Shepard's and Liara's Apartment, Vancouver, Earth, 2188.6.22, 07:54 (Two Weeks before the Wedding)

Liara opened the door, revealing Tali and Garrus on the other side.

Immediately, Tali reached her arms around Liara, hugging the lady of the house as a greeting, and Garrus walked up to Shepard. "Morning Shepard."

"Morning, Garrus. Come in!"

Garrus did as he was told, and found James, Joker, EDI, Kaidan, Kelly, Samantha, Gabby and Kenneth already sitting around the table, chatting and putting everything in place for breakfast.

Tali, Shepard and Liara entered the room behind him as he sat down. Liara put the flowers Tali had brought with her, flowers from Rannoch, into a vase and, after placing it down on the table, sat down with the others.

After starting their meal, Kaidan spoke up, turning to Shepard: "Thank you, Shepard."

"What for?"

"Oh, you know. Recommending me for the new Normandy-II-frigate. Hackett mailed me this morning, I'm appointed as CO. Admiral Von Essling will have to wait for the next frigate to be commissioned into service before his protégée gets a turn."

"Schaefer?"

"Yes, her. Anyway, it's just two months to the commissioning of the third Normandy-II-class, she won't miss out on much. Still, my own command, finally."

"How'd they christen the ship?"

Kaidan leaned back slightly: "Hackett decided on 'SSV Ashley Williams', to score points with the Salarians. She's their hero too ever since she covered that STG retreat."

Shepard was surprised: "Really? Oh dear; it's been five years now, hasn't it?"

His friend nodded. "Yes, it has.", Kaidan answered. "So long ago."

After everyone had eaten breakfast, the group walked over to the living room, where the women immediately sat around the couch table, chatting.

Garrus sighed and asked Shepard: "How about some shooting today? You don't want to spend the entire day inside, do you?"

Shepard scratched the back of his head and looked over to Samantha setting up a chess board to play with Liara. "Yes, let's go. I'll get my gun." He walked over to the couch and kissed his fiancée, who had already played the opening moves against Samantha, goodbye: "Have fun here."

Liara lost a rook to Sam and sighed: "I hope I will."

Shepard smiled and left for his personal armoury in the other room, taking Garrus, Kaidan, James and Joker with him. At the door, he scanned his eye and verified with his Omni-Tool; the door opened, retreating into the walls, and revealed the armoury in which Shepard kept his weapons. Garrus marvelled at the SMGs, the DMRs, the Assault Rifles, the Pistols and the Sniper Rifles in storage here; all lined up on the walls.

Shepard took a rifle off the wall. "Black Widow SE-11, the sports edition of the one I had in the war.", he fondly described his weapon of choice. "Let's go."

Alliance Small Arms Exercise Area, Bowen Island, near Vancouver, Earth, 9:39

Garrus stepped up to the shooting stand and raised his rifle. As the first target popped up, he fired a shot with an accuracy that only a Turian could ever even dream of. Without lifting his head up, he asked Shepard: "So, where will you go on Honeymoon?" Before Shepard could even answer, Garrus hit another target.

"We'll have two weeks on Earth, one week on Thessia and one week of... We don't know yet... Might visit my favourite Turian. Liara wanted to visit some archaeological sites, and I'll just spend time with her. Also, we'll visit the graduation class of Grissom Academy, talk to some of the cadets, smile for the cameras... Sometimes I hate being a hero."

Kaidan stepped up: "Well, but you are everyone's hero, and dammed good at it. Also, sort of, my hero. Hell, you pulled me out on Virmire, you saved me from Udina, you defeated the Reapers, I can see why the Galaxy loves you. Liara can count herself lucky to have you."

Garrus shot his last round: "And...", he looked at the Eval-Console, "I win." He raised his rifle into the air, celebrating his victory: "I am Garrus Vakarian and this is my favourite spot on Earth!"

"How do you do it, Garrus? How come you're always on top?", a slightly disbelieving Kaidan asked him.

"Precision and efficiency, Kaidan. Precision and efficiency are the two virtues every Turian sooner or later learns in the Hierarchy. It's what makes us so... precise. And efficient too. Didn't waste a single shot. On the battlefield, you couldn't either."

"Sheesh, you'd give Von Essling a run for his money...", Joker commented. "Anyway, where are we going now? Back to your apartment, Shepard?"

Shepard put the rifle back into its case for safe transport: "Yes, can't leave Ken to wait with the women too long. Who knows what they might end up doing..."

Shepard's and Liara's Apartment, 10:71

"Its Thulium!", Kenneth called out. "I knew, I would eventually remember it. Your turn, Samantha."

But his words were in vain; for Samantha and Gabby were laughing themselves to tears. "You... You knew all along... Samantha said, wiping a tear out of her eye.

Kelly was bewildered: "Why is this so funny? What's the deal with Thulium anyway? Isn't it just some element like any other?"

EDI handed her a datapad with the Codex entry of Thulium opened: "Kelly, have a look at this. Pay attention to the atomic number and you will understand."

Kelly looked at the entry, and eventually had to smirk: "So, how long has this running gag been going on?"

Samantha had calmed, only now being able to answer without her laughter getting in the way of her words: "One and a half years, Kelly. And Kenneth finally admitted he knew it all along."

Gabby gave Kenneth a swift kiss on the cheek: "See, we are the better kind of engineers. We get to work with Thulium." She turned to Samantha: "Don't get me wrong, CS is nice and everything but you wouldn't have known about this."

"Bloody right, I didn't; yet. But I still get to do all the cool stuff in the intelligence labs."

"The cool stuff?", Kenneth asked her. "Like the cryogenic helium we use to cool the Mass Effect coils?"

Samantha gave him a playful nudge in the side: "You're just jealous.", she laughed.

"Hey, I'm approving of your success. I mean after all, you managed to tie down Kelly Chambers. That's something."

"Well, ok. That's a start.", Samantha admitted. "But, on second thought, I'd better not anger the man that makes sure the Normandy doesn't suddenly become a fireball with me on it."

The door opened; and the men who had previously gone out shooting returned. "Liara, I'm home.", Shepard called out to his fianceé. She looked up from the travel brochures she had been reading, with Tali, on the TV.

"Shepard. I wanted you to see this."

"What is it?"

"Information about the day trip to the Egyptian Pyramids. I always wanted to see them. Not even an exaggeration. When I first heard about humanity in 2156, their history seemed vastly interesting to me. Could never stop my curiosity. But I never had time to see Egypt..."

Shepard let out a slight chuckle: "Sure, Liara. You're the one good at planning."

Liara smiled: "It is nice that you think that. Speaking of planning, I did the final wine, cake and flower selection. Do you want to take a look before I place the final order."

"No, I trust you. You're better at this. Besides, it'll be quite the event. Just think of all the guests from around the galaxy. Got to be good."

"Yes, it will have to be good. But it will be; with you there, it's enough for me."

Tali was excited: "I... I can't wait for it. I'm so excited and happy for you two."

18:84

Liara waved Garrus and Tali goodbye, them being the last ones to stay. Back in the living room, Shepard awaited her with a glass of wine: "To you, my blue rose."

She took her glass: "Become a poet, have we? I didn't know I was that good at inspiration."

After they sat down on the couch together, overlooking the sunset over Vancouver Bay, Shepard kissed Liara, his blue rose from another star. "You inspired me to fight the Reapers. I couldn't live without you. You'll be a great mother to the little blue babies we'll have one day."

She smiled: "Yes. All of the things that had troubled us back then are over. As you said back then, retirement, old age and little blue babies. Though, if Wiks is right, you've still got some centuries to go. A little too young for retirement. But not for a little blue baby. Can you imagine?"

"Yes. Being with you forever is so... I can't wait to marry you. To show the galaxy our love."

Liara kissed him a again; deeper and more intensely than, as she felt, ever before. This was her Shepard, a shepherd to the galaxy. One day, he'd be the father of her children. As the kiss lasted on, she slowy drifted into a meld with him and got up, her biotics nudging him to carry her into the bedroom.

As far as they were concerned, they were Husband and Wife already; and they would only have to wait two more weeks to finally show it to the galaxy. The wedding would be a day in the limelight for their love.