-o-O-o-

Chapter 36

The Mess smelled great as Kaidan poured the last of the good coffee into the largest mug he'd been able to find. With his right arm strapped to his chest to ease the strain on his healing wound, he was doing it left-handed, which was actually more awkward than he'd expected. Still, he wasn't about to complain; he was damned lucky that spear hadn't struck an inch to the left or he'd be heading home in a body-bag.

Two crew members passed by and Kaidan happily ignored the envious looks. Yeah, this coffee is all mine, people, so keep moving.

Kaidan Alenko! You shameless coffee hog! Terra's amusement flowed through him with a light that lifted him higher than the superb caffeine ever could. He looked towards the medbay where she'd been having her final operation on the ripped muscle and ligaments in her shoulder, but it was empty asides from the ever-present Chakwas.

"I hope you'll be taking full culpability when my crew mutinies." Her voice directly in his ear made his body and his insides jump all at the same time. The woman had a way of sneaking up on him whenever he had the smell of coffee under his nose, usually so he spilled it. This time she'd at least made herself known before he'd picked up the mug, though she knew just as well as he did that he could have ended up wearing it and not cared so long as she was close.

He swung round and captured Terra against his chest as best he could with their bandaged arms in the way. "They'd never leave you, no matter what I did."

A finger traced his jaw. "So…they'll just jettison you."

"Not unless you tell them what I was thinking." His coffee was getting cold behind him, but he couldn't care when his real 'fix' was right in front of him.

One perfect brow arched delightfully. "Ooh! Leverage!"

He laughed. "Leverage for what?" Leaning in, he kissed an adoring path from collarbone to jaw before looking deep into her chocolate eyes. "We both know I'll give you anything you want."

Terra's shiver was undeniable and he grinned with roguish pride at causing it.

"Say that again," she murmured, catching her bottom lip between her teeth, and Kaidan fought the urge to lose himself in her right where they were.

Letting his lips brush ever so softly over the smooth skin of her cheek, Kaidan only stopped once he'd reached her ear. "I'll give you anything you want."

"Oh, thanks, Kaidan."

They broke apart like someone had just poured ice-cold water over them. Joker smirked back from the other side of the counter with Kaidan's coffee in hand.

"Ah, matching slings. How sweet," ribbed Joker, taking a sip. "Mmm, this is great coffee."

Scowling wasn't enough to show his friend just how unappreciated that little interruption was. With only the slightest biotic flare and a flick of his wrist, Kaidan initiated a stasis leaving only the pilot's hand free.

Taking the mug back, Kaidan finally smiled at Joker. "Much better." Ignoring the way Joker's fingers curled into his palm leaving only the middle one straight, Kaidan turned back to Terra, who was bent over, laughing. "Now, where were we?"

When she straightened, the joy reflected in her sparking eyes took his breath away. These were the moments they all cherished. No war; no fighting; no threats. No worries. There was only the promise of a reunion with their two special little people. Terra was unburdened and full of anticipation, and it changed her, inside and out. She was more radiantly beautiful than ever.

Her undamaged arm slid across his shoulders, pulling him back to her. "Right here. And you were about to give me anything I want." Her gaze flicked to the inert Joker. "Which, at the moment, is not to be watched by a helmsman who's staring daggers into your back."

Kaidan sighed. "Yeah, I'm feeling them." He rolled his shoulders uneasily, then quickly regretted the move which pulled at his wound. "Still, it's about time he learned: never come between a man and the woman he loves."

"Strange. I would have said you were more interested in the coffee." She let him go and tapped the mug he'd held on to.

"Ah." He could only give her an apologetic look.

"Well…" She began to walk backwards, a slight limp in her gait. I'm heading up, where I intend to strip, shower, and satisfy this sexual tension you've created with that voice of yours - which will be much more difficult with one hand. You could come help, and we can have fun working on our ambidexterity together… or you could stay here and enjoy your coffee while continuing Joker's lesson. She shrugged indifferently, while her eyes radiated hot mischief.Your choice.

Watching her spin elegantly on her heel as heat rushed south, Kaidan was momentarily rendered both speechless and immobile by the image she'd placed in his head. Watching her disappear in the direction of the elevator kick-started him. Ending the stasis on Joker, Kaidan shoved the mug across the counter towards him with an "enjoy", then raced out of the Mess after his wife before his peeved friend could utter a profanity.

Coffee or Terra? No-brainer.

-o-O-o-

-o-O-o-

I can see Normandy, mommy!

Shepard's pulse was racing so fast she was beginning to feel giddy, and she knew Kaidan was feeling it too as they stepped into the elevator and headed down with an impatience that was making them both restless in the small space.

With an unrestrained laugh, she gave in to the excitement that had infected her, thanks to the two young minds who were now making themselves known within her mind.

Exiting onto the CIC and its energised atmosphere, the need to see the dock where her babies were waiting, propelled her quickly towards the cockpit, with Kaidan keeping pace beside her.

It's really close! From the squeal, Shepard imagined Rorie jumping up and down in the dock. And then she caught sight of the tiny figure framed in the docking bay window, with an even smaller one beside her. And they were both bouncing.

"Kaidan…" She bit her lip as emotion filled her eyes with tears. Standing at her back, Kaidan slung his arm across her front, holding her to his chest with his cheek resting against hers as they watched those figures get closer.

"I know," he murmured, his voice thick.

There'd been so many farewells during the journey that this moment had become something to hold on to. Aethyta, Samara, Kirrahe, Wrex and Grunt, not to forget Gerrel and the geth Prime - Shepard was so grateful to them all for being there when she'd asked. Hell, she'd even shaken hands with Aria and Massani before they'd left for their own ships. Liara had also retreated to her vessel, though she would be docking at the Citadel for that 'sanity check', as Kaidan called it. But saying goodbye to Gardew and Cael in the Mess just now had been incredibly difficult, because she didn't know when she'd next see the wonderful duo who had come through for her so many times now. And soon she'd be faced with the departures of James and Jack, and Knox and Altair, as they returned to their lives. Vid-calls weren't quite the same as spending time with the important people who've put themselves on the line to pull you out of hell and continue to stand by you as you jump in front of more trouble. She was going to miss them.

"Guess it's back to the day-job," Garrus exhaled, and Shepard smiled as he joined her side. At least she got to keep the turian, as well as her irreplaceable crew.

"Poor you," Joker flung back with plenty of sarcasm. "Sitting behind your desk, flinging orders to your minions. I don't know how you do it."

"Luckily for you, I have a high level of patience," retorted Garrus.

They all spluttered out laughter at that.

"Hey! I'm patient!"

"The closest you've ever come to that word is when you were a patient in Chakwas' medbay," chuckled Joker.

"Shepard! Back me up here!"

"To be fair, Garrus has managed not to kill the Council yet," Shepard defended, dutifully.

"It's true," agreed Kaidan. "Just having the occasional dealings with the Council was enough to send my teeth grinding. Garrus has to tolerate them on a near-daily basis."

"Okay, okay," conceded Joker. "Saint Garrus Vakarian it is."

"How does he still make it sound bad?" griped Garrus.

The whole little distraction had worked to fill the excruciating seconds it had taken Altair to dock Normandy, and with the thunk of the clamps engaging on the ship's hull, Shepard moved to the airlock.

As soon as it opened, Rorie was there, surrounded by a whirlwind of joyful energy, and instantly Shepard and Kaidan were on their knees and anchored to their daughter as she threw an arm around each of their necks.

.

This physical contact would always surpass even their incredible mental link, because it meant they were truly together.

Nate had followed Rorie as fast as his little legs could manage, and he burrowed into their huddle to make himself the centre of the hug.

And now their family unit was complete. It didn't get better than this.

-o-O-o-

Shepard had her eyes closed as Kaidan manoeuvred her through their apartment door. Her heart thudded in her chest like she was about to face a Maw.

"Okay," said Kaidan.

After a slight hesitation, she let the vision in. And frowned.

"It…looks exactly the same." Confused, Shepard circled on the spot mid-way between the apartment's kitchen and lounge, until she faced Kaidan.

He'd said the renovations had been completed – that they'd had people working round-the-clock to get it done. Yet when she'd walked in, she couldn't see anything different at all.

And she wasn't disappointed by it. Relieved, even. But also still afraid, because it was all still so indefensible, and that knowledge weighed down on her oppressively.

Kaidan cupped her cheek as tenderly as the look he gave her. "This place needed to stay the same. Because it was Anderson's. I still remember the day we walked in here together, and Anderson called in from Earth, amidst all the fighting, to bestow it to you."

Tears sprang up in Shepard's eyes. Trust this man to understand her so well. "It's all I have of him."

Kaidan nodded. "So, it stays the same. Which doesn't mean you have to feel insecure. The changes just needed to be unseen." Taking her hand, he kissed her knuckles – a small gesture that still managed to start her insides fluttering. He led her into the study area. "Seal study – test only."

With a swift swoosh that made Shepard jump, metal doors slid across the opening, sealing them in. And Shepard felt the pressure lift from her. "A safe room."

"Nothing's getting in here without a lot of heavy firepower," assured Kaidan. "And it's not just this room, either. The guest room, and the upstairs bedrooms all have the same protection."

"And I can seal them wherever I am, because it's all voice-activated."

"Or you can do it through your omnitool, should you need to keep silent. Upon activation, C-Sec's immediately made aware."

She imagined how much safer Nate would have been had she been able to seal him inside that bedroom before the batarians had gotten to him, and it gave her huge peace of mind to know she could do so now.

"Kaidan, this is perfect."

"Good. But I'm not done yet. The fact is, what's been done in here is merely an added precaution."

"Added?"

"I think you'd agree that it would be better if no-one unauthorised gained access in the first place."

"Agreed." She wondered where he was going with this.

Kaidan unsealed the room and Shepard followed him out, through the kitchen and back to where she'd first stopped to take in the lack of visible changes. There, Kaidan indicated towards the corridor outside.

"The security starts out there. You can't tell, but the hallway has been rigged with the best detection system Edi could devise. As soon as someone steps into that space, they're scanned. Extensively. For weapons and identity. Within seconds, anyone not already authorised is run through C-sec's database for an instant background check. Anyone not on their system, or already tagged as criminal, will be brought to C-Sec's attention. You'll be notified via the internal system, or omnitool." He faced her. "The system is also activated by heat signature."

Shepard understood what he was silently saying: not even a Shanti could infiltrate it. "You've really thought of everything."

"I had a lot of help. Garrus helped me work out what we needed, Edi was instrumental in designing the program itself, Daniels and Donnelly took charge of the project while we were off the Citadel, and of course Bailey and Kolyat assisted in integrating it with C-Sec's systems. The aim was to cover every base so you could truly relax. So our home could be your haven again."

"Kaidan?"

"Yeah?"

She gripped his waistband and tugged him to her. "Thank you."

"Told you I'd give you anything."

Her lips whispered over his. Then she had a thought. "Wait a minute. We share the corridor with another apartment."

"We used to. That apartment came up for sale, remember? So, I bought it. You were so focused on our own front door coming in that you didn't notice the other apartment door has gone. We own the entire floor, and this is the only entrance."

Closing her open mouth, Shepard followed Kaidan once again towards the front stairwell. Only then did she notice that the wall had been knocked through.

Decorated to complement their existing décor, the new space still had its lounge, dining and kitchen layout, as well as the downstairs guest room, but the rear living area had been altered to house not only a bar like their own, but also a large pool-table for added entertainment. A card table sat centre-place of where the study had once been.

This was a place for entertainment; a place for their friends to really let loose. Shepard loved it.

Moving upstairs, she found the lay-out just the same as their own. The master-bedroom had been done out in Alliance-blue – Rorie's favourite colour – and all her things now adorned the space, complete with her signed Blasto picture on the wall. The en-suite had a raised bath in place of a hot-tub, though from the fittings it looked like bath-time would be just as bubbly-fun for the kids. And one thing she had noted was the almost imperceptible sign in the entrance's frame, that the metal door waited, should she need it.

But she never would. Kaidan was right: all of this internal security was just here to give her added peace of mind. And it worked, because those doors were something solid she could see, as opposed to the unseen work of the scanners out in the corridor.

Stepping back into their original apartment through the second knock-through at the top of the stairs, Shepard found that Rorie's old room, which was right next to her new one, was now all Nate's. His cot and toys no longer had to share the space, and it was ready for him to grow up in – the walls plain and neutral until he could choose his own colour.

"Oh, I did change the downstairs guest room on this side now that we have two in the new extension…."

Looking curiously at Kaidan as she passed him to descend the front stairwell again, Shepard walked into the aforementioned room to find a fully-equipped gym.

"You really have out-done yourself, General." Her smile had grown with each step she'd taken through their home, and she couldn't have vanquished it if she'd tried.

Kaidan's widened in reflection. "You're happy."

Shepard laughed. "Very."

A slight frown wrinkled his forehead. "I was a little worried about that balcony, though. I mean…it was too big an aesthetic change to remove it, but…I know it brings an awful image with it."

"It won't ever happen again. Look at everything you've done to ensure that. And I also have distinct memories of standing atop that balcony, looking down at all our friends. So, I'll hold onto those tightly, and let that one bad one fade away." Sinking against this amazing man, Shepard sighed contentedly into the warmth of his neck. With a thought, her smile deepened. "You realise we've got a lot of room-christening to do now…."

"Funny, I was just thinking the same thing," he chuckled, softly. Whisky eyes appraised her with heated love. "I have to say, I'm looking forward to it."

Their lips met, tender at first, then more intently. Hungrily.

"You two can eat later, amigos!" Vega's mirthful voice heralded the arrival of everyone else. Their ten-minutes head-start was up, and of course these guys were 'authorised' to come right in. Jack's hand was entwined in James', and it made Shepard happy to see the two still so into each other. "I'm going to cook up a feast that would make my abuela proud. Right after we've done a tour of this place."

"Fancy teaching James that lesson on interrupting?" Shepard muttered to Kaidan.

"Hm. I don't know…. Food sounds good."

Feigning a disgusted look, Shepard made a sound to match. "You are such a biotic."

"Guilty," he surrendered, with a grin that flipped her heart.

"Okay, I give up. You might want to check out the bedroom there, first, James" suggested Shepard, knowing he'd be smitten with the new gym.

"Lola! I know Bella and I are insatiable but we can wait five minutes!"

"You don't want me, right now?" challenged Jack, her eyes hooded with seduction, making James swallow hard.

Opting to ignore them, Shepard caught Rorie in mid-leap. "Hey gorgeous. Go take a look at your new bedroom. First door when you turn right at the top of the stairs."

"Come on, Aunt Jack!" Rorie wriggled down to the ground, grabbed Jack's hand firmly in hers leaving the 'psychotic biotic' no choice but to relinquish James from her thrall, and ran excitedly up the stairs. "WOW! I LOVE IT!"

"Now that's a happy kid," grinned Kaidan, making a funny face at Nate who was tottering in on his own two tiny feet until his dad's expression made him chuckle so hard he lost his balance. On his six, Garrus righted him before he hit the floor.

Grand-parents traded stories of their shared grand-kids' exploits; Clay and Adams were talking engines with Nate at their feet, apparently taking it all in; James and Garrus began trying to one-up each other over their yahg encounters as they went to check out the gym; Liara was trying to divert Eden's attention away from her study of Edi's 'form' and her questions of why the AI wouldn't rather float like Glyph than have to balance on two legs. The others were lost in the crowd of exploring feet and faces, chatting and laughing.

Shepard and Kaidan stood together, surveying the small horde of friends and family who had accompanied their children.

She nudged him with her hip. "I guess we have to put the christenings on hold."

Kaidan nodded, resignedly. "Still, something to look forward to."

They shared a mischievous grin.

"Let the extended-house-warming party begin!" Joker's exuberant declaration, as he affectionately slung his arm around Altair's shoulders, was answered with a resounding cheer.

-o-O-o-

-o-O-o-

"Come on, daddy! We're waiting to start!"

"I'm here. Go for it, honey." Kaidan perched himself on the back of the sofa next to Terra.

They'd only been back from their 'planet-jumping' for a total of two hours before Rorie had demanded an audience for her picture-sharing, so here they were – or at least those few who weren't busy working or off the Citadel, back to their usual routines. That left Garrus, Kolyat, Edi, Traynor, and a morose-looking Joker.

Proudly, Rorie began to start her slideshow, while Edi entertained Nate on her lap by opening a panel in her fore-arm, displaying the circuitry inside, and hence fascinating the youngster.

"First, we went to Two-Chuka."

"Two Chuka? Doesn't exist," stated Joker.

"Does! Look!" argued Rorie, pointing at the lop-sided image she'd taken of Liara, Feron and Eden looking every bit the family against the krogan landscape.

"That's Tuchanka."

"That's what I said!"

"No you didn't."

"Joker," nudged Garrus. "She's five. What's your excuse?"

"Hey, she's got to learn, right?"

Rorie carried on, apparently choosing to ignore Joker, and Kaidan silently cheered her decision. He made a mental note to teach her how to execute a stasis, imagining there'd be a need for many more in Joker's future if he kept that up.

The screen changed to Rorie's two krogan uncles who had clearly never been forced to smile for a photo before, judging by their oddly goofy expressions.

"We stayed with Uncle Wrex and Uncle Grunt for two days."

Two days too long in Kaidan's opinion. Tuchanka was no holiday destination, nor would it be for a very long time, with its heavy-handed, ryncol-loving inhabitants. To add to the challenge, Aethyta had shown up for a surprise visit, and Liara had ended up on a mission to keep her wayward father and Urdnot's chief apart so she wouldn't have nightmares for the rest of her life. That had been a couple of sleepless nights.

The next snap-shot Rorie had taken made Kaidan want to wince. She'd somehow managed to capture Wrex and Grunt in what looked like a rather compromising position with a varren.

"What are they doing with that animal?" queried Edi, her head turning horizontally as she stared at the screen. Joker snorted.

"Risky question," frowned Garrus, as he peered at it dubiously. "I'm not sure I want to know what those two do in their free time."

"Perhaps they are training it," suggested Kolyat, weakly, though he looked more perturbed than Garrus.

"Now that's an eye-opener," quipped Traynor, her hand over her mouth.

Kaidan cleared his throat. "Uh, I should at this point tell you that they were attempting to get the varren to regurgitate Puppy." Terra was quietly laughing at his side.

"Uh huh!" grinned Rorie. "Nate was silly and gave Puppy to Urz, and he thought it was dinner! So Uncle Wrex and Uncle Grunt had to rescue him! It was funny. And yucky when Urz sicked."

"Ew!" Joker knocked the toy varren off his lap where Nate had placed it. "What's wrong with you people!? Haven't you heard of hygiene? Who knows what diseases that things got now! Jeez!"

"I can guarantee you, after the number of decontamination cycles that thing's been through, Puppy is cleaner than you, Joker," quipped Terra, retrieving the toy and handing it back to a bemused Nate.

"Puppy had quite the adventure," sighed Kaidan. He'd been hoping to erase that image forever from his mind.

"Then we went to Pallyvan!" announced Rorie, moving them on to Garrus' home-world.

"Thankfully, a much calmer few days," added Kaidan.

"I joined them for that trip," Garrus said, proudly, like the others hadn't known.

"Oh really?" questioned Joker. "On Pallyvan? I don't think so. Another place that exists only on the tongue of Aurora Alenko."

"Stop it, Jeff." Edi had an impressive scowl on her flawless face. "Aurora is doing her best."

"All right," surrendered Joker with a huff. "But don't come crying to me when she's getting teased by the other kids for talking gibberish."

"I do not cry, Jeff."

"I know," he drawled, shaking his head.

"Is something wrong with Moreau?" Kolyat murmured at Kaidan.

"The absence of Flight-Lieutenant Altair," he quietly confided back. "It's been three days since he's seen her."

Traynor leaned in on Kolyat's other side. "And a whole day since he's spoken to her," she whispered.

Yes, they were making light fun, but Kaidan also thoroughly understood the pilot's glumness. Unfortunately, the man had yet to work out how to quit inadvertently declaring his aching heart with his attitude.

Then another picture came up that made Kaidan do a double-take. Teryck Vakarian was at the edge of the picture, Nate in one arm and Eden's hand in his, but it was Garrus pinning down a turian while an armed military response bore down on them both from all directions that was the central focus.

"I thought you said Palaven was calmer…" Traynor's brows lifted as high as they could go.

Kaidan exchanged a glance with Terra, who looked equally as surprised as he was, before they both turned to Garrus. "You went out to look for a place that catered for humans so you could get the kids ice-cream."

"And we did," Garrus defended, weakly.

"It was yummy!" smiled Rorie.

"Um…something you omitted to tell us, Garrus?" Terra asked the squirming Executor.

Groaning, Garrus dragged his hands over his face under the pressure of their stares. "She had to take a picture of it," he exhaled into his palms.

Joker was grinning wildly, utterly enjoying this unexpected entertainment. "Someone's busted."

Garrus sighed. "It was my father's fault. He spotted an escaped suspect from a big drug bust. The guy's face was plastered on all the billboards we passed. Idiot was just strolling through the plaza like he wasn't a wanted criminal. Dad called it in, but then the perp noticed our attention and started to run. He could have gotten away," Garrus reasoned.

Kaidan studied the scene Rorie had captured. "There's half an army in that photo!"

"All of that for one drug-dealer with no brains?" gaped Terra.

"I know. Completely over-the-top, but that's how it's done on Palaven. Looks impressive to civilians, and scares the cra- uh, the fight out of the suspect."

"He was a very naughty man," explained Rorie. "Uncle Gus said he wasn't letting him get away, no matter what!"

"Did he now?" Though Terra sounded unimpressed, Kaidan could tell she was putting it on to make Garrus nervous.

Their turian friend tried to laugh it off, but anxiety strained it. "It's not what it sounds."

"I believe that photo would be classed as 'evidence', Executor Vakarian," teased Edi.

"And why exactly didn't you tell us?" Kaidan asked.

"Look at that!" Garrus flung his hand towards the troublesome photo still displayed. "Even I freaked out when I saw the force they sent in for that guy, rifles primed - with Rorie, Nate and Eden within range. Afterward, I figured there was no harm done, so why unsettle you all unnecessarily."

"More like: no harm done unless you tell the parents, in which case you'd be harmed," laughed Joker.

"That too," admitted Garrus.

"It was exciting!" declared Rorie. "Uncle Gus was cool!"

Garrus straightened at the compliment; pride re-claimed. "Thank you, Rorie."

"Not cool enough to tell us," admonished Terra. She fixed her disapproving gaze on their daughter. "And why didn't you tell us, young lady?"

"Uncle Gus said it could be our secret." Then she gasped and covered her mouth. "Uh oh." She looked up at the image she'd captured and looked guiltily back at Garrus. "Sorry, Uncle Gus."

"Don't worry, kid. I'll survive." Garrus peered back at Kaidan and Terra, cautiously. "Right?"

Kaidan struggled not to laugh. Now that the shock had worn off, he could see the funny side that Joker had found from the beginning.

"I'll forgive you," said Terra. "This time. Do not keep me in the dark again, Vakarian."

Garrus was visibly relieved. "Got it."

"Of course, I can't speak for the Shadow Broker…" she added, pointedly.

"Don't envy you that conversation." Kaidan slapped a commiserating hand on the turian's tense shoulder. "And I have to say, I'm amazed you got your father to keep quiet, too. He's so 'by-the-book'."

"Actually, he was the one who suggested it in the first place. Never seen him look so worried when he realised the situation he'd created around the children. I'm pretty sure he thought you'd use those Spectre powers to shoot him." Garrus shook his head in amusement at the thought of Teryck's concerns.

Kaidan grinned over at Terra. "Are we that scary?"

"When our babies are at risk? Hell, yes," she answered, honestly, but with only a shadow of menace in her voice.

Garrus cleared his throat again. "Anyway. Shall we carry on, Rorie?"

The images changed once more, from sandcastles on a Kahje beach with Nate laughing in the centre, to a hanar who was pretending to be Blasto but without the gun in his out-stretched tentacles, and Rorie matching his pose - the photo reminded Kaidan of an old Charlie's Angels poster, if a lot more bizarre.

He was fairly certain that he wasn't the only one holding his breath with each flick of the screen, in the nervous expectation of some other crazy image coming up.

Earth was next. There were a few pictures of feet, and lots of Eden looking every bit the carefree child with none of her usual seriousness, as she played in his parents' orchard with Rorie. Kaidan had noticed the change in the young asari with every trip, and that was also true of Liara and Feron. The responsibilities of the Shadow Broker had gradually loosened its grip and the two lovers had actually been able to relax and enjoy life, Eden, and each other.

After several more random snapshots of someone's dog, and a worm wriggling its way back into the ground, the scenes changed to a far less familiar one.

"Where's this?" asked Kolyat, leaning forward in interest.

"From the two suns, I'd say that was Shantou," guessed Traynor.

"Uh huh," smiled Rorie. "I liked the Santi a lot. But they do cheat at hide and seek," she added, gravely.

Kaidan burst out laughing. "What did we tell you? It's not cheating, it's just how they hide."

There was an image that Terra had taken of Eden and Rorie trying to explain the rules of their game and the confused looks of the Shanti children circling them at the concept of hiding without blending into their environment. It was a cultural difference that simply didn't translate no matter how hard Rorie had tried.

But seeing the memories of Shantou on the wall of their apartment still managed to bring back the sense of absolute peace they'd all found there. Their first contact had been a regrettable one, but Kaidan was pleased they'd been able to maintain relations with the Shanti. Knowing such a sincere people existed in the chaotic galaxy was something his children could find great hope in.

"I'm with you on that one, Pip-Squeak," decided Joker. "Definitely cheating."

"Uh huh. They even changed to look like Eden!"

While Kaidan sighed patiently, Terra re-lived the moment with laughter in her voice. "Rorie must have been searching for a good ten minutes before she realised she was being trailed by three 'Eden's'. Her face was priceless!"

"It's not funny, mommy," frowned Rorie. "It's cheating!"

"What's next?" Garrus prompted, and saving the peace.

"Tess- Fess-"

Kaidan smiled at his daughter's attempt to pronounce the asari name. She could never get it right. "Thessia."

"Uh huh."

The screen changed to a view that made Traynor gasp. "Are those…flowers? They make the ground look like it's alight!"

"Uh huh. They're called Fess- Tess-" Rorie scrunched her face up in frustration.

"Thessian…" Terra helped her.

"…Flames!" finished Rorie. "They smell super-lovely."

The next photo was a field of lilac flowers that filled the screen.

"They have lots more of these flowers there than they do here. Auntie Lara called them… Kimi-dalla's!" She beamed at remembering the name.

"They're beautiful," appreciated Traynor.

"And special," confided Rorie. "When you give them a secret, they close up and keep it forever." She moved onto the next image of over twenty flowers with their petals folded around each other, sealing the usually-tubular openings after she'd whispered her secrets into them. "I told secrets to all of these ones!"

"Shame she didn't tell one of those flowers your secret, Garrus," ribbed Joker.

"What was that, Joker? I think my translator's stopped working," huffed Garrus.

Kaidan leaned into Terra, keeping his voice low. "Should we be worried she has so many secrets?"

"Wait until she's sixteen, then worry."

The thought alone made Kaidan feel pale and completely unprepared. "Oh God."

"Deep breaths, Handsome." Terra patted his knee. "We can always sequester her to Shantou."

"So she can confuse the locals even more?" Kaidan chuckled under his breath, while he watched Rorie flick through her pictures of them all on Thessia. Liara can really come alive there, taking great pleasure in showing them her home-world's hidden treasures, and it showed in every image Rorie had captured of her.

The last picture was of the four of them. Liara had taken this one. He and Terra were sitting side by side as close as they could get, with Nate cuddled on Kaidan's lap, and Rorie on Terra's, and they were all laughing together. It resonated in Kaidan. He knew how it felt to be with his family, but he'd never imagined half of what he felt could possibly be visible to anyone else. Yet there it was, frozen on screen.

"Wow…" uttered Terra, emotion catching the word. "That's a great picture."

"Yes," smiled Kolyat. "That's how I always see you all."

"Ditto," said Garrus, and Traynor nodded. "Thanks for letting me be a part of it."

"Yeah," agreed Joker. "Hey, great job with the slide-show, Pip-Squeak."

Rorie couldn't have looked happier as they all applauded her.

They had had a fantastic time together, and Kaidan knew that 'planet-jumping' would become a new tradition in the Shepard-Alenko household which would undoubtedly include the extended family. Which was just fine.

Terra grasped Kaidan's hand and he drew it to his lips. Being home was wonderful, too.

o-O-o-

The sound of the club's music was muted where they sat, and Kaidan reclined in his seat with one arm swung along the back of Terra's. Joker, Cortez, Traynor and Garrus had joined them for the evening, along with James - who'd just gotten back from Earth.

Everyone had been surprised by the appearance of Liara, who had opted to take the opportunity to baby-sit while allowing Eden to have a sleepover with Rorie. From the raucous laughter emanating from Rorie's room when they'd left, Liara was likely going to have her hands full all evening.

Kaidan smiled as a song he recognised only too well began playing. Turning to Terra, he saw the twinkle in her eye and the tug at the corner of her mouth, and he stood and offered his hand. "Care to dance, Beautiful?"

"Uh, you're not serious, are you?" worried Joker.

The tug spread to a full smile.

"Do I have to beg now?"

Ignoring Joker, Terra stood, her eyes fixed on his, and Kaidan loved the way she looked at him.

"Think of our reputations!" called out Joker, desperately.

Kaidan enjoyed Terra's laugh as they walked to the centre of the room and faced each other.

As one they began to move. This was the woman they should all have seen. He'd never understood why someone as lithe as his wife could appear so clueless on the dancefloor. When he'd asked, she had simply shrugged and said she'd never had the chance to learn, growing up on ships. So he'd set her a challenge, to which she'd reciprocated, and their dance lessons together began. Just as he'd suspected, with the right tuition, she was a natural. Not so much for him, but having her as a partner was enough to get him moving the right way.

Losing himself in the feel of her beneath his hands, Kaidan let his head dip so their faces were as close as possible. Occasionally their lips brushed, yet he refrained from kissing her, as hard as it was. His hands slid from her hips to caress her belly and back as she half-spun away and back into his arms again, never losing contact.

It felt like they were in perfect synchronicity. They were – mind and body. They had a unique bond which made him luckier than every single human in existence and through the ages, who had ever loved someone as completely as he did Terra.

Then he realised the music had come to an end. The dance was over.

Arm-in-arm, they returned to the others, who were staring at them with open-mouths and incredulous looks.

"What have you got to say to that?"

"Uh…I think we just watched you making love," said a disturbed-looking Joker.

Garrus nodded, as equally perturbed. "It felt wrong, but I couldn't take my eyes away."

"That was…beautiful," Cortez said, sincerely.

"I had no idea you could both dance like that," admitted Traynor.

James grinned. "Think I could get Bella to do that?"

"No," came the unanimous answer.

"But I'd pay to watch you ask her," smirked Joker.

Kaidan was pleased to see that Terra's face was as flushed as his. "Let's get out of here," he whispered into her ear, enjoying the smile that undeniably said 'yes'.

Leaving the club to the sound of knowing whistles and cheering, Kaidan was grateful to step out of the noise and bustle, and into the serenity offered by the Presidium at night.

He looked up at a sky of stars that were artificial but no less beautiful as it mirrored the galaxy beyond. Out there, it was a little calmer, and a little less fractured than it was before because of what they'd done. And they'd come through the worst of times together, yet again.

Pausing at the lake's edge, Kaidan gathered Terra closer. As much as he wanted her, there were times when you just had to stop and appreciate the quiet times.

The ability to just exist together in the peace of this moment was a luxury they'd earned, and he intended to savour every second.

-o-O-o-

THE END!

A.N. I hoped you enjoyed it! Your final thoughts would be most appreciated.

Thank you to everyone who has stayed with me till the end, and to those who have added it to their favourites. Most of all, my utmost gratitude goes to everyone who has left me a review and kept me going with your positive comments. This story got written because of you. :)