It took a few hours for the team to assemble. Everyone who could make it arrived. Garrus and Tali, hand in hand, were the first to arrive, followed closely by Wrex and Grunt. Jack, with several of her students, sauntered casually into the room, before finding a convenient gurney to rest against. Jacob, looking nervously around for a shimmering patch that would betray the omnipresent Kasumi, was next, followed closely by a securely handcuffed Miranda, accompanied by Copeland and Westmoreland, and looking considerably less perky than aboard the Normandy. Zaeed and James were next, each in possession of a rapidly confiscated green bottle. Samara stalked in, her slightly nervous movements betraying her awkwardness in large groups. Cortez arrived, looking somewhat more presentable than when repairing a shuttle. Kelly hurried in, still looking hunted, while Traynor took up a position near the back of the room, assisting Joker, just before Ash closed the doors.

I propped myself up in bed.

"I'd like to thank everyone for coming." I said, knowing it was a rote phrase. "I've asked you here today to share two things. The first, and most important, is my impending fatherhood."

There was a round of applause, before Liara spoiled the mood by turning a fetching shade of turquoise. "We haven't come up with any names yet, but anyone who's got some good names for females, please make the suggestions."

I paused, before glyph buzzed into the room, carrying a small, round box, made from a slice of branch, hollowed out and carved, before being lacquered.

"My second announcement is this." I said, taking the box, and leverring myself firmly out of bed. "Liara, it's been a long time now, and we still feel the same way about each other as we did before Illos. I want to spend the rest of my life, however long that may be, as your partner. And therefore, I have a very simple question; Liara, will you marry me?" I asked, opening the box and dropping down on one knee before her.

"Shepard," she replied, smiling like the Cheshire cat. "I would be monumentally honoured to become your wife."

Gently, I put the ring on her finger, a ring I'd salvaged out of an odds and sods heap on Eden Prime, where Cerberus had discarded anything not of immediate use from a prothean digsite. Sadly, their efforts at 'archaeology ' had been enough to cause the failure of the last stasis pod at the site, probably three hours before we arrived. "It's the only ring I can provide." I said, smiling. "I'm sure you recognize the manufacture."

"Early second age prothean." She replied, her eyes widening. "Shepard, this ring is probably worth more than the Normandy."

"It's worth a hell of a lot more to me now it's on your finger." I replied. "As far as I'm concerned, that gives it value.

She blushed, before the room dissolved into a scrum of back-slaps, hugs and smiles. Probably even Kasumi got in on the act, judging by the speed Jacob spun around at, going for his shoulder holster.

"I am aware that there are several traditions surrounding this event, particularly in human culture. I'm not sure exactly how I want to resolve those traditions, though." I announced, once the initial surge of congratulatory enthusiasm had mostly dissipated. Particularly given that there are very few large scale purveyors of intoxicating beverages left in council space, for reasons including giant robotic squid with instincts towards prohibition." I said, intentionally making light of the now deceased reapers, and smiled slightly. "Given that I am currently confined to hospital, I am postponing the traditional festivities until after I have been released. Also, Sam, I want you to fill Liara in on the concept of the hen party." To my slight surprise, Traynor actually flushed at the mention of the concept.

Then Samara spoke up. "Shepard, given the age of your bondmate, I am not entirely certain how she was able to conceive a child. Most maidens barely into their first century would struggle to produce a non-viable gamete, but it would appear that she has managed to not just produce a gamete, but successfully fertilise it, despite her youth."

"I can explain that." James interjected, earning a menacing glare from the justicar. "She and Shepard were made for each other. And as for the rather scientific way Asari get pregnant, I'm guessing she wanted it more than anything else, and her body responded."

"Thank you for the interruption, Vega." Samara retorted. "I'm sure we couldn't have figured that out for ourselves."

"Hey, I'm just making sure those of us which aren't going to be around for the next century or three can understand." He said, looking slightly abashed by the reaction of the extremely prickly justicar.

"I'm sure those of us with a basic understanding of galactic biology could have figured it out just fine." Garrus drawled. "However, given the standards of the human military, I'm certain we can all forgive Vega for clarifying." He then ducked a mostly casual punch from the bulky marine, his mandibles flaring in what could only be described as a grin.

"Stow it, Scars." James retorted.

"I'm deeply offended." Garrus muttered, with his mandibles still somewhat flared.

"Enough." Tail broke in. "While I'm sure that both of you would be happy to spend the next hour sparring verbally, I'm sure everyone else in the room would appreciate it if you did not."

"Agreed." Samara commented.

"I'm very happy to see all of you alive and in one piece." I continued. "Liara has set me up with a datapad link to the spectre systems, which allows me to do a few things. Tali, I've arranged a seafront property for you back on rannoch. You've also got a lifetime subscription to Practical Mech Building, Dextro-Gardeners Weekly, and a Fleet and Flotilla super-HD boxset, with statues of the main cast included." I wasn't able to see, but I suspected that she was grinning ear to ear behind her mask. "Garrus, you're getting a lifetime subscription to Guns and Ammo Galactic, an advanced black widow rifle with a five round capacity cooling system, and a full set of Normandy SR1 and SR2 manuals, along with the Haynes book for each." His mandibles flared in surprise.

"Miranda, I've quashed all the extant warrants for you from your Cerberus activities, and I've booked you an appointment with the head of fertility studies at Sur'kesh galactic hospital. You've also been granted a stipend of a hundred thousand credits a year, along with a lifetime subscription to every galactic dating site that caters for humans." She flushed slightly, the dilation of blood vessels noticeable in her surprisingly pale face.

"Jack, I've arranged for you to visit the same hospital, to meet with the professor of neuroscience who heads the biotics section. There's also a stipend for you, the same as Miranda. I've also arranged a interview with several galactic circulation poetry magazines for you."

"How do you know about that?" She demanded.

"Edee liked your poetry so much she forwarded it to me." Shepard replied, knowing that Tali had been working nineteen hours a day since the crucible fired to identify and re-enable the magnetic tape backup that had been used to store Edee prior to the operation, and stashed aboard the Normandy in a everything-proof safe originally intended to allow nuclear sources to survive uncontrolled reentry, and upgraded with a layer of prothean armour plate, inside and out.

They'd shot a spare canister with a dreadnought thanix cannon, and it had been recoverable, along with the cassette of human music inside, which hadn't even been heated beyond a extra degree. They'd also shielded the case against all electomagnetic radiation sources, excluding visible light. The Geth had been using similar backups, although they'd only backed up a few thousand processes, most of which were the disseminated versions of legion.

There was also an even more primitive backup, stored abroad two unmanned ships, placed into a ballistic orbit around the galactic core, and carrying EDI and the entire code library that made up the Geth, in the form of paper printouts, stored in a vacuum, the actual backup consisting simply of perforated paper, in the style of the earliest computer code in the history of almost any species.

"Jacob, you've got a reserved neo-natal bed on sur'kesh, along with the personal attendance of the head of neo-natal science and fertility, not that we expect it to be needed, of course. Likewise, you're also getting a stipend of one hundred thousand a year. I've also given you all the paperwork for a injunction against Kasumi."

"I'm not sure I'll be needing it, but thanks, Shepard."

"Samara, I know you wouldn't be able to accept a personal gift, but I've ordered a full set of top of the line wargear for you, along with a grant in perpetuity to the monastery currently inhabited by Falare, which includes a small additional grant for the erection and maintenance of a statue of Rila."

"Shepard, that is far too generous." She protested, before a invisible hand flicked her on the back of the crest, causing it to rock forwards.

"Kasumi, I know you would be very happy to spend your entire life stealing and scamming, but that means I can't quash your record, as you'll be continually adding to it." I said, unsurprised when the small Japanese woman materialised. "I'm sure I could find you employment as a security investigation officer, however. Being able to get into anywhere would be a terrifying talent for one such as that. And if you were willing to go straight, you'd find your record a lot less restrictive than it is currently."

I wasn't surprised when she materialised a few feet away. "I'm not sure I want a new career just yet, Shep, but I'll consider it."

"Wrex, there isn't very much you can give a planetary leader, but I managed to come up with something. I apologise for borrowing it." I said, grinning, before a pair of soldiers manhandled a krogan sized crate into the room, before opening the front of it with a old fashioned manual prybar.

"This is my family armour." Wrex said, glaring slightly at the contents. "It's supposed to be in a display cabinet back on Tuchunka. What have you done to it?"

"I've updated it." I replied. "It's got the krogan model of EOD kinetic barriers, two layers of laminated prothean armour, the original outer casing, with a graphene coating to protect it from everyday wear and tear, and another little feature." I said, grinning, before Wrex spotted the golden crown on the top of the armour, along with the gilt inlay, causing his eyes to move, in the krogan equivalent of widening with surprise. "It's truly fit for a king."

"Shepard, I don't know what to say." He replied. "This armour fought in the krogan rebellions, and now it can fight again in the reunification of Tuchunka."

"You think there'll be one?"

"You know the krogan. There'll always be someone who thinks the old ways are better. And I'll end up having to take my shotgun and ram it down their throat to get them to see sense. It'll be one of the defining moments in krogan history: when our planet is at peace, and the galaxy with it." He growled. "This armour ought to see me through any of the incidental confrontations that result from Krogan politics."

"Grunt, I didn't have too many ideas for you, but it was able to find a few series of human films you might be interested in."

"It'll be nice to have something to do." The tankbred 'perfect' Krogan growled. "I've been running put of things to do since I was banned from the last bar on earth."

"Zaeed, I'm not sure what I can actually give you, seeing as you've managed to put Jessie back into service. I've arranged a large supply of the appropriate spare parts, however. I've also got you some property near the coast, with a decent beachfront and lots of bars within spitting distance." The battered old mercenary looked somewhat bemused, but nodded his thanks.

"Ash, I've had Liara do some digging with her private assets, and she has a very interesting dossier with regards to some very senior flag officers, and interference in the military career of a number of members of the family of a certain General Henry Williams. I'm almost certain that such matters within council space fall within the remit of a council SPECTRE." Ashley went dead still, before suddenly smiling like a cat that had just stolen a tanker full of cream. There was also another look, that suggested that when she got her hands on those responsible, they were going to be dragged out into the open.

"James, I obviously cannot exempt you from N7 boot camp, but what I can do is provide you with a copy of the instructors manual, to give you the knowledge of what you will have to be able to achieve before you qualify. Think of it as preliminary intelligence."

"Thanks, Loco." James replied, grinning. "I'll be sure to read it carefully." There was always a back door into the folder storing the manual in question during the introductory sessions, for the use of those who cared enough to look for it. Finding and using it was worth a few points. Exiting the folder was worth a few more, as was curiosity about your or other people's records. Editing anything was a RTU offence, as a couple of budding hackers learnt every time the selection process was run.

"Sam, I'm not entirely sure what to get you, but I've managed to persuade Cision to make you a lifetime member of their Hygiene club, at platinum level." Her eyes widened slightly. Platinum membership meant effectively free access to all the various offerings of the Cision healthcare brand, and was usually limited to senior management and galactic level celebrities. "I explained to the senior executive director for humans how you'd been the one to identify that Cerberus was attempting to abduct everyone aboard Grissom academy. Apparently, his daughter was one of the evacuees on the science side."

Looking at Liara, now surrounded by the various females of the group, I found it hard to believe that the first time we'd met, I'd actually arrested her.

First flashback coming up. There'll be a couple of these now and again. And yeah, I didn't quite remember to put in Javik in the first chapter or this one, so I've written him out. Never really found that much use for him anyway, so not a loss.

I'd like to thank brandon66 for sending me a PM about the last chapter, and encourage everyone who likes this story to post any form of constructive review that they feel they can. Reviews give me warm fuzzies.

I have no doubt that at least one review I receive for this story (this section writen 03/09/15, using the British order of dd/mm/yy) will be demanding an explanation of how Liara (a maiden) has conceived a child. My explanation is below.

Content Warning: Science!

My explanation is this: On Earth, sexual maturity is defined as "The age or stage when an organism can reproduce. It is sometimes considered synonymous with adulthood. (Which Liara has clearly reached)" (quoted from Wikipedia.) Without Word of God from Bioware, we do not have all of the data on Asari reproduction. As such, I am making the assumption that evolutionary pressures on Thessia and Earth were more or less the same when the ancestors of both Asari and Humans were evolving, favouring the production of as many offspring as possible, hence favouring earlier sexual maturity. As the maiden stage begins at puberty, which among terrestrial species is concurrent with the start of an organism's ability to produce offspring, it is therefore logical that Asari are capable of producing viable gametes (fertilised embryos, in the case of Asari), from whatever age they reach puberty at, which, according to the same logic, is likely to be a similar range to that at which humans do. Slow development doesn't benefit a species after a certain cut-off point.