John Shepard was sitting at the Normandy's mess hall table, drumming his fingers on its surface, when Tali put her hand on his thigh.

"So there I was," Garrus said, "firing shot after shot at the nastiest pack of those red-furred…"

He stopped listening to Garrus' hunting story and looked at her. She was sitting right beside him, and his heart turned to mush at the way she was looking at him. Even now, over an hour and a half since the ship had landed, she kept staring at him, as if awestruck by his presence. She had never been further than an arm's length away and kept touching him, as though confirming that he was real.

His free hand met the one she had placed on his thigh, and he gave it a gentle squeeze.

"I wrestled with the pack leader," James continued, "and the pendejo kept snarling and growling, trying…"

He was only partially listening. But still, he couldn't help but marvel that his crew had survived for over three months on an alien world, having to hunt and forage like ancient hunter-gatherers. It couldn't have been easy.

And his beloved…

His heart broke at the thought of how much she must have suffered, of how she had believed he was dead but chose to live on, racked with crippling psychological pain.

How did she ever cope?

There was so much he wanted to say to her.

But If only they could get some time alone.

She caressed his thigh, and he smiled. God, he couldn't wait to get to Rannoch and set up their new life. He couldn't wait to wake up every morning to her heelrou and find her nuzzled right beside him.

So perhaps he should take his first steps towards making that future a reality.

He stood up. "If you'll excuse me, I have to use the bathroom." Tali looked at him, longingly, and began to wring her hands. "I'll be back in no time," he whispered into an audio receptor of her helmet.

And then he made his way to the bathroom.

"What's the matter, Tali?" he heard Garrus ask on the way there. "Can't handle a whole minute without him?"

Tali scoffed. "Remember Garrus, I have a shotgun."

Soon, he entered the bathroom and locked himself within the nearest stall before sitting on the toilet. He then opened a window on his omni-tool and began typing out a message addressed to Admiral Hackett.

Dear Admiral Hackett,

Circumstances have changed. Just over ninety minutes ago, the SSV Normandy docked at the London spaceport, and it turns out my crew survived their ordeal unharmed. So as inconvenient as this might be, I will be resigning as prefect of camps one through six effective immediately. The supervisor of camp two is a hard-working and very competent individual, so he will make a more than worthy replacement.

I hope you understand.

Best Regards,

Ret. Admiral John Shepard.

He pressed send, then left the bathroom and went back into the mess hall. There, he took his seat beside Tali. And for the next half hour or so, he listened to more of his crew's experiences on that alien world, about their numerous hunting expeditions, about how the Normandy's plumbing had failed, and everyone had to wash with buckets of water collected from the river and the nearest streams.

Eventually, Ashley yawned. Yes, now was the time to wrap this up.

"Well anyways," he said, standing up, "it's getting late. After everything you've been through, I'm sure all of you are just dying for a hot meal and a comfy bed."

Ashley laughed. "Damn right, skipper."

"There will be plenty of time to catch up more in the morning." His gaze met Tali's, and he didn't need to say anything. Without hesitation, she followed him towards the elevator and he wrapped one arm around her waist. As they waited for the elevator to arrive, he pulled her close to him, and she began to make heelrou.

He smiled. "I know you're excited. But already, Miss Vas Normandy?"

She giggled. "Oh, shut up, you bosh'tet."

The elevator arrived, and they stepped within. On the brief way up to deck one, she nuzzled into him, and a warm, euphoric sensation filled his chest. Adrenaline rushed through his veins in sheer anticipation for the moments to come.

When the elevator arrived on deck one, they stepped outside. The decontamination unit initialized, and seemed to take forever to rid them of foreign contaminants. But eventually, it ended. Then he and his saera entered their cabin.

"Aaah," he said, taking off his coat. At the same time, a hiss filled the air, as she took off her mask, "home sweet home."

He glanced at his fish tank, and just like Garrus had said, it was empty. The crew had eaten every fish within when levo food stores had run out.

He stepped down the small staircase, towards the foot of his bed. "Everything looks just like how I left it." He sat on the bed and took off his socks and shoes, only to hear a weak sob.

His attention snapped to Tali, and tears were streaming down her cheeks.

"Tali?" he asked softly. Why was she crying? Did it have to do with the pain she had suffered during their separation? "Tali, are you okay?"

She looked at him and smiled. "Oh, I…I'm sorry, John. I'm fine. It's just…"

He stood up and approached her. Looking deeply into her eyes, he held her close with one hand and stroked her cheek with the other, wiping away her tears. "It's just what?"

She let out a joyful sob and leaned into his touch. "All of this, everything that's happened in the past few hours, it still feels so…so surreal. Just days ago, I was convinced we'd never share this cabin again, that I'd have to live on as only half a person. And yet here we are, with the worst finally behind us. Even now, I can't help but wonder if I'd died and finally found you amongst the ancestors."

He kissed her, then rested his forehead against hers. Their noses touched. "I know how you feel. For over two months, I waited…and waited for any sign that you were still out there, for any sign that you were still alive. Just hours ago, I was convinced I'd never see you again, that your photo and the memories we made would be all I'd have left of you." He kissed her again, then started caressing the small of her back. "I was fully prepared to live the rest of my life alone. And yet here we are, with nothing standing between us." He let out a weak laugh, and his eyes watered. "So yes…maybe we really did die. Maybe we really did find each other amongst the ancestors."

She burst into a fit of joyful sobs. His gaze met hers. His pulse climbed in the ensuing silence.

Then she grabbed his head and mashed her lips against his, kissing him hungrily and passionately. He wrapped his arms around her, then pulled her into him, closing his eye, humming with bliss. Then soon, she pushed him onto the bed and straddled his waist. Deepening the kiss, she slipped her tongue into his mouth. He did the same, and their tongues brushed and swirled against each other, as he ran one hand up her back, and the other down onto her buttocks.

Every second, his heart pounded faster, flooding him with adrenaline. Every second, his breathing grew faster, and blood rushed to his manhood, giving him a painfully hard erection.

Soon, her heelrou filled the air, and a warm, heavenly sensation coursed through him, relaxing his every muscle.

Oh, how he had missed this.

It had been far too long.

Soon, they grew breathless and she broke the kiss, her cheeks flush as she panted.

The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

"Undress," she whispered in his ear before dismounting him. Sitting on the edge of the bed, she removed her helmet, her gloves, her boots, and then her neck collar. Meanwhile, he removed his shirt and his pants. Then once more, they were facing each other, their knees on the bed.

She ran one hand across his recently-acquired scars. "Keelah…" She looked at him with such love, such concern, "what…what happened to you?"

Holding her close with one hand, he cupped her neck with the other, then pressed his lips to hers in a long, slow kiss. When their lips parted with a faint smack, he looked deeply into her eyes, his nose touching her own. "It's nothing. Just the small price I had to pay to come back to you."

She smiled and let out a weak laugh. Then once more, they were exchanging kisses. Meanwhile, he ran his hands along her curves, along her thin waist, her wide hips, and her luscious breasts, teasing her, removing the belts, buckles, and cloths around her suit. Sweating, he removed her astronaut hood and planted kisses all over her neck, her cheeks, and then her lips.

During one kiss, she let out a hungry growl, then pushed him back onto the bed. She stared at him, her eyes brimming with lust. "No more teasing. Just lie there and watch while I unsuit for you." She bit her lip. "And then you'll be mine."

His eyes went wide. His mouth fell open, and he couldn't help but feel taken aback. He grinned. Ooh, so assertive! "As you command, Miss Vas Normandy."

He did as she asked and removed his boxers. Meanwhile, she got off the bed, then completely captured his attention when she began to unsuit.

Unlike him, she had always been an incredible dancer, able to move her body with inhuman grace and fluidity. As she stripped for him, she swayed her hips and touched herself in ways that drove him wild. He couldn't look away. The longer he watched her, the faster his heart raced, the more he sweated, and the harder it got to breathe. Ceaselessly, he battled the urge to pounce on her, to ravage her like some dirty whore.

But he restrained himself.

She looked at him and smiled. "Like what you see?" she asked playfully. She giggled, and soon she was completely naked. Hardly able to breathe, he marveled at her wide, luscious hips; her lean, toned waist; her round, perky breasts; and her glowing, white eyes. Yes, she was perfect, an exotic, alien beauty that always left him awestruck.

Just then, she climbed onto the bed and crawled over him, planting kisses on his neck, his cheeks, and then his lips, huffing through her nose and trilling with delight. The whole time, he held her close, and her soft, delicate skin felt heavenly against his. Soon, the warm wetness between her legs leaked onto his inner thighs, and his manhood throbbed and tingled. Soon, they were both sweating and panting, and…

Fuck, he couldn't take this much longer. If he didn't–

Just then, she leaned back, and their lips parted. Breathing heavily, she reached behind her with one hand and grabbed his manhood. Carefully, she lowered her wet slit onto it, and inch by inch, it slid inside. As it did so, her inner walls squeezed around its length, and the surrounding heat tingled its every nerve.

"Oh, god…" He moaned, closing his eye, and throwing his head back into the mattress. He stared into her eyes. "Tali…"

Biting her lip, she planted her hands on his chest, then began to roll her hips back and forth, or in circles, moving her waist like an exotic dancer. The whole time, they never broke eye contact, and she looked at him with all the love and lust her eyes could convey.

Yes, he was in paradise right now.

As she rode him, he ran his hands up her thighs, onto her waist, and then her breasts. They were intoxicatingly soft and plush. When he moved one hand up to her supple neck, she tilted her head and sucked on his thumb.

The sight sent him into a lust-fueled haze.

He sat up, and she grabbed his head and pulled him in for a deep kiss. Holding her as close to him as possible, he huffed through his nose, whilst she hummed with bliss. Their tongues twirled. And every second, she rolled her hips faster and faster, becoming sexually feral. Soon, she broke the kiss and rested her forehead against his, gasping, moaning louder and louder.

Until she cradled the back of his head, and arched her back into him, letting out an ear-piercing moan of ecstasy.

Panting, she went limp in his arms. Lying back down on the bed, he grabbed her hips, then thrusted away. Wet clops filled the room, and she kissed and licked his neck, her heelrou loud and intense.

For a moment, he lost himself in the experience, enraptured in a feast of euphoria. With every thrust, the pressure in his groin mounted…and mounted…

Until it exploded in an earth-shattering orgasm.

Amidst it, he wrapped his arms around his saera and held her tight, his manhood spasming as he moaned in ecstasy. Breathing heavily, he lay back down on the bed, limp and drained. His beloved did the same, lying atop him, and for a while, they didn't move.

Wrapping one arm around her, he savored the feel of her skin against his, of their hearts beating in sync. Closing his eye, he listened to her heelrou, and his every muscle relaxed.

But eventually, she shivered.

He opened his eye. "Cold?"

She nodded, and he melted at the way she looked at him. Smiling, he covered them both with the blanket, then shut off the lights with the small control panel on the nightstand. She cuddled into him, and he wrapped one arm around her waist and held her tight.

He let out a deep, contented sigh.

Yes, the pain he suffered on the Citadel had been worth it. Without a doubt, he would have crawled through the rubble a hundred times, a thousand times, if he knew this moment was to come.

Rannoch, here we come…

----------------------------------------

Tali'Zorah lay atop her saera in the darkness of their cabin, under the sheets of its soft, plushy bed. All night long, they had alternated between making love, lightly napping, and talking about their future, making up for as much lost time as possible. But now, he was sound asleep. Now, she basked in his body heat and listened to his heartbeat, watching his chest rise and fall with every breath.

Earlier, they had agreed to adopt their first orphan, a quarian boy, at least five years after settling into their new lives on Rannoch, and their second orphan, a quarian girl, at least three years after that. Undoubtedly, she'd name her son Zhoru, just like the boy in her dreams. But what about her daughter? Perhaps she'd name her Aelina, after the great founder of Clan Zorah itself.

John stirred. "What was I supposed to do?"

Again, he was talking in his sleep. Keelah, what was he dreaming about? Was it a nightmare?

"I didn't have a choice…It was you or us…"

You or us? Was he referring to EDI and the Geth, just like Kasumi had said?

"No…No, you can't do that…Stop!"

He gasped and sat up explosively. Panting, he looked all around him, as if he had just woken up to an ambush.

Ancestors, what kind of nightmare had he just woken up to? What was robbing him of the peace he deserved, haunting his every waking moment? His experience on the Crucible?

Whatever it was, she would not allow it to consume him.

She sat up and put her hand on his arm. "John? John, please, calm down."

As soon as she said that, he looked at her.

"It was just a dream, John," she said. "Please, come back to bed."

He gulped, then did as she asked. Again, they were lying on the bed, under its sheets. He spooned her, and she nuzzled into him.

"John?" she asked, breaking the silence.

"Yes?"

Was now a good time to ask? "What were you dreaming about?"

He paused. She turned and faced him. And his eyes were full of shame.

"Nothing serious," he said eventually. He took a deep breath, "just about…some of the decisions I've had to make recently, that and their consequences."

Like what happened to EDI and the Geth? "Like what?"

Again, he went silent, unable to meet her gaze. He pursed his lips, then exhaled. And her heart broke at the pain and guilt in his eyes. Already, her eyes were growing wet with tears.

"You were…talking in your sleep," she said, "saying that you didn't have a choice, that it was either 'you or us'." His body stiffened up. His lip quivered, and his eyes were wet with tears. Oh, ancestors help him. She put one hand on his cheek. "Saera?"

His body relaxed, and he met her gaze.

She moved closer to him until their noses were touching. "Whatever happened on the Crucible, whatever decisions you had to make, I…I can't imagine how difficult they must have been for you. Keelah, I can see the pain in your eyes. I know how hard you're fighting to keep it buried, to keep it locked away forever. But never forget that you don't have to suffer it alone." She kissed him, then started stroking his cheek.

He gulped. "I was going to tell you. It's just…"

"That the pain is still too raw? That you still can't put it into words?"

"Yes, I…"

"It's okay," she said, "I understand. Just remember, whenever you're ready to talk about it…" She kissed him again, "I'll be there for you."

He smiled and let out a weak laugh. "I promise I will." Once more, he met her gaze. "Tell me, though…were you still awake when I started talking in my sleep? Have you gotten any rest at all?"

Ancestors, he always downplayed his problems and focused on listening to her own. He was always so selfless, more quarian than over half the people she knew.

"I…I don't want to sleep."

He kissed her, then began stroking her cheek. "Why?"

She melted at the way he was looking at her. She took a deep breath. "On that fre'eg ball of a planet, there were so many nights where I dreamt about you, about the life we always wanted. They always started off so happy, but every time, they'd end the same way, with you and our son running towards the beam, with Harbinger burning you to ash. Every time, I'd wake up screaming and…"

"And I wouldn't be there?"

Keelah, he understood her so well. She let out a joyful sob, and tears streamed down her cheeks. "Yes, you…you wouldn't be there. I'd always wake up in the darkness of this cabin, feeling so cold and so lonely, reminded that you were gone, that I'd never feel complete ever again." She burst into tears, and John embraced her, letting her cry into his shoulder. "Keelah, it was horrible. So horrible, John. Every day, I wanted to die. I wanted to die and join you amongst the ancestors."

When she stopped crying, John cupped the back of her neck, then pressed his forehead to hers. "Tali. The pain you went through…I'm sorry."

"You have nothing to be sorry for," she said with as much conviction as possible. "None of it was your fault. If I hadn't–"

He put one finger on her lips. "Sssh. Don't finish that sentence." He kissed her, then started caressing her cheek. "It wasn't your fault either. What matters now is that we're alive, together again, with nothing standing between us." Once more, he kissed her. "This is real, saera." He kissed her once. "I'm real." Twice. "I'm yours." Then he pulled her in for a long, slow one on the lips. She leaned into it, humming, letting her tongue play with his. Soon, their lips separated with a faint smack. "And you can be damned sure I'll be right beside you every time you wake up."

She burst into a fit of happy sobs. "Keelah, this…this is paradise. I don't think I'll ever be happier."

He laughed. "Is that so?"

"Yes," she said, letting her body relax, "you are the greatest, most wonderful thing to have ever come into my life. As long as I have you, I don't need anyone or anything else."

"Not even Rannoch?"

"Not even Rannoch," she said, tracing her fingers along his broad, but scarred chest. "Without you, a house there would have felt meaningless and empty anyway."

He let out a weak laugh, and a single tear streamed down his cheek. "Come here."

They made love once again. The whole time, a soothing euphoric sensation coursed through her limbs, and she felt as though she were lying atop the softest cloud. In the afterglow, she lay her head on his chest, singing her heelrou.

And for the first time in months, she drifted off to sleep without a worry in the galaxy.

Yes, the nightmares would haunt her no longer.