A/N Bioware's sandbox I just like to play. Dedicated to Em my ever wonderful editor and muse who told me this was fine even though I was sure I liked this chapter.
At oh-six-hundred, Shepard stepped aboard the Normandy. She carried her kit bag in one hand and in the other, a hanger attached to the clothes bag that trailed down her back. Behind her Miranda, Kasumi, Liara and Tali were similarly outfitted.
"You ok, Joker?" Shepard asked, making her customary turn to the left after coming aboard.
"Sure. You ready for the big day?"
Shepard grinned. "Absolutely."
"Joker, our shuttle is on approach. Are we clear?" Kaidan's voice came crackling over the comm.
Joker grinned. "You'd better get up to the loft, Commander."
Shepard nodded and hefted her kit bag more securely in her grip. "Copy that." She stalked off towards the lift.
Two hours later, Shepard had to give credit where credit was due. She looked amazing. Entirely down to Miranda's efforts, since the only make up she knew how to do was the single line of eyeliner she habitually wore, and the only hairstyle she knew how to do was her usual ponytail. Right now, her eyes looked smoky and seductive and her hair was half pinned up in some magic way that framed her face perfectly. She looked better than she had ever looked before ever in her life and yet, somehow she did not look unlike herself.
"Ah, Shepard," Liara breathed. "You look like the goddess herself."
Shepard turned to face her, one quizzical eyebrow raised. "I look Prothean?" she questioned dryly. "Should I be marrying Javick then?"
Liara blushed. "You know what I mean," she said somewhat reproachfully.
Shepard grinned. "I did. And thanks."
"Hey ladies, better get the blushing bride down here. Groom's a-waitin'!" came Joker's disembodied voice over the comm.
"Blushing bride, Joker? Really?" Shepard asked sarcastically.
"Fine," he replied, with an over-dramatic sigh. "Get the ass-kicking bride down here, we're ready!"
Shepard grinned and grabbed her bouquet.
"Nervous, Shep?" Kasumi asked, straightening her fitted black and red bridesmaid dress.
"Not even slightly."
As the doors to starboard observation opened Shepard had to, once again, admit that she was impressed. The room was bathed in a soft glow. She had no idea how, since the only lights in evidence were the usual overhead ones, but it was perfect. Some kind of soft carpet had been laid along the centre of the room to mark the 'aisle' and small bunches of roses, red, similar to the ones she carried, had been pinned to the ends of the seating.
At the end of the aisle, framed against the stars shining outside the window, was Kaidan, standing at his usual perfectly polished parade rest and dressed in a set of perfectly pressed dress blues (what else?), medals gleaming on his chest, dark brown eyes soft and warm and appreciative as they gazed at her.
She really was the luckiest woman alive.
A hum of conversation greeted her as she stepped forwards. She caught James' soft 'damn Lola' and Chakwas' little sob and had just enough time to grin at her assembled crew before she was up by the window with Kaidan and Joker.
"Hi," she said, having handed her bouquet off to Miranda.
"Hey," he replied, voice soft. He took both her hands in his. "And wow."
"Thanks." She smiled.
"You guys ready?" Joker asked.
"Absolutely," Kaidan replied, though his dark, intense eyes never wavered from her own and she felt her heartbeat begin to unmistakeably race.
"Dearly beloved, psychopaths, mercenaries, thieves and generally crazy people..." Joker began.
He had been ordained via the extranet some weeks earlier without either her or Kaidan knowing. She had no idea why in the galaxy he had wanted to officiate, but once he'd tentatively asked she hadn't the heart to say no. Plus, this way it could be just the crew. Just those who had served aboard this fine vessel and no more. Exactly the way she'd wanted it. Still...
"Joker..." she said warningly.
"What?" he asked, splaying his hands in an expression of faux innocence.
"He is technically correct, Shepard," EDI interjected.
"Hey, I resent that," Cortez added from somewhere at the back of the room. "I'm not half as crazy as Mr Vega here."
"Ha! You just can't handle crazy, Esteban," James replied.
"Go unbunch your panties, Vega," Jack jumped in. "Your crazy ain't got nothin' on me."
"OK!" Shepard snapped. "We're all crazy, glad we figured that out. But perhaps we could get back to the reason we're here before I have to start shooting?"
Kaidan raised a quizzical eyebrow at her. "You're armed?"
"Of course," she replied. He took a half step back but didn't release her hands. His eyes raked her figure, taking in the tight fit of her dress.
"Where?" he asked, raising his eyes to hers once again.
She grinned wolfishly at him. "Be good, and I'll let you find out later."
"Ew! Too much info, Commander," Joker said, holding his hands over scandalised eyes.
"Everyone! We're on a tight schedule, remember?" Miranda stepped into the centre. "Perhaps we could continue?"
"Ok, ok," Joker said. Miranda stepped back and Kaidan stepped forward once again.
"Assembled crewmates," Joker began again, shooting a 'happy now?' glance at Miranda. "We are gathered here today, in secret, so that these two can finally get hitched without all the political bullcrap."
"Hear hear!" came the general cheer.
"Since anyone who would dare to disagree with the union is liable to be shot, I assume that no-one can think of any reason why these two should not be joined?"
Total silence greeted his question.
"Oooo…Ok then," Joker said after a moment. "Kaidan, you first, repeat after me. I, Kaidan Alenko..."
"I, Kaidan Alenko, take thee, Sarah Shepard, to be my lawfully wedded wife. To have and to hold, to love and to cherish, in sickness and in health, until death, via one of your crazy antics, do we part."
Shepard, eyes moist, laughed and punched him good-naturedly in the arm.
"Ow!" he chuckled.
"Shepard?" Joker prompted. She swallowed. Her throat felt suddenly tight but when she spoke, her voice was clear.
"I, Sarah Shepard, take thee, Kaidan Alenko, to be my lawfully wedding husband." Shepard had given many speeches in her time and many times the fate of the entire galaxy had rested on those speeches, and yet, none of them felt anywhere near as important as the words she had to say now. "To have and to hold, to love and to cherish, in sickness and in health, until a peaceful death many many many years from now, do we part."
His smile widened. God he looked good when he smiled, she really was spectacularly lucky, all things considered.
"Garrus, I think you have the rings?" Joker said.
"Er...Right," Garrus said, stepping forward and awkwardly fishing out the small black bag from his suit pocket. "Here." He handed it to Kaidan. Kaidan tipped the rings into his palm and tossed her the larger one, a lopsided smile on his lips.
"Ladies first," he said slyly. She grinned and took his left hand in her own.
"With his ring, I thee wed," she intoned as she slid the ring onto his finger. When she once again raised her eyes to his they shone, and as he took her own left hand, she saw him swallow, hard, once and couldn't resist squeezing his hand hard once. He squeezed hers back before sliding her own ring home.
"With this ring, I thee wed."
As one, they turned to Joker. He was staring at them, a smile on his face and a twinkle in his eye.
"By the power vested in me by the magic of the extranet. I now pronounce you Husband and Wife together." He turned to Kaidan. "I suggest you kiss your bride."
"Thanks, man," Kaidan replied sarcastically before pulling her unresisting form into his arms. One of his hands fell to her hip, the other stroked her cheek for a brief second before his soft lips met hers in the most tender kiss he had ever bestowed upon her. Dimly she heard the cheers of her crew somewhere in the distance before the thought we can do better than this skittered through her mind. She promptly moved her hand to the back of his head and used the leverage she now had to pull him into a proper kiss. He huffed a puff of laughter against her lips and the cheers of the crew got impossibly louder. When they broke apart moments later he was laughing, she was smiling, Joker was mid wolf-whistle, Chakwas was crying, Wrex was clapping Kaidan on the back, Liara and Kasumi were hugging her, Miranda was opening a bottle of champagne, James and Cortez were cheering...
And they were married.
A champagne flute was pushed into her hand and soon everyone had one. There was cheering and hugging and crying and everyone was smiling and happy and free. She had never been happier in her entire life.
Eventually, after half an hour or so, Miranda loudly clapped her hands.
"Alright everyone, fun's over; we've still got the circus to attend!"
"Good point," Shepard agreed, draining the last of her champagne. "Let's move out!"
There was a general scurrying around for jackets and bags and things before everyone meandered towards the exit. Shepard set her champagne flute down, scooped up her bouquet and made to follow the girls out the door when his hand closed over her own.
"Two minutes," he told the girls, pulling her into his arms. She watched them leave before turning her attention to him.
"So," he said conversationally. "How are you enjoying today so far?"
She shrugged. "So far, so good," she said smiling up at him.
He smiled back, his eyes unmistakably warm with affection. "I thought so too...wife."
She felt an explosion of warmth in the pit of her stomach at the title and, for just a second, forgot how to breathe.
"Husband," she managed to reply.
He smiled and kissed her softly, slowly but very very thoroughly. She felt herself melt into him and was privately very grateful for his arm around her waist because her knees were certainly no longer capable of supporting her.
Then, they were, somewhat rudely in her opinion, interrupted by Miranda.
"We're going to be late," she snapped completely un-apologetically.
"Right." Kaidan stepped away from her. "See you at the next altar, Shepard."
He left, pushing past Miranda as he did so. Shepard folded her arms across her chest and fixed Miranda with the harshest glare she could manage on a day like today.
"What?" Miranda said. "I'm not letting you be late."