Chapter 23: The Journey Continues

Shattered glass, rubble, sparks, and Reaper parts were scattered all around the Chambers, with fires and smoke, clustering any vision close to them, along with emergency lights and looped VI warnings and precautions. If one was to enter the place, they wouldn't be able to believe someone could have survived being inside. Whether being crushed, burned alive, or suffocated by the smoke, either way, whatever the cause it would have been a terrible way for someone's life to come to an end, and yet somehow, a quarian was slowly opening her eyes against those odds.

Still alive... the others...

Tali looked around, trying to get a sense of her situation. She was surrounded by rubble, luckily no fire was seen close to her. She moved her body a bit, making sure she could freely move. She didn't appear to be stuck or trapped by anything which was good, otherwise, if she took a long time to get out, the fires would sooner or later catch on to her. She also did not notice any abnormality on her, besides a slight pain on her back.

"Hurry! Look between the wreckage!" ordered a distant voice.

Is that... help...?

She slowly began to crawl her way out from the wreckage, the pain from her back was recurrent but not enough to stop her. She could hear steps getting closer. She was scared to call the strange voices since she didn't know if they were friendlies or maybe leftovers of Saren followers, like the ones who tried to kill her in the early days of her pilgrimage. The steps were now next to her, a large Reaper piece was the only thing separating her from the strangers. Tali's heartbeat increased as she saw the piece being move, the light coming from the large main window blind her for a moment, her body trembled at the unknown.

"Captain! Captain Anderson! We found her!" shouted someone. Tali blinked a few times, adjusting the light hitting her eyes. Her fear disappeared as Anderson's face came into view.

"Miss Zorah!" exclaimed Anderson, quickly lowering himself down to help her get up.

"Captain..." she said, as she was slowly taken out from the rubble. "The others you need to...!"

"It's all right Miss Zorah," said Anderson. "It's over, you're safe now," he said giving Tali a confident nod. Tali looked to her left and saw the rest of the Normandy team standing with Garrus, who was being scanned with an omni-tool. "Where's the commander?" asked Anderson. She changed her gaze towards the central part of the chambers.

Move! was the last thing Tali heard from Shepard as Sovereign's parts came crashing down on them. She was next to Garrus when the event occurred. She remembered being initially dragged by him before starting to run on her own. Her heart beating like never before, as if it was about to leap out from her chest. Running didn't last long since the distance between them and the remnants of Sovereign was almost nil.

Just by taking a few steps made them come to a full stop, as a large piece fell in front of them, causing them to change direction, only to stop and change again, as more rubble entered the Chambers until something hit Tali in the back, causing her to fall to the ground. The last thing she saw before falling was Shepard running towards her and Garrus, a large piece of Sovereign, probably one of its many legs was right behind him.

"Shepard!" shouted Tali, trying to move to where she last saw him but was soon stopped by her back pain, causing her to kneel on the floor. "He... He was right behind us! He..." her voice was cracking. "He was...he was right there," she said pointing at the Reaper leg that was pierced on the ground. Tali was on the edge of tears, holding them as hard as she could.

Anderson turned towards Garrus, who shook his head in response, cheerless. The same feeling passed to the rest of the ground team, even Wrex. Anderson looked where Tali had pointed. It was the spot where the majority of rubble was, big pieces of Sovereign that weren't able to move merely with hands. Everything was so close to each other and intertwined there was no way to live through that, even someone like Shepard wouldn't have been able to survive those odds. Only a miracle would be the saving grace. Anderson placed a hand on top of Tali's shoulders, trying to give comfort to her grief.

"I'm afraid, there is no more we can do, right now." Tali shook her head in response. After all the fights Shepard went through, all the difficulties he lived through, this didn't seem fair. He deserved better, she demanded internally, a few tears escaped her eyes, crawling over her cheeks. Anderson tried to move her but she remained on the floor, refusing to leave.

A sudden muffled thump at a distance was heard, making everyone turn towards the sound in confusion. The thump kept going, becoming a constant sound across the room. One of the humans that came with Anderson identified where the sound was coming from. It was slightly off to the right to where Tali had indicated. The human walked towards the spot with one hand in the air while the other was on his waist, above his pistol. Reaching the spot made the thump come to a stop. The man was confused.

"It stopped, sir. Maybe it was just-" thud! a piece of debris was sent flying away, making the man jump and scream in fright. Anderson, followed by Wrex and Ashley quickly drew their weapons out. Tali slowly stood up. There was a momentary silence when the noise of something moving began to flow from where the debris had been thrown off. An arm slowly came out, the armor surrounding it was badly damaged, then another arm, and finally, someone they knew.

Shepard! exclaimed everyone. He lifted his head, surprised to see everyone casually standing close to him, their surroundings, of course, wasn't something people would consider a casual place to be. The man accompanying Anderson helped him get up. The team smiled, sighed in relief, and even shed tears of happiness as their Commander, no, their friend, was alive and well.

"Hey... It's good to see everyone in one piece," he said, a smile appearing on his face, as he couldn't help feeling the same way as his team.

"You scared us for a moment, Shepard," Anderson admitted, approaching Shepard with a pat on the back.

"Sorry, wasn't on my plan to finish like this."

"Not all of our plans work as intended. We have to make the best of them with what we have," said Anderson, sharing his wisdom with Shepard as he always has done. "But, rest assured, you can rest now. It's over, son. You did it."

"Couldn't have done it without them," said Shepard, looking at the Normandy ground team, all lined up, side by side, as if they were posing for a shot. "If it weren't for them, none of this would have happened." Anderson nodded in agreement.

"You did well. All of you," he acknowledged. "You all deserve to sit down, take a rest, have a drink or two, and share a laugh, but there are a few things we must still do," said Anderson who returned his gaze at Shepard. "For one, I'd like to see how the Council will react to all this."

"It's going to be a field day for them, that's for sure," said Shepard.

"I think they already had it," Anderson corrected. "All right, I'll go ahead and communicate with the Council. You, along with the rest of your team should head back to the Normandy as soon as possible and check in with Chakwas. I will also try to communicate with Udina, though I hate the idea, when it comes to politics, well, he's the only option we have. He along with the Council would like to speak with you. So be ready for when I call you, Commander."

"Will do, Captain," answered Shepard. Anderson nodded and gave his goodbyes to the team, leaving them to their own.

"What happens now, Commander?" asked Ashley.

"Anderson said we should head back to the Normandy, get ourselves check with Chakwas," responded Shepard.

"If you ask me, the only ones needing a check-up are you three," commented Wrex, referring to Shepard, Tali, and Garrus. "You look like a pyjack after escaping a varren," commented Wrex.

"And for that, I'd say we go get ourselves a drink," said Garrus cheerfully. "If we find a place open, that is."

"I would actually like to see a doctor first," retorted Tali. "My back hurts quite a bit, to be honest." She didn't say anything before since she was more worried about Shepard than her.

"Then we'll do both," suggested Shepard. "Those who are feeling good enough for a drink head over to Flux, see if it's open. As for Tali, me, and anyone else needing to see a medic, we'll head over with Dr. Michel. If Flux's open, we'll meet you there." The team agreed. With their spirits high and a finished critical mission that took them throughout various places on the galaxy, their long-awaited shore leave was about to begin. Shepard was happy to see his team, he really was. He didn't know what the outcome of the final fight was going to be, but he was glad it all ended well.

Tali and Shepard were the only ones heading towards Dr. Michel's clinic while the rest assured them they were fine and ready to hit the club. Both Tali and Shepard were weak, sore, and tired, making the ride towards the clinic silent, but in no awkward way, they were both enjoying the calm and pleasant peace that came after the storm, with both of them almost falling asleep inside the cab.

"How's your back feeling?" asked Shepard, as he saw Tali twitch a little from time to time as the cab moved around the Citadel's surprisingly still heavy traffic. She settled into a better position that would allow her to speak to Shepard.

"Being able to sit down on something soft helps a lot. But it doesn't eliminate the pain. Why couldn't I get hit on the leg or the arm? At least that way the pain would be more bearable," she answered.

"That bad, eh? I remember when I got hit on the back with a baseball bat once. It sure wasn't a pleasant day, or... days to be precise."

"A base... ball bat?" asked Tali, puzzled by the mix of words.

"It's a wooden or metal stick, shaped with a certain form. We humans use to hit a small ball that has been thrown by someone else. Baseball is the name of the sport while bat is the name of the... stick."

"Well with that context, it makes more sense now."

"Did your translator went for our animal bat?" asked Shepard, almost laughing at the idea.

"Maybe. Maybe not," countered Tali, letting out a small giggle. "I would need to search it up anyways."

"Perhaps you'll like it, as long as you don't get hit by the ball or bat that is."

"Do all activity you humans do end in getting hurt in some way?"

"Maybe. Maybe not," answered Shepard, imitating Tali. She twitched once again as she moved. "We should reach Dr. Michel's clinic any moment now. Let's hope your back pain is not serious," said Shepard as he looked at the guide in the cabs terminal.

Tali looked at Shepard for a moment. Many thoughts started roaming inside her head. The fight against Saren and Sovereign was over, they were both talking to each other like usual. She had her pilgrimage gift and would soon depart from the Normandy, returning with her people. The latter made her sad, she didn't want to leave, at least not yet. The idea of confessing her love for Shepard returned. She remembered how things went for both sides when it seemed they were about to tell each other about their feelings.

Would now be a good chance to talk about it? she asked herself.

"Something on your mind?" asked Shepard. Tali shook her head, not realizing she got lost in thought.

"Oh, uh... just thinking about how this is all over," she answered. Shepard nodded in response, looking away from her, gazing at the city below them.

"Yeah, it's hard to believe this is over," he agreed. "But we both know it's not completely over. The Reapers are still out there." Shepard's face was serious. The time of our return is coming. Sovereign's words resonated in his head. How much time do we have left? How will the Reapers return? Are we ready for them? he questioned internally.

Tali also started thinking more about the matter. She would need to tell her people about the dangers the Reapers were, especially her father. With all she and the team had gathered while chasing Saren, she had enough evidence, or at least she hopes, to convince her people. Living on ships while trying to reclaim their homeworld from the geth was one thing but having true sentient synthetics threatening the whole galaxy was more serious than anything else.

The cab chimed, indicating it had arrived at its destination, Dr. Michel's private clinic. The cab lowered itself and opened it's door once it made contact with the parking station. The sign for her clinic was lit, and the place as such was not in poor condition but it also wasn't in its best condition either. A few barricades were also spread around the section where the clinic was.

"Now that I think of it, I wonder if Dr. Michel is still open after all the mess that happened here," said Shepard.

"If she's not I'm sure other clinics are still open," said Tali. "We can also wait for Joker to dock and check-in with Chakwas," she added, getting slowly out of the cab.

"Tali why don't you wait here while a check if she's open?" suggested Shepard.

"No, it's fine I can wa- awk ...walk just fine..."

"Tali..."

"Just, give me a moment," she said with one hand raised. Shepard shooked his head, looking around the place. There was no soul in sight, everything was completely empty. He looked back at Tali, slowly walking around the cab. A simple thought came to his mind.

I wonder... he said to himself and approached Tali.

"Shepard, really I'm okay there is no need to- w-wait what are you, ah!" exclaimed Tali as Shepard without giving any hint of his action, carefully lift her up, holding her in his arms. "Shep- Shepard!" Her cheeks turned red, she wasn't expecting him to carry her so suddenly, less when out in the public. Shepard didn't stop smiling, he almost had a grin on his face.

"It's much faster this way, Tali. And you won't be complaining about the pain when you walk," explained Shepard as he made his way to the clinic.

"B-but what if-if someone s-sees us?" she nervously asked.

"Look around Tali, there's no one here. The wards are completely empty."

"Y-yes but-"

"And I don't see you trying to get down either, you know?" now a grin was formed in Shepard's face. "If you didn't like this you would be trying to get down wouldn't you?" Tali remained quiet, looking away from Shepard, as deeply inside of her, she was enjoying being carried by him. She knew Shepard carried her some time ago, when he offered her to sleep in his room, but she wasn't aware of it when it happened, like right now.

"Fine. Only because the pain was starting to be unbearable," she lied. "And I've probably would hurt myself more if I tried to break free from you."

"That's more like it."

When they stood outside the clinic, Shepard used one of his feet to knock on the door, which surprisingly opened, revealing a somewhat tiresome Dr. Michel who was also surprised so see Tali and Shepard outside her clinic, immediately letting them in, asking what the problem was. Her clinic was empty but it was evident it had been worked up, which lead to Shepard and Tali asking how she was still opened after the geth attack. She told them that being so close to the C-Sec academy, officers came around fortifying the place, asking her to be prepared for any emergency, working in conjunction with the nursery from C-Sec.

After receiving basics scans, Dr. Michel assured Tali wasn't in any danger, no broken bones or anything serious, only a swollen muscle from her back. With some painkillers and anti-inflammatory that could be applied like medi-gel, Tali would be back to normal in no time. Shepard didn't show it when they were back on the Citadel Chambers or during their cab ride, but he was also in pain. Of course, the scans would see through his act, causing him to get scolded from both Tali and Dr. Michel.

Once they were given the green by the doctor, Shepard called Garrus to check where they were. Flux was closed, sadly, but Garrus knew most of the Citadel arm they were in and remembered a small bar he used to visit on occasions when he just wanted some calm drinking. Luckily for the team, the bar was in fact open and empty. Garrus sent the location to Shepard and soon after, the team passed the rest of the day on that bar, drinking and toasting to their victory and their fallen comrades, who would never be forgotten.

The next day, as Anderson requested, Shepard was called upon for a meeting with the Council. The purpose of it was to thank Shepard and the Alliance for the enormous contribution in the war against Sovereign and the geth. They acknowledge the loss of human lives, recognizing their brave and courageous sacrifice of those soldiers so that the Council could live along with the billions of people from the Citadel.

They mentioned Shepard's heroic and selfless actions serve as a symbol of everything humanity and the Alliance stand for. Without means of bringing the lives of those lost in the fight, they would honor them by accepting humanity as a new member of the Council for proving their worth on the galactic community. As to who was going to be the new human Councilor, they asked Shepard if he had someone in mind, as his recommendation would carry a great deal of weight. Without any hesitation, Shepard voted for Anderson, who was taken by surprised as he clearly remembered telling Shepard he wasn't built or wanted to end working as a politic.

Shepard justified it by saying they needed someone with the courage to stand up for what they believe in. Udina expressed his annoyed opinion about Anderson being only able to talk through his fist. but Shepard countered with having way too many politics on the Citadel and someone like the Captain would be refreshing. The Council thought it was an inspired choice and welcomed the Captain with open hands, should he accept, which he did. Honored to be humanity's representative, Anderson said he would do everything in his power to help the Council rebuild.

The meeting ended with the turian Councilor saying Sovereign's defeat was the beginning of a new era for both humanity and the Council, but not without Shepard remarking the fight wasn't over, that Sovereign was only the vanguard. The Reapers fleet would still come and he would find a way to stop them.

"Now, if you'll allow me, I will withdraw and leave you all in your political affairs. I have a team which I must meet to prepare for our next mission," said Shepard, leaving Anderson and Udina with the Council.

"Shepard's right," said Anderson, taking a step forward. "Humanity is ready to do its part. United with the rest of the Council, we have the strength to overcome any challenge. When the Reapers come. we must stand side by side. We must fight against them as one. And together we will drive them back into dark space!"

The ground team was gathered outside of the Normandy in the docking bay. They had a full and lengthy day, almost two, of shore leave after Sovereign attacked the Citadel. Shepard asked for everyone to remain in the Citadel until the Normandy was ready to roam the galaxy once more. While lots of ships where getting retrofitted, the Normandy sustained very little to no damage and was only in check for general maintenance, supplies restock, and refueling. Once everything was ready, Shepard ordered for one final reunion.

"So what's all the fuzz about, sir?" asked Ashley. The rest of the team stood quiet, waiting for Shepard to give an answer.

"All of you were recruited with one thing in mind, to take down a rogue Spectre named Saren. As you know by now, that mission is over, which means you're all free to go. You are no longer required to stay at the Normandy anymore," stated Shepard. Everyone looked at themselves strangely confused as if they have not understood what Shepard was saying. He knew something like this would occur and continued talking. "Actually, anyone could have left the Normandy at any time, no one was actually bound to stay, but you did anyway. Why?" There were a few seconds of silence before Liara was the first to talk.

"After you rescued me, I wanted to know why. Once I learned about it, it just felt... right to stay and, help in any way I could," she answered.

"Technically I was forced to be part of the Normandy crew so..." said Ashley.

"You could have asked to be relocated," countered Shepard.

"Yeah, I know, but it's just like Liara said, it just felt right to be on the Normandy. More when we discovered the truth about the Reapers," she explained.

"What about you Wrex?" asked Shepard.

"Something told me being with you would bring fun fights. I'm glad it did," he answered. "Hell. You made the krogan save the galaxy once again haha!"

"You Garrus?"

"As I said in one of our talks, it was a way to get out of C-Sec and try something new. I've learned quite a lot during this mission. And I have to thank you for that," he answered. Shepard smiled and finally turned towards Tali.

"Tali. Why did you stay?"

"At... At first, it was like, an opportunity to explore the galaxy, t-to find a pilgrimage gift, to learn more about the world outside the Fleet, but as time passed aboard the Normandy, it felt like... l-like a new, home," she explained. "Since I left my pilgrimage I always thought about feeling like an outsider wherever I went, but not with the Normandy, not with, all of you," she shyly admitted. The team smiled, looking at each other, nodding in agreement with Tali. They couldn't deny it, the Normandy did felt like home, everyone got along, they helped each other out, listen to one another, offer advice, talked and laughed like best friends. Shepard smiled as he heard his team. He was happy he wasn't the only one who felt that way.

"Was this reunion to get us sentimental, Shepard?" asked Garrus. Shepard let out a small snort.

"Not really, but a bit of emotion doesn't hurt anybody. I meant what I said before, you can all leave. No strings attached."

"But, the Reapers, they're still out there," retorted Liara.

"And that brings my next, announcement," added Shepard. "I spoke with Anderson and the Council prior to calling you all. They agreed on the Reapers being the biggest treat of the galaxy. I've been assigned to keep searching for any Reaper or geth activity around the galaxy and stop it. I don't know when or how the Reapers will return, but I'll make sure that we are prepared for when that happens," finished explaining Shepard. "I'll appreciate it if you stay and help me with this new assignment but I don't' want to force any of you. Know that whatever your decision is, the Normandy will always welcome you with open arms. We may have known each other shortly, but I dare to say we've grown bonds bigger than most people." Another moment of silence went on as each member looked at each other and back to themselves. Garrus was the first to speak.

"I'd like to stay Shepard but I think I'll reapply for Spectre training. My father will hate it but I feel I'll be able to help around more than being a C-Sec officer. With a bit of luck maybe will cross each other's path."

"I'll look forward to that day, Garrus."

"Just imagine, Spectre's Vakarian and Shepard, saving the galaxy once more," added Garrus with his hand in the air. "Yes, I can already see the movies happening." Everyone laughed, Garrus always had something fun to add to any conversation. Wrex was the next one to speak.

"Well, I'll have to pass Shepard. Your new assignment doesn't sound like much of a fight, but if it does get interesting, send me a message."

"Will do, Wrex," answered Shepard.

"Think you can help me out with C-Sec?" asked Wrex looking at Garrus.

"Sure thing, Wrex. I was about to head down there myself actually," he answered. Both men said goodbye and left the group.

"Who would have thought you'd see a turian and a krogan helping each other out?" commented Ashley.

"Being aboard the Normandy has changed us then," answered Liara.

"It sure has," added Tali. Her omni-tool suddenly blinked, indicating she just received a message. "Um, I need to answer this," she said. Shepard raised his arm, indicating her to go on.

"What about you two? Are you staying or leaving?" asked Shepard, bringing the women back to the original question.

"Officially, I'm still part of the Normandy crew and I'd like to keep it that way, sir," responded Ashley in a serious tone, the only thing missing from her was a salute.

"You sure Williams? With the recommendations that I added to your files I'm sure you could find a more active post."

"And I thank you for that, sir, but I wouldn't want to be in any other place other than the Normandy. Besides, with that kind of question, do you want us to stay or not?" countered asked, Ashley.

"Point taken Chief. Liara?"

"While I'm not officially part of the crew, I would like to stay aboard the Normandy. Even if our goal is to search for Reaper or geth activity, who's to say we may find prothean ruins or artifacts on the worlds we visit. We might find something that could help us," explained Liara.

"I'm sure we'll find something. Hidden places like the facility from Ilos could be out there."

"When are we leaving, sir?" asked Ashley.

"Right about now. The rest of the crew is already on board. We were the only ones missing. That's why I needed to see you all, to make sure who was going to leave and who was going to stay."

"Do you think Tali is going to stay?" asked Liara as she turned to where Tali was using her omni-tool.

"She mentioned she was on her pilgrimage right?" added Ashley, also turning around.

"Why don't you two enter the Normandy while I speak to Tali and see if she will stay or go," suggested Shepard.

"As you wish, Commander," said Ashley. Liara only smiled and nodded.

Shepard waited until both women were inside the Normandy and once they were no longer visible, he turned his gaze towards Tali. He stared at her for a few seconds, a small smile escaped his face, but it didn't last long as the thoughts of her leaving ventured his mind. She had her pilgrimage gift, one no quarian could even match. She would be well-received among her people and gain the approval she so longed for from her father.

He remembered the time when he asked her to stay and when they were about to express each other's feelings. It still hurt as he himself denied the opportunity. But, could it even be possible for them to be together? He wondered. How would people react to them? Shepard knew he could easily support all the looks and disapproval he would receive, but what about her? Would she be able to support it? If it would only bring problems, maybe it was for the best that neither of them told each other about their feelings.

"Are you going to tell her?" a familiar gravelly voice cut through Shepard's thoughts, making him turned around.

"Garrus!" he exclaimed. Garrus slightly raised his hand. as if saying hey. "I thought you were down at C-Sec helping Wrex?"

"I was, but I guess being part of the crew who saved the Citadel and the Council earned him some respect. I didn't have to lift a finger," explained Garrus.

"Oh, well, that's good, I suppose. What made you come back? Is being a Spectre to much for you?" Garrus shook his head.

"Still planning on becoming one. That and I'd like to try some stuff I got in mind. The reason I came back is that I thought my human friend was in need of advice." Shepard raised an eyebrow.

"Advice? With what?" Garrus slightly moved his head to his left and made a quick upward motion. Shepard looked behind him and quickly returned to Garrus. "I... I don't get it," said Shepard, acting dumb.

"Come on, Shepard, don't try to fool me with that dumb play. If there's one thing I learned working in C-Sec is to figure people out based on their actions and speech, and I know you feel something for her."

"Garrus I, I think you got the wrong idea here. I don't th-" Garrus tilted his head sideways, his face was serious. Shepard sighed, giving up the act. "Is it that obvious?" he asked.

"For me it is. As for the rest of the Normandy..." said Garrus while looking at the ship. "They wouldn't have a clue," he assured. Shepard looked away for a moment. "Are you going to tell her?" Shepard slowly shook his head.

"I... I don't know Garrus," he admitted.

"What's stopping you? It's pretty clear you care for her."

"Her pilgrimage," answered Shepard. "She paused it while we were chasing Saren but now that she has her pilgrimage gift and with the mission finished. She can go back to her people, there is nothing holding her here. Also, I... I don't think we can be together. We are... too different. I wouldn't like to trouble her, you know?" Garrus remained quiet, listening to Shepard, processing every word he spoke.

"When did she found her gift?" he asked.

"Back when we were bringing those geth bases down. In the last one, remember that terminal with tons of geth data?"

"I see. That would be really big for any quarian. I assume you gave her a copy?" Shepard nodded. Garrus made a slight pause before he continued speaking. "Well, you may be different species and all, but you're not the first mixed species couple the galaxy has ever seen. Yeah maybe the first human-quarian couple, sure, but that wouldn't stop you. You would go on and stand up for her as you always did." Shepard smiled as Garrus words were right. He always stood up for her. Always proving people wrong. "She's strong, Shepard. She knows how the galaxy views her people but remember what she said earlier? Around us, but I know she really meant you, she feels secure, safe, welcomed." Shepard turned towards Tali, who was still working on her omni-tool. "I'm sure both of you would find a way to be together but you won't know until you ask." Shepard narrowed his eyes.

"Why do you speak as if we both feel the same way?"

"Maybe because you do? She feels the same way for you, Shepard. I know that." Shepard couldn't stop a snort escape his mouth as he shook his head, rubbing his forehead.

"When did you figure all this out?"

"I'd say it started way back when we were rescuing Liara. At first, I thought you were just being friendly to each other, given that both of you are engineers. Common roles and tastes tend to go well together. But as time went by, the way you two spoke to each other, the way you acted, how you two are the closest of the whole group..."

"Ok, ok. I get it," said Shepard raising his hands up to his chest. "It was quite obvious for someone like you. Are you sure no one else noticed this?"

"Believe me when I tell you I'm the only one who noticed it."

"Just making sure, that's all."

"So are you going to tell her?" asked Garrus for the third time.

Shepard frowned his face, closing his eyes. Thinking about everything Garrus told him. He was pretty much right about everything. Both of them felt the same way, with two, or three occasions where they almost declared to each other. Shepard always saw Tali happy, motivated, and sure of herself whenever he was around. She also mentioned she could choose a ship to work in once her pilgrimage was complete. Maybe he could take her back to the fleet and somehow convinced her people, her father about being on the Normandy. The insecurity of telling her what he feels and the fear of her leaving faded the more he thought about the good things that could happen. After a long and thoughtful insight on the matter, he opened his eyes.

"All right, Garrus. You win. If she and I feel the same way, we'll find a way to make it work. I have nothing to lose." said Shepard, confident in his words. Garrus smiled, laying a hand on Shepard's shoulders.

"There's the Shepard I know. One who fears nothing."

"Thanks, Garrus. Guess I did, needed some advice from a friend."

"Any time, Shepard. And now that my job is done, I'll leave you the rest."

"Easier said than done."

"You'll do fine and everything will work out, trust me. If not... well, I'll be here waiting by the bar," said Garrus in a jokingly tone.

"With shots of ryncol?" grinned Shepard.

"Yeah... I think I should go now," said Garrus as he slowly started walking away. Shepard couldn't help but laugh.

"Keep me posted if you enter Spectre training. Will be waiting for that crossover." Now it was Garrus turn to laugh, remembering his Spectre joke.

"Might be sooner than you expect," he said pointing at Shepard with one of his fingers. Shepard gave Garrus one final goodbye wave as he entered the docks elevator.

As the elevator went down, Shepard took a deep breath, turned around, and walked over to Tali, surprisingly still working on her omni-tool. As he got closer to her, his eyes widened, noticing something different, something he didn't catch before, perhaps no one from the Normandy spotted it. Perhaps Tali never stood on a place at a certain time that let Shepard see what he was seeing now, leaving him in awe.

The light coming from the distant sun was passing seamlessly through Tali's visor, revealing a very distinguishable silhouette of her face, the white brightness of her eyes being the only recognizable feature. It was a very defined silhouette, similar to that of a human, but with the dark tint of the visor she wore, her alien features were impossible to see. The moment didn't last long as Tali switched positions, causing Shepard wishing it had lasted longer. Maybe if he had gotten a little closer, he would have been able to see more details, nonetheless, it was enough to satisfy the curiosity of how she looked behind the visor, even if it was only a small glimpse.

"Still working on that message?" he asked, now standing next to Tali.

"I... just finished sending my last message," she answered, putting her omni-tool away. "I was talking with my aunt and dad."

"I assume it was about your pilgrimage?"

"Y-yes, it, it was. They congratulated me for finding a gift, my aunt more than anyone else, my dad won't say a thing until I see him in person, of course."

"As you have described him, I suppose that would be his reaction."

"I know he's proud, probably happy and all but he likes to play a strong personality. Though I wish he would let it slip sometimes."

"Father's do tend to act like that. So... with your gift and your family waiting for you, does that mean you're leaving?" asked Shepard somewhat sad, but no matter what her answer was, he would tell her right there and now about his feelings. Hopefully, she would do the same.

"Actually, that was another thing I was discussing with them," said Tali as she started playing with her hands, her pose slowly changing to her shy one.

"Discussing?" Tali looked down at her feet, taking a small breath, before looking at Shepard.

"I'm staying aboard the Normandy," she answered, her eyes locking in with Shepards who tilted his head slightly, blinking a few times.

"You're... you're staying. But I thought you wou-"

"I... I thought a lot about it. Ever since y-you asked me, I kept thinking, why couldn't I stay? Just because I have my pilgrimage gift doesn't mean I have to return right away. There are still things I want to see and... do before I go back," she said. Shepard didn't express it but he was overjoyed on the inside, butterflies were going crazy inside his stomach and so in Tali. Her cheeks were red as a cherry as she admitted she kept thinking about staying.

"I'm... I'm glad you chose to stay Tali. But what did your aunt said? Your father. How did you convince them?"

"I didn't," she abruptly answered. "I told them I wanted to keep exploring the galaxy a bit more. That I could find even more things about the geth, and that no matter what they say I wouldn't change my mind. Auntie Raan didn't like it but she respected my decision, my father on the other hand... it doesn't matter. What matters is that I'm staying with you, Shepard," she said proudly. It was the first time she revolted against her father, and it felt good. She knew once she returned her father would scold her for who knows how many days, but being out of the Fleet, roaming the galaxy along with Shepard, was going to be totally worth it. Shepard had that smile Tali always loved to see.

"I really appreciate that you decided to stay, Tali. I mean it." With that said, both stared at each other, smiling, content, and in silence. Both enjoying each other's company and nothing else. They even forgot about the whole deal of expressing each other's feelings. It was overwhelmed by the fact that with Tali staying, it was enough for them to be happy. As little time passed Shepard was suddenly hit with the realization he had a whole crew waiting for them inside.

"What's wrong Shepard?" asked Tali, her tilted as Shepard's facial expression changed.

"I just remembered everyone's waiting for us inside the Normandy. We're supposed to leave right now," answered Shepard, letting out a small awkward laugh.

"Why didn't you mention it earlier?"

"Garrus came back to talk about some stuff and, I needed to know if you were staying or not."

"I... I see. So uh... shall we enter now?" she asked nervously. As always, Shepard found Tali to be cute every time she was nervous.

"After you Tali," he said, extending his arm. Tali smiled under her visor and both entered the ship, leaving the Citadel behind in search of ways to stop the Reapers as their journey continues across the galaxy.

Author's Note:

And this story has come to an end! Wow!

Hello everyone, hope you enjoyed this last chapter as much as I did. I can't believe I've actually managed to finish it, haha! I feel so... accomplished. I'm really glad I bumped into this site, allowing me to share my thoughts and ideas with people who love the game as much as I do. It just feels, good to be able to write this down and push myself to do something I've never imagined doing.

When I started writing the story, funny enough, the first and last chapters were the first things that came to my mind. Actually, they are, my official start/end headcanon for all my Shep x Tali runs. I've always thought a scene like that was missing from the game. So when I decided to write this, I knew how I wanted the story to start and how to end it, everything in between would be a challenge, and boy it did challenge. There were moments of blockage and frustrations but also lots of fun ones, like those where each crew member would have an interaction with the other.

Of course, I can't end this note without thanking all of you, the readers. Thanks for giving me and my story a chance. To each follower, favorite, and review, much love! I appreciate that you have given me part of your time by reading this and I hope that for the second part you will give me that same opportunity once again. Thank you!