Chapter 25

Shepard perused the party's collection of wine bottles twisting them to face her. Voices and music boomed from the open patio doors across the living room. The party had mostly moved outside. Shepard's hand paused on a chardoney.

Tali's voice drew Shepard's eye to the living room. Kaidan was finally here. Tali motioned around the room. She led him to the nearest patio door. Wrex clogged the patio entrance in loud conversation with Jack, Javik, and Joker. Tali's voice was muffled under the music, but some words broke through. Apparently, it was a brief overview like Shepard had received minus Garrus's asides. Shepard poured chardoney into her glass. When she looked up Kaidan was watching her from across the room while still listening to Tali. A smile widened on his face, and Shepard raised her glass. Tali finished, he said something, and crossed the living room to Shepard.

"Shepard, hey."

"Come for a drink?" Shepard motioned to the selection and leaned back against the counter.

"Uh, sure, and to see you." He came around the bar to her. "You look nice."

"Likewise, Major."

He glanced at the cluster of drink options. "Feel kind of guilty here. There's a lot more deserving attention than picking out a drink."

"Yeah?" Shepard said. "I'm here, doesn't stop me from thinking."

"You're always thinking," Kaidan smiled. "What about recruitment, like we talked about?"

"I think you're right, we won't lack for volunteers."

Kaidan's eyes moved over the wine bottles. His brow furrowed, and he reached for the purple bottle.

"Drink this!" Shepard grabbed the nearest bottle of liquid and slammed it down in front of him.

He drew back with a quizzical smile. James had better appreciate her keeping his surprise under wraps.

"All right," Kaidan said.

"You'll love it."

Kaidan squinted at the label as Shepard grabbed an empty glass. Kaidan exhaled a burst of breath and snatched the bottle off the counter. He turned it to her with raised eyebrows.

"Krogan Ryncol, 190 proof. Straight?" he sputtered. "Hell, Shepard. What'd I do to you?"

Shepard paused with the empty glass in one hand. "Uh, well … you like a challenge."

She set the glass in front of him.

"Not that kind of challenge." He slid the bottle across the bar clinking into the others. "You need to work on your challenges, Shepard. Just a breath of that, I'd be flat on the floor."

Shepard shrugged and picked up her wine glass.

"What are you drinking?" he asked.

"Chardonnay."

"Hmm."

He eyed the wine bottles. His eyebrows started to pinch together again, and he reached out to the bottles.

"Try it." Shepard thrust her wine glass in front of his face.

Kaidan blinked at it and eyed her before reaching out and taking it. "Okay …"

James had better show up fast. She wasn't going to distract him all night. Kaidan took a sip.

"Well?" Shepard folded her arms darting a look over his shoulder.

James must be out dancing. Surely, he'd heard Kaidan had shown up.

"Well …" Kaidan stared down into the glass. "I wouldn't give it a ribbon."

"Fine." Shepard shrugged. "Snob."

"Me? I'm a snob?" Kaidan glanced back at the living room. "Garrus's windows up to your standards?"

"Size is good. Clarity … adequate. Offset from the sunset, shame. But yes, definitely in my league."

"The big window's league?"

"Sure. I, uh … this could go in a bad direction."

"Size comparisons?" Kaidan leaned against the counter next to her.

"A slippery slope," Shepard said.

"You know …" Kaidan laughed. "Uh …"

"What?" Shepard frowned.

Kaidan grinned over at her still holding her wine glass. "It reminded me. You wouldn't believe the ribald conversation I had with Liara. You'd be shocked. Probably pleased."

"What?" Shepard eyed him. "You're reading into it."

"Nope, definitely not."

"Ribald, huh?"

"Ribald."

"Hmm." Shepard shifted against the counter. "Trotting out the fancy words for the party?"

"That isn't how you impress people at parties?"

"No, it can definitely do that."

"You don't think it's being too … pretentious?" He paused. "That do anything for you?"

Shepard rolled her head to look at him. "So impressed, I'm breathless."

"Breathless? You mean … asphyxiating?" Kaidan's eyes widened dramatically then settled into a smile. "There. My kill shot."

"Death by vocabulary," Shepard mused.

"A bad way to go," Kaidan agreed.

"Definitely one of the more painful."

Kaidan laughed. He took a sip of the chardonnay. They leaned side by side against the counter. When the glass dropped back to his side, he rested his arm just grazing hers. It sent a shiver prickling up her spine, and she glanced over at him. If it was intentional, he wasn't showing it. He looked straight ahead as gooseflesh crawled up her arm.

"This sounds like something I should use in my interrogations," Kaidan said. Shepard blinked. They'd been talking about something – vocabulary, that was right. He looked over at her. "It's not cruel or unusual, right?"

Shepard swallowed and tried to refocus. She smiled at him.

"Have to be a pretty snarky suspect to deserve that sort of treatment."

"Well, of course, Shepard. I'm not a barbarian."

"You're better at being the good cop."

"What's the use of a good cop without a bad one?"

"I'm game," Shepard said.

Kaidan pursed his lips as if considering then shrugged. "It could work. They bring in the suspect, plenty snarky and deserving, I give a simple 'hi there.' But then you'd come in …"

Shepard smirked sideways at him. "Salutations?"

"And right there - he knows what's what."

"And straight off calls for his lawyer."

"Damn." Kaidan sighed. "Then I'd be out vocabularized."

"Not if you continue making words up."

"True. Enough confidence and the dictionaries all hidden …"

"We should be dragging Terra Firma agents in right now."

"Grab your coat."

The warmth against Shepard's arm lifted, and Kaidan took a long drink from the wine glass. Shepard frowned and reached for it.

"Nuhuh." He lifted it high on the opposite side. "You gave it to me."

"For a taste," Shepard said. "You didn't even like. No winning ribbon, remember?"

"It's growing on me." He stepped away, downed the last gulp, and held out the empty glass.

"Do your own dishes." She shoved it away.

"Seconds."

"Get your own."

"The whole time I've been here, you've been manning the bar. Thought maybe Garrus was letting you earn a few extra credits. I know you're always looking for opportunities."

"So, I'm Garrus's bartender?" Shepard looked at him flatly then finally shrugged. "Fine, Kaidan. You're cut off. Bartender's prerogative."

"Damnit. Never pick a fight with the bartender." Kaidan rounded the bar with a grin and faced her from the other side. "Lapse in judgement. Maybe I should be cut off."

"Lapse in judgement already?" Shepard clicked her tongue. "After only one glass of chardonnay."

Kaidan leaned forward on the bar and set the empty glass between them. "Put it that way, it does sound a little suspicious. Miranda taught me to never drink something that's been unattended. I didn't see you pour this."

"So, I roofied you?" Shepard lifted her eyebrows and leaned forward on the bar herself. "I drank from that glass too, you know."

"Not that I saw."

Shepard tapped the empty glass between them. "You wearing lipstick?"

Kaidan glanced at the lip marked rim then shrugged. "Maybe Garrus doesn't wash his glasses very well."

"Tali uses a straw, and Garrus doesn't have lips."

"Good point." Kaidan picked the glass up by the stem and looked at it in the light. "I'm starting to think you really did drink off my glass. Poor form, bartender. Garrus should have splurged on someone with references."

"I drank off your glass, and I roofied you?" Shepard said.

"And sassed me. But I kind of like that." He stood up from the counter with a smile.

"Flirt all you want, but I'm still the bartender and you're cut off, Kaidan."

"Your lips say that, but your eyes say 'try harder.'"

"You were having more luck with the vocabulary."

"Is it cheating to use my Omni-Tool as a thesaurus?"

Laughter echoed through the living room as a crowd bubbled through the patio door in the distance over Kaidan's shoulder. James laughed at something Garrus was saying then caught sight of the bar. He leaned into Rebecca and nodded their direction. Kaidan watched Shepard's eyes and started to turn.

"Kaidan."

He looked back at her. "Yeah?"

"I'm glad you came."

Kaidan smiled at with so much warmth it burned in her chest.

"I told you I would," he said. He moved the empty wine glass around by its base then looked up sharply. "Shepard, I—"

"L2!" James threw an arm around Kaidan's neck.

Kaidan flinched wide-eyed, and he frowned sideways at James.

"I should be cut off?" Kaidan said in a low voice to Shepard. James drew his arm away, and Kaidan turned to him. "Hi, James."

"L2, when you gonna join the party?"

Kaidan glanced around at the crowd condensing around them. "Looks like you brought the party …" Kaidan froze.

"Hey, Kaid."

"Becca?" Kaidan stared.

James stepped back and moved her forward with a touch on the elbow. Elbow, ha. Playing it safe, James? Shepard grinned and poured more chardonnay into the empty wine glass.

"Surprise," Rebecca said.

She held her glass to the side and hugged him with the other arm. Kaidan seemed to unfreeze. A big smile split his face, and he wrapped his arms around her. Cortez grinned like he was watching a Lifetime movie. The others started to talk again and moved to the drinks.

"It's good to see you," Kaidan said as Rebecca stepped back.

"Not weirded out?" Rebecca asked. "I was hoping for a little weirded out."

"Oh, no. I am."

"Was hoping for a gasp, L2, but I'll take eye bulging." James laughed and clinked glasses with Rebecca.

"Kept us waiting long enough," Traynor said passed to the bar.

Kaidan surveyed the crowd. "Didn't know I was the entertainment."

Bottles clinked as Miranda dug around in them. Kaidan's eyes fixed on the purple wine bottle then flashed to Shepard. He narrowed his eyes but smiled before turning back to James and Rebecca.

"Shepard." Garrus came up next to her. "Speech time."

"Isn't there supposed to be a vote? Nominations?"

"I'd vote for you," Miranda said.

"But it's Garrus's holiday. Tali's house."

"I knew this was coming." Tali sighed.

Traynor poured herself a drink. "Shepard, it has to be you."

"Agreed," Jacob said.

"What about Grunt?" Shepard asked. "That would be unexpected. Fun, right?"

No one looked swayed.

"Fine." Shepard set down her drink. "I suppose we do this outside?"

Tali lunged forward and grabbed Shepard's wrist. "Absolutely! You all know this is quarian property, not mine, right?"

They trickled outside. Kaidan, Rebecca, and James took up the end laughing over something. The hoop toss was still set up, and Shepard edged around it. She moved to the center of the lawn and faced everyone. Tali handed Shepard a pistol. Shepard flashed her a grateful smile. Stuffing a pistol in her dress had been an obvious no-go. Still hadn't stopped her from trialing it in front of the mirror for twenty minutes though.

The mix of familiar and new faces shuffled into position on the patio. Garrus checked through the crowd as people drew out their pistols. Joker waved a spare from Garrus. Everyone was here. Everyone she loved. Almost everyone. Liara lingered to the side by the stone wall. A full glass of wine dangled in her hand. She met Shepard's eye and gave a small smile.

"Okay, Shepard." Garrus hoisted a sniper rifle up from under the wicker couch. He plodded down the patio stairs.

"Rifle? Really, Garrus?"

"This is my holiday. You can shoot whatever they want."

Shepard just shook her head at him with an eye roll. The conversations died down, and Shepard straightened.

"I'm glad everyone turned up," Shepard raised her voice. "Garrus says this is a turien holiday about remembering comrades. Unfortunately, also a holiday requiring a speech."

"Then gunfire!" Jack yelled. "Hell, yeah!"

Shepard smirked. Her eyes moved over all the faces. "It's good to remember and be together. We're all going separate ways from here, but for tonight, we're together again. This time we're not charging into battle or storming a Cerberus base. We're appreciating the people who came out the other side with us. Remembering the ones that didn't. None of us would here without the person standing next to us or the ones only here in our hearts. Many I wish were here. Ash, Mordin, Legion, Thane, Anderson. Dr. Chakwas. Many more.

"We're the ones here now, on Earth, not the Reapers. And the Reapers aren't on Palaven or Thessia or Tuchanka or Rannoch or anywhere else. We had each other's backs. Pulled ourselves out of the fire. Would have died for each other. Almost did countless times. We won. Won a future. Won a peace. Won a time like now to be together again just happy and alive. I'm proud to have fought with you and even prouder to have you all as friends." Shepard drew out her pistol and raised her arm. Everyone followed suit. "To comradery … and hoping this isn't a shuttle route. Die for the cause!"

They fired. The sniper rifle's boom echoed long after the shot. The crowd clapped, and Shepard strode over to Garrus. She shoved the pistol back at him with a smile.

"Next year, it's your turn, Vakarian."