The morning sun streamed in through the windows of the house, illuminating the room as the day brightened, beckoning. The day was clear, perfect temperature, as the roar from the ocean could be heard as the tide was coming in. The familiar purple and orange hues of the sky were starting to lighten as the Rannoch sun was ascending, casting everything in sight in its luscious glow.
Bathed in warmth, the light fell across the smooth curves of a grey back as it lay next to a lighter shade of skin, both on a bed. Both figures were nude as Tali was lying atop Alec, locked together with their arms, lips connected as their breathing quickened. Both of their eyes were closed as they passionately continued to kiss, with each parting they took just enough time to inhale slightly before rejoining once again as they felt their soft, sensitive, surfaces.
Tali's tongue darted out, flicking across his teeth as their mouths slightly parted. He reciprocated the movement, her tongue immediately meeting his in the middle as they rolled over one another. His hands were slowly moving around her back, gently rubbing, relaxing her muscles as they kissed. Her breasts were pressed up against his body, he enjoyed the feel of their firmness against him. She started to pull her head away but she had caught his lower lip in a kiss as she gently tugged it. She grinned at his expression and opened her mouth again as his head followed her movements, tasting her partner as she probed into his mouth.
He turned to the side, taking her with him as his right hand began tracing down her body. He started under her arm, moved to her angular hip, then down to her thighs and calves as she jerked at the ticking sensations. He moved his hand to the other leg, briefly touching the faint scar tissue as he was reminded of the horror he'd felt that fateful day. He silently vowed that it would never happen again.
Frowning, she removed her hand from his chest as she played with his skin and she took the hand that was stroking her leg in a three-fingered grip and gently brought it back up to her chest, placing it on her breast. Alec squeezed the soft flesh as she quietly moaned, flicking a thumb across a nipple. The hand, unable to sit still in one place, was on the move again as it dipped to her navel, fingers slightly tickling her stomach as it jerked in response. Alec could only grin as he brought his hand lower until he found the spot between her legs.
He carefully brushed his fingertips on her, causing her to shudder and burrow her head into his neck. With his other hand, he lifted it up so that it was supporting the back of her head, pushing it towards his face so that they could rejoin for another kiss. Midway through their locking of the lips, he took his right hand and gently pushed two fingers inside her.
Tali softly cried out, she was so sensitive. She was in no pain though as she rubbed Alec's cheeks with her hands as he continued to move his fingers. His thumb kneaded at her, making her entire body tingle with something beyond pleasure entirely. Her tongue was flickering out and he brought his head down, catching it on the fly and sucking on it as she mumbled in a wave of desire. He continued to slide his fingers in and out, her body constricting around them. He suddenly stopped kissing her as he wanted to focus all of his concentration on one thing at a time.
Alec's fingers were now going faster as he continued to rub at her. Her hips were grinding to the rhythm as she was getting into it. Tali mewled as he pushed deeper inside her, nerves flaring as the electric sensations went everywhere.
"Don't stop," she moaned. "Oh please, don't stop…don't stop…"
In no position to displease her, Alec kept going, feeling her squirming body press against his hand. Her arms were wrapped around his neck as she writhed in passion, a hand ruffling his hair, her eyes tightly closed as her labored breathing intensified. Soon, clutching the quarian's head tightly to his chest, he could feel her gasp and sigh as her body released, warmth spreading through every orifice.
Alec kissed the top of her head, cradling the top of her body as he waited for her throes to subside. He absentmindedly ran a hand over her breast again, gently playing with it as she was brought back down to the earth.
She turned over, smiling, as she lifted a leg across his body. She was straddling him now as she bent down, grabbing his head, as she furiously connected their mouths together. The kiss was not out of kindness or ceremony, it was out of direct need, it was an absolute mandatory as they made love. Tali's every fiber of her being was physically dependent on her kissing him, it was just as necessary as food and water.
Unable to hold herself back any longer, she lifted her body up and positioned herself just right. Tali looked at Alec and he nodded his encouragement. Giddy with anticipation, she lowered herself onto him so that they were physically joined once again. Her movements slow and deliberate, she gently slid herself up and down as she sat atop him. Her mouth opened as the pressure spread throughout her, making her feel numb. Leaning forward, she continued to move her hips as she maintained her pace, in contrast to the previous night. Tilting her head down, her husband's head rose as he met her halfway, kissing her in his desire.
Alec started to move his body to her set pace, intensifying the exquisite motions as his entire body throbbed. He leaned back on the bed, feet intertwined, starting to get tangled in the sheets as both of their toes curled, touching one another during the encounter. As Tali's upper body rose in excitement, he started to kiss her neck, feeling the vibrations of her moans as he did so. Lifting his hands from her hips, he groped her breasts as he now gave them a firm squeeze.
He lifted his body up slightly, her hips still maintaining their pace, as he buried his face between her breasts. Tali cried out, silver hair flying every which way as she shook on top of him. He moved his mouth to the side to bring an erect nipple to his mouth. He gently ran his tongue from side to side across it, running his hands along her back in a motion of absolute comfort.
Still on top of him, Tali was now lowering herself even further onto him. He groaned as he was approaching his end, he suspected Tali was close as well. This was only confirmed when she started to increase her speed, timing it with her gasps as her slim body swayed in the air, breasts bouncing up and down. He threw out his hands to control them and awaited her final movements.
With one particular surge of energy, Tali bucked and screamed as she came, back arching as far as it could possible go, suddenly springing forward to rest her body against Alec, who hugged her as she lay atop him. Both human and quarian rolled to the side, kissing, both shuddering as their muscles occasionally spasmed.
Holding each other, they looked into the opposite's eyes. Tali's blue ones sparkling with infatuation and Alec's glinting with infinite calmness. They started stroking each other's faces, smiling as they gently played with the other's features. Tali's fingers started twirling Alec's brown (yet greying) hair while Alec ran his fingers through her silver hair. They leaned their foreheads against one another, noses nuzzling as their hands continued to explore the opposite's body. Tali's eyes closed in bliss, she wished she could stay in this position forever.
It was not to be as she felt Alec's head slowly withdraw from her grasp as he moved off the bed. She sat herself up, eyes pleading at him, trying to discern the cause of this interruption. Alec merely gave a sad smile as he walked over to the closet, throwing on a robe. Tali waited for him to rejoin her but he continued past the bed to the sliding door that led outside. He turned back to her and smiled again before turning outside. He had left the door open, as if was expecting her to do something. An invitation, perhaps?
Understanding, she stole across the room to Alec's dresser. She was unwilling to put on any of her clothes as they weren't comfortable. Opening a drawer and finding what she was looking for, she pilfered a set of his sweatpants and a zippered hooded sweatshirt. Despite the new range of clothes they had made for quarians to substitute for their suit life, the comfort factor had never really been addressed as functionality still took precedent. Humans, adaptable creatures that they were, had a niche for every lifestyle and it was here that she was immensely grateful. She slipped on the loose clothing, sighing as she felt like a warm blanket had wrapped around her. Barefoot, she padded over to the door and walked outside, following his path.
Outside the environmentally sealed bubble, she blinked as the full strength of the sun hit her in the face. She threw up a hand to ward off the rays as she blinked. It was always a treat when she walked across Rannoch without her suit. She could hear the birds singing in the air, the ocean pounding against the rocks below. She could reach out and touch the bushes that adorned the path she was walking, her bare feet kicking up small stones and dust. She inhaled through her nose, smelling the hint of a wildflower, the saltiness of the sea. It was all so amazing.
Stepping down a set of stones, she could see Alec down below. A bench had been erected at a perfect vantage point so that the occupant could look out over the whole bay. She slowly approached and sat down next to him. He had no reaction other than to lean back and smile at his wife.
Tali frowned, something was obviously bothering him, "Are…are you going to tell me what's wrong?"
Alec sighed as he reached out with an arm to grasp her waist, pulling them closer. At least he wasn't keeping himself physically distant, she thought.
"I've just been thinking," he mused.
"About what?"
"About the last few days. About how much I acted like a complete asshole."
"You were only stressed out," she protested. "Anyone would have reacted-"
"Like I did?" Alec finished. "No, they wouldn't have. All that happened down there was my fault. I wasn't thinking and everything got out of control. And every time I had a chance to stop it, I only made it worse."
"No, Alec. That is not true."
"Is it? I threatened my own planet because I was annoyed at the bickering of politicians. I was responsible for your injury, Tali. After that, we should have gone back to the Citadel. Instead I…I went back down there and killed my own people in a foolhardy quest for revenge. I killed a man I once called a friend, because I wasn't smart enough to know when I'd been beaten."
"You did it because you thought it was right…"
"No, Tali!" Alec sat up, agitated. "It wasn't right! It was completely selfish! I didn't even consider my actions when I went down there again. I got you all worried and you had to risk your lives for a second time while I fucked around. What if you got hurt that time? What then? Could you imagine how I'd feel if I had found out that happened?"
He was sounding close to tears as Tali kissed his cheek in assurance. He shook his head in defiance, furious.
"Twenty two years of marriage, Tali. Twenty two…and I haven't learned a thing."
"Stop, Alec," Tali now said as she firmly gripped his face. "Stop right there. I don't want to hear another destructive word out of your mouth, do you hear me?"
"You need to know," he whispered. "You deserve the right…"
"All I need to know is that you truly do love me. All I deserve is you to be here, with me. You've been all that and more, Alec Lee. Don't you ever try to convince me otherwise."
His head rose slightly as he sniffled, "You're too stubborn for your own good, Tali."
"Look who's talking. The same bosh'tet who would tear down a city for me." She felt bad as he flinched in her arms, "Okay, bad example. But my point still stands, you've got that thick skin of yours that refuses to let anything past. That hard head of yours doesn't exactly help matters much. But, when all's said and done, you're exactly like me. No matter what anyone says, Alec, you're a living, breathing, emotional being, and I love you."
The hug that he wrapped her in was strong but gentle enough not to cause her pain. She smiled at the gesture and gently rocked his body back and forth. She felt a sudden dampness on her neck. Tilting her head back, she was startled to see that he was crying. He was weeping openly and she sat for a moment in shock before wrapping her arms around his head and patting it, trying to calm him down.
"I'm…really glad that…I met you…Tali," he managed between sobs. A tear now fell from her own cheek as she shared his sadness. He was breathing raggedly through his sorrow.
"I…love you…oh, god…I love you so much…" he managed jerkily.
That was all she could ever ask for as she held him on that bench, the warm sun overflowing them with heat as they smelled the spray of the ocean and listened to each other's breathing as they hugged fiercely.
Alec continued to weep, not bothering to lower his volume. All the pain and sorrow that he had accumulated had now come spilling out in a rush, the floodgates opened. Tali was only grateful that he had let himself free, not bothering to hide anything to her. In that one moment, their hearts connected.
"I'm...tired..." he mumbled. "God...I'm so tired..."
Enveloped in one another's arms, Alec and Tali both shed their tears as they comforted each other. No more words needed to be said between them. The two eventually rose half an hour later to walk back to the house, arms intertwined as they took their time, her head on his shoulder. A cup had been filled, a circuit complete, one tiny speck in the cosmic mass flickering. The branch had been diverted, the choice made. Nothing else would cause it to deviate ever again.
The universe had a way of balancing things out.
For Her: Third Stage
I believe that will be all, ladies and gentlemen.
Based on the material I've written, I'm surprised I got to write three installments of this series, let alone two. But, as I've mentioned before, I need to find a place to quit sooner or later. To me, three seems like the magic number to end on a high note. I honestly believe that I cannot write any more past this point without repeating myself. I fully realize that I have claimed to stop writing time after time again, but I really don't want to continue any more for fear that I will "jump the shark" with this series. (Despite a brief tease in the second to last chapter that may state otherwise).
However, do not think that this is the last time you will see Alec and Tali as I may choose to revisit portions of their story in the gaps that I've jumped during their years together. That's at least twenty years worth of material I can draw from, provided I don't contradict myself (or I can always stick to one-shots). Third Stage is the definitive end of the line for the For Her saga (now: trilogy) and nothing will be produced beyond that.
But...I do bring good news in the form that I'm currently planning a new story that will most likely begin production in the next month. I'll get more into it when I write the appendix but it should be worthwhile for any Mass Effect fan, just putting that out there.
If you want to enjoy a discussion that is well facilitated, these stories have been posted to the subreddit MassEffectFics under my username: RadProX. I'm always online and am willing to discuss aspects of my stories for those who are interested.
As always, drop a review on your favorite chapter and tell me what you liked and what I botched.
It was a privilege writing this and you have no idea how fun it was to see all your reactions, especially when some of you tried to guess the plot points ahead of me. You guys are the real heroes of this story and it is only because of you that I've kept writing and developing these characters. Don't just leave right away, for as an iconic man once said:
"I'll be back."
-Rob