Chapter Seventeen: The Loving Tale

Tali was working on the engines like she usually did before retiring to her bed. It had been a few days since her hearing and in that time, she had been grateful that the crew gave her some space to mourn in peace. Garrus, Shepard, and Zane however, always came to her to see if she was okay.

"Hey there." She heard behind her and she quickly turned to see Zane standing in the doorway. His hands in his pockets and his hood down. His hair had gotten longer but due to how often he had his hood on it was matted down.

"Oh, hey Zane." Tali said and he walked closer. She could smell the remains of a shower still lingering on him.

"Are you doing better?" He asked her and his eyes showed concern for her.

"Yea I am…" She then sneezed loudly. But it wasn't as bad as she had been sneezing. Her fever was going down with every minute spent with it.

"That sounded bad Lady Zorah." He said with a joking tone. "You sure you're okay?" His tone turning serious.

Tali nodded before going onto her omni-tool to administer more antibiotics. "Yes, Zane, I am fine. I just took some fire on the Alarei and forgot to seal a part of my suit when I looked at the wound. A stupid mistake really." He came closer to her and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"Where?" He asked seemingly trying to inspect her for any signs of a wound.

"It was just my left arm Zane. I am fine really." She said and he seemingly ignored her and scanned the arm. He placed a hand on her forearm and she saw her own arm disappear under his large hand.

"Tali, why didn't you tell me you got shot? I would've helped." He said as his omni-tool scanned the arm's length.

"And how would you have helped? We can't exactly be in the same room together." She said but she wouldn't have minded it. In fact, that was what she wanted right now.

"True, but I could've given you my room. It is the cleanest in terms of bacteria, believe it or not. I just have EDI filter it when we are gone." He said and she was shocked.

"Really, why?"

"In case you needed to use it. It isn't good for extended periods but it will work for a few minutes. Certainly, long enough to address a wound." He said and then pressed around where the wound had been. It had healed successfully but as he pressed around it the irritation slowly went away. Replaced with a numbness.

"Thank you, Zane…I wish I knew how to thank you better than simple words." She said and he laughed and shook his head.

"No need Tali. You would do the same for me if the positions were switched. But I will admit, I feel sorry for you. Living in that suit must be hell." He said and she shrugged. But as she thought about his statement she thought of a reply and spoke without really thinking about what she was saying.

"It isn't easy. My people are social creatures and a suit like this makes us feel…alone. When Quarians trust each other, we can only really show it by sharing suit environments. It is the best way we show trust, acceptance. I don't trust anyone for that though except yo…well I mean no Quarians but well you get what I mean." She said and heat rushed to her face and the same happened to him.

"Well…th…thank you Tali. I trust you too but you don't have to do that to show it." He said with a sheepish smile. He began to crack his fingers as she played with her own.

"I know, well, not that I know but rather…. what I mean is…ah damn, why are engine rooms so hot?" She babbled. "But it also shows a willingness for err… intimacy. I didn't mean to, I mean not that I wouldn't, but rather…oh, how did this become the topic of the conversation?" She put her hand on top of her helmet. She was trying to keep herself from rambling anymore. She saw a twinkle of mischief appear in his eyes for a moment. But then it replaced with something she couldn't describe. A new look that made her melt on the inside.

"Woah…hold on Tali are you trying to say something?" Zane asked and looked deep into her eyes. Like he was seeing her not the suit, not the Quarian, but her the person. How did he do that?

"Err… I mean well it's just…oh keelah." She wasn't sure what to say. If she came out and say what she wanted to it may ruin everything. He took a step closer and she reached behind her and used the console to keep herself from falling.

"Because if you are. I might say I am pleasantly intrigued. And maybe even interested…but I want to make sure I am hearing you right." He said and her eyes lit up. He was smirking and her legs felt like they were made of water. But besides that, and the fever, she was as excited as she had ever been. So much waiting was coming to an end. And it couldn't come soon enough.

She got closer to him and placed her fingers on his chest and had them walk over the leather of his jacket.

"I can only think of this story someone I knew told me. It is a long tale and hasn't ended even after two years of its writing. A young woman gets saved by this mysterious man and they are recruited to save the galaxy. And then several years later they meet again when that man rescues her again just to save the galaxy once more. Not to mention this man never turns her away, never lets her down, and is actually the leader of a galaxy-wide organization that helps everyone it knows. How could this young woman not develop at least a mild interest in him? He makes her smile, laugh, he's there when she feels sad, and celebrates with her when she is happy. It helps he looks quite handsome as well." She said and he gently grabbed her hand and held it closer than it was before. He peered into her eyes again like he always did.

"Well let me tell you what the man thinks as I know him quite well. He heard of this young woman that was in trouble and decided to help her. But when he came to her aid he was smitten in moments. This woman had the voice of singers and the body of a goddess, the walk of a model, and is one of the smartest people he knows. This man can't simply watch her leave, and the galaxy was kind of important so he joins her and the crew of misfits and helps them all save the galaxy. He notices that the woman is funny, charming, and nice. Not to mention, her suit fits just right in all the right places." She blushed at his words and he smiled and then chuckled. "She is in stark contrast to how he sees himself and he quickly begins to enjoy her company more and more. When they are forced to part ways he is saddened for two whole years. The galaxy seems emptier, darker, uglier without her in his sight. But he still cares for her and only wants to see her succeed, only wants to see her safe. So, he has some of his people keep an eye on her and to keep him updated on her. He wouldn't intervene in her personal life but nor would he let her get hurt because of someone else. And then he sees her once again, she is just as beautiful as the first day and smarter than the last day. She is more of a prodigy than ever before, and once again the suit is a perfect fit. Perhaps better than the last. As time goes on he realizes that it is no longer a crush he has for her but a longing. One he cannot ignore any longer." He finished with his eyes like large oceanic orbs of blue that made her legs weak and a smile that showed genuine nervousness but also happiness. He had been keeping that in as long as she had been.

And she was ecstatic. So many words were spoken, and they were all what she wanted to hear. He smiled at her and she did the same with him. She couldn't keep the giggle from escaping her lips. The giggling turned to laughing and she had to hug him. She jumped up and wrapped her arms around his neck and he held her tightly.

"Did we just agree to…?" She began.

"I think so Lady Zorah." He said and they laughed again. She didn't want to let go ever again and she doubted any moment would be better than this one.

"Zane and Garrus to the meeting room." EDI sounded on the intercom.

"Do I have to go?" He whispered to her.

"I wish not, but I think so." She said and he let her go. His eyes were those of gentle orbs of water and he smiled widely. He smirked and grabbed her hand and kissed the top of it.

"Until next time Lady Zorah." He said and winked as he left with a jump his step.

"Finally, you guys got that over with. The sexual tension echoed off the walls of the Normandy. Now is just time for the second part." Kenneth said with a chuckle and Gabby kicked him in the leg.

"Kenneth! What he means is we are happy for you both ma'am. Ken, you idiot."

"What?" He asked and as a reply, Gabby slapped the back of his head.

"Shut up you twit." She said and Tali laughed and didn't feel embarrassed and only remembered she had a fever when she sneezed again. And it was much less annoying than the last one.

"Well, we finally did it." The voice in her head said.

"Yes, we did." She replied to it.

"The rest should be easy enough. Just stay alive." It said and Tali chuckled.

"Yea that's the easy part." She said sarcastically.

…

Zane had never felt like this before…. his nerves were on fire with excitement. He had the urge to run, to spend all this energy doing something. He hoped they were about to go to the derelict Reaper. Killing things seemed a good way expend all of his energy. It would certainly do well for him to think about what he had just gotten into.

He couldn't help but feel fear. What if he screwed up? What if he displeased her? What if he wasn't what she wanted? What if she ran from him the moment the truth about his past came out? These fears plagued him but they were pushed back by the fact he now had her! And she had him, although she always had him, it was a just a matter of it being known.

"Zane!" Shepard got his attention and he stood straighter but couldn't help his foot from tapping.

"Yes? Sorry Commander I was thinking. What were you saying?" He asked and this time paid attention.

"A derelict Reaper was found thanks to the Illusive Man and we think it has the IFF we need to bypass whatever security protocols the Omega Relay has. Once we have this and get it installed we should be good to attack the relay immediately. Any questions?"

"Who do you plan on bringing?" Garrus asked.

"You two and Tali if she recovers in time."

"Oh, I think she will recover before then." Zane said.

"Why is that?" Garrus asked.

"I'll tell you guys later. But for right now back to the Reaper."

"What about it?" Garrus asked Zane as they leaned over the table. Zane was running the derelict mission in his mind over and over. Trying to remember every detail, every crevice, every corpse and Husk they would see. In the hopes that he would notice anything out of place so that he could act accordingly.

"The Organization has been studying indoctrination and I can tell you that even though it is dead the field it emits is not. It echoes off the hulls. The moment we enter the beast a countdown will begin before we too are indoctrinated to its will." Zane said.

"Any suggestions?"

"Get in then get out." He said simply.

"Well, that's straightforward." Shepard said. "Alright, anything else?"

"How long till we get there?" Zane asked.

"A few hours at least. Any more questions?" Zane and Garrus soon shook their heads. "Alright then dismissed." Shepard ordered and the room was emptied. Zane thought about seeing Tali again but thought better of it. He had work to do and so did she. Besides, they would have plenty of time to see each other later.

…

"Harbinger, everything is going smoothly. The Fleet is a little stricter on what they give us but we can manage well enough. While trust isn't at one-hundred percent and nor do I think it ever will be again. I do think we can heal the damage done by my predecessor." King Tokis said and Zane nodded. Of course, Lilhim couldn't see it. Even though he openly told those on the Rayya he was THOS he still had a reputation to keep. Soon he would reveal himself to everyone but there were still things that needed to be done, plans to enact, and events to take place before he would show himself.

"Good work Lilhim keep it up and keep me updated." Zane said and closed the link. He wasn't surprised by the Migrant Fleet's new-found hesitation with his people. Rael was in a lot of ways the easiest person to have on his side. His protective nature with Tali made it easy for Zane to keep him complacent. He didn't want to use Tali like that but no one in the Fleet ever refused Rael and a man like that was an invaluable ally to Zane.

However, Rael was also a pain in the ass. He may have been complacent but he demanded respect be given to him. There were many things Zane couldn't do because Rael wanted to win an argument. And so, Zane learned early on that in order to get a majority of stuff done Rael would have to believe it was his idea to do it. Rael was a smart man and Zane respected him but damn if he couldn't make life hell.

Zane also had to think about who on the Admiralty Board would be worth his time. A worthy ally. Shala was a possibility but she was weak and gave off a weak presence. Koris was soft and would only do what benefited the people and didn't interrupt his ethics. Zane respected that as well, however, Zane could not rely on him to listen when he needed Koris to listen. Not to mention, thanks to Egos he would never work with the Organization after trying to tie the Geth back to the Quarian people. But, that being said, his strong ethics would make him easy to manipulate if done properly. Han'Gerrel was a possibility he was strong, demanded respect, a hero to his people. But was hot-headed. More than Rael ever was. Han wanted results immediately and would take an opportunity regardless of the effects of the action. And now was the time for discretion if there ever was one. Now Xen…she was a very close possibility. But there were some issues. Her ego and racial bias blinded her. She was unpredictable and would usually do something to piss him off for the hell of it. However, she was said to be a sex fiend. Said to be insatiable and by what he had heard. That was saying something about a Quarian. If he hadn't just committed to Tali then maybe he could use her sexual desires against her. Rumors spoke of her insatiable appetite and he might've been able to use that but even then, she would only ever do things that benefitted her. And a mysterious man like him maybe too much of an unknown to be a benefit to her. The only things he would have to offer were his resources and manpower. But she already had that and had no use for him personally or sexually.

"No one can replace Rael." He thought and sighed as the door opened. He turned and Tali came in. She seemed nervous, it was a night and day difference between what he saw now and what he saw a few hours earlier.

"Ah, how are we, Lady Zorah?" He asked and in response, she walked up almost cautiously closer to him. Each step seemed to be a calculated risk.

"I…feel the need to apologize." She said and he raised a brow.

"What do you mean?"

"Well I mean with the fever I have at the moment. It may have made me read into the moment too much and thus I acted unprofessionally. I do like you but surely you can't actually like me like that in return. And I just…" She was stopped when he went to her and placed his hands gently on her arms. He looked deeply into her eyes and tried his best to show all the emotion he felt in that moment. The fear, the love, the hope, all of it.

"Tali listen to me, Okay? When I said those things, I meant every one of them. Every single one of them. No word was a lie, no word was a half-truth." He said and then she looked up at him. He saw how hopeful her eyes looked and it made him grin.

"Really?" She asked the tone just radiated hope.

"Tali'Zorah vas Normandy nar Rayya…I love you and that will never change." He grabbed her hips and lifted her up to hug her as tightly as he could without hurting her. She laughed and giggled and he smiled. "How are you now?" He asked.

"Better now." She said and giggled. The feeling in his stomach doubled at her giggle and any fear he had about the situation they were in went away.

"Well so long as you are happy." He said with a smile.

"So, what did Shepard want?" She asked him.

"Another mission. We are going to a derelict Reaper."

"A what?!" She exclaimed and he chuckled.

"Yep you, me, Garrus, and Shepard going through a dead Reaper. We need its IFF for the Omega Relay." He explained.

"I see. Anything on the Harbinger's agenda?" She asked and he saw her eyes smile at him.

"How do they glow?" He wondered for what wasn't the last time nor would it probably be the last.

"I need to patch things up with the Admiralty Board and need to get reports from the other kings and queens of the races." He explained. They made their way to sit on his bed as he explained what he still had to do.

"How do you plan on fixing things with the Admiralty Board?" She asked and he was careful in his word choices. He didn't want to sound callous especially with her people.

"Well I need to find an Admiral that commands respect, knows what they are doing, is moldable and doesn't hate my guts outright. Say what you want about him, but your father was one hell of an ally." He said and felt her nuzzle her head closer to his arm he wrapped his arm around her and she only nuzzled into his side instead.

"Tell me please." She asked and he was more than willing to humor her.

"Oh, he was a pain in the ass but damn could he get something done. I don't think he liked me really. Come to think of it. I think he hated me." He said with a smirk.

"If he knew how we felt for each other he would hate you. But THOS he respected. He thought you were an ass as well though." She said and he chuckled.

"Well, that's fitting. Anyways, if I did anything he immediately made sure it wouldn't affect you in any way." She looked up at him.

"How so?"

"He never explicitly said it. But operations were kept away from the Neema, I was only allowed to send the best of my men with you, and I was ordered to keep Adas squad on the ship you were posted on at all times. Very few weapons and supplies were brought through the Neema so that pirates wouldn't see it as a target. But it worked both ways. Just as he wanted you safe so did I. So, I doubled the guard of the Neema, kept an eye on you and made sure nothing came within several hundred lightyears of the Fleet. The Fleet had the largest presence of Militia in the galaxy for several months before the Citadel became the de-facto headquarters."

"Was he agreeable to your requests?" She asked and he laughed.

"No. At least not a lot of the times. The only way I got anything was if I stated how it benefited you or kept you safe. He did care Tali no need to worry about that." He said.

"I just wish he would've shown me." She said and he held her close.

"I know and so do I, you deserve to know that he cared. But know this. He loved you and he did care."

"Alright." She said then yawned and sniffed one more time.

"Someone is tired." He said and she giggled before leaned her head further into his body.

"Shut up bosh'tet and stay comfy." She said and they chuckled again.

"I got something better." He said and pulled her closer and laid her down on his bed. "Better?" He asked and she nodded tiredly.

She patted the spot beside her. "There is more room." She said and he blushed and grinned.

"Yes, but the Harbinger has some work to do. Perhaps next time. But right now, Lady Zorah you need some rest." He said and saw her pout.

"Fine. But don't forget that you need to rest too." Zane saw her eyes closed and he gently caressed her arm and then her hand.

"I won't." He said and began to get back to work. He shuffled through several reports and datapads and then went to the personal section of his datapads.

"Now where is the Rogue One?" He thought as time dwindled down for him to find the Rogue Reaper. If they didn't find it before the Suicide Mission then hope would be lost. The Voice made that very clear. He looked back at Tali and smiled and could barely see one of her eyes open then close quickly as soon as he saw it. "And I am not losing this." He thought and continued to work.