HERS

Shepard walked the gangway to the Normandy. It was a sight for sore eyes. The decon bay doors opened, and it was still strangely silent. No original voice announcing the decon process...no EDI asking me how my mission was.

She saw Kaidan standing in the cockpit, holding Eli and talking to Joker.

"Hey," she said quietly in Kaidan's ear as she came up behind him. "It doesn't seem right here without EDI."

"They are working on her, Rachel. I'm sure they haven't given up on her yet. I know there has to be someone here on Earth that can help. It's only been a few weeks."

"Yeah," Shepard said sadly. "She saved our asses more times than I can count. Probably more than I know." Then she smiled. "God she could make me laugh. Most of the time it was later because her sense of humor was terrible, but damn, when I first met her…Joker hated her servers with a passion. Anyone who could get under his skin was great in my book."

"I heard that, and yeah, I miss that hot, sexy pain in the ass too..." came a voice from the pilot's seat. Sighing, Joker turned his seat and looked up at Shepard. "You ready to be a working mother now?" Poor guy, Joker deserves a break sometimes too...

"Damn straight," she smiled. "Glad to have you with us."

"There isn't anywhere else I'd rather be. The Normandy is my first love," Joker grinned as he turned around and affectionately rubbed the console in front of him.

"I never doubted that for a moment, Joker. Kaidan, can you come help me get us settled?"

"No problem," said Kaidan, giving Eli a little bounce. They walked in silence across the CIC. It all looks the same, but everything feels so different. They stepped onto the elevator and hit the button for the captain's quarters.

"Are you really ready to get back into the thick of things?" Kaidan asked. His question was serious, but Shepard couldn't help smiling as Eli pulled at his father's mouth as he spoke.

"I think so...I want to say I am...now that I've got a new little reason to make things better for the future."

"But?" Kaidan spit Eli's fingers out of his mouth again.

"I guess I'm just wondering if my childhood really was what I want for our son." She paused in thought. I hated the constant single parent thing...it made me hate my dad...but some parts were great. I learned so much about being a soldier and... "Are we forcing our lifestyle on him?"

The elevator door opened and they got out, stopping just before the doorway to the quarters. Kaidan's lips drew together in thought. "I never thought we were forcing anything on him. We are who we are, Rach. Nothing can change that. We're a product of our parents just like he'll be one of us...good or bad. He may hate the Alliance and everything about it. I know I did for a while...and I wasn't a spacer kid like you."

Opening the door, Kaidan walked in first. As Shepard entered, she could see that there was only half the couch that used to be there by the bed. Now there was a crib and a changing table, all the same standard issue cool gray. But it was what was on the crib that caught her eye.

"Spectre crib sheets?" she gasped in surprise. She fingered the navy sheets that were the background to the large white winged symbol of the Spectres. A stuffed plushie of Blasto sat in the corner. "This is amazing! Where did you get this?"

HIS

Kaidan put Eli in his crib, who then promptly rolled onto his belly. They both sat down on the couch and Shepard snuggled into Kaidan's arms. "The sheets, the crib, the table...even Blasto were a surprise to me too..."

x-X-x

He had just gotten off the comm with Admiral Hackett, nailing down the final details of getting the Normandy back into service. It had been discussed that the ship be decommissioned and put into a museum, but both he and Shepard had fought hard to see that not happen.

"I can't see myself or my son on any other ship, Kaidan!" she had exclaimed. He knew she was right. There wasn't any other ship he'd rather be on either. A tone from his office door made him jump. "Come in."

Emily Alenko entered the office. She was smiling and carrying a package. "Hello, Kaidan."

"Mom, why didn't you tell me you were coming? I would have gotten you lunch or something..." He stopped because of the tears in his mother's eyes. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing is wrong...I'm just happy. Happy that you and Rachel are well. That Eli is here..." A few tears rolled down her cheeks. "But I know you are leaving."

Kaidan scratched his neck. "I was going to tell you tomorrow. I just got the final ok a few minutes ago. How did you know?"

Emily sighed and set her package down as she sat. "I guess you could just call it a hunch. I could see the work being done on the Normandy from my balcony. I knew it wouldn't leave without you. You may have been born on Earth, Kaidan, but you have stardust in your blood, just like your wife."

"We'll have to take Eli with us. He's too young to be without Rachel yet. I'm sorry, Mom."

The older woman reached across the desk and grabbed her son's hand. "Don't you ever be sorry, Kaidan Elijah. I raised you to be a responsible man, and that is exactly what you are doing. Besides, no one ever said I couldn't leave Earth. I can meet you somewhere sometime, I'm sure. Do you know what your assignment is going to be?"

"Well, I can't honestly tell you much, but we're both going to be working in our capacity as Spectres. It'll likely be some underground stuff as the rebuilding of the Citadel continues."

Emily nodded knowingly and stood back up. "I want to give you something...something to make it more of a home for Eli. I'll have it ready by the time you ship out."

Kaidan came around his desk and drew his mother into a big hug. "Thanks Mom."

x-X-x

"So when Eli and I walked up here earlier while you were still getting stuff together, I saw all this," explaind Kaidan. "Mom had it shipped up here and put together. She sewed the sheets herself. I didn't even know she could sew!"

"I don't even know what to say," whispered Shepard, who was now looking at the sleeping baby in the crib. "But she was right, she did make this like home. I wanted this place to be home and with you and him here...it is."

A/N: Hello everyone! I have not forgotten Rachel and Kaidan or you, my loyal followers :) I'm sorry for the long break, but I was working on other things. I also blame a severe case of writer's block when it comes to these two. If you have any suggestions, I'd love to hear them! I'm not ready to throw in the towel yet...especially since NaNoWriMo is coming!