Just a little warning for some Human-Quarian relations that under 18 year olds should not ever, ever see or hear of. But when a man and a woman love each other very much...

Grounded – part 2

Together, Tali and I headed up to the Presidium to one of the major shopping centres and found a small café to sit in. From the balcony we could look along the lake that ran through the centre of the Presidium. On either side were lovely fields of lush green gardens and tall, strong trees with birds fleeting from one to another, flying free together. There were families strolling along by the banks of the lake and over the bridges that linked the two separate sides of the Presidium. Couples sat together and talked about their lives or shared a picnic together. An elderly Turian sat with a book-pad and whiled away the day in blissful peace. These people knew nothing of what was truly going on out in the galaxy, and what might befall them in a terribly short space of time. I shook the creeping feelings of pain and anger off and focused back on what was important at that moment; Tali.

"I could sit and just look at this forever," Tali said as she gazed at the beauty of the Citadel.

"I know," I agreed, "it's nice to spend time like this. Feels… normal."

Tali laughed,

"The Normandy crew and normal don't seem to go together do they."

"Nope," I went along with her, "we're quite weirdly unique aren't we."

"Well, even weird people can have boyfriends," Tali said sweetly.

"And girlfriends," I added with a broad smile on my face. I went to get us both another drink at the café counter, loving life for all that it was worth at that current moment in time. I looked back at Tali as she stood at the guard rail; her beautiful enviro-suit hugging her slim figure in an extremely complimentary way.

The gorgeous blue and purple swirls of the pattern on her suit caught the light of the Citadel as she moved. The way that the bottom halves of her legs curved back slightly intrigued me. On top of all this she was the nicest and most caring person that I had ever met; putting the well-being of others before herself every time without even a second of hesitation. It may have felt like a long time, what with all the battles and incredible situations that we had found ourselves in together, but in reality, Tali and I had only known each other for just over two months. It was incredible, I thought, how I had become so enamoured with her so quickly. Such a unique and beautiful woman, inside and out, had always seemed so hard to come by. Now I had a Quarian girlfriend whom I loved and would do anything for without any second thoughts.

Something amazing and completely unexpected happened just as I was heading back to our table. A group of three Human girls approached Tali and began speaking to her. They seemed young and in an exuberant mood, as if achieving a life-long dream and revelling in a brand-new experience. They had introduced themselves to Tali and seemed to be chatting away amicably as I went back over,

"Hope they're not bothering you Tali," I said in a semi-serious, semi-playful tone.

When the girls turned around to see who had spoken the blonde on the far right recognised me,

"Scott?" she said, amazed.

"Sophie?" I said back with a happy smile, "Hi. It's good to see you!"

I gave my sister a big hug, briefly lifting the short woman off the ground, before I stood next to Tali, introducing them properly.

"When did you get here? What are you doing here?"

Sophie was buzzing,

"I'm on an educational trip with the University. It's a chance for us to meet and get to know some of the other species. This place is amazing! I've met Asari. And Turians; they're a little scary. The Volus are funny to talk to and the Elcor must take a bit of getting used to; you know, since they can't portray their emotions when they speak. Salarians are so smart, and they talk even faster than I do!"

I could see that she was having the time of her life right now, so I offered for them to join us and once I had done the proper introductions between Tali, Sophie and her friends Rachel and Michaela, I bought them another round of drinks.

"You were the first Quarian we had seen, I hope you don't mind us coming over," Sophie said to Tali.

"No, it's fine. It's really nice to meet you, Sophie."

"So why aren't there more Quarians on the Citadel? From everything we've learned about your culture it seems like an ideal place for you, with the affinity for technology and stuff."

"Quarians tend to live for the Migrant fleet," Tali explained, "some of us come here for our pilgrimage until we find something of value to take back."

"The Pilgrimage is the right of passage to adulthood, right?" Rachel asked.

"Yes."

"Are you on yours?" Sophie asked.

Tali looked around at me and I could sense the smile beneath the mask,

"I was when I first came to the Citadel, but then I met your brother and ended up flying all around the galaxy! But I've completed my own Pilgrimage now."

"So, did Scott help you find something for the Migrant Fleet?"

Tali nodded,

"He did. I can't say what but…" she looked at me, "I would never have found anything as valuable as what I did if I had stayed on the Citadel."

"You become a Spectre, congratulations by the way; really proud of you! And get your own ship? I'm sure dad said you had your own ship. Do you work with other aliens?"

"Yeah," I replied, "as well as Tali there's an Asari, Liara, a Turian called Garrus and a Krogan called Wrex. The rest of the crew are all Humans."

"A Krogan!" Sophie seemed shocked, "that must be really interesting. They live for a few thousand years, don't they?"

I searched my mind for everything I knew on the subject,

"I think that they can live until they're about two and a half thousand or something like that. Well… naturally anyway. They tend to die a lot earlier from predators on Tuchanka and from fighting all the time. Wrex is… um… Tali?"

"He was born a couple of centuries after the Rachni Wars ended, that was over two thousand years ago now. He has some amazing stories, if you can cope with a lot of violence."

"What is it like serving with Scott?" Sophie asked mockingly, "hope all that Spectre power hasn't gone to his head."

In reply to this, Tali placed her hands on my hand that I had resting on the table. I interlocked my fingers with hers as Tali said to Sophie,

"Your brother's a wonderful, brave and caring man. And an inspirational leader."

I could not help but laugh at the dazzled expressions on the faces of Sophie and her two friends. I tickled the back of Tali's hand with my thumb and said,

"We've… grown pretty close. In fact, we're together."

Sophie put on her "pretending-to-be-insulted" face,

"Scott! You get a girlfriend, a Quarian girlfriend, and don't tell me? What have I ever done to you?"

"I've been busy," I shrugged.

"That's really great Scott! And you seem to be perfect for him Tali, I'm happy for you two."

"Thanks," Tali replied politely.

"So what are you busy with? I know you're a Spectre and probably can't tell us," Michaela said, "but my degree is on Council history and it would be good to know a bit about their Spectres."

I wanted to tell my sister everything; about the fascinating experience with the Rachni Queen; the Thorian and how it had affected Zhu's Hope. There was the intense battle on Virmire that had taken Kaidan and to give her a warning about the Reapers. However, I sadly had to admit,

"Sorry. I really can't say a thing. Classified."

"If I guessed that it would have something to do with watching out for Batarian attacks, would I be right?" Michaela asked, hoping to get something from me.

"Sorry. Again, I really can't say. The Council's keeping me busy though."

I could see the understanding and the disappointment on the girls' faces, so I offered a compromise,

"Tell you what," I said fishing a key card out of my pocket, "Why don't you come to the Normandy, my ship, and you can meet and talk with the crew. They won't be able to tell you about anything we're doing, but you'll get to meet the alien crew-members!"

Sophie and her friends were overjoyed by the proposition and I gave her the key card which would allow them past security and onto the Normandy. After telling them where to go and at what time Sophie, Rachel and Michaela left to continue travelling around the Presidium, and I was sure that I heard them discussing going shopping.

"Your sister is lovely," Tali said, "it's funny to be "interviewed"."

I laughed with her and we continued our little date in peace before walking back to the Normandy's dock, via a longer and more scenic route. It had been the happiest day that I could remember in a long time, all things considered, and a welcome distraction. Back on deck I informed the crew about our three guests who would be arriving soon and told them what they could and could not disclose, and warned my alien friends that they would be bearing the far greater part of my sister's focus. The idea seemed to amuse my friends, even Wrex appeared up for it. When Sophie and her friends arrived, I welcomed them on board, and after a brief chat with Joker I took them into my cabin to meet my alien comrades.

Liara, Garrus and Tali did most of the talking and had a great laugh with Sophie and her friends. Wrex sat quietly and only answered when spoken to directly, but when asked why Krogan love to fight so much he delightedly delved into stories of battling for honour all across the galaxy. His adventures as a mercenary and the violence he had seen and inflicted on those he was paid to kill shocked our visitors a little, but I reassured them that Wrex was actually a good person. I also left out the part where Wrex had had a shotgun aimed at my chest on Virmire.

While my sister and her friends enthusiastically recorded notes on my team and their respective species I left them to it and went to check on the crew. Most were back on board and were relaxing; relaxing and waiting for me to get them off of the Citadel and after Saren. I understood how they felt; all together the crew, my team and I knew more about Saren's intentions and the Reapers than anyone else, but we were roped down by politicians who were too afraid to believe in the existence of anything that was not being dangled in front of their eyes. It was infuriating.

I was down in the armoury talking with Ashley when Joker's voice came over the intercom,

"Commander. Just got a priority message from Captain Anderson. He wants you to meet him in a nightclub down in the Wards called Flux. He didn't say what it was about but the message sounded urgent."

"Tell him I'm on my way Joker."

I rushed back up through the Normandy and back out onto the Citadel. Flagging down the first cab that I saw I reached Flux much faster than Anderson had expected. The heavy bass of the music was pounding away and I had to weave through what seemed like a never-ending maze of bodies as the good-timers enjoyed their night with their friends and threw back their drinks. I found my old Captain sitting alone in one of the booths at the back of the club, nursing a drink that had barely been touched. He looked up to me with surprise,

"Were you already on your way here when I sent that message Commander?" He joked.

"No Sir. I was pulling my hair out on the Normandy wondering what the hell I was going to do."

"I know, I heard about the lockdown order. Can't believe they betrayed you like that."

"Wasn't exactly the "thank you for your service" that I was hoping for," I said glumly.

"I read the reports on the mission on Virmire. It makes me sick that they're not willing to do anything about this. And… I'm sorry about Alenko. He was a fine soldier."

I struggled to say anything, barely managing a weak nod of acknowledgement. After a pause David continued,

"I've got an idea to get you out of here Scott; it's a long shot but it might be the only chance we have."

"I'm listening."

"Ambassador Udina issued the lockdown order. He's in a meeting right now, but when he gets back to his office I'll break in and reverse the order. Once I've done that, you tell Joker to get you out of the dock and to haul ass to Ilos!"

I had not expected this,

"David! You will be charged with treason. I can't let you do that!"

"I'm not asking for your permission, Scott. It's happening whether you like it or not. I'll live with the consequences."

"And what about my crew? They'll be charged as well."

"And if you stay here and Saren finds the Conduit? What then Scott?"

That shut me up; Anderson had the right of it. However, the Captain just had to drive home his point,

"What happens when Sovereign brings back the Reapers and we all end up the same way as the Protheans? You need to stop Saren! You're the only one that can."

"Ok," I relented, "do it. But jeezus be careful!"

"I can handle Udina, Commander. Get back to the Normandy and be ready to leave immediately. And Scott," he held out his hand, "good luck!"

I shook David's hand and wished him well before racing back to the Normandy again. I burst through the door of my room and cut short my sister's visit,

"Sorry Sophie, you and your friends have to leave immediately. Guys," I addressed my squad, "be ready to leave as soon as possible. Anderson's getting us out of here."

My team were on their feet and out of the room in seconds, back to their posts and business.

"What's going on?" Sophie asked, confused and worried.

"You know I can't tell you. Spectres don't do gentle police work; where we're going is… more than dangerous. Get back to your University group and enjoy being on the Citadel. I'll see you when we get back."

I felt like I was lying to her, I really was not sure if I would even be back again. I let my sister and her friends off of the ship and went to the bridge with Joker. I sent out a recall to duty message to all the crew members who were not currently aboard and went on the intercom,

"This is Commander Gardner. All hands prepare for departure from the Citadel. We'll be leaving as soon as possible."

My crew returned and were at their stations quickly; checking all our systems and making sure that the Normandy was good to go once we were freed from the lockdown. I waited on the bridge for over an hour, Joker and I barely taking our eyes off of the main control console. It sat with a blank screen, as it had since the lockdown had been initiated, but suddenly it sparked back into life and it showed that the Normandy was as ready as she was ever going to be.

"Do your thing Joker!" I said, glad to be getting away, "get us to the Mu Relay."

"Yes Sir," Joker said with a grin and a quick adjustment of his cap.

The Normandy soared above one of the Citadel's five arms and we shot past the perimeter of the Citadel Fleet and off to the Mass Relay. Saren's time was running out.

There was a sense of elation on board my ship, we were back on our mission; to save the galaxy when no one else even wanted to contemplate that it was in any danger at all. Knowing that we would be at the Mu Relay in three days' time I made sure that my ground team took it easy and spent more time checking their kit than at their normal posts. I needed them rested, switched on and battle ready. Where we were going was likely to be swarmed with Geth and a tough battle lay ahead. That was when it really sank in that there could be no return from this journey, and I felt incredibly thankful to have a team that believed in me so strongly that they were still willing to follow me even into the deepest darkness of hell itself.

My team were the most incredible individuals that I had ever met, a team formed from many different species and yet they had begun to treat each other like brothers and sisters. A part of me also wanted to end Saren purely as payback for Kaidan's death, but I knew that he would not want my mind to be clouded by such things. If we made it through this then I would honour his memory afterwards when there was time to have a proper ceremony. I was doing this for Kaidan; I was doing this for all the people who had died at the hands of Saren and his slaves on Eden Prime, Feros, Noveria and Virmire. I was doing this for the entire galaxy.

I kept myself very busy and soon we were only a few hours from the Mu Relay. My friends were preparing for the mission in their own personal ways: Ashley was sending a few messages to her family. Garrus was stripping down his sniper rifle, cleaning it and reassembling it with extreme care and dedication, he was intending to nail plenty of Geth in their lit-up heads. Wrex stood silently with a thoughtful look on his face; all the while he held his shotgun tightly in his hands. Liara was going through all of her research notes on Ilos, searching for clues as to where the Conduit was and what it was for. I left them to it and returned to my cabin, and already having prepared my equipment I ended up sitting in silence.

As I pondered on all the possible outcomes of this crazy undertaking, I heard Tali enter my room. She stood awkwardly, fidgeting with her hands and seemingly unsure of what she was even doing here.

"Are you busy?" She asked.

"No, come in. I was just thinking about you," I smiled.

"I've been thinking about what you said," she said nervously, "about wanting to see me, the real me."

"Only when you're ready Tali. I don't want to put any pressure on you."

"I know," she sat beside me on the bed, "but this mission… This could be our last chance to really be together. And I want this to happen."

"Tali, wait" I said, "what if you get sick? What if you…" I could not say the word. When I thought of losing her it hurt too much to even bear. However, Tali reassured me,

"I've taken immuno-boosters and herbal supplements that should bolster my immune system for a while. I'll save you the details but what's important is… I need to feel your skin against mine before this is over."

I held her, running a hand slowly up and down her back,

"If you're sure."

"I've never shown my face to anyone. But I'm ready to show you."

Her hand reached up to her helmet and, after only the slightest hesitation, took the mask off. She gently placed it aside before looking straight at me. She was the most beautiful being I had ever seen: her big, lilac eyes gleamed like two flawless amethysts, her pale skin was smooth, youthful and perfect. There were faint markings on her cheeks and on her forehead where she had had cybernetic implants, but they were done in such an elegant, flowing and artistic fashion. They followed the contours of her face, endearing me even more to Tali as they emphasised her stunning feminine features.

When Tali took down her hood locks of silky, ebony hair were set free and flowed down past her shoulders. As I ran my fingers through it her hair felt like satin and I gently brushed her neck. I was overwhelmed by the truly angelic being before me.

"You're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen Tali," I told her as my eyes lovingly took in every detail; I was completely enthralled by her. The sensation of real physical contact was overpowering for Tali and when she could control herself no more, she pushed me down on the bed and threw herself on top of me. We kissed deeply and I held her body to mine, never wanting to let go.

Tali's soft lips locked with mine, the second time even better than the first as I could look upon her. Her hands slipped to the buttons of my shirt and began to take them out one by one. Her hand strayed across my chest, running her fingers through my chest hair and continuing downwards. She briefly brushed my waistband and Tali stole a glance at the not-so-inconspicuous bulge in my trousers. I did not know if Quarians blushed like Humans did, but the deep pink colour that filled those cute cheeks of Tali gave me my answer.

Unbuckling her suit at the forearm, she slipped her hand out of the envirosuit and placed it over my heart. Tali cried right then, but they were tears of happiness. I tried to imagine what this was like for her; the first time she had ever touched another living being. As she felt my racing heart against her palm I sat up and kissed her passionately and unbuckled her other hand. She ran her unshackled hands down my back, feeling all the little scars and other old wounds that I had picked up over the years. She traced every line of my skin, every muscle that she touched. I saw the wonderment in her eyes as she discovered a new part of life that she had never experienced before. One by one, I took out the rest of the buckles and Tali opened her sealed suit, her lifeline, and as she revealed her body to me, there was no stopping me.

When Tali's envirosuit was cast away, she sat over me in her beautiful nakedness. I rolled her over onto her back and, beginning with a kiss on her lips, I tenderly moved my way down her slender and gorgeous form. She trembled with every kiss, every stroke that my fingers made, every time I looked at her. Tali's small, perky breasts rose and fell sharply as the ecstasy from my touches raced through her and her breathing increased faster and faster. Her nipples stiffened when I grazed my hand over them and teased them with my tongue, slowly circling both of them in turn. Tali had never experienced anything like this before and she began to moan with pleasure.

This was the most vulnerable moment Tali had ever experienced in her life. I needed to make sure that it was full of good memories that she took away from this first, special experience. My hand came to rest on her chest and I could feel a heavy thumping beneath Tali's skin. Remembering how unhappy she had been when telling me that others could never feel a Quarian's heartbeat through the suit, I put my ear to her chest and listened to her huge heart pound away.

"Can you hear it?" Tali's soft voice reached my ears. I gazed into her crystalline eyes,

"Yeah. I can hear it, so clearly!"

"It's all yours," Tali said, resting her head back down as I stroked her smooth and toned stomach with my fingers.

I kissed my way down Tali's body, kissing the beauty spot that sat just to the right of her belly button and holding her wide and shapely hips, running my hands along the tops of her thighs. When my thumb faintly brushed against her sex, I felt her entire body tense up, but as I gently moved my fingers back over her, she opened her long legs wider,

"I want to feel you, Scott. I need to feel you for real," she gasped. Kissing as if we were the only two beings left in the entire galaxy and with all the stars of the Milky Way visible through the window, Tali and I joined our bodies together as one. No other time in my life was so full of passion, so full of joy, so full of love. The connection I shared with Tali felt so deep, so right. As we explored each other's bodies and showed each other how much we truly cared, how much we truly loved each other, I gazed into her eyes,

"I'm so glad I found you Tali."

Lying together naked, all wrapped up in my bed sheets, I felt every soft breath that my Quarian love took. I tried to imagine what she was dreaming about; being back among her people on the Migrant Fleet? Going to the Quarian home world of Rannoch for the first time? Perhaps dreaming about the two of us together in a more peaceful time; no gunfire, explosions or threats of imminent death. When the daunting image of Sovereign flashed through my mind Joker's voice suddenly dragged me back to the unforgiving real world,

"ETA to the Mu Relay, 30 minutes Commander."

Tali stirred at the noise and her adorable eyes flickered open. She knew what she had heard, but she just wanted to lie there for a little longer with my arms wrapped securely around her,

"I guess it's time to go. Back to the war."

"Yeah," I said with determination, "We're close though. Close to ending this; to ending Saren."

"And I'll be right there with you. Not even an army of Geth is going to force me from you," Tali giggled. I stroked a strand of hair away from her eye and kissed her,

"I wouldn't have it any other way."

Tali went through the arduous task of putting her envirosuit back on and checked its systems before reluctantly heading to leave. Stealing one more passionate kiss, her mask was reattached, and she headed back to her post. I geared up and told my team to assemble on the bridge with Joker and Navigator Presley, we still had to determine Saren's location on Ilos once we reached it, hoping beyond hope that he had not reached the Conduit yet. The moment that I stepped onto the bridge and stood to the side of my pilot's seat the Normandy was sent hurtling across the galaxy via the Mu Mass Relay. The rest of my squad joined me and braced for the heavy deceleration when we arrive in the system that Ilos resided in. Joker had to respond to warnings as soon as we exited the Mass Relay stream,

"Holy shit! Sir, we've got Geth ships everywhere."

"Stealth systems engaged?" I asked.

"Yes Sir, but they could still detect us at close proximity, and right now that's looking quite possible."

"Saren posted a rear guard around the relay," I muttered. "Get us through it, Joker; we're all depending on you right now."

"Time to play hero again?" he smirked.

"You know it!"