Thank you for reading! Special thanks to Oleander's One for the beta!

Shepard glanced at the mileage on the running machine. Almost to her goal for the day. She didn't enjoy running, not the way Ashley and Tali both seemed to, but carrying all that equipment and wearing that heavy armor planet-side meant maintaining strength and endurance, and cooped up here on the ship, that meant the machine. There were a number of programs you could use that simulated running in various terrains, with vidclips of the appropriate surroundings to give you something to look at, but Shepard preferred to remain in the here and now. She found that keeping her mind open while running often helped her work through a thorny problem, and that she gained insight into her people while watching them at their own exercise.

Tonight was reasonably quiet. Ashley was at the weights, as usual—the Chief was justifiably proud of her strength, speed, and stamina, and she worked hard to maintain them. She spent as much time in the exercise room as she could spare. Liara was leading some of the younger cadets in an asari discipline that seemed a lot like yoga. Shepard was intrigued by it, but had been reluctant to join Liara's class … since she had turned down Liara's more personal advances, she felt somewhat shy around the asari, guilty that she couldn't return her friend's deeper feelings. She couldn't deny that she had been tempted. There was a peace in Liara's presence, a softness, that made Shepard feel more open than she had since her mother had died. But … while Liara was peace, she wasn't pulse-quickening. If Kaidan hadn't been on the Normandy, Shepard imagined she might have come to have feelings that matched Liara's—but he was, and unfamiliar as she was with paying attention to her own emotions, Shepard didn't have the capacity for more overwhelming emotions than she already felt in Kaidan's presence.

He was on the free weights; she could hear them clanking behind her as he dropped them after each set. Shepard punched up the speed on her machine, finishing at a sprint, as much to keep from turning to watch the way his muscles flexed as to push her endurance. She had come to terms with the idea that she and Kaidan were both adults, both able to make this decision despite the regs, but that didn't mean she had any business letting it show in front of others. She was still the Commander of this ship, and that meant maintaining her professionalism.

As she was sprinting, Liara's class finished. She smiled at Shepard on her way out—whatever discomfort Shepard felt, and Liara felt in her turn, Liara had made an effort to keep their relationship the same, and for that Shepard was grateful. Over and above anything else, she liked Liara a great deal and would have missed their treasured conversations over tea in Liara's quarters.

Shepard hit the button for the cooldown program, letting the machine gradually slow its speed. She was at a fast walk when Ashley finished up for the night. She paused in front of Shepard's machine. "Good form, Commander. You've relaxed your shoulders a lot. That feel better?"

"Yes, it does. Thanks to you."

"How's the weight training going?" Shepard had consulted Ashley's expertise several times, and was definitely seeing improvement as a result.

She said as much to Ashley, who smiled. "My pleasure, skipper. Anything to keep from having to carry your gear."

"Watch it, Chief."

Ashley chuckled, wiping her face with her towel as she left the room.

Shepard's program was winding down, but her pulse was speeding up as she realized she and Kaidan were alone in the room. As she stepped off the machine, reaching for her water bottle, she saw him coming toward her, a smile on his handsome face. "You're coming along, Commander. Your endurance is improving."

"Thanks. It's still not my favorite activity."

"I know; you'd rather be behind the wheel of the Mako."

Shepard grinned. Her driving skills, or lack thereof, were a constant topic of conversation, and complaint, amongst her companions. "You have to admit it's easier. And more fun."

"I'll give you the first one … as long as you're buckled in tightly." He hesitated. "We're so close now, don't you feel it? When we deliver everything, the Council will have to mobilize around us."

"I hesitate to imagine the Council having to do anything they don't want to do. Let's not count our chickens," Shepard cautioned.

"But if we could get the Council on our side, this could become a great opportunity for the Alliance."

"It's been a struggle, but I think we're starting to earn their respect now," she agreed.

"And you've been at the forefront, even back in the Blitz," Kaidan pointed out. "You'll probably get another Star of Terra out of this."

"I'm not in this for the medals, Kaidan."

"I know that." His voice dropping and his dark eyes softening, he said, "I don't think I've ever met a woman like you."

Shepard's breath caught, her heart thudding against her chest. "Same here," she said softly. "You haven't had the easiest life … but I like the man it's made of you."

Kaidan took a step toward her, close enough that she could smell the faint spicy scent of soap that lingered underneath the smell of his sweat. It was a heady combination. "Please, Commander," he said, his eyes warming with humor. "You'll make me blush."

They looked at each other for a long moment, close enough to touch but neither making a move to do so.

Then Kaidan cleared his throat. Earnestly, he said, "No bull, Shepard. I want to follow through with this—you and me."

She nodded. "So do I."

"It's tough keeping it separated from duty, but … I think it's worth it. Or it will be."

"Yes. And when the mission's complete—"

"It'll be different," he finished. "I know."

Shepard wasn't that certain—she didn't know all the rules for Spectres, but she was pretty sure the Ambassador would find something else to keep his first human Spectre occupied, even if the Council didn't. But hopefully there would be time for a break between assignments, and that was as far ahead as she wanted to look, at least for now.

"So you feel the same?" Kaidan asked softly. There was a vulnerability in his face that touched Shepard. He had kept himself separate from entanglements in his rise in the Alliance, as she had, so this was a first for both of them. Uncharted territory.

"Careful," she said, smiling at him. "That sounds so nice you might distract me from saving the galaxy."

Kaidan smiled back. "I'm sure it'll take care of itself one of these days … or nights," he said. His hand rose, reaching out to touch her face, and Shepard held her breath, knowing she should move away, or he should, and not wanting to. He didn't quite touch her, although she could feel the heat of his skin so close to hers, and at last he pulled his hand back, reluctantly. "Shepard," he breathed, "you are a hard woman to step away from."

"I wish you didn't have to," she admitted.

"So do I." He cleared his throat and managed to take that step back, with obvious reluctance. "We'll get this done, Commander. The sooner the better."

"Agreed, Lieutenant. Very much agreed."