Samara rose from her seats as Hackett returned from the altar and glanced back at Aethyta to receive the nod of approval, the sign that the Asari accession into the Galactic Federation could proceed. When she got it, she turned around to the Fleet Admiral: "Hackett, it is time. We can proceed to the verification of the Asari accession into the Federation."

Valern also got up from his seat: "The Salarian Union is ready as well. Please go ahead."

Hackett snapped out of a silent stare that had befallen him since he had officiated the wedding ceremony. "Yes. If you will please follow me...", he gestured back to the altar.

Once the five councillors had arranged around the altar, they each lifted a data-pad and verified the treaty of accession. Suddenly, the logos on the walls, on the datapads and everywhere else on the Citadel changed and the emblem of the Federation morphed into its new version, with all five instead of just Council races represented.

The Council was part of the Federation now; finally, the Galaxy had been united under one banner, better and closer than the Council alone ever could. Shepard and Liara stared up in awe; today, history had been made and they were a part of it. Applause again swept through the hall; this time applauding a different kind of union.

At the far end of the room, several doors opened and revealed the opulent buffet that had been prepared in the other room; food from all quarters of the Galaxy had been stacked up. The crowd quickly dispersed, some encircling Shepard and Liara.

In the crowd, Shepard recognised many of the faces he had known for years; earlier, they had occupied merely nameless spaces on the chairs. Jack, her now longer hairs fitting her changed personality, Miranda, wearing the Alliance Dress uniform, and Steve Cortez, with a new man at his side.

Steve was also the one to walk up to Shepard first: "Shepard, good to see you again."

"Missing the Normandy already?", Shepard quipped in return. His former logistics officer had declined an offer to return aboard the Normandy; instead favouring to stay in the Alliance Headquarters in Vancouver. Now, Shepard found out why.

Steve had to laugh: "I'm sorry, but no.", he turned back to his boyfriend, "I met Charles."

"Glad to see you happy." Shepard replied, relieved that Steve had finally found happiness too.

Then, Charles walked up to Shepard and saluted: "General-Commander, it's an honour to meet you." The dress uniform he wore sprung into Shepard's eye, showing the rank of Commander. So, he was in the Alliance too.

"At ease, Commander.", Shepard answered and continued in a more relaxed tone: "Where are you two stationed?"

"I met Steve when we both worked together in Vancouver and... Well, we both just got transferred onto the SSV Leipzig."

"Let me guess: Executive Officer of Major Schaefer and Chief of Operations there, I presume?" If they were on the Leipzig, they had to be serving under Schaefer. Commander was the XO's rank and Steve's rank as Lieutenant-Commander meant that he was a department head, probably the same he was part of on the Normandy SR-2, Operations.

"Yes, good catch.", the two answered.

"We're just going to walk around and look for some other people we met in Vancouver."

"See you later, then.", Shepard said good bye, at least for the moment. He'd want to talk more to them later, but for now he had so many others to greet.

Jack walked up next and before Shepard could say anything, she had already started: "Shepard, don't say it..."

But he did, slightly chuckling: "You've changed." The longer hair and fewer tattoos were something he hadn't missed. The official Alliance Uniform she was wearing hadn't escaped his eyes either. She'd made Lieutenant, impressive.

Jack let her face fall into the palm of her hand and she continued without lifting it up again: "Yes, I did." Attempting to distract herself from the fact that the only man she ever loved had just married another woman, she went on: "And, how are things on the new Normandy?"

"Good enough. Only got shot at...", he counted in his head, "thirteen times."

"In what, like 8 months? Shepard, bad news for you: you've become a bore."

"Jack, it can't be much more exciting at Grissom, can it?"

"Well, it's not but...", Jack tried to justify herself. Why she would even bother to try to impress Shepard now was beyond her, but she had tried nonetheless. She would have to arrange herself with the fact that Shepard was off the market, and better sooner than later. "Whatever", she continued, "I actually thought about a transfer to somewhere with more action, but that shit takes time."

"Hope you'll have a nice time here.", Shepard answered her, unbeknownst to him almost making her freak out.

"At your wedding? Sure, I'll do. See you later." The inner composure Jack had sometimes surprised herself. She could stay calm, she could, she could… Walking away quickly, she immediately looked out for the liquor or some champagne at least.

Miranda was next, and her Alliance Uniform actually managed to surprise Shepard. With her unmistakably Australian accent, she started: "Good Day Sheppit, nice to see you again."

Shepard scrutinized her uniform; somehow, Miranda had already made Lieutenant Commander: "And, how have you been?"

"Well, actually. I can't complain. The pardon recruitment offers were surprisingly generous. Having defected from the Number-Two-Post in Cerberus was a good thing at the negotiations."

"Nice. Where are you posted?"

Miranda glanced over to Kaidan who was in conversation with the Admirals Coats and Von Essling: "SSV Ashley Williams, actually. Must've been a good woman, when they name a whole ship after her."

"Yes, she was.", Shepard said as he remembered Ashley. If he'd chosen to rescue her instead of Kaidan, all those years ago on Virmire, so many things would have been different. "It's a good ship with a good captain, you know."

"Yeah, the Normandy-II-class is one of the finest designs humanity and the other races ever came up with. When you consider that it was partially based off of Cerberus prototypes."

"Well, fortunately the three frigates are put to better use than Cerberus. Mostly representative functions and a few Spectre-level missions."

Suddenly, Mikhailovich approached Shepard from behind Miranda: "Well, not good enough uses. We should be kicking certain Aliens where it hurts most…"

"What's the Problem with Aliens, Admiral?"

Mikhailovich fell into a rant: "The Problem? Don't you see? What do you think did the Salarians do after the war? They didn't help the nation that had saved them from annihilation but just their Asari су́ки! All those damn Dalatrasses might have learnt how to hold their cutlery, but they never learned how to keep the fighting spirit alive. Well, we have you Commander."

Shepard smiled, slightly annoyed: "I hope the Asari are better?"

Mikhailovich nodded, having calmed down slightly again: "Of course they are. You just married one."

"So, good that you like them."

"Yes, good. But a nice Russian girl might have been just what you…"

"Mikhailovich, are you ever going to learn?", Shepard returned.

"No, I won't.", the Admiral now laughed openly.

As he left, walking towards the bar for a drink of Vodka, Mirada leaned over to Shepard: "Umm, Sheppit, is Mikhailovich always like that? He seems like a tough bloke."

"Well, he's going to snap one day, but before that, give him the Vodka he want's and everything's alright. Alliance is one big happy family and what would it be without the racist alcoholic uncle."

Miranda lifted an eyebrow and nodded slightly. "Well, then. See you, I'll talk to the others.", she made her leave.

Now, Shepard stood alone in a crowd of people and he felt lonely. It was his wedding, why was he lonely? Where had Liara snuck off to? As a few people moved out of the way in just the right way by random chance, he spotted his wife, surrounded by several people. Feron talked to her, Samantha and Kelly were standing close by, laughing. Smiling, Shepard adjusted the fit of his collar. The moment had a certain magic in it; and he was going to use it for sure.

Liara paused her conversation when he approached. Before he said anything, he had already gone in for a kiss, something that seemed like the best thing to do.

"Having fun?", Liara whispered in his ear.

"Yes.", Shepard whispered back with a smile.

"I would want to just sneak away and go to our room and…", Liara whispered into his ear with a barely audible voice.

"Yes, but we are being watched…", Shepard whispered back. "But later tonight, I can't wait."

"Well enough.", Liara withdrew her head and in doing so revealed a certain sight to Shepard that he had not expected, yet dreaded. It was Sha'Ira. Shepard had been very honest to Liara about most things, but he hadn't ever told her about a certain errand he had run on the Citadel, just before embarking on a mission to Therum.

But Liara was good enough at reading minds from the expression on a face and she turned around, looking directly at Sha'Ira: "Oh, the Consort. I think I read something interesting in her dossier…"

Suddenly, Shepard felt terrible. He had lied to Liara, well not really lied, rather omitted something when he had told her that he had only ever been with human women before, the night before their run to Ilos: "Look, Liara, I'm…"

"No, it's alright. That's amazing actually, Shepard."

Shepard gasped with relief. The last thing that could have broken the happiness now was out of the way.

The rest of the afternoon went past him like a dream. He remembered talking to so many people, about the Federation, about Liara, about Humanity, that he'd lost count halfway through. Eventually, most of the representatives had left and Shepard sat down in a seating corner, together with Liara. All his friends, Samantha, Kelly, Gabby, Ken, EDI, Joker, Garrus and Tali sat on the two other couches close by.

Kaidan watched them from a distance, contemplating whether to join them. Eventually, he decided that yes, he would, when he turned around to walk around a table and ran into a female figure that had stood right behind him. He could feel a drink wetting his uniform, and his body colliding with another person.

He looked up: "Sorry, err, I'll get us a towel."

It was Jack he'd run into: "Why're you sorry? I ran into you. It's my fault."

"Well, I could have paid better attention and you…", Kaidan stuttered. He had only seen Jack for a short time, barely remembering her from the Citadel in the Reaper War.

"Listen up, Sonny Boy, I'm fine. What are you staring at Shepard anyway?"

"Well, his wedding sort of is an emotional moment for me and…"

"Oh come on, you like him.", Jack playfully returned. "You're sad to see him go to Liara."

"Well…"

"You do? Shit.", Jack sighed. "One time I meet a nice, good-looking guy and he's gay."

Kaidan noticed the disappointment in Jack's eyes and he partially just wanted to be a gentleman, when he answered. "Actually, I like women too.", he chuckled.

"Going for both teams? Good choice."

"Actually, it's mostly women and – well – Shepard. Well, used to now that Shepard's off the market. And you? Why were you looking at Shepard?"

"For the same dammed reason that you Sonny Boy were. They got their Happy Ending alright. The Big Damm Hero saved the galaxy, rescued his Damsel in Distress, punched out Space-Ctulhu and now? He's marrying. And not me."

"Oh, dear. The epidemic has spread.", Kaidan shook his head. He and Jack were in the same ship together.

"But Sonny Boy, let's just say that I enjoy the view right now too.", Jack added as she looked at Kaidan. She didn't want to be alone tonight, be it at the party or in bed. "How about we join them?"

"Ok.", Kaidan said. "Ladies first."

The two walked up to the area where Shepard and company were sitting and took a seat on one of the couches upholstered with fine leather from Sur'Kesh.

"Having a good time, Kaidan?", Shepard asked his friend.

"Yes, it's nice, now that it's so quiet."

"Well, some silence is always nice. A moment with your best friends too."

"Yes, it is.", Garrus commented. "It was a good ride…"

"… the best.", Liara finished his sentence. But then, she added: "But the best is yet to come."

Shepard leaned back: "Ah yes, the future, the Undiscovered Country."

"Shakespeare?", EDI asked. "Or James Tiberius Kirk?"

"Kirk, to be honest.", Shepard admitted.

Joker and Kenneth had started to laugh. "The Commander's a Trekkie. I can't believe it.", the engineer got out between his laughs.

"Well, Kirk was pretty much my childhood hero.", Shepard continued.

"Scotty was ours.", Gabby added while leaning against Kenneth: "Wasn't he?"

"Yes, he was.", Kenneth agreed with his wife. "I wouldn't have dreamt of joining the Alliance hadn't I watched that two-century old show when I was just a wee lil' lad…"

Shepard thought of something. "Actually", he started, "I pretty much made it. The Normandy's my Enterprise, I've got my Federation, I've got my crew I went to hell and back with and…", he stopped to turn his head to Liara, giving her a quick kiss on the lips, "my Blue-Skinned Alien Spacebabe."

"You're impossible sometimes, Shepard, did I tell you that?", Liara playfully poked him.

"Yes, I am.", Shepard chuckled before he kissed Liara again.

The evening went on and on, and more and more people left the hall. Even Jack and Kaidan eventually left, for Kaidan's room. Shepard had to smile as two more souls had found each other. And he was right, the two would spend the night together, and many, many more.

But Shepard and Liara stayed to the end, sitting there leaned against each other and only when the waiters had already started to clean, the two left too.

As they got to their suite, Shepard picked up Liara to carry her through the doorway. When he found himself floating when he made the step, he had to smile and kiss Liara, who was so distracted that she momentarily lost control of her biotics, causing him to fall a few centimetres to the floor.

In the night, the two slept little. Their bond was deeper than ever and tonight, they had all the time in the world. Together, they stumbled from the bed to the Jacuzzi pool and back and eventually fell asleep in each other's arms. From the bond, something new had come. Shepard could feel a tiny bit of himself inside Liara's consciousness now, something permanent. His daughter.

A/N: That's all folks, at least for this story. Leave a review if you want.

My next story is "Calibrations", in which Shepard and Kaidan meet the one they call "Femshep"...