Hello my avid fans, I am so happy that you are all still enjoying the story! I get so happy to see your reviews throughout the day! Thank you!

Jane's POV

Jane sat there in her living room, her father off in the kitchen as she flipped through a school book with a pencil in her hand. She looked up as she gazed out the window, the sun light fighting to stream through the gray haze of pollution in the air.

"President Hilary Clinton called a press conference today to announce that NASA's Project Salvation, a plan for interstellar exploration has been moved up. Due to alarming pollution levels rising across the world, many world leaders have decided to shift majority funding into this project. A total of twenty-five countries now fund Project Salvation with England and Japan being the two largest contributors behind the United States." came a voice from the TV as Jane looked over and saw the President's face plastered over the screen, a smile coming to her lips.

"When is Jake suppose to come over sweetie?" came Ross's voice as Jane looked over as her dad walked into the living room, taking off a oven mitt in the process.

"He texted me a few minutes ago, he's on his way. He had to stop and pick up a new mask for his mother, her asthma has been pretty bad lately. Hey dad...could I ask you something?" Jane asked as she tapped the end of her pencil against her notebook.

"Of course sweetie, you can ask me anything." Ross said as he walked over and sat down on the couch next to her, smiling as he took a breather from cooking.

"What would you say...if I told you I wanted to start testing to become...well...applicable for Project Salvation?" Jane said as she looked over at her father, his smile slowly but surely falling.

"I...uh...well hunny...I'll be honest with you. I'd be scared to death, not just for me but you as well. Among the countless dangers you may face in space...it would also mean you'd have to leave Earth...and never return. You've heard what the President said...those who go...they are going for good. If you truly wanted to do something like that though...well what kind of father would I be to stop you from accomplishing your dreams? Sweetie, I want you to follow your heart. I want you to do what makes you happy, something that you wake up everyday and know your making a difference. If...if leaving Earth to better your life is what you need to do...well then I'm behind you all the way. Just as long as you leave...knowing you have your family's love with you at all times, if your mother and brother were here...I think they'd say go for it." Ross said as he fumbled with his hands before looking up at his daughter with a sincere smile on his face.

"Thanks dad...I've been thinking about it for awhile. I...I wanna go up there and look out into the great beyond...and just breathe. It's been awhile since I've seen the stars at night...I want to see those again...like how mom and I did a long time ago." Jane said as she looked back down at her school paper. She felt her father's hand on her shoulder as she remembered back to her mother's embrace, leaning into her shoulder as she stared off into the night sky.

"Hunny, if your mother were here right now...well I think she would be very proud of the woman your becoming." Ross said with a bit of sadness laced in his voice before they both heard a knock at the front door. Jane stood up as she walked towards it, turning at the doorway as she looked at her father.

"Thanks dad." Jane said with a smile in return, happy to have her father's approval.

Ethan's POV

Ethan stared in the mirror of the men's restroom on the Normandy, running his hand through his hair before straightening his tie which was glowing in a fluorescent blue. Ethan looked down at the bottle of cologne he had been given by Tali, eyeing it curiously as he reached down and picked it up.

"Krogan Spice...huh...hope this doesn't poison my ass." Ethan said as he uncapped the bottle and spritzed it on two times. The smell hit his nose instantly, a sweet and musky mix combined with a hint of floral essence.

"Damn...this smells amazing!" Ethan said to himself as he recapped the cologne and took one last look at himself in the mirror. He couldn't help but smile at his white button up and glowing blue tie that Liara had bought for him as a gift. Ethan turned on his heel as he walked out of the bathroom, the door closing behind him automatically before he saw Shepard waiting for him.

"You take forever to get ready...I hope you know that." Shepard said with a small chuckle as Ethan began to blush before they both began to walk across the Bridge, a few other crew members talking amongst themselves and running around.

"I thought the Normandy was on dry dock?" Ethan said as he looked at a few of the crew members working and doing system checks.

"It is, but we enjoy our leisure time in shifts. We figured it's a great way to keep us on our toes in case anything happens but yet still gives us time to relax as well." Shepard said as they walked through the airlock door and out into the Docking Bay.

"Oh, well that makes sense. So Commander, where do we go tonight?" Ethan asked, finally happy he could enjoy some free time with the Normandy crew once more. He looked around the crowded Docking Bay as aliens and humans moved about in their day to day lives with ships coming and going.

"Well..it's your shore leave. Where do you want to go?" Shepard asked, turning his head slightly to look at Ethan.

"Need I remind you, I am not from this universe. I do not know crap about what there is to do...your pick." Ethan said with a giggle as he smiled at Shepard's laugh, turning his head as well to admire Shepard's leather jacket and jeans.

"Well, I do know a club in London that serves a great wine list." Shepard said as he turned left, Ethan right behind him as he raised his hand with a pair of keys in them. Shepard pressed a button on the keys as a nearby sports hover car flashed with light. Ethan looked over at the car, a nice slick white with black stripes running across it.

"Holy cow, is this yours!?" Ethan said, running up to the car as he ran his hands across the slick paint and looked at Shepard with excitement.

"Ha, I don't even own my own hover car. Being that I'm on the Normandy almost all the time, I just use Rapid Transit when I can. This is Admiral Hackett's, I pulled a favor and he let me borrow it for tonight." Shepard said as he popped the glass front open, letting Ethan take his seat in the passenger side before Shepard took his seat at the wheel. Ethan ran his fingers across the white interior as he listened to the glass front close and lock in place before Shepard started the car. He smiled as he felt the car leave the ground before Shepard put it in drive and sped forward. Ethan looked around at the city, the lights of all the other cars flying around and ships coming in towards the Docking Bay turning the city into a almost living being. He could see Reapers patrolling the city, their synthetic bodies lighting the city with glowing swaths of green color. Ethan pressed his hands against the glass as he looked down at the walkways, filled with people crossing them and hovering trains moving across magnetic strips. Ethan felt a tap on his shoulder as he looked over at Shepard who was pointing at a building over to their right, lights flashing through the nights sky in a multitude of colors.

"I think you'll love this club, it tailors to a certain theme every night and tonight's is the forties of the twentieth century." Shepard said as he turned the hover car, Ethan sitting back as the gravity and force made his stomach begin to tickle.

"You do realize I'm from the twenty-first century right? The forties were like sixty years before my time." Ethan said as he quirked a eyebrow over at Shepard who just rolled his eyes in return with a smile.

"I know smart ass, I meant that since it's a theme that you won't be totally lost in that you may favor this club." Shepard said as they got closer to the building, coming in for a landing over a parking lot attached to the top of the building for hover cars. Ethan saw a lot of well dressed people entering the club as a Turian bouncer stood guard.

Moments Later

Ethan walked through the front entrance, a massive club floor spanning the length of the club itself. A Asari stood on stage with a band behind her, singing into a hovering microphone as she walked across the stage. Ethan smiled as he could hear forties music playing, futuristic beats mixed in with it as she woman sang. He could see tons of people dancing together in pairs on the dance floor, humans dancing with aliens and vice verse. He smiled as he watched a female Turian man the DJ off to the side, thrusting her hands into the air as two Quarian males danced next to her.

"God...I use to have dreams about things like this...but then I always had to wake up from them and go about my boring life."

"Hello gentlemen, how can I help you today?" came a voice as Ethan turned his head to see a human female walking up to them, wearing a forties style dress that draped down to the floor. He quirked a eyebrow at it, long strings of glowing thread had been embroidered into the sides.

"Table for two, preferably away from the loud music." Shepard said as the woman smiled at them both before gesturing them to follow her as she grabbed two menu's and walked around the massive dance floor towards a low lit area with tables and booths.

"Is this spot okay for you two?" the woman asked as she gestured her hand over to a table with two chairs adjoined to it, a candle lit in the middle of it.

"This spot is perfect." Ethan said as he smiled at the woman, her blonde hair draping down to her lower back as smiled and set their menu's down before walking off. Ethan went to take his seat before Shepard stopped him, taking a second to pull out the chair as Ethan smiled and felt a warmth creeping up into his cheeks before he took his seat.

"I can see that even though it's hundreds of years in the future and I'm in a whole other universe, chivalry is not dead." Ethan remarked with a slight chuckle as he fumbled with his hands, looking around before he felt a hand on his.

"Ethan, don't worry. Your meant to enjoy yourself on this date...at least I hope you do." Shepard said as Ethan turned to look at him, the candle light enhancing the glow from Shepard's green eyes.

"I know and I'm having a killer time so far, just nervous about...well I guess impressing you." Ethan admitted, hoping he wasn't coming across as rude or clingy.

"Ethan, your a man from a whole other universe, I'm already beyond impressed. Now as far as impressing me with your character, you've already shown me that you have a kind and caring heart, I came to learn a lot about you in the two months you spent on the Citadel. Like for example, I know your favorite color is red. You enjoy Italian food, preferably pizza. And your favorite movie is Easy A, or is it Easy B?" Shepard said with a smile as Ethan smiled back, covering his mouth with his other hand as his cheeks began to hurt from laughing too hard.

"Back where I'm from, not many people were interested in what I had to say or do. I was considered the uncool kid by school terms for a long time, I had a few friends but not many." Ethan said as he remembered back to his old life, taking a moment to look off into space as he tried to brush those thoughts away.

"Well look at you now, I'd say you've probably blown their expectations of 'cool' by a few hundred notches. I also know that you love watching the sunrise." Shepard said, Ethan looking up at him with a little bit of surprise on his face.

"How did you know that, I never told you that." Ethan said, taking a sip of the water on the table as he watched Shepard look off towards the dance floor.

"Almost every time I woke up late, I'd catch you watching those shows showcasing Earth. I noticed that you'd become entranced by the sun rising, as if you were off in some other world. You'd move and be active during the rest of the show, but when the sunrise came...you'd get really quiet and peaceful." Shepard said before looking back over at Ethan, Ethan looking at him a serious undertone in his eyes before a small smile crept onto his face.

"I like watching them over the ocean, those are my favorite ones. When I was a kid, my parents took us to the beach and I remember getting up early one morning with my mother and going down to the beach. It was still dark out and we had flashlights so we could look for baby sea turtles making their way to the ocean after hatching. I remember looking up as the sun started to rise...it was as if the light from the sun was just washing away all the scary darkness...I wasn't afraid anymore. That's how I felt...when I first saw you. For some reason...being around you after I woke up back in the Med-Bay, I felt safe. You were the sun washing away all of the darkness, I felt safe even when I was afraid and alone." Ethan admitted as he stared into Shepard's eyes, Shepard staring right back as he reached over and gripped his hand.

"I'm glad I can be that security for you. Back when the Reaper War ended and I gave my life, I finally felt like I was at peace. There was no war, no death, no pain, nothing. When I was brought back, I felt all of that again and I went into a deep depression. Three years later, you popped into my ship and as I came to know you...I'm starting to feel that peace that I felt again." Shepard said as Ethan slowly gripped his hand back.

"Well I'm glad I can be that peace for you as well, I can't wait to see where this new life leads me, I hope to have you and the Normandy along with me on the journey." Ethan remarked, watching as Shepard took a sip of his own water.

"Your part of the Normandy family now, we will always be here at your side Ethan." Shepard answered back as Ethan saw a reddening blush creep onto the Commander's face.

"Now come, let's enjoy this dinner." Ethan said, letting go of Shepard's hand as they both picked up their menu's and began to look over them.

So...thoughts? Tell me what you think!