A/N: Thank you so much for the positive reviews I've gotten over the past week, they mean the world to me. Thank you to my beta Alilypea for taking the time to try and fix my crap grammar. There should only be a few more chapters now guys, I've got the ending in sight I've just got to get us there. I will warn you that the ending will NOT be in line with ME3...cause yeah...I said so.

I don't own Mass Effect, but if I ever win the lottery I may buy it...just sayin'

"Joker, wake up," Shepard shook the form of her sleeping boyfriend gently. "It's surgery day."

Joker's eyes shot open, "oh right, I can't believe that we fell asleep." He sat up slowly untangling his legs from Shepard's. "I guess I should shower."

"Help yourself to mine," Shepard stretched and curled back into the bed, "I'm still tired so I'm going to grab another 10 minutes."

"You're going to come today right?" Joker sounded nervous, his voice cracking mid-sentence. Shepard turned her head to look at him and smiled.

"Of course, if Dr. Chakwas will let me I'll stay with you for the entire thing, but you won't need me. You're going to be fine."

Joker nodded stiffly before disappearing into the bathroom. Shepard sat up and looked around the room. Seeing Joker so nervous had chased away her urge for sleep, deciding instead to get dressed she made quick work of tossing on a pair of sweats and tying her hair back. Sitting down at her private terminal she sorted through the mass amount of messages that she had received and sent the important ones off to Kelly for scheduling.

Shepard heard the door behind her open, and turned to see Joker walking out of the bathroom wearing nothing but a towel looking far more relaxed. "Do you ever stop working?" He walked past her to retrieve his clothes from where he had dropped them the night before.

"I stopped working last night," Shepard walked to the door and leaned on the frame, "ready?" She reached out and laced her fingers with his.

"Not really…" Joker allowed himself to be led to the elevator, his face a sickly pale again.

"I don't understand why you're so nervous, you've had surgery before." Shepard pressed the button for the crew deck and turned to look at Joker.

"It's not the surgery part that bugs me; it's the being knocked out part." Joker shrugged, "it's always really freaked me out for some reason."

"Oh," Shepard thought about it for a minute, "I guess I understand that, must be hard for a pilot to give up control like that."

Joker nodded, and a frown crossed his face when the elevator doors opened. Offering him a small smile Shepard pulled him towards the med bay. Dr. Chakwas was waiting for them just outside the door with a data pad in hand.

"Good morning, Joker, still haven't gotten over your fear of anesthesia I see." Dr. Chakwas opened the door to the med bay, and directed him over to the operating table. "You'll need to take off your pants, you can leave everything else on we can work around it. Mordin should be here any minute with the samples."

"Here now." Mordin bustled in with four long tubes in his hands, "samples perfect. Ready for surgery."

"Do you guys mind if I stay?" Shepard folded Joker's pants, and sat on the chair that was next to the head of the operating table taking his hand in hers again. "I'll keep out of the way."

"Not at all, Commander," Dr. Chakwas smiled, "I thought you would like to, which is why I pulled out the chair for you. The actual surgery should only take an hour or so, it's very minor."

"So Joker will be out of the hospital wing today?" Shepard smiled at Joker, and he weakly returned it.

"Certainly, he will need to stay for an hour or so after surgery to make sure that everything is alright and then he is all yours. Providing our calculations are correct within two months his bone density should be the same as an average man his age."

"That's amazing; I can't believe that it can change that quickly." Shepard watched Mordin prepare the tubes he brought in earlier.

"Ready Mordin?" Dr. Chakwas gathered the anesthetic and walked over to the other side of the operating table, "you need to lay back now Joker."

Joker swallowed hard, and rested back against the table, "shit, I hate this part."

Dr. Chakwas smiled, and gave his shoulder a light squeeze before tying off his arm to find a vein, "I know, but it's only going to take a second and then you will have a new life to look forward too."

Joker watched as the Doctor swabbed his arm with alcohol, and felt himself start to panic. Dr. Chakwas looked over to Shepard, "keep him distracted, Commander; he's never done well with this."

Joker was taking heaving breaths now, "can I just stay awake? I'll lay still."

Shepard stood up and leaned over Joker, "Jeff," Joker was frantically looking at Dr. Chakwas as she prepared the needle. "Jeff, look at me." Joker turned his head towards her voice, but didn't take his eyes off the needle.

"Jeff," Shepard stroked his face and Joker's green eyes met hers. "You're going to be fine, just look at me."

Joker nodded and held Shepard's hand tightly, "okay, I'm alright."

Shepard picked up the movement as Dr. Chakwas got ready to give Joker the I.V. that was going to knock him out, "you're going to feel a small pinch in a minute, Joker, just keep talking to Shepard."

Joker took a shuddering breath, "shit, you're going to stay right? Through the whole thing?"

Shepard leaned forwards and kissed him gently, "I won't leave your side, I promise. I'll be right here when you wake up."

Joker felt a pinch in the bend of his elbow and the room started to spin, "oh god," Joker fought the urge for sleep pressing in on him.

"Jeff," Joker flicked his eyes back to Shepard's his vision clouding around the edges, "I love you."

Joker could no longer resist the drugs coursing through his system, as he fell asleep he wondered if he had told Shepard that he loved her too.

"Jeff?" Joker winced at the light in the room as he woke up, "are you alright?"

Nodding slowly he looked around trying to regain his surroundings, "yeah, I'm okay. Did it go alright?"

"Perfectly Joker, Mordin did very well with the samples our Commander had provided. You won't even have much in the way of a scar." Dr. Chakwas took Joker's blood pressure, "I'd like you to stay for another hour while you wake up fully and then you can go."

"Sure Doc," Joker sat up slightly and looked over at Shepard, "did you stay the entire time?"

"Of course I did, you asked me too." Shepard smiled and stood up to kiss Joker.

"Thank you," Joker mumbled into her lips between kisses, "I love you."

"I know," Shepard sat on the edge of the bed Joker was on, "I love you, too."

"So what's the plan then?" Joker looked between Shepard and Dr. Chakwas.

"Well I need to start gathering the rest of the crew, "Shepard sighed, "and Miranda needs me for a favor."

"You'll be okay to fly tomorrow Joker; you will just need to make sure that you're getting a decent night sleep each night so the marrow can properly help you. I will need to see you back here next month to check on your progress, Commander that is around when your implants will need their first charge as well so I will book you in together."

"Sounds like a plan," Joker nodded, "is it wrong that I think it's cool that you have batteries?"

Shepard laughed, "you ass."

Shepard found that time passed quickly as always when you're a solider preparing for war, before Shepard knew what had happened their crew had grown to include Tali and Samara. All of her companions had needed her for something and feeling more than a little guilty asking them to face suicidal odds she had helped each one. Shepard had to smile, while the situation wasn't ideal it was nice to have something like a family around her.

Heading down to the med bay for her one month check she hit the green lock with the side of her hand, the med bay doors slid open in front of her, Joker was already waiting for her to arrive having an animated conversation with Dr. Chakwas. Shepard held her finger up to her lips signaling to not say anything as she crept up being Joker and wrapped her arms around his waist, making him jump.

"Hey, I'm a taken man." Joker smiled and twisted in her grip to give her a proper hug. "Ready to be recharged?"

"You know it," Shepard unzipped her sweater leaving her wearing just a sports bra, "where do you want me, Doc?"

"Just in this chair, Commander," Dr. Chakwas pointed at a chair next to one of the beds, "I assumed that you would like to be near Joker as we did his check up as well."

Sitting down on the chair Shepard leaned forwards to allow access to her back, "So how does this all work?"

"Through magnets," Dr. Chakwas pulled four wires from the wall, and gently placed them over the glowing lights down Shepard's spine, Shepard winced as the magnets grabbed at her implants through the sensitive skin. "When the light stops flashing they're fully charged."

"Joker, I need you to sit on the table please." Joker hopped up, and Shepard watched with interest as Dr. Chakwas ran her Omni tool over Jokers legs. Taking a moment to go over the results the Doctor smiled and pointed her arm towards the doors, projecting two x-rays on it side by side.

"The x-ray on the left is the one that we had on file before the surgery was complete, notice how light the bones are? The one on the right is you now Joker." Dr. Chakwas beamed, "you've done much better than we thought. See how much darker your bones are? You're at least 75% better."

Joker laughed, "Go figure all it took was some magic stuff from the great Commander Shepard, why couldn't I have met you when I was a teenager? I could have been quite the ladies man."

Shepard laughed and smacked Joker on the leg, "shut up, you know you only want me."

"Hey, watch it! Brittle bones remember?" Joker rubbed where Shepard had hit and pouted.

"Sorry baby, can't use that excuse anymore, looks like before you know it you'll be trying all kinds of new and exciting things." Shepard winked, and Joker flushed a dark red, immediately catching on to her meaning.

"So Commander," Dr. Chakwas interrupted their exchange, "any plans for your birthday next week?"

"It's your birthday next week?" Joker was surprised, Shepard hadn't mentioned her birthday.

"Oh damn," Shepard rubbed the back of her neck and looked over to the Doctor, "you had to say something didn't you?"

"Why didn't you say anything? How am I going to plan a party in a week?" Joker groaned, "You suck."

"Our Commander has always avoided her birthday, how many years have you worked together? When have you ever known her to have a party?" Dr. Chakwas smiled and sat down at her desk, "maybe this year you could do something, Shepard, what could it hurt?"

"Famous last words," Shepard sighed, "fine, let's go to Omega and hang out at afterlife. I can get the crew drunk on Cerberus' dime."

"Sure thing, I'll set a course for Omega." Joker stood up and made for the door.

"Hang on a second there, first of all we need to pick up the Reaper IFF first, second of all where the hell is my kiss goodbye?"

"You're going to go after the IFF? Can't that wait until after your birthday?" Joker walked over to where she was sitting, and bent to give her a quick kiss.

"I wish, but if I had it my way the entire war would wait." Shepard shrugged, "I can't avoid it forever, and eventually we are going to have to go after the Collectors."

"Why does it have to be you," Joker deflated, "why can't you be a cat breeder or something?"

"I'm sorry, Jeff," Shepard took his hand and squeezed it. "I'm a soldier, that's what I do. If I don't go after them then who will?"

"Someone who's not my girlfriend?" Joker adjusted his hat, "anyone else?"

Shepard carefully stood up around the wires and pulled him into a hug, "I know it must be hard to watch me get shot at, but I promise I'm tough. I'll be ok."

Joker pulled Shepard in tight against his body and kissed the side of her neck, "I can't lose you again, Kai, my heart can't take it."

"You won't, I'm not going anywhere. I'm here for as long as you want me." Shepard pulled back to kiss Joker on the nose.

"Forever? Does forever sound okay for you cause that's what I'm thinking." Joker smiled down at Shepard, his bad mood temporarily forgotten.

"Sounds great," Shepard smiled, "I'm in."

"Okay you two," Dr. Chakwas chuckled, "enough of this love story in my clinic, you two are being so sickly sweet I think I'm becoming diabetic."

"Alright," Joker pulled back and walked towards the door, he still had his signature limp but Dr. Chakwas had assured him with would go away with physiotherapy. "I'll set the course to get the IFF."

Shepard nodded and watched as he disappeared from sight, "how am I looking, Doc? I need to get suited up."

Dr. Chakwas took a quick look at the implants before pulled the cables off. "All set Commander; you should be alright on this charge for another month."

"Thanks," Shepard shrugged her sweater on and walked over to EDIs console, "EDI can you page Garrus and Tali for me? Tell them to get ready to retrieve the IFF."

"Yes Commander," EDI flashed before disappearing.

Making her way towards the door Shepard was stopped by Dr. Chakwas, "be careful Shepard, I don't think I could patch Joker back up if we lost you."

Shepard nodded, "I will, thanks Karin."

Shepard groaned as she settled into bed, she had got the IFF and an intact geth. After a brief argument between Miranda and Jacob she had decided two things.

#1. Miranda and Jacob had some serious sexual frustration between them.

#2. The geth could wait until tomorrow.

Looking over towards the door as she heard it open she groaned, "I'm not buying whatever you're selling. I just had a hell of a day."

"I bet," Joker tossed his hat onto the couch, and sat down next to Shepard on the bed. "Honestly Kai, I don't know how you don't get yourself killed. I think my heart stopped when I watched you jump that gap."

"I did get myself killed," Shepard pulled the covers over her head, "and now I have to face the worst enemy of them all."

"The collectors?" Joker smiled at Shepard hiding; sometimes she acted like such a girl.

"My birthday," Shepard groaned, "why do we have to do anything anyway?"

"Because it's your birthday," Joker poked at her sides through the blanket and laughed as Shepard let out a very high pitched shriek.

"No tickles jerk, I can beat you up now the Doctor said so." Shepard came out from under the blanket with her hair a mess, "I still don't see why my birthday is such a big deal."

"Come on Kai, it won't be that bad. We'll go to Omega, we'll get you drunk and we'll come home." Joker stood up and pulled off his shirt and slipped out of his pants sliding into the bed next to Shepard.

Shepard smiled at the word "home" coming from Jokers mouth, at some point in the last month it had been decided that Joker would stay with her in the Captain's quarters, there had never been a discussion of any sort but it seemed to work with them and Shepard had grown to love the routine.

"See you're smiling, it won't be so bad." Joker found Shepard's hand and brushed his thumb over her knuckles.

"I wasn't smiling at that, I was smiling at you." Shepard blushed and looked at their hands entwined on the covers.

"And now you're blushing, care to tell me what you're thinking about?"

"Us, this," Shepard pointed at their hands, "the fact that we're together, that you consider this home."

Joker smiled, "you are home to me, Kai, wherever you are. Home is where the heart is right? Well every time you leave the ship you take mine with you." Joker pulled her into a hug, "I love you, even if you aren't half as badass as you pretend to be."

"I love you too, even though you snore." Shepard laughed, "You have a great ass so it helps."

"I don't snore, you snore!" Joker scoffed pretending to be offended. "I need proof!"

"EDI? Can I get some confirmation over here?"

"You snore, Mr. Moreau." EDIs orb appeared in the corner.

"Ha! I told you!" Shepard laughed.

"As do you, Commander Shepard." EDIs orb disappeared

"Shit." Shepard shrugged, "guess we have to call it a tie."

"Guess so, now get over here and kiss me." Joker guided her mouth to his to kiss her gently, running his hands through her loose hair. Moving his attention to her neck he trailed kisses from her ear to her collarbone.

"Joker, stop…"Shepard pressed gently on his chest to get him to lean back.

"What's wrong?" Joker searched her face confused; they had shared a bed every night for about a month. Spending hours exploring each others bodies while waiting for the bone marrow to do its job. This was the first time that she had turned him down.

"Nothing, I just don't think I can handle the teasing tonight. I've had a really long day." Shepard sighed and flopped back onto her pillows not wanting to have the same argument they always had.

"Teasing?" Joker frowned, "I always…finish the job."

"Yes you do, but after a month…I…" Shepard stumbled over her words not wanting to hurt his feelings.

"Want more?" Joker offered as a frown crossed his face.

"Yeah, really badly, I know that you want to wait until you're 100% though." Shepard sighed and ran her hand over her face. "I love what we do, but after a day like today I really need more than that, so I'd rather have nothing than half of what I want."

Joker nodded and sighed, "I'm sorry, Kai, I just don't want our first time to be this awkward thing where we have to worry about me breaking."

"I don't worry about you breaking, you do." Shepard closed her eyes and played with her hair, "I know we could do it."

"You may be right," Joker pulled on Shepard's shoulder encouraging her to rest her head on his chest, "but I don't want to find out the hard way if you're wrong."

"Fair enough," Shepard felt herself drifting off to sleep the exhaustion on the day sinking in, "I love you."

"I love you, too." Joker kissed the top of her head and watched as she relaxed into sleep. Frowning against her hair he had to worry, would she stick around and wait while he got better? She had always said that she would, but he knew that she had other options and it had already been over a month. He couldn't blame her for being frustrated with the situation.

Vowing to make this a birthday she would remember to make it up to her he allowed himself to follow her into an uneasy sleep.