Epilogue: Scenes from lives lived together.

*6 months after the Reaper war ended*

Kaidan smiled to himself as he looked out the large window before him. The setting sun reflected off the water, sending beams of light scattering everywhere. He stood on a raised platform in the main hall of the half-rebuilt Alliance Command Center in Vancouver, just a few floors down from where he had stood so long ago, watching Shepard stride back into his life.

He pulled his attention away from the view, and scanned the crowd. The Normandy crew, minus Garrus, stood towards the front of the crowd, with Kaidan's students behind them. Admiral Hackett was there, as was the rest of the surviving high ranking military officials from the Alliance and their allied fleets. Civilians filled out the rest of the crowd, Earth survivors, and refugees from the Citadel alike.

His smile faded slightly at the lack of familiar faces. Troy and Elsa were alive, but stranded on Terra Nova, and his parents were both on the list of the known dead. He had poured through the list extensively, and found himself to be the only Alenko left. Well, for about five more minutes. On either edge of the crowd, small red lights blinked up at him, and Diana Allers and Khalisah al-Jilani glared at each other. Hackett finished his conversation, and stepped up to stand behind Kaidan.

"Major? Are you ready?"

"Yes, Sir."

Shifting his weight nervously, he rubbed the back of his neck and tried to push his worries away. Calm down. This is what you've wanted for years.

A hush fell over the room, and everyone turned to stare at the large doors at the back of the room.

Garrus stepped through the door, standing proud in the Turian equivalent of a suit, Shepard leaning on his arm. Her hair was down, soft waves in hair that had never before seen curlers, and she wore a white sundress someone had scavenged from an abandoned shop. It had been too big for her, but Private Campbell had shown great prowess with a uniform repair kit, and brought it down to a more form fitting size. The thin straps exposed the scars on her chest and shoulders, but Kaidan didn't care. She had never looked more beautiful.

She beamed as she looked up at him, and steadied herself on Garrus. Physical therapy had been helping, but she was still far away from regaining her former strength. They walked towards him, and Kaidan felt a grin spread across his face. This is actually happening.

When they finally reached him, he stepped down to them, and shook hands with Garrus.

"Thank you."

"Any time." The Turian turned to Shepard, and hugged her gently, before handing her to Kaidan. As he took her hand, he felt every nerve in his body shake. She looked up at him, and laughed.

"Major."

"Commander."

They stepped back up onto the platform, and turned to face the Admiral.

Before he started speaking, he leaned forward, and spoke softly to them.

"Shepard, I know you didn't want to make this a huge spectacle, but I appreciate you agreeing to it." He sighed. "I know Anderson would have wanted to do this himself, but guess I feel he's here in spirit." Shepard nodded, taking a deep breath.

"Yeah. I hope so."

Hackett leaned back, and addressed the crowd.

"Comrades, allies, and friends. We have come here today, in the heart of the rebuilding effort, to celebrate the marriage of Major Kaidan Alenko, and Commander Yu Shepard." There was a snort from somewhere in the Normandy crew, probably from Vega. Kaidan had forgotten how few people knew what Shepard's official first name was. Shepard made a face, then relaxed as Hackett continued. "Both not only of Earth, but this city. The first two human Spectres, and saviors of the galaxy. They united us all to fight those that would destroy us, and now, they unite themselves to live a life of peace."

Shepard shifted her weight, bracing herself against Kaidan's hands. They had asked the Admiral for a short ceremony, for the sake of Shepard's healing muscles.

"By the power vested in me by the Alliance, I pronounced you husband and wife." He smiled at them encouragingly. "Major?"

Kaidan wrapped his arms around Shepard's waist, pulling her against him tightly. She flung her arms around her neck, lifting herself onto her toes. The rest of the world melted away as he kissed her, he didn't realize how long they had stood there until Hackett coughed and tapped him on the shoulder. He broke out of the kiss, and rested his forehead against Shepard's.

"Hi."

"Hi." She laughed, and leaned back to shake Hackett's hand. "Thank you, Admiral."

"It was an honor, Commander. Major."

They stepped down into the waiting crowd of well wishers and were immediately swept into a crowd of friends. Over an hour was spent making sure every single person was greeted, then made their way to the docked Normandy. The damage the ship had taken in their escape from the EMP blast was finally starting to catch up, so they were dry docked for a few weeks.

When they reached the ship and headed down to the crew level, loud cheering greeted them. Not only the Normandy crew was there, but Shepard's previous allies, and their other friends. Jack and her students, Wrex, Jacob and Brynn, and several others that Kaidan didn't recognize. Vega pressed glasses into their hands, and assured them it hadn't come from the still he and Cortez had definitely not built on the flight deck. Shepard raised her eyebrows at him, and Garrus raised his glass, waiting for the room to fall silent.

"Part of me never thought you two would make it." He said with a laugh. "Things kept getting in your way. Protocol, death, Reapers... Joker." He waited for everyone to stop laughing. Joker shrugged, sitting at the mess table between Liara and Doctor Chakwas. "But I'm glad you kept finding your way back to each other. I'm honored to have served with you both, and count you as friends. Kaidan and Shepard!"

"Kaidan and Shepard!" Everyone repeated, then drank.

"Holy shit, Vega!" Shepard gasped. "What is this?"

"I have no idea." The large man admitted. "It's like... kinda tequila?"

Kaidan put his face in his hand. This evening is going to end badly for a lot of people.

The party raged into the night, and after a few glasses, the taste of the alcohol faded away. Kaidan laughed as Shepard finally willed herself to try dancing with Jack and Liara. She couldn't pull that off when she was healthy, with all her injuries, she just looks even more silly. He grinned around the room, his students were all passed out at the table, unaccustomed to the strength of the drinks they had been sneaking all evening. Several of the couples had slipped away, and the rest of the crew was starting to wind down. The cots in the med bay were all filled with guests too tired to return to their own lodging and ships, and Vega and Cortez were playing cards, Vega using one of the unconscious students as a coaster. Kaidan stared down at his hand, at the thick band of gold on his finger. Thank you, Anderson. For the rings. For Shepard. For everything.

Pulling himself up from the table, Kaidan stepped over to the makeshift dance floor and took Shepard gently by the arm.

"I think it's time to call it a night." He said softly. She stopped dancing, and wiped her forehead.

"Sounds like a good plan."

They made their way to the lift, and stepped on board. As they rode up in silence, Shepard leaned against his shoulder, letting her fingers find his. When they got off the lift, Kaidan stopped in the small hall between the elevator and their cabin.

"Everything okay?" Shepard asked, staring up at him in the dim light.

"Just... one last thing I have to do to make today perfect." He knelt down, swiftly wrapping one arm around her waist, and the other around her knees.

"Wha-?" She cried out as he cradled her to his chest and stood.

"Tradition, Shepard." He laughed, and hit the door release with his elbow. He carried her in, setting her down gently on the bed. "Or are you Commander Mrs. Alenko now?"

She wrinkled her nose at him.

"Maybe one day. When we get to retire from being political figureheads, and get to settle down with a family."

Kaidan followed her onto the bed, letting himself sink down on top of her.

"One day." He agreed, leaning forward to kiss his new wife, and enjoy the privileges that entailed.

*Eight months after the war ended*

Kaidan sat nervously at the Normandy's mess table, waiting for Doctor Chakwas to finish her exam of Shepard. She had been exhausted lately, practically back to her post-surgery state. She had also been nauseous and dizzy, some days having to spend hours in bed with a pillow over her face.

What if something's wrong? What if her body's rejecting something they did during her surgery?

As he sat, he absently twisted his wedding band, feeling the cool metal slide against his skin.

"Are you still here?" Garrus asked, sticking his head out of the battery. "Didn't you have a meeting to go to?"

"Postponed it." He called back. "Shepard's sick, and I told Hackett that takes priority." He frowned, staring down the hall at his friend. "What are you doing in there? We aren't at war anymore. The guns don't need to be calibrated."

Garrus looked guilty.

"Oh. Um. You can never be too prepared."

"You miss it, just a bit."

"In a way." Garrus left the battery, and joined him at the table. "I don't miss the pressure, or the stress. The constant threat of death. But peace... peace can be boring."

"Just wait till we get the relays opened back up. Then everyone can go back to trying to kill each other."

"Ha."

Kaidan looked around the empty room and frowned.

"Hey, where's Tali? I haven't seen her in a while."

"She and a few other Quarians are down in engineering, digging through code." Garrus smiled with pride. "They think they've found more of EDI's program."

"That'll make Joker happy."

"Yeah. He's finally coming around to the idea we might be able to get her back in one way or another."

Kaidan was about to comment on the Quarian's ability with AIs, when Chakwas stepped out of the med bay.

"Major, would you mind joining us?" Kaidan jogged over, and hopped up on the cot next to Shepard. They dangled their legs off the side, and she slipped her hand into his.

"What's going on?" He whispered.

"I don't know." She responded.

Chakwas took a seat across from them, and consulted a datapad.

"So, as both of you are aware, when Cerberus rebuilt Shepard, there was genetic modification done. Something to speed the healing process." She looked up at Shepard. "However, it did have a secondary effect. You know how you adapt to medications, and over time need larger and larger doses?"

"Yes..."

"Well, there is one type of medication you are on, that we didn't really think about changing the doses on."

Kaidan held his breath. It is a complication from the surgery. Oh god. No.

"Karen. Let's hear it." Shepard sighed. "What's happening to me?"

The doctor stood up, and took her by the hand.

"Congratulations, Commander. You're pregnant."

They stared at her, dumbfounded.

"I'm..." Shepard's hand pulled out of Kaidan's, and slowly slid over her midsection. "Pregnant? Now?"

Chakwas's face turned serious.

"About two months along. Is this something you don't want? Because that is a whole different discussion."

"No." Kaidan and Shepard said together.

"We wanted this, one day..." He said, letting his hand move on top of her's.

"But I didn't think it would be so soon." She finished, and they turned to look at each other. Kaidan couldn't help himself. His face broke out into a wide grin, and he stood up, turning to hug Shepard tightly.

"We're having a baby!"

"No." She wrinkled her nose at him. "I'm having a baby." She laughed, and hugged him back. "But I'm excited too."

They left the med bay, and stepped over the mess. Shepard walked around to Garrus, and leaned against the table next to him.

"Hey, Garrus. I have an important question for you."

He looked up at her, confusion on his face.

"What do you need, Shepard?"

"How do you feel about being an uncle?"

The fringes on the side of his face twitched as things registered.

"You're... You two are...?"

Shepard nodded.

"Yeah. We're going to have to put together a nursery upstairs."

Garrus hugged Shepard, and clasped Kaidan on the shoulder excitedly.

"I think I know where we can get some Turian educational toys... There should be some on one of the ships..." Garrus looked thoughtful.

"I'm sure we can think of something." Kaidan laughed, putting his arm around Shepard's waist. "We should go tell Joker." She nodded, and they headed to the lift, leaving Garrus in the kitchen. When they reached the CIC, Shepard grabbed Traynor by the hand as they headed to the cockpit. The civilian specialist had rejected a transfer, opting to stay on the Normandy, fielding messages for Shepard and Kaidan.

When they reached the cockpit, Joker turned to look back at him, a smile on his face. It's good to see him smiling again. Once she had been on her feet, Shepard had locked herself in with the pilot, and they had talked for hours. They had worked out the complexities and mutual guilt that haunted their friendship, and were back to a good place.

"What's going on, Joker?" Shepard asked, leaning against his chair.

"Tali just called up! They found a huge block of EDI's programming! She says with some luck, we might have her back in the ship in under a year!"

"As an AI?"

"She'll start out as just a VI... I think they uncovered some of her voice files last week, but with any luck, they can restore some of her AI functions."

"I'm really happy for you." Shepard grinned back.

"So we'll maybe have two new crew members next year."

"Two? Who else are we taking on? Please tell me it's not Zaeed. It took the Alliance two months to get all the cigar residue out of the air scrubbers."

Shepard looked taken aback.

"I wondered why everything smelled weird on the lower decks for a while."

"Yeah." Joker threw his hands up. "So who are we getting?"

Shepard reached down, and delicately took one of his fragile hands. She gently placed it on her belly, and cocked her head at him.

"No shit."

Traynor's mouth fell open, and she grabbed Kaidan's arm.

"Yup." Shepard said.

"Shepard, what are we going to do with a baby on board?" He looked at them suspiciously. "Or are you leaving?"

"I'm not leaving." She sighed. "I don't know... I want to stay. Earth isn't really ready for anyone wanting to settle down, there are years of work left to do. Besides, until the relays are fixed, I have diplomatic stuff to do." She leaned into Kaidan. "Besides. Where in the galaxy is safer than the Normandy?"

Joker opened his mouth, and Shepard held a hand up.

"Don't answer that." She turned to face Traynor, who was practically bouncing with glee. "I'm going to need you to help Chakwas track down the appropriate kind of doctor. This really isn't her kind of thing."

"Can I tell everyone?" Joker said, hand hovering over the intercom button.

"Give us half an hour to talk to a few people in person, then have at it. But Joker... keep it tasteful, please."

Their first stop was the hanger deck, where Cortez and Vega had set up their living areas. When they stepped off the lift, Vega called out a greeting from behind his punching bag.

"Lola! Major! What brings you down to the lower levels?" He grinned. "You here to go a few rounds? Esteban feels like he has better things to do."

"I'm adjusting the fuel intake on the shuttle, Mr. Vega. Or did you want another leak all over the floor?"

"Whatever."

"Sorry James." Shepard said, leaning against the armory desk. "No more boxing for a while."

"But we were just starting to get your speed back!" The large man protested. "Those drills were really working."

"I know, but I can't risk you punching me for a while. This area is going to be a bit sensitive." She placed a hand over her belly again.

"Wait." His eyes narrowed, and he looked at Kaidan. "Seriously?"

Kaidan nodded.

"That's fantastic!" Cortez burst out from the far side of the room, rushing over to them. Vega nodded.

"Way to go, Lola." He grinned at Kaidan. "Nice work, Major."

"Hey!" Shepard punched him in the arm.

"I thought you said no punching!"

"I said no punching me!" She laughed. "Okay, we are on a bit of a tight schedule, but we'll be back later."

They headed up to engineering, and called out to Tali, who stuck her head out of a small hatch.

"How many of you are in there?" Shepard asked, leaning down to stare in.

"Six Quarians, and Gabby."

"Wow. Can you get out for a second?"

Tali carefully extracted herself, taking care not to snag her suit on anything.

"Are you here to check on the progress with EDI's recovery?"

"I think we're all caught up from Joker. But thanks. Actually, we have news!"

When she heard, Tali's eyes widened behind her mask, and she clasped her hands together.

"That's wonderful!" She took Shepard by the arm, grasping it firmly. "I'm so happy for you!" She was interrupted by a loud burst of swearing, and she glanced back into the hole. "I have to get back in there, but congratulations!" As she ducked back into the hatch, they could hear her excitedly passing the news along.

As they turned to leave, Donnelly stuck his head out from around a corner.

"Hey, Commander, does that mean the rest of us can jump on the baby bandwagon?" He grinned. "We don't know how long the Quarians will be sticking around, so Gabby and I should start repopulating the department."

"Shut up, Kenneth!" Gabby's exasperated shout came from the open hatch. Kaidan shook his head and laughed, then followed Shepard out into the hall.

Walking out of engineering, the slight hiss of a door opening attracted their attention. Javik stared at them, his head peering around the corner.

"We don't have to tell him, do we?" Kaidan whispered.

"He can probably smell it." Shepard hissed back. Javik glared at them, and his door slid shut. "Yup. He knows."

"What's his issue? He just hides down here all day. I thought he wanted to see what peace looks like."

"I don't know." Shepard admitted, as they boarded the lift again. "Maybe Liara knows."

When they reached the Asari's room, she looked at them gratefully.

"Oh thank goodness. I needed a distraction."

"How are things going?" Shepard asked, sitting down on the bed.

"Exhausting. There is so much information coming in... I'm completely overwhelmed."

"Maybe have Traynor help." Kaidan suggested. "I mean, right now she's really just acting as a glorified receptionist. You know she's up to it."

Liara looked thoughtful.

"I admit, I had considered it. But I thought you might mind."

"Not at all." Shepard leaned back, stretching her legs out. "Hey, Liara, what's going on with Javik?"

"He's hiding from the Asari." Liara said with a laugh. "There is a group organizing that wants him to father their children."

Kaidan laughed, thinking about the surly alien living below them.

"Do they find him attractive?"

"Not exactly. They just want the Prothean species to continue however it can. and if the only option for that is half Asari, half Protheans..."

"Ah. I'm guessing he wants none of it?"

"Maybe. They might be able to talk him around."

"Liara." Shepard teased. "I'd have thought you'd be first in line for Prothean babies."

The Asari blushed.

"It's not like that! It's for science! And I don't..."

"Calm down." Shepard laughed. "I'm just teasing you. But speaking of babies, we will be having one on the ship."

Liara's eyes lit up.

"Goddess!" She stood up from her chair, striding quickly across the room to sit with Shepard. "How do you feel?"

"Still tired, and nauseous. But at least now we know why."

They spoke for several more minutes, Liara promising to help track down the best doctors in the fleet, and her excited stories about Asari child rearing techniques. Shepard was starting to look overwhelmed when Joker's voice rang out over the intercom.

"Good morning, wayward travelers of the starship Normandy! I bring you exciting news."

"Oh no." Shepard grumbled.

"It has come to my attention that our fearless leader has gotten herself-" The line cut out. After a moment, he came back. "Geez, Traynor. A little warning next time? Anyway. The Commander and the Major are expecting. So when you see them next, make sure to say congratulations." There was a brief pause. "Was that better, Specialist?" The line went silent, and stayed that way.

Kaidan laughed as Shepard shook her head, and stood up from the bed.

"I think I"m going to lie down. I'm still exhausted."

He followed her upstairs to their cabin, and lay down next to her.

"How do you feel?" He asked, sliding his hand under her shirt, letting it rest gently over her belly.

"A little scared." She admitted.

"You? Scared?" Kaidan laughed. "You've gone through more horrible things in your life than anyone else in the galaxy. And you're scared of having a baby?"

"What if something goes wrong?" She frowned. "You said it yourself. I've gone through a lot. How many times have I been rebuilt? What if my body can't handle being pregnant? Or something's wrong with the baby?" She reached up to gently run her fingers through his hair. "I've been exposed to a lot of chemicals over the years, and we still don't know if biotics are genetic yet. What if-"

"Shepard." He kissed her softly on the forehead. "It's going to be okay. Chakwas is going to find the best doctors out there. And do you really think I'd let anything happen to you?"

She shook her head, and sighed.

"No. You won't." She returned his kiss, and closed her eyes, settling in against his chest. "We're going to be parents."

I'm going to be a father.

*Ten months after the war ended*

Joker sighed loudly as the Normandy docked with the Atuin, a large civilian ship.

"I don't see why Cortez couldn't have taken you guys over." He complained, twisting in his seat to stare at Kaidan and Shepard. "Why do we have to spend a whole day docked?"

"Because Cortez is not a taxi driver." Shepard said, making a face at the pilot. "And because the rest of the crew deserves a little R and R off this ship. I don't want everyone going stir crazy."

"I hear they've built a pretty nice bar in one of their cargo hangers." Vega said, coming up behind them. "Lola, I know you can't partake, but will you come down and tell us the news?"

"I will." She said, gripping Kaidan's hand tightly as the airlock opened. "If it's good news."

"You will be fine, Commander." Chakwas said, and lead them to the other ship. "The best obstetrician in the galaxy is on board this ship." She nodded at Kaidan. "And the best biotic expert."

The rest of the crew dispersed onto the civilian ship, looking for friends and family. The Atuin was the largest civilian ship, during the war it has housed engineers and scientists working on the Crucible, as well as parts and equipment. When they had all departed on smaller ships to start reconstructing the relays, it had been taken over by refugees from the Citadel and Earth. It now served as the trading hub of the fleet, and a place for civilians and soldiers to rest and relax.

"Reminds me of Omega in a way." Garrus muttered as they made their way though the crowded halls.

"Not as wretched though. Though who knows what's going on over there." Shepard commented, letting the crowd part before her. As many enemies as she had made in her life, people still respected what she had done to end the war, and left her alone. For now. Kaidan stayed at her side, letting his biotics flare around his fingertips. One day, they are all going to snap out of it, and they will remember all of the trouble she gave them. When that happens, I'll be ready.

When they reached the clinic, a familiar face greeted them.

"Major! I'm glad to see you up and about!" Doctor Kirby smiled at him, and patted him gently on the shoulder. "How is the implant treating you?"

"Much better since you fixed it, thank you." He shook her hand warmly. "It's good to know you got off the Citadel."

She shuddered slightly.

"I'm lucky I was at work. Our clinic had an emergency pod. We locked down, and stayed quiet. It felt like days before the marines found us."

She nodded at Shepard, and gestured to a small private room. Garrus took a seat to wait for them. The Turian shared Kaidan's concerns, and had offered to accompany them. Kaidan nodded at him as they stepped into the exam room.

"My colleague will be here to do your scan, to determine the baby's health and gender. I'll be testing for biotics." She shrugged as she picked up a datapad. "There haven't been any true second generation human biotics, the kids being born now are from in utero exposure, but you've been around a lot of element zero in your career."

"Not since I've been pregnant though." Shepard pointed out.

"That's good. But we still don't know everything about how it. Sometimes the element can be absorbed into the body, and settle there. I'm treating a woman who worked in a refinery before the war. She hasn't been there in six months, but her unborn child is showing strong biotic influence."

"Bad?" Kaidan asked softly. The doctor grimaced.

"If there aren't any more complications, there is a chance for a normal life." She shook her head. "But you don't want to hear about that. I'll call Doctor Cass in."

Shepard sat on the small table in the center of the room as the second doctor entered. The small woman nodded at them absently as she fiddled with her omnitool.

"Now, have you two decided if you want to know the baby's gender?"

"We do." Shepard said, taking Kaidan's hand. "We want to be prepared."

The doctor smiled at them, and began her scan. A fuzzy picture appeared on a terminal beside her, and she studied it carefully.

Shepard's grip on Kaidan's hand tightened as every second passed, until the doctor turned to them with a smile.

"Congratulations. You're having a boy."

Kaidan felt a grin creep across his face. He would have been happy with either gender, but there was a small part of him that had always wanted his firstborn to be a son. Shepard smiled nervously, her grip still tight on his hand.

"Everything looks okay? It... He looks healthy?"

"As far as I can tell, yes. Once Doctor Kirby checks for any biotics, we'll have a full report." She gestured to her colleague. "I want to see you in two months though. With the condition your body is in, we will need to take every precaution to ensure the baby is healthy."

Doctor Kirby took over the scanning, her omnitool making ominous beeping noises as it scanned Shepard. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the woman sighed and double checked the data.

"Looks like everything is fine at this stage. There are no signs of any biotic influence." She smiled as she looked at them. "I will want to check again during your third trimester, and then once the baby is about six months old. Sometimes these things take a while to develop." She took a datapad from Doctor Cass, and scanned it quickly. "But as of right now, you are on your way to having a healthy, normal little boy."

Shepard exhaled deeply, finally releasing Kaidan's hand. She grinned, letting her fingers brush gently over her softly swelling belly. Kaidan felt a confusing surge of emotion, he was excited about having a son, yet part of him was disappointed the child probably wouldn't have any biotic abilities. But he won't have the headaches. Or the cancer. He pushed the thoughts from his mind, and shook the doctors' hands.

"Thank you, so much." Doctor Kirby grinned at him.

"Don't be a stranger! If you have any trouble with that amp, you let me know, I'll fix you right up."

As they started to leave, he turned back to face the doctor who had helped him before.

"Doctor Kirby, did you have family on the Citadel?" She nodded. "Did everyone make it out okay?"

She sighed, for once the smile faltering on her face.

"My brother didn't. But my husband and son did. The Reapers didn't make it all the way down our ward."

"I'm glad they're alright. And I'm sorry about your brother."

"It was a war, Major. Wouldn't have been fair if we all made it out unscathed."

He nodded, knowing how true her words were. Shepard put her hand on the woman's shoulder.

"And if you ever need anything from us, just get in contact with the Normandy."

"I will. See you in a few months."

They left the exam room to find Garrus idly scrolling through a datapad.

"How did it go?" He asked, standing up from the clinic chair.

"Fine." Shepard responded. "Let's meet up with everyone, so I only have to go through everything once."

They walked down the long corridors of the ship, taking in the sights of the new shops that had sprung up in abandoned cargo containers. They were still a distance from the bar when Shepard froze, and dragged her companions behind a large crate.

"What the hell?" Kaidan exclaimed as she buried her face in his chest. Garrus poked his head around the corner and laughed. He and Kaidan watched as Conrad Verner strode by, arm in arm with a young brunette.

"Of all the people to survive the war..." Shepard muttered.

"I wonder how he got of the Citadel?" Kaidan wondered out loud.

"He wasn't on it." Shepard answered, stepping back out into the main walkway once the coast was clear. "He was working on the Crucible."

"What?" Garrus and Kaidan said together.

"Oh yeah. He has a doctorate in xenotechnology, and apparently wrote his doctorate on dark matter. So I shipped him off to the war effort, got him out of my hair." Shepard shook her head. "Let's move, before he turns around and sees us."

They slipped into the makeshift bar at the end of the corridor, and scanned the room for their crew. The bar was full of soldiers and civilians alike, drinking and laughing as they relaxed. From the back corner, Vegas stood, and beckoned them over to a large table. Getting to it took some effort, a large, rowdy squad of mercenaries in black and yellow stood in their way. Garrus elbowed his way through them, and Kaidan walked drag, still suspiciously scanning the crowd.

When they reached the table, the crew scooted over to make room for them, and Shepard took a seat gratefully. Kaidan sat next to her, while Garrus rounded the table to join Tali on the other side.

"So what's the word?" Vega asked, his elbows on the table.

"Yes, how does everything look?" Liara looked up from her datapad.

"Healthy, so far. No sign of biotics." Shepard grinned, and rested a hand on her belly. "It's a boy."

The table erupted in congratulations. Vega forced a drink into Kaidan's hands.

Once the noise died down, Tali tilted her head, slowly spinning the straw in her drink.

"Have you thought about names yet?"

"How about Garrus?" Garrus suggested.

"James!" Vega called out.

"Conrad!" Kaidan laughed as Shepard elbowed him in the ribs.

"What about Anderson?" Liara asked softly.

Shepard's face darkened.

"I'd love to name him after Anderson, or Ash. Even Mordin or Thane... But I don't want to curse my son with sadness." She sighed, and Kaidan slipped his arm around her shoulders. "Every time I called to him... I'd just remember everyone I lost. I want him to be happy. It's a new galaxy. A new start."

As the conversation dwindled into thoughtful silence, Traynor started scrolling through her own datapad.

"Felix." She said suddenly.

"What?"

"Felix." She repeated, handing the datapad over. "It means happy. Lucky. I think it would be the perfect name for the son of the galaxy's savior. After all, how lucky is he, that he even has a chance to be here?"

Shepard twitched, and made a face.

"You don't like it?" Traynor asked.

"I do." She looked down. "I think he'll like it too." She looked up at Kaidan. "Well, Major, what do you think?"

"It's perfect."

*One year after the war ended*

Shepard was grumpy. The crew was keeping her confined to the Normandy, and cabin fever was settling in.

"But you've been on long term deployment before. We all have." Kaidan handed her a glass of water as she sat on the couch in the crew lounge. "How is this any different?"

She glared at him, and he retreated towards the poker table, where Garrus, Vega, Liara and Traynor sat, waiting for him.

"Because on extended missions, I got to get off the ship and shoot things occasionally!" She sighed, and sipped her water. "I'm just stir crazy. Can't we go somewhere? Don't I have to go back to see Doctor Kirby?"

"Not for another month." Traynor piped up. "You aren't in your third trimester yet."

"What about Doctor Cass? Wasn't I supposed to check in with her? It has to have been two months since we last left."

"She's coming here. Cortez is picking her up now."She sniffed, then nodded at Hackett.

"Why is she coming here?" Shepard asked suspiciously."Kaidan, what's going on?"

Everyone at the table ducked their heads and studied their cards furiously. Kaidan slipped back over to the couch and took Shepard's hands in his.

"Hackett and I discussed it... And we don't think it's the best idea for people to see you this vulnerable."

"Vulnerable?" Her eyebrows were up. "What happened to being 'a symbol of peace and rebuilding'?"

"Look, Shepard, the whole fleet knows you are pregnant. Don't you think there are people who are going to want to take advantage of your reduced speed and increased... um..."

"Increased what?"

"Size." Vega added unhelpfully. Kaidan glared at him, and Vega shrugged. "What? It's not like she's getting fat or anything. It's a baby."

Liara put her face in her hands.

"Thanks, Vega." Shepard leaned back and sighed. "I get it. I've read the reports. Things are getting a bit rowdy." She glanced over at the table. "Yes, Liara, I get most of the same intel that you do, and I don't think they make maternity armor." She folded her arms across her chest, resting them gently on the baby bump.

"I just want everything to go well." Kaidan leaned his head against hers. "We're riding high on good luck right now, I just want it to last."

"Everything is going to be fine."

"How many times have you said that before, Shepard?" Garrus rolled his eyes.

"Hey! I got us through the war, didn't I?"

"Barely." Vega muttered into his cards.

"Stuff it, Vega."

"Yes, Ma'am."

The room settled into a comfortable silence, broken only by Doctor Chakwas's entrance a few minute later.

"Commander? Doctor Cass is here." The older woman helped Shepard stand, then followed her out of the room.

"Major, grab a drink, and play a hand or two." Vega kicked a chair out. "They're probably going to be a while."

Liara ran her finger around the rim of her glass thoughtfully, and sighed. She and Kaidan stared at each other as James dealt out a hand.

"What are we going to do if she keeps getting restless?" Kaidan wondered out loud.

"We could always recruit Wrex as a bodyguard." Liara said, rubbing her forehead. "He's pretty angry about getting stuck with the fleet, instead of getting to head back to Tuchanka."

"Plus," Garrus added with a grin, "His paternal instincts should be kicking in about now. Might do him some good to have a baby to watch out for."

"That's not actually a terrible idea." Kaidan admitted. "Let's not bring it up to Shepard though. We should save it for a last minute plan if she goes completely crazy."

"That sounds best." Liara said, picking her cards up from the table, and frowning. "Hopefully she'll be too tired to complain."

They laughed, and set into their game. James has won anything of real value long ago, now shore leave, duty rounds and and paperwork were used as currency.

An hour later, Shepard reappeared, and gently lowered herself down onto the couch.

"Dr. Cass is heading down to check on Gabby before she leaves. She's still not far along, but Ken wants her looked over."

"They didn't waste any time, did they?" Kaidan turned in his chair to look back at her.

"No, but neither did we."

"Fair. So... everything alright?" She grinned, and rubbed her belly.

"So far, so good." She frowned, and gently poked herself. "Hey. Stop kicking me."

Kaidan grinned, and set his cards down to join her on the couch.

"Feisty little guy?"

"Very active. But still no biotics." She reached up and gently cupped his face with her hand. "By the way, you need to stop have conversations you don't want me to know about in here. I do not need Wrex as a bodyguard."

Everyone turned to stare at the small speaker embedded in the wall.

"Joker..." Kaidan swore under his breath.

"Look. I need to get off this ship." Shepard sighed. "How about this. You and I go and deliver my latest report to Hackett in person. Is their any ship safer than his?"

"No." Kaidan had to concede her point. "Alright. we'll go."

Shepard practically bounded to her feet and headed out the door.

"Great. Cortez is waiting in the hanger."

Kaidan rubbed the back of his neck, and followed her to the lift.

"You were going to go, regardless of what I said, weren't you."

"Yup." She looked up at him. "You're my husband, but that doesn't make you the boss of me."

"Hey, I'm still technically your superior officer."

"Has that ever stopped me before?"

"Good point."

*Fifteen months after the war ended*

Kaidan paced the hall in front of the lift doors, nervously twisting his ring with his thumb.

"Why is this thing so slow?!"

"Calm down." Garrus said, leaning against the wall near the memorial list of names. "The doctors are on the ship. They'll be up in just a moment. Besides, Chakwas said we still had time."

"I know... just..."

Garrus walked over, and put a hand on his friend's shoulder.

"You're waiting on the birth of your child, and there is nothing for you to do. It's understandable. Go sit down."

The Turian led him around the mess table, where several of the Normandy crew had already gathered.

"How are you so calm?" Kaidan asked.

"I was small, but I remember how my father was when my sister was born."

"I've always had questions about the Turian birthing-" Liara started to ask, before Tali gently shook her head.

"Now is probably not the best time for that."

"Fine. Do you think I should ask Shepard if she practiced the Asari breathing techniques I taught her?"

Kaidan, Garrus and James shook their heads in unison.

"She wasn't in the best of moods the last time I checked on her." Kaidan went back to twitching his ring.

"Yeah, my translator didn't pick up half of the things she said." Garrus laughed.

"I speak English fluently," Vega said, "and I didn't even catch half of that."

"Probably the slang of her youth. Most likely localized to her area." Liara mused.

"Thanks, Mordin." Garrus rolled his eyes.

Kaidan shot out of his chair as the lift doors opened.

Two doctors came around the corner and separated, one heading into the med bay, the other making her way towards the table.

"Doctor Kirby?"

"Major. Good to see you!" The biotic specialist greeted him with a smile. "I hitched a ride with Dr. Cass so I could check on you and the baby, once he decides to grace us with his presence."

"Me?"

"Just making sure your amp is still in good condition. I wouldn't want anyone saying I do shoddy repair work."

She pointed at the chair, and he sat obediently.

"You said you were going to check the baby? I thought he still wasn't showing any signs of biotic development." Liara asked from across the table as Dr. Kirby carefully scanned Kaidan's amp.

"He isn't. But if they manifest during the birthing process, it can get tricky. Other than that, we wait for anything during the first year. After that, latent powers can manifest around four years, ten years, and sixteen. Barring a massive accidental element zero exposure, he should be perfectly fine once he passes those checkpoints." She switched off her omnitool and patted Kaidan on the shoulder. "Everything looks perfect, Major."

"Thanks, Doc."

She glanced over her shoulder.

"I should probably get in there and lend a hand. Since we opened the clinic, I've been doing a little bit of everything." She grinned again, and hurried to join her colleague.

Kaidan spent the next three hours staring at his hands. He was aware that people were talking around him, but found himself lost in his own thoughts, their voices blurring together into a comforting hum. What if something goes wrong? She's was so torn up inside from the war. Did they really fix everything after the Citadel? What if she loses the baby? What if I lose her? What if- He was jarred out of his thoughts by the sudden silence around him. As he looked around the table, at everyone staring at him, his mind flashed back to the terrible silence after the Citadel when Shepard's life had hung in the balance. When they had waited for doctors to put her back together, to save what little life she had clung to.

But this silence was different. It wasn't the silence that came with fear, of holding back tears, uncertainty, and despair. It was the silence that fell in a room when you hid for a surprise party. When you waited for someone to discover something new and wonderful. The anticipation of good news. He looked past his crewmates to the med bay door. Chakwas stood with her hand outstretched towards him, a broad smile on her face. Kaidan nearly launched himself out of his chair, and blew past her into the room.

Shepard lay on a cot, her hair escaping its braid, sticking to the sweat on her flushed face. Sliding onto the edge of the bed, he gently brushed it out of her eyes.

"Hey. How was it?"

She narrowed her eyes up at him.

"Was that a joke, Major?"

He paused.

"They gave you painkillers, didn't they."

"Oh yeah." She wrinkled her nose and laughed. "We would have had major issues if they hadn't." She laughed again, and poked a finger into his chest. "Major issues."

Kaidan let his forehead drop to butt against hers. Painkillers had a way of making her a little loopy.

"Major?" A soft voice came from the other side of the room. Dr. Cass sat in a chair, looking completely worn out. "Would you like to meet your son?"

Every nerve in Kaidan's body fired at once. He felt his biotics flare unconsciously around his fingers and struggled to pull himself under control. Unable to find his voice, he nodded.

Doctor Kirby turned around, and strode towards him, a tiny bundle of blankets in her arms.

"I just finished cleaning him up. He's been fed, and now he's quieted down quite a bit."

She slid the blankets into Kaidan's arms, and stepped away to check on Dr. Cass.

"Look at him." Shepard murmured, resting her head on his shoulder. "He's perfect."

Pulling the blanket back, Kaidan looked down into a pair of startled dark eyes. They stared back at him curiously.

"He's so tiny." He breathed, placing a finger into a hand barely the same size. "So breakable. So... normal?" He looked up at Dr. Kirby expectantly, and she nodded, smiling. "Normal. Perfect. Everything is perfect." He kissed Shepard on the forehead again and brushed her hair back out of her face. She smiled, and her eyes closed, her breathing settling into the slow pattern of sleep.

Felix curled his tiny fingers around Kaidan's finger and gripped tightly. Kaidan cradled his small head, running his thumb through the thin amount of dark hair already present.

"I'm sorry." He whispered, holding the newborn tight against his chest. "I can't give you sunshine or grass. I can't give you a dog, or the ocean, or fresh air. The only things I have to give you are cold walls and close quarters." He stared down into the wide eyes that looked so much like his own. "But I can give you safety. I can promise you that your mother and I will protect you... that this crew... your family... will protect you from harm. And I can give you stars. More stars than you could ever count."

Felix yawned, and Kaidan smiled. My son. He leaned against Shepard, lowering the baby into her arms. In her sleep, her grip tightened. Feeling his eyes drooping, Kaidan let his mind wander. He thought back to everything lost. Ashley. Thane. His parents. His childhood home. And to everything gained. Peace. A new family. Felix. Shepard.

As his eyes closed, Felix yawned again. Shepard sighed in her sleep, and nestled her head against his chest. Kaidan left himself fall asleep, safe on the Normandy, surrounded by loyal friends, wrapped in the arms of his love, cradling his son.

After all these years, it's finally time to rest.

**Oh god I am so sorry this took so long! I am the worst ever.

Okay, so I'm going to go back and write a chapter for Leviathan, once I figure out where the best place to put it is. (so I'm keeping this story open for a while.) Also, whatever the new DLC Bioware has been teasing is will also get a chapter!

I'm also going to continue the "Baby Steps" story, though I now think it needs a new name. Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. So I'm going to change that from closed to in progress.

Again, thank you EVERYONE for reading! It's been a long, arduous process, and I've gotten to meet some really awesome people through this, and I've really enjoyed this.)

I can't believe I'm at the end of the canon story! Holy crap! Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa.

Okay. I'm done babbling. I swear.

3 you all!

-Lara**