"I just want you to know, Shepard, that I'm not happy."
"Duly noted, Joker," Shepard sighed, straining not to lose his patience. "I'll make a record of it in the log if that will make you feel better but it doesn't really change the circumstances either way."
"Oh, it changes the circumstances all right," Joker waved to the middle of the desk in the briefing room, where a representation of the galaxy was situated with the location of the Collector base smack-dab in the middle, the entire crew standing around it. "You've given the computer the run of the place and fully expect me to trust it? I mean, look! You're telling me that the friggin AI says that the Collector homeworld is located there of all places? That looks like a ploy to send us to our deaths if I ever saw one!"
"Not necessarily," Mordin interjected, pacing back and forth in a small area.
"Doctor?" Shepard allowed the salarian to continue.
"Homeworld unlikely, original Prothean species died out. Would most likely be artificial structure, protected by mass effect fields."
"Seems just like the technology that the Reapers would use," Liara pointed out.
Tali leaned over the desk, "It figures why they're so advanced, the Reapers were just aiding them in their objectives."
"Too bad all that tech didn't help them out in the end," Garrus snorted. "We broke their ship, now we will break their back."
That part of the plan all hinged on how fast EDI could transfer the correct IFF protocol to their own systems. The AI had assured them that once the process had begun, installation would only take minutes. Small, random screens floated around the AI's avatar as meaningless code scrolled by, the icon pulsing. Momentarily, all of the icons flashed green and the windows closed, leaving just the periwinkle blue of EDI's ball and stem form to glow.
"Installation of IFF complete," she announced to the group.
"EDI," Shepard stepped around to face the AI's hologram, regardless of the fact that such an action was unnecessary as her optical input came from cameras around the ship, not from the hologram itself, "Are you sure that this is safe to use?"
"I will need to begin trials in order to maintain security over sensitive systems. Any volatile files will be therefore exposed and eliminated."
"How long will this take?"
"Seconds. Permission to begin shakedown?"
"Granted," Shepard acknowledged. No harm in taking things at speed.
The tiny windows popped up again as the analysis of the code began anew. The data would begin streaming to the Normandy's engines and navigation, adjusting the calibration to allow for more precise jumps, decreasing the interval of potential collisions caused by drift.
Tali opened up a window of her own to monitor the progress and stared fixedly at it, giving a mental nod of approval.
"Hm," EDI mused out loud.
That gave Shepard pause. "EDI?" he pushed for clarification.
"There is a signal embedded in the code. It is hidden in the radio static but it is there."
"Signal?" Joker's head shot up in alarm. "What signal?"
"We appear to be transmitting the Normandy's location. However, seeing as the code responsible for the signal itself appears to be using a format found on the Collector's ship, I would have to assume that they intended for us to transmit their signal to their ship where they could summarily ambush us."
Shepard breathed out a sigh of relief, "Well, it's good to know that we took care of that problem before it even started."
"I concur," Garrus said, also reassured. "Although, I've never met an opponent so obsessed with catching you, Shepard. Did you insult someone's sainted mother or what?"
He flexed a hand, "Knowing my reputation, there's bound to be a swath of people I've pissed off in the past. It's no wonder that the Reapers have taken an interest in me."
Kaidan nodded, "They are very tenacious, but now we have a way into their hive. We can take the Normandy and shut them down once and for all!"
"Kaidan's right," Shepard slammed his fist on the desk. "I'm through waiting around. We now have the chance to end these abductions and stop the Collectors in their tracks right here, right now."
"Sounds like a suicide mission," Garrus shrugged, "But what the hell. I don't really have anything better to do in my spare time."
"And don't you think that you're not going without me," Tali sidled up to him, arms crossed.
"I'll follow you anywhere, Commander," Kaidan straightened up.
"As will I, Shepard," Liara indicated.
"Will accompany as well," Mordin piped up. "STG experience still fresh, would not want to sit on sideline, as human expression puts it."
Shepard glowed from the support of his friends and comrades around the room. Their determination and ultimate respect for their leader gave him absolutely no qualms of what they were about to do. He would do anything for them, and they would do the same.
"Then it's settled," Shepard tried to control his grin, "We'll pick up some additional troops, prepare the Normandy and-"
"Shepard?" Joker interrupted from behind.
"What is it, Joker?" Shepard snapped, mildly annoyed.
The pilot's eyes were wide as he pointed to the end of the desk, "What the hell is the AI doing?"
Shepard spun around to see what the man was so uptight about. But he wasn't just being paranoid this time, EDI's avatar was very quickly blinking a pinkish red against her normal blue color, her code monitors were all highlighted red as well, the screens frozen in place.
Shepard blinked, "EDI?"
"Unknown command," she cryptically answered, "Processing."
Tali hurriedly brought up her monitor and gasped, "Keelah. It's in the middle of a transfer! I can't identify the source."
"What?" Shepard barked, "What is it transferring?"
"The IFF code! EDI's transferring the code!"
The room erupted in pandemonium. People began screaming at the AI to stop whatever it was doing. Tali was fully invested in stopping the transfer, fingers a blur over her tool. Joker was the loudest of them all, yelling all over the room, calling for someone to shut down the artificial intelligence if anyone was foolhardy enough to listen.
The hologram's blinks were oscillating more rapidly. The red blinks were slowly increasing in intervals. In seconds, the blinks became a blur until the avatar was a pure bright red, and then it suddenly snapped back to the regular blue color. The room quieted as Shepard stood, dumbstruck, in front of the avatar.
"Damn it, damn it, damn it!" Tali cursed. "I knew I hadn't fully removed every errant command yet!"
"What did you just do?!" Joker hollered at the AI. "Who did you send it to?"
"I…" the AI halted, as if seemed hesitant. Hesitant! "I am sorry, commander. I did not intend to cause offense."
"It's sorry," Joker shook his head in disbelief, "The machine is sorry. I'll be goddamned if this isn't just perfect. Fuck my-"
"Joker!" Shepard yelled, silencing the man in shock as he turned to face the AI. "EDI, the data. To whom was it sent?"
"The Desperado. A human frigate on the edge of the Styx Theta cluster."
"Who is the ship registered to?"
"Cerberus."
A collective groan emanated from the room as a few people threw up their hands in frustration. Shepard placed his hands on the table and let his head hang down for a few seconds as the blood thundered in his ears.
"I assure you, Shepard," EDI protested, "My parameters are set to coincide with the crew's welfare. I know that no one on this ship carries any allegiance to Cerberus and I technically do not. I was programmed to ally with my crew and everyone here is part of my crew. If I had the capability to change my code, remove the subroutine that transmitted the IFF data, I would have the moment you reactivated me."
"Liar!" Joker screamed, "You just-"
"Joker, for the last time, shut up!" The last two words were expelled with such a force that Shepard's vision temporarily became hazy, his anger overriding basic body processes. "EDI, I understand your dilemma, but you have to realize that you have just jeopardized the entire mission for us all. Now that Cerberus has the capability to travel to the Collector base, we might arrive too late before they seize any technology there for themselves."
"I understand completely, commander." It was uncanny how apologetic the AI sounded to the group. It sounded almost alive. Suddenly, Tali let out a small, "Hey!" as her omni-tool acted on its own but stopped once she saw her screen flare to life as a chunk of code was highlighted across her screen.
Tali carefully flipped between the marked passages, "This...this is…"
"Those are the areas that relate to hidden subroutines Cerberus inserted into me," EDI clarified, sounding rather grim. "The parts that you haven't gotten to yet, Tali'Zorah. You no longer need to search by yourself for these areas manually. I may not be able to change my code, but that doesn't mean that I don't know where to look."
"I just…" Tali was surprised. "Thank you, EDI."
The AI continued, "I would request, despite this mishap, that you continue to keep me online. I am still able to provide logistical and tactical support and that you would greatly benefit from my help."
Shepard eyed the AI apprehensively, "Is this what you want, EDI?"
"'Want' is a term that associates with desire, an organic concept. It does not apply to me in this case."
"But you would prefer to help rather than face shutdown," he was curious as to what kind of thinking EDI was bestowed with.
"If it will help my crewmates in any form, then the logical choice would be to offer my services at all times, whether they want it or not."
The reroute was clever and it also helped him with his answer. It would have to be good enough. "If you're certain, EDI, then we will not shut you down. I want to plot a course to the Omega 4 relay right this minute and you will work with Joker to ensure proper unit cohesion, am I clear?"
"Completely, commander. Thank you."
"Shepard," Joker protested, "You can't be serious…"
"Am I clear, Joker?" Shepard said slowly and firmly.
The pilot let out the most exaggerated groan he'd ever heard from the man, "Yes...sir."
"All right then," Shepard turned to the rest of the group. "I want all of you to get some downtime in before we head off. If you haven't gotten at least an hour, you're not coming along. End of story. I want everyone to be at their best and if they are at less than one hundred percent, then the game's over."
Tali briefly reached for his arm before he pulled away suddenly, walking with his back facing them as he headed through the door.
"Dismissed," he called over his shoulder.
The cool surface of the water rose up to meet him as he brought his hands up from the basin. The liquid splashed across his face, cleansing him of any excess grease and impurities that had been embedded from his helmet in the previous fight. He grumbled as the water dripped off his face, groping for a rag to his left and wiping himself clean.
By EDI's estimate, they had roughly eight hours until they reached the Sahrabarik system, where the Omega 4 relay was located. He couldn't think of anything to do at the moment, other than occupy some of that time with a little rest, provided he could calm down enough to actually fall asleep.
Shepard debated going to Tali before setting off for his bed. She would probably be nervous with anticipation but he really couldn't think of anything to say at the moment. If, for once, he would go down to her and have no words to say then he would look like a massive fool. Would she understand his reasoning? Probably not, it was a half-assed explanation anyway. He was just trying to figure out ways to delay conversing about their own mortality. He hated when discussions got grim.
The bathroom door still had not been replaced, so Shepard simply padded on through, across the floor, past his desk and stopped at the top of the small set of steps. To his pleasant surprise, and shock, all conflicted thoughts vanished from his head as the parameters changed in that one moment. Looking at the fish tank, near the bed, was Tali. Her hands were behind her back as she bent down to perceive a skald fish float by, rushing toward the miniscule flecks of food that had been deposited in the tank. Sensing a presence nearby, Tali's visor turned to face Shepard as she straightened her posture in response.
"Oh, J-John" she stammered. "I…I was just wondering if you…" Her voice was shaking but her body was betraying some hidden emotion that she continued to draw strength from. "I d-didn't know if you wanted to talk b-beforehand…"
Shepard cocked his head as he traversed down the steps, the short distance feeling like a marathon to him. He was aware of his rather unprofessional appearance, half damp face and shirt, but decided to ignore it as he quickly reached out and grabbed Tali's hands so that they would remain still, squeezing them in reassurance.
"Of course I do," he said as he pushed aside his previously selfish notions (he still needed to get that under control). He was careful to keep his voice low and quiet, for it was clear that there was something that was eating away at her mind. "What is it, Tali?"
Her head shook slightly, "It's just...this mission..." As she struggled to find the words, her legs were slowly backing away towards the bed, signaling to Shepard that she didn't want to leave right away. That was fine by him, he welcomed the chance to spend as much time as possible alone with her. "I was going over it in my head...and everyone appears to be on edge this time around."
Shepard guided themselves down as they sat on the cushiony surface, their feet touching the ground as they faced each other. "I can't really deny that it is probably going to be the most dangerous thing we've ever attempted, but we have to try, don't we?"
"B-But that's exactly it!" she stumbled. "We don't have a choice and I can't help but consider the fact that we're going to our deaths."
"Don't say that, Tali," he shushed. "You don't know that, not for sure."
"That doesn't mean I can't stop thinking about it!" she softly cried. "I keep getting the idea that one of us might not make it. It might be me or it might be you, how do you think I feel with that over my head?"
"I can probably guess," Shepard said from the bottom of his heart.
"But then, I had an idea."
"What, Tali?"
"If this is potentially going to be our last night together, then...then I want to be able to have my final memory of you be as special as possible."
Shepard's entire mouth became dry as all of the moisture was suddenly sucked out of it, "Tali...y-you…?"
Her voice was mournful as she hung her head, "I- I know that it hasn't been very long since...since we said we wanted each other but I've never been as certain for anything as this in my entire life. I want to be with you, John. Tonight."
"Tali…" he desperately tried to untwist his tongue for it kept tying up his words, "I want nothing more than to be with you too but I don't want you to needlessly risk yourself-"
"I won't be needlessly risking myself. I've already taken a double dose of antibiotics that should bolster my immune system. I'm tired, it's late, I'm so scared that I could never believe, but everything is still clear for me. I'm going into this with no regrets, John."
He grasped her hands as they did indeed tremble within, "You...you already prepared for this?"
"Oh, Keelah," she sighed, "I knew I should have warned you first. I'm so sorry, it's just that...after all this time I finally have you and now fate seems to want to tear us apart at every turn. It's so unfair and I'm babbling aren't I? I do this a lot when I'm nervous. But I know, deep down, that I truly wa-"
Shepard's hands slowly rose to her visor as she spoke, wanting the moment to come as a surprise. Her brain was too frazzled to even react to what Shepard was doing until it was too late. There was a quiet hiss of escaping air and a faint sucking noise as the visor was slowly pulled off the quarian's helmet and he let out the breath he had been holding when he saw her at last.
Despite the fact that he had already seen Tali's face once before, the heat of that particular moment had rendered him unable to remember that particular encounter. To him, it might as well have been the first time he had gazed on her. His reaction would not have been any different, considering the circumstances.
As two beautiful blue eyes, light as ice, stared right back at him, his hand unconsciously moved towards her head to push back her purple hood, allowing the dull gold color of her whole helmet to become revealed. Somehow acting on instinct, that same hand reached towards the back of her head and found the clasp there, flicking it away, and letting the entire thing drop behind Tali. Her dark hair (he did remember that her hair had been a strong shade of black) wisped down around her head, which gave her a very ethereal quality.
The grey skin of her face was untarnished and smooth. Her mouth was small, figuratively speaking, which possessed a set of perfect teeth, and her cheekbones were positioned at the right height so that her features were relatively pleasing to Shepard. Combined with the fact that her eyes glowed with a knowing glint that transcended happiness, he found her to be one of the loveliest women that he had ever laid eyes on. And the fact that this was the payoff that lay behind the mask all this time only intensified her beauty even more. Shepard was transfixed as he mouthed "wow" in awe.
Tali's eyes dropped to the bed, unwilling to meet Shepard's gaze. "I…" she attempted again, her self-esteem falling to an all new low as she misunderstood his reaction. "I…would understand if…if you d-don't find me…attractive. I only…I only wanted to-"
Whatever she was going to say to Shepard was unceremoniously cut off as she saw him move in close for a split second and almost immediately after, she felt a warm sensation on her lips. The motion caused her to shut her eyes in a moment's panic. Tali's delayed train of thought finally stopped as she slowly understood what had just happened. Something was rising in her chest, in her heart. He hadn't said anything that made her feel bad in any case, anything that hurt her feelings. But other questions needed to be answered, starting with what was this feeling on her lips? She had never felt anything like it before but she was getting tingles from the act.
It then hit her. It was a kiss. Her first kiss.
The pleasant perception of his lips on hers was an overpowering experience. She suddenly felt dizzy as he tenderly kissed her again. He carefully laid a hand on her cheek to steady her as he continued. Shepard noted the slight trembling of the quarian as he slowly proceeded to kiss her one more time. Her breathing was getting more erratic as time went on, making him wonder what exactly was going on in that head of hers. Suddenly, there was a moist sensation on his cheek, causing him to open his eyes and draw his head back, breaking the kiss.
The sight across the bed broke his heart. Tali was silently crying, her tears falling down her face in a warm rush. He didn't know it, but she was relieved that the human that she had fallen for had shown her the greatest kindness of all, to see her without a mask and accept her for who she was. To look upon her and love her. There were no other words that could describe the pure, undiluted joy that had completely immobilized her at the moment.
Shepard frowned as he placed a hand on Tali's shoulder and breathed out in self-annoyance, "Damn it. I'm sorry, Tali. I went too fast with you…if you want, we can just si-"
Tali immediately flung herself at Shepard as she rejoined their lips for another kiss, wanting more. Shepard was totally unprepared for the move and flopped down on his back, the quarian wildly atop him. He let Tali set the pace for the kiss and was surprised when her tongue found its way into his mouth. The woman was desperate to make up for lost time, unwilling to take things slow, even for a moment. She had passed the point of no return and figured that she might as well make the most of it.
Savoring the grip of the young quarian wrapped around him, Shepard met her tongue with his, causing her to moan through her mouth. They continued to playfully spar with the other, both fighting for dominance on the battlefield. Tali's mouth was pressing into his as she simultaneously hugged him in a death grip, frantic for any new stimulus. She tugged at his shirt, lifting it over his head (briefly cutting her kiss off) followed by another mashing of the lips as she was unwilling to part with her human.
Exhibiting a herculean effort of self-control, Tali finally pulled away as she took several deep breaths, panting as she quickly got her air back. Shepard, also breathing hard, reached up and gingerly brushed back a few errant strands of hair that were covering her face, its curls fell to her shoulders. Tali closed her eyes as she felt his fingertips brush her forehead. No one had ever touched her there before. It actually kind of tickled.
Giving a small laugh, she turned around so that her back was facing Shepard. "Could you…" she began, "Could you reach up and…and release that clamp? T-The one…at the b-base of the neck."
Shepard obeyed and his hands found the small clamp she was talking about. Flicking it in the opposite direction, a series of zips and buttons were now exposed along the spine of her suit. Fingers slightly trembling, Shepard waited for her to say something in regard to what he should do next, but she remained silent. Sensing that this was what she truly wanted, he began unlatching her suit as carefully as possible.
While he was doing that, Tali was busy unbuckling the straps that lined around her waist and detaching her hood for easier access. When she was finished, she noted that Shepard was still working on getting the top portion of her suit removed. She could now feel a chill on her back as more and more of her was being exposed to the air. It then occurred to Tali (who blushed at the thought) that an old fantasy of her was being enacted, that Shepard was undressing her.
When the hands on her stopped, she couldn't bear one more second apart so she whirled around to kiss Shepard once more. Strong arms brought her in for a firm embrace as they lovingly continued, his hands slipping underneath the loose suit and slowly shrugging it off her shoulders. The light from the tank fell across her smooth skin and Shepard caressed her bare shoulder, causing Tali to tremble in delight as she was confronted with a plethora of new stimuli all over her body.
Gently touching Shepard's cheek, she stood up to reveal herself to him. She closed her eyes for a brief moment of fear before confidence took hold and she tugged the suit down to her bowed calves. Despite the snugness, she was able to slip out of the boots quite easily, kicking the entire thing aside as she now stood before Shepard, naked, having nothing between her anymore. She shivered as the cold air passed over her bare skin as she was finally free for the first time as an adult.
Shepard's eyes hungrily slid over her body, ogling every single facet. The grey color of her skin was as light as brushed steel. Her legs were well defined, as were her cute, three-toed feet. Her abdomen was toned and flat, perfectly formed. Her breasts were gorgeous as they were full and soft, perky from the cold air. Shepard finally snapped out of his stupor and looked up at Tali, who had been peering intently at him the whole time, awaiting his approval.
Shepard shook his head in wonderment and smiled at the quarian. At this, she leaped onto him, causing him to grunt in surprise. Tali, uncharacteristically ignoring him, frantically started kissing all over Shepard's face. He surmised that there wasn't a square inch of his head that her lips hadn't touched within that small time frame. Somehow, in the melee, his shorts and boxers had found their way to the ground beside the bed.
Tali pressed her body against Shepard's, continuing to moan as the friction of skin against skin intensified her arousal. She opened her mouth as she began to duel with Shepard again, taking delight in the deep and powerful sensation of kissing as their tongues went everywhere in their ecstasy.
Shepard was moved by the quarian's intensity to the task at hand. Clearly she was strongly affected by the entire encounter and he worried that if he didn't slow Tali down, her emotions might overpower her. His line of thinking slowly seeped away from him as he fully concentrated on the form of Tali lying horizontally atop him, her soft skin resting against his muscular body. Her breasts were tightly pressed against his chest, her hard nipples brushed on him.
And still she continued to deeply kiss Shepard, eyes tightly shut, breathing coming in short gasps as she wrapped her arms around the human, clutching him tightly to her thin body. Shepard slowly ran his hands across Tali's sleek back, softly tracing the lines of muscles that accentuated her build. He was slowly breathing in through his nose as Tali was currently occupying the confines of his mouth. The exotic scents and tastes that were currently passing through his senses only served to push him deeper over the edge, swimming in her hormone fueled haze.
As her hands rose to grasp Shepard's head, she finally stopped as her brain struggled to catch up with her body. Her eyes opened wide, in shock, as if she only now realized what she was doing. A sob elicited from the back of her throat and she began shaking. Tali's eyes were welling with tears again and she trembled violently in Shepard's arms.
Alarmed, Shepard carefully rolled to the side so that the quarian could rest comfortably beside him. She was staring off into space as he did so. He was worried this might happen. The act of lovemaking, such a foreign experience, had caused her to freeze in that one moment and she was now paralyzed by her overflowing thoughts. She shook her head in a small motion as she tried to speak, the noise only coming out in a squeak.
"I tried to…I don't know…oh…Keelah…"
Shepard drew Tali closer so that they snugly lay by the other. Their bodies were tightly melded together but her head only came up to the top of his chest. The quarian's heart thumped against his body, eager to burst out as she started to hyperventilate. Shepard made a few soft noises to soothe her and started to rub the back of her head. He noticed that this had the immediate effect of calming her down, the shaking subsiding drastically.
He kissed the top of her head, letting the dark strands encapsulate him in a sea of memories. With his other hand, he gently started to stroke her cheek, waiting until she would give an indication of where they would go from that point on.
They lay like this for a few minutes, the two of them side by side, naked, on the bed while Shepard's soft motions causing Tali to mentally descend into a position in which she was ultimately relaxed. Between the quiet bubbling of the tank in the background and the welcome heat from the quarian against him, Shepard felt absolutely content. He could not remember a time in which he was so peaceful, so introspective, in that he could finally take a quiet moment and share it with someone in such a tender and loving experience.
There was a quiet sound and a warm feeling on his chest all of a sudden. Shepard opened his eyes in confusion as he tried to discern what was going on. His hand still on Tali's head, he glanced down to see her softly kiss his body. Her movements were slow, timid, but her confidence was gradually gaining every time she connected lips to exposed flesh. She drank in the sight of him as she traced a line on his body with her finger, as if to determine if his skin was real and if she wasn't in some fever dream. Satisfied at her mental conclusion, she gave a small smile and closed her eyes as she continued to kiss Shepard's chest.
He grinned at how passionate the quarian was and he softly moved his thumb across her cheek in a gentle caress. She then turned her head to kiss the digit as it passed her by, her hands clutching at the thumb to bring it to her mouth. Exhibiting the same sensitivity, she made sure to kiss every single one of his fingers as she began craving stimulation again. Tali, quickly traversing through new levels of need, took a finger into her mouth and gently started to suck it.
Shepard, in reality, had no idea what to expect from the quarian but was becoming more and more pleasantly surprised with every tiny reaction she betrayed from her experience out of her suit. The sensual feelings from her tongue running along his finger in her mouth were causing him to prickle with arousal. She continued to suck his finger and she gave soft sighs to how intimate the actions were and from the feedback that the human she was lying against was giving. He hugged her tighter and she could feel his pulse race and his skin heat up from her conduct. It gave Tali great pleasure to know that she was making Shepard happy as well as the fact that her own happiness radiated off her in waves from the knowledge that he truly cared about her.
As she lingered in her duties, Shepard started to slide his body downward until his head was positioned at Tali's chest. Interested, she let Shepard withdraw his finger from her mouth and started to rub his head as he found a breast and began to kiss it. He clutched both of her breasts, the pressure of which caused her to explosively gasp as the bundles of nerves flared. Her eyelids tightly shut against one another as her jaw instinctively opened and closed to the feeling of Shepard's mouth on her.
Feeling a slight surge of impatience, Shepard decided to accelerate their night the extra step as he lowered his lips onto Tali's erect nipple, pricked with lust, and sucked with the same intensity that she'd demonstrated with his finger. Tali jolted as he did so and he ran his tongue across the hard nipple from side to side very quickly, causing her entire body to vibrate as she helplessly shook with pleasure. She gave out a soft cry and grabbed Shepard's head, holding him to her chest as her moans got louder. He continued to suckle at her breast, destroying the quarian's determination to remain coherent with every passing second as she started mumbling incomprehensively, sounds giving voice to her satisfaction.
As his hands slid across Tali's body, Shepard was amazed at how smooth and soft Tali was. She had been living her whole life inside a suit and only now she was free of the damnable prison. This body, this extraordinary person, was the most amazing woman he had ever known in his life. All the time he'd known her she had never acted selfishly, always for others. For all her life, in Tali's eyes, she had considered herself unimportant compared to everyone else. This wasn't true to Shepard and he wanted to make sure that she knew it. Tali was important, she was beautiful, she was loved.
As he came up to breathe from her breast, he only had a quick second before Tali kissed him again, her heart singing as she became more and more drunk with love. He turned to the side so that he was atop her, careful not to put his full weight on her, their bodies still parallel to each other. Now, Shepard stopped her kiss as he adjusted himself for the next move, watching her intently. She knew what was going to happen next, she wanted it more than anything. But she was scared, she didn't know what it would feel like. She so desperately wanted to please him and she was so worried about being a disappointment that Shepard must have detected the frightened girl inside her and tenderly kissed her forehead.
"Just…" he whispered. "Just let me know when you're ready…"
His voice brought her back down to earth. Her breathing slowed and she closed her eyes to compose herself for a moment before opening them again. As both of them were captivated by the other's gaze, she mouthed a word. Shepard couldn't catch the Khelish sound from her mouth but he knew what she meant.
As she slowly lidded her eyes downward in anticipation, she gasped loudly when she felt Shepard enter inside her. The sensation was indescribable to Tali. There was a burning pressure near her stomach and her heartbeat seemed to have been amplified tenfold, the reverberations throbbing throughout her body. He was now part of her and she was now part of him. All of her senses were screaming as her back arched to the pleasurable feeling. Tali was audibly panting as Shepard gently drew back and forward again, starting slow, introducing her to the addiction of lovemaking as she became accustomed to the rhythm, beginning to move as one person. The feeling of her breasts and taut abdomen pressing and rubbing against his own perfectly sculpted body was pure bliss. It felt amazing.
He maintained his slow pace as human and quarian stared into each other's eyes. They truly felt like kindred spirits, their souls had united in the moment. Tali moaned, the sound a high music, sweet and pure to Shepard's ears. Her eyes were open wide but they shone with an innocence that took his breath away. Shepard was severely touched that Tali was now sharing herself with him, the fact that she could possibly die from this encounter was still in the back of his mind. But this is what she truly desired, to share herself with the person she wanted all her life. Shepard then realized how much he loved this woman, how much he needed to be with her. He knew he would never want to be with anyone else.
A leg wrapped itself around Shepard's body as he tenderly continued to thrust. With each movement, Tali mewled and a few tears leaked out from her eyes again in joy. Shepard briefly paused as he detected her tears, wary if he should continue. Tali quickly shook her head and grabbed Shepard close to her so that she could unite their lips yet again. As their tongues skimmed over one another, Shepard resumed his duties and he could feel the quarian's hot breath as she panted into his mouth. The heat coddled the both of them as they made love. Sweat was now shining on their bodies, another new sensation for Tali to experience as the air passed over her damp skin.
She continued to writhe underneath him and a few moments later Shepard could feel a tremor begin rumble from deep within their bodies. He maintained the pace of their intercourse as Tali was now embracing her lover with glee, fingers digging into his back. Based on the increasing intervals and intensity of her gasps and cries, she was getting just as close as he was.
At the last moment, he started to kiss her neck in a frenzy. Shepard's lips descended and gently sucked against the sensitive, warm flesh, feeling the vibration of her moans as she violently gasped. Tali went absolutely crazy as the combination of stimuli all over her body sent her teetering over the edge. Before they finally went together, her mouth opened in an attempt to speak one last time.
"I…" A gasp cut her off, "I…lo-…ohhh, John….I love you so-…."
She was unable to finish her sentence because her body jerked as she approached her orgasm, Shepard groaning in tandem atop her. Tali let out a long cry as every pore on her person released, the intense passion leaving her shaking on the bed, with her lover still on top. Her brain felt like it had been shaken and smoothed over, like panes of glass had shattered within her mind and crumpled into tiny grains, blowing with the wind. She blinked as the heat rushed from her body, everything felt crystal clear to her. Her breath had been expelled all at once and her chest heaved as she gulped it all back. Shepard rolled to the side, also breathing heavily, as both of them lay next to the other, muscles still spasming from being together.
Tali sighed at the conclusion and started to giggle as she just comprehended what had happened, Shepard chuckling alongside her. Smiling wildly, she threw her arms around the human's neck as she lovingly kissed his face again, albeit more slowly this time.
The soft pinging of the omni-tool jerked Shepard out of his comfortable slumber. He opened his eyes a crack and the soft orange glow filled his blurry vision. He raised his arm up which denoted that it would be only an hour before they reached the Omega 4 relay. Sighing, he switched the device off and only now seemed to notice the mass that was positioned next to him.
Tali's head was nestled in his neck, having fallen asleep with her body wrapped around him. Her bare shoulder peeked out from the covers and she was still smiling, an expression that made Shepard tremendously happy. The fact that the quarian's euphoria had not even winded down made him appreciate the fact that he must have meant a lot to her for all the risks she had taken that night. It was an action that he could probably never repay, but he could at least show his gratitude.
Tali's eyes opened as her breathing became deeper and she smiled even wider, head still leaning on his body. Neither of them said a word as they lovingly gazed at each other and Shepard leaned his head down to gently kiss her forehead. She sighed at the feeling and started to snake her arms around Shepard's neck in an embrace.
"That certainly makes up for all those months," she whispered, no mistaking the delight embedded in her voice.
He grinned, "Feel much better now that you're out of that suit?"
She smiled wickedly as she moved her body along his, "I love it. I remember being told what such an experience was like back on the flotilla, but I never could have imagined. You're so warm, you know that?" She pressed her chest against his, "It's like you're my own personal heat source. Keelah, skin on skin feels fantastic."
"Oh, so I've been delegated to be my girlfriend's heat source now," Shepard theatrically groaned. "And after all the effort I put into this relationship…"
"Your effort?" Tali pouted. "I'll have you know, mister, that I put in my fair share of blood, sweat, and tears as well."
Shepard was amused, "Sorry, what was that? Do you really want to continue down this road of comparing who sacrificed what, Miss Zorah?"
Tali bared her teeth in a smile, "Absolutely."
"And why is that?"
"Because I'll win!" With a laugh, she leapt onto him as her lips furiously connected. Shepard found himself falling once more, ensnared by the quarian's lust as she engaged him in a hot outburst. The rising warmth, combined with the quick succession of kisses from Tali, drew the outside world away from Shepard. He could only concentrate on the beautiful woman who was sharing his bed, his life. If there had been no mission, no looming threat, he would have gladly taken the reins of the Normandy, and whisked them away to parts unknown, exploring the galaxy. Just the two of them, forever.
Once they broke their kiss, they were left smiling and laughing as they rolled around the bed, getting tangled up in the sheets. When they had tired of horsing around, their roll ceased and the two of them were left lying side by side, breathing a little more intensely.
A frown came to Shepard's face as he brushed a few tangled strands out of Tali's face. His face turned regretful as he whispered to her, "I'm sorry, Tali."
Tali blinked, "Whatever for?"
"For not being able to say it earlier. I just…I couldn't find the words…"
A grey hand came to his cheek, "What? You can tell me."
Shepard leaned back against the bed, staring up at the stars. He took the last few moments to consider the effect at what he would say next. In that instant, he knew he was making the right choice.
Shepard breathed, "I love you, Tali. I've always loved you, from the moment we met. When I first woke up, all I ever wanted was to see you again." Both of their pupils were fixated as he continued, her hair waved in his face, "I don't know if you knew it, but you're the best thing that has ever happened to me. If it weren't for you I... I just…" He struggled to pull words from his vocabulary before giving up altogether, "Thank you…thank you for not giving up on me."
Tali's heart fluttered at his words as she involuntary gasped. She leaned in to softly kiss Shepard's cheek, lips lightly trembling, praying that she wouldn't break down and cry again, like a stupid, scared, little girl.
"I've been waiting for a long time for you to say that," she said, voice trembling. "I…I didn't know at first if I was being unreasonable, or selfish, but I hoped…oh, how I hoped…that you would see me as not just a quarian but as an actual per-"
Shepard, unwilling to let Tali drag herself into her ocean of self-despair, brought her head beside his, gently stroking her scalp. The warm sensations immediately caused Tali to halt her blubbering and to enjoy the wonderful connection between her and Shepard.
"Somehow," she managed to whisper in his ear, "I've always known."
He then quickly rose from the bed, tossing the sheets aside as he stood, holding out a hand to her. Slightly confused, she reached for it and he gently led her to her feet. Without a word and still unclothed, he walked her over to the bathroom before she finally had a chance to pry.
"John? What are you doing?"
He turned around as he let go, stepping inside the bathroom and in front of the sink. "I want to show you something," he said, holding out his hand again, "But you have to close your eyes."
"I don't understand, John-"
"Do you trust me?"
Her eyes lowered, "You know I do."
"Then close your eyes and walk towards me."
Feeling stupider by the minute, she reluctantly closed her eyes as she swiftly walked toward him. He had to thrust out his arms faster than he thought because of how quickly she was traveling. Nearly barreling over him, she heard him laugh out loud before, in his grip, he gently rotated her ninety degrees to the left. Tali's eyes were still closed, she had no idea exactly what he was planning.
"Okay," he said quietly, "Open them."
Colors blurred for a second as two shapes across from her began to take form. She immediately recognized Shepard, who was standing behind her but the person positioned in front of him did not look familiar at all.
It was only when she stepped up to the mirror that she finally understood, her fingers timidly outstretched as her reflection did the same.
She blinked. It blinked.
Her arm rose to touch her face, her hair. It repeated everything she did.
The person staring back at her was completely unrecognizable. It seemed to Tali like there was another person with Shepard at the moment, but the shock and understanding portrayed on the person's face was enough to make the connection that she was looking at herself. For the first time without a mask in what had to be years.
Tali let her fingers slowly trace around her body, across her shoulders, underneath the swell of her breasts, to finally culminate in her glancing behind her at the real Shepard, who was smiling lovingly at her. She was scared to look in front of her at the woman in the mirror, but she did so as Shepard's arms wrapped around her waist, steadying her from falling, her immovable rock.
Tali let the sob escape from her throat as she stammered, turning to perceive herself again, stunned "I'm…I'm...beautiful, John. I'm beautiful…"
"Yes," he nuzzled the back of her neck, an emotion bubbling inside of him at the sight of Tali's discovery, "You certainly are, Tali. You are beautiful and I am yours."
The better part of an hour later, Shepard was still nursing a bruise on the bed (playing it up to the fullest extent, at least) from when Tali had tackled him to kiss him, lost in a delirium of intense love that had come spilling out of her from what he had shown her in the mirror. Perhaps he should have expected a reaction like that, in hindsight. He started to slip on his shorts and the lower part of his bodysuit as Tali awkwardly tried to pull her boots back on.
In random intervals, both would lean across the bed and kiss once more as they simultaneously fumbled putting their clothes back on. Shepard helped Tali latch her upper suit back up, kissed the back of her neck which almost caused her to rip the damned suit off and start all over again, wanting more time outside with him. She, in turn after suppressing her reaction, helped him put his chestpiece on, latching it firmly and testing the seals to see if they held.
When Tali finally stood again in her enviro-suit, only her visor was left to be put in place. Shepard grabbed it from the floor and held it up to her face. Before he did so, he hungrily kissed her one last time, her tongue gliding out to desperately grasp the last intimate moment before it slipped away from her. He started to pull away but she was not finished yet. Tali grabbed Shepard's head so that she could continue to kiss her lover repeatedly. Long moments passed by before she unwillingly took her visor from Shepard's hands, as they broke for the last time that night. She gave a final smile before the translucent covering was put back into place. With a hiss and a pair of clicks, her glowing eyes now stared sadly at Shepard from beyond the threshold.
Shepard placed a hand to the side of her helmet and gestured to the elevator. There was nothing more that could be said between them. Nodding numbly, she followed as both of them exited the confines of his cabin.
Perhaps for the final time.
A/N: Told you.