So she was wrong. It wasn't forever that she'd stay off of ships. It was until today. It wasn't often that Spencer Shepard was wrong, it was even less often that she would admit when she was. Yet here she was, wrong twice in one day. Wrong about not stepping foot on another ship, and wrong that she wouldn't miss it. Her and Kaidan spent the trip in the observation deck, curled up on a couch watching the galaxy float by. Whoever would have guessed that Commander Spectre Shepard would still be awed by the sheer beauty of the universe around her.
"It's absolutely astounding isn't it, hon," Kaidan said, as if he could read her mind. By this point he practically could, who was she trying to kid.
Her only response was to curl in closer to Kaidan and smile. This is where she belonged now. Not on a warship. Right here, in his arms, appreciating a whole new view of the galaxy. For someone who didn't even understand the phrases "rest", "vacation", or "take it easy", she was doing exceedingly well.
"Do you really think you'll be able to convince Shepard to agree to a mystery vacation? I see three things wrong with this plan," Garrus took a sip from his bottle of beer, "Shepard agreeing, convincing her on a mystery, and Shepard going on vacation" Kaidan also took a sip from his beer, finishing off his bottle. He indicated to the barkeep that he'd like another. The two men had taken to getting beers together frequently. They were both busy, Kaidan as a Spectr, and Garrus was doing freelance security and body guarding gigs. Or so he said, but Kaidan knew better. Archangel may be "dead", but his movement wasn't. "You know you can call her Spencer now" Garrus thought about that a minute, "No, I can't. I just managed to break the habit of referring to her as Commander" "Either way, she'll end up agreeing. Even if I just take her while she's sleeping" "Yeah, that she probably be plan A," Garrus laughed, finishing his beer.
Spencer stood there. Eyes wide, mouth slightly ajar. Kaidan had talked about this place before, but to be standing here, after everything, to see it in person, was never something she thought she'd see. The pair were standing on a large balcony, twenty-two stories high, looking over the English Bay. Below, Spencer could see kids splashing in the ocean, men throwing footballs, people enjoying a beautiful sunny day. Spencer had been born and raised on space stations, she had never gotten to know this side of Earth. And it was beautiful. It made her feel human. The sun was beaming down on them, and without a suit in the way she could feel the warmth on her skin. Without a helmet covering her ears she could hear the sound of the waves crashing onto the shore, the wind rustling through the leaves, the sound of people laughing and talking. Without a breather mask on she could smell the water, the fresh air. It was a whole new experience for her.
"Kaidan…you talked about this place, but I never really realized…I never expected this," she felt his strong arms close around her waist, "I am so grateful that you brought me here. This is exactly what we needed. Thank you." She rested her head back on his chest, never taking her eyes away from the view splayed out in front of her.
Suddenly a thought his her head. With her eyes panicked she turned to face Kaidan, "Wait. Your…your parents aren't here, right? N-not that I don't want them to be or anything. It's just..well they…" They hated her. She tried to ignore it, but she wasn't what they wanted for their son.
"Spence, Spence!" He grabbed her by the shoulders, "calm down. They don't hate you like you think they do. But no, they're spending the week at the orchard. We have the place to ourselves."
She sighed with relief.
"You know, it's cute when you get all flustered," Kaidan smirked.
"Hm, yeah? I bet you can find a better way to get me flustered."
"You're right, but I think that you're confusing flustered with hot and bothered," Kaidan leaned down and kissed her.
"This is officially my favorite place in the universe. It's been decided."
Spencer cradled the phone in her ear as she curled into the patio couch. The stars had peeked out through the darkness, and the reflections in the water danced with each movement of the waves.
"Then what are you on the phone with me for? Shouldn't you be off doing something crazy romantic?" Tali laughed into the phone.
"Oh, do you mean like beers on a balcony over-looking the beach, under the stars?"
"Replace beers with wine, and replace overlooking the beach with sitting on the beach and you've really got something. Now back to the original question: why are you calling me?"
"I just wanted to check that you fed my fish and h-"
"And your hamster. I got it. Don't worry, have a good time. Now go!"
Spencer laughed, "Bye Tali."
"Perfect timing," Kaidan sat down next to her and handed a fresh beer over, "now can I have you all to myself?" He threw his arm over her shoulders.
"I wouldn't have it any other way. So, what's the plan? We have what, three days to live it up?"
"Well, tomorrow I was thinking we could head down to the historical part of downtown. Gastown has been around forever. There's a bunch of old buildings, it's down by the water – " Kaidan noticed her blank expression, "there's also a 200-something year old brew pub."
"Now that sounds like fun. What else?"
"The observatory is kind of cool"
"I think I know what space looks like," Spencer laughed.
"Trust me, it's a good time. Then there's the beach. And so many great restaurants. And the sea wall…"
She loved seeing him get as excited as he was right now. His eyes were shining brightly and he looked like a kid who had just gotten a puppy for Christmas. She hadn't seen joy on his face like that in a long time. Years of battle can do that to a person. Spencer was afraid that kind of joy was lost. She knew that this trip was for her, to help her unwind, but it wasn't until this moment that she really realized how much this trip was for Kaidan as well.
"What are you thinking about, hon?" Kaidan asked, leaning down and kissing her on the forehead.
"Nothing, absolutely nothing," she pulled the blanket up over her lap, "I love you."
Despite her best efforts, the war-weary Commander could not keep her eyes open. It was the first time in a long time that Spencer fell asleep without hassle. Kaidan couldn't bring himself to disturb her, and so this is where the pair slept, looking over English Bay, under the stars in the fresh Vancouver air.