Tali goes inside to retrieve her suit while I am outside with Garrus and Raon. Her slower than usual walking pace indicates she is going to miss this place. Can't blame her. Raon is leaning against the porch rail. I can see he is weary from the long ordeal as am I. Raon swears up and down he will talk some sense into his kid. I'm not even mad anymore, just too tired to feel any more anger. I understand why he did what he did. The heat of the moment took over me. I haven't felt that much rage in all my life. Another reminder why I have to continuously keep myself in check. It is exhausting having to control yourself each and every moment.

My sweetie dressed in her purple quarantine suit comes out of the house. She is maintaining her composure, but it doesn't take energy detection to know she is in shock. Tali says her goodbye to the family. Karla gives us leftovers. Raon apologizes once more. I tell him I forgive him and his son and hold out my hand. Raon is too intimidated to shake it. Gravity returns my hand to its rightful side. Garrus enters into the hammerhead. The blades steadily increase in RPM until dried grass and dirt encompass the local area. Tali hops in the back. My good boyfriend instincts tell me to join her. Legion rides upfront.

Garrus, the turian helicopter pilot says "We will be at the ship shortly."

"Go slow" I ask. Garrus understandably nods. The humm of the engine fills the small space. Tali leans over, hugging me. Her helmet resting on my ribs. Three fingered hands tighten my obliques.

"I'm sorry your trip home didn't go as planned" I said.

"Remember my cherished, you are my home, not this rock" Tali said. My heart gets so warm when she says that, but this time guilt is also felt. It shouldn't have taken a near tragedy for Tali say something that strikes a chord in me.

Garrus says "If you want, you don't need to wear the suit. Enjoy the great wilds of Rannoch before we return to space. I can fly up and find a spot for you two to enjoy one more moment."

Tali says "thank you Garrus, but I need a sense of normalcy right now. I just want to go back."

"As you wish" Garrus said in Kesh.

"Hey Garrus, why do you speak her language? Is your translator busted?" I ask.

He replies "No. Back at C-sec I ran into a lot of quarian pilgrims. They hand down everything and an unfortunate amount had used translators so busted, it was just easier to learn the language."

I ask "Did you use your beautiful voice to serenade your girlfriend?"

Tali leans up "what?"

Garrus says "Oh you saw that."

"Dude, you must have just met her!" I said.

"Any woman I want can't resist the turian charm" he said.

Tali asks "What did I miss?"

I replied "a quarian woman sheathed his swagger dagger before me. Not cool bud."

"I couldn't resist. I was out shooting in the field then ran into her. She had this antique style weapon that didn't use mass effect fields and shot a target, in human distance, 3000 meters away dead center. Spirits that is hot" Garrus said.

"I'm glad one of us had a good time" Tali settles onto my lap.

"It wasn't all bad. You looked so happy being at the farm, going hiking, having a family dinner, petting the cat" I said.

"Yeah I did enjoy that. I liked that feeling of being a quarian family. I wish one day I can have that with you" Tali's led eyes look so innocent as she gazes up at me.

"We will have a happy life, one way or another" I lay her head back down and massage the nape of her neck.

Legion comes out of silence "We wish we could experience what you feel towards one another."

"I think you will one day. I wish that for you. Garrus can you speed up? We should talk to Shepard and figure out what is next" I said.

The hammerhead slightly tilts forward, shifting Tali forward, pulling her back into me so she doesn't fall onto the floor. I just feel so terrible about what happened. Tali deserved better. I believe she is processing how other quarians see her kind. Imagine your whole life, nearly all members of her kind, living on the ship together, like a big family, then you find out there are not only quarians living on your homeworld that you dreamed to one day return, and there are some who will kill you just for returning home. It is one thing to hear about it happening to others, but to be betrayed by your own people is a special kind of hurt you don't forget.

We returned to the ship. Garrus and Legion go in first. Tali and I enjoy one last glimpse of Rannoch before we leave for what could be forever. The wind blows waves in the grass, crickets heard in the background. As I hold her in my arms, she softly cries. I offer to use my abilities to make the pain lessen, but she refuses. She doesn't know why but I respect her choice. It only lasted for a moment before Tali is ready to return to the Normandy. We go through the decontamination cycle, returning to Joker's space.

"Hey guys we missed you. Good to have you back, especially Legion. Ever since EDI got her soul, she is acting like a person" Joker insensitively said.

I snap at him "EDI was always a person!"

"WOW! Sorry I just meant when we talk, she doesn't feel like a robot unlike Legion here" Joker said.

Tali scolds him "Jeff!"

"Sorry I should shut up now" he turns around and plays with a hologram screen.

Shepard said "Ignore my idiot pilot. Garrus and Legion told us to give you guys some space. If you need anything at all..."

Tali replies "Thanks but I just want to get back to work."

"Please don't make work an excuse to avoid dealing with trauma. You are already enough of a workaholic as it is" I beg.

"I promise I'll try. Shepard what did the representatives say about joining the reaper war?" Tali asked.

"I was there for days arguing about the threat the Reapers pose to everyone including them. They don't want to help. Can you believe that?" Shepard said.

I spin around in disbelief "You have to be kidding me!"

"I'm not. They believe since they use pre-element zero technology, that the reapers will ignore them" Shepard said.

"What about the Heretics? The Reapers know that they know about them" Tali said.

Shepards hands rocket towards the ceiling "I told them that too, but they didn't care."

"I didn't know if I should tell you guys, but I think I have to. Listen, there is a reaper in Rannoch" I said.

I am receiving mixed reactions of shock, annoyance, questions from Legion, and more.

"Listen, every quarain on Rannoch felt a tiny bit indoctrinated. Like those salarians at Virmire but much less" I said.

"Why is a reaper indoctrinating them?" Shepard asked.

"I think it is an ancient dormant reaper. We know even fragments of Sovereign can influence people. I'm think it knew the cycle was about to come and influence the formation of the corporatocracy, the creation of the geth, technological regression, everything" I said.

"Why would it do that?" Shepard asked.

Samara overhears us and approaches. She said "Pardon me for my intrusion, however I believe you should know, before the fall of the quarians, they were the technological experts of the galaxy, barely surpassing that of asari. All it would have taken was a few more centuries for their full potential to bloom but was tragically cut short. The reaper must have realized the quarians would have become a threat and spurred the creation of synthetic life to do their job for them, except the geth chose a more peaceful path."

Legion replies "Geth are immune to effects of indoctrination, integrating new information into existing data on creators clarifies several questions. Should we inform geth collective?"

"We might want to wait. I hate revealing future information but I'm pretty sure things are going to be different. In the third game, we are supposed to come back to Rannoch and conclude the war with the geth and quarians one way or another, but the planetside quarians threw a monkey wrench into things so I have no idea what will happen now" I said.

"Damn it. It felt better knowing you had insight to the future. I see why you keep telling us not to rely on you. Ok priorities, we need to get to the citadel and report our findings to the council. We will cross that bridge when we come to it. You two take as much time as you need. Ken and Gabby worked really hard fixing the engine as best as they could. ********* they may ask for help with certain repairs. Everything else will have to be done at the citadel. I have to make some calls. I should go" Shepard said.

Tali leaves to go see her father. I give her one quick hug and smooch before she goes. Tali whispers "meet in in the camper in one hour."

Legion returns to his room to contemplate on what I revealed.

Garrus leaves to videochat with his new girlfriend.

I sit down in the empty chair next to Joker.

"Rough trip?"

"Yeah it was a rough trip. I just wanted to give Tali a nice vacation to her home,a few days of fun and instead I gave her an identity crisis and she got hurt." I yelled in frustration.

"I don't know the details, but it couldn't have been your fault. It is not like you knew. You didn't, did you?"

"No, but I could have lost her. I'm scared she won't ever want to return" I confess.

"She just needs time to adjust. Shepard told me what happened. Tali had a lot thrown at her these past few days. I'm sure she still wants to settle down on Rannoch with her boo in the future" I cringe at his use of boo.

"Please don't say that, or rizz or any other ridiculous shorten words" I close my eyes and pinch my nose.

"Sorry. What the hell is rizz?" Joker asked.

"It is short for charisma" I said.

"So does that make me the rizz master?" Joker asked.

"Oh please god stop this" I said.

"HEYHEYHEY don't bring him into this!" Joker said with worry in his voice.

"You believe in god Jeff?" I ask.

"I never know with you and don't want to take chances. God please don't look at my browsing history" Jeff said.

"Dude you are disgusting, with that I am off. I'm going to my camper. I have some things to think about. Take care Jeff" I said.

"Later bud. Welcome back."