Shady Connections

At first, Tali stood completely still, her eyes not moving at all as she looked down at him. Shepard was on one knee, which she assumed was some kind of human addition to the ceremony, holding a small box with a diamond ring inside. She looked at the box then back to Shepard, hesitating before she spoke the words.

"The dust is gone, my path is clear. John Shepard, I will join you on the path of life." Her voice broke a little as she started crying towards the end. She stepped closer with the intent of accepting his offering, when he stood up and took the ring from its box. Taking her hand, he gently slipped the ring onto her middle finger. It was a perfect fit. Trying in vain to contain her sniffling, she looked at him as he played with her hand. He was smiling so wide she thought it must hurt his face, but he looked to the side as he spoke.

"EDI, you can stop recording now." Tali whipped around to see EDI's hologram pop up at the mention of her name.

"She recorded that?" She couldn't quite keep the sheer horror out of her voice with her question, to which EDI tried to explain.

"Tali, Shepard asked that the ceremony be recorded for posterity, I do not record the crew, excepting if I am asked to." EDI apparently thought that was enough as she dropped her hologram back into its perch.

"You did that on purpose? Oh Keelah, she better not spread it around!"

"Tali, relax. It's just for us and other people who we want to share it with. Now, there was a reason I told her to stop recording…Fiancée."

"I don't really know what that word means, Shepard."

"It means we are almost married, we're just waiting for the ceremony now." His mischievous smile caused her to eye him askance for a moment, cocking her helmet to the side.

"Ceremony? Shepard, the only thing we need is our own confirmation. We don't need someone else's permission to know we love each other." She was getting into a lecture again, but Shepard headed her off.

"I know Tali, I read up on your culture, or at least as much as I could find. But when I say ceremony, I mean my culture. There is no way I'm not celebrating my marrying the most gorgeous girl in this universe. And if I can celebrate, why not everyone else?" He was still grinning like an idiot as he told her his plan. She stood in appalled silence when he finally finished.

"You want to invite everyone? John, this ship can't even hold that many!" He chuckled at her question but answered.

"No my love, not everyone, just all our friends and family. You know, like the old SR-1 gang and your aunt Raan. Really Tali, it won't be that bad, just relax and you'll have fun. Trust me." He leaned into her, his forehead tapping her helmet as he gazed into her eyes.

"Well, if you say so, but it sounds incredibly wasteful to celebrate something so small." Tali was surprised at Shepard's sudden frown.

"Small? Tali, none of this would be here if not for you, this whole galaxy would be a smoking graveyard, if not for you and the crew helping me! So you tell me again how it's wasteful to celebrate after having just saved everything in existence." She still didn't like the idea, but he was right in his own way. But it's just so embarrassing! I'll have everyone I know watching me! Oh Keelah…

Shepard must've sensed her thoughts as he wrapped his arms around her and spoke gently.

"Sshh, it's ok Tali, I'll be here with you. I'll always be here for you." Leaning into him heavily, she cried tears of joy and nervousness into his shoulder. How long have I dreamed about this day? How many times have I daydreamed about bonding with him? And now I have him.

She felt her hands act of their own accord, flying up to her helmet and undoing the clamps. Tossing the helmet down, she practically wrestled him to the ground with kisses.

"How…Do we… Always… End up like this?" Shepard tried to speak between kisses but she kept cutting him off. As much as she loved his voice, she didn't want words right then.

A long while later, Shepard was stomping his boots on, with Tali still behind him on the bed sleeping it off.

He was feeling the effects of her exuberance as well. I must be doing something right to spark passion like that. Grinning at the memory of her pouncing on him, he stood up for the exit. Moving around the scurrying Rachni, he entered the elevator and punched in deck three. Whistling softly to himself and keeping a tired grin on his face, he stepped onto the crew deck and started toward the nearest crewmember, Kasumi. Knocking before sliding the door back, he looked around but as usual, failed to find her.

"Ah come on Kasumi! I even knocked first!"

"That you did, come on in Shep." He frowned, as he still couldn't see her, but turned toward the bar as he heard the familiar sound of glasses clinking against one another. Standing up from behind the bar and holding two large wine glasses, was Kasumi. She wore a big smile as she set the glasses on the bar and ducked back down, presumably to look for the alcohol.

"What's all this about?" He lifted his chin at the glasses.

"Well about you getting married of course!" he must've looked more worried than he had meant, because she quickly explained.

"I begged and pleaded with EDI to show me the video after I told her I already knew it was happening. I had seen the ring before Miranda got it from the hold, wasn't hard to guess from there."

EDI's hologram popped up to defend herself.

"Actually Shepard, she threatened to try and hack me if I didn't show her, seeing as how I might've hurt her if she tried, I decided to let her see it. She did already know about it, after all." Shepard looked back and forth between the two, shaking his head.

"Hacking EDI? Kasumi, I think even you would find that impossible. And EDI, I expect you to make your own decisions, but on personal matters, please try and be more private. And I better not hear a word out of either of you about this unless Tali or I ask, understood?" His voice was hard as he finished, he would defend Tali, even from embarrassment. With the way she is, especially from embarrassment. He waited for Kasumi's reluctant nod and EDI to confirm the order, before he settled down onto a bar stool, his smile returning.

"Now then, I have a question for you, Kasumi." She cocked her head but waited patiently as he sipped form the drink she had slid to him over the bar.

"How would you feel about Aria T' Loak staying aboard this ship for our flight?"

Kasumi frowned at him, her lips compressing to a thin line.

"I've made a few thefts for and against her people, she won't know me, but I don't like the idea of her being on this ship for that long." she took a sip from her own glass and smacked her lips as the warm liquid slid down her throat.

"Neither does anyone else, but I'll tell you what she told me. For delivering her to Omega, she has promised me a personal favor, that she will drop anything she's doing and help me, whatever the task or problem." Kasumi nodded at this, not questioning this promise as the others might. She knew Aria wouldn't go back on it.

"Second, she has promised additional aid if I help her retake Omega from whatever has taken over in the time she's been gone." Kasumi shook her head at that last but didn't speak right away.

"Thoughts?"

"I don't know about that last bit, Shep. Depending on who controls the station, we could have a real fight on our hands. We're talking a serious ground war here, clearing all of Omega, corridor by cramped corridor." She just shook her head again as she stopped.

Shepard understood her concerns, but he needed that cash. He had no delusions about being rich; his current stash of money would only last so long, especially if I spoil Tali as much as I intend to. He was rustled from his thoughts by Kasumi speaking.

"For the long haul to Omega, I guess I can see her coming with us, but helping with Omega? Now that, I have issues with. Consider my vote an emphatic, "no" on this one Shep." He nodded as she concluded, then threw back his drink, feeling it burn as it went down, then stood up.

"Alright Kasumi, I won't force anyone to help, but I need to go ask the others before I agree or turn her down." He turned and got to the door, but Kasumi's voice made him stop.

"Thank you Shep, for asking all of us like this. Most Captains would just spring it on everyone then expect them to help." He smiled as he replied.

"Commander, not Captain."

Leaving Kasumi's room he started toward Miranda's quarters. With her, it's probably best to just ask straight away, no beating around the bush. He nodded at his own thoughts as he approached her door, then knocked and waited for her response.

"Enter." As he walked in he saw her sitting as he had left her, staring at her computer.

"Don't you ever take a break from that computer?" his playful tone got a faint smile from her lips, but her tone didn't reflect it.

"You know as well as I do that this needs to be done. Without me running interference you would be swamped with messages, and our supplies would be non-existent." He snorted at her bullshit before calling her out on it.

"First of all, I saw the cargo hold, if you got anymore supplies the ship couldn't carry it all. And my messages are my problem, you should enjoy yourself while you have the chance." His admonishing tone got a smile from the woman, along with a cheeky response.

"I thought that's what you were doing. Besides, there isn't much for me to enjoy on a ruined Citadel now is there?" Shepard had to agree with her, there wasn't much to do in a space station that had no people.

"Well pretty soon we can all enjoy ourselves for a time. I'm throwing a party in celebration of Tali and I getting married." For once, Miranda's smile actually reached her eyes as she congratulated him.

"I'm very happy for you and Tali commander, I must say, you two make a wonderful couple."

"I appreciate that Miranda, really I do. Plus, it means a lot to hear the genetically perfect woman say my wife and I are a good match." Miranda snorted at his remark but left it alone.

"So what did you come to see me for Shepard?" She sat back in her chair, an expectant look on her face.

"Well, I was contacted by Aria T' Loak." He gave her the spiel on Aria's deal then walked over to her chair and sat with a sigh, waiting for her response.

"A woman like Aria on our side is no small victory Shepard, but she is dangerous. I'm not sure about taking Omega for her, but her supposed promise could be a real help while on Rannoch." He could almost envision the logistical gears in her head smoking with all the possibilities.

"So you would agree to having her aboard?" his voice was casual but he was trying to feel her out by her reactions; since the woman was so damn hard to read, she made it no easy task.

"Yes, I believe simply taking her with us would be easy and the reward is quite useful. But as for the latter proposal, I'm not comfortable with it until I see what we are dealing with."

"Agreed, I thought along similar lines," He nodded his approval of her over steepled fingers. "Miranda, there's only one thing I want to discuss before I leave." He tried to make his voice sound incredibly serious, as if about to drop some emotional bomb on her, then stared at her with a dark expression for a few seconds. "...Could you make the preparations for the party? You know, food and invitations and all that?" His grin exploded over his face as she rolled her eyes and laughed at his antics.

"Of course Commander, just tell me who you would like aboard and I'll make it happen." Still smiling broadly, he told her his desired group.

"You may also want to consult with Aria when she gets up here about partying, she can throw a good one I'm sure." Shepard laughed as his advice got a sigh from Miranda, but he got up to leave before she could say anything. "I'll leave you to it then, I can't thank you enough Miranda." He left her quarters with a huge smile still lighting his face up. Well all that's left is Zaeed and Joker, but I think Joker might be too preoccupied to even notice Aria is aboard.

"To Zaeed's hovel it is." He spoke under his breath as he started toward the elevators but stopped, hearing the sound of banging pots and pans coming from the small kitchen area.

As he got closer he frowned, no one was there that he could see, but he still heard the sounds.

"Guddam cook doesn't even store his bloody food in the right place, how's a man supposed to find any grub in this shit?" His smile returning, Shepard walked up to the counter and rested an elbow on it, waiting for Zaeed to stand back up from the cabinet. The old merc was throwing kitchen supplies from the small cabinet, looking for something he obviously wasn't finding, and cursing as he kept digging. Shepard had seen the man make a multitude of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches on his time aboard the ship, and figured his penchant for them was due to their convenience in the field. Old habits being what they were, he probably just never really took the time to eat much else.

"Did you try the fridge, Zaeed?" The older man snapped his head around then relaxed once he saw Shepard.

"Of course not, who the hell puts peanut butter in the fridge?" Zaeed slammed the cabinet door and got up to search the fridge anyway, apparently deciding it was worth a shot. As he rifled through the contents of the fridge, Shepard could hear him muttering under him breath until he finally exclaimed, "Ah ha!" He straightened up and started unscrewing the cap and grabbing a knife to spread it with.

"So what's the deal Shepard, or was I just disturbing the peace?" Shepard watched the man as he concentrated on his sandwich. Zaeed looked better rested than he had on earth, even slightly happy as he finished creating his sandwich and took his first bite.

"I was just on my way to your room, had a question or two to ask."

"That so? Well what might they be?" He sounded muffled as he spoke around a mouthful of peanut butter. Shepard watched him for a moment more before he asked.

"I wanted to know your thoughts about Aria T' Loak staying aboard the Normandy."

The former Mercenary froze with his mouth open and his sandwich halfway to his mouth, then slowly closed it and put the sandwich on the counter.

"And just why would that bitch be coming with us?" Shepard once again gave Aria's proposition and let the other man process the information. As he listened, Zaeed had picked up his PB&J and continued his lunch, managing to look thoughtful as he savored every bite.

"I assume everyone else told you they were ok with it, hmm? This crew always was completely bat-shit crazy." Zaeed looked at the remains of his sandwich as he spoke, but looked up and continued. "I suppose I can live with it Shepard, so long as we drop her off as quickly as possible, that crazy Asari thinks she controls every damn thing, probably gonna walk around here like some kind of bloody queen. But I wouldn't mind taking out a few thugs on Omega for her, nice and simple that, if a bit messy." Shepard watched him as he took the last bite of his sandwich and dusted his hands of the crumbs.

"Alright Zaeed, just making sure you are ok with it. I don't want to be stuck on a ship with her any longer than is strictly necessary either, so no worries there." Zaeed nodded his agreement and started toward the elevator, talking over his shoulder as he walked.

"You got my answer Shepard, You know where I'll be if you need anything." He watched the man go with a small smile. He's probably going to go clean Jessie again for the millionth time. Boy has that rifle seen better days. He shook the picture of that old rusty rifle from his mind and decided he'd see if Tali was still asleep. Walking to the elevator, he closed his eyes a little as he stood inside. As he was about to press the button he was jerked from his half sleep by his Omni-tool beeping. Groaning, he answered the call to see Joker's face, looking considerably better than it had a few day ago.

"Commander, Just got a call from an inbound shuttle asking for landing clearance, we expecting company?"

"Sure am Joker, Doctor Chakwas and Aria T' loak are on that shuttle." Joker stared at him with a raised brow as if expecting a joke, but saw there wasn't one and got serious.

"Ok Commander, I'll let them on. And If you don't mind me saying, you look like you need some sleep."

"I'm well aware of that fact Joker, please inform Aria she may take any of the available spaces for her own while she's here. but I'll be in my quarters." Joker nodded and shut the link, letting Shepard sleepily press the button for his cabin.

As he arrived, he saw He'd been gone for about an hour and a half, but Tali was still passed out. Moving carefully so as not to wake her up, he removed his work clothes and snuggled in beside her, wrapping an arm around her as she grumbled slightly.

I'll deal with problems later. For now, I can enjoy this.