"For fucks sake, Catherine. Just do whatever you want. It's your garden," Kaidan yelled.

Across the table from him, Catherine slammed her datapad down and shoved the bench back, toppling it as she stood.

"I just wanted your opinion, you ass," she shouted at him. Leaving the datapad, she stormed out of the hall, nearly knocking Joker over as he came through the door.

"Catherine, come back," he called after her as he stood to right the bench.

Joker took Catherine's place across the table as Kaidan sat back down, running his fingers through his hair and groaning.

"Uh, so you guys are fighting already, huh?"

Kaidan put his head down on the table and growled in frustration. "No, we're not fighting."

"Really? Cause that sure seemed like a fight."

"That," Kaidan said, lifting his head. "Was a pointless release of pent up stress."

"So much for the honeymoon phase," Joker snorted.

"Well, if either of us could find the time to do more than eat, sleep and work, we might be able to relieve some of this stress."

Joker stared at him for moment, not quite catching on. Then his jaw dropped and he guffawed loudly. "You have got to be kidding me! You're telling me that you guys still haven't sealed the deal?"

Kaidan dragged a hand down his face, grimacing. "Nope. It's just been one thing after another. We've barely had a moment alone."

"Dude, it's been like two weeks," Joker exclaimed. "She's been sleeping in your cabin every night."

Kaidan gave him a look. "I don't even want to know why or how you know that."

Joker shrugged. "EDI notices everything and she likes to talk. Anyway, that means it's been like years for both of you."

"Almost two years for me and four years for her," Kaidan admitted.

"Ouch. You gotta get on that, man," Joker laughed

Kaidan shook his head and picked up the datapad Catherine had left. He scrolled through the information that only minutes before he hadn't had time for, feeling the need for a topic change.

"She wants to leave some of the root vegetables in the ground over winter," Kaidan told Joker. "She's worried the cold cellar won't be ready in time and doesn't want them to go waste if we don't have space to store them."

"Won't they just freeze and go bad anyway?" Joker asked. He knew nothing about plants or what to do with them besides eating them.

"Not if they get covered properly and the ground doesn't freeze."

"It's a good idea. I think," Joker said. "So what's the issue?"

"The issue is that I am tired and stressed and too irritable to listen like a normal person and form an rational opinion," Kaidan said as he set the datapad down and reached for one of his own. "I had no idea how much of the slack Garrus and Morgan had been picking up. With him still recovering and her taking care of an infant, I'm stuck with a lot more work than I can handle."

"How about I talk to Cat?" Joker suggested. "I can't do any heavy lifting, but I've got no shortage of opinions."

"She doesn't need an opinion so much as a sounding board."

"Listen. Right. I can do that," Joker said, trying to sound serious. "I'll go listen to her now. Might even offer to relieve some stress with her."

It was Kaidan's turn to laugh, "If I didn't know that EDI would remove your balls slowly and painfully, I might be worried."

"Can't blame a guy for thinkin' about it," Joker said as he stood and grabbed Catherine's datapad. "Only so much action you can get with a synthetic."

Kaidan was tempted to ask what exactly Joker meant by that, but thought better of it. If he didn't have time for his own sex life, he certainly didn't have time for Joker's.

The morning after the funeral had been spent sleeping. Kaidan had had to force himself to get up at noon otherwise he would have slept the day away. Since then he hadn't seen anywhere near as much of Catherine as he would have liked.

The first night it had finally seemed like they might get some time alone had been stolen from them by a prediction of early frost from EDI. Catherine had spent the early hours of the night in the garden with her crew covering up the last of the crops with a layer of cut grass. Luckily they had been prepared for such a possibility, but Catherine had gone right to bed after wards, exhausted and no longer in the mood.

Kaidan had cornered her one evening in the showers, but his sense of chivalry had taken over at the last minute. The public showers were not the place for them to have their first intimate encounter.

They had waited months already, but neither of them wanted to rushing things. Neither wanted to be complaining of a headache or picking dirt out from under their nails or interrupted by a crisis. On the other hand, the tension had built up to a point that they were taking every little thing out on each other.

The apologies after these fights lead to passionate kissing that so far had been interrupted every time. If something didn't happen soon, one of them was going to kill the other, or someone was going to walk in on them somwhere doing things intended to be done without an audience.

But preparing for winter was a busy time. More so than it had been the years before when they'd still had a fair amount of supplies from the ship. Now they had nothing left, not even coffee, which wasn't making Kaidan's life any easier.

Not only had Kaidan been helping as much as he could with the cold cellar, he also been organizing hunting trips in Garrus' stead, and converting some of the now empty houses into storage for the unused electronics, he'd also been working on sifting through the data Hackett had sent trying to glean out the most valuable information.

The pregnant women, unable to keep up the vigorous pace of hunting, building and farming, had set to work turning the tanned hides into clothing. Most of the wildlife they had encountered so far had the same greeny grey leathery skin of the croco-monkeys, and though it made for thick, durable clothing, it would provide little in the way of warmth.

After the run in with the lizard-cat, nobody wanted to go north on foot again until they had surveyed the area a little more thoroughly in the shuttle. Kaidan had whole heartedly agreed, but there was far too much to be done around the settlement for anyone to be spared for a recon mission.

And then there was Admiral Hackett's request to think about. Kaidan had barely had time to consider it himself, let alone mention it to anyone else. As the long nights of winter rolled in there would be lots of time for everyone to spend time coming up with names for things, but with every day that passed, Kaidan felt like he was letting the Admiral down.

Sick of staring at his pile of datapads while the sun shone brightly outside, Kaidan pushed away from the table and headed for the door. Outside he stretched his aching shoulders and rubbed the back of his neck with one hand.

"Hey amigo!"

Kaidan turned and looked up. James was leaning over the edge of the roof holding a hammer he'd been using for repairs. Now, he was grinning and pointing down the path.

"Here comes trouble," he said.

Kenneth was running full tilt towards them, gravel spraying out behind him. When he reached them Kaidan couldn't tell if he was laughing or panicking or both.

"Kenn, what's going on?"

"You have got to come see this," he gasped and Kaidan realized he was laughing hysterically.

James jumped down from the roof, landing heavily on the ground beside Kaidan.

"Do not tell Morgan I did that," he warned Kaidan. "She'll hit me."

Kenneth had already started back down the path, clearly eager to be back to whatever entertainment was taking place. Kaidan and James trotted after him. He lead them all the way down to the garden where they found a small crowd standing around laughing near the edge of the trees across the field.

Kaidan pushed his way through the group to find two people rolling around on the ground, covered in dust and bits of dry grass. They were laughing so hard they were barely making any noise. As Kaidan got closer he realized that it was Catherine and Joker.

"What the hell is going on?" He knelt down beside Catherine and held her face between his hands. Her pupils were massively dilated and the synthetics beneath her skin were glowing more brightly than Kaidan had ever seen.

"Cat, can you hear me?" He had to raise his voice to be heard above the laughter. "Why are you all laughing? Get Doctor Chakwas!"

But Karin was part of the crowd standing around. She was giggling with amusement and crouched down beside Kaidan to explain what had happened.

"Don't worry, Kaidan," she said with another giggle as Catherine rolled away from them and started whispering something to Joker which set him howling. "I've already checked them out. They'll be fine once this wears off."

"Once what wears off?" Kaidan demanded, still too worried to laugh with the rest of them.

His breath finally regained, Kenneth spoke up. "Catherine was moving rocks to edge some of the raised beds. She must have disturbed a fungus of some kind cause they next thing I saw, she and Joker were surrounded by a cloud of spoors."

"It was a little scary at first," Karin added. "They couldn't see anything for a minute or two and I was worried they might have damaged their eyes, but pretty soon they were seeing a lot more than they expected to."

"They're hallucinating?" Kaidan asked.

"They are now," Karin chuckled. "This started when Joker told a particularly vulgar joke. He and Catherine started laughing and now they can't stop, which is why everyone else is laughing."

Catherine was trying to climb to her feet now, using Joker as leverage while he tried to pull her back down, claiming that if she stood she might fall off the planet.

"We should get them back to the hall where we can keep an eye on them," Kaidan said, catching Catherine as she fell back when Joker let go of her suddenly. He hauled her to her feet and she gasped in surprise when she realized it was him.

Grinning wildly, she grabbed him by the waist of his pants and pulled him closer. Her hands found their way up under his shirt and she clawed her fingers down his chest.

"You feel like feathers," she told him as her head lolled from side to side.

"Feathers, eh?" Kaidan held her hands back when she tried to take his shirt off altogether. "C'mon, Cat. Let's start walking."

"But you can fly," she protested sulkily. "I don't want to walk."

He took her by the shoulders and spun her around, facing her towards the path, but she had other ideas. She twisted away from him and was back on the ground beside Joker trying to get his attention.

"Remember flying?" she asked him over and over until he suddenly started waving his hands in the air in front of himself, like he was manipulating the holographic screens of the Normandy.

Kaidan and James looked at each other, both trying to suppress smiles as they watched Catherine and Joker having one sided conversation with each other.

"I think we might have to carry them back," James said, his shoulders shaking as he started to laugh at the disgusting lyrics Joker had begun singing to Cat.

"Whatever you do, James, be careful with Joker. He's still breakable," Karin said.

Kaidan went over to Catherine and once again hauled her to her feet while James lifted Joker up as gently as he could. The two leaned into each other, Catherine stealing Joker's hat and pulling it down on her own head. She rubbed at his chin.

"You should shave. You're getting all beardy. You should braid it!" she exclaimed. "You'd look like a dwarf."

Joker started to giggle again and had to bend over holding his stomach. Rolling his eyes, Kaidan took Catherine by the hand and tried to lead her away, but she clung to Joker.

"Joker has to come with me," she whined. "Can't you see?"

"See what?" Kaidan indulged her.

She pulled away from him and grabbed Joker's hand, trying to make him focus. When she finally had his attention they stood facing each other, holding their hands up palm to palm about an inch apart.

"Look," she told Kaidan with wonder in her voice. "Look at all the colours."

Kaidan couldn't see anything at first, but as James walked around the duo his shadow blocked the light of the late afternoon sun on their raised hands. In the momentary dimness Kaidan caught a glimpse of something glowing brilliant green and blue.

"Holy crap," he whispered.

James saw it too and they leaned closer to get a better look. Tiny tendrils of light danced from their fingers, coruscating across their skin and sparking when they touched. Catherine tipped her head back and closed her eyes. Kaidan could see her pulse racing in her throat. Joker was watching the lights in awe, swaying slightly on the spot as if a breeze was pushing him about.

"This is weird," James breathed. He reach a finger out to touch one of the tendrils that had spider webbed its way out from the rest as if feeling around for something.

Kaidan smacked his hand down. "Don't touch it!"

"Why not?" James laughed. "Doesn't seem to be hurting them any."

Other people had gathered closer now and they stared in wonder as the lights grew and the tentacles from each of their hands started to twine into each other, braiding and tying knots.

Catherine's eyes snapped open and she looked at Kaidan with a scowl. "You told Joker we haven't had sex yet?"

Kaidan blushed. "You just told everyone."

"Shit, Cat," Joker said loudly. "I don't want to see that!"

"Stop looking then," Catherine said back.

Their eyes had glazed over, and though they seemed to be staring at each other, the synthetics in their pupils were flaring brightly, like little green flames.

"What is going on?" Kaidan reach out to touch Catherine's shoulder, but as he did she pulled her hands away from Joker and the light disappeared.

"You are so disgusting, Jeff," she yelled, laughing loudly. "EDI is a saint for putting up with you."

"They were your thoughts," he retorted. "I just manipulated them a bit."

Catherine draped her arm across Joker's shoulder and he did the same to her.

"I forgive you, Jeff. You can't help it that you're a pig."

"And you can't help it that all you think about every waking hour is what you're going to do to Alenko when you finally get him alone."

"You're awesome!" Catherine declared.

"You're awesome too!" Joker cried back happily.

They seemed to be oblivious to everyone standing around them watching the bizarre spectacle. Leaning on each other, they stumbled back towards the path, Joker singing terribly and Catherine trying to make stop by attempting to cover his mouth.

The crowd watched them go, their mouths hanging open.

"What the hell just happened?" James spun around looking for Doctor Chakwas.

She looked just a baffled as everyone else. "I was beginning to wonder when we might start seeing some serious changes in our physiology."

Kaidan didn't stay to listen. He ran after Catherine and Joker, following them closely as they tripped and fell their way up the path. They stopped every so often so that Catherine could run her hand through the yellowing leaves of a fern or press her face into the gnarled bark of a tree.

When Kaidan asked what she was doing it was Joker who responded, but what he said made little sense.

"The trees are breathing. Can't you hear them?"

Karin jogged up the path, panting as she slowed and tried to help Kaidan get the drugged pair moving again.

"I'm sure they'll be fine," she reassured Kaidan. "But I'd like to take a blood sample just in case."

"I can't decide whether or not to be amused," Kaidan said, casting a wary glance at Catherine. She was leaning against a tree with her arms wrapped around the massive trunk, mumbling away inaudibly.

Without warning she twirled away from the tree and right into Kaidan, nearly knocking him over. He caught her against his chest and she smiled up at him.

"Your eyes are like chocolate." Her voice was euphoric and she licked her lips enticingly. Kaidan felt arousal swelling up inside him. Until she finished with, "I want to eat them."

He had to laugh at that. He couldn't help himself. He threw his head back and gave a great bellow of laughter. Catherine giggled with him and then proceeded to try to shove her hands down his pants.

"Whoa now, Cat," he said as he grabbed at his belt, holding his pants up. "Not sure Karin or Joker want to see that show."

"I totally want to see that show!" Joker jumped up and down on the spot.

"Okay, Joker," Karin calmed him with a pat on the shoulder. "Let's get you back to EDI."

It took nearly half an hour, but Kaidan and Karin managed to herd the two back to the settlement. They had to give up when Catherine collapsed in a grassy patch near the hall and Joker went down with her, refusing to go any further. Kaidan stood watch while Karin went to the hall to get her medical scanner.

By then, everyone had heard what had happened and was coming in search of the show. Garrus arrived just as Joker started to strip off his clothes. Kaidan tried to stop him, but gave up when Catherine started to peel off her clothes as well.

"What is it that makes intoxicated humans always want to take their clothes off?" Garrus asked no one in particular.

Kaidan was struggling with Catherine, trying to convince her to keep her pants on at least since she'd already stripped her top half down to her lacy lilac bra.

By then Joker was naked and lying on the grass staring up at the sky declaring that he could see the stars. Trying not to look, Garrus picked up Joker's shirt and tossed it over his exposed parts. Joker didn't like this and grabbed the shirt, tossing it away into the trees.

EDI arrived then, looking displeased as she knelt over Joker, trying to convince him he should be embarrassed. When this didn't work she bent down to his ear and whispered something. He was on his feet in an instant and followed her away like a happy puppy.

Kaidan didn't bother to watch where they went. Catherine has trying to dance with him now, humming what sounded like Waltz of the Flowers.

Finally, Karin reappeared and quickly took an sample of her blood from a finger tip.

"As I suspected she'll be just fine," Karin said with a charmed giggle as Catherine nestle herself under Kaidan's arm, announcing that he smelled like lilies. "Might be a good idea to get her inside though. Clearly she's finding the outdoors somewhat overstimulating."

"I've got so much work to do, Karin," Kaidan complained. "Can't you just keep her in the med bay for a few hours until whatever this is wears off?"

"I'm not even going to dignify that with answer, Kaidan," she chided and walked away.

Kaidan looked pleadingly at Garrus who raised his hands and shook his head, backing away. "She's all yours, my friend."

Catherine was mumbling into his chest now and rubbing the hem of his t-shirt between her fingers. As desperate as he was for time alone with her, this was not how he wanted to spend it.

Feeling impatient and annoyed, he lifted her up in his arms and carried her back to his cabin. She let her head loll back and her arms fall down, becoming completely dead weight. And then suddenly she was singing Harvest Moon and he became increasingly less irritated.

She was still singing when he lay her down on the bed and collapsed onto the couch to listen to her voice. It went gravely and broke several times as she sang, but it still sounded lovely.

"When we were strangers, I watched you from afar.

When we were lovers, I loved you with my heart.

But now it's getting late, and the moon is climbing high.

I wanna celebrate. See it shining in your eyes."

Kaidan joined his voice to hers for the end of the verse.

"Because I'm still in love with you,

I wanna see you dance again.

Because I'm still in love with you.

On this harvest moon."

Catherine rolled her head to side and gazed at him, her pupils still huge and black, the synthetic glow having died down since Joker went away with EDI.

"I love that song," she whispered. Her arm flopped off the bed, reaching for him.

"Me too," he said with a small smile.

"Come lie with me, Kaidan. I feel like I am going to float away."

Kaidan pushed himself up off the couch and crawled over her and lay down on his back beside her, resting his head back on his arms. It felt good to just lie down and unwind. He couldn't remember the last time he'd just relaxed. Kaidan had always been the one to make sure people took breathers, sanity checks he called them, and now he was the one being forced to take one.

Catherine lift her arms up and stared at her hands, wiggling her fingers. Kaidan wondered what she saw there and for a moment was jealous. He was Canadian. He'd smoked his fair share of weed, but a very long time ago, after his escape from BAaT. Nothing suited introspection like the mellow, placid feeling of THC coursing through your veins.

Yet despite its proven medicinal value, particularly for those suffering from PTSD, the Alliance still frowned upon the use of Marijuana, and Kaidan hadn't touched it in almost twenty years.

Whatever Catherine was feeling now was definitely significantly more, and certainly different, than anything he had ever felt smoking quality BC bud out in the wilderness.

She was humming to herself again, this time not a tune he recognized.

"What song is that?"

"It's called Terra Nova Trip by Punks of Aegohr," she said dreamily. "Salarians can make pretty decent music when they aren't bouncing around like spastic little frogs."

Kaidan laughed, but more in shock than humour. "That was so politically incorrect."

"Salarians are so cool," she said as she turned over onto her stomach, propping herself on her elbows to look down at him. "Their eyelids blink up. You ever notice that? And they are so cute when they smile."

"Okay, I take it back," Kaidan said, touching her cheek with the back of his fingers. She practically purred, rubbing into his caress just like a cat. "You've gone to that creepy place beyond politically incorrect."

"Are you telling me that you don't fine asari really hot?" she said, hiding her face behind her hands coyly.

"Are you saying you do find asari really hot?" he retorted?

"Umm yeah," she giggled, then did a complete one eighty and said. "That was really cool earlier with Joker. I could hear his thoughts."

"Is that what was happening?" He rolled on to his side, leaning on his elbow. "What was that, Cat? How were you doing that?"

Cat studied her hands intently, and then swung her head to face Kaidan, swaying a little as she did. "I have no idea. It was like... this music in my head, and whenever I got closer to Joker it got louder. I want to find more of that mushroom."

She tried to fall over onto her side, but misjudged and nearly tumbled over the side of the bed. Kaidan caught her around the waist and pulled her back up and onto his chest as he lay back.

"Careful there, girly," he said and let her ooze off him until she was lying prone on the bed once more. "Are you still hallucinating?"

"Yes," she replied with a very definite nod. "I can see forever."

"Are you going to remember any of this tomorrow?" Kaidan asked.

"I sure hope so." She unbuttoned her pants and kicked them off, now lying there in only her bra and underwear.

Kaidan groaned as he looked at her. "You are being really unfair, Cat."

"What! Why?" She sat up and flung a leg over him to straddle his hips. Leaning down she brushed her lips against his. Her sugar sweet smell filled his nose and he ran his hands up her arms to grasp her shoulders.

"I can't take advantage of you like this, Cat," he said gently, pushing her up and off him.

She sat back against the wall and pouted. "I don't want to wait anymore, Kaidan. We're finally alone and I have been waiting for this for twenty years. Oops."

Covering her mouth with both hand she did a face plant into the pillows. The secret was out. Kaidan would have to admit now that he did remember her from all those years ago.

He put a hand on her back and she turned her head to peek at him through her fingers.

"I've never forgotten that night, Cat," he revealed.

"Really? But it was so long ago. We were just kids."

"Old enough to know it was something special," he said with a sentimental smile. "You were my first kiss. I thought about you that first horrible year I was at BAaT. The memory kept me going."

"I was only fourteen," Catherine said as she sat up again. She didn't seem to be able to sit still. "You were so cute with that adorable little fringe of hair flipped up at the front and your terrible dives at the lake."

"Your hair was a lot longer then, and you went by a different name," Kaidan pointed out.

"No, I just told you a different name cause I used to hate my own," she said and she twisted her arms behind herself and unfastened her bra, letting it fall to bed.

Kaidan's breath caught in his throat and it took all his will power not to reach out and cup one of those ample breasts. He kept reminding himself that Catherine wasn't trying to be seductive. Whatever chemical was in her was making her skin ultra sensitive causing her to do away with everything touching it.

"I told you my name was Millicent." She stretched languidly and fell back, her head tipping over the end of the bed. Lifting her hips up she peeled away her underwear and flung them across the room.

In the growing dimness of the room Kaidan could barely make out her features, but the rapture she was experiencing did not appear to have faded any yet.

"Millicent means honey bee," she told him huskily. Her voice was alluring and Kaidan's desire amped up a hundred fold as she wrapped her arm around his leg, reaching up his thigh with searching fingers. He was going to go insane if he didn't do something soon.

"I can't take this, Cat," Kaidan said. He swung his legs over the edge of the bed and stood, putting his hands on his hips. "I want you so badly, but I want you to remember this. I want this to be special."

Catherine got to her knees and shuffled across the broad expanse of mattress until she knelt right in font of him. She spread her hands out on his chest, kneading her fingers into the hard muscle.

"Kaidan, I still remember every detail of the first night we kissed. Just because the walls are shifting and the bed feels like dewy grass, doesn't mean I won't remember every instant we're together."

She slid her hands around him, grasped his hips and pulled him close, rubbing herself into his groin. It was then that he lost his internal struggle. Shoving her back onto the bed he ripped his shirt off and tore away his pants, kicking his boots off in the process.

Watching him with hunger in her eyes she stared unabashedly at his turgid member. He grabbed her and swung her around until her head rested on the pillows, then lowered himself down beside her.

She moaned in bliss as he leaned down and pulled one hard nipple between his lips, his hand reaching down to trace the line of her hip bone to the soft hair between her legs. It was his turn to groan as her hand found what was between his legs and latched on, pulling and stroking.

"Cat, I don't think I can wait." Kaidan looked down at her. Her hair was spread out around her head like a halo and a sultry smile graced her lips.

"So don't," she said. "We've got all night."

That was all Kaidan needed to hear. She spread her legs as he levered himself on top of her. Kissing her heatedly, he sunk himself into her, revelling in the moist heat that surrounded him. Whimpers of pleasure turned to cries of delight as he moved more vigorously, his hips rising and falling faster and faster at her encouragement.

The sensation built and built in his chest, finally bursting in a crescendo of indescribable ecstasy and he cried out, burying his face in her neck as her nails dug into his back.

They lay there panting, just clinging to each other as aftershocks rippled through their bodies. Kaidan shifted, letting himself slip out of her, and she arched her back up, crying out softly.

"That was... dazzling," he told her, with a series of kisses to her neck, tracking his way up her jaw and finally to her lips.

Her eyes were closed and she was breathing heavily. When she didn't respond right away Kaidan almost panicked, wondering if it had been too much in her intoxicated state.

"Are you all right?" he asked, sliding his weight off of her.

Her eyes opened slowly, coming to rest on his. "Oh, I am more than all right, Kaidan. And ready for more when you are."

Laughing, he gathered her up in his arms and kissed the top of her head. "I think it was worth waiting for. Let's bask in it for a few more minutes."

She grumbled disappointedly, but moved closer and nuzzled under his chin. "I've heard that biotics can do some pretty interesting things in bed."

"Asari can," he said regretfully. "I don't know of any humans with enough control to make it work."

"I'm willing to try," she said playfully.

"How about we save that for another time?" He felt a shiver run up Catherine's body. "C'mon, let's get under the blankets."

They separated long enough to pull the blankets from beneath them and then Catherine fell back into his arms as he pulled the covers up over their shoulders.

Few words were spoken as they continued to caress and explore each others bodies, learning the curves and contours by touch and taste. They made love again, this time more slowly and sensuously, making it last. Catherine climaxed three times, each time crying out his name breathlessly, before he finally finished again.

Spent and almost delirious with pleasure, they fell asleep in each others arms, sweat covered and tingling.

When they awoke the next day there was no doubt that everyone in the camp knew what they had spent the night doing. James had even slipped a congratulatory note under the door, complete with a lewd sketch of what he'd guessed they'd been up to. Catherine covered her head in embarrassment when Kaidan showed her, but she was laughing and he knew she was not really ashamed.

The effects of the mushroom spores had worn off at some point during the night, and the side effects seemed limited to a severe thirst which Catherine quenched by downing an entire jug of water that Kaidan kept in his quarters.

Neither of them wanted to leave the bubble of their honeymoon as Catherine called it. Kaidan didn't know if she meant it as the adjective or the noun, but he didn't care. Now that he had her he was never letting her go.

They sat together in bed, reclining against the pillows. Kaidan had his arm around Catherine and was lazily playing with a lock of her hair.

"Move in with me," he said spontaneously.

"No," she replied quickly.

He shifted so he could look down at her. "Seriously?"

"Not yet," she touched the end of his nose with her finger. "I will stay here with you every single night, but I think it's best if we each have our own spaces. These houses aren't exactly big and I think we would get annoyed with each other quickly. Especially since you like a place for everything and everything in its place and I prefer a bit of pandemonium in my life."

"You make a good point," he said, sitting back and resuming his twirling of her hair. "Back in the spring, the night we kissed, you said that being here was like a dream come true. What did you mean?"

"Did you ever want to be something when you grew up?" she asked. "Something totally unreasonable that only a kid could think of?"

Kaidan sighed and thought back. "I wanted to be a cowboy. Does that count?"

"Of course it does," she smiled up at him. "I wanted to go back in time. I read so many books about what life was like for early humans and settlers in new places around the world. As I got older and my life didn't turn out any of the ways I'd hope, I wanted to escape. I wanted to move to the colonies and start a new life. I almost ended up on Horizon, but my mum didn't want to go and so I stuck around on Earth."

"So, you really are happy here."

"I am. Every day has been an adventure. We are living a life that's going to be full of firsts now. We are going to shape the lives of those who comes after us. We are going to be the founders of a new civilization."

"I'm glad someone got their wish out of all this," Kaidan said, instantly regretting his words. He stammered out and apology, but Catherine shushed him.

"I know what you meant. If I could change everything and give us the fairy tale ending where the Reapers are gone, the relays remained, and no one died I... No, actually I wouldn't. The galaxy was an amazing place, but our lives centered around power and technology we didn't understand. It made some people arrogant and superior. It made others angry and violent, taking advantage of the weakest and most vulnerable. I think we're better off this way. The galaxy still has all the technology we earned through our own innovation and intelligence, and I'm sure that one day we'll figure out a way to move among the stars like we once could."

Kaidan stared up at the ceiling, letting what she'd said sink in. He'd thought of all these things, but never before had they seemed like positives. They were at a unique crossroads in the history of humanity. It wasn't just about surviving. They had already done that part. Now it was about building and becoming great again, by their own merit.

"I've never thought it quite that way," he told her. "I think I agree with you though. And I think Shepard would too."

She patted his chest and climbed out of bed.

"Come on, lover. Time for a new day."