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Shepard came out of the War Room smiling. "Hackett and I spoke with the queen—she's happy to help. He seemed to understand exactly what was happening when I told him what—who—the Catalyst was, so apparently they know just where she fits. And I managed to reach Anderson and I told him we were coming. God, that felt good."

Garrus followed her to the cockpit, where she had Joker open a channel to allow her to speak to the entire crew at once.

"Crew of the Normandy: It's been a long time, and I know you sometimes despaired of ever getting here … but the time is now. We're going home to Earth. We're going to kick the Reapers the hell off our planet and then blow them into pieces so small no one will ever know what they were." There was a controlled exultation in her voice that Garrus found incredibly arousing. "Get ready. This is it. I am very proud of all of you, and glad that you're the ones with me as we go into this final battle."

She nodded at Joker, who closed the channel and swiveled in his chair to look up at her. "You remember our first run to Eden Prime all those years ago, Shepard? With that turian Spectre watching us? I told you that mission was going to be bigger than we thought."

"I think you can mark that prediction down as accurate. What about this mission? Is it going to be bigger than we thought, too?"

"Man, I hope not. A nice routine combat run would be fine with me. It's been an honor, Commander."

"Same here, Joker. I don't know how it's going to end, but whatever happens …"

Joker snorted. "What do you mean, 'whatever happens'? Everyone knows what's gonna happen. You're gonna kick some Reaper ass. That's what you do." He grinned. "And I'll be flying you there in style. That's what I do."

"Damn right. EDI, how's the ship?"

"All systems are armed. All ammunition is loaded. All reloads have been manufactured. I have also kissed Joker for luck."

Garrus glanced at Joker, whose hat hid his expression. If there was kissing for luck to be done on this ship, Garrus intended to do some as well, before it was too late.

But as he and Shepard left the cockpit, it was plain that any kissing would have to wait—the crew was lined up to speak with her, starting with young Specialist Traynor. "I'll be in the lounge," he said to Shepard, not wanting to get in the way of her well-deserved congratulations from the crew.

She smiled at him as he took off, heading for the elevator. In the lounge, he found Tali sitting at the bar. "Garrus. Come have a drink." Her voice had that over-precise tone she used when she had already been imbibing heavily through her 'emergency induction port'.

"Don't mind if I do." He sat down, pouring himself a glass from the bottle in front of her. Whatever it was, it was electric blue, and it had quite a kick going down. "That'll keep you awake."

"Good."

He glanced at her. "Nightmares?"

"Some."

"Shepard gets them, too."

Tali nodded. "I'm not surprised." She turned the cone of her visor in his direction. "What's the creepiest thing we ever fought?"

"The Thorian. Hands down." He shuddered at the memory. Those tendrils, and the way it had taken people over … ick.

"That's no fair—I hadn't joined up with you yet."

"All right, if that's the way we're playing … that dead Reaper, then. You ever feel anything like that? Like something was watching you everywhere you went, whispering at you." He poured himself another shot just to zap away the memory. "Your turn."

"I'd go with the rachni. Funny, huh, considering."

"The queen? But we didn't fight her. Either time."

"Good for us."

"Good for Shepard, you mean," Garrus corrected.

"Exactly. And not the queen—she's all right."

"Better than all right. Wouldn't you like to have been there for the conversation when Shepard told her she was the Catalyst?"

"Yeah."

"So what was it about the rachni that made them so creepy?"

"You have to ask? All those little ones, the ones that look like spiders, and they just scuttle right toward you. Ugh." Tali shivered, taking a long pull through her emergency induction port.

Garrus chuckled. "I thought you liked it when things got up close and personal."

"Not when it's spiders. You don't like that, either," she pointed out. "You keep everything at a distance."

"I carry a sniper rifle, in case you hadn't noticed. Hard to snipe at things when they're right in front of you."

"Is that why husks bother you, because they just run right up and start attacking?"

"Something like that. Why are we talking about things that creep us out?"

"I don't know. You started it."

"No," Garrus said slowly, "I'm pretty sure I didn't."

"Have some more." Tali tipped up the bottle over his glass. "To old times."

"Now, that I can drink to. To old times." They tapped their glasses together and drank.

Behind them, the door slid open, and Garrus turned to see Shepard coming into the room. She smiled when she saw the two of them. "You have some of that for me? In, er, levo form?"

"I think we can find something." Garrus got up, finding a glass and a bottle of Shepard's favorite wine, uncorking it and pouring some out for her.

"Come and sit, Shepard. We were just … saying good-bye," Tali said.

"Personally, I was thinking of making some friendly wagers." Garrus winked at her.

"They'd be optimistic wagers, in your case."

"I'll have you know, I'm the best shot on this ship. Possibly in the galaxy."

Shepard frowned at the blue bottle. "How much of that have you had?"

It took a moment for her meaning to sink in. "Hey!"

She chuckled. "I'll give you the ship, how about that?"

"I'll take it. For now. After this battle, though …"

"Don't." Shepard's knuckles were white on the stem of her glass. "I've talked enough about this battle for one night."

"Besides," Tali said, "I'll wipe the floor with you, and you know it."

"Oh, come on. A turian military operative compared with a quarian mechanic? No contest."

"Remember Ilos?" Tali asked smugly.

"That was geth, which tilted the odds in your favor."

"Oh, sure, make excuses."

"I doubt you'll be hacking any synthetics this time."

"I still have the shotgun," Tali pointed out.

"I'll be sure to let the Reaper forces get close enough for you to use it."

"Don't do me any favors."

"Oh, I won't."

"Besides." Tali chuckled. "If they get past me, they'll be right on top of you. Up close, and personal."

"That's what the armor's for."

"You know, I think I remember getting a few shots in on Ilos myself," Shepard offered.

Garrus and Tali both looked at her fondly. "One or two," Garrus agreed. "We'll let you in the club."

"Gee, thanks." She raised her glass. "Actually, I mean that. Thank you. You two have been with me all along. You believed in me when no one else did. I couldn't have done any of this without you—and I wouldn't have wanted to."

Tali tapped her glass lightly against Shepard's. "Keelah se'lai, Shepard."

Garrus reached for her hand, stroking her fingers with his. "Well, you have given me some incentive."

She smiled. "I'd like to think you were with me for something more than my soft bed."

"Are you kidding? The bed's my least favorite part."

They looked foolishly at one another until Tali cleared her throat loudly. "Get a room."

"I think we have one. Don't we? If memory serves …"

"That's where the bed is," Shepard reminded him. "You know, the one you're not interested in."

"Now, Shepard, I didn't say I wasn't interested, I just said—"

Tali cleared her throat louder this time. "Still sitting here."

"Sorry, Tali."

"Uh-huh."

"Maybe we should, uh, let you finish your drink in peace."

"You do that."

Shepard patted Tali on the shoulder, then took Garrus's outstretched hand. "Good-night, Tali."

"Good-night. Try to get some sleep!" she called after them.

"Are we going to get any sleep?" Garrus asked Shepard.

She smiled. "We'll see."