Hey guys, I can't believe this has become my longest story out of all of them. It's coming along nicely, at least I think so. Review!

Shepard's POV

Shepard moved around in bed, his mind racing as he turned on his back and looked up at the ceiling of his personal cabin. He couldn't get Ethan's face out of his mind, smiling to himself as he remembered the embrace they both shared back on the Citadel. Shepard swung his legs over the side of the bed as he stood up and threw on a shirt. He walked out of his quarters as he moved towards the elevator, pressing the button as the door flung open, stepping in as he turned around and pressed the button for the Crew Quarters. Shepard stood back as the door closed, feeling the elevator begin to move down as he crossed his arms and tapped his foot against the metal of the elevator floor. Shepard walked out as the elevator finally came to a stop, turning towards the Observatory Room as he walked through the automatic door and looked at the passing stars. Shepard took a seat at one of the couches as he stared off at the galaxies in the distance, Tunchanka not far off. He could see the lights coming from the Krogan cities, sparkling like diamonds amongst the desert ridden planet.

"You okay? I usually never see you in here unless your deep in thought." came Tali's voice as Shepard turned his head to see Tali coming up to him.

"Yea...just thinking about some things. Shouldn't you be asleep, it's your sleep shift isn't it?" Shepard asked as he turned to look back at Tunchanka, Tali taking a seat next to him as she crossed her legs.

"I got caught up in my work, can't really sleep either. You want to talk about what's on your mind?" Tali asked as she looked over at Shepard, her green eyes shining through her environmental mask.

"I...just don't know if it's safe to bring Ethan aboard the Normandy. My heart says I should, but my logic stands against the decision...I just don't want to see him get hurt or have him see me get hurt." Shepard said as he leaned back against the couch cushions, leaning his head back as he looked up at the ceiling

"Shepard, I've known you since I was a little girl during my pilgrimage for the Quarian Fleet. I know you've had to make difficult decisions at times that sometimes didn't always pan out the way we had all hoped...but your finally being presented with a chance to be happy. We all have seen sorrow in our time serving, but we've also seen happiness and peace as well. Our galaxy is finally at peace, something that has not been accomplished in it's entire history. You brought the Council together, brought warring planets together, you've managed to do something that was never thought possible. Take this moment of peace and enjoy it, you deserve it after all the hard work you've put into this. I mean come on Shepard, you were brought back from the dead! Your mind is like forty, but they stopped the cloning process at the age of twenty-five, they made you younger Shepard, enjoy your new profound youth. You were given a second chance for a reason Shepard, so on behalf of your entire crew and the galaxy, enjoy it." Tali said in a please voice, reaching up and gripping Shepard's shoulder as he looked at her and chuckled.

"Okay Tali...thanks for talking with me." Shepard said before turning his attention back to the observation window, taking in the beauty of space.

Ethan's POV

Ethan walked through the hall with a few other recruits at his side, all of them chatting amongst themselves as he kept his attention to himself. Ethan turned into a room as Atia'Voza led them inside a large room with two openings in the wall.

"Alright recruits, today we test your close combat skill and survival skill. I'll be breaking you up into two groups, Group Omega and Group Alpha. You'll be suiting up in a pressure sensitive armor today, it has sensors around the entire suit and is equipped to fit all Alliance species. Your head, neck, chest, and legs have the most sensors in them being that they are vital to close quarter combat. The object of the goal today is to be split up in this maze like station and find your way to the other side in two hours. Inside the maze you'll come to experience that it simulates all weather conditions, terrain types, and even low gravity situations. The maze shall test your physical endurance, mental endurance, and even emotional endurance as well that you would implement during combat. The first team to exit the maze within the two hour mark wins, losing team runs twenty laps after dinner tonight. If you are hit and your suit begins to glow white, it means that you are incapacitated and therefore out of the mission. There is to be no foul play, cheating, or removal of the armor. Do I make myself clear?" the Quarian said as the rest of the recruits including Ethan saluted her before she stepped out of the way and let them suit up. Ethan smiled as he looked at the blue armor of Group Omega, turning around to see Group Alpha suiting up in a blood red armor.

"You ready Ethan?" came Nareenia's voice as Ethan turned around to see her walking up in her armor before putting on her helmet.

"Yea...as ready as I can be." Ethan said as he put on his helmet, his eyes being bombared by a scanner inside as he looked out of the small window of vision he had. Ethan walked over to the door as he looked up and saw Atia'Voza in a observation room overlooking the maze.

"Get ready, go!" the Quarian said as the two doors opened and everyone ran inside the maze, the doors closing behind them.

A Hour Later

Ethan crouched down behind a pillar, rain pounding this particular area of the maze as he looked over at Nareenia and motioned for them both to move. He looked around the pillar before moving across the arena before noticing movement out of the corner of his eyes. Ethan turned his head to the left only for his scanner to light up in red as a opposing player came running at him. He ran and slid across the ground as the player ran past him, Nareenia tripping him before taking a elbow dive into the player's chest. Ethan watched as the opposing player's armor lit up in a stark white glow before finally turning black. Nareenia walked over and helped Ethan up as they saw three doors at the opposite side wall, each of them with a sealed door blocking their path.

"Which one do we take?" Ethan heard through his comm system as he looked over at Nareenia, her face hidden by the helmet as he walked forward and inspected the doors.

"I don't know...the middle one, let's take the middle one." Ethan said as he walked up to the door and pushed a button, listening to the door hiss before it opened, revealing a long hall. Ethan waved Nareenia over as they walked through the door, listening to it close behind them as they came to two more doors ahead.

"Let's take the one to the left." Nareenia remarked as she walked forward, pressing a button as the door opened to reveal a lunar like arena. Ethan walked in as Nareenia led the way, the door hissing close behind them as they looked up and saw a holographic projection of Earth in the distance.

"Wait..did you hear that?" Nareenia asked before Ethan felt a blow to his back as he stumbled forward, turning around swiftly to see a Alpha player running towards him again. Ethan turned to run only to see another Alpha player blocking his escape as he felt a fist connect with his chest. He could hear a loud beeping noise in his helmet before he turned around again, this time a armored foot connecting with his chest area as he felt himself fly backwards in the low gravity, finally collapsing onto the ground as he felt his suit lock up as it began to glow a stark white before turning black.

"Son of a bitch!" Ethan yelled as he watched the Alpha players take down Nareenia next, her suit finally giving out as she collapsed into a crater not too far from his location. He watched on as the Alpha players vacated the scene before finally disappearing.

"Looks like it's twenty laps for us at dinner...dammit." came Nareenia's voice as Ethan laid there in his armor, wondering how much longer they would be incapacitated before one of the teams finally won.

"Yea, I guess so. This stinks...though I have to admit it was kind of fun. Not all of the training sucks I guess." Ethan said as he looked up at the holographic image of Earth, the clouds moving over the land masses as he closed his eyes and thought of the Normandy.

"Ethan...can I ask you something?" came Nareenia's voice over the comm system as Ethan opened his eyes once more.

"Yea sure, what is it?" Ethan asked, watching as a shooting star moved across the fake ceiling. He was still amazed at the advancement in technology.

"How did you come to know Commander Shepard?" Nareenia asked, her voice laced with curiosity and wonder. Ethan stayed quiet for a long moment as he thought back to everything that had happened.

"If you really want to know...then I'll tell you...guess if I tell you then I have to tell Benny too since he's been dying to know. Shepard found me when I was in a very bad situation, he and his crew helped me through some problems and took me in as one of their own. Shepard and I...we kinda have...this bond I guess. When I look at him...I feel like everything will be okay...like there's nothing I have to fear anymore." Ethan said, noticing Nareenia's silence in return as he turned his head and looked off towards the crater.

"So you have feelings for him?" Nareenia finally asked after what seemed like a eternity of silence.

"Yea...I do. When we get our week of shore leave, he's coming to see me and we plan on having dinner together." Ethan said, getting another moment of silence in return.

"I'm happy for you Ethan, truly I am. I'm almost sixty-three and I'm just now figuring out what I want to do with my life...what I need to do. My mother was a Asari Spectre for the Council on the Citadel...she was killed during the Cereberus attack on the Citadel. She's the reason I decided to join the Alliance, I want to make sure no more kids have to lose their parents due to war." Nareenia said before the room's graphic finally began to fade away, leaving bare metal walls.

"Attention recruits, Team Alpha has won the training exercise." came a automatic voice over the maze intercom as Ethan stood back up and slammed his helmet onto the ground, clearly frustrated.

"Looks like we are running laps tonight Ethan." Nareenia said with a shrug of her shoulders before they both looked at each other, a smirk on their lips before they began to chuckle and then laugh together as they grabbed their helmets and followed a neon light leading them out of the maze.

Please review! Was this chapter any good? I need your thoughts!