Exiting the Normandy Kaidan and Shepard go over to the railing and watch the flow of traffic. Cortez gives the two officers a nod and makes himself scarce. Leaning against the banister Shepard's nose hasn't popped up out of her omni tool since the doors closed behind them. Even with their long trip to get here the Asari Councilor apparently was still in meetings and could not see them. Ten minuts stretch out into twenty. After asking the same question three times and receiving no reply Kaidan touches her arm lightly.

"Hermer?" She looks up as if she had forgotten he was there. Not her most eloquent speech. He chuckles keeping his hand on her sleeve.

"I said since we have to wait do you want to grab a bite?"

She frowns and looks at her omni. He knew full well she had arranged lunch with someone offship but no time had been set and all her carefully laid plans were in the air until something was done about Thessia. But it was also clear to Kaidan that nothing was going to get resolved from Shepard's omnitool standing overlooking docking ships.

"Actually I had a working lunch planned but that looks like a working coffee shift. Besides didn't I tell you I wanted you to enjoy your shore leave Major?" She finally looks up at him with a smile.

"Why is it so hard to believe I actually want to enjoy some time with you Shep?" He takes her right hand in his, ignoring the orange glow of maps being fed into it.

"Because I don't know how to turn off? I make Liara and Tali look like frat girls on spring break?"

"Well THAT is a visual I could have lived my life without. And I remember one shore leave where you didn't even turn that thing on." He says rubbing her fingers as she finally closes the omni.

"Yea but for one positively amazing shore leave, and it was. I got one to last a lifetime."

She was referring of course to Elysium another chapter of her career that she seldom brought up.

"Come on. We got the access to flight plans for incoming ships. The councilor is busy being the councilor and you could use the walk. You haven't had your nose out of data pads since breakfast."

"Those were some good eggs." She admitted with a smile. "Sure let's get some coffee."

"Are you asking me on a date Commander?" He joked but extended his elbow anyway.

"Nope giving you an order Major. Something tells me this shore leave won't end as well as Nos Astra." Her nose crinkled in that way that made her face light up and they headed down to the Café.

They had ordered food and sat by a bench overlooking the small grassy area. Ignoring the smoking skycabs the scene was almost serene. It was punctuated every few minutes but Shepard throwing a scrape of bead to the birds over the landing.

"I can't believe you are doing that."

"What? Normally they are on that overhang by the stairs. I don't think anyone feeds them now."

"They are pigeons Shep." He points out.

"So ugly birds don't need to eat?"

Jane Shepard, Hero of Elysium, Survivor of the Skyllian Blitz, the one almost singlehandedly tasked with saving the galaxy. Sitting here barefoot in the grass, in a hoodie two sizes too big. Throwing bits of bread to flying rats.

"So I have that list you wanted."

"What's that?" Her brows knit looking up at him.

"You asked me what I knew about you. What made me want to be with you and not "the Commander Shepard."

"Oh. Kay… I'm sorry. It's just sometimes I get so angry and not knowing what to say to you."

"Will you shush up and listen. Feed your new friends."

He tears a piece of bread and flings it. Of course he manages of over shoot the damn birds which were creeping closer and it plinks into the water behind. Giggling she grabs a piece of bread from his hand and stuff it in her mouth.

"What do I know about you. Hmmmm" He pretends to think even though he had been thinking this over since the call for Aria.

"Your favorite color is green. Everyone else would say purple because of that armor but that was a gift. Probably from Anderson when you got your N7. But the joints and the parts you fixed are hand painted green. As are some very nice panties that I happened to notice."

"Uh huh." A smile as if she was not sure where he was going with this.

"You love animals, even the ugly ones." He points to the pigeons. "Even that damn eel which is creepy as hell has a place in your room. Deep down you are still a farm girl and liketo feel the air on your face and the earth on your toes" He points to her bare feet.

"You don't like to own a lot of things but you are sentimental. You never kept anything in the SR-1 Captains Cabin because it had been Anderson's and you felt like you were taking it from him. You stowed all your gear with ours down in the crew deck. Because you always harked on being part of the crew not above it."

Now for the harder part.

"You and Ashley never got along but you respected her. You and she grew up in similar situations but had opposite outcomes. You still blame yourself about her death. You never let me blame myself about it."

Shepard's eyes had left the birds and were staring out at the water but she let him continue. Never interrupting him to say if he was wrong or right, he took it as a good sign and kept going.

"You hate surprises. You like to plan for everything and will run and rerun data until you have a good handle on situations. And you pace A LOT when you are thinking or reading and it makes other people feel lazy to watch you."

"You put everyone's needs before your own. You would do damn near anything for your crew. Even the ones you really don't like. You make them your family and much as you complain about being mothered by others you watch out for everyone you care about even when they don't know it." He slides his arm around her waist and shifts closer, keeping his voice low.

"I don't know your middle name but I know how I feel about you and it's stronger now than when we met, stronger since Horizon, since Mars."

"I know you were looking out for me even after Horizon. I know you think you are pushing me away because you don't want me to get hurt again if the worse should happen and you don't make it out of this alive. And I am telling you I don't care."

She leans into him not answering for a long time. Being content just to be held by him. Still looking out over the water she replies.

"I told you, you were stubborn." She bites her lip, that motion that meant she was considering something.

"It's Cadman by the way."

A/N Had to retcon chap 34 because Shepard apparently lost 2 lines in her rant that didn't make much sense here w/o. nothing "major" Sorry for the fluff but it just kept springing up in my head.

Ahhh Nemo is here! Everyone has gone storm crazy here and I don't know how much we will get in the end but so far we have less then an inch and people are acting like the world is ending. Depending on what the little fishy has in store I may or may not get another chapter up this weekend :) -R