It was great to be able to share a favorite movie with a good friend.

Tali was aware that this wasn't really Shepard's preferred genre of film, but Shepard was as patient and accepting of other people's enjoyments as she always was—which meant subtitles for Shepard, because Tali couldn't help talking during the movie. This, at least, seemed to amuse Shepard.

She had tried not to, but too many trivia facts had kept cropping up. Even if Shepard wasn't enthralled in the movie, she at least seemed to enjoy the conversation.

"But Shalei, we can never be together. I have my duty…and you have your people."

Tali bit the inside of her lip as she always did.

"Not tonight. Tonight, I am free as the dust in the solar wind."

"She had an infection or three weeks after filming this scene," Tali observed as Shalei and Bellicus kissed.

"Tali. Are you in love with Garrus?" Shepard asked casually.

Tali was glad she didn't have a drink like the one Shepard immediately disappeared behind, because she felt sure she would have sprayed it all over her helmet. "I-what—why—how—w-why would you even ask that?" Tali choked.

"Because I wanted an answer?" Shepard asked, smirking a little as she lowered her cup.

Shepard wasn't really watching the movie at this point, peering out of the corners of her eyes at Tali, who suddenly found she couldn't handle watching the tasteful fade to black the way she usually could.

"Me and…G-Garrus?"

"Tali." Shepard's tone had that soft but firm quality, a quality Tali had always felt was the tone of an experienced older sister. "An N7 is taught how to work with people, because sometimes we need to co-opt talent or locals or whatever. One thing the Alliance made sure of was that when I became an NCO, I knew how to decipher what the first-termers I'd be responsible for were thinking. And when they made me an officer, they made sure I could figure out what all my specialists and support staff, and everyone else was thinking. You were something like one of my first-termers. Now, you are one of my specialists."

Tali sighed. "I…think so?" she faltered, beginning to wring her hands. "I mean, I'm very fond of him, and I missed him terribly after the crew broke up…I enjoy his company very much, most of the time, it's just…"

Shepard sighed heavily, her brow knitting. "I think Garrus thinks of you as a kid out of habit, not because he really believes it. He just hasn't really woken up to the fact that you're not, firstly because it's familiar when so little else is, and secondly because he's thick as a post when it comes to personal feelings and stuff like that. I'm enough like him to know."

Tali knew Garrus did think of her as 'the kid' on the team, even though technically that should have been Liara.

"I also think he uses that idea of you as a kid to justify why he's fond of you. Turians are traditionalists, and they tend not to like to stand out except for achievements," Shepard continued. "It would be hard for him to enter a mixed-species relationship because of his upbringing."

"Also, I'm a quarian." Tali sighed. "Do you remember when we were still chasing Saren? How he tried to chew me out about my people and the geth?"

"Yeah. I kicked his ankle while you weren't looking to get him to shut up. And when that didn't work, I asked, since we were bringing up old stuff, whether he was planning to try it with me."

Tali laughed. "He looked so silly, too!"

"Listen." Shepard turned, then very hesitantly took one of Tali's hands in her own. "You're a very good friend. And so is Garrus. And I want you both to be happy. But if Garrus is the one you want, you are going to have to fight tooth and nail for him. He's not going to take subtle hints. He's not going to wake up to anything discrete because that's just not who he is. Luckily," Shepard gave her hand a squeeze. "You can be plenty up-front when you want to be."

"You're a good friend, Shepard," Tali said, her brain furiously processing Shepard's words. "And I'm going to hug you for it."

Not being ambushed by the gesture, Shepard took it well, patting Tali's back reassuringly. "It's the time when putting things off till tomorrow isn't such a fabulous idea. I think you two have a chance together, or I wouldn't have said anything."

"A chance and something like two weeks of shore leave to make it happen."

"Is there anything I can do to help?" Shepard asked as Tali released her and settled back in her place.

"I really don't know." Tali squirmed. "Part of the reason I wanted to do this tonight," she waved to the screen, "was to take my mind off things. Your Councilor Burns? We spoke this afternoon. He's going to get me a meeting with the Council about reestablishing a Rannoch Embassy in a few days."

"Good on him." Shepard's expression went speculative, then one corner of her mouth turned upwards. "But you said 'Rannoch Embassy' not 'Quarian Embassy.'"

"Well, Rannoch is a two-species world, isn't it? I just hope the Council isn't as quick on the uptake as you are, or the case will find itself in a folder marked 'urgent,' gathering dust on a shelf somewhere."

"I have full confidence in you," Shepard grinned.

Tali knew she wasn't just talking about handling the Council.

"So. Should I take this back to the scene on the balcony? I did talk all the way through the…interesting parts," Shepard asked slyly, tone full of teasing.

Tali, with grave dignity, answered, "No, thank you. I brought another movie with explosives and action like you like. War comedy, you know."

"We could certainly use a little more of that, couldn't we?"