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On board the Normandy, there was a little reunion in the starboard lounge. Kaidan and Shepard, Garrus, Tali, Liara …

"All that's missing is Wrex," Shepard said, looking around.

"And Ash," Kaidan added softly.

"And Ash." Shepard raised her glass. "To Ashley!"

The rest of them echoed the toast, and then they toasted Wrex, and the Normandy.

"You've all been so busy since I left," Tali said. "I can't believe you cured the genophage! Of all the things …"

"Wrex wouldn't help without it. Not that I blame him, necessarily." Shepard shrugged. Tired though she was of solving everyone's problems, she understood why they felt they needed to use what leverage they had when they had it.

"Too bad we couldn't have had you aboard when Wrex was here, Tali." Liara smiled. "What a party that would have been. And we could have used you on Tuchanka."

"Shepard's on a roll," Garrus said, leaning back on the couch next to Tali. He nodded at her. "I figure if we can pull that off, we've got a shot at sorting the geth out. Man," he added, "you just knew they would figure into this war somehow."

"Because the Reapers weren't enough," Shepard said dryly.

"Don't worry, Tali, we'll get the geth sorted out," Liara assured her.

Tali sighed. "I don't know. The genophage didn't carry rifles and shoot back."

"No," Garrus conceded, "but there was a scary bit with the mother of all thresher maws."

"The what now?" Kaidan frowned at Shepard. "I don't think I've heard this story."

"Haven't you?"

"It does sound incredible, Shepard," Tali put in.

"It was incredible to watch, I'll say that." Shepard took a long sip of her beer, thinking of the moment when the thresher maw pulled the Reaper down under the sands of Tuchanka. That had been a good day.

"Well, I should be going." Garrus got to his feet. "Believe it or not, those damn guns still need calibrating."

"With you, Garrus, I'd believe just about anything," Tali told him.

He stopped, looking down at her. "Oh, yeah? We should play poker sometime."

Shepard smiled and didn't bother to remind him that they had played quite a few rounds of poker—and Tali had beaten him more often than not. If Garrus wanted to practice a little selective amnesia for the sake of his pride, she'd let him.

Tali got up, as well. "I think I should turn in. It's been a long day, and there's a lot to do once we get to the homeworld."

Shepard followed her to the door. "Don't worry, Tali. We'll find Koris's ship, and then—then we'll figure something out, all right?"

"If anyone can, you can, Shepard."

Turning, Shepard found Liara standing next to her. "You must get very tired of hearing that," the asari observed.

"A little bit."

"You know you're not alone. We're with you, all the way."

"There's nobody I'd rather have at my side," Shepard told her.

"Which one? Liara T'Soni or the Shadow Broker?"

There was real apprehension in Liara's eyes, and Shepard hugged her. "Liara T'Soni, any day of the week. I couldn't ask for a better friend."

"Nor could I."

Liara excused herself, and then it was just the two of them. Shepard looked at Kaidan, who opened his arms in invitation. She returned to the couch, fitting herself into his arms and putting her head on his shoulder.

"It's good having Tali back," Kaidan observed after a few moments. "She's a good egg. Wait. Don't tell her I said that—just in case it's some kind of quarian insult."

Shepard smiled. "I'm not sure where quarians stand on eggs, actually. I've never given it much thought."

Kaidan's arms tightened around her, pulling her closer against him. She could feel his heart beating under her ear, the sound steady and reassuring. "Anything I can do, Shepard?"

"This is good. I'm so tired, Kaidan. I want—much as I want to help Tali, I'm so angry that the quarians felt the need to start this war now, of all the times, and I just—I just want this over and the Reapers gone."

"We all want that. But it's worse for you," Kaidan added, "because so much is riding on you. I wish more people saw that."

Shepard pulled back to look at him. "For now, it's enough that you do. It helps."

"Good."

She still felt vaguely guilty, as though she was being unfair to both Thane and Kaidan by getting involved again so quickly after Thane's death ... but Thane wouldn't have wanted her to suffer alone just because the time wasn't right, and he of all people would have understood how much she needed Kaidan's support if she was going to finish this.

"Kaidan."

"What is it?"

"I want you to know—I wouldn't have—I mean, this would never have happened with anyone else. You are—you are very special to me. You always have been."

His brown eyes searched her face, and then he nodded. "Thanks, Shepard. That means a lot."

"I just wanted to make sure you understood." All the things she couldn't say, not yet, not and be fair to both of the men who had a claim on her heart. Someday she could say them, she believed that, and she hoped Kaidan could be patient until she was ready.

Her comm link buzzed, and she disentangled herself from Kaidan's arms to open the channel. It was Tali. "Shepard, the admirals want to talk to you, to make plans."

"I thought you were going to sleep."

"So did I."

Shepard stifled a sigh. "I'll be right there, Tali."

So much for a restful night.