Even in civvies, Shepard was quickly recognized and waved to the front of the line. Liara had wondered if she would prove to be on some sort of restaurant blacklist, but if the maître d' was aware of Shepard's role in the demise of the sushi bar's previous incarnation, she gave no sign. "Welcome, ma'am, Ryuusei's is honored to have you," she said smoothly. "This way, please, the rest of your party is waiting for you."
Liara took a moment to look over the place. The renovation had been extensive (and doubtless expensive). Fish swam contentedly below her feet, unaware of the tragic fate of their predecessors. The wood paneling was carefully aged as if to suggest that the restaurant had been in continuous operation for decades, and certainly had not been invaded by mercenaries or swarming with Reapers at any point.
The maître d's brow was furrowed in a look Liara had learned to interpret as impatience. She fell in beside Shepard as they made their way across the restaurant. Garrus Vakarian gave a quick wave from across the way – of course, he had spotted them first. Tali'Zorah's attention appeared to be completely absorbed by the "NEW Dextro Menu!" in her hands, but she quickly glanced up as the maître d' pulled out Shepard and Liara's chairs.
"Shepard! Liara!" she said. "It's so good to see you!" Liara didn't need to be able to see Tali's face to know that she was smiling. "It's been too long."
"Well, if some people could tear themselves away from their homeworlds more often…" Shepard said teasingly.
Garrus spread his hands. "You know how it is, Shepard," he said ruefully. "One meeting after another, datapad after datapad filled with decisions to be made… It's enough to make a turian think about resuming his vigilante career. I'd have thought the Reaper advisor would be, eh, off the hook with the Reapers gone…"
"Ah, ah!" Tali waved a finger in mock indignation. "No Reaper talk."
Liara thought back to the vidcall she'd received from Tali. "We're coming to the Citadel!" Tali had blurted excitedly as soon as Liara took the call. They'd brainstormed about plans, and Tali had proposed a double date. "Some casual time together," she'd suggested. "No fate-of-the-galaxy stuff, no Reapers, no bringing each other up to date on every aspect of rebuilding this and that. Just friends spending time together. Do you think you can get Shepard to sign up for this?"
When Liara had mentioned the location Tali had in mind, Shepard had countered with a "no discussing past sushi-restaurant shenanigans" condition, which Tali had accepted. Joker would be so disappointed when he heard they'd passed up the chance to rib her.
"I wasn't talking about the Reapers," Garrus complained mildly. "I was talking about my job, the one I still have for some reason. The position seems more escape-proof than Purgatory. Do you think the Admiralty Board would accept my application for asylum?"
"I'd have to ask the Admirals," Tali said primly.
Liara brought to mind the reports of the Shadow Broker's agents in the no-longer-Migrant Fleet. "I hear a certain young Admiral is the deciding vote more often than not, these days."
"Time to upgrade our security systems again," Tali said. She sounded rather as if she was looking forward to it.
The waiter arrived to take their order, and the conversation paused. Liara ordered something called the "Asari Delight," which the waiter assured her was carefully selected to please to asari palates. He seemed unamused when Shepard asked if it contained any actual asari.
"Really, Shepard?" Liara asked after the waiter stalked off.
"Just looking out for you," Shepard said unapologetically. "For all you know, Javik could be the head chef."
"I can't imagine that he could find the time," Liara said. She turned to Tali and Garrus. "He sends me a new book chapter every week or so. Usually with instructions to throw the previous draft of the chapter out of an airlock."
"How are they to read?" Tali asked skeptically.
"Arrogant, but interesting," Liara said, smiling. She definitely found Javik easier to deal with at a distance.
"I guess you must be keeping busy, between editing and your Super Secret Other Job." The capital letters were audible, and Tali went so far as to make air quotes. "What have you been doing, Shepard?"
Shepard waved a hand in the air. "Oh, you know. Lots of rehab, consulting on that thing we're not supposed to be talking about, following the research on those other things that are banned from this conversation…"
The table was silent for a bit. Liara wondered if she should bring up their news, or if Shepard would. She felt oddly nervous at the prospect.
"So, ah, biotiball?" Shepard ventured. Apparently it wasn't just Liara. "How about those Seattle Sorcerers?"
Garrus shook his head. "I don't really follow the sport, Shepard." Tali and Liara shrugged their agreement. "Has Cortez made a fan out of you?"
"I've really just watched a game or two," she admitted.
Silence fell again. Maybe now she should…
"The, eh, weather has been nice," Garrus offered.
Tali elbowed him. "We're on a space station."
"That's a fair point," Garrus granted. If he'd been a stranger, Liara might have thought the comment a cranky grumble, but she knew his subharmonics well enough to hear the underlying affection. So did Tali, clearly, as she inclined her head toward him. Liara glanced at Shepard and found her smiling fondly at her friends.
"I'm so glad you two are doing well," Shepard said.
Tali said a warm, "Thank you."
The waiter returned with their drinks. Shepard raised a glass. "To friends who fell in love."
Tali and Liara clinked their glasses against Shepard's, but Garrus's attention seemed to be drawn by something to his right.
"Ah, don't all look at once, but that turian tending bar – isn't that Rolan Quarn?"
Liara, Shepard, and Tali glanced toward the bartender, more or less surreptitiously. The bartender did look rather like the turian she remembered from the casino. Quarn appeared to be engaged in animated conversation with a few of the patrons, but Liara couldn't catch any words.
"Sure looks like him," Shepard confirmed.
"Hmm. Think that he's gone straight and is now earning an honest living serving drinks in a sushi bar?" Garrus asked.
Shepard snorted. "Want to make that a bet, Garrus?"
"I should go check in with him. Let him know I've got an eye on him."
"Or," Tali countered, "you could enjoy our date, and not plunge us into chaos and adventure."
"It's not as if you're in C-Sec anymore," Liara said.
Shepard added innocently, "I'm sure there's a perfectly reasonable explanation for his being here."
"Perfectly reasonable and highly illegal, at a guess," Garrus said. He stirred restlessly in his chair.
Tali put a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sure he would never break the law. If it weren't for a good cause, I mean."
"How long are you two on the Citadel?" Shepard asked.
"Nice change of subject, very subtle," Liara teased.
"Not very long, I'm afraid," Tali said, keeping a firm hand on Garrus's shoulder. "Just making some diplomatic contacts, attending some meetings, then heading back to the homeworld." She sighed. "I think I preferred it when you were in charge and I could spend all my time in engineering."
"Daniels and Donnelly got married last month, did you hear?" Shepard asked.
"I did," Tali said. "I sent Gabby a card saying, 'Good luck.'" Shepard barked a surprised laugh.
"What about you two?" Garrus asked, finally looking away from Quarn. "Are you here for long? I thought you were going to be on Earth a while longer."
"We were," Shepard said. "But the Extranet connections are still pretty unreliable, and that was making it too hard for Liara to get work done. And, uh" – she paused, smiled a bit nervously, and went for it – "there are much better asari physicians here."
"Asari doctors? You aren't ill, Liara?" Garrus asked. His visible eye narrowed. "Your vitals look all right…"
Liara shook her head quickly. Trust Garrus to wear his visor to a casual date. "No, no! Nothing like that, I'm fine."
"Then why…" he trailed off.
Tali got it first. Liara could have sworn to the Goddess that she saw Tali's smile radiating from under her helmet. "Oh, I'm so happy for you two!" She looked Liara up and down. "Is this something you're planning, or are you already…"
Garrus looked back and forth between the women, still wearing a puzzled expression.
Liara nodded. "Yes." She patted her belly. "Early days yet, but I can sense her in there."
The light dawned for Garrus. "Oh!" He raised a glass. "Congratulations, you two."
This time Shepard was the one who didn't clink. Liara turned to see why and found her staring at the waiter taking a nearby table's order, brow furrowed.
"I think he's packing a sidearm," she said with a frown. "At least, there's a suspicious-looking bulge in his pocket. Liara, can you…"
"No," Tali said, quietly but emphatically. "No chaos and adventure, remember? If he pulls a gun out, Garrus can overload it and Liara can dangle him from a singularity until he spills whatever he's up to. Let's talk about the important things. Do you have a name picked out? Have you told your father?"
"Not yet, and not yet," Liara said. "It's traditional to wait until there's enough of an empathic connection to get her reaction to the name." And as for Aethyta, or any asari for that matter, Liara was dreading the potential for aren't-you-too-young-for-your-matron-phase conversations.
Garrus looked fascinated by that. "Your children get to vote on their names?" In the background, the suspicious waiter was conferring with a member of the kitchen staff.
"Mmm, it's more of a vague empathic feeling, as I understand it…" Liara trailed off as she realized who the waiter was talking to. "Wait, what is Maya Brooks doing here?"
The words came out louder than she intended, and Brooks turned their way. As soon as she saw their table, she frowned and reached for something in her pocket, and the muffled thump of an explosion came from the direction of the kitchen.
"Chaos and adventure it is, then," Tali said ruefully, as all four diners pushed back from the table and sprang to her feet.
"Someday I will actually get to eat here," Shepard grumbled as they ran for the kitchen.