The Citadel – Docking Bay C32

Rubbing at his blurry eyes, an aftereffect of a restless sleep, Shepard yawned as he strode back into the cockpit, wondering what had prompted Joker to call him down here in the first place. Shepard felt that he could at least have afforded a couple more hours to try to attempt to doze off without anyone knocking on his door; theoretically the his efforts to do so should have been easier now that the Normandy was docked and everyone had departed by now.

Shore leave always was anticipated among the crew and an excuse to spend a few days on the Citadel before rotating back into the daily grind was more than enough incentive for everyone to sprint off onto the gigantic station once the ship attached. Only Joker had stayed behind to perform a few last-minute preparations for the retrofitting crew and Shepard had been passed out at the time of docking, explaining his tardiness in participating in any leisure.

But before he could reach Joker as he strode through the narrow hallway, the pilot turned around in his chair and held up his arms in a defensive posture. "I know what you're going to say," Joker said quickly, "but I thought that it would be the right thing to do if I told you right off the bat."

Trying to stifle another yawn, Shepard nodded blearily, waving a hand to interrupt Joker. "Spit it out, then," he sighed as he watched the man trip over his own tongue in excitement. "The way you're acting, it's like someone lit a bomb underneath your seat."

Joker grinned. "Well, everything will be clear soon. It's just, after our conversation yesterday about you-know-who, I wasn't going to say anything else, but…"

Now starting to get annoyed, Shepard sighed. "But what, Joker?"

Giving a tiny chuckle, the pilot just pointed upward with his index finger, indicating for Shepard to look through the skylight out at the station overhead. Shepard raised his head and squinted past the glare of the nebula as he struggled to find what had gotten Joker so riled up. He scanned the station above, watching the lines of traffic move in an orderly fashion, the tiny shuttles slicing effortlessly through the encroaching fog when he spotted a large object that had latched itself to the station.

The bulbous ship instantly registered on him, for there were only three in existence that he knew of. The spherical front positioned outward from the thin engine base at the back as the center section slowly rotated, an old method of creating artificial gravity dating centuries ago. What Shepard then found on the ship was a familiar wavy insignia, denoting the name of the ship in question, and more importantly: who it belonged to.

It was the Shellen, Tali's ship.

Looking back at Joker in astonishment, the pilot gave a gleeful shrug. "Speak of the devil, huh?"

"Yeah," Shepard breathed as he unconsciously began to rub the back of his head. "Something like that."

With a playful cock of the head, Joker tapped a control at his chair to turn him back around to his controls. "Just thought you should know, Shepard," he said in a sing-song voice, deliberately leaving the man to his own thoughts, albeit the ones planted by him.

Wanting to spit out a playful curse at the man, Shepard instead blew air out of his mouth before he snuck away so that he was out of earshot. Feeling like his legs were acting of their own accord, Shepard walked through the war room to reach the communications console on the other side, his heart beating ten times faster as he pulled up the appropriate contact info.

It had been a few years, he reckoned, but this was the chance that he had been waiting for. All that moping would not have been for nothing after all. The both of them surely wouldn't pass on this opportunity if they had knowledge of it, right? He was so stupid! Why hadn't he looked to see if their schedules coordinated at all? Then Joker wouldn't have gotten the jump on him and he wouldn't have made an ass out of himself in his room earlier in his despair.

He just prayed that she wasn't indisposed at the moment.

The icon on the panel told him that the call was going through right now and that the hardware was anticipating zero lag with its current capabilities. Shepard leaned against the guardrails, hoping that the contact information had not been altered and that he wouldn't be speaking to a krogan prostitute due to a directory mistake. That would be quite an unfortunate mishap as well as devastating to his psyche. To have her be so close and that he couldn't reach her…

With a crackle of static, Shepard breathed out hopefully and his eyes widened as the holographic crystals created a jumbled image at first before resolving into a graceful form, one draped in a form-fitting enviro-suit. Their bright eyes slowly blinked from behind their visor and their body language was slow, timid, but every sense in Shepard's body was yelling in triumph that she was standing in front of him, as a hologram but it still counted to him regardless.

Tali's form peered at him and blinked in recognition. "J-John?" she gasped.

Giving a grateful grin, he nodded. "Hello, Tali," he said as he tried to muster the shakiness out of his voice. "It's good to see you."

If Tali thought that Shepard wouldn't see the joyful little hop she gave through the hologram, she was sorely mistaken. "John, how are you?" she said quickly. "I'm…I'm sorry that I haven't been able to talk with you for a while, but you've caught me at a good time now. You see, I'm on-"

"-The Citadel," John finished for her, internally anticipating the moment.

Tali tilted her head in confusion. "Yes, actually. How did you know I'm on it?"

Shepard now laughed and looked away mischievously. "That's actually a funny story, Tali. You see, not a few minutes ago, I happened to look up from my skylight and wouldn't you know it, I happened to spot a ship the exact make that you now command, complete with the same insignia no less. And I thought to myself that it would be amazing if you happened to be here, on the-"

"-Citadel," Tali now completed as she clasped her hands over her vocabulator gleefully. "Keelah, are you serious? You're actually here?"

Shepard laughed as the quarian was practically bouncing on her toes through the hologram. "Technically I'm still on my ship but that's beside the point. Knowing that you're close by has put me in a really good mood and I guess I was just wondering if you wanted to grab something to eat with me while we can catch up with each other's lives. You know, like old times?"

"Absolutely," she replied with no hesitation. "Do you have a place in mind?"

"There's a nice restaurant on the fourth level of the Wards called Exeleren that has food for everyone. You want to meet up there in a half hour?"

Shepard could tell, even through the digital projection and through her visor, that Tali was grinning like a kid trapped in a candy store. "I'll be there, John. It will be wonderful to see you again."

"Same here," Shepard said and both waved goodbye to the other as they simultaneously cut the connection. Shaking with relief, Shepard breathed out a low laugh to the sky before he checked the time on his omni-tool, setting an alert twenty-five minutes from now just as a reminder. Now realizing that he was not really dressed in the right attire for a place like Exeleren, he fingered his rumpled clothing for a second before he turned around and practically sprinted back to the elevator in a quest to procure a nicer wardrobe as well as splash some water on his face.

Joker was still monitoring diagnostics on his screen when he heard footsteps on the metal grating a few minutes later. Glancing over his chair, he grinned when he saw Shepard, dressed in a nice shirt and pants, walking toward the airlock door. Their gazes locked for a second which broke when Shepard smiled and sighed, "Smart-ass," under his breath. With a confident gait, he strode out the door and left Joker to his own devices.

Lightly laughing at the turn of events that had transpired, Joker simply grinned before he reclined in his chair, enjoying the feel of the leather wrap around his body.

"Told you so," he gloated to himself.

Truthfully, Shepard had never been to Exeleren in his life. He just knew about it from the dozens of times he had walked past the place when the Reapers were still around. It had looked nice enough and was advertised that it catered to every species, even quarians.

Shepard felt that he was pushing things by not calling ahead of time to reserve a table, but maintained an over-inflated sense of optimism as he approached the venue. Reuniting with an old and very good friend was overpowering any doubts in his mind, so there was that to consider.

Remarkably, there was no resistance from the staff from his impromptu arrival as he was whisked away to a table almost at the exact moment he had a foot in the door. Perhaps he discounted the effect his presence would have with the management and before he knew it, he found himself seated on the private second floor, overlooking the bar area through the windowed wall. The lighting was dimmer and more intimate here and all of the tables were draped with fine cloth. Pretty big upgrade from a food court, he had to concede. Apparently saving the galaxy still came with a few perks now and then. Shepard grinned as he toyed with the idea of getting a hefty discount or potentially getting the entire meal comped.

Now drumming his fingers on the table, he had been seated for less than five minutes when he heard a shuffling noise on the carpet behind him. He looked over, expecting the waiter to be asking for his drink when a lithe form stepped around the corner and into full view.

Their posture was timid, their movements a little jerky, but Shepard had the same feeling he did when he first met her all over again. Dressed in a sleek suit that denoted her status among her people, she gingerly stepped forward, approaching the table slowly.

Instantly, Shepard stood up, almost knocking his chair over, and closed the distance to the person. Their arms held out, the two of them swiftly met and eagerly embraced the other in the room; the feeling like a dam had burst inside each of their chests – flooding them with happiness and relief. Tali buried her visor into Shepard's shoulder as he rested his cheek on top of her helmet. For a moment, the only noises were from the two's labored breathing as they struggled to hold their broiling emotions in. After a few seconds, the pair parted, giving only enough room for them to gaze upon the other once again.

"God," Shepard breathed as he tenderly stroked the side of Tali's helmet, his other hand at her waist. "I missed you so much, Tali." I…I don't have any other words…

"I missed you too," she whispered, sounding a little choked up. Shepard could feel her trembling through her suit but could not tell if it was from joy, nerves, or both. Her hands groped at his arms, as if she was testing that he was really in front of her. "Keelah…it's been so long, John."

"Too long," Shepard clarified with a warm smile. He looked at the suit that Tali had chosen to don: black and gold with a metal crown that made up the front portion of her hood. She looked a bit more regal than he had remembered her, but those eyes behind that smoky purple visor contained the same loving gaze that he knew since they first met. Despite her appearance, she had not changed a bit.

Tali was also noting with some amusement the clothing Shepard had decided to wear. "You look good," she said, trying to come up with a line that didn't sound too awkward. "I…I mean that I've hardly seen you in anything other than military regulation uniforms before. I think it suits you very well."

"Well," Shepard eyed the ceiling mockingly. "You have, on a few occasions, seen me wearing nothing at all, if I recall correctly."

"You bosh'tet," Tali laughed, giving his arm a slight pat. "All this time and you're still terrible." They now strode over to the table and quickly seated themselves across the little table, unconsciously scooting all the way forward so that they would be as close as possible to the other.

As if he had been watching the whole thing, a salarian waiter promptly came up to the pair before they could continue and after he lit the candle in front of them, he asked if they wanted any drinks. Shepard blinked as he was caught off-guard before he considered his order.

"Scotch and soda," he said.

Tali quickly grabbed the drinks menu and scanned it for a few seconds before she asked for a glass of Palaven wine. The waiter wrote down their order and quickly shuffled off, leaving the two alone again.

"So…" Shepard started as he brushed his fingers along the table, suddenly finding himself at a loss for what he wanted to say. "I know that it's been a long time since we last talked and for that I want to apologize, Tali. It's just-"

He stopped as he saw her hold up a hand, indicating for him to say no more. "I'm going to stop you right there, John," Tali said, her voice unnaturally stern. It was the voice of a confident leader, John realized with a tiny hint of pride. "I know you well enough that you're going to try to accept all the blame in us not talking for a while but you are fully aware, as am I, that the responsibility does not fall squarely on your shoulders this time. I'm not going to let the first words out of your mouth today be ones of a self-destructive nature, John."

Shepard smirked as he watched the waiter arrive with their drinks. After they were placed and the salarian had retreated, he eyed Tali thoughtfully. "If you're contesting that you shoulder that responsibility instead of me," he countered, "then I'm afraid I'm going to have to voice my protest on that one, Tali."

Tali just shook her head with a tired laugh. "Oh, John. Still the same stubborn-headed human. I'm just saying that you shouldn't blame yourself for everything. I mean, we both had to know when we chose our paths on what this would entail for us."

I don't think I ever considered how deep the problem would run, actually, Shepard thought but he nodded in acknowledgement.

"I guess I just underestimated how busy our lives would be thereafter," Shepard sighed as he spread his hands, gazing forlornly at the flickering candle in the center of the table, watching it ebb and flow with the tiny draft. "Still, I should have made more attempts to talk to you, Tali. I mean, why wouldn't I? What we both had, it shouldn't have ended with us just drifting apart like that. I just would have liked to have more time to talk to you and now…"

"…And now things are like this," Tali added somberly. "But I should have made greater strides to communicate with you as well, John. I guess, after I tried calling the Normandy several times in succession for a few weeks and getting nothing but empty receivers…I-I guess I thought that seeing you would get more and more unlikely with every passing day. Truthfully, I never expected that being an actual admiral instead of a figurehead one would involve so much work."

"As did I. I can no longer manage my old routine that I did in the old days. Now, I have to communicate with people all the time and go through multiple channels to get simple decisions done. It's been a sobering experience, to say the least."

"Life was easier when you were a Spectre, huh?" Tali asked as she played with her straw for a little bit before she inserted it into a slot at the base of her helmet, sucking up a small portion of the red wine.

"I still am a Spectre," Shepard said. "But my duties to the Alliance have been taking up too much of my time that I can't run errands from the Council anymore. Still, being a Spectre means that they can't fire me unless I do something incredibly dishonorable. So, that's something I haven't screwed up yet."

Finishing with her sip, Tali took a careful swallow of her wine. "You've never screwed up anything, John. You're too quick to take all the responsibility, you know, even if it affects you negatively."

"I don't know, Tali," Shepard said as he lightly sipped his scotch. "Did I screw up us?"

Tali looked at him for a good long while before she gently set her glass down on the table. She folded her hands over the other and stared into Shepard's unflinching face before she gave her response. "Why would you think that? You didn't get married, did you?"

Shepard only smiled and shook his head. "No. Did you?"

"No," Tali answered, now finding her initial question to be ludicrous. "But why would you ever think that you would mess anything up? Did you do something that you felt was wrong, John?"

"I don't know," Shepard fidgeted in his seat, slightly uncomfortable. "It's just…I'm not sure that I got what I wanted out of this position, you know? Some days I wonder if I should have just…" He sighed bitterly. "I just want to know if my choice to continue with my military career destroyed what could have been a very good thing, Tali. I...I just need to know."

Tali reached over and lightly gripped Shepard's hand with her own three-fingered appendage. Her voice soft, she leaned over and rubbed her thumb along the back of Shepard's hand. "I made the same choice too, remember? Being an admiral, I thought that would mean that I could protect more people. But I don't think that matters anymore. All I know is that I never intended for us to be like this, to be apart from the other for so long. This wasn't what I had in mind, John."

Shepard reciprocated with a light squeeze on Tali's hand. "Neither did I. I guess that's what we get for both being equally stubborn with helping our own species out. We're just two hopeless old people, huh?"

"Speak for yourself," Tali laughed. "I still have a couple more months until I hit being thirty years old. You're the old man, as far as I can tell."

"Ouch," Shepard said as he raised his eyebrows mockingly. "You do know that I have feelings, Tali."

"You'll heal," Tali replied flippantly, making Shepard chuckle nonetheless. The Tali that he met seven years ago probably would have been mortified at herself for speaking to someone this way but after all this time, she had been around way too many people with a cynical sense of humor, combined with Shepard's personality, that a little indignation managed to rub off on her. Still, it amused Shepard regardless.

The waiter now sidled up to the table, the candlelight bathing his face in a warm glow. "Did you two decide on what you wanted to eat tonight?" he said precisely.

Shepard cleared his throat as he committed his order to his short-term memory. "I'll have the lobster with the truffle butter sauce."

"And I'll have the Cipritini spicy wiven tenderloin - sterilized," Tali replied and the waiter took their menus away, along with their orders.

"What exactly is a wiven?" Shepard asked as he watched the salarian retreat.

"It's a popular animal turians use for food back on Palaven," Tali answered. "It's supposed to be delicious. Also, what's a lobster?"

"A large crustacean that is found in the oceans on Earth. Very tasty. Technically they're all extinct now so any lobster you can buy now is just a clone from collected genetic material."

"Ugh," Tali shivered. "So, you mean kind of like a big insect?"

Shepard shrugged. "If you want to generalize it, then yeah. Doesn't change the fact that it still tastes good."

"I'll take your word for it," Tali shivered.

Restaurants like Exeleren were operated by having all of their meals pre-prepared for their clients. Most of them were made overnight and stored in the enormous freezer, ready for the next day's meal rush. When an order for a particular item came about, the frozen meal was placed into the sophisticated dehydrator (one that doesn't suck all the moisture out of the food) and applied with the necessary glazes. All in all, the entire process took about five minutes, which is why the food came out in short order after the two patrons had placed their requests.

The pair of waters came out with a hot meal tube for Tali and a large steaming plate for Shepard. The food tube contained Tali's wiven, cut into tiny slivers along with a good dose of chopped vegetables. A dressing was applied to the mix which made everything a bit more easier for Tali to access, as she needed a straw to eat the thing. The tube radiated heat and a smell similar to beef managed to reach Shepard's nostrils.

The lobster on Shepard's place was bright red, the shell completely stripped away. It was piled on top of white pilaf and a vegetable hash lined the base. Swiss chard was added as a garnish and the truffle sauce was sprinkled in an artisan pattern around it, bringing a touch of brown to the succulent meat.

"Enjoy," the waiter said with an over-the-top bow and left Shepard and Tali in peace.

Sharing a smile, Shepard grabbed his fork and tore off a portion of the ex-crustacean, revealing the tender white meat inside. He scooped up a bit of the pilaf that accompanied the dish and brought it to his mouth. The burst of flavor was so good that it nearly brought tears to his eyes. After years of eating nothing but standard military meals, it seemed that his taste buds had gotten more sensitive from the lack of eating something different.

Tali was exhibiting the same reaction, as she sucked up a bit of the meat and vegetable combination with a wide straw, and murmured in surprise when she too found her meal to be overwhelmingly delicious. Frantically, she sucked up a larger gulp of her food after her first bite, making Shepard laugh and wave her off while he watched her do so.

"Try not to inhale the food, Tali," he warned with a laugh. "That'll just give you a stomachache."

"So?" Tali said around a mouthful of food but she swallowed noticeably slower at his words. "Do you think I've gotten many chances on the flotilla to eat something that has an actual taste to it?"

"If your situation is at all like mine, I can probably guess that you haven't," Shepard said as he took another measured bite. "Still, try to take it easy, okay? I worry about you, is all."

"And you've never stopped," Tali said slyly but she complied with him, taking up another, but smaller portion of her food. Once she finished with her bite, she took a sip of her wine to wash her wiven down. "So, have you been keeping up with anyone else lately?"

Picking up another helping of lobster, Shepard smirked. "If I haven't had many chances to converse with you, then do you really think that I would have time to talk to anyone else?"

"Fair point," Tali nodded. "It's been the same with me too. I don't even know what the others are all up to, actually."

"I do know a bit, though," Shepard offered. "I still get some updates from time to time. I know that James is over at Earth and a Lieutenant Commander now. He's the new XO of the SSV Rugged."

"Seems like a good fit for him. How is Joker, by the way?"

"Still flying the ship. They made him a Wing Commander but he refuses to leave his post. He's too attached to the damn Normandy to even think about doing anything else."

Tali laughed. "Well, that's all I've ever known him to do."

"And Joker would like to keep it that way. Who else is there? Oh yeah, Kaidan is now Colonel Alenko and is stationed on the Genesis. He makes special appearances at Grissom Academy for all the biotic students and does a few lectures. He's well adored, from what I hear."

Shepard toyed with an errant bit of food on his plate before he continued. "Javik's now touring the galaxy somewhere, but Garrus and Liara are here on the Citadel. Garrus is doing…whatever retired people do and Liara is working low-key as the Shadow Broker."

There was a miniscule slump in Tali's shoulders at the very mention of Liara but Shepard didn't catch it. Quickly shaking it off, Tali set her empty tube to the side at the same time Shepard set his silverware down. Their glasses were empty by this time and the check had already been paid. Left to sit in the room until they were content, Shepard was at least focused on doing something else at the moment.

"Do you have anything else that you have to do tonight?" Shepard asked Tali.

She checked the time on her chronometer that her omni-tool was equipped with. "I have to be back on the ship in a little bit. Admirals have to report in after each day and all that."

"How old-fashioned," Shepard remarked with a little sourness tinging his voice, disappointed that the evening was potentially going to be cut short. "Do you want to just walk around the wards for a bit until you're ready to go?"

Tali bobbed her head enthusiastically. "That sounds just perfect, John."

Tali quickly learned that she had spoken too soon when she had described the idea as perfect because once the two of them approached the door, they found no less than half a dozen reporters milling around the restaurant's entrance, looking to snap a photo or snag a short line for their next publication.

"Son of a-," Shepard muttered as they halted a short distance away, still in the foyer of the restaurant. "It's been three years; you'd think they would have moved on to a different subject by now."

Tali was annoyed too and she huffed inside her helmet. "They have no concept of privacy. Do you want to just sneak out the back way and give them the slip?"

"Ah, they'll get wise to our act soon and catch up eventually. Might as well fight through them now and show them that we're not interested in talking."

"Okay," Tali said before she took a deep breath. She held out her hand and brushed it against Shepard's side. He got the message and clasped the hand in his own gentle grip. "Don't let go of me," she whispered to him.

"I won't," he promised before the both of them strode forward through the doorway into a torrent of noise and camera flashes.

"Admiral Shepard, Admiral Zorah!" a hundred voices seemed to be yelling, the noise a startling cacophony. "Admirals!" one young human yelled. "How does it feel to be back on the Citadel after your tours?"

Shepard and Tali just drew themselves closer and slowly shouldered themselves through the crowd, their jaws firmly clamped shut.

"Just a quick word, Shepard!"

"Admiral Zorah, what do you have to say about the recent quarian settlement proposal?"

"Shepard, can you comment on the newest meme the extranet has put out with your image?"

"Admiral Zorah, does this mean that you and Admiral Shepard are back together?"

The reporters, despite their tenaciousness, did not get a word out of Shepard and Tali and after the two had finally made it past the throng of press, most of them realized the futility of their quest and slowly trudged off. A brave few still followed, thinking that they would breach one of their defenses sooner or later but eventually broke off after they still refused to respond and allowed the admirals to continue on their way, unmolested.

Shepard and Tali walked quickly through the wards, passing expertly through the crowds before Shepard yanked Tali into a back alley, huddling in the corner while they watched the door close safely behind them. They held onto the other for half a minute before they determined that they weren't being followed any more.

"For a second there," Tali said, "I thought they weren't going to give up."

"They probably left to cover a skycar accident or another breaking news story," Shepard reasoned. "They're very narrow-minded like tha-" He stopped as he looked around the surrounding area. This was the first time he had to fully consider the place he had chosen to hide in. There was a reddish glow in the alley and pipes carrying steam trailed up the sides and across the ceiling. Shepard let go of Tali and walked up a flight of stairs looking out over the floor beyond.

"What is it, John?" Tali asked as she trailed behind him.

With a grin, he looked back. "You don't recognize where we are, Tali?"

"Let me see," she said as she now approached Shepard's spot to peer down a set of stairs in front of her, leading to a small open area in the middle of the alley. Tables and crates were all arranged behind a storefront, but the location was familiar nonetheless. It all clicked for her right then as she realized what he meant. "John, I first met you here!"

"Yes," he said gleefully as he strode down the narrow steps, indicating various locations with his arms. "You were standing right there when I first saw you. You were getting harassed by a turian, if I recall correctly."

"That's right. He tried to take the data I had on Saren, after Fist had promised that I would see the Shadow Broker." She looked over at Shepard. "But then you came out that door and shot him in the heart. As far as first impressions go, you made a big one."

"I'd say," Shepard said lightly. "I had to run half a mile just to get to this place because I wasn't sure if I was going to make it in time. By then I was full of adrenaline and in no mood for games."

"No doubt," Tali quipped but didn't say any more after that. Rather, she took a hold of Shepard's arm and leaned against him, giving a soft sigh in the process. But Shepard intertwined their hands together, wordlessly giving her his support as they stood in the center of the room, of their memories.

"When do you have to go back?" Shepard whispered, his head facing forward.

"Soon," Tali sighed, everything in her body screaming at her not to go. She felt Shepard's arm tense in regret and his face fell in remorse, saddened that the night had come to an end so quickly.

"Okay," Shepard said haltingly. "But I'll walk you back to your ship. It's the least I-"

"Wait," Tali interrupted, her fingers digging into Shepard's skin as she clutched at him. He turned his body in surprise as she looked up, her eyes wide behind her visor. "Do…Don't you have to do anything tonight?"

"Me? No, I don't have anything else that I need to do. I was planning to go back to my apartment after I dropped you off, but-"

"Don't," Tali said forcefully. "I don't want to go back to the Shellen. I can't go back there now. I've spent enough time there as it is." She dropped her gaze suddenly. "I want more time with you, John. Just…just take me with you to your apartment. I don't want to leave just yet."

Shepard was delighted to hear those words while he gave her his warmest smile. He gently cupped the bottom of her helmet and lifted it so that their faces were gazing at the other only inches away. "I don't want you to leave either, Tali. But are you sure that you can just leave your ship like that? Won't your absence be noted amongst the crew?"

"Oh, it will certainly be noticed," Tali affirmed but quickly giggled. "But I don't give a damn what they think. I deserve the right to see my best friend for as long as possible after not seeing him for over a year. If they take offense to that and discharge me, then I really couldn't care less. I believe that this is more important."

"So do I, Tali."

Shepard hugged her in the middle of the alley, dim lighting and all. His grin was sparkling as he just laughed at her confidence, so happy that she wanted this as much as he did. Not wasting any more time, the two wheeled themselves out of the narrow passageway and back into the bustling chaos of the wards. All they needed right now was to find a taxi stand.

After a quick cycling of the locks, the door opened to reveal the once again spacious interior to the both of them. Shepard sighed as he cast off his jacket and threw it over the nearest chair. Tali, meanwhile, was still in awe at the sheer amount of space the apartment afforded, despite the fact that she had been here once before.

The place was a gift from the late Admiral Anderson and Shepard appreciated the notion that he had such a place to kick back and relax every now and then. Truthfully, he considered that he had too much space as he had no use for the two extra bedrooms, much less a Jacuzzi and a full bar. But, Anderson had insisted and Shepard needed an excuse to spend a portion of his ridiculous savings on taxes, so this would have to do. Hell, if Anderson had not ordered Shepard to keep the place, he would have sold it long ago.

Rubbing at his hair, Shepard turned around to face Tali, who was still standing at the door. "I'm just going to freshen myself up. It'll only take five minutes. Feel free to make yourself at home, Tali."

She nodded and Shepard quickly walked up the stairs to his own room on the second story, the door closing behind him. Tali breathed out in his absence as it felt like a fist that had been crushing her windpipe had relaxed, allowing her to inhale more easily.

But as she slowly walked around the place, looking at the huge picture adorning the fireplace of the entire crew, the fist clenched again. Looking at herself in the picture, watching her and Shepard gaze at the other while they held hands was bringing back the flood of memories to Tali. It felt like something was tickling her inside her stomach, making her twitch as her subconscious ever so slightly pushed her along a path it had in mind.

Tali remembered the joyful party that had transpired after the war had finished and Shepard had come back from the hospital. She could easily take herself back to that night, watching herself and everyone else dance to popular music, drink themselves silly in celebration, and have her and Shepard sit on his bed, spending sheer hours just talking. Being the center of such an important place for her caused Tali to sigh, knowing what she wanted now.

There was a crave building inside her, the simmer that had been churning had gradually been brought to a boil, threatening to spill. Knowing exactly what she was doing, she strode up the stairs, taking two at a time, waiting at Shepard's door while it cycled for an unusually long time before it allowed her admittance.

The first thing Tali saw was Shepard's puddled clothes on the floor in front of her, a trail leading to the bathroom to her right. A hissing sound was emanating from the door, denoting that Shepard was currently using the shower. She smiled, almost tingling with anticipation.

In a brief moment of clarity, she whipped out her omni-tool and scanned the air for any contaminants. To her surprise, there were very little foreign particulates that her system could recognize, denoting that the air here was actually quite clean. Of course, the results most likely would not have mattered anyway, but it still gave Tali a drive that what she was doing was going to be perfectly safe.

Sitting on the edge of Shepard's bed, Tali took a deep breath and gently depressed the seals on her visor, hearing an odd echo of a sinister laugh echo around her. Willing her fingers to quit their trembling, she pulled the covering off her face, allowing for the warm air to gently waft on her skin, the feeling sensational after being cooped up inside this suit for so long. The sheer joys of experiencing life without something blocking her sensation of touched was a gift that many took for granted, Tali had to concede. For her, the experience was unparalleled with anything that she had ever done before and each time she had revealed herself, she always got such a rush from the sheer thrill of doing so. It was addicting, to say the least.

Her dexterous fingers moving quickly, she lifted her helmet off her suit after flicking the clasps, letting the gold covering fall behind her safely onto the bed. She waved her head to let her tangled hair wisp around her after being held in place for so long. She brushed at the black strands, making them look somewhat presentable before she gave up and concentrated on other aspects before Shepard would get out of the shower.

Tali used her omni-tool to automatically release the vacuum seals holding her suit in place, a new technology fabricated for easier suit removal. With a deflating sound, Tali's suit suddenly felt baggy as the seals released, her suit no longer airtight. With that step done, she ordered the electronic clasps lining her back to also let go, splitting her suit open and revealing more of her silvery skin to the world.

It was a simple affair after that to completely remove her suit. She shrugged her shoulders out of the top part first, releasing her arms from the suit's ever present grip. Tali then tugged at her boots, sliding the rest of the material down her body, slowly revealing more and more of her. With a final kick, the suit slid off her hips, allowing her to step out and leave it lying on the floor next to Shepard's clothing.

Finally free from the damned suit, Tali stood upright in the middle of Shepard's room, letting her hands softly trail over her body in a timid exploration. The warm air coddled her like a blanket and the feel of carpet on her toes tickled her. She laughed hesitantly, stretching herself out while letting her emotions run free and wild.

Knowing that she was about to calm the desire pooling in her chest, Tali padded naked over to the bathroom door, the smooth surface opening at just the slightest touch. The first thing she felt was a blast of heat and steam, the condensation clinging to her skin. She closed her eyes as goosebumps traveled up her body. It had been a long time since she had felt something like this, years in fact. She had shared her last experience out of her suit with Shepard, as a matter of fact.

Walking forward, she could see Shepard's form outlined through the glass shower, oblivious to her presence as it was completely coated over with mist. Smiling wickedly, Tali hooked her fingers around the shower handle and pulled, revealing him to her.

Shepard began to sense that something was amiss from the cool draft at his back as he finished brushing his teeth in the shower. Rinsing out his mouth before turning around, his eyes widened as he saw an unclothed Tali standing at the door, a hungry look on her face.

She still was very beautiful, much to Shepard's pleasant surprise. Her thin body was traced with muscle, making the woman, despite her slimness, appear very strong. A few black strokes wrapped themselves around her form, two of them appearing from her eyebrows to run up to her scalp. Her grey skin, the color of steel, remained very much the way he saw it last, very smooth and pockmarked with a few scars, faint lines tracing her skin. Shepard remembered that he had liked to look at the scars when they had lain in bed before, but it always made him a little sad to know that a person like this did not deserve the hurt inflicted on them like that.

Even though it felt like an eternity to him as the two stared deeply into the other, his blue eyes and her glowing white ones, Shepard barely had time to take in Tali's appearance completely before she quickly walked into the spray, closed the door behind her, and mashed her face against Shepard's in a passionate kiss.

In shock, Shepard made a surprised noise, muffled from Tali's mouth over his, but once she threw her arms over his neck lovingly, everything became right. She trembled from the water rushing down her skin, her black hair beginning to plaster to her head. Shepard's own hands trailed down Tali's body, always on the move, smoothing over any skin within reach. Aroused, Tali aggressively pushed Shepard to the wall of the shower as she continued to kiss him, falling deeper and deeper into each other's snare.

Tali's glowing eyes transfixed him with desire, an aspect that Shepard always found to be alluring. It had to be the pure white eyes shining with such an innocence that caused Shepard to repeatedly lose himself in them, to Tali's amusement for she didn't think there was anything special about them.

Temporarily submitting himself to her urges, Shepard let Tali begin the pace as they kissed. The contrasting temperatures from the cold wall at his back to the blazing hot shower and the body pressing against his front were sending him into a delirium. It had been years since they had been together like this, and Tali was all he had thought about in that time.

With an animal urge for dominance, Shepard quickly turned and pressed Tali up against the cold stone wall instead. She shuddered from the cool touch upon her skin but disregarded it as her body got used to the difference in temperature. No words were exchanged between them, but their actions spoke volumes.

Becoming bolder and fighting for at least a shred of control, Tali opened her mouth wider and entered Shepard's mouth with her tongue. The effect was electric; Shepard hooked his hands around her calves and propped her up a couple inches with a low growl, making her squeal with glee. He pressed into her body, feeling her firm breasts against his chest, fighting to share her heat, her life. Joyfully, Tali wrapped her hands around Shepard's face as they spent countless minutes in their position, just furiously making out while water sluiced around them.

There was a hint that the pace was to escalate at any given moment, but the initiative was not being seized right now. As happy as Tali was at this point in time, she still wanted more. She could smell the rich scent of shampoo, taste the hint of mint on her tongue from Shepard's mouth, and she just kept falling. Her legs wrapped around Shepard's body, gripping him tighter as she let out a moan of pure pleasure from everything impacting on her skin.

Not being able to take it anymore, with fumbling fingers, Shepard finally managed to switch the shower off, the gurgling sounding soon afterward. Breaking away from the kiss they had shared all this time, Tali looked hurt but saw that Shepard carried the same hunger in his eyes that she had exhibited in the beginning. She then knew that he wanted to continue but wanted to switch themselves over to a more comfortable venue. Without talking, the two quickly toweled off, Shepard taking great joy in helping Tali with that part as he tenderly kissed her belly while he dabbed at her legs, until they were reasonably dry.

Once they had considered themselves finished with that step, they collided with each other once more and stumbled to the door in the throngs of yet another kiss. They almost tripped several times on their journey to the bed, toppling onto it in a tangle of limbs, only passion inscribed in their minds.

Truthfully, this was in no way how Tali had foreseen her night coming to an end. Maybe it was the dinner, the talking, or simply the thrill of seeing Shepard after years of not being in the presence of the other that had resulted in this spontaneous sexual urge. She felt like this was something she needed, not just the sex, but for the close intimate contact with someone she knew so well, the need to establish a powerful bond once more. Her soul clamored for it, and it needed to be satiated.

Dragging everything out to last what she felt was a lifetime, Tali became enthralled in this…fantasy. It was a fantasy, she conceded, seeing as this was all she thought ever since she had parted ways with Shepard. There had always been something wrong with her and it seemed like she was being given the answer to the problem right here.

In a tangle of sheets, the bedroom echoed with the sound of fierce kissing and the lusty moans erupting from the two of them. Tali's limbs flailed as Shepard briefly pleasured his alien partner with his mouth in the beginning, causing Tali's entire body to pulse, her muscles rippling in ecstasy. He always seemed to know what she liked best, for he was carefully watching her movements, her change in posture, to sense what area he could stimulate for the best effect. He was truly one of an empathetic nature.

After that, the two rolled this way and that on the bed, unable to tear themselves from the other. A few times they came close to toppling off of the bed in a heap but they would both laugh and tumble into a safer position while they met skin with skin. Nothing could come between them now, and everything they had kept bottled up inside them practically exploded out into the open. The human's and quarian's legs hooked around the other, only muffled moans sounding as their craving for affection and love overwhelmed every other basic need.

Shortly, the night would carry on and eventually end with the creaking of bed springs and heavy gasps. Tali held on to Shepard as he proceeded slowly, as opposed to his harsh actions in the shower. She remembered that he was always gentle with her here, so gentle, that she had trouble figuring out how such a battle-riddled soldier could possibly exhibit such tenderness and love. The care applied to her was much more effective than rough lust, her arousal peaking as Shepard's muscular form carefully melded with her leaner and wiry body, and soon Tali found herself slipping away.

As Tali gripped Shepard firmly around the waist, she cried out his name, several times in fact. His answering groans were more than enough to achieve her perfect ending for the night, a long wail from her bouncing off the bedroom walls. Shepard finished soon after at the sound of her mewling, and he gently lowered himself down onto her, finding Tali eagerly waiting with a kiss which caused him to sink back into the old familiar feeling once more from her lips on his.

Gently, he rolled over so that Tali was lying atop him, still kissing the other heavily. Her arms were around his neck while one of his hands was placed across her back and the other was on the back of her head, threading through the black, tangled mop of hair on her scalp.

Panting hard, Shepard caressed Tali's cheek. Grinning slightly, she kissed his thumb as it passed by her mouth. "You have no idea how long I've been waiting to do that again," she breathed.

"I think I have a pretty good idea," Shepard defended. "But I did need that. More than I initially would have thought."

"As did I. That's why you've always been totally worth it." Tali rested her chin on Shepard's chest, still smiling broadly but quickly frowned as she considered something. "Why did we leave, John? If this is who we're meant to be, then why would we have left someone so good?"

Shepard looked at Tali as he considered her words. His arms now pulling at hers, he lifted Tali so that she was lying right beside him, their heads at the same height. "I don't know," he answered. "What we had – have – is something no one else has ever understood. Maybe I just didn't appreciate what I had been left after that damn war. Maybe I was just afraid, Tali."

"Afraid of what, John?"

He raised an arm in frustration, as if he was trying to mime out his misgivings before he flopped his appendage down by his side, his breath being expelled forcefully to signify his disgust in himself.

"That I could lose everything if I let my guard down. That I would still be in danger, no matter how safe everything seemed. I just couldn't accept it at the time…I just…"

Tali interrupted him with a soft kiss on his cheek, a tear threatening to spill its way down her face. "I knew that one day this would happen. I never lost hope that I could once again realize how much I need you in my life, John."

"Maybe I just don't care about the consequences anymore, Tali. Maybe I should just appreciate what I have now instead of worrying about what I can lose later. I do get lonely up there in space, you know."

"So do I," Tali said. "I get terribly lonely when I'm on my ship as well. I just can't think of anyone else besides you when I'm all by myself up there, John."

"Same here, because you're the only one I've ever wanted to see," Shepard said before both converged on the other, exchanging tender kisses as they laid side by side, their arms slowly wrapping around each other while they partook in their duties. Fifteen minutes passed before they finally halted and slowly pulled the covers of the bed over themselves. Still locked in an embrace, the two slowed their movements and rapidly fell into a blissful sleep, lapsing into unconsciousness at the same time.

They would later recall that it would be the best rest they had received in years.

A/N: My sarcastic inner self is straining to burst free so I'll just leave this fluff here and call it a day before I end up making things worse.

Sounds good to me.