A/N: Well this took forever to finish because of finals and general school related garbage… but! I finally got around to uploading some art work to deviant art if you're interested just head to my profile and hit the link. Thanks everyone!

This will be an interaction chapter but it takes place while Shepard does side missions.

So I wrote a couple surprises in here that I had not planned to so there ya go, I'm crazy so sue me…

Follow me to VIC-TO-RY!

Chapter 8: Sidequesting

I open my eyes and roll out of the bunk neatly landing from the drop, Garrus is already out, scratch that He's probably sleeping in the Mako. I mentally shrug and grab some clean clothes and a towel.

After a nice shower I sit down for breakfast, Liara and Kaidan are eating as well and we chat until I finish. I head down to cargo and continue working on the new RPGs. About two hours later Shepard calls Wrex Ash and Kaidan up to the airlock for a mission, I don't know what some sidequest or Alliance mission.

Well the machine will be busy for around two hours making parts so I decide to grab my guitar, I'm just sitting on the floor back against the workbench practicing when Tali walks up. She comes over and I motion for her to sit down, She does staring at my guitar.

"What is that?" She asks.

"It's a guitar." I reply.

"It sounds like the music you gave me so I thought it might be, I didn't know you played."

"A bit I'm not that good though."

"May I see it?"

"Sure but I don't think you'll have much luck if you want to play it."

"Why? Don't think I can handle you're earth instruments?"

"No I know you're perfectly capable of doing whatever you set your mind to, but you don't have enough fingers." I reply wiggling my left hand.

I can tell she just has this 'Derp' look. "Oh… uh." She sits for a moment. "Stupid Bosh'tet" She says placing a hand on her mask.

I put an arm around her shoulder and shake her gently. "Hey there's no way you could have known that and it's not your fault you're species only has three fingers, and playing string instruments is one of few things I can think of that you must have five fingers to play."

She just sighs and leans her head back. "Thanks Jon, but anyway I came over here because I figured out those Geth equations." She pulls up her Omni tool and mine buzzes soon after.

"Thanks Tali I can't do anything right now the machines busy."

"Adams doesn't really need me in engineering right now, and we've shared just about all the engine tricks we have." We just sit there for a few moments.

"Well do you want to play some games?" I ask.

"Like what? Children's games?" She asks slightly unbelieving.

"What? No like video games." I reply.

"Oh, I've never played a video game before, we never had the time or resources to play video games."

"You poor deprived child, come on you're playing some video games right now."

I pull her to her feet with me and lead her up to the crew quarters, as we enter my room I grab the chair from Garrus's desk and pull it over towards mine.

"Have a seat." I say sitting down in my own and booting up my terminal. "I haven't had time to look around at any consoles really but I've got some good computer games."

Tali just sits down and pulls closer to the terminal. I scroll through a few games before deciding to play Armored Warfare. As it boots up I begin to explain the game.

"I love this one, it's a multiplayer game so you play against other people, there are two teams of fifteen players each person controls they're own vehicle, light tank, heavy tank, medium tank, tank destroyer, or self-propelled gun."

"What's the difference between vehicles?"

I continue to explain the game to her, it's remarkably similar to 'World of Tanks' from back in my own universe except it's really high tech vehicles and different planets are battlefields. I play a few rounds and let her try, and she surprisingly catches on pretty quickly she's using my vehicles though not the starter vehicles. We play for a while and Tali sets up her own account, sometime later the PA announces Shepard's return.

"How long have we been doing this?" Tali asks briefly looking up from her match.

I check the time. "Uh just under four hours."

"Keelah, we've been at this a long time." Her match finishes up. "We should probably get back to work."

"Yeah it's a good thing neither of us are Alliance personnel or we would be in trouble." I reply and we both chuckle.

As we leave my room Garrus comes over looking slightly sleepy he stops and starts a bit when he sees me and Tali.

"Garrus? You ok?" I ask.

"What were you two doing in there?" He asks in a way that implies a certain activity.

"What- we… eh what do you" Me and Tali both just stutter at him for a few seconds and I can feel my face heat up.

"Whoa easy, I don't care if you two are uh sparring or whatever just don't do it on my bunk." He walks past us down the hall to the showers.

I just stand there dumb struck by that statement.

"Did he just… does he think we… uh." Tali wrings her hands next to me.

I shake my head. "I'll straighten him out later, uh come on let's get down to cargo."

We both walk into the elevator when it opens again Shepard is over talking to Ash. I nod goodbye to Tali as she heads back into engineering. I step up to my workbench and start checking over all the parts it's finished, luckily I can send commands via my Omni tool so I sent another list of parts for it to make so I wasn't slacking as much. Shepard walks up to me a few minutes later.

"Ash said you and Tali went off for few hours, are you two working on something?" He asks.

"Uh no, the machine was tooling parts and Tali wasn't needed in engineering so I uh introduced her to videogames." I reply nervously shuffling my feet.

He processes that for a minute. "You two make a cute couple."

DERP

I stand there just staring at him dumbstruck for a second. "Wh-what?"

"Yeah, two new young people embarking on an epic journey for the first time, and of course your both techies." He says rather matter-of-factly.

"Think about it, Tali was willing to spend what? Four hours with you instead of her engines, how many other people would she be willing to do that with?"

"Uh, erm you?"

"Only if I needed her for something, you two were just playing games, she values free time and she just spent allot with you."

I just stand there processing this for a few moments. "Everything he said is true, we do spend allot of time together…"

Shepard chuckles. "Just don't get too distracted, Tali isn't part of engineering so she can do whatever, but I need you making guns alright?"

I nod. "Of course Shepard." I reply and he walks into engineering.

I get back to work for about twenty minutes before Tali stiffly walks over and sits down against my workbench.

"Uh… Need something?" I ask.

"You know Shepard came into engineering and told Adams that he shouldn't be too worried if I went off to spend time with you." She's sitting there with her arms crossed. "And then he came over and said he didn't want me getting sick from any 'Accidents' that might happen around you."

I feel my face instantly heat up. "Yeah, he told me not to get distracted with you."

She groans and holds her head in her hands. "I think this is some kind of cruel prank that everyone's pulling on us."

"I wouldn't put it past some of them." I reply glancing over to Garrus's work station.

She just quietly sits there while I work for about an hour before her Omni tool beeps. "I'M GOING TO GO AND SHOVE-" I can't understand the rest of what she says as it turns into angry sounding Khellish, but I do hear a profuse amount of Bosh'tets. She storms off towards the elevator still grumbling in Khellish, I just blink. I shake my head and get back to work, about half an hour later she comes back and sits down again.

"What happened?"

"He sent me a message that said 'no accidents', stupid Bosh'tet."

"Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned." I quote. "uh what did you do to him?"

"I hacked his Omni tool and subscribed him to about twenty different sites that will spam him with ads."

"You're evil and brilliant." I reply chuckling.

I keep working for a while longer before I get a message from Shepard.

'I just had to poke fun at the techie didn't I?'

'That's queen techie.' I reply.

'Right, now I'm paying for it.'

I just chuckle and keep working.

-A couple days later-

I finished one RPG and gave it to Shepard still working on the second one, I came up with an idea for my next project too. Life aboard the Normandy is… different, it's strange to be in such a confined space for an extended period of time, but it forces people to get along to some degree, Ash is more comfortable around our non-humans now, Garrus seems to have been calmed somewhat by Shepard, Wrex isn't perpetually angry just easily angered, Liara and Kaidan are amicable to everyone, and me? Well I'm getting there. I spend most of my time in cargo working, Tali comes over and sits on a stool next to me and chats or learns to make guns from me, sometimes though she just sits and watches me while I dismantle and rebuild my guns. Me and Tali are close but I don't know how far that goes, we spend allot of time together she teaches me about engines I teach her about guns, we play videogames together when we can, I'm not sure what to do about Tali, no one really pokes at us anymore Shepard ended that pretty quick, and there's always the fact I'm not from here I want to tell her but I don't know how and I don't want her to hate me for it, it's during a time of such brooding that the PA interrupts my thoughts.

"Tali, Knight, Wrex, and Ash up to the briefing room get your gear on."

I perk up at this it's been almost a week since I've been on a mission, lots of minor stuff he usually takes Wrex and Ash for. I grab my gear and get in the elevator with Tali.

"What do you think Shepard wants us on this mission for?" She asks me.

"Dunno must be some tech stuff Geth maybe?"

She just shrugs. "I guess we'll find out."

We get up to the briefing room and Shepard tells us that we're taking out some Geth outposts, there are three small compounds on this planet and me and Tali are scouting the last one then waiting for Shepard to attack.

"So we're going to sit on a hill and watch them until you give us the ok?" I ask.

"Basically, when we get close I want you to give us details on its defenses, we can't scan it from orbit like the other two due to the forest it's in." Shepard replies.

"Wouldn't Garrus be better at this? I'm no sniper." Tali asks.

"Maybe, but you work well with Knight and your sensors are what we need you can give me technical specs while Knight can give me tactical specs." Shepard replies.

Tali nods understanding and we move out. We drop in the Mako but Me and Tali have to huff it about three miles to get near the base while the rest of the team goes for the other two. It doesn't take that long before me and Tali are laying prone on a hilltop about 1000 yards away from the Geth outpost. I'm looking through my scope examining the defenses while Tali is using zoom optics in her helmet.

"Ok Shepard we're in position." I say over the comm.

"We're most of the way through the first base it'll be a while." He replies.

"Ah shit we're gunna be stuck here for a while." I say to Tali.

"Hmph, at least we're not in danger of being detected, they seem to be readying for Shepard not looking for us."

"Yeah, there is that."

There's a few moments of silence before Tali speaks up. "Are you ok Jon? You've seemed kind of… off lately." She says quietly concerned.

I let out a hollow laugh. "You know me too well, even so I don't think you would understand what I'm going through." I say firmly but not unfriendly.

Of course this is Tali I'm talking to. "I can try Jon, I don't like seeing you like this."

"Should I tell her? Is that safe or will the universe implode or something?... No if it was going to implode it would have done so just by me being here, but still should I tell her? If she freaks out she might tell Shepard and he'd kick me out then what would I do? My thoughts continue to race, Tali seems to realize this and puts a hand on my shoulder and looks right at me.

"Jon you can tell me anything, if you don't want me to tell anyone else I won't, you can trust me."

"Heh when did you become Shepard? I know I can trust you Tali but what going on with me is insane, It's not some mundane problem like I miss my xbox it shouldn't even be possible… and I don't want you to think I'm crazy you're to goddam important to me."

"Crazy Jon? We're helping to take down a race of sentient starships who come and wipe out all life in the galaxy after a couple thousand years."

"Heh I know Tali but really I don't know that anyone would believe me."

"Try me."

I let out a long sigh. "Fuck it here goes nothing."

"After time adrift among open stars, along tides of light and through shoals of dust, I will return to where I began." I say in a flat voice.

"How.. do you? Where did you hear that?"

"You say it in a game."

"What I'm not in a game what are you talking about?"

"I'm from another universe or dimension or something but it's 170 years in the past and all this…" I motion to everything around me. "Is a videogame called Mass Effect."

"An-other dimension… a game? But how… how is that possible?"

"Hell if I know I woke up in the bathroom of a shuttle bound for Eden Prime with some little hologram telling me I've just been transported here because I'm freakin special."

"I don't know how else you would know the about the passphrase but I is there more you can prove? I trust you Jon but…"

"I understand Tali personally I'm just happy you're trying to understand." I think for a second. "The most intimate things two Quarians can do is link suit environments, you get sick at first and then adapt."

"That's true and I never told you that… What about Saren and all this what do you know about that?"

"Well our next major mission is Noveria, Benezia is there with Geth and they've revived some ancient Rachni eggs and they've overrun peak 15."

"Keelah, Rachni? That's crazy!"

"I'm more concerned about Virmire though…"

"Why what happens there?" She asks tentatively.

"Kaidan or Ashley is supposed to die."

"We have to do something were you planning on telling anyone about this?"

"I want to tell Shepard before Virmire, I'm not going to sit by and let someone die."

She lets out a sigh. "I knew you wouldn't… how far ahead do you know what's happening?"

"Well for Saren we've got Noveria, Virmire, Ilos, and the battle of the Citadel." She gasps when I say that. "Then Shepard uh 'Dies' and nothing happens for two years and-"

"Wait wait wait Shepard Dies?" she asks incredulously.

"Kind of? The Normandy is destroyed and Shepard is killed and Cerberus spends two years rebuilding him."

"The Normandy is destroyed? What happens to everyone? Cerberus? I- I don't know where to start."

"Just stop and clear your head we can talk back on the Normandy, ok?"

"Yeah but one question."

"Yes"

"Do you know what I look like under the suit?"

"Heh, no Bioware is evil so no I don't."

"Ok"

The rest of the mission goes by in silence, we get back to the Normandy and I get out of my combat gear 20 minutes after I get a message from Tali.

'My room now.'

I head up and knock on the door it opens and I walk in Tali is sitting on her bed, she motions for me to come over and remotely closes and locks the door.

"Ok Jon I-I don't think I want that much insight, just tell me what you think is necessary for what's happening, ok?"

"Just enough to be ready?" She nods. "Ok only what's necessary… uhm do you have any questions?"

She just gives me this 'are you kidding me' look.

"Yeah ok uh first question?"

"What's this game Mass Effect like?"

"Well you play as Commander Shepard, at the start of the game you choose all the character stats-"

"Wait you choose his stats like strength and intelligence or something?"

"No, you choose gender, one of three past military events and one of three pre military lives."

"You get to choose gender?"

"Yes, you basically make every decision about what Shepard does."

"That seems so strange…"

For the next hour or so I explain allot of the basics of the game, how I know so much about everyone, ect… but then we get to a certain topic.

"You can even choose who he falls in love with?"

"Kind of, in the first game there are only two options available to male or female."

"Really… who?" She asks slightly cautious.

"Well Liara is open to either gender, male can also be with Ash, female can be with Kaidan."

"I'm not an option?"

"Neither is Garrus, but you and Garrus become romance able in the second game."

"Did you ever uh direct Shepard down… that path?"

"Yeah uh I did."

She closes her eyes and leans her head back against the wall. "Why?"

"Uh… I dunno, I liked your character, you were more interesting than other characters, and I was… interested to find what you were like…"

"You mean what I looked like."

"Well partly yeah, but I also wanted to know who you are, that's something the game never really did, they never showed what you looked like and they never described your personality in great detail." I stop for a moment. "Not like here, where I can get to know who you are and what you're like."

"Most people who take an interest in Quarians at all just want to know what we look like."

"I've never been very concerned about looks, sure I'm curious but it wouldn't change my opinion of you."

"Not even if I'm beautiful?" She asks mockingly.

"Well that would be nice but you would still be you, besides I already think you're beautiful."

"Oh shit did I just say that?"

"Oh uh thanks Jon no one's ever said that to me before." She says hugging her knees to her chest.

"Yeah… uh well is there-" She suddenly reaches over and hugs me, I'm startled for a second but then return the embrace, we stay like that for a few moments before she pulls away.

"Thanks Jon, you're a good friend."

"What would I be if I wasn't at least that?" We both chuckle. "If you ever need anything don't be afraid to ask me."

"Same to you, now that I know you can come talk to me about it if you want."

"Yeah it's nice that someone knows now thanks, I should get back to work now."

"Yeah me too, uh see you later Jon."

"Yeah later Tali."

I walk down the corridor with my hands in my pockets and let out a long breath. "That went much better than I thought it would."

I head back down to my station and keep working on my project.

-A few days later-

I'm working at my bench slowly turning the helmet over in my hands when Shepard walks up.

"New helmet?"

"Yup, one of the few things I hadn't custom made yet."

The helmet is sleek smooth black with an oval face that has one line going down the center of the face, the line flows all the way over the helmet to the back where it stops at the end of a spike, several spikes come off the back of the helmet and curve up so that the top looks somewhat like an Asari's head does. The only feature of the face is two perfectly circular eyes that glow an icy blue.

"Watch this."

I key a program on my Omni tool and the face of the helmet splits as a jagged mouth opens up on the mask curving into a twisted smile resembling some kind of demented jack-o-lantern, the mouth also glows an icy blue.

"Why does it do that?"

"Intimidation factor, activate this mode during combat, or when you want to scare the piss out of someone. It's got a voice modulator too."

"Well it definitely seems like something you would do."

I just smile.

"Well you're getting a chance to test it we've got a mission get your boots on."

"Aye aye bossman."

I get my gear together and get ready, I head up to the airlock where Garrus is waiting, Shepard comes over shortly after and we head out for the mission.

"So boss what's this mission?" I ask.

"Were investigating an asteroid X57." He replies.

"Oh, well this should be fun."

-After the Mission-

"Fucking goddam Varren, I just made this helmet!" I growl angrily as I walk down into the cargo bay.

I take the helmet off and begin assessing the damage being clawed in the face does to your helmet. Apparently three long scratches starting above my left eye to the right cheek, I set the helmet down and start removing the rest of my gear. Tali walks over shortly after and leans against my workbench.

"How'd the mission go?" She asks.

"Good, we were able to shut off the torches, and killed the bastard running the operation, saved some engineers too, defused a bomb, walked through a mine field, got clawed in the face by a Varren."

"Keelah, I can see that." She says picking up the helmet and tracing the gashes.

"I just freakin made that helmet too." I grumble finishing putting my gear away.

"Well it worked well these aren't very deep." She pauses for a moment in thought. "You wanted to use this to intimidate people right?"

"When necessary, yeah, why?"

"Couldn't you fill these scratches with the same material you used for the mouth, then they would glow."

I stand there for a second looking at the helmet. "That would look sweet, you're an evil genius."

"You've told me that before."

"Well it's true." I reply.

She just giggles. "You know Shepard said we're taking a day off of missioning to just relax and recuperate, it's not official shore leave because we'll just be floating around out here but still…"

"You wanna go play some armored warfare?" I asks.

"I've almost got that Z-122 SPG." She says as we both get in the elevator.

"That thing is a monster! Doesn't it take forever to reload tho?"

"Yes but-" And we continue on in nerd speak up to the mess hall where we plan our gaming spree for tomorrow. Liara is just sitting there looking back and forth between me and Tali for about 5 minutes.

"What are you two talking about?" She asks very confused.

"Were talking about a computer game." I reply.

"I can't understand a thing you're saying! Z-122, zis6, 4t… what does it mean?"

Tali speaks up. "Think about it as if we were talking about engines."

"I don't understand when you talk about tech, you need training and time to familiarize with th- ooooh, I get it." Liara nods. "Well go on continue your… what is the phrase? Gibberish?"

I chuckle. "Yes, gibberish." Tali and I share a look, she chuckles.

We continue to talk while I have a bite to eat.

"Hey Tali, you know I never see you eat. How do you do that?" I ask, she knows by now if I ask something like this it is out of genuine curiosity.

"Well in this pouch on my leg there are two tubes one has water the other nutrient paste, they feed up to a tube in my helmet."

"So you could be eating in the middle of a battle and no one would know?"

"I've done that before."

I just give her a look.

"What I was hungry!"

I just start laughing she joins me a second later and we just sit there laughing for a few minutes. We finally stop laughing and then my Omni tool beeps.

"Hello?"

"Hey Jon it's Vic, you still remember me don't you?"

"Ha! Of course I do Vic. Whats up?"

"I was bored so I thought I'd call and see how you were doing."

"Nice to know I'm at the forefront of you're thoughts."

Tali gets up and waves but I grab her and push her back into her seat, I set the call to speaker and put my hand out in the middle of the table.

"Vic I'd like you to meet someone. This is Tali'Zorah Nar Rayya."

"Uh hello." Tali says nervously.

"A Quarian eh? I always figured you would get with another species."

"Hey were not like that!" Tali and I say at the same time.

"And that right there proves it." I just groan.

So me Vic and Tali all have a nice conversation and catch up on life. Turns out Eden prime is mostly repaired and Vic is bored because Ash and I are gone. After the chat I say my goodbyes and head off to bed.

I'm standing on a catwalk made of what appears to be brass or something similar surrounded by clockwork in all directions save a single path continuing onwards. With no other option I move on, I walk for a while passing huge gears, pistons, pendulums, and all kinds of other steampunk machinery. I finally come to a large circular platform, in the center is a pedestal with a gear floating above it. I walk up to it and reach out to touch it when I do the gear bursts in all directions in a slow motion explosion, turning into data and code as it goes. I stare at all the data, and things begin to stick out, I start moving around bits of code and lines light up in a cerulean blue as they are completed. After a few minutes I finish reorganizing the code, as soon as the last piece connects the gear instantly reforms but is now smooth black with ice blue lines crisscrossing it like code. Suddenly a large but feminine voice resounds through the area.

"You truly do possess the affinity, well done Resonant."

The dream fades and I wake up. "Well that was strange, I wonder if the affinity the voice was talking about was the same one that hologram was talking about? Or was this just a dream? Maybe I'll talk to Tali about it."

I hop down from the bed, Garrus is sleeping in the bottom bunk and I leave a holographic post it note saying 'congratulations you made it to an actual bed.' And with that I take my leave. Heading into the mess hall and grabbing some food, I notice it's a bit early but I don't really care. As I'm eating a yawning Tali walks off the elevator and sits down next to me.

"Mornin sunshine." I say. "You're up early."

"I'm used to getting up early, it's been nice to sleep in every now and then though."

"Heh, I bet. Ready for a whole day of doing whatever we want?"

"Yes, I'm going to go get my portable."

(A/N: Portable: Futuristic Laptop)

"I'll get mine too." I reply getting up and heading back to my quarters.

As I come in Garrus is examining the note I left him.

"Haha very funny." He says sarcastically.

I just give him a big grin, grab my portable and leave.

And so Tali and I sit down at the mess table and play various games, as the day goes by most of the crew comes in at one point or another sits down and chats or eats or something else. Liara, Shepard, and Kaidan sit down and watch a vid at one point during the day Tali and I pause for a minute but go back to our game when the movie fails to interest us. After the movie Shepard comes over to us.

"How long have you been at this?" He asks.

Tali checks her clock. "About seven hours. Why?"

"Seven hours? You guys aren't bored yet?"

"Hey I've been deprived of this until now, leave me alone!" Tali says jokingly.

I chuckle. "What can I say? We're nerds."

Shepard chuckles but actually sticks around for a while before coming down with his own portable and getting a few games. Kaidan walks over later.

"Shepard? I didn't know you played games." The biotic says confused.

"I blame these two, but some of these games are pretty cool…" Shepard replies motioning to Tali and me.

"Aren't these for kids?" Kaidan asks.

Liara walks up next to him. "Are you here to try these video-games too Kaidan?"

"You too Liara?" He says exasperatedly.

"Yes, this human game interested me, it shows a land where they have magic instead of biotics, and they still use swords and primitive armor." (Dragon Age rules!)

Liara sits down next to Shepard, they share a brief smile before Liara turns on her computer.

"Well I'm with you Alenko, these geeks are weird." Ash says walking up.

"You might be surprised if you ever tried one." I reply.

"Where's Garrus he isn't in on this is he?" Kaidan asks.

"He's preferred to play from his baby, he sitting on top of the Mako." I reply.

"Hey I heard that!" Garrus voice come through the comm link for our game.

"I know."

"What about Wrex? Surely he isn't playing games?" Ash asks.

"I've been playing games for longer than you've been alive, It's a good way to relive stress, and anger." Wrex's voice comes up through another comm.

"See look you're the only one who isn't enjoying a good group activity." I say.

"No Kaidans got my- HEY! What are you doing?"

"Hmm? Oh this game actually looks kinda cool." Kaidan says sitting down next to Shepard.

"You're kidding me!"

Everyone starts laughing. The day goes by mostly like that, people coming and going, sharing games and having an all-around good time, Ash finally relents later in the evening ship time, and plays a few games. Tali and I are the last ones in the mess hall and we're packing up our stuff.

"Well that was a good day." Tali says.

"Yeah, It's good to just relax every now and again."

"We're headed to Noveria tomorrow."

"Yup, fight some Geth and Benezia… and the Rachni."

"That's right you said they overran the lab right?"

"Yep, but their queen understands why the Rachni were wiped out, and Shepard can let her go."

"But they overran the facility doesn't that prove they're hostile?"

"The children are separated from the queen so she can't teach them and they go crazy, but the queen is willing to help against the Reapers."

"You know that for a fact?"

"Well nothing happens in the first game and she contacts you to say that they're rebuilding well in the second game. And we're going to need every ally we can get."

"I hope you're right Jon." She lowers her eyes and shakes her head. "If you're wrong then-"

I grab her shoulders and pull her into a hug. "Hey well be fine, Shepard's here and I'm not going to let some crazy bugs stop us."

She returns the embrace. "So what does this make… us?"

"What do you want it to make?"

"No ones ever asked me what I wanted before…"

"Well I am. Do you want us to be… more?"

"I-I do Jon, I've never met anybody like you before and I like you."

I can't stop a huge grin from my face and I grab her around the waist and lift her up and spin around, I stop after a few turns and set her down.

"I like you to Tali, I never had much luck with women before, maybe swapping universes was better than I thought."

She giggles. "You're such a dork! But so am I… heh I've never been in a relationship before either, is there a manual for this?"

I laugh. "No maybe we should just make it up as we go."

"So same as usual then?"

We both laugh. "Well as long as I'm going into the great unknown with you, I'm happy."

"Thanks Jon, uhm I guess I'll talk to you tomorrow?"

"Yeah, sweet dreams." She turns one last time smiling with her eyes before going to her room.

I sigh contentedly.

"Imagine that I'm falling in love with an alien, awesome."

My last thoughts before drifting to sleep are of Tali.

A/N: Weeeeell that took a while to write, but it's just over 5,700 words of chapter! Yay.

School stuff and finals are screwing me up and will be for another week or so, so the Noveria chapter will probably take a while, but lots of good stuff this chapter, mostly Tali, but got a bit of everyone. And just to clarify Jon and Tali are 'Testing the waters' so to speak but they have admitted mutual affection so there you go.

Tried a few different things this chapter, it took so long to write the beginning is a slightly different style than the end but I digress,

Thanks to all the lovely people who review and added me to alerts you're all amazing!

As always thanks for reading and ROCK ON!