The alarm clock went off promptly at 7:30, filling the cabin with an unpleasant beeping noise. Tali awoke grudgingly, and alerted EDI that she was awake. As the beeping ended, she noticed the distinct lack of another body in the bed next to her. Tali felt around the bed for Shepard, finding only empty sheets.
Hopefully everything is okay… she thought, feeling a little nervous as all the possible scenarios ran through her still drowsy mind.
Tali slowly sat up and swung her legs over the side of the bed so her feet touched the floor. A yawn escaped her body as she stretched her arms over her head. She noticed her omnitool blinking, an unread message waiting for her. Tali opened it, and smiled as she read it.
To: Tali
From: John
Good morning, saera!
Sorry I couldn't be there when you woke up, Admiral Hackett called, and I didn't want to keep him waiting. I remember you sent me a similar message the day I turned myself in to the Alliance. I read it every morning while I was in custody, it made waking up without you next to me a little bit more bearable. When this war is over, I want your face to be the first thing I see everyday when I wake up.
Forever yours,
John
Tali's smile widened when she read 'Forever yours'. It reminded her that they were going to win this war. And when it was over, she and Shepard could finally be together without fearing if that day would be their last. Tali remembered the promise Shepard had made to her on Rannoch.
"I'm going to build you a house on the land you claimed. With the living room window right where you said it should be. I promise."
She got out of bed and began putting her suit back together. Tali had gotten used to being out of her suit while in the cabin, and it made putting it back on even more difficult. She still wore parts of it while in the cabin, unfortunately Shepard and her hadn't gotten the chance to go clothes shopping on the Citadel. And as much as Shepard would've liked it, she wasn't going to spend all of her time in the cabin naked.
When she finished putting her suit on, Tali saw the little package she had gotten laying on the floor. In her inebriated state the previous night, she had forgotten that it had finally come in. She excitedly unwrapped it, and removed the contents. She had purchased it the last time the Normandy had been at the Citadel, while Shepard was in a meeting with the asari councilor. However, it had been on backorder, and would have to be delivered later. The package finally arrived in the last shipment of requisitions, and Tali managed to grab it without Shepard noticing. She set down the gift on the nightstand on Shepard's side of the bed before leaving for Engineering.
I hope he likes it. Tali thought.
Half an hour later, Shepard had finally finished making all the calls he needed to. Hackett, Anderson, the Council, it seemed like everyone needed to talk to him that morning. The calls were mainly debriefings regarding what happened on Sanctuary, but Hackett had told him something unexpected. Shepard grinned as he told EDI to open ship-wide comms.
"Normandy crew, this is Commander Shepard. I have some news I think you'll want to hear." he announced. "The Alliance is planning an assault on the Cerberus headquarters, and Admiral Hackett has ordered the Normandy to the Citadel for repairs and renovations in preparation. So, for the entire crew, that means two months of shore leave."
Shepard imagined the reaction of the crew. Even though he never doubted their commitment to the mission, he knew each crew member wanted some time off. He couldn't blame them, he wanted the same thing. As much as he wanted to strike at Cerberus' heart now, he knew an attack on this scale would take time to come together. Their was a considerable amount of strategizing to be done, and all the ships involved would need to be fully prepared. Not only that, but each crew member needed to be at their best. They had been going nonstop for four months, and needed a break.
"We are currently in transit to the Citadel, and shore leave will begin immediately following docking." Shepard continued. "Enjoy yourselves, and try to not get into too much trouble. Shepard out."
Shepard then decided to make his rounds, talk to the crew. He did so regularly, he liked knowing where the crew was at and wanted to show he cared about them. Shepard made his way through the ship, talking with every crew member he could find. About an hour later, he finally made it to Engineering. Shepard always talked to Tali last, so they could talk as long as they wanted without feeling rushed. He found her not in her usual spot, but instead by the drive core. Since she wasn't by the door, she hadn't heard him come in.
Tali was trying to multitask, monitoring the Normandy's systems and analyzing data for the Admiralty Board as well. She was so focused on her work that she didn't notice the person slowly coming up behind her. All of a sudden, Tali was torn from her work by the feeling of two arms wrapping around her waist and someone's head resting on her shoulder. She almost jumped at the sudden embrace, but knew exactly who it was. Tali placed one hand on Shepard's hands, and the other on his cheek.
She turned her head slightly towards him, "I missed you this morning."
Shepard squeezed her lightly.
"I know, but Hackett called unexpectedly. Did you get my message?" he asked.
"I did, and it made waking up without you next to me a little bit more bearable." she answered, using the same words he had.
Before Tali could turn around to hug him, the console in front of her caught her attention.
"Can't be… no, I guess that's right." she said.
"What are you working on?" Shepard asked, expecting to hear some technical jargon.
"I'm analyzing agriculture samples from Rannoch for the Admiralty Board… I don't know anything about raising crops."
Shepard released her and moved to her side, looking at the console. He turned to her, a smug grin on his face.
"Well, lucky for you, you fell in love with a guy who spent 16 years of his life on a farm." Shepard said.
Tali turned to him, and crossed her arms. "Oh, that's right!" she said, playfully. "So tell me, how do you plan to introduce seeds from plants that have adapted to sterilized soil back into their native environment?"
The grin from Shepard's face was gone in an instant, and Tali laughed at the sudden change in his expression.
He rubbed the back of his neck, "Well… uh… that's a good question. Why are the admirals making you study agriculture samples, you just said you know nothing about raising crops?"
"They aren't, I asked. Auntie Raan told me about the problems my people were having integrating back to Rannoch, and I offered to help" she answered.
"So besides this, how are they doing?" Shepard asked.
"It's crazy, the geth are… helping. Setting up housing, adapting power systems." Tali replied. "They've done in two weeks what would've taken us two years."
Shepard smiled, "Well that's good to hear."
"That's not even the craziest part!" she continued. "Geth are even uploading into the suits of volunteers. They're rewriting environmental functions, jump starting our immune systems."
"So the quarians won't have to wear enviro-suits anymore?" he asked.
"It doesn't seem possible, but yes. In a few years, with geth improvements we won't need them." Tali responded. "Today, on Rannoch, there are quarian children who will grow up healthy and strong, thanks to the geth."
Shepard took Tali's hands in his. "I know how much you care about your people, how much this means to you. And I couldn't be happier for you and your people." he said, looking into her eyes. He rubbed his thumbs on the leather of her suit, and joked, "Just let me know if you let a geth upload itself in there."
Tali giggled, and replied in a flirtatious tone, "The only person who gets inside my suit, is you." She took one of her hands, and stroked Shepard's cheek. "Now that that foolish war is over, nothing stands between us now. Whatever the galaxy throws at you, I'll be at your side." she told him.
Shepard smiled, "I wouldn't want anyone else, and I'll always be at yours."
Tali suddenly remembered her gift, "By the way, I left something for you in your… our cabin. Go have a look."
After saying goodbye, Shepard headed back to the elevator. He noticed that Tali had corrected herself, saying 'our cabin'. Shepard was happy that she saw it that way, as he wanted her to. The decontamination cycle in the cabin finished, and he stepped inside. Shepard glanced around the room, looking for the object Tali had mentioned. Nothing seemed new or out of place. His model ships were still hanging over his desk, the fish still swam lazily in the tank. As his gaze shifted towards the bed, he instantly saw it. Shepard picked up his gift from Tali, a picture of her on Rannoch. Her pale, white skin was free from the confines of her suit. Her eyes shown brightly. Her wavy, black hair flowed in the breeze.
The most beautiful woman in the galaxy. he thought.
Shepard gently set it back down, and pulled up his omnitool. He sent a quick message to Tali.
I love it, thank you. You're still as gorgeous as the time I first saw your face, and always will be to me.
Eight hours later, the Normandy arrived at the Citadel. Once all the logistics had been taken care of, everyone went their separate ways. James, Cortez, Joker, and EDI headed to Purgatory, while Liara, Kaidan, Adams, and Chakwas headed to the Presidium Commons. Garrus invited Shepard and Tali to a favorite bar of his, as none of them particularly enjoyed the nightclub atmosphere. They accepted, but wanted to get settled in first.
"So, where are we staying?" Tali asked.
"Well, EDI booked everyone rooms in this nice hotel on Silversun Strip. But, when I talked to Anderson this morning he offered me his apartment." Shepard answered. "Apparently it's pretty spacious, and I think I might get lonely without a certain quarian with me."
"Who could that be? Kal'Reegar?" Tali joked.
Shepard laughed, "As much as I respect him, I don't want him in bed next to me. So, Miss vas Normandy, would you like to stay with me?"
"Of course, my captain." Tali answered, smiling.
In order to avoid being recognized, Shepard had donned civilian clothes. He wore a gray t-shirt, jeans, his leather N7 jacket, a baseball hat, and aviator sunglasses. Having fans didn't bother him at all, in fact he enjoyed interacting with them. It reminded him what he was fighting for, and that he had people counting on him. But this time, he wanted to devote all his attention to Tali. The couple walked hand in hand down Silversun Strip, pointing out various activities they could do together. Shepard wanted to try out Armax Arsenal Arena, and Tali thought it would be fun to play some games at Castle Arcade. So far his disguise had worked, people thought he was just another human.
However, a human, or any race for that matter, holding hands with a quarian was an extremely rare sight. That gained the couple some wary looks from strangers, but most people were too busy to notice. Shepard could tell that Tali noticed the looks, but was trying to not let it bother her. He had even felt her grip on his hand go limp a few times, as if she expected him to pull his hand away. Shepard stopped, and gently turned Tali towards him. He took both her hands in his.
"Tali, you know I'm wearing this outfit to avoid being swarmed by fans, right?" Shepard asked. "I'm not trying to avoid being recognized holding hands with you. I'm not, nor will I ever be, embarrassed to hold your hand in public."
Tali looked up at him, a slight sadness in her voice, "I know, and I'm so happy that you're not embarrassed. It's just that… I pretend the stares and nasty looks don't hurt, but…"
Then Shepard did something she didn't expect. He removed his sunglasses, folded them, and hung them from his shirt's collar. He then gave his baseball hat to the nearest human. Instantly, everyone who saw him recognized him as Commander Shepard. Hero of Elysium, first human Spectre, Savior of the Citadel. People from all races started to come towards him, eager to get an autograph or offer their thanks. But they paused when they noticed that he was the human that had been holding hands with the quarian. Shepard turned to them, refusing to let go of Tali's hand. He simply looked at the crowd, and then the couple continued on their way.
"John, you didn't have to do that. Now everyone will know that... you're in a relationship with a quarian." Tali said.
Shepard could hear the sadness in her voice, the pain that came from being looked down upon by the entire galaxy. He stopped her again, looking deep into her eyes.
With a smile on his face, and all the passion he had for her in his voice, he replied, "No, I did. I said I'm not embarrassed to be with you, I don't care who knows about it or what they'll think. Let the galaxy gossip, it'll never change the way I feel about you. I love you with all my heart, Tali'Zorah vas Normandy."
Tali placed her visor against Shepard's forehead, "And I love you with all of mine, John Shepard."
