III: Requiem

by RedCenturionG

The Collector threat is done; and the Normandy crew survived. The Shadow Broker has eyes watching a friend of Shepard's. Loyalties will be questioned, lives put on the line. And Peta will stop at nothing to get the girl of his dreams. In this, the crew is never safe. And in the end, Marcus Shepard will have to make a decision that could cripple his resolve forever.

24. Chapter 23 Union of One

REQUIEM

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE:

UNION OF ONE

November 7, 2185

0823 hours.

Captain's Quarters, Normandy-Class Stealth Frigate Normandy SR-2, Docked with the Rayya.

Commander Marcus Lee Shepard.

He looked in the mirror of his bathroom a second time, quietly sighing to himself as he let his eyes scan his appearence. It was the same suit Kasumi had gotten him for the heist in Hock's mansion, and he had dubbed it his 'suit for special occassions.' The suit had a black base, with a white collar twisting around to form around his neck; but it didn't choke. The wrists of the suit were milky white as well and the right part folded over the left where a row of four buttons awaited him, but they were now all buttoned up.

Today the same suit would serve as his wedding suit.

He took a deep breath, suddenly incredibly nervous. Today he got married to the woman he loved. The woman that had been with him since the beginning, and believed in him when others had abandoned him. To the woman whose face he had seen and smiled upon, who he cherished. Who cares if she was quarian? Racial boundaries be damned.

It was happening on the Rayya; the Normandy was basically a ghost ship at the moment. Everyone had boarded the Rayya, which, just for the event, had allowed them to come onboard without suits, and the contamination would be limited to the Arena only, which they could decontaminate later. Every single crew member; average and teammate, had come to attend the event. And to his immense relief, even Jack had decided to come.

He was disappointed that Thane, Grunt, Liara and Miranda couldn't come, as they were still out recovering the information from Sekat and wouldn't come back until tomorrow, but at least the majority was coming. Even non crew members would be attending, like the entire Admiralty Board save Xen, and his mother and Anderson, who had yet to arrive.

Both he and Tali had suffered a rude awakening this morning when Shala had demanded to see Tali. Since then, he hadn't heard from the quarian or seen her. He tried to send her a message, but Shala had replied saying, 'Following human tradition. You won't see her until the wedding. See you later.'

So instead of the usual morning ritual of cuddling, making out, sex or simply talking before going to work, Marcus had immediately had a shower, cleared all his action reports and started getting ready for the wedding. He had showered, combed his hair and shaved; only alittle disappointed and melancholic to see the beard he had worked on for so long be shaved away, but he knew it was totally worth it.

He had brushed his teeth, cleaned his breath with listerine and now he was finishing getting dressed. To think that they were waiting for him to arrive to begin the ceremony sent shivers up his spine; everyone, waiting for him. It shook him to the core, but it was a good feeling; a pleasant feeling.

Shala had explained the workings of the quarian ceremony to him, which meant he knew about the formation of entry; the most influential and guiding leads the way, close friend or brother/sister at your side, most supportive at the back. Marcus had known instantly who he wanted in those position; so as it was, Anderson was leading the way, Garrus was at his side, and Joker was at the back. The pilot had been more than surprised at the honor, but had taken it humbly, saying it was a privledge to be involved, and definitely not sarcastically.

Now they most likely waited for him down below in the CIC; and after some urging, Marcus had forced Garrus out of his armor and into a suit, to the turian's reluctance. It just wouldn't do to have them wearing combat armor in the middle of such an important ceremony such as this. People might think they were preparing for the Reapers land suddenly and out of nowhere.

With a sigh, he flattened out his suit and inhaled and exhaled, trying to steady his breath. He had never been so nervous before; not at his N7 graduation, not at his spectre commendation, and not at the awards ceremony after saving the Citadel from Sovereign, Saren and the geth heretics. He hadn't been nervous then, but he was nervous now.

This was the biggest moment in his life; he didn't want to screw it up. Is that what he was worried about?

You looked a Human-Reaper in the eyes and destroyed it. You literally looked into two demonic pits of hell and spat at it. A wedding should be nothing to you. You looked Saren Arterius in the eyes when he was converted into a super husk, and you defeated it anyway with unshakable conviction. Once again, that was nothing to you. You. Can. Do. This.

He was about to push himself up into a straightened posture but before he could, he heard a knock on the door to his cabin. With a final heave of breath, he straightened his position, smoothed out his hair and left the cubicle, door sliding shut behind him as he spoke, "Enter."

The door slid open, and an alliance captain stepped inside, a large smile on her face. She was old, but still pretty, and she wore the cap of a naval officer on her head, but quickly removed it when she saw her son. She wore a casual dress instead of the usual alliance navy blue uniform; a red dress that accentuated her curves but showed only a modest amount of cleavage. Her smile brightened upon seeing him.

He smiled back, "Mum, glad to see you could make it."

"Of course I did Mark!" Hannah exclaimed, opening her arms in a 'hug me' manner, "I wouldn't miss my own son's wedding. My son has finally found a girl and is marrying her; I don't think I'd ever miss that. Neither would your father."

He accepted her gesture and wrapped his arms around her, and she did the same. They hugged tightly before Hannah pulled away, landing a kiss on each of his cheeks before she pulled away, "I'm so proud of you son. I never thought this day would come; not with you being in the military. But it has...oh yes it has..."

"Tali means alot to me," Marcus explained, "I want to do this. She wants to do this. We both do."

Hannah chuckled, "Of course you do; but to be honest, you two were practically married anyway. This just makes it official," she then bit her lower lip, giving a devillish grin, "And at least you're not marrying an asari pornstar..."

Marcus widened his eyes at her in horror and took a step back from her like she had just turned into a Reaper husk, "Mum..."

She waved her hands dismissively, laughing again, "Don't take it to heart son; we all have that phase. I remember, when I was your age, I had an unhealthy relationship with this jock at school; this was long before we even knew about aliens, mind you. I remember when-"

"And that story can be told another time," Marcus cut her off, straightening his collar sheepishly.

Her grin just got all the more evil, before it turned warm, showing her pearly white teeth, "Of course dear; you've got a fantastic girl to marry; so don't let me hold you. But just one more thing, someone else would like to send their congratulations."

Before he could ask, just like that, another familiar alliance officer stepped out from the antechamber, standing in the cabin, an equally warm smile on his face, this one fatherly. Marcus grin broadened as he saw the man walk inside; he also wore a suit, this one with a red tie however and was milky white, his dark-skin standing in constrast against it. His muscle easily showed through the suit, as it did with Marcus, but his hands were at his side, firm and strong. He opened his arm to invite Marcus for a different kind of hug; this was one shared between mentor and student. He accepted it gladly.

"Anderson, I was starting to think you wouldn't make it," Marcus greeted, smiling, pulling back from the hug.

The man chuckled, also pulling back, "To be honest, I thought I wouldn't either; being human councilor becomes very...tiring, after a while. I think I'm going to resign Shepard, no offense. I just don't think Council life suits me. I'm still Councilor at the moment, and I'll stay that way until I've done what's needed, but after that, I think I'm going to rejoin the Alliance and retain my old rank; get back to commanding warships. I've left Udina with all the paperwork at the moment, which gives me some kind of alleviation. I think I'll promote him to councilor when I'm done."

Marcus raised an eyebrow, shocked by this news, "I need you Anderson; you're the only man who can get the Council to do anything; the only one with the power to do so. Udina will just kiss their ass all the time."

"The Council's a lost cause and you know it," Anderson responded solemnly, shaking his head, "Got their heads stuck too far up their peace policies that they can't see the real picture. It would be better to just bypass them now, but I wouldn't underestimate Udina Shepard; he's changed. He's always put humanity first, but something's changed about him since you first popped back up on the Citadel a few months back."

He frowned, "How has he changed? Last time I saw Udina, he was still a stuck-up, cynical politician. What changed?"

"Just that. He's still a politician, but he's a new kind of stuck-up. He's our kind of stuck-up. The kind I like," the human councilor smiled, "He's started taking my side in most of the meeting and no longer seems to be kissing the Council's asses; promoting him to human councilor would more benefial in the long run. I'm military and I'm an oddball that the Council can't predict, but Udina knows how the system works. All the loopholes, the advantages and disadvantages, every dirty bit of corrupted propoganda you can put a name to and the one's you can't. He's perfect for the job, and now, with him on our side, we have a better chance at winning this."

Marcus pondered this for a moment. I never liked Udina; I always saw him as a stubborn asshole and a typical political archetype, and after the stunt he pulled with grounding the Normandy two years ago, I've always hated his guts. I don't have to like him, but if he's on our side, why should I care? He's good at what he does, and that means alot more than personal opinion of character. And as much as I respect Anderson, he's right: he's not political material and never was. A man like that just can't survive in an environment like that.

He met Anderson's gaze, "I agree. Making Udina human councilor seems like the best move."

Anderson nodded, smiling, "Good. As soon as this wedding is over and I return to the Citadel, I'll announce my retirement. I don't have to make the recommendation, as the Alliance Parliament will undoubtedably jump on the opportunity to make Udina councilor, so that's settled. I guess I'll return to Arcturus after that, meet with Garrong, and discuss my reinstatement into the Systems Alliance Navy. I won't get a ship like the Normandy again, but the Tokyo wasn't so bad."

Hannah decided to interrupt at that moment, "All this politics is fascinating, I'm sure, but don't you have a wedding to attend, Mark?"

Anderson grinned, facing Marcus, "Yes, don't you? Quit slacking! A gentleman should never keep a girl waiting; I know that much!"

Marcus blushed, feeling ashamed for having forgotten what they were here for in the first place, but quickly recovered and moved into the elevator, Hannah and Anderson following, arriving at his sides as the door closed and the elevator began its descent to the CIC deck. He cracked his neck and knuckles, suddenly becoming overly obsessive over how he looked. A hand landed on his shoulder and he turned to face Anderson, who was smiling at him with a warm, reassuring gaze.

"Settle down son," Anderson stated, "You like fine. Keep your eyes down range, fingers on your trigger, and you'll get out of this in one piece. Now move it soldier. You have a target; secure it."

He grinned back at the man and turned back to face the door. Anderson always knew the right things to say to him to get him to focus. When it came to N7s, they didn't make 'em better than David Anderson, and he was lucky to have known the man, served under him and had him as a mentor. And now the man had come all the way from the Citadel to attend the man's wedding; what better adoptive father could you ask for?

There was none.

The elevator arrived at the CIC, and the door slowly opened, as if making a great reveal; and it did; standing there, back turned to the door, was Garrus, wearing a black suit that fitted his large turian form quite well, along with a decent pair of pants and shoes. As they moved out, Garrus noticed them and nodded cordially to Marcus, whistling as he did.

"Didn't realize humans could dress so appropriately," the turian remarked, "Guess you do have a dress code other than combat armor."

"Coming from the turian," Marcus retorted, chortling to himself.

Garrus winced, pulling back as if he'd been shot, "Oooh, that hurt Shepard. Could I have some water for that burn?"

"Go fetch it yourself Vakarian," he joked, turning to walk around the galaxy map, moving towards the flight deck, "I've got a wedding to attend to."

Garrus had no response; he simply followed in the spectre's footsteps, not making a single sound as the four of them arrived at the flight deck and began to walk up the long corridor. And directly ahead, waiting, was Joker, huddled over.

The pilot had elected to wear a suit of his own, reluctantly removing his cap, which was something he never did. Marcus got a good look at the top of his scalp this time; finding that there was virtually no hair there, his hair growing until it stopped at the area that the cap's edges started.

He avoided their looks as they arrived to stand infront of him, the pilot looking embarassed for the first time in his life, "Yeah yeah, I know. I have a bald spot, you can laugh now. Flight Lieutenant Jeff Moreau, the pilot with the creaky legs and a bald spot."

Before any of them could respond, EDI did, "I like it. It looks...good, on you, Jeff."

Everyone went silent and just looked at the ceiling, as if willing EDI to give them answers to the large amount of awkward questions ringing in their heads. Finally, it was Joker who looked up, a horrified look on his face before he turned to face Marcus, straightening up as he did, "Okkkaaaayyyy...apart from the sexual innuendo the AI just gave to me, I feel fine now. Wish I could keep my cap though."

"You'll survive," Marcus waved it off, motioning towards the airlock, "You've faced worse things than a bald spot."

Joker snorted, rolling his eyes as he caught up, limping as he always did due to the weak bones in his body, "Yeah, I guess going face-to-face with Sovereign was definitely alot worse; but it did have its kickass moment. I'm not feeling one right now."

Garrus and Marcus merely chuckled at that, with Anderson shooting the pilot an inquisitive look before turning back, all of them waiting as EDI ran the decontamination cycle throughout the small compartment.

When the sequence was finished, they stepped out into the Docking Cradle corridor of the Rayya. He turned to look down the hallway, facing his first time on the Rayya without wearing armor. It felt...different, in many ways, and the smell was new; it smelt like...old paint, but it was a pleasant smell. He looked to the group and nodded for Garrus to accompany him, while Joker lagged behind him, Anderson moving to take the lead. Taking a deep breath, he was ready and looked impatiently at his mother as she came to his side, once again kissing him on the cheek.

"Good luck son; make me proud, like you always have," Hannah told him, smiling warmly as she always did.

He nodded at her, his smile as equally as warm, "I will mum, and thank you for coming."

She rolled her eyes, backing away slowly, "Admiral Arefyev was keeping me away from this; and Admiral Garrong knew it. I wouldn't miss my own son's wedding for the galaxy; not even if I got court-marshalled for it," she shot him a final wink, a final smile and then walked away, moving out of sight as she entered the Arena, and Marcus and the other three stayed in position, just waiting for the ceremony to start.

He felt his breathing become heavy and fast, and a taloned hand found his shoulder squeezing it. He gave Garrus a nod, but the turian wasn't satisfied, "Still nervous?" he asked.

"Of course I am," Marcus shook, "Biggest event of my life, what do you think?"

The turian smirked, "Don't know; never been married before. Might be someday..."

Marcus quirked an eyebrow at that, "You think you and Kasumi will ever get that serious about your relationship?"

The turian raised a hand to scratch one of his mandibles sheepishly, squaring his shoulders as he did, "Maybe; I just don't know. I think its just a fling, but sometimes...I think I genuinely care about her...Marcus. But this isn't about me, this is about you. Stop trying to distract me."

Marcus chuckled, looking away, "Whatever you say, dino."

"Ape," Garrus shot back, and they both chuckled under their breath.

"You two quite done?" Joker asked, gaining their attention, "I don't like being the third wheel in the comedy festival."

Garrus smirked at Joker, turning from Marcus to face the pilot, "Is that so? What part of the wheel do you like to be on?"

"Center stage," the pilot answered immediately, "Right in the middle of it all. Call me an attention-grabber."

"Any wise jokes you've got for me?" Marcus asked, as if pleading.

Joker just shot him a deadpan glare, before his lips unfurled into a grin, "A few. Got one about penis size and I've also got a Fleet and Flotilla reference."

Garrus looked about to guffaw, "You watched that overrated movie?"

Joker shook his head, "No, but EDI thought it'd be funny to play the audio over the loud speakers when I was flying the ship to the Collector Base; said it might 'relieve some of the tension.' It pissed me off; but I did manage to take a few references and really mess them up. Want to hear them?"

"No thanks," Marcus held his hands up to placate the pilot, "I'd rather not be subjected to crappy references before my wedding day."

"Yes, it would be incredibly embarassing if you began to curse my name in the middle of the ceremony," Joker embellished, "You might ask god to strike me down for the sin I've committed."

"Sin with a plural," Marcus added, "You've done your fair share of bad deeds."

"Excuse me if I don't feel like going to the naughty corner," Joker remarked, "Harbinger and his Reaper buddies might already be sitting there and I'd rather not have them as my schoolyard bullies."

Suddenly, further conversation was cut off by the sound of music playing in the Arena, and Marcus immediately recognized it; spinning around, he immediately faced the entrance, straightening up as he did. Garrus did the same, standing straighter than Legion did half the time, and Joker did the same. Anderson, already in position, moved forward and into the Arena, followed by Marcus and Garrus, and then Joker himself.

This was it. The beginning of his life. Truly the beginning.

He had a right to be nervous alright.

{Loading...}

November 7, 2185

0836 hours.

Arena Exit Corridor, Liveship Rayya, Migrant Fleet, Enoch System, Rosetta Nebula.

Chief Engineer Tali'Zorah vas Normandy, Admiral Shala'Raan vas Tonbay, Admiral Han'Gerrel vas Neema.

She was terrified. She was exilhirated. She was happy. She was nervous. She was sweating in fear. She was euphoric.

A storm of emotions, all flooding her consciousness at once and it felt overwhelming to her. She tried to force the thoughts out, wanting this moment to be perfect but she was so...so nervous! She felt like she was about to jump out an airlock; she was that terrified. But she wanted this; so badly she did, and Marcus did as well, and they both knew this had been a long time coming, so why was she so terrified?

The entire Flotilla would see it. Everybody; judging her, watching her every move and listening to every word that came from her mouth. Every single bit would be watched, and that was what terrified her; what would her people make of this? Would they like the idea of her marrying a human? Probably not? Should it bother her? No.

So why did it?

These thoughts became irrelevant as she checked herself once more; straightening out her newly adorned suit, tracing the intricate work on them. Marcus had been shown the suit, and he had decided to color it white, to make further hommage to human ceremony, and Tali had ecstatically agreed; she didn't regret the decision one bit.

Instead of an all purple undersuit and veil, she was now covered in pure white, the color almost making her seem like some kind of heavenly angel. She loved the color of it, and it made her smile just looking at it. She kept her purple visor, but the rest of her suit was now lying in a clean room, waiting to be retrieved and taken back to the Normandy; she would wear this suit all day now.

She marvelled at the longer than normal skirt at the end of the dress; instead of ending at her thigh, this one now ended at her ankles; long enough to cover her legs, but not long enough so that she was tripping over it as she walked, making a perfect match. It wasn't as tight knit as the other suit's skirt either; as she spun in a circle, the dress flew out and flowed with her, making her admire it even more. She truly admired the design, and thanked Marcus for his change of heart in the color. It was majestic. It was beautiful.

A elderly laugh caught her as she stopped and her look shot up, reminding her that Han and Shala were present. Shala took Tali's hands in hers, holding them tightly as her eyes met Tali's, "You look stunning Tali; you will surely make other women jealous."

Tali blushed under her mask, "Let them be. I'm where I want to be."

"That's the spirit," Gerrel applauded from nearby at his position sitting on a crate nearby, appraising her form, "You look beautiful Tali; Meru truly is gifted in suit-making. I look forward to seeing you up there."

Shala nodded to Gerrel, turning back to face Tali as her hands smoothed out the fabric around Tali's helmet, "I...I just don't know what else to say. You look even more beautiful than I did on my wedding day; all I wore was my normal suit. You're a lucky woman Tali; make use of it. Be the best we know you can be."

Tali nodded, taking heavy breathing. Noticing this, Shala cocked her head, "Are you nervous, child?"

Tali shook her head. Then she nodded, looking at her fingers that now became latched together and began to fiddle with each other, "Keelah, I've never been in a ceremony like this, and definitely not when I'm getting married. I always imagined it being different; a quiet meeting, a quick affliction of love, and then a couple of hours of passionate lovemaking in a clean room followed by announcement that you're married. I never expected it to be...this up front."

Gerrel chuckled, "You were a kid back then Tali and you believed the world to be easier than it is; but don't worry, trust me, its not as bad as it looks. I was terrified at my wedding, but when I saw my wife up on that podium, all I could think of was her. Keep your eyes on Shepard, and you'll find your nervousness melts away; being nervous is perfectly natural when getting married. It just gets the tough ones to overcome it and think of the bigger picture."

"Yeah Tals," a familiar, welcomed voice sounded behind the quarian, followed by the deactivation of a cloak. Tali spun to face the thief, who smiled at her and the quarian was almost startled by Kasumi's new appearence. The thief no longer wore her hooded outfit; but instead wore a dress that hugged her curves and body, showing only a modest amount of cleavage. It was a dark black in color and she wore short jeans. She smiled up at Tali; and with a lack of hood, the quarian finally got a proper look at her facial features.

Her eyes were a dazzling sapphire blue, with long, raven black hair that ran up past her ears before ending just at the base of her neck. She already knew of the tattoo on her lower lip, but she hadn't been able to see the smooth cheeks and round nose; Kasumi was beautiful, by human standards and quarian.

Tali could only gawk at Kasumi's smiling form and she could only mutter one sentence, "K-K-Kasumi, you-you're...you're...beautiful! That dress...its amazing!"

Kasumi looked down at her dress, smiling as she did before facing Tali again, "Not my finest clothing arrangement Tali; I personally don't like it, but its all I had, and I didn't want to turn up to a wedding in my usual attire, so I got it out. I'll suffer for my little quarian, just this once."

"You're face," Tali responded, "I don't think I've ever seen it...fully, before."

Kasumi giggled, waving a dismissive hand, "I haven't seen yours at all, so maybe that'll change today. Finally get to see the face of my little sis."

Shala finally interjected into the conversation, "You must be Miss Goto. Tali speaks highly of you."

Kasumi smiled, winking at Tali before turning back to Shala, taking the extended hand and shaking it, "And you must be Tali's auntie; nice to meet you...can I call you Shala?"

"Of course," Shala responded, smiling behind her mask, but obviously Kasumi didn't see it. She nodded to the quarian admiral and spun around to face Tali, "Wrex will be here in a minute; he's just a little bit embarassed, having to leave his armor."

"Wrex...leaving his armor?" Tali giggled, "This I have to see."

"Don't get so excited," said an aggravated and gruff voice from behind them, "Its nothing to gawk at."

Everybody turned to face the krogan, and Tali almost burst out laughing at what she saw, only managing to keep in her mirth by covering her mouth with a gloved hand.

There Wrex stood, glowering at them, wearing a suit, or what passed as a suit among krogan, that was a red deep in color. It multiple pockets along the front and was obviously meant for casual wear; not for special occassions; although special occassions meant krogan most likely involved combat armor anyway.

"Wrex, you look...nice." Tali commented, trying to stifle further laughter.

Wrex rolled his eyes, "Yeah, thanks," he responded gruffly, pointing a finger at Kasumi, "I officially despise her; she made me wear this."

Kasumi grinned evilly, "And you look very sexy, Mr. Wrex. The women will be all over you."

Wrex shook his head, growling while looking at the floor, mumbling something under his breath. He looked up and moved forward, joining them casually as he leaned back against the wall, arms crossed. He threw a glare at Kasumi, "I'm not done with you thief. Don't ever cross a krogan."

Kasumi tsked, "I'm not just a thief, I'm the Master Thief. I can disappear and you'll never find me, unless I want you to. Best not be making idle threats, Mr. Wrex! Its unbecoming of a gentleman!"

Wrex waved an arm, snorting, "Do krogan look 'gentle,' to you?"

Kasumi actually had to think about that one as she leaned back on her heel, "No...no I guess not. But its the thought that counts!"

Wrex waved an arm at her once more, "You can take your 'gentleman' and shove it up your-"

"Charmed," Shala deadpanned, shaking her head.

Gerrel stood up, moving to meet the krogan with a handshake, who looked at him inquisitively, "You must be Urdnot Wrex, the one who taught my niece how to use a shotgun and how to fight. I did notice she became alot more...aggressive in combat ever since she got back from pilgrimage."

Wrex allowed a grin to spread across his maw, the krogan wrapping his own three-fingered hand around Gerrel's in a tightening grip, "Didn't realize Tali had another uncle!"

Gerrel looked at him quizzically, "I don't under-"

"Uncle Wrex..." Tali trailed off, tone hinting promised wrath, wagging a finger at the krogan, "Behave."

The krogan rolled his eyes, looking back at Gerrel, "I tell you...what's your name?"

"Gerrel," he responded, "Admiral Han'Gerrel vas Neema."

"Yeah," Wrex replied, "I tell you Han, she's something this one; aggressive too. I might have rubbed off on her, and now she's fiester than usual. I might have made a quarian/krogan hybrid, come to think of it."

Gerrel rubbed the side of his helmet, "I don't understand...you're her uncle too?"

"Call it a bond," Tali added, crossing her arms, "I started calling him Uncle Wrex as a tease, and he called me his 'quarian niece,' and it kinda stuck. I guess it just turned into a bond."

"She may not be not be my niece by blood, but she is my niece at heart," Wrex affirmed securely, stomping his foot down, "Anyone who messes with her, messes with me."

Shala nodded, "Well, it was nice to meet you Miss Goto, Mister Wrex, but I just got a message from the podium. They're about to start, so I'd get ready if I were you. Gerrel, you better get outside and into position quickly."

Gerrel nodded, shaking Wrex's hand once more, "We should talk some more, Mr. Wrex. It seems we share an interest in military culture, as is expected with krogan."

"Look forward to it," Wrex slapped the admiral on the back to get him moving, "Now get out there; you've got a wedding to oversee. Time for talk and alcohol later. I hope ryncol's on the menu."

Gerrel nodded and left, door closing behind him. Shala took the front, standing straight while Tali came in behind her, Kasumi at her side. And of course, Wrex took the area behind them, pushing himself off the wall to stand behind them, cracking his neck as he got ready.

Tali gulped, suddenly nervous again. Kasumi elbowed her and smiled, gaining the quarian's attention, "You'll be fine. Just remember what old Gerrel said; look him in the eye, and soon, nothing else will matter. I'm sure it works. Never been married before, but I think I get the general gist from all those corny romance movies."

Tali nodded just as the music outside began to play. Shala looked at her and offered a supportive nod, before turning back around herself, tapping the door interface, and stepping out into the Arena. With a close of her eyes, a final inhale and exhale of breath, and straightening her posture, she locked her arm with Kasumi's and they moved forward and outside.

This was it. The beginning of her life. Truly the beginning.

She had a right to be nervous alright.

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November 7, 2185

0848 hours.

The Arena, Liveship Rayya, Migrant Fleet, Enoch System, Rosetta Nebula.

Commander Marcus Lee Shepard, Captain Hannah Rila Shepard, Councilor David Edward Anderson, Gunnery Master Garrus Vakarian, Flight Lieutenant Jeff 'Joker' Moreau, Admiral Han'Gerrel vas Neema.

He had done it; he had made it this far. He was standing on the podium, hands clasped infront of him, taking shallow breaths as he waited for the music to play again, and for the love of his life to walk up and onto the podium alongside him. Garrus stood to his right, facing the crowd, hands clasped behind him and Joker stood on Garrus' left, basically doing the same thing. And on the area above them stood Hannah and Anderson, side by side, also facing the crowd, with the podium on their right only occupying Gerrel at the present moment.

Deciding to let the minutes tick away, he looked around at the crowd while he waited. They all talked amongst each other; a session that would continue until the music began playing again. Most of the crowd was quarian, but he could easily make out his crew. To his surprise, Hannah had brought Phillipo with her, who had given Marcus a thumbs up from his position in the crowd, in the second row to the front, smiling at Marcus as he sat, talking with one of Marcus' crew, Kelly, who was wearing mascara and a green dress for the occassion and was speaking in hushed tones with Phillipo; it was the first time he had seen Kelly geniunely smile since the Collector Base.

Gardner sat on Phillipo's right, hands clasped infront of him and watching the stage; further to his right, was Gabby and Ken, who were engaged in active conversation, which looked like Gabby, again, scolding Ken. Wonder what it is this time...The rest of the row was occupied by the rest of the standard Normandy crew, Chakwas sitting at the end and talking with one particular crewman, a warm smile on her face.

And that was just the front row. The second row occupied the ground team, all of them seated in order of deck of work place. Mordin sat behind Kelly, still wearing his white labcoat due to lack of a change of clothing, but having cleaned up and was in quiet conversation with Lia, who sat on his right, the quarian also cleaning up for the event. Sitting further on the right of Lia was Jacob, Kal and Kaidan, all of them laughing at a story that Kal was telling, Jacob looking like he was going to piss himself while Kaidan barely contained his own laughter.

Next to them was Samara and three empty seats for Liara, Miranda and Thane, who couldn't come for obvious reasons, so those three seats were now occupied by three quarian women; childhood friends of Tali, they had stated, to conserve room in the Arena. Samara looked passive, but faced the stage with a meek smile on her face; but she did look troubled. He'd have to ask her about it later, but he had a feeling it had to do with Peta. No, don't think about him. He's gone. Just worry about what matters...

To the right of the three quarian girls was Jack, who was listening to a story from Captain Qet'Danna vas Rayya, who apparently had alot of stories to keep the convict entertained. Obviously, Legion couldn't be present, and the rest of the team was either away with Liara or currently with Shepard or Tali. The rest of rows were filled with quarians; including the entirety of the Conclave or their representatives, Admiral Koris, Veetor and Elan, and many more.

Marcus smiled at each and every one of them, glad that they could come. Anderson had invited Admiral Hackett to join, who apparently had reluctantly rejected due to the Alliance keeping him extremely busy and that he had to keep tabs on a 'secret operation' to do with the batarian hegemony; something that had sparked Marcus' interest, but ultimately not something he wanted to worry about at this time.

The loudness of the crowd seemed to die down in an instant as Marcus breathed in an out for the final time, the spectre going to face the wall infront of him when the music began to play. He widened his eyes and turned his eyes to face the exit door; the same door he went through with Tali to deal with the Alarei situation. That had felt so long ago now. This is it. Keep your cool, Marcus. Don't fuck this up.

The collar around his neck suddenly felt choking, but he ignored it, electing not to adjust it. He had made the right choice. Everyone watched as the door shot open with a mechanical hiss and the first person to step out, the influential and guiding person, stepped out, revealing the form of Admiral Shala'Raan vas Tonbay, her posture straight, proud and unwithering. She moved with grace in her step; not too fast, and not too slow, but just enough for Tali and the others to catch up. And the next person to step out took his breath away.

He watched as Tali, arm in arm with Kasumi, walked out. Kasumi was wearing a curvy dress and her hood was missing, revealing her face, which would have shocked him, and he was sure he almost heard Garrus gasp temporarily behind him, but Marcus didn't care; his eyes were focused on that beauty.

Tali had discarded her other suit for the dress her mother had made her, with the white changes he suggested being added, and she looked stunning in it. Every step was almost hidden by the skirt of the suit, and her purple visor stood in stark contrast to the rest of the veil, making her look like a heavenly angel as she moved down the isle. All he could focus on was her, and all she could focus on was him, and suddenly, the choking collar faded away into nothing. He barely even felt it, his eyes meeting hers. Hell, he barely even noticed Wrex joining in behind them in his hilarious suit.

Within moments, Tali was joining him on the podium, standing a few inches away from him, hands wrapped in his and Kasumi and Wrex assumed similiar positions to that of Garrus and Joker, and Shala took her position next to Gerrel.

He looked her in the eyes as the parents got ready, and let a large smile cross his face as he looked at her, whispering in a soft voice, "Sorry to tell you; but you look absolutely beautiful in that. No more than usual, but still..."

He was sure she was blushing under her mask, but she responded in kind, "You don't look too bad yourself. You're very handsome."

"Touche," he responded, smiling all the more at her response and having to push back the urge to just hold her in his arms, rip off her mask and kiss her. Instead, he just kept their hands locked; there would be time for that soon. His smile stayed put, as did hers, as the ceremony opened up, everyone turning to face the stage.

The procession soon began, with Shala speaking up first, clearing her throat as she spoke, "We are brought here today to celebrate the union of two souls, who the ancestors have guided to each other, to unite as one in love, passion and protection," she then went into motherly mode, "I stand for the bride, Tali'Zorah vas Normandy, as Shala'Raan vas Tonbay, her mother. I stand in agreement of this marriage, and the ancestors smile upon me."

Hannah took off, repeating the same words, but differently, reading from a datapad, due to her limited knowledge on quarian culture, "I stand for the groom, Marcus'Shepard vas Normandy, as Hannah'Shepard vas Orizaba, his mother. I stand in agreement of this marriage, and god smiles upon me."

This time, Anderson spoke, datapad in hand as he read, "We will now proceed with the committment of vows, beginning with Marcus'Shepard vas Normandy."

Marcus hadn't even turned away from Tali for the entire time, and felt the weight of the eyes now falling down on him. He had prepared the entire speech and just hoped he could remember it; but he couldn't. But in times like these, Marcus was known for his art of speech. He had shouted down the Admiralty Board without a script, so he could profess his love without one too.

He gulped, clearing his throat, coughing as he did, and began to speak, voice loud enough so everyone could hear, "Tali, I first met you two years ago down in the Lower Wards of the Citadel. It was during my mission to stop Saren as I was gathering evidence to prove him guilty. I met three people that day; people who I hold close to my heart, and people I have come to trust with my life, but only one of them have I chosen to dedicate my life too; to bind my life to theirs."

"I met you that day, in the Wards, because you needed help. You had information I could use to prove Saren's guilt, but you were also in trouble, and you needed my help. I saved you, and let you join my team, and little did I know that I would eventually find myself loving you, and eventually marrying you. The days we shared during the Eden Prime War I cherish Tali; the heat of Therum, the horrors of Feros, the crimes on Noveria, the death on Virmire, and the melancholy on Ilos. We went through it together. And through that, we developed a bond. We fell in love."

"I admired your courage, your strength, and how selfless you were. You put everybody's needs before your own, and it...I don't know, I guess I just felt...a connection with you. And the more I listened to your stories, the more I realized how much your people are like mine; the Jewish people. I mean, I'm technically defying Jewish law by marrying outside of my people, but now that I realize it...it really doesn't matter, because we were meant to be together. You believed in me when noone else would; everyone thought I'd betrayed them when I joined Cerberus, but you didn't care what banner I flew under; you only saw me, and I love you all the more for that."

"I love you, Tali'Zorah vas Normandy," Marcus finally finished, squeezing her hands as he did, "And, no matter what happens, I call it a privledge, an honor, to have known you, loved you, and finally, bonded to you. I hope we live a fruitful and happy life together, for as long as we draw breath. I, Marcus'Shepard vas Normandy, take you as my wife, to love you, cherish you, and protect you until death do us part. Keelah Se'lai."

He heard a sob from Shala, and one from Hannah, both women obviously moved by the passionate speech as Gerrel spoke, smile evident in his voice, "We will now proceed with the bride's committment of vows."

All eyes fell on Tali, and she seemed to freeze up. He squeezed her hands and smiled warmly at her as reassurance to let her know he was there, and that seemed to give her the courage to speak up, "Well...uh...I don't know where to start really...I do remember the start of my pilgrimage. How terrifying it was; going into a galaxy so full of hate and racism, and to feel so alone and disconnected from my people; it was disheartening. I'd seen all the worst the galaxy had to offer, and before I knew, I was carrying the weight of millions of lives on my shoulders as I was pursued throughout the galaxy by Saren's assassins."

She sighed, shifting her feet as she met Marcus' eyes, "Arriving at the Citadel, my life seemed so hopeless; little did I know how much my life would change. My friend dies and I'm trying to exchange information for a safe place to hide; next thing I know, I've been betrayed, almost killed, and then rescued all at the same time, and by a three human marines, a turian C-Sec officer and a krogan mercenary of all people!"

"I...call it cliche, but I felt like it was love at first sight. I felt instantly attracted to you, like I felt a force...drawing me towards you. So I joined the crew of the Normandy, and I felt my whole life turn around, all my judgments were just...swept away! A galaxy so full of hate and racism, and I was so alone...and before I know it, I'm on the Alliance's most advanced starship, the galaxy's most advanced, I should say, surrounded by people who...treated me as an equal. But none of them mattered quite so much as you; and before I knew it, I was in love. And so were you. It just took awhile to realize it."

"We've had our dilemmas, but we got through them all," she lifted a hand and cradled his cheek, smiling behind her mask, "We got through them all, like we always do. The geth, Saren, Sovereign, the Collectors, Harbinger, we got through them all, and we'll do the same with the Shadow Broker," she laughed, "We always pull through. Your determination, bravery and ability to care for those around you makes you better than every other leader in history; because you care. And its an honor, to know you, and love you, too."

"I love you, Marcus'Shepard vas Normandy," Tali finished, letting her hand fall back to her side as she sniffed, still smiling as she continued, "And, no matter what happens, I call it a privledge, an honor, to have known you, loved you, and finally, bonded to you. I hope we live a fruitful and happy life together, for as long as we draw breath. I, Tali'Zorah vas Normandy, take you as my husband, to love you, cherish you, and protect you until death do us part. Keelah Se'lai."

With both of them finished, the entire crowd erupted into applause, with some of the crowd mimicking the word 'keelah se'lai.' He even heard Chakwas exclaimed 'ahhhh' as she finished in a motherly tone, and three of Tali's friend squeal in excitement as they clapped loudly. Eventually, Shala brought order to the room, speaking once more.

"We now proceed with the presentation of bonding gifts," she shakily said, sniffing as she stepped back to contain her tears of joy, Gerrel patting her shoulder. Anderson smiled at them, hands clasped behind his back, while Hannah did the same, fresh tears on her cheeks.

Garrus moved forward with a little box, moving to stand beside Tali, presenting the gift as he shot Marcus a knowing grin. Kasumi did the same with Marcus, also presenting a box. Once done, both of them pulled the box towards them, opened the box and presented the two partners the appropriate wedding rings before retreating to their original positions.

Tali placed a large, golden ring on Marcus' third finger while Marcus took Tali's hand and inserted a smaller, similiar ring on Tali's middle finger, or in her case, her second finger. Both of them receeded, retook their hands and smiled at each other once more.

Gerrel spoke this time, "You may now remove the bride's faceplate."

Joker came to stand by Marcus' side and Wrex by Tali's as the two of them prepared to remove each other's masks. Marcus obviously lacked one, so Joker didn't need to do anything, but just as to mock him, Joker made an 'unveiling' action, like that of what a bullfighter does with his sheet when the bull runs past, and makes an over exaggerated 'wol-lah' face to the crowd, who laugh at the action, and Marcus just shoots the pilot a mild, amused glare.

Wrex, careful to not damage Tali's visor, has trouble removing her visor as his fingers are far too large to get inside, and the krogan begins to make annoyed grumbles as he struggles. He hears Joker sighing beside him, making an eye roll gesture and the crowd laughs again. Eventually, whether upon impulse or something else, Marcus leans forward and removes Tali's visor himself, the hiss of air releasing soothing to his ears as he pulled the visor away to reveal her face, the quarian smiling and blushing; an incredibly blue tinge to her cheeks.

"Holy cow..." Joker exclaimed, "She is...is...holy cow!"

Marcus almost elbowed the pilot in the ribs, but knowing he had bones like glass, he turned around and shot him a 'shut up' glare, to which the pilot took notice and did just that. Wrex, still grumbling, pulled away and picked up the box containing the ink, handing it to Tali, who took it, still smiling. She faced Marcus, her smile almost melting him. He too almost forgot about the ink box until Joker spoke up.

"Uh...Rayya to Shepard?" the pilot asked, waving a hand infront of the spectre's face.

Marcus grinned and took the box, turning back to Tali who was already dipping her ring finger in the black ink, taking a dip size and raising it in anticipation. She took deep breaths, not quite believing that this was it; once they did this and the lines were painted, they were officially husband and wife. He gave her one more smile before dipping his own finger in the ink and raising it towards Tali's face.

His finger touched the top of her forehead and drew downwards, her smooth skin making it a seamless transition from point A to point B and in the matter of a second, a third line was added on Tali's head.

Tali shakily did the same to his own forehead, and the cool ink sunk into his skin, giving off a pleasant feeling. As they handed the boxes back to their caretakers, and said caretakers retreated back to their previous positions, Tali almost broke into tears as everything hit her at once. And finally, he could reach out, take her in his arms and embrace her, both of them now officially married.

Shakily, but with evident pride, Shala spoke, "I...now pronounce these two married in matrimony; this union has made the ancestors weep for joy, and has allowed another heart to beat alongside the already present. Two brains become one, two hearts become one, two bodies...become one. This is the Union of One, as is blessed by the ancestors, and we say, Keelah Se'lai!"

Hannah finished, adding the human ending for extra spice, "I now pronounce the both of you husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride."

Marcus smiled as he pulled away from Tali and held her in his arms. They both looked into each other's eyes, and knew it was meant to be. Without further hesitation, he leaned forward and locked her lips with his, both of their mouths crashing together as they pulled into each other and the crowd cheered behind them, clapping as they launched from their seats and congraluated the two of them. He heard Kasumi and Joker whistle, Garrus clap loudly and Wrex give out a krogan howl to symbolize his consent, also slamming his fists together for added effect. Shala and Gerrel clapped and Hannah cried as she did the same. Anderson clapped loudly, the man's eyes moist with unshed tears, the man remaining professional until the very end. But all Tali could feel was Tali's essence being breathed into him.

Never had see tasted as good as she did that day.

{Loading...}

November 7, 2185

0932 hours.

The Arena, Liveship Rayya, Migrant Fleet, Enoch System, Rosetta Nebula.

Commander Marcus Lee Shepard, Chief Engineer Tali'Shepard vas Normandy, Admiral Shala'Raan vas Tonbay, Admiral Han'Gerrel vas Neema, Admiral Zaal'Koris vas Qwib Qwib, Gunnery Master Garrus Vakarian, Master Thief Kasumi Goto, Chieftain Urdnot Wrex, Flight Lieutenant Jeff 'Joker' Moreau, Captain Hannah Rila Shepard, Councilor David Edward Anderson, Professor Mordin Solus, Senior Assistant Lia'Vael nar Ulnay, Staff Commander Kaidan Alenko, Major General Kal'Reegar vas Normandy, First Lieutenant Madi'Soi vas Ceresa, First Lieutenant Jacob Taylor, Justicar Samara, Medical Chief Karin Chakwas, Subject Zero Jack, Power Engineer Kenneth Donnelly, Propulsion Engineer Gabriella Daniels, Mess Sergeant Rupert Gardner, Yeoman Kelly Chambers, Navigator Veetor'Nara vas Rayya, Medical Chief Elan'Shiya vas Rayya, Captain Qet'Danna vas Rayya.

The wedding feast was huge; everybody joined in, with Marcus deciding to combine all the tables together to form one big amalgamation, with himself and Tali seated near the front with the rest of the Normandy crew. Kasumi managed to seak a seat next to Garrus, to the other turian's uncomfort. Many dishes had been made and prepared by Gardner, in tandem with quarians to make sure the food was appropriately sterilized, and to say it was impressive was a gross understatement.

The clink of cutlery and dishes was heard, but was overshadowed by the mass sound of chatter and laughter and conversation. Stories were told, congratulations for the newly weds given, and laughter erupted. Marcus sat with his wife, arm wrapped around her waist and holding her close as they talked with Wrex. Anderson sat next to Tali, listening avidly as the krogan spoke, with Hannah and Shala sharing a much needed conversation between each other, glasses of wine, levo and dextro, in hand.

Eventually, the animated conversations came to a halt as Garrus stood up, clearing his throat as loudly as he could while asking Wrex to get everyone's attention. The krogan growled loud enough for the whole to ship to hear, and all eyes landed on him, before quickly noticing the turian and locking on him. The turian smiled and picked up his drink, immediately turning to Marcus and Tali, a smirk still on his faces.

"I don't know how you humans do it, but I hear the best man is supposed to give a 'toast' for the newly wedded couple," Garrus stated, holding his glass he alternated between looking at the couple and the rest of the table occupants, "I've known you two for quite some time now; I met Marcus in the Council Chambers, when I was arguing with Executor Palin about getting permission to further my investigation on Saren. Joined him not long after, and met Tali in the Wards when we saved her. Or, rather, Marcus saved her," he motioned his drink at the man in question, causing that man to chuckle, "I was there since the beginning; and I can say just what a privledge it has been to know you two."

"Of course, it started off as a tense relationship, and I've had...not so proud moments," Garrus lamented, "There was this one time that Marcus agreed to help me track down a salarian doctor by the name of Saleon Yules, who experimented on people and used them as walking 'organ farms.' We caught him, this time under the name of Untaav Heart, and boarded his ship, the MSV Fedele. It got ugly fast; you had a salarian doctor with an infatuation with selling organs, Cerberus commandos and to top it off, we faced rachni, although we wouldn't have known it then," he grinned at Marcus, but suddenly lost it when he finished, "I...Saleon caught Tali and I would have shot her just to kill Saleon, but Marcus stopped me. Damn, he really gave me a scolding. He even opened up a bit of his past to straighten me out. It meant alot to me that he did that; it changed me, just like he changes alot of people."

Marcus just continued to smile, allowing Garrus to continue as Tali lied happily in his arms, still in her wedding suit, head laying on his shoulder, "I became a new man that day; I sought to change my ideals. And even two years later, when I went on the path of revenge to kill a man I thought a traitor to my team, and he was, he managed to change me. Talked me out of it; showed me who I was becoming. He's forever redirecting me, and for that, I have the honor of knowing him, not just as a best friend, but as a brother. And Tali? I used to hate her simply because she was a quarian. But once again, she opened my eyes and showed me just what quarians were all about; showed me how foolish and ignorant I was, how arrogant I was being."

"When it came down to it, you two have been with me every step of the way," the turian concluded, motioning to both of them, "These two I have come to know as not just my best friends, but as family. I don't know where I'd be without them, and I couldn't think of a perfect couple. I won't lie, I once had feelings for Tali myself," he nodded and everyone seemed to look at him with surprise, including Tali and Marcus, and especially Kasumi, "Yes, that's right, I once felt the same way. But when I saw how you two were around each other; how Tali watched your every move, and how protective Marcus was of her, how could I stand in the way of that? I couldn't compare to that; so I stood down and let you two have your moment. I let you two be together, because honestly, you two are inseperable as it is."

"Wherever you go, Tali and Marcus, I'm with you," Garrus smiled, raising his drink in the air, "There's no Shepard without Vakarian, and Tali is now a proud member of the Shepard family, is she not!? So let us give it to them! To the Shepards!" He thrusted his drink further into the air, and his call was followed by every one else, all of them thrusting their own drinks in the air before sitting back down and sipping them, Garrus quickly following, the turian inhaling and exhaling.

Marcus raised an eyebrow at the turian, "Mr. Vakarian, I didn't realize you were so good at speeches. Why wasn't I told?"

Garrus laughed, "Please, I leave that stuff to you, I'm just a rookie by comparison. Besides, I've been saving that one for just this occassion. I wanted to get that all out."

"Didn't realize you felt that way about me Garrus," Tali teased, "I'm touched."

Garrus replied with a raised eyebrow, smirking, "A pleasure, Mrs. Shepard."

Tali giggled just as Hannah turned around, "What's a pleasure? What about me?" She then turned around and looked at the massive grin on Garrus' face. Hannah looked at Tali and then grinned herself, both her and Garrus both cracking into laughter. When both of them were done, Hannah slapped the table with her hand, "I'm going to have to get used to that. I just hope we're both not in proximity when they say that, dear, or we may have a problem on our hands."

Tali shrugged, "Its going to take getting used to; being called that. It sounds so...foreign. Before I loved Marcus, I always called him Shepard, and now people will be calling me Mrs. Shepard. It'll be so confusing among the crew."

Joker guffawed, "You've created a dilemma Shepard!"

Both Tali and Marcus faced Joker at the same time, and spoke at the same time, "How?" They both looked at each other, back at Joker, and then broke into laughter. Joker sighed, rolling his eyes.

"The crew is going to go crazy."

"No more crazier than with you on it, I'm sure," Anderson quipped, "You used to drive me insane."

Joker smirked, leaning back in his seat, "I have my talents. I'm not useful just for flying ships you know; I know the thing that makes people break."

"A useful trait I'm sure," Hannah replied before turning back to talk with Shala, not allowing Joker to even respond. The pilot sputtered and turned to Marcus for assistance, but the commander merely shrugged and Joker seemed to give up, pouting as he leaned back over his food, pretending everyone didn't exist.

Quickly remembering past events, Marcus called out to Samara across the table, catching the justicar's attention, "Yes, Shepard?" Samara asked, and again, both Marcus and Tali turned to face the asari, but after a bit, Tali rolled her eyes and turned back to her conversation with Madi.

"I'd just like to apologize...about Peta," Marcus sighed, "You were right, and I was stupid, I should have-"

"Talk no more of it," Samara replied, a warm smile gracing her lips, "What has happened is in the past, and I hold no grudge against you. Enjoy your moment of peace and solitude while it lasts commander; and do not dwell on the past."

Marcus nodded in thanks and turned back to the group, once again pulling Tali further into him, to which Tali both gasped in shock and moaned in delight, digging deeper into Marcus' chest and resting her head on his shoulder, letting out a sigh of content that quickly became contagious and caused him to release a similiar sound. Both of them were interrupted however when they saw Garrus looking rather uncomfortable as Kasumi sat next to him, the young thief smiling at him with a large grin as he seemed to eye her wearily.

"So, Kasumi..." Garrus began, "You look...different..."

Kasumi looked at him with a raised eyebrow, "How do you mean, Garbear?"

Garrus' eyes widened and he shot a glare at Marcus and Tali, who quickly stopped laughing, both of them pretending to not be listening in as they looked at each other. Garrus turned back to Kasumi, shaking his head, forgetting the drop of that particular nickname.

"Um...well...uh..." Garrus stuttered, the turian essentially tripping over himself constantly, "You...well...your hood, its...well, uh...missing and your face is...uh...seeable."

Kasumi's grin raised, and her lips twitched to the left, "Interesting; any other observations, Detective Vakarian?"

Marcus couldn't help but quietly chuckle and Tali almost giggled non-stop, but luckily, Garrus couldn't hear them. Jacob couldn't keep his mouth shut though, almost guffawing but was stopped as a dextro muffin impacted him in the side of the head, Garrus shooting him a predatory glare that told him to shut up. The armourer quickly melted into the background, making himself scarce, to the turian's immense relief as he turned back to Kasumi; and if turians could sweat, Garrus would be.

"Well...uh..." Garrus scratched his neck sheepishly, "Your...um...well, if you were turian...uh...well...I'd be...complimenting your waist or your fringe, so...I...think your...waist is...very supportive, and your...uh...hair is...good?"

Kasumi dropped her smile and tried to look offended just to tease Garrus, but apparently the turian took it too seriously, "I...was that offensive in human culture? Uh damn...well, uh...shit, should have watched those damn vids...well, I guess...um..."

Kasumi almost laughed out loud, catching Garrus by surprise, his look slowly dissolving into an angry glare as he realized the thief played him. Once done, she looked back at him, wiping her eyes, still grinning, "You're hilarious Garrus; you stutter almost as much as Tali, if not worse! You're adorable! But seriously; my waist is supportive? My hair looks good? You're such a sweet talker! Consider me seduced, big guy!"

Marcus coughed, gaining both of their attention, "Just letting you know that this is my wedding; keep it for the bedroom, you two."

"Its my wedding too," Tali scoffed.

He looked down at her, "And you agree?"

Tali nodded, "Yeah."

He looked at them with a smug grin, but Kasumi just rolled her eyes and Garrus ignored him, focusing on the thief, "Oh...shut up, Shep. Let us have our thing. Besides, this is pretty funny," she turned back to Garrus, "Now, you hilarious ball of turian, what do you think of my change in appearence, huh? What do you think of me?" She hit an epiphany and giggled, "I know! A challenge; try to describe me in one word. Go!"

Garrus seemed to take a moment to think on that one, almost mimicking Tali's 'playing with the fingers' gesture movement for movement. After a bit, the turian seemed to hit the perfect word as his eyes lit up and he looked at the thief, sudden confidence in his pose, "I...think you're beautiful, Kasumi."

Marcus and Tali both waited for Kasumi's retort or tease, but it didn't come. They waited another moment, but nothing happened. Garrus' look changed into one of surprise, and they all turned to look at Kasumi, who had literally frozen to the spot. Kasumi's smile had dropped and she looked blank, like she couldn't comprehend what Garrus had just called her. They waited for a response, and it came, but Kasumi's voice wasn't jovial and determined it was...shaky?

"You..." she began, coughing as she cleared her throat, gulped, and finished her sentence, "You really think that? You think I'm...beautiful?"

Garrus nodded hesitantly, also gulping, "Yeah...I've never seen you without the hood, and you look beautiful-"

He never got to finish as Kasumi leapt across the table, pouncing on the table and basically launching him from the table and onto the floor, Garrus' chair falling over as he went with it, multiple pounds of thief colliding into him. The turian fell, back on the floor, as Kasumi landed ontop of him, reminding Marcus of Tali's pounce during their first time together. Everyone nearby leaned over to observe the two of them, and found an hilarious and heartwarming sight.

Kasumi's lips slammed against Garrus' mandibles, both of them passionately kissing like there was no tomorrow. Garrus, recovering from his shock, wrapped his arms around her and pulled her in, deepening the kiss, and both of them moaned in pleasure. Everyone turned away and returned to their seats, deciding to give the two some privacy.

After a bit, they broke for air, both of them looking into each other's eyes, the shock gone from Garrus' eyes. He lifted one hand and pushed one stand of fallen hair out of the japanese woman's face, curling it behind one ear. He smiled and she smiled, both of them taken up in the moment, both of them dropping their sarcastic rivalry for a second and realizing that this was more than just a fling...this might turn into an actual relationship.

Garrus' smile turned into a smirk, and he finished the sentence he didn't get to finish before Kasumi pounced on him, "-for a human."

She grinned back, slapping him on the shoulder as she sat there, still straddling his waist before leaning in and kissing him again. Garrus moaned in euphoria before the kiss suddenly ended, the thief getting up and suddenly disappearing in an instant, her cloak activated and the sounds of her feet jogging could be heard, only to get more distant...she's running away!

"You want the rest of that kiss?" Kasumi chuckled, "Come and catch me, Detective Vakarian!"

Garrus grinned. You're on. He leapt up and immediately ran for the thief, trying to find the telltale signs of distortion in the air that gave away the cloak. He saw it near the exit and chased after the thief, everyone laughing at both of them as they ran.

Marcus chuckled and Tali giggled, but they eventually dissolved into nothing as they settled down, the spectre finally deciding to start eating the food he had barely touched. Tali came to the same conclusion and picked up a food tube, this one loaded with turian chocolate, which had decidedly become Tali's favourite upon melting in her mouth.

Marcus just chuckled more as Jacob and Kaidan prepared for an arm wrestle. All the men gathered around, including Marcus, which caused the women, including Tali to just roll their eyes. Jacob smiled as he eyed Kaidan, eyes full of wicked intent.

"Prepared for defeat, Alenko?" Jacob asked, smiling, "Admitting defeat before suffering it is better than actually suffering it."

"Wise words from an ingrate," Kaidan replied, placing his elbow on the table, hand stretched out and awaiting Jacob's. The armourer let out a whistle.

"Oh, this one is feisty!" Jacob replied, wooing loudly, "We might make an N7 of you yet."

Kaidan grinned back, grabbing Jacob's hand as the soldier repeated Kaidan's action, both of them holding, "I practically already am; was with the N7 since the beginning, remember?"

Jacob just smirked, "Doesn't make you an N7."

"Both of you are pyjaks," Wrex growled playfully, smiling as he spoke, "But Alenko is my kind of pyjak. Come on Taylor, prove your worth. Prove your the mightier pyjak and I might pit myself against you."

Jacob just looked at him hopelessly, "But you'll easily beat me! You're stronger!"

"Exactly!" Wrex boomed, chuckling, "I'm a krogan, what do you expect? But its the honor of doing it to begin with that counts!"

"Come on Staff Commander," Anderson cheered, "Show him what you have. You're an Alliance marine, show him what that means!"

Gardner cheered for Jacob, "Show that marine he's fallible!"

With that, the match began in earnest. Strain was clearly seen on both men's faces for a moment as both of them seemed unable to move the other's hand, both of them staying in place. But after a while, Jacob began to push Kaidan back, further and further, until the marine's fist was inches from the table top. Jacob gave a smug smile, but quickly dropped it when he saw a similiar smile on Kaidan's face.

In hindsight, the marine hadn't been trying at all; that fact that he was a biotic had made his muscle more resistant and stronger, and therefore he was stronger for it. Kaidan had pretended to show strain, and let Jacob pour all his strength into his hand. With him exhausted, Kaidan fought back, pushing Jacob's fist over so quickly that noone was fully able to comprehend what was happening until Jacob's fist slammed into the table, and everyone who supported Kaidan cheered, the marine in question taking a swig of a jug of canadian beer.

The armourer looked at him incredulously, "How the hell did you manage to do that?"

Kaidan grinned smugly, "You may not have read much Sun Tzu. 'Appear weak when you are strong.' I let you believe you had the upperhand, and then quickly slapped you across the face to awaken you to the fact that I was indeed winning. You never saw me coming. That, and I may have had an unfair advantage; the element zero content in my body is strong enough that it has weaved my muscles and made them stronger than a normal human male; while other males have to work and exercise to get their strength and muscle, I get mine simply by being exposed to Element Zero. But I'm just the lucky one."

"I guess the commander has the same thing," Jacob pointed out, smirking at his CO, "Right, Shepard?"

This time, Tali restrained herself, as did Hannah, and Marcus smiled, "I do. And now its timed by a hundred now that I'm loaded with cybernetics. I could probably beat Wrex in an arm wrestle, if I wanted to. Hell, maybe even Leg-a geth."

Kal cracked up at that one, trying to divert attention away from Marcus' slip up, which he was grateful for. He couldn't reveal Legion's existence to the quarian's just yet; they weren't ready.

He leaned back and smiled at Tali, who just smiled back.

"Mrs. Shepard," Marcus teased, "How are you enjoying your morning?"

Tali grinned and joined in, "Quite alot, Mr. Shepard," she reciprocated, "It has turned into quite an enjoyable morning."

Indeed it had.

{Loading...}

November 7, 2185

1142 hours.

The Arena, Liveship Rayya, Migrant Fleet, Enoch System, Rosetta Nebula.

Commander Marcus Lee Shepard, Chief Engineer Tali'Shepard vas Normandy, Admiral Shala'Raan vas Tonbay, Admiral Han'Gerrel vas Neema, Admiral Zaal'Koris vas Qwib Qwib, Gunnery Master Garrus Vakarian, Master Thief Kasumi Goto, Chieftain Urdnot Wrex, Flight Lieutenant Jeff 'Joker' Moreau, Captain Hannah Rila Shepard, Councilor David Edward Anderson, Professor Mordin Solus, Senior Assistant Lia'Vael nar Ulnay, Staff Commander Kaidan Alenko, Major General Kal'Reegar vas Normandy, First Lieutenant Madi'Soi vas Ceresa, First Lieutenant Jacob Taylor, Justicar Samara, Medical Chief Karin Chakwas, Subject Zero Jack, Power Engineer Kenneth Donnelly, Propulsion Engineer Gabriella Daniels, Mess Sergeant Rupert Gardner, Yeoman Kelly Chambers, Navigator Veetor'Nara vas Rayya, Medical Chief Elan'Shiya vas Rayya, Captain Qet'Danna vas Rayya.

The morning went on at some length, with the laughter dying down and people going into seperate corners to talk. Shala and Hannah had left their seats and had left the room; most likely exchanging baby photos and sharing embarassing moments, much to Marcus' fears. He had alot of those, and he feared that Shala would relay them to Tali. Garrus had caught Kasumi eventually, and in reward, Kasumi had locked her legs around his waist and kissed him for longer than usual, before they broke apart and Kasumi had disappeared again, only to start annoying Jacob by tapping him on the shoulder repeatedly.

Mordin was exgaged in conversation with Elan and Veetor, but mostly the former, and Marcus swore he had heard the salarian singing his favourite piece, Gilbert and Sullivan, to them at one point, the salarian seeming always get so into it; when he did, he noticed, Mordin even seemed to dance to it, he was that into it. He had watched Lia watch from afar, laughing as she sipped at her drink.

Garrus and Kaidan had gotten into deep converse with Anderson, who either alternated between talking about the Reapers, to war stories, and eventually to kill ratios, to which Garrus and Kaidan were surprised that both of their kill counts, combined, still couldn't match Anderson's; the councilor not taking smug pride in it like they did, but managing to give a smile at their expense; the N7 operative was no fan of war and he took no joy in it, but he did it for their sake.

Marcus and Tali had split occassionally to either gather food or talk with other people. But they mostly stayed huddled together; hugging each other for the majority of the feast. It still felt new to them; being married, husband and wife...it was so different, such a change in life style. They were bonded to each other, had a duty to protect each other, which was no different from usual, and they now had the markings and rings to prove it. They truly were a Union of One.

And to Marcus' absolute deepest nightmare, music began to play over the PA system; loud, upbeat dance music; the kind that demanded hyper active dance moves. The music was so loud and sudden that it caused alot of people to almost dive for cover and Joker had cried out, 'Shit! Reapers!' at the start, as the opening crescendo did sound like a Reaper horn, only for the pilot to calm down as the music began in full uproar.

Jack was the first to leap onto stage, but she didn't partake in the dancing. She raced over to the podium where the music was being played and almost shoved the poor quarian aside in her rush to assume control, "Move over, pussy! Its time to play some real fucking music!"

The music somehow got even louder (if that was even possible) and became faster and more dubstepish, and Jack cried in agreement, "Now this is more like it! Get up you lazy fuckers and let's DANCE!"

To everyone's immense surprise, Kelly was the first to jump onto the dance floor, throwing her hands in the air as she threw her hips from side to side to the beat of the music. She had a massive smile on her face, urging everyone else to join in. And that was all that was needed; Gabby quickly joined in, with Ken too drunk from scotch to coherently think, herself and Kelly slapping hands together as they cried out 'woooo!' obviously influenced by the alcohol, the two of them locked arms and began dancing in circles, giggling and laughing as they did.

Many quarians quickly followed, as did...Samara? And as the justicar moved onto the stage and began dancing, Marcus was surprised to see her body flow and move to the beat so well and perfectly. She was like moving water; graceful, perfect and flawless. It took him a moment to realize that Samara had once been an avid dancer and mercenary in her maiden years, leading to her abilities to dance so well; it was an inherent trait for all asari.

Wrex, to noone's surprise, refused to join in, simply watching from far away. Hannah didn't join in either, and neither did Anderson, or Gerrel, Shala or Koris. Mordin continued to talk with Elan and Veetor, but Lia quickly joined in on the dance floor, letting her body just do what it wants as she flowed to the beat, too happy to care about how she looked; but it was obvious that it was either just quarian females, or all quarians. But either way, it was obvious that they were naturals at dancing.

Everyone had practically joined in by this point and Kasumi's voice quickly roared above the music.

"Come come, Garbear!" the thief shouted, "It is time for your dancing lessons!"

Practically having to drag the poor turian onto stage, Kasumi began to move her body to her own rhythm instead of following the beat, steadily allowing her body to catch up. Garrus just awkwardly stood there, but quickly began to flail his body around like a moron when Kasumi elbowed him in the ribs, giving him a glare that said 'start dancing or I'll break one your mandibles, or both.' Garrus looked like an idiot, but at least Kasumi was satisfied.

And to his ever lasting dread, Tali's hand began to tug at his shoulder, urging him to the stage.

He groaned, placing his drink down on the table as he stood up, "Come on Tali, you know I can't dance! I'm horrible at it! People laugh when my name is merely in the same sentence as the word dance. They are two terms that shall forever never be synonymous."

The quarian rolled her eyes at his dramatization of the subject, pulling him further towards the floor despite his protests, "You'll dance with your wife, as is your duty as a husband! Now come on, Garrus is dancing with Kasumi!"

"Yes, but he has some skill..." Marcus tried to summon a justifiable excuse as they passed Wrex, Marcus pleading the krogan to help, but only got a chuckle in response as his quarian mate continued to drag him to the guillotine.

Tali whorled on him and almost broke out laughing, "Skill? Look at him!" she pointed for emphasis, "He looks like he's drowning!"

"I heard that!" Garrus responded, "And for the record, that's not how turians drown! Its alot more spastic!"

"You see!?" Tali responded, "You're dancing with me and that's final; your humility be damned."

Marcus pouted, "My wife is evil. I want a divorce," he joked.

Tali grinned, "Oh no you don't; you're not divorcing me, Mr. Shepard. I'm your wife forever, so you'll just have to deal with me."

By the time she finished they were in the middle of the dance floor, people dancing all around them in numerous different ways. Even Joker had taken apart, although his movements were more deliberate and slowed down, so not to risk breaking any bones. Even Chakwas had taken to joining in, dancing alongside Qet'Danna. Tali just looked at him and winked.

"Follow my lead," Tali urged.

And like water, she flowed, memories from two years ago in the Port Hanshan Hotel coming to life in his mind. Her own hands graced down her form as she performed a quarian feminine dance; feet moving across the floor as her arms swiped through the air like the dance of a medieval warrior, her eyes narrowed and hips swinging back and forth almost seductively. Her body was graceful, and he knew right then and there that all quarian females were undeniably sexy dancers.

She noticed him oggling her and grinned behind her mask, "Like what you see, Mr. Shepard? Appreciating the eye candy?"

Marcus frowned at her, "How do you know that human term?"

She suddenly found herself blushing, "Research," she quickly dropped the subject and switched back to her previous one though, "You know, you might be lucky enough for a kiss. Maybe even a little more..." she licked her lips behind her mask seductively, cursing herself for even bothering, as he couldn't even see it, but she knew he got her meaning, "...but only if you start dancing. Impress me." The last words that rolled off her tongue were sugar-coated; his eyes widened at how sexy she could make two words sound.

Damn you woman. He felt blood flow to his crotch, but quickly ignored it, making sure to divert the flow to other parts of his body as he began to move, trying to mimick the dance moves he had seen on a movie his mother used to watch when he was still in primary school. He hoped he could remember most of it.

He still couldn't dance worth a damn, but he looked a whole lot better; tap dancing was difficult, but Marcus managed to mimick it well enough and he quickly moved to Tali's side, hands landing on her hips as she began to guide her across the dance floor, spinning her around as she giggled. They both repeated this action for a bit before stopping, almost falling off the floor; they were that dizzy.

When they were finished, he placed her back on the ground, and they both laughed, Marcus placing a kiss on the top of her hood before she retracted, nodding behind her helmet.

"Not bad sir. Not bad indeed," Tali replied, "Could do with a polish, but you've earned a kiss."

"Just a kiss?" A devillish grin crossed his features.

She leaned forward, whispering into his ear, "If you manage to seduce me well enough later on, maybe I'll suddenly feel alittle bit into something...more."

He grinned, "You're on."

Someone must have finally liberated the controls from Jack, because suddenly the music stopped and Hannah came to the controls, smiling as she did. Everyone looked at her, almost scared. Finally, she spoke.

"Its time to turn to music appropriate for a wedding," Jack groaned to Hannah's right, but a glare shut her up, and the alliance captain turned back to the room, "Time for something more...calm. More...romantic."

Everyone frowned at Hannah, not knowing quite what she had in mind, but they quickly got an idea as slow, quiet music began to play through the speakers; distinctly slow piano. It was calming and relaxing, and was just loud enough for everyone to hear. Marcus knew what Hannah had in mind, and silenty thanked her. He turned to Tali, offering his hand in a gentlemanly fashion, a smile on his face.

"Will you dance with me, Mrs. Shepard?"

Tali frowned at him, crossing her arms, "I thought you said you couldn't dance?"

"I could slow dance just fine Tali," his hand stayed in offer position and after a moment, Tali let out a laugh and took it, letting him pull her in as his left hand went around to the small of her back and squeezed her there, holding her rightly. His right hand took hers and rose it up to the side, holding it there and showing the large contrast between their three and five fingers mixed together. She eyed him with a smile and they began to slowly move about the dance floor, calmly moving to the pace of the music; rocking them from side to side.

The whole almost went silent as people danced; Marcus was surprised to see Kasumi and Garrus slow dancing, with the turian obviously being very inexperienced at it, but he was learning. Even Anderson, being the gentleman, had taken Hannah's offer of a dance and were now quietly slow dancing on the floor, looking each other in the eyes as if they were married themselves, despite not loving each other.

Many people had migrated from the dance floor and only the lovers remained, aside from Hannah and Anderson of course. But Marcus and Tali didn't care; they focused on each other, and as they moved, he could see Tali struggling not to fall asleep; his lulling movements and rocking actions almost putting her to sleep. He smiled at that; his adorable wife.

He leaned forward and kissed her on the visor, both of them enjoying the moment, "I love you Tali," he whispered, "From this day forward, and forever."

This time, he knew she was smiling, "I love you too Marcus. Keelah Se'lai."

The morning carried on just like that; calm slow dancing.

They loved every moment of it.

{Loading...}

November 7, 2185

1409 hours.

The Shepards' Quarters, Normandy-Class Stealth Frigate Normandy SR-2, Docked with the Rayya.

Commander Marcus Lee Shepard, Chief Engineer Tali'Shepard vas Normandy.

The elevator went agonizingly slow for both of them; Tali still wearing her wedding suit and tucked comfortably under Marcus' chin where he held her. The wedding party was still at full blast, but for the two of them, they had decided to call it quits. They had snuck out and were now on the empty Normandy; empty except for Legion in the AI Core and Joker who had decided he had spent far too long away from his 'baby.'

Apart from EDI, Joker and Legion, noone knew they were on the ship, and it would stay that way; EDI was even explicit instructions that noone was to interrupt them, and the AI was determined to make sure she followed those orders to the letter. And with smiles on their faces, they had entered the elevator and ascended into what was now the 'The Shepard' home.

The elevator finally arrived on the top deck and Tali stepped out first, moving into the antechamber. She stretched her back, arms and legs, waiting for a satisfying pop before sighing in relief, content with the relief in her body's tenseness. She moved to turn towards Marcus, who hadn't seemed to follow yet.

"It feels so good too-" Tali didn't get to finish that sentence.

She yelled out and then squealed as Marcus lifted her from the ground and lifted her into his arms; she practically had to wrap one arm around the back of his neck on instinct. Her head leaned on his chest and she glared up at him, but he only smiled as he began moving towards the cabin door.

"I can walk perfectly fine!" Tali insisted.

He laughed, reaching the door. EDI didn't need prompting; the haptic interface began to cycle and the AI's voice rang out as she announced the beginning of decontamination procedures. Marcus responded, "Haven't you heard? Its a human tradition for a husband to carry his newly wed wife past the threshold into their home."

Tali's glare turned into a smirk and she slapped his chest, "Could have told me that before you gave me a heart attack, bosh'tet."

He chuckled, "Then there wouldn't have been a surprise, would there?"

Before she could answer with another smartass retort, the door shot open and Marcus continued inside, still carrying his wife, Tali almost giggling at the line across the middle of his forehead; one he didn't seem to mind. It was a symbol to all that he was taken; that he belonged to her. She was his, and he was hers.

"Welcome home, Mrs. Shepard," Marcus announced, stepping into the cabin as he lowered Tali onto the floor, her feet meeting solid ground. She landed softly, the door closing behind them. With a sigh of relief, Tali twisted her neck to stretch it and once finished, walked over to Marcus' desk and unlatched her mask, placing it firmly on the desk top. Without a synthesized voice, she sighed pleasantly; glad to finally have the mask off once more.

Suddenly, two large arms surrounded her hugging her back to the front of her husband's body and he placed his chin on her right shoulder, sighing. Tali remembered the promise she had given him and gave a sultry smile, twisting in his arms until she faced him, looking into his eyes, the same smile on her face.

"You wanted your kiss?" Tali asked.

The commander merely chuckled and followed her statement by leaning in, cradling her head with one hand as he wrapped both his lips over Tali's upper lip, the quarian in question moaning with delight into the kiss. She leaned into it and split apart from him just so she could take control of the kiss, which enveloped both of his lips with hers. They both moaned this time, and the kiss quickly escalated; Marcus placing his hands under Tali's thighs and lifting her up and onto the desk, where her legs proceeded to wrap around his waist and her hands ruffled through his hair as they continued to kiss. Eventually, mouths opened and tongues danced inside, adding to the moans of pleasure.

Tali felt heat build inside her core, a need making itself known. It wasn't long before she knew of Marcus' need as well; she felt his groin bump against the suit where her womanhood was covered and they both stopped kissing for a second, and looked down. Marcus blushed and so did Tali, both of them looking into each other's eyes.

They asked the same question: should we?

The answer was given: Yes.

No more words were exchanged as they locked lips again, this time their hands taking a much more active role. Marcus' groin began to grind against Tali as they moved to get a better reach, and it took its tole on Tali, to the point where she amost snarled in desperation to get Marcus' suit off. Eyes closed, she began to subconsciously undo all the buttons on his suit while he fiddled with the straps on the back of hers, another hand fiddling with a belt strap around her waist.

She finally unbuttoned his suit and began to tug at it while Marcus succeeded in removing her belt strap, the long skirt of her wedding suit falling to the ground in a heap. Marcus ceased his movements, allowing Tali to remove his suit and toss it across the romm without ripping it. His singlet soon followed, allowing her hands to once again glide over his naked torso, breaking from the kiss long enough to admire his abs. They still never cease to impress me...Kasumi must be jealous...

With his suit removed, Marcus leaned back in, but instead of lips locking with lips, his mouth latched around her neck, kissing her all over the nape. She moaned in euphoric passion as she craned her neck upwards to give him better access, closing her eyes to savor the feel of his lips on her throat. While he did this, he worked at the straps of her suit and she assisted him, while trying to ignore the drunken feeling of his mouth covering her skin.

After a bit of pulling and tugging, Marcus finally removed Tali from her suit, the appendage landing under the desk followed by the leggings, boots and boot knife sheath. Naked and completely revealed to him, she pounced on him, raven black hair falling in droves as she passionately kissed him, her legs locked around his waist as he carried her down towards the bed.

They never made it however as Tali suddenly pushed forward and they fell into the lone red chair sitting next to Marcus' sofa, which ironically was named the 'love seat.' He landed in the seat, with Tali ontop of him and in his lap, his hands groping her buttocks and squeezing as she yelped into his mouth, causing him to grin.

Finally, they broke for air and simply looked at each other, the passion and lust of the moment gone for a moment as they just looked into each other, one hand on each other's cheek, cradling it. They tried to convey as much emotion as they could into their eyes in that one moment.

"I love you Tali," Marcus declared, smiling warmly at her; a loving smile he saved only for her.

She smiled right back, thumb stroking his cheek, "I love you too, Marcus. Lets forget about everything today; lets stay in here, just us, for the whole day and just spend as much time with each other as possible. Lock the door and let us make love as much as we want, kiss as much as we want, and shower as we wish. Talk, cuddle and caress; let's just celebrate our union as husband and wife; no Reapers to worry about, no Shadow Broker to look for."

He smiled back, pulling the hair out of her face, "That sounds nice; I'd like that. Just us," he leaned in, "Noone else." And with that, the distance was closed and they locked lips once more.

They stayed like that for a moment before Tali parted, leaping off of him to get at his belt buckle. She hastily unlatched it, hand constantly bumping against his erection. She pulled his pants off and tossed them away, followed by his boxers, leaving them both completely naked.

She caressed his manhood slightly and slowly, with a caressing, loving touch. But that touch quickly turned into lust, and her movements sped up. Marcus moaned with pleasure and knowing what she wanted to do, Tali let go of his hardened cock and stood up, moving to straddle him in the chair once more.

She positioned one leg on either side of the seat and directed her womanhood to hover directly over his manhood. She wanted him, but she always thought of his needs first; that's what made him love her so much. She waited, looking at him hesitantly.

He smiled at her, and placed both of his hands firmly on her hips, grasping them tightly, "I want this, Tali. You want this."

She nodded and with her permission, he pulled her down and he quickly entered her. There was no gasp of shock like the first couple of times; just a grunt as Tali positioned herself comfortably, Marcus' erect organ no longer visible as it filled Tali completely. She placed one hand after the other on both of his shoulders, inhaled and then exhaled. She cooed as he took part of her bosom into his mouth, teasing the nipple with his tongue. And as he did this, Tali began her rhythm, bringing herself up before letting herself drop again, moaning as she did. To help her; the next time she pulled herself up, he thrusted upwards and into her as she came down, adding extra pleasure. They continued this, the sex becoming more heated as it went along.

Two lovers making love in the shadow of horrors.

Two lovers, husband and wife, becoming a true Union of One.

"I can't tell you how ecstatic I was for our honeymoon. Oh keelah."

- Tali'Shepard pav Rannoch.

"You don't have to. I saw it. A pity we only got three days to ourselves before reality kicked us in the ass..."

- Marcus Shepard.

A/N:

HOLY SHIT THIS CHAPTER WAS LONG. I can't stress enough how overboard I went with this chapter, but it felt like it was worth it. What do you think? I don't herald myself as being great at fluff, but what's your honest opinion? Did I do okay or bad? Awful or bloody awesome? Tell me in the review section.

Don't let all this euphoria deceive you. Dark times lie ahead for the Shepards and the Normandy crew...pretty soon, their joy will turn into ashes in their mouth...oh dammit, now I'm quoting Game of Thrones. Damn you guys.