Journey Home

The galaxy really isn't all that big when you think about. It's just a handful of stars clustered together compared to the endless sea of lights in the whole universe. And within the galaxy there are only so many planets with people on them. So the odds of running into someone you know are rather good actually.

Tali had been pleasantly surprised to find Dr. Liara Tsoni on a small transport heading to the Citadel. After exchanging greeting hugs the pair went back to Liara's room to talk. The room wasn't very big but at least it was a private one. Tali's bunk was one of six in the room she had. Tali sat cross legged on Liara's bed while the Asari maiden sat across from her with her legs tucked under her.

"Still doing digs Liara?" Tali chirped. That had to be the only reason Liara would be found on the outskirts of Citadel space.

The Prothean expert expression changed to that of guilt and embarrassment. "About that. Please don't tell Shepard. She doesn't know that I make these excursions." Liara said sheepishly.

"Only if you tell me what is going on Blue." Tali used the Asari's nickname to try and coax some details out of the reclusive doctor. The two had forged a strong bond while on the Normandy. Both were single children of very powerful parents and had isolated upbringings. During the early days of the Normandy, and especially when they were left on the ship during missions, the two of them would talk. The crew at the time normally ignored them and Ashley and Alenko were always busy with their various duties. That didn't stop the highly imaginative Humans from coming up with very original nicknames for the aliens on the ship.

Garrus was "Cop" because of his last job. Liara was "Blue" due to her skin color. Tali was "Purp" as in short for purple for the color on her biosuit. Wrex was of course just Wrex. Feel free to come up with a nickname for him. The only requirement is that you have to actually use it. In a sentence. In his presence. Exactly.

Liara shifted a little to buy herself time. After Shepard, Tali was the person she trusted the most, even with the absence of 2 years.

"It took Shepard about 6 months to get back to active duty fitness. It wasn't so bad at first. She'd take missions that might last a week or so. I took a job at the university teaching Prothean classes. Then Shepard started taking longer and longer missions. She leaves me a timetable and usually sticks to them but she's home only a few days a month."

"And so you go on digs while she's away?" Tali concluded.

Liara nodded glumly. "Our apartment just feels so empty without her there. I prefer not to be there when she's not."

"Sounds like you need to talk to her Liara. And talk to Jane, not Shepard."

The Asari maiden tilted her head to the side. "What do you mean Tali?"

"You haven't said Shepard's first name once this whole time. You're using her last name as a means of emotionally distancing yourself."

Liara sighed. "I'll speak with her next time she decides to come home." Then Liara smirked an evil knowing smirk that promised trouble. "So Tali, just what are you doing headed towards the Citadel. Isn't the Flotilla in the other direction?"

It was Tali's turn to squirm under interrogation. Tali had only said goodbye to Liara and had asked her to let Garrus know that she had left to return home. "I'm not entirely sure." Tali answered truthfully.

That was enough to take the playfulness out of the conversation. "He's a Spectre now too."

Tali stiffened at the news. If he was a Spectre now then the plan of just finding him at C-Sec went out the airlock. "I see."

"He has a place in the Upper Wards near us, though he's gone a lot too. Sometimes he leaves messages letting us know how he's doing." Liara said sadly.

"What aren't you telling me Liara?" Tali said leaning forward.

"I'm not sure if it is my place to say."

"Please Liara. I need to know."

"He took your leaving pretty hard. It's like when you left you took the softer side of him with you. I think he pushes himself so hard to distract himself. And I think since he's seen as Shepard's apprentice she feels the need to keep up with him. He doesn't have a wife at home to think about so he's constantly doing missions." Liara said with a hint of bitterness in her voice.

The tone was so foreign and seemed so unreal coming from Liara that Tali was stunned. Liara and mad were not two things that should be in the same sentence, let alone experienced.

"Maybe I can talk to him on your behalf."

"Thank you Tali. I'm sure he'll listen to you." Liara returned to her normal soft tone.

"I wish I was as confidant as you." Tali sighed.

"Why Tali?"

"You make it sound like I broke his heart. I don't know how keen I would be to see someone that did that to me." Tali said sadly. Part of her wished she hadn't talked with Liara. It made her less sure about what she was doing was the right thing.

Liara reached forward and patted the younger woman's arm reassuringly. "I don't think you broke his heart Tali. I think you just left him incomplete. Like you're his other half. His soul mate. "

Tali nodded meekly. Liara wasn't making her feel better and Tali was glad couldn't see the sad, confused expression on her face. Did Garrus really see her as his other half? Did that mean he loved her like she loved him? They never said they loved each other. They never said they even liked each other. They just sort of got together. The closest either of them came to any sort of declaration of feelings wasn't even verbal. Garrus had cooed while holding her after his had gotten disowned.

Yes they kissed but maybe Turians were just really affectionate. The Asari were. At least Liara was with Shepard. Was she really soul mate material like Liara said? Tali knew about soul mates because of conversations she had had with Liara back during the Normandy days. Still that was a Human and Asari thing, this idea of soul mates. Quarians didn't have that concept. They had love and marriage but the idea that there was an exact matching person meant for just you in this universe seemed a little silly to Tali. What were the odds you would meet that person or that they were even of the same species?

Maybe Tali was just looking for reasons to doubt. Doubt him, doubt herself, she wasn't really sure. Was she making the right choice? If she wasn't it was too late now. She would just have to live with whatever decision he made when they saw each other again.

She couldn't go back to the Flotilla. She had spoken with her father one last time before leaving. It had been a very… odd experience to say the least. Her relationship with her father had always been distant, especially after her mother died. The fact that Tali looked a lot like her mother didn't help matters. Still, when Admiral Zorah heard that his daughter was leaving the fleet he had requested that she see him.

The exchange was very one sided. Tali's father had tried to placate his daughter with a few words about how it would just take time to get used to life on the Flotilla again.

"I don't want the Flotilla, father. I just want to go home."

That was all Tali had said the entire time she was with her father. During her father's career, Tali's family had moved to many ships so the word "home" had special meaning for them. Yes the Migrant Fleet was constantly moving so the Quarian idea of home was the mobile collection of ships but to Tali and her father is meant something else. It wasn't a specific ship or location within a vessel, it was a person. Someone that made them feel like they could relax and feel loved by; Tali's mother. Since her passing either father nor daughter had used the word "home" until today.

Tali's father looked at her for a long time before opening a drawer in his small desk. He took out a small rectangular box and gave it to Tali saying, "Go home Tali. Go home."

Tali merely nodded, took and box and didn't look back. She was going home.

A/N: Yeah, more to come. Anyone else live in so many countries they don't call home a place but rather a collection of people? No? Just me? Oh okay. Do leave a review after the next chapter and put in your thoughts on who you think it is. Also, how are you guys liking the updates as they are; a double update with one chapter for Garrus and one for Tali?