"Shepard?" the modulated voice was hesitant.

Kaya glanced up from the information tablet she was scrolling through and smiled, "Tali!"

Tali stepped hesitantly into the room. She glanced around.

"Where is Garrus?"

Shepard smiled wryly, "I told him to go get some rest. He was more exhausted than I was." She swung her legs slowly over the side of the bed and rose to full height. She winced.

Tali took a hurried pace forward, "Maybe..uhh..that isn't such a good idea, Commander. You look like you survived a ground war, only to get stomped on by a Reaper, right before you saved the universe."

Tali paused. Then her voice was rich with amusement.

"Oh wait, that really happened."

Shepard laughed, then groaned, "Come on, come have a seat by the window. I'm damn sick of that bed."

On bare feet, her long legs clad in black N7 lounge pants and a black tank top, Shepard moved slowly to the lounge chairs that bracketed the picture window. She winced as she lowered herself. Tali took the seat opposite.

"I take it you know about Liara," Tali began softly.

"Yeah," Shepard bowed her head to look at her fingers twined in her lap, "Garrus told me. She went down in battle, trying to protect the squad, but they got torn apart. I will grieve for her always."

"As will I," Tali reached out and clasped Shepard's fingers in her own, "I was resigned to not seeing you again. In that final battle. That last push. I kinda thought…this is it. This is the last time we will speak. When I saw the beacon. When I saw what you had run through…" Tali broke off.

Shepard reached out and clasped Tali by the forearm, but did not speak.

"Then you were alive. It gave me hope," Tali continued, "I was shot but…"

Shepard straightened, "What?" her voice hardened, "No one told me." She scanned her friend and realised that she did not wear her usual suit. This one was completely black. "Oh, Tali. How bad?"

"I was able to isolate the limb and flood antibiotics. It was alright, Shepard. Honestly," she paused, "I have to go to Rannoch soon. They wish all the Admirals returned as soon as the Mass Relays are announced safe."

Shepard paused, and nodded, "Yes. Yes, of course."

She sighed, "It's all going to change now. The universe doesn't need the Normandy anymore."

Tali leaned forward and touched Shepard on her bruised and battered face, "You are wrong, Shepard. We are no longer fighting the Reapers; but the Normandy and what we did? That will always live on in the minds of those who know what we accomplished. The Geth are helping to rebuild Rannoch! That is unheard of. We could never have imagined. Biospheres so we can live without our helmets - at least for short periods a day!"

Shepard smiled for her friend, but there was sadness there too. Tali stood up, and lifted her hood from her head. She keyed something on her omnitool and reached up to remove her helmet.

"Tali, no. Wait. It's not sterile here."

"This is my love and trust for you, Shepard. I want to look on you, and you to look on me without all this in the way," Tali removed the faceplate.

Shepard was struck speechless and rose to her feet, albeit more awkwardly, "You…you're beautiful."

"Thankyou, Shepard," without the voice modulator through the mask, Tali's voice was softer, "I have always thought you most attractive also."

The Quarian's features were almost feline. Her long, tilted eyes were pale golden, rimmed with black. She had no facial hair, only ridges, her nose was slightly foreshortened and it all swept up to three fringes.

Tali moved forward and embraced Kaya Shepard.

"You will live in my heart always, Commander Kaya Shepard vas Normandy. You changed my life."

Shepard stepped back a pace and studied Tali's face avidly, as though memorising those unique features, "You helped me keep my life more times than I can count, Admiral Tali'zorah vas Rannoch."

"Vas Normandy. With your permission, I should like to keep that honorific. It was once instilled on me with a thought to shame me. They could not know it was the greatest, proudest moment of my life."

"It would be my honour," Shepard's eyes glistened faintly.

Tali slid her face mask back on and tapped keys on her omnitool, "I shall see you back upon the Normandy one last time before I depart?"

"You will," Shepard nodded, "Dr Chakwas takes over my care tomorrow."

"Good," Tali nodded, "I should go."

There was a pause. And the two women laughed.

"I'm sorry, Shepard, I could not resist," the mischief in Tali's voice was palpable, "Keelah'Selai."

"And to you, Tali," Shepard smiled.

(I found the perfect Tali. art/my-wife-s-tali-zorah-redesign-in-3d-290554560 )