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Shepard woke in the morning to the sounds of someone moving around in the kitchen and the heavenly scent of fresh coffee. Opening her eyes, she snuggled her head more firmly into Kaidan's shoulder. "Good morning."

He smiled sleepily. "Is it morning? Are you sure? I was having the nicest dream."

"I hope I was in it."

"In it? You were all of it." His arm tightened around her and he reached down to kiss her.

Shepard drew away reluctantly. "Nice as it would be to lie here all day with you, I think we should probably get up."

"I suppose you're right." He untangled himself from her and went into the bathroom. "Uh, Shepard?"

"Yeah?"

"Did you know there was a Prothean in the bathroom?"

She smiled, reaching for her boots and sitting up to buckle them on. "I forgot. How does he look?"

"He just told me it was time to rule the galaxy and demanded that I kneel before him."

There was a moment's conversation and then Javik staggered to the door, leaning against it. Only one of his eyes was partially opened. "I had a dream. Fifty thousand years had passed." He shook his head as if to clear it. "It was horrible. I was alone. The primitives had evolved. They ruled the galaxy. Salarians, turians … and the asari. There was one: Liara. She had these eyes. And that voice. And she was … blue. No. It was just a dream." He forced another of his eyes open. "I smell primitives. It was no dream."

"Get yourself something to eat, Javik. We have Reapers to fight."

"Yes. That is a reality I can understand."

Outside the bedroom, Liara was sitting quietly on one of the couches with a cup of tea. She smiled at Shepard, appearing serene and untouched by last night's debauchery. "The apartment seems so quiet now."

"Give it time," Shepard told her, reaching out to squeeze her friend's shoulder as she moved past. She peeked into the shower, but Grunt was no longer there. In the upstairs bedroom, she found Tali curled up on top of the bed. "You okay?"

Tali shook her head, and moaned at the motion. "I didn't know you could go through that many toxin filters in one night. Don't get me wrong, great party, but …" She moaned again. "Yeah."

Garrus appeared in the doorway with some kind of fizzy concoction. He eased himself on the bed next to Tali and handed it to her, with an emergency induction port. "Drink this; you'll feel better. Morning, Shepard."

"Morning, Garrus."

"Did we break anything last night? I don't suppose you need anything … calibrated." When both Shepard and Tali gave him the side-eye, he chuckled. "Yeah, okay. Maybe I should stop saying that word, but only if Liara stops saying 'by the goddess'." He parodied Liara's accent with the last few words.

From outside the room, they heard Liara call, "I heard that."

"You guys going to be ready to go in a bit?" Shepard asked, and Garrus and Tali both nodded.

She left them there and she headed down the back stairs, but stopped when she saw Kasumi leaning on the balcony railing.

"Morning, Shep. You went all out with the breakfast supplies."

"I can't take the credit; that was Kaidan."

Kasumi nodded and grimaced. "I didn't know you could get real milk on the Citadel. I thought it was soy. I'm not really lactose intolerant … I just don't put up with lactose's stupid drama." She smiled. "In case I don't see you again, thanks. That was a lot of fun."

"I'm glad you came. Wish you could come with us."

"Some other time." She grimaced again. "I should go. Stupid dairy products."

In the den, Shepard found Joker with his head down on the bar. "Hey, Commander," he groaned without lifting his head. "Hell of a night."

"Great dancing, though." She grinned at him.

He moaned, closing his eyes. "I've managed not to throw up. Feeling pretty good about that. But if everyone could just not talk so loudly, that would be great."

"I see I'll be shopping for a new pilot on the way to the Normandy."

"You are not funny."

Shepard laughed as EDI came in with a mug of coffee, which she set down next to Joker's head. "Commander, some neighbors came by last night to complain about the noise. I put their bodies in the building's incinerator." She waited the usual beat before adding, "That was a joke."

"Good one, EDI."

Shepard turned away just as Wrex came around the corner. "Shepard! Been a while since I hit the hard stuff. 'Bout time."

"Give you enough pep to get back to Tuchanka and … do your duty?"

He growled. "Don't remind me."

Zaeed was slouched on one of the couches in the living room. "Hope I didn't wake anyone up with my snoring. I go like a buzz saw since I got my nose broke."

"So you did. It was good security—if it stopped, I would have known something was wrong."

He snorted.

Cortez came from the kitchen with two mugs of coffee. He handed one to Shepard. "Mornin', Shepard. Hope you slept well."

"Well enough. You?"

"Not bad."

"What a night." He smiled. "Wish it never ended."

"At least we had it."

"And more to come, I hope."

"Me, too."

She found Jack doing pull-ups on the bar in the downstairs bedroom. "Hey, Shepard. You look like shit."

"Thanks."

Jack laughed. "You know the best part of an overcharged biotic amp? No hangovers! Even normal biotics get hangovers, but I can drink till I puke and still wake up just peachy."

"Lucky you," Shepard said dryly.

In the kitchen, Vega had taken over the stove and was busy cooking eggs and bacon while Kaidan manned the toast station. Emily Wong, Ann Bryson, and Traynor were at the bar with their plates while Grunt hovered over Vega's shoulder offering constructive criticism on the egg-cooking.

Grunt looked up when Shepard came in. "I think I broke my head on something last night."

"I wouldn't be surprised," she told him.

"Bathroom's all cleaned up, though. Good as new."

"Thanks, Grunt."

"Have you tried these eggs, Commander?" Ann Bryson asked. "They're very good."

"Are there any left?"

"For you, Lola? Of course!" James did a fancy flip with the frying pan.

Shepard accepted a plate and made small talk with the others while she dug in. Once James had run out of eggs, they all pitched in to clean up the kitchen, and then good-byes were said to all those who weren't joining them on the Normandy.

Kaidan and Shepard grabbed their stuff from the bedroom upstairs, and they led the rest down to the elevators and out of the building to the transports that took them to gate D24, where the Normandy waited for them.

For the first time ever, Shepard felt herself reluctant to go aboard her ship. She hung back as all the others filed past her until Kaidan came up behind her and put an arm around her shoulders. "At least we threw one hell of a party," he told her.

"Probably the last one."

"Hey. You will find a way to win. I know it. And when you do, we'll throw the biggest and best party the galaxy has ever seen."

She smiled, wishing she felt his confidence.

"It's been a good ride," he added.

"The best."

And, together, they returned to their ship.