Sorry for the delay guys/gals! I am still without internet where I am living and of course there was bad timing with a certain game coming out. I tried to get it all completed before Andromeda which I got the writing done but not the editing. When I edit it isn't just fixing grammar but it is sometimes changing entire sections whether it is adding, deleting or rewriting, which I did to get this closer to what I was hoping would come through. I won't drag on with this intro so I will let you all get to it! Thank you all for sticking with me and being patient for the chapters. Love you all! Thank you for reading/following/favoriting and reviewing!

Chapter 51

Jane waited in the CIC, hoping her female crew would show. Once they had arrived to the Citadel, Shepard enacted a long leave for her crew. The invitation she had sent out today was for the females to go shopping for their formal attire or to tag along even if they had decided not to attend the event. Shepard was hoping to have a "girl's day" with some of her crew, maybe help bring them all together. Jack had, of course, turned her down; fancy gatherings where it was expected of everyone to act proper were not her thing; that included dress shopping. Kasumi wanted to but something seemed to be holding her back from outright agreeing. Samara was simply not interested. The rest hadn't given her an answer.

"Somehow I thought there would be more of a turn out," Miranda said walking up to her, "I hope they all didn't show because they heard I was going to be here."

"They didn't say anything to me about it," Jane smiled, "Thanks for coming."

Miranda forced a grin that came out as more of a confused grimace.

"Well, won't I feel like an old fart going with you two," Chakwas said joining their group.

"Karin," Jane smiled, "Are you coming too?!"

"I don't want to go to this fancy dance in my military uniform so I might as well join on this expedition," she smiled. "And Kelly won't be coming but sends her regrets. She is feeling a little under the weather so she is resting. She should be fine by the time of the event."

"Aw, that's too bad, I should go down and see her," Jane said.

Karin waved her hand, "Give her twenty-four hours to pass first. We don't need anyone else catching something."

"Sorry if I'm interrupting," a voice said from the side.

Jane turned to see Tali standing in the doorway. She smiled, unaware of what the quarian's expression truly was. "Tali, I'm glad you made it."

"Well… um… I wanted to just talk to you, actually." She glanced at Miranda. She didn't like the woman. Her reasoning wasn't completely clear to even herself. Most of it was her loyalty to Cerberus but another large part was that she seemed to be the only one John would talk to; which annoyed her to no end.

"Sure," Jane said lightly. She glanced at Miranda who now seemed very uncomfortable which surprised her a little. "What is it?" she asked, stepping to the side with Tali.

Tali looked down at her hands, tapping her fingers together. "I don't think I will be going with you today. I… I just… It's a little awkward going when I can't take part in it like the rest of you."

Shepard wanted to bring up that this hadn't been an issue before but assumed there was more going on than just not being able to play dress up. Maybe it was Miranda after all. "I'm sorry, Tali. Maybe we can plan another day where you can join us."

"Thanks, Shepard. Have fun," she glanced at Miranda and hurried away.

"Well, this is a confidence booster," Miranda said, "You don't have to go with me if you don't want. I understand if you just invited me out of obligation."

"I wouldn't worry about it," Karin said. "It takes some people time to open up and for Tali it is harder for her."

"I know and I don't want to ruin either of your relationships with her just because I am around."

"You won't. Now come on, we have to go," Jane waved at them.

"So you have two dresses on hold?" Miranda asked a little confused while the sales attendant was away retrieving them. She looked over her shoulder to see Karin already looking at dresses, unsure if it was for herself or for either of them. "Do you plan on doing a dress change halfway through the night?"

"Hey! I didn't pick them. The Illusive Man and my mother chose them."

"Hmm…"

"I know my mom's motives. Any idea what the Illusive Man's would be?"

"Using you to promote his image I would suspect," Chakwas said as she pushed dresses apart on the rack.

"I agree," Miranda said, "but I have no idea what his taste in dresses is so I guess we'll find out together. Do we know who else is coming to the Gala? Out of the men I mean."

"Why? Have your eye on one?" Jane smiled.

"Please, don't even."

"What? Not one?"

"Well, we know it isn't Jacob," Chakwas added, coming back to their seating area, "Unless you are hoping to re-spark that event."

Miranda rolled her eyes, "Not even." Wanting to get the pressure off herself she smirked, "Why don't we talk about you, Shepard? I figure there is someone special on the crew with you."

"Hey, that's not fair," Jane leaned back on the couch, crossing her arms.

"Yeah, we don't care," Karin winked and took a sip of the provided beverage.

"Fine, well, I know what you're thinking," Jane laughed. "But no, Joker and I are just friends. We get that question a lot though."

Miranda and Karin shared a look and a smile, "I wasn't talking about Joker."

Jane paused. What could she say that wouldn't give her away? She looked at Karin, wondering if the woman had said something. Thankfully, she was saved by the human sales associate bringing the dresses.

"These are the dresses put on reserve for you. I'll put these in the room. If you need any help, just let any of us know."

"I have a question," Karin said, "Is this shop new? I don't do a lot of shopping on the Citadel but I don't remember seeing it around."

"We are normally a regular clothing store but with the Gala coming this year we remodeled and started getting in finer clothing. Normally we have more asari based clothing but the owner fell in love with human formal gowns."

"Oh, interesting. Thank you."

"You're welcome," she bowed and exited the room.

Jane stood before the dresses; one was mostly black with some silver details, the other was gold. "Which first?" she called out.

"I think I saw her holding a gold one. Seems like it could be the Illusive Man's, so you might as well get his over with," Lawson answered.

"Sounds good." Jane slipped the cover off the dress. She ran her fingers along the material. It was the richest silk she could ever imagine. She didn't even want think about how expensive it was; it made her nervous to handle it. She delicately took it off the hanger and slipped it over herself. Thin straps sat loosely on her shoulders, threatening to fall off but somehow magically stayed in place. The neckline plunged, the back was almost completely open going dangerously low, and the silk seemed to form to her skin; it was a surprisingly accurate fit. True it was a gorgeous dress and made her look very sexy but it wasn't very appropriate.

Jane exited the room and walked to stand in front of her pair, "Well?"

Miranda's opened and closed her mouth, unable to find the words.

"Not to sound like the old prude but… it's a little… low cut in the front," Chakwas pursed her lips.

"It doesn't really speak 'refined elegance'." Miranda added.

Karin nodded, "More like 'personal escort' if you know what I mean." She laughed at Jane's look, "But don't worry, you're like a classy escort, one for high ranking politicians."

Jane was trying to stifle her laughter with a hand over her face, slowly shaking her head. "So, I wouldn't be too out of place then?"

Miranda shrugged and said in a flat tone, "It's perfect then."

Karin laughed openly while the other two tried to control themselves, "Do a turn before you go."

As Jane turned she spoke, "Hopefully he won't take it personally."

"Woah!" Miranda blurted out, "I thought the front was intense but after seeing the back… he wanted you to stand out. He may get offended if you don't wear it but I wouldn't worry about it."

Chakwas shook her head, "He'll get over it. Try on your mother's."

"Very well," she sighed and headed back into the room. She slipped out of the dress, carefully hanging it back up. She held out the next on; mostly black with silver lines that looked more promising than the first. When she put it on she wasn't sure how to feel. It was pretty, but she didn't feel comfortable in it. The more she looked at it, the more she noticed why it wouldn't work. The sleeves made her look older, the silver details made an effort to freshen it up; overall, it wasn't flattering for her. She exited and saw no reaction on her guests' end, yet again.

"I mean…" Miranda began, "It's nice."

"It's boring," Chakwas said definitively.

Jane laughed at Karin's reaction. The woman certainly didn't tiptoe around with her opinion.

"Why don't you just ditch these and pick something you actually like?" Karin said.

Jane turned to face the full length mirror. Her mother had made an effort to pick this out for her. True, it wasn't great but it wasn't awful either. Hannah Shepard had been through a lot without her daughter around and Jane felt obligated to wear it. "Well… she did take time to pick this out and I know she is hoping to see me in this."

"I know I don't understand mother – daughter relationships but wouldn't she want you to be happy with your own choice?"

"It's more that she expects what makes her happy would make me happy too," Jane said. "She means well, but I think it's hard for her to not see me as the person she has in mind."

"Seriously?" Miranda asked a little surprised.

Jane shrugged, "It's not like that with all mothers. But after raising their kids for so long, some imagine their kids a certain way and it's hard for them to accept us as our own person."

"Oh, Hannah will get over it," Karin waved her hand dismissively.

"I just… I want her to be happy…"

Karin's voice began to take on her motherly tone, "Shepard, I know you want to make an effort with your mom but you need to pick what you want. She will be happy to just have you back."

Jane nodded, "Even so, I don't really know what style or color or anything. I have kind of been avoiding this entire idea."

"What's Garrus's favorite color?" Miranda asked.

Chakwas, who was taking a sip of her drink began to joke on it.

"Uh… I… what?" Jane stammered out.

"Does he not have one?" Lawson looked between the two women. "I don't really know much about if turians have favorites of anything besides weapons and war strategies." She waited for an answer but could see that she had clearly shocked her commander though the doctor seemed more amused than surprised at the information. "Don't act so shocked. I have read everything on you and I keep tabs on you whenever you are on the ship. Granted, EDI has been acting a little strange for most direct questions concerning your secrecy."

Jane couldn't speak. She looked at Karin who was covering her mouth but her shoulders shook with a giggle.

"I have suspected it for a while. Actually most people did even before you died. You should hear some of the tall tales soldiers spread about you. There's some raunchy stuff."

"I don't… we don't…"

Karin rolled her eyes, "Oh, lord, Shepard, just stop trying to deny it. Admit it to the girl."

Miranda grinned, "You don't want it getting out, I figured as much. But why doesn't John know?"

"Jesus… everyone is figuring it out except him. Look, we've been trying to tell him since he boarded the ship but he doesn't speak to us. Does he… talk to either of you? Miranda, I've seen him visit you more than anyone else."

"We don't really speak. He mostly looks for a place to hide out from everyone. He is sorting through some things. What those things are, I don't know."

"Probably the fact that he doesn't speak to his friends and is too afraid to talk to Tali," Karin took a sip from her drink. "If there is one problem with the Shepards, it's their lack of communication." She looked at Jane, "Just take our commander for instance. It took you and Garrus how long to get together?"

"Can you both please stop making me the topic of discussion?"

Karin smiled and stood. She went over to the rack she had been at before and pulled out a dress. "You can stop being the center of discussion when we find you a dress and you tell us what color would grab Garrus's attention the most. But first, try this style on," she held out a the dress.

Jane snatched the dress from Chakwas, "Damn, I hate you both."

"Lawson," Karin said as Shepard walked away, "You know we will need to find something for you too."

"What about you?"

"I've already found mine. I just came for the fun."

"What kind of fun is there in dress shopping?"

Karin headed back to the racks. "I know how you were raised isn't exactly what some might call normal. But, did you ever have close friends?"

"No. I had my sister but I spent more of my time protecting her than 'hanging out'."

"Maybe you can find some here. So, any idea what style or color you might like?"

"I'll wait until Shepard decides before I start picking what I want. Isn't that some kind of girl code to not wear the same dress style or color?"

"Look at you, learning already," she chuckled.

She ran the mascara brush through her lashes, touching up the edges as she stared at the screen of her computer. Leaning back, she inspected her work; it was odd seeing herself with such a fancy look when she usually kept it very simple. Either way she was sure it wouldn't be as good as what her mother was expecting. Maybe I should have made an appointment for that too. I was just so worried someone would ask about my cybernetic scars, I didn't realize they were barely visible now. I guess Chakwas was right about the 'positive thoughts' thing, she smiled, And Garrus helped with that too. She touched her hair, turning her head trying to see the intricate details that had been done. It was more than what she was expecting, or hoping; she would have been fine with a slightly dressier bun but that was too close to what she normally did. Jane was almost convinced that her mother had gotten to them somehow. It was down but there were braids and curls and even some fine silver strands that would shine when the light hit them in the right way.

A ping sounded on her console, it was Chakwas calling her. Jane opened the message but before she could even say anything the woman spoke, "Are you coming down or do we need to retrieve you?"

"I'll be down in a second."

"I don't trust you. I'm sending someone." The link ended.

Jane took a deep breath. She was nervous, not about one particular thing but the entire evening. Standing from her desk, she went down the steps to stare at her hanging dress. How would she get through this night? Shaking off the thought, she figured she should get dressed before Miranda got up there. She took off her shirt and shorts she had been wearing while she put on her makeup and slipped into the dress. When she closed the side of the dress, she smoothed out the fabric, admiring the way it fit on her. Sitting on the edge of the couch, she picked up one of her heels and heard the door open.

"I'm just putting on my shoes," Jane called out. There was no answer. Once she was finished, she stood and stepped around the corner looking up at her guest, "John."

"Wow," he said, "I can't even tease you about not looking good. Jane, you look amazing." He put his hand out to her to help her up the steps.

"You look pretty dashing yourself, John. Decided to go with a classic tux?"

He looked down, adjusting his sleeves, "Yeah, it was a little hard to find but worth it I think." John held his elbow out and in an overly dramatic voice said, "May I escort my dearest sister to the elevator?"

Jane gave a curtsy and put her hand through her brother's arm, "Well, you sir are quite the gentleman!" she laughed. They made their way into the elevator and separated, John leaning against the side wall and Jane standing at the other. She watched him as they made their way down. "I'm glad that you're coming tonight, John."

He smiled back but it wasn't as full as it could have been, "Me too. You excited?"

She nodded, "Yeah, I guess I am excited to see what there is to it. I'm definitely a little nervous about encountering so many people since… you know."

John looked away abruptly, nodding. "I can understand that. So, is Mom going to be here?"

"Yeah, she is."

"That should make this a fun evening for both of us," he tried to give a lighthearted grin. The elevator came to a stop and the doors slid open.

"Yup, can't wait, especially since I am not wearing the dress she picked out for me."

"Uh oh! Someone's in trouble," he chuckled and moved to stand between the doors to wait until Jane exited.

"I feel like I'm always in trouble lately."

"No you aren't. You know that role is reserved for me."

"I know this isn't really the time but why won't you tell me about what happened with… everything? We don't talk anymore. We aren't what we used to be. I miss my brother."

John pulled her into a hug, "I know. And I'm sorry. I'll tell you more about it after tonight," he pulled back from her, "Sound good?"

"Sounds good," she smiled.

They made their way towards the airlock where everyone was waiting. Jane looked down at her manicured nails, trying not to pick at them nervously. What would the team think? What would Garrus think? Damn, she wished they had gotten a chance to tell John so she could walk in to the Gala with her turian as her date.

Jane slowed her steps and looked over her shoulder when she felt eyes on her. Jack leaned against the back wall of the CIC with Tali and Kasumi on either side of her. "Go ahead, John. I'm just going to say goodbye."

He looked at who Jane was talking about and said in a choked response, "Sure, I'll wait with the rest of the crew. Say 'bye' for me too."

As Shepard walked towards them, Jack gave a cat-calling whistle, "Don't you clean up nice, Shepard."

"Looking pretty fancy," Kasumi smiled from under her hood, "I love the dress."

"You look beautiful, Shepard," Tali added, even managing to have some cheer to her voice.

Jack smirked, "The back looks awesome, but I think you could show some more skin in the front. Show off a bit of that rack because damn!"

"Jack!" Kasumi scolded, "This is our commander!"

"What? We're on leave, I'm speaking as a friend. She's always in that armor or totally covered in her 'rest' uniform. A rack like that has got to breathe."

"Not all of us have your confidence, Jack," Jane said.

Jack shrugged with a smirk.

Jane looked at each of them, "I wish I could have you guys there."

Kasumi noticed Tali start to hang her head, "You know that place couldn't handle all of us there. Just be sure to tell us all about it when you come back. Be sure to dance a few dances for us."

Shepard nodded and started to walk away, giving a small wave.

"Shepard, wait!" Tali suddenly exclaimed. She hurried to Jane but hesitated before giving her friend a hug, "Tell me all about it when you get back."

Jane couldn't speak while she was hugging her friend. They had barely spoken since Tali had joined the crew and she was so relieved that there was now an opening in Tali's emotional wall. Right now, tears welled in her eyes and she was worried that her voice would break her resolve. When they parted, Jane nodded before answering, "Of course I will. And not just about tonight," she winked.

"I'm sorry," Tali whispered. "I'm sorry that I haven't been around."

"Tali, you don't have to apologize," Jane tried to comfort her friend with a smile. "You can still come tonight."

"No, no…" she looked over to where she had last seen John and then looked down at herself, "I wouldn't fit in. Just have fun."

Jane nodded, "Thanks and I hope you will too. I'm sure you guys have got stuff planned. See you later."

"Bye…" Tali finally managed to say. She felt Jack pat her shoulder.

"Come on, I got some quarian safe alcohol. Let's go get drunk."

"Ugh!" Joker groaned. "Why do women always take so long?!" he whined and then looked at the three standing around him. "And by that I mean why does Shepard take so long?"

"Kasumi, Jack, and Tali are seeing her off," John answered.

"Wow, you managed to say that without any hesitation," Joker smirked.

"You better be careful, Joker," Jacob said after seeing John's glare.

"It's fine. He won't hit me. I've got the crippled card and it has unlimited uses."

Chakwas shook her head, "I still wouldn't push it."

"He's got nothing to worry about. Besides, he's only acting like this because he doesn't look as good as me," John adjusted his tie and held his head a little higher.

"How much did that cost you?" Jacob asked. "Those are hard to come by, especially on the Citadel."

"You don't want to know," John laughed. "Speaking of looking good," he moved over to Garrus who was standing a short distance from the group, "How did you find this get up on short notice?"

Garrus adjusted his suit. If he had to admit, he was a little nervous; he never got a chance to tell John about his relationship with Jane and he really wanted to spend time with her tonight. "I couldn't get my military uniform but the Citadel is very turian friendly, so there was plenty to choose from."

"Well you look good, man. And Thane, human style suits your fancy?"

Thane stood with his hands clasped behind his back, "Drell fashion is always hard to find and on short notice it was impossible. But it is good that drell and human body shape is similar, otherwise I may not have been able to attend."

Kelly leaned towards Miranda and Karin but didn't bother to keep her voice down, "Who would have guessed it would be the men talking more about the outfits than the women."

"Somebody needs to pick up the slack. We all know Miranda won't act girly tonight," John winked. He opened his mouth again to speak but stopped when he heard Jane's heels clacking on the metal.

"Finally…" Joker muttered but smiled at seeing his friend come into view. He had to admit she looked gorgeous. Even though he wouldn't be able to read the expression, he glanced at Garrus.

Garrus almost lost his composure when she stepped off the ship. He wanted to sweep her up in his arms, tell her how much she meant to him, but he couldn't, at least, not right now. When Jane explained to him what a formal gown would entail, he had searched images to see what she would be in but he was not prepared for the sheer number of styles. At first, he could picture her in every dress he saw and was unsure how a decision could possibly be made. Now that he saw her, he couldn't imagine her in anything else.

Her fringe was down but small pieces were woven together like he had seen her do before. There were curls and waves and if he wasn't mistaken, silver laced and woven into her hair. He always did like the look of silver more than gold and he always thought it complimented her appearance much better. His eyes caught hers for a moment and he could feel the intensity in that single look. Her dress was a mixture of blues and blacks that seemed to shift and move from an iridescence making her clothes look like the night sky. An intricate line design edged the top, becoming straps. Everything on her torso seemed to form to her skin without looking uncouth. There was a line of rhinestones across the bodice, like a comet, that then appeared to explode and scatter over the skirt. A slit opened on the side of her skirt up past her knee, giving just enough flare and drama when she walked.

"Oh, Shepard… wow," Kelly said, stepping to her commander, "that dress is… oh, there are no words. I love this blue and the way it shimmers!"

"Thank you, Kelly," Jane smiled. "You look beautiful. The green really compliments you."

Kelly nervously laughed, "Thank you… I just wish I had the chance to go when you three went. I feel like I'm not up to par with all of you."

"I reserved us some rapid transports for tonight," Joker said. "They should be here any second."

"Wow, look at you, Joker!" Jane smirked and lightly patted him on the shoulder. "Who knew you could plan ahead."

"Yeah, yeah," he put one arm around Jane, "I just didn't want to walk that much. I may have 'better' legs but it doesn't mean that they don't hurt after a while."

They mingled for a while outside of the ship, occasionally seeing some of the ship's crew show up to get a glimpse at them. When the vehicles arrived, the group struggled trying to figure out who would go in which transports. Joker stepped up to take charge since he had called the transports and started assigning individuals to each vehicle; Karin, Mordin, Kelly, John, and Jacob were put in one and put himself, Jane, Garrus, Thane, and Miranda in the other. As Jane was getting into the vehicle, she saw John look across at her and then at his own location, wondering why he was put into a separate one from her. As she moved into the back, she looked at Joker who gave her a wink before settling into his seat.

Catching onto the idea, Garrus moved to the back of the transport and acted nonchalant as he sat next to her. He placed his hand on the seat between them and soon felt her fingers run along the back of his hand. As he turned his hand up, hers slid into it. Garrus looked up the transport and saw the others busy talking to each other or having their attention elsewhere. He leaned over to whisper in her ear, "You look beautiful."

She leaned towards him, brushing her cheek against his mandibles. Glancing at the rest of the vehicle occupants, she gave her attention back to Garrus, "Thank you. You look very handsome."

He lifted their entwined hands to inspect her colored ends. They first appeared black but as he rotated them he could see a blue that matched her dress. "I didn't know there could be a dress quite like this. It suits you," he smirked.

"Do you like it? I had a difficult time finding the right dress and color. I was hoping to get your clan color though."

He chuckled, "And why would you even want my clan color?"

She looked down, "I just thought you might like it."

He lifted her face, "I just want you to choose it because you like it, not because of me. I'll admit, I do like it on you. It brings out your eyes."

"How would you know if it brings out my eyes?"

He smirked at her, "That night when the old crew was all together. You wore my clan color that night."

Jane blushed profusely, "That wasn't completely on purpose."

He laughed but didn't say anything else.

She checked their company again and looked him up and down, "Your suit looks good on you. Did it take a while to find it?"

"A little while but it wasn't too bad. The Citadel makes it easy for turians and getting clan colors incorporated isn't complicated." He looked between the two of them, "If your blue was a little lighter we would almost match."

Jane smiled, "I guess I should have gotten a lighter color."

"No, this is perfect," he touched his forehead to hers quickly then separated, leaning back to his side of the vehicle and slowly letting his hand slide from hers.

Thane tilted his head away from the back of the vehicle giving his attention back to Joker. He had seen part of the interaction between the commander and the turian; not that he was surprised by it. They seemed to hover around each other. The two seemed to want to keep their relationship quiet but Thane was sure most had guessed and those that hadn't would soon. He noticed their outfits almost seemed to complement each other, whether it was on purpose or by accident he wasn't sure but if they were seen together too much tonight they would reveal themselves to whoever they were trying to keep in the dark.

The transport came to a stop with Thane getting out to help some of the others. Jane looked around, seeing individuals of all species heading in the same direction towards the gala. She could see others off in the distance, adults and children watching those in attendance walk past, lined up to watch the spectacle.

Garrus moved beside her, "The back looks fantastic. I never thought you would show that much skin."

She smiled, "I know it's out of the ordinary but I think the details of the trim are eye grabbing."

"I would certainly say so."

Thane tried not to stare at the couple that was being obvious, yet again. He looked in the direction of the rest of their group and saw John start to take notice of Shepard and Vakarian. "Shepard," Thane called out. She turned and walked towards him. He could hear her heels clack on the floor and her dress shimmered as she walked towards him; she certainly was enchanting.

"Yes, Thane?"

He gave a small bow, "A beautiful woman shouldn't walk into this event alone." He straightened and held out his arm, "May I escort you in?"

"Thank you, Thane. That is very kind of you." She thought about how she could turn him down without seeming mean but she couldn't see how. So, she slipped her arm into his, and looked at their group, "Shall we?" she said with a smile but gave an apologetic look to Garrus.

Garrus tensed. He didn't know what Thane's intentions were and the drell was probably just being friendly but Garrus couldn't help but feel a little jealous of the drell and upset with himself for not thinking of it himself. He thought back to when he smelled Thane all over Shepard and started to see red. He felt a tap on his shoulder, snapping him out of his tension. "Chambers."

"Ugh," Kelly groaned, "I know you are turian and proper but you can call me Kelly. Would you please escort me?"

"Uh, sure," before he could even get his arm up, she put her hand around his arm, smiling one of the biggest smiles he had ever seen. He glanced at Jane who was now glaring at Kelly.

"Would you like to escort me, Miranda?" John smiled.

"Do I have to?" she groaned.

John laughed and held out his arm, "Then let me escort you."

She looked to Shepard for help but received a nod, "I guess that can be allowed," she rolled her eyes.

Mordin and Chakwas silently linked arms.

Joker and Jacob looked at the paired individuals around them then looked at each other. "So I guess this means we have to be paired up," Jacob shrugged.

Joker laughed, "Wow, don't you know how to make a boy feel special."

"Oh, I'm sorry, come here, I'll escort you in."

"No. No," Joker wavered his voice and draped his hand over his forehead dramatically, "the moment has passed. I'm too hurt by your words."

"Joker," Jane smiled and held a hand out, "you can escort me too."

"No," he laughed, "I wouldn't want to risk you dress getting caught in my leg braces."

"We are both strong, independent men," Jacob said, "We can walk in alone. Let's go."

"Okay," Jane smiled and looked to Thane who gave his signature small nod before proceeding forward.

They walked towards the entrance taking in the sights of the decorations and guests as they got closer. At first, the only decorations were the white string lights guiding those in attendance in the correct direction. Jane was thankful there was someone to keep her going on the right track because she was getting distracted by the whispers around her.

"Who is that?"

"That's Spectre Shepard."

"I thought she was dead."

"It can't be her."

"Did she have a sister?"

"She had a brother but that his him there. That must be her!"

"We must be seeing things!"

"No, it's her!"

She felt a hand squeeze her fingers and looked to her companion. The very edge of Thane's mouth curved into a small smile and even that tiny movement was enough to reassure her. She looked ahead, seeing a turn into their allocated space. When they turned the corner there was an explosion of color in the form of lights, flowers, and the banners of each species. Each banner had a large section of the wall with their colors back lighting the space and a large floral display sitting under each. The first display was the asaris, followed by turians, salarians, and humans, the Council seats. After that, there were the banners of other species, receiving just as much space as every other one.

Making their way into the main space, the tables were strategically placed throughout the first half of the room leading up to a large designated dancefloor with empty space surrounding it for viewing that wouldn't interfere with table space. Past that was the stage for a band as well as a set up for a sound system so there could be a switch between the two. Each table had centerpieces that included something from every species so one didn't appear to be excluded. Lights and fabric decorated the walls with spotlights projecting colored lights onto the ceiling that moved like the aurora lights on Earth, with the colors occasionally changing in theme. The band was playing a gentle, flowing tune, perfect for greeting the guests as they arrived. Even with the lights decorating the walls, the space wasn't exceptionally bright but just enough to give a comfortable space to navigate through the crowds and provide a welcoming space for all the guests.

Jane was so busy taking in the view that she barely noticed the attendant approaching them. He was human and seemed to be a little in awe of who he would be escorting.

"Commander Shepard," he said with a surprisingly solid voice, despite his nerves, "if you and your party would follow me, I will lead you to your table."

She kept expecting him to stop but their attendant kept moving. They couldn't be this high in the standing, could they?

"Is it just me," Thane said leaning in to whisper to Jane, "or are we close to the Council's table?" He nodded to the side.

"I guess we are more special than I thought," she responded.

"Of course we are. It's nice to see some respect," John tried to joke but was a little unnerved himself.

"I'm sure it was Anderson's doing," Jane added. "Looks like we might be in for an interesting night."

I know that I haven't described some of the other outfits, but I'm getting there. I didn't want to make you wait any longer for the chapter.