'What's this?' Tali asked, her confusion clear even though the slight distortion of her helm speakers.

'Let's just call it a "Welcome Home" present.' Garrus had replied as enigmatically as he could.

The turian was nervous; EDI could see that without looking at his bio-signatures. She hadn't originally been programmed to chart non-human biorhythms and behaviours even though she 'knew' that the Commander's original mission would include non-humans...however, much had changed since then and EDI had opened her research further afield. After all, she wasn't human, nor was she asari, turian, salarian, krogan, quarian or any other race. She was a species of one, and therefore had no real basis for how she should actually be. In truth, despite this, EDI felt that she would be closer to a human mindset and behavioural parameters simply because it had been humans that had built, designed and initially programmed her. Plus she currently inhabited a human female form physical platform. However, this did not restrict her either...in fact she believe it necessitated her knowledge expansion into other races.

Turians were fairly simple to read in terms of the biometrics. As a race that prided itself in stoicism and discipline, their biological were the exact opposite. And in the here and now, EDI saw that Garrus's was doing backflips, not to mention a host of visual cues that were there if you noticed them. From the squirming of his clawed hands to the clicking of his mandibles, they all added up to nervousness.

'I haven't said I'd stay Garrus. I am an Admiral of the Fleet now.' she teased as her fingers began to carefully pull back the wrapper of the gift Garrus had just presented her with. The slowness of her actions seemed to make Garrus even more anxious. EDI smiled, Tali couldn't escape her natural inclination for trying to preserve everything, so that it could be used again...even the wrapper of a gift. In truth it was part of an old survival cover from the med-bay that Dr. Michel had given him, although he'd had some job cutting the silvery, reflective material up despite appearing paper-thin. After all, it was meant to keep people warm, not cover presents.

Gift giving was something EDI had often looked into as it was a simple way of expressing affection for another. Many were given in terms of friendship, especially on specifically designated days, like birthdays. But it was also something that people who were or wish to be romantically involved did as well. They gifted a token of their affection to the person they wished to be involved with...and these things could vary greatly depending on a great many different factors that EDI had not quite managed to pin down yet. However, what EDI did manage to observe is that gifts were often specific...but again it wasn't straight forward, as sometimes they were specific to the giver, but most times they were tailored to the receiver.

Tali finished removing the wrapper with care and turned over the revealed object.

'Turian chocolate?' she asked Garrus, a smile evident in the raised timber of her voice. Tali's voice always elevated in pitch when was experiencing a positive emotion, EDI had observed.

'Yeah, Turian chocolate for my favourite fellow Dextro aboard.'

'I'm the only Dextro aboard that you know Garrus!'

Tali snorted with laughter and both she and EDI watched Garrus seem to deflate at her laughter, causing Tali to start to stumble over her words as she started to shoot them out in defence of what she had said and trying to reassure Garrus that she meant no harm or offense by her laughter. Garrus tried to wave away her apologises and merely said that she hope that she enjoyed the chocolate as she sounded a little wistful when he had mentioned he had some while she was aboard the geth Dreadnought and turned to leave.

EDI had heard and read many stories about those that had their gifts rejected by the person they had bought them for. Jeff had spoken about a girl in flight school who'd rejected his gift of advice to her and she ended up finishing fourth in the class, rather than second, behind him. He put her stubbornly ignoring his advice down to the fact she was secretly in love with him and that, if she'd have taken it, the rest of the class would've got so jealous they'd have quit and the Alliance would've been short of pilots. EDI suspected that the reason was quite the reserve...that he'd told this girl some things to try and curry favour with her and she had wanted nothing to do with him. It made EDI wonder what gift Jeff might get for her, were he inclined to buy something for her. It wouldn't be easy, EDI thought...after all, she had no real need for anything other than maintenance and had no desire for trinkets, like Commander Shepard's model ships, cluttering up the space aboard the ship. However, due to the situation unfolding before her, EDI always calculated how hurt Jeff might be if he presented her with something and then she dismissed it. She decided he would appear at least as deflated as Garrus did, if not worse. It was then that she decided that, despite needing nothing, if Jeff gave her a gift she would accept it. And probably return the gesture too. But what would she buy him?

'Would you like some? Chocolate, I mean.' Tali blurted out suddenly, trying to stop Garrus leaving. 'Please!' she added when he hesitated but didn't turn around. 'It wouldn't be fair to deprivation my favourite turian of his chocolate either, especially when he got it as a gift himself from the doctor.'

EDI smiled as Garrus laughed, echoing Tali's words, but with no malice in his voice.

'I'm the ONLY turian aboard.'

'Then all the more for us!' Tali spoke with a smile, breaking the chocolate in half. '...you did sterilize this, didn't you?' she asked.

EDI wasn't sure if turians could blush...but Garrus's mandibles clicked again and the leathery skin just visible below his crest seemed to appear a little rosier than usual. She guessed that would be as close as a turian might come to the human reaction of going red in the face.

'...dammit!' he whispered.

'Don't worry about it!' Tali reassured him 'I can get my half done and we can enjoy it together another time.'

Garrus regarded the little quarian for a moment, EDI wondered what he was thinking.

'Thanks Tali...' he said at length. '...I glad you're back with us. But I have a better idea about the chocolate' he grinned.

'Oh?' Tali inquired, always so innocent.

'Why don't we share it on Rannoch, once we've kicked the Reapers and the geth off your homeworld?'

EDI watched as Tali seemed to almost fidget at the words. She hesitated, EDI wondered why. It was much more difficult to assess the quarians as their enviro-suits blanketed many of the easily detectable signs that EDI monitored and collated and often attributed to certain behavioural types. Did she hesitate because she was going to refuse the offer? No, EDI didn't think so. Then was her hesitation nervousness? Again, EDI wasn't so sure. Garrus and Tali had a good relationship with each other. They worked well together and both had a decidedly nervous energy around the other now. EDI ran the numbers...were they attracted to each other? Although EDI had little basis for proper comparison, seeing how they were really the only two of their species she'd had regular contact with...cross-species attraction wasn't uncommon. Yes, she eventually concluded, they were attracted to each other.

'I'd like that.' Tali finally said. EDI hoped that she was smiling as much as Garrus was when she had spoken.

EDI was pleased at the situation. It would provide a very interesting counter point to the relationships that were already going on aboard the Normandy, both new and older ones. Not to mention the unique opportunity of potentially seeing how such a thing would occur, given the fragile nature of the quarian immune system.

'Speaking of Rannoch, we should probably go and see if Shepard has calmed down enough to not take on the geth and the Reapers singlehandedly.'

'Yeah, I don't envy Kaidan that task!' Garrus commented. 'But he might need our help too. EDI, where's Shepard?'

'The Commander is in the War Room and has requested both of your presence. There have been...developments on Rannoch.'

EDI watched the hurry away, still pondering on the pair of them. More investigation was clearly needed.