Author's Comment:

Here is the eleventh chapter of this story, the chapter meant to be posted today. I decided to tone down a bit on the action, and take it easy for the time being. I hope you enjoy it like I always have wished in every chapter.

PS: I am currently writing a side story featuring Warlord Kier. This story will start being posted when the right chapter of The Other Way Out makes its due arrival. Just to keep you interested...

Chapter Eleven: Time amongst friends

Ideas are thrown around, as the conception of a wedding involves work, and due to the fact that Aniena and Liara are both young asari in their maiden stage of life. Tali is then quick to spit out the question that was in everyone's mind. "Who will walk you down the aisle? If that is how humans do the ceremony..."

Anna viewed the possibilities within her brain, going through several men in her life that could do that job, but only one of them made more sense than the rest: David Anderson. This man was like a father to her, the father she didn't have growing up, much more than a superior officer. She knew he was fit for the role, even if he had to walk with a cane.

Anna then turned to Liara. "Look, can you take over the details of the ceremony? I want you to find a good spot for it, set a date of the event, guest list, all of it... but let's take its slow..."

Liara lowered her index finger. "I was just about to ask how I could pull this off on a short time, but I see you don't want to rush it. It gives me time to finish my work with Javik and other pending issues I got."

"What kind of issues?"

"Next time we go to the Citadel, I plan on spending the day with my father. And yes, Shepard, I know I am a quarter krogan."

Anna chuckles for a lengthy period of time. "I am sorry, but it is just funny when people wonder where your attitude during a fight comes from..."

Tali then starts to walk back and forth in the room. "So you have to get a dress, walk down an aisle, be walked down said aisle with the help of your 'father', and the groom will be waiting at the altar, where a qualified person to hold the ceremony will be delivering some sort of speech..."

Aniena coughs loud, to catch everyone's attention. "I know what Tali is thinking, and yes, it does sound ridiculous. Why not just a ceremony between friends? Why do you have to follow the rules to celebrate your union with someone? From what I was told about you, Shepard, you didn't follow the usual code of conduct to win this war, did you?"

Anna laughed, realizing the truth in those words. "Alright, you got a good point. So an intimate reunion, as a marking of our marriage, which we can then legally register... I just wonder who would give out a good speech..."

Tali raises her hand. "Why not Wrex? He was there with you and Garrus, like me, when it all began. Even though he hasn't been with you ever since the Collector incident, I am sure he can give a heartfelt speech."

Liara continues Tali's thoughts. "If you think about it, every single person, or at least almost every single one, will be a seasoned warrior. And Wrex is distinguished in that category... perhaps he is more suited to speak to the heart of the crowd that will be there with us."

Anna nods, standing up. "Seems like a pretty good idea. I guess we have it sorted it out then, but we still need to find out where and when, which won't certainly be soon, as we still have pending issues to take care of..."

"Of course, Shepard." Liara states, getting up from the couch in front of Shepard's bed.

The four leave, each one going to their specific elevator. Anna was feeling hungry, and decided to step out on the Crew Deck, where she found some of the crew, Kier and Garrus still sharing war stories. She walked past them as Kier ended another one of his, and she didn't lose her chance to speak out loud. "Garrus, tell them about when Shepard met Archangel."

Garrus laughed and was quick to tell in detail everything. "So, as you must know by now, I am Archangel, the anti-mercenary myth of Omega. So there I was, defending my fortress against wave after wave of mercenaries, pulling off headshots, and when that didn't happen, well aimed shots at the hearts of my enemies..."

The redhead from before was still there, but this time she was enjoying a sandwich. "But you fought humans, krogan, salarians, asari... that is a lot of different enemies..."

Kier grumbles and makes a sarcastic remark. "You know something, soldier? Every single one of those species as something called a skull... placed above the shoulders... which has the brain in it... you know, the organ necessary to the functioning of many sentient races?"

The crew member was quick to look down in shame, noticing her own idiocy, and quickly takes a bite from her sandwich. Garrus continued telling his story. "So, all of a sudden, I see two females and one male walking across the bridge; while two of them were Cerberus, one wasn't... the symbol was quite familiar to me from the events surrounding Saren and the rogue geth he took with him..."

Anna was mixing the ingredients, starting to make her favourite meal: spaghetti and meatballs. "I still say I didn't feel the shot you gave to lower my shields..."

Garrus chuckled. "That just proves how good I am." Everyone at the table, and Anna, smirked, amused. "Anyway... when I saw that symbol, in the middle of all that mess, I knew things were going to change radically. My suspicions were confirmed when I heard screaming behind me and shooting, and I was certain I hadn't set traps in case someone made it into the building."

Anna looked at Garrus. "I still say, to this day, that their expression of surprise was the most priceless thing I had seen. Well, if you don't got Vega's surprised face when I beat his highscore of pull ups back at the apartment..."

Garrus gave a light chuckle. "Yeah... to this day he still refused to admit that ever happened..." Garrus put his elbows on the table, continuing to tell his story. "So there I was, with three allies, backup if you will. Shepard was smart. She sabotaged the mechs, which quickly turned on their enemies, kept them entertained for a while as well, giving us some room to relax... Anna also locked some other entry points into the fortress, as well as sabotaging their gunship... I was still shot, gaining these sexy alluring scars, but I guess it was a very nice day..."

Kier stares at Garrus. "Aluring?" He removes one of his armour sleeves, showing off a healed but still disfigured arm skin. "See this? Acid from a thresher maw attack; burned right through my armour and screwed up my arm for a couple days. I was invited to talk with the krogan ladies after this event."

Garrus scoffed. "For what, getting a scar from a spittle attack?" Kier shook his head. "No, from killing the thresher maw up close; I stood on its open mouth, the tongue covered in that acidic spit, wrapped around my arm, and I still unloaded my shotgun, killing the bastard at near point blank!"

The redhead stared at Kier. "That is... very impressive."

He puts the armour sleeve back on. "I am not a legend for nothing. Nearly two thousand years old and an impressive record of achievements..." He then looks at Anna, who looked back at him. "But nothing as impressive as your Commander's record; I mean, she didn't do it up close, but she was the first human to help a krogan in a rite of passage, and they still killed the thresher maw."

Garrus scoffs, laughing at Kier. "You should see the amount of those worms we killed during our missions to find Saren Arterius. We found them on the surfaces of many planets, and killed them all..."

Anna shook her head. "We used a Mako. It is not the same as killing one on foot..."

Garrus shrugs his shoulders. "Still pretty impressive..."

Kier tapped Garrus' shoulder. "So a Mako is a heavy vehicle of some sort?"

Garrus nods. "Yeah... it is this human hybrid between a tank and a troop transport..."

"How many maws did you kill?"

Anna threw the spaghetti into the pot. "Around seven in total..."

Kier nodded in approval. "Not bad... for a human... and a turian..."

Everyone then looked at the redhead crew member, and Garrus was the first one to talk. "So, what do you have to tell us?"

She shrugged. "I do not have anything that comes close to your stories, to be honest... I have been placed in this ship after it got back from repairs..."

Anna let the food cook, and stared at the soldier. "So you don't have anything of important under your belt?"

The redhead scratched her head. "Well... I took part in the charge to the beam..."

Anna steps forward and forces the soldier to stand up, saluting her right away. "That, right there. Some people might see that as something small, but it is impressive nonetheless. You went there, to charge towards a hostile Reaper, to get a chance at saving this galaxy. That is enough on its own earn you a freaking set of medals."

"Thank you, ma'am."

EDI was quick to intervene. "She did much more than that, Shepard. Her records, and psychological evaluation, state that she was the one to drive the Mako in front of the laser of Harbinger, saving your life."

Anna then stared at this crew member with a whole new view. She stepped forward and hugged her. "If you hadn't done that suicidal turn, I probably couldn't be here, or gotten the chance to fire the Crucible. What is your name?"

"Corporal Andrea, ma'am."

Anna nodded, tears bottling under eyes. "Andrea, if it wasn't for you, I couldn't be standing here, happy to know that the man of my dreams asked me to marry him..."

Everyone that heard Anna's words stared at Garrus. "I assume everyone is happy for the news, but the way you guys are looking at me makes it seem as if I am going to court for some sort of crime."

Andrea smiled at Shepard. "Well, I am glad I survived the event to. And Garrus, it is just odd to see a turian and human couple to speak so freely of their relationship. I mean, we are the two species, that a few years ago, were shooting at each other..."

Garrus leaned back, gaining a playful pose. "Well, I guess that is what made Shepard and I like each other... we always like to play rough..."

Shepard brings the palm of her hand to her face, sighing, but still smiling, amused. "Yeah, let's call it that..."

Andrea was quick to make things a little personnal. "So did you make decisions on the ceremony yet?"

Anna nodded. "We are sure of one thing: I want a krogan friend of mine to officiate; always wanted to see Wrex in a fancy suit."

Kier slumped over the table, having the nearest people staring at him, until he sit up straight to the best of his abilities, as he began to burst out laughing, loudly. "That would be quite the sight to see... Wrex in a suit. I know that krogan better than you, Shepard, and I am sure we would rather try and fight against a thresher maw with nothing but his fists, instead of putting himself in a suit."

Anna and Garrus chuckle, both amused at the mental imaged provided. Joker's voice is then heard on the communications. "Commander, we will arrive at Despoina within the next five minutes. EDI recommends you go to the vidcom room, as she will attempt a direct link to Harbinger."

Andrea is quick to warn Shepard that she will take care of the food making while she is absent. Anna goes to the elevator with Garrus and Kier, whom want to be there for moral support.