Several months pass before Shepard and Kaidan leave the orchard. Shepard tells him that she wants to go on a little trip, and he acquiesces, thinking they're going back to Vancouver. He's almost right because they end up in a more isolated area north of Vancouver, but still on the coast. Shepard stops their vehicle in front of a house perched on the edge of a cliff. The glass windows are floor-to-ceiling, and the building's all lines and sharp angles. From Kaidan's vantage point, he's able to see some of the interior, which is surprisingly warm, white and bright, in contrast to the architecture.

"How long did you rent this place for?" Kaidan asks as he unloads their bags in the driveway, wondering how long this well-earned vacation will last.

"Forever!" Shepard laughs giddily as she heads towards the front door, Kaidan right behind her.

"Huh?"

Now she's biting her lip shyly. "I bought it for us. Our home."

It's absolutely perfect. Kaidan has talked about his dream place on more than one occasion, and Shepard certainly listened. Making a big life decision like buying a home without informing your boyfriend might rub some people the wrong way, but any irritation is wiped away by how much he loves her and their new home. They couldn't stay at her apartment in the city - bad memories for her - and they hadn't planned on crashing at the orchard house forever. His dad was fiercely independent and made it well-known that he'd be fine on his own.

Shepard gave him a tour of the house, pointing out the features she noted during the virtual open house she'd gone to. She points out a set of guestrooms. "For your kids."

"You mean our kids." As time goes on, using biotics is taking more of a toll on Kaidan physically. The headaches have intensified and last longer. He's considering retiring from hands-on teaching, and they've discussed fostering some students from Jack's school. Shepard reassures him that he'll be the best foster dad ever. She doesn't want him to suffer from the migraines, but knows that he still wants to do something.

When Shepard gestures at the open common area, Kaidan's stunned by the view running along the opposite window. In the corner, Shepard shows him where she'd like to place a desk. She's been journaling about her friends who've passed and her decisions, good and bad, at the direction of her psychotherapist. Shepard's always been reluctant to share about her life publicly, but she said she's thinking about having a book published when she's finished. She wants everyone to remember her friends' names and what they fought for. Maybe in some way, peaking into Shepard's thoughts during the war might bring closure to others as writing it out has for her.

A wide, shit-eating grin has been plastered on Shepard's face since they arrived. She is damn pleased with herself. Her excitement is contagious, and Kaidan can't help smiling as she leads him onto a balcony overlooking the Pacific.

"And here she is." Shepard is suddenly solemn. Kaidan can see why. He's speechless at the unobstructed vista of waves crashing against the rocky, evergreen-lined shore below and the deep blue sea that extends infinitely on the horizon. He's seen a hell of a lot of the galaxy, but this is the most beautiful place he's ever been to.

"Do you like it?"

Shepard's question breaks his reverie. "I love it."

He scoops her up like she weighs nothing and spins her around, giggles erupting from Shepard until she complains that she's getting dizzy. Kaidan lowers her to the ground gently. Somehow, Shepard ends up on her knees on the deck, and he panics, thinking he dropped her. His attempts to help her back up are thwarted as she swipes at him. "Stop, stop. Just stay there."

Shepard's face is deadly serious now. Kaidan bends to join her on the floor, but she's not having that either, so he stands there, bewildered. Shepard adjusts herself so she's taking a knee. He blinks at her.

"Kaidan Alenko, I've loved you-" Shepard's voice wavers.

"No. You shouldn't be… it's not fair-"

"Let me do this," she pleads, and Kaidan shuts up. Her expression is all raw emotion. "As I was saying. Kaidan Alenko, I have loved you ever since our little chats on the SR-1, when I would bug you all the time because I wanted to know about you and your thoughts on what we were doing. I realized I shouldn't have been flirting, but I couldn't stop myself from falling for you. My career was on the line, and my career was everything to me, but the risk was worth it."

"It was for me, too."

"I couldn't resist you after all those damned hot cocoas you made me with the little marshmallows," she laughs.

"Hey, we've haven't had any since -" There wasn't a lot of cocoa on the SR-2, but there was plenty of alcohol. Drunk Tali comes to mind, but Shepard's glaring at him. "Okay, I'll be quiet."

"Shore leave with you was paradise," she continues. "I could see the rest of my days with you. And then I was dead, and I know that hurt you more than I can ever understand. When I woke up, all I could think about was you. You had become my compass and suddenly I was on my own in unfamiliar territory. And then Horizon."

"Horizon," Kaidan sighs.

"Don't worry, not going there. I think we've already covered that, and I'm not going to rain on the parade. Anyway, I found myself on another crazy suicide mission, but without you, and I just stared stupidly at this picture of you on my desk the night cycle before."

"You know if I could turn back time, I'd be right there with you."

Shepard shook her head. "You didn't trust Cerberus, and rightly so. When the Reapers hit Earth, I was so thankful that you were by my side. Mars… when I saw - saw it, it was like all of the oxygen left my lungs. I couldn't breathe for a second, and then I was hyperventilating, all the way until we got you to the Citadel. All I could focus on was you and trying to keep myself steady. But the galaxy's fate was at stake, and I shouldn't have allowed myself any distractions. But I came back to see you at the hospital whenever I could, and it was only in those moments that I felt like I could catch my breath. And then you didn't shoot me during the whole Citadel fiasco, so that was good."

Kaidan's stomach twisted at the thought of his injury causing Shepard to recall her own painful death, and at the memory of aiming a gun at her. "I'll never forgive myself for that."

"We talked about this."

"Garrus would've shot me clean through the head and kicked my body, probably," he laughs bitterly.

"You might be right there," she exhales. "I was glad we could work things out in the end because I needed you at my side during the war. All the self-doubt, all the losses. I never gave you what you needed because I was always somewhere else. I'm sorry for that."

"No," Kaidan interrupts sharply. "You had your hands full. I was just happy to be there with you. Even if you made me go back to the Normandy and away from you in the end."

"It was the only way to make sure you'd come out of it alive. I was going to end up dead again, and I'd be damned if I was going to take you down with me."

Shepard looks like she's about to cry, and Kaidan struggles to swallow as Shepard shakes it off and soldiers on.

"I thought of you when I was there. When I chose to destroy them. You were the last thing I ever thought about."

He knows she's talking about the Catalyst. Shepard's told Kaidan everything in the last few months. It's hard to wrap his mind around, if he's being honest, but he believes every word. He sees the pain it still brings her, manifesting as nightmares that leave her up all night.

"Somehow I lived, and you did, too. When I said goodbye to you in London, I let myself daydream about what if we won and both survived. I saw us embracing in the street, a future of Alliance work rebuilding the galaxy. I didn't imagine that I might potentially ruin the happy ending we fought so hard for," Shepard cries, unable to hold back anymore.

"You didn't ruin it," Kaidan responds fiercely, cupping her chin. "After what you went through, you had the right to do whatever the hell you wanted. The Council? Talk show host? Fleet and Flotilla fanfic writer? The world is your oyster."

That gets her to crack up. Shepard snorts. "I don't think any of that's going to pan out. What I want is to live here with you. What I'd like to do is spend the rest of my days with you."

Kaidan's mouth dries up as Shepard fishes for something in the pocket of her jacket. Her hand emerges with a small box, and he's certain what's going to happen next as his heart thuds in his chest and time slows.

"Kaidan Alenko, would you marry me?"

Shepard has opened the box, revealing a ring of smooth black metal and what looks like a band of Canadian pine running down the middle. It's something he would have selected as a wedding ring for himself.

Shepard's beaming up at him from her spot on the balcony, managing to keep her balance during the speech. Shepard's happy, but from the way her outstretched hand is trembling, he can tell she's nervous. She really shouldn't be, as he's been holding onto an engagement ring for her for some time. Everytime Kaidan thought about proposing, he became afraid that he'd be pressuring her. Now Shepard has beaten him to the punch.

"Yes. I love you so much. I can't wait to marry you."

Kaidan lifts her back off the ground, and their lips slam against each other, hungry and ecstatic. They part only after Kaidan notices that the sun is going down, which is casting the partly cloudy sky with vibrant orange and pink hues. He can't recall a time he's ever been this happy, and this moment will stick with him forever.

"I'm glad you're finally going to make an honest man out of me," Kaidan chuckles, and Shepard nudges him.

"Uh huh."

"I have a ring back at the orchard," he says, becoming serious. "I hope you'll like it. I don't know if it's as great as what you got me-"

Shepard gives him a peck on the lips that promises more soon. "I'm sure it's perfect."

She rests her head on his shoulder as they're transfixed by the sunset, but both are restless, and eventually Kaidan rasps, "C'mon, let's go inside."

Shepard trails him, their hands entwined, as he leads her back to the master bedroom, with its pristine staged furniture and the same floor-length windows. Kaidan can't help asking, "What did you have in mind for a wedding?"

Shepard tosses her jacket on a chair and starts shimmying out of her dress, but she replies instantly. "Well, obviously Tali and Garrus have to be there, so we have to ensure those relays get back up and running, and then they come here or we all go there-"

Shepard's down to her skivvies, and Kaidan lifts her into the bed and on top of him. "The adventure never ends, does it?" he laughs, his voice husky.

"Never." She matches him with her own seductive tone and reaches over to the nightstand. Kaidan's roaming touches and mouth at her throat almost cause her to falter, but she hits the button that turns the windows into opaque mirrors on the outside, locking any potential spectators out.

Thank you to all the reviewers, whose words encouraged me to finish this story. It's been a good ride.