How cliché! She was about to do a slow dramatic walk down a spiral staircase, twinkle lights and all, to meet her date in the foyer. She took one final look in the mirror.

Starting at her shoes, an elegant pair of silver t-straps. How she was going to walk in stilettos all night she wasn't sure, but she was determined to find a way. Her dress, that she was surprised she loved as much as she did, was a two-toned cocktail dress. The top was white with a faux-rapped look and a rouched sweetheart neckline. The bottom half was a black sparkling pencil skirt with a small slit up the right side. The two portions met just above her natural waist with a jeweled belt. Her bright red hair was curled and tousled, pinned back on the one side in such a way that she felt like she look a little bit like a mermaid. Spencer had never felt more feminine than she did right now. She also felt rather beautiful. She wasn't entirely sure where she was going to keep her sidearm, but she was sure she'd figure it out.

Contented with the way she looked, Spencer smoothed out her dress, gave a thumbs up to the Asari girl that had helped her and headed towards the stairs.

Down below Kaidan looked up and saw Spencer. Upon seeing her, his jaw dropped just enough for her to see it from the top of the stairs. Another cute cliché. She wouldn't lie though, seeing Kaidan in a real suit, not his Alliance suit, was enough to stop her in her tracks as well.

When Spencer reached the bottom of the stairs, Kaidan was standing there, hand outstretched for hers. Upon clasping it, he pulled her into him tightly and kissed her deeply. Without any words, he opened the door for her and Spencer passed through. Before joining her, Kaidan cast a glance upwards to the staff of the boutique and nodded. A silent thank you, and then he took slipped through the doors.

Spencer had eaten all over the galaxy, mostly in bars or dives, the occasional food court, but mostly in the Normandy's mess hall. Imagine her surprise walking into a galaxy renowned restaurant, seeing famous people in most of the seats.

"Kaidan, how did you manage to get us in here? I feel vastly underdressed and wildly out of place," she whispered to the man whose arm was around her waist.

"I'm kind of a big deal around here, and you're kind of a big deal well, everywhere," Kaidan kissed her on the cheek, "and don't kid yourself, you look…perfect"

"Ah, Mr. Alenko! We have your table ready, right this way please!" The maître'd led them to a secluded table by a window overlooking the shore.

"This view is absolutely breathtaking" Spencer cooed, looking out across the water.

Kaidan agreed, but she didn't notice that he wasn't looking out the window. He couldn't take his eyes off of her.

The pair enjoyed their meal here, surrounded by candles and music and beauty. It was just before dessert came to their table that the sun began to set.

The sky turned different shades of red and orange, pink and purple, all while the sun slowly sank into the calm and gentle water below. The water, too, was stained with colour, moving and dancing as the day ended. Sunsets were something that most spaces never got to enjoy. Spencer had seen many a handful in her time, but this was the first time she wasn't in battle. She was able to just sit, breathe, and soak it all in.

"Tiramisu! My favorite" Spencer delighted as dessert was placed on the table in front of her.

"Really? Well, boyfriend points for me, because that was a lucky guess"

"Mascarpone cheese, coffee, chocolate and booze all together? Don't tell me that doesn't sound like heaven to you"

"That was my reasoning. So I thought it would be romantic to…share…a…piece…"

Spencer looked up from her fork full of heaven, wide-eyed, "share?"

Kaidan laughed, "I know you better than that. I just wanted to see the look on your face. No dessert for me, too much sweet gives me headaches. Of the regular kind at least."

And so Spencer happily ate her dessert, stopping once or twice to offer Kaidan a bite. She was only mildly relieved when he turned her down. It was the perfect end to a perfect dinner out.

"Where to next?" Spencer asked upon exiting the restaurant.

"That's completely up to you, my love"

"I just spent the last what, three or four hours in a beautiful restaurant overlooking and equally beautiful beach, with the man of my dreams. I'm pretty contented right now. But…I think I'd love to take a walk down the beach. See what it's like at night"

"You're wish is my command, love" Kaidan stretched his arm out for Spencer to take.

The pair declined the taxi that opened its doors for them and headed down to the beach they had been watching all night. Just before entering the sand, the couple paused to take the view in. It was the type of view Spencer was sure she'd never tire of.

"Well, we're here, what do you want to do now?"

Spencer thought a moment before her eyes lit up, "Here, hold these"

She leaned down against an old sign, rusted along the lettering on the larger wooden base. It read "Kitsalano Beach", the rest was illegible. She pried her shoes off of her feet and handed the pair to Kaidan.

"What on Earth are you-"

Spencer cut him off by doing a cartwheel into the sand. As she righted herself, ankle deep in cool sand, she smoothed her hair back down.

"Something I haven't done since I was a kid. I was taught on the station as a way to teach me balance. I was an awkward kid…might have fallen down a lot before then…"

Kaidan grabbed her hands and kissed her, "honey? You're still awkward"

She feigned offence, "Hey!"

The couple laughed as they began to walk along the shoreline, hand in hand, in the moonlight. There was a slight breeze, carrying the crisp smell of the night paired with the fresh ocean scent. The night was clear, showing even more stars than the previous two nights. Spencer found herself wondering if this is how normal people dated. If this was how normal people spent their time. She used to refer to that kind of life as boring, but being her life this felt…extraordinary. Once Kaidan and Spencer got to a spot where the streetlights didn't reach, they paused to take the scenery in again. Spencer once again found herself lost in the stars. Words could never express the excitement she felt upon seeing a shooting star. Her first ever shooting star. All those years in space on space stations, on the Normandy, on the Citadel, never once had she seen a shooting star. The logical side of her knew that it was just a small meteor burning in the atmosphere. But the romantic side of her knew it was a beautiful phenomenon.

"K! Did you see that!? Am I supposed to make a wish?" Spencer turned to face Kaidan.

Kaidan had this incredible grin on his face. She couldn't suss out what kind of smile it was though. She had never seen it before.

"Uh, K? You're staring. Is there something on my face?" She self-consciously placed her hand on her cheek.

Kaidan, still smirking clasped her hand in his and shook his head, "No, you look perfect."

He took a pause. Gazing into her emerald eyes he took a deep breath. He could do this.

"Spencer, do you have any idea how much I love you? I never told you this, but I had the biggest crush on you, long before I was ever assigned to the Normandy. I think I was enamoured with how established you were, in the ranks and as a biotic. Then I got to meet you, work with you, learn from you and I learned you were so much more than an Alliance biotic. You were strong, and honorable. You were confident and…perfect. I've been in love with you since the moment I met you. When I lost you the first time, it broke me. I almost lost you again I didn't know what I'd-" His voice was shaking.

"Kaidan, everything's fine now, I'm-"

"Spence, wait. Let me get this out. Before I lose my nerve"

"K, you're starting to scare me. What is it?"

He had practiced what he was going to say a million times over. He wanted to tell her that he never thought he'd ever find someone to love, let alone a woman like her. He wanted to tell her that his favorite part of the day was waking up and having her there in his arms. He wanted to tell her that his life before her was cold and empty. That she gave his life meaning. There was so much he wanted to say to her. Words could never even begin to describe what Spencer Shepard meant to him.

"Spence. I don't think the words even exist to tell you how much I love you. I think I could spend the rest of my life trying to explain exactly what you mean to me, and not ever come close. But I think I'd like to try. Starting now."

Kaidan dropped to one knee, fumbling with a small black ring box before getting it open and looked up at Spencer.

"Spencer Shepard, will you marry me?"