Commander Elissa Shepard awoke with a jolt, flashes of what had transpired several months ago were still before her eyes, even the breath she had taken during her dreams was still in her lungs. She exhaled slowly after realizing that she had been breathing the entire night much to her relief but her sudden jump from laying down to sitting up in bed had awoken her bedmate, Major Kaidan Alenko. Yawning, he stretched some and then sat up next to his love, wrapping his strong arm around her shoulders in an effort to try and comfort her since he knew what she had been dreaming about.

"You had the dream again," said Kaidan, pulling her closer to his chest, "you know you can tell me, Ella."

Ella, his pet name for her since they had shared their true feelings for each other those so many years ago on the Normandy, and hearing him say that still sent chills down her spine.

"It was right after I destroyed the Reapers," started Elissa, putting her knees up and resting her head on her hand, "the few minutes I spent between life and death, cold and afraid that I wouldn't wake up. I can still feel what it was like to not breathe, Kaidan. . . ."

Kaidan now had her between his legs with her back against his chest and both of his arms were wrapped around her body, his grip tightening when she started to talk about how close she had been to dying again. The thought of losing her again had been his motivation to get through the final battle against the Reapers and when he had found her lying in that pile of rubble, barely breathing, even now he could feel that rush of anxiety coursing through his veins.

"Hey, hey, there's no need to think about that anymore," said Kaidan, kissing the nape of her neck, "you're still here, alive and breathing, my favorite kind of Ella."

Elissa smiled, he was still the same old Kaidan whom she had loved since she first started on the Normandy and saw him sitting in the co-pilot's chair next to Joker, "I love you, Kaidan."

"I love you too, Ella," replied Kaidan, his tone bittersweet, "I never thought we'd still be here to say that."

"Thank God," said Elissa, absentmindedly stroking Kaidan's morning stubble, "I'm glad so many of us were able to make it through."

"Not that I don't like our comrades," said Kaidan, "but I would've rather seen any one of them go in to that hellhole than to have watched you run in that direction."

"Since we're both up, do you wanna start on breakfast?" said Elissa, trying to change the subject quickly, "I'll make the French toast."

"You always did know how to motivate, Commander," laughed Kaidan, kissing Elissa's cheek.

They got up and went downstairs to their kitchen, Kaidan trying the entire time to snap Elissa's bra but she was able to out maneuver him at each turn. When they did arrive at the kitchen, Kaidan went to the fruit bowl on the island and pulled out several large oranges along with a kitchen knife from the drawer beneath the island. He sliced each one in half and put the halves on the new juicer and had fresh orange juice flowing into their glasses in just a few minutes while Elissa prepared the French toast and crispy bacon. After Kaidan had set the glasses on a tray, he went over to the refrigerator, grabbed a few eggs and the chorizo to make a decent pile of scrambled eggs to go along with the French toast.

"Toast is about to be done," said Elissa, flipping the last piece onto the pile and reaching for the powdered sugar to finish off the toast. Kaidan came over and took the plate of bacon and French toast, he then placed them on the tray next to the scrambled eggs and juice, Elissa grabbed some plates along with silverware. Kaidan picked up the tray and Elissa opened up the door to the balcony and he placed the tray on the table, Elissa set the table and they sat there eating breakfast watching the sun rise over the mist from the lake and trees in the orchard. Since they had moved to Vancouver and the Alenko orchard, this had been Elissa's favorite part, watching the sun rise over grass and leaves instead of seeing endless amounts of stars when she first woke up.

"So, who are we expecting to see today?" asked Kaidan between mouthfuls of French toast.

"Tali and Liara were going to come over to shop and later tonight Garrus was going to stop by with Joker and EDI, maybe some others will show up." said Elissa, sipping her orange juice afterwards, thinking about her friends and how much they meant to her in the grand scheme of life.

"Joker and EDI," chuckled Kaidan, bringing her from her thoughts, "wonder when their kids will be synthesized?"

"Joker said as soon as the clinic opens up here," replied Elissa smiling. Since the battle with the Reapers, most everyone had moved here to Vancouver since it was still the most held together city on Earth despite the first attacks, though most still traveled off world to work but all came back to Earth. Elissa had told them there was no need to live on Earth but they had all insisted on staying, since none of them could imagine living away from their commander after the hell they had all been through. Somehow that war had made them all closer, turning them from friends and shipmates into a very close-knit family, even the ones that had decided to return to their home worlds like Wrex and Grunt still visited once every couple of weeks. The others Garrus, Tali, Liara, Joker, EDI and a few more had all bought houses less than five miles away from the Alenko orchard much to the delight of Elissa and Kaidan.

"So, should we tell them?" asked Kaidan cautiously.

"About what?" asked Elissa, still staring off at the orchard.

"About our engagement," replied Kaidan, slipping a blue velvet box from underneath the table and opening it on the table. Elissa looked up in shock only to see a gorgeous aquamarine colored diamond set in yellow gold ring and she could not say anything, instead she nodded several times slowly.

"So you are agreeing to be my wife?" asked Kaidan, taking the ring from the box and slipping it onto Elissa's trembling ring finger. "Looks even more beautiful on you than when it was in the box."

Elissa still could not say anything, all of her grand speeches and pep-talks, and she could not even muster a simple 'Yes' to the most important question in her life from the most special person in her world. The ring caught the morning light, glistening like a million stars, taking her breath away for the second time and Kaidan laughed at her speechlessness.

"I don't think I've ever seen you lost for words, Ella," chuckled Kaidan, taking his fiancee's hand in his. "I think I should ask you properly, since we are all about protocol. Elissa Jacqueline Shepard, for several years now I have been hopelessly in love with you, and after nearly losing you twice now I have realized that I cannot live without you ever again. Will you marry me?"

Elissa had tears shining in her eyes and a huge smile on her face, with a steady and able voice, she clearly answered, "Yes, of course I will marry you, Kaidan."

Kaidan nearly leapt from the table to kiss his fiancee, she jumped and met his embrace eagerly, only he did not kiss her right away instead he held her in his arms just looking at the face of the woman he loved. Despite a few lingering scars that were fading away, she was flawless, her bright green eyes looked up at him with such love and devotion that he almost had to look away. Remembering the regrets he had mentioned a few months ago, her love almost shamed him, she had been one of his regrets: he regretted not being there with her the entire time, even when she had been a lifeless shell after the crash, he had wished everyday that he had been there to see her through those hard times. She had kept it together when he had bombarded her at Horizon and beyond that, she even held on at the end of the Reaper battle when she was buried underneath that pile of rubble. During surgery the doctors had commented on how well her body was responding to their work even though she had to be put in a medically induced coma afterwards. When she had finally awakened, he was there with Joker, watching as her green eyes fluttered open and immediately she wanted him to hold her despite the pain. Now he had her in his arms once more, only she was standing there with his ring on her finger, he was determined to not ever let her go again.

"Kaidan," whispered Elissa, gently caressing his cheek, "I love you."

"I love you too, Ella." whispered Kaidan back and kissed her passionately.