Sara stared deeply at the picture of her, Scott, and her father. This was taken before he died, before they'd gone to Andromeda. She felt a wave of emotions swarm over her from just looking at her. Nostalgia, sadness…homesick. She missed the Milky Way. She missed being home. It made a hard lump form in her throat, knowing that she would never see her favorite place again.

She placed the picture down on her desk. Her eyes were just drawn to it. The picture was taken on the citadel, on a regular day when they were out as a family. There was a large window behind them in the picture. She missed passing that window. She smiled as she thought that even the stars look familiar, she missed that familiarity.

Her lip quivered when she looked at the scenery. She felt her face grow hot. Her smile wavered. She missed home. She missed the citadel and the milky way. No matter how hard she tried, it never felt the same.

Sara couldn't hold back any longer. The warm liquid flowed down her cheeks like a stream. Dripping and making a puddle on her desk. She held back the sobs as she clenched the picture righter in her hand. She knew she was going to miss the milky way, she knew it the moment she signed up for the initiative, but she didn't know it would hurt this much to be so far from home.

Sinking her teeth into her lip to hold back the tears, she shut her eyes and turned away from the photo. Looking at it only depressed her more. She threw herself, face first onto the bed, shoving her face into the pillow. For just a few minutes, she pretended to be home. Disappointment washed over her like a huge cloud of black smoke, when she noticed, that even the pillows didn't have a familiar smell to them.

"Darling One!" She'd nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard the voice shout from across the room. How he was able to enter without her hearing was something she didn't know.

"Jaal!?" She called back, but hers was a bit less loving and a lot more surprised, "How'd you get in?"

He placed a finger to his lips, a gesture she was sure that Liam taught him, but slowly pulled it away when he got a good glimpse at her face.

"What is the matter?" He quickly stepped closer to her, taking her face into his hands when he reached the bed and examining it closely, "Your eyes….they're red and swollen."

"I've…" she stopped for a moment, "I've been crying, Jaal. I'm just a little homesick."

"Homesick?"

She nodded, her cheeks still firmly placed between his hands, "I miss the Milky Way. I miss Earth."

His hands slid down to her shoulders, and before she knew what was happening, she was in his arms, being held tight. He always smelled so nice, as she'd noted time and time again when he held her like this, and it was often. He was just so touchy, she felt as though she needed it now though.

"I am here for you, Darling One," he whispered into the crook of her neck. His hands lovingly stroking her back.

"I'll be okay, Jaal, don't worry," She reassured, and that only made him hug tighter.

"No need to be so strong, tell me about the Earth, about the Milky Way,"

She sighed and loosened her tense shoulders. Once words started to pour out, they began to flow naturally like a river. Story after story. Tales of mischief with Scott when she was younger, and joining the initiative when she was older. It was the small details. The way things looked and felt, explaining drinks and foods, even the Quarians and Drell, that really hit close to home.

Her voice buckled. Tears welled up in her eyes. She looked to Jaal. His bright blue eyes softening as his hand held hers a bit tighter.

"Sorry, Jaal," She sighed, using her free hand to wipe away the tears, "I got a little carried away."

He nodded, the stroked her hair. It was calming. She lie in his chest and let him rub her hair, her eyes growing heavy. It was like she read herself a bedtime story.

"About this 'Ice cream' you said you loved, I'd like to try it on the nexus,".

She yawned, "Ice cream's the best, Jaal, I know you'll love it."

"Not as much as I love you,"