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SEVEN YEARS LATER

"Put me down! Daddy! Daddy stop!"

Her happy shrieks are music to his ears. Her little body squirms under his arm as he holds his daughter by the waist and sweeps her up from the floor. Her raven dark curls bounce along her cheeks as she laughs and tries to wriggle her way out of his trap.

"Ah, ah, querida. Not so fast. Where's your brother?" he laughs.

He makes his way through the next room and back down the hallway. The Sunshine Coast settles with a dusky, orange sunset. The water outside the window glitters gold. James lumbers through another room with Preeya still trying to wrestle her father's tattooed arm that's almost twice the size of her body.

She suddenly stills.

"There he is, Daddy!"

He catches a glimpse of her round, violet-blue eyes while looks up for his approval and points a finger into the adjacent room.

"Ah hah!" he laughs and runs forward, "Hey there, big guy!"

His son, still too young to really get around on his own two feet, can't do anything but watch as James swoops forward and collects him under his other arm. Anderson has always been the quieter of the two kids. He simply falls limp in his father's grip and enjoys the ride, his fair hazel eyes blinking up at him.

"So I'm supposed to remind you two that you're gonna be on your best behaviors tonight," James says, toting around the two kids through the next room and heading for the living room.

"We know, Daddy," Preeya laughs.

Anderson yawns in response.

"Bueno," James laughs "And remember to say to hello to everyone before you go off and play."

"Yes, Daddy."

He makes it through the kitchen and then sets them both down on the floor, crouching until he's level with them. Preeya has her mother's smirking gaze and she folds her arms over her chest in a pose so similar it makes him chuckle. Anderson sucks his thumb, his skin a dark satin mix of his father's and mother's and his cheeks ruddy with youth.

"Preeya, take your brother and make sure you play with Kal," he says with a quick nod.

"Okay," Preeya grabs her brother's small, pudgy hand and starts for the next room.

James straightens up.

"But if he tries to charge at you again you come tell an someone, okay?" he calls after them.

Preeya is already gone. Hell. That girl moves fast. She gets that from Shepard too.

James opens a few windows in the kitchen to get the air circulating through the house. It's a small place. The world's being rebuit piece by piece. Even seven years later there's work to be done. But little houses like theirs have been popping up all over as people start to clear away the ashes and settle down again.

He and Shepard built this place themselves. It's not much, but when have they ever needed more than this? He pats touches the wall fondly after a breeze starts to roll through the house and then makes his way to the living room.

It gets louder as he nears. A low murmur of voices. As he steps into the room he finds it dusted gold with the sunset. That's one of his favorite parts about the house –it's has of the best views on the coast. Just like Kaidan promised.

The room is full of people. He stands at the threshold a little fondly for a moment, taking it all in.

Liara and Joker stand off in a corner together. Liara laughs at something he said –first in a reserved, dignified way but then breaking into a fit of giggles. Joker tugs his baseball cap down a little and grins. Jack comes up behind him and flicks him in the head affectionately.

Kaidan and his wife are talking with Garrus and Tali. No kids for Kaidan yet but his wife is almost seven months pregnant. She's pretty –suits him. She's soft, blonde and reserved. James can just tell by looking at Kaidan that he's crazy in love with her, too.

Around his feet, Preeya and Anderson are playing with Kal –the little Krogan that Garrus and Tali adopted a few years ago. Not so little anymore, now that he thinks about it. Tough kid. Not that it's surprising considering his genetics. But Tali and Garrus make a damn good team. They keep him out of trouble for the most part. But he and Shepard moved all their dishes and breakable items into the cabinets to prepare for his arrival -just to be safe.

Samara and Steve are sitting on the couch and directly across from them sits Shepard. It took her almost two years to make a full recovery. But she looks as good as ever, timeless, raw beauty radiates from the couch over to him. She has more than a few new scars. The only one that's visible now is one that creeps up from the collar of her shirt to her jaw. There are more underneath her shirt and cargo pants, ones that he knows she actually enjoys having.

She turns her head, as if she can feel his presence, and her hooded azul eyes lock onto him. They curl in the corners a bit in greeting.

"Jimmy Vega!"

A voice distracts him and he looks over toward the center of the room. He laughs and makes his way over to the group there, clasping hands with Garrus and shaking when he arrives.

"Heya, Scars," he grins.

When they finish shaking hands Tali wraps her arms around his neck.

"Good to see you, James," she murmurs.

"Good to see you too, Sparks."

Kaidan moves in next and starts to shake his hand too. James pulls him forward into a bear hug instead, clapping him on the back.

"Heya, Blue," he booms.

Kaidan laughs and embraces him.

They've grown over the last seven years. And Kaidan's the reason he and Shepard have this house at all. An old poker debt that James had all but forgotten about, Kaidan offered up to them despite their polite declinations. He insisted, actually. He planned on moving back up to his parents place in Vancouver to do damage control to his home city anyway.

When he met his wife and settled down there, it was close enough for the two couples to go back and forth between both houses. They had them over for dinner at least three times a month and vice versa. It made it all feel like home again.

The memory of the Reapers had all but faded out.

Kaidan's wife, Maile, comes forward and hugs him gingerly. She just got news that her baby is a boy. In private, he and Kaidan joke about how they hope their sons will get off on the right foot sooner than they did.

They all talk until the sun sets on the Sunshine Coast. James makes his rounds through the party, catching up with the crew and remembering how much they've been through. How much they fought for. How close they were to losing everything.

At the end of the night, Preeya, Anderson and Kal are passed out on the couch together. The reunion slows. Most are staying over in the guest rooms since travel is still a pain in the ass and no one feels much like leaving. Kaidan and Maile have already retired to one. Garrus and Tali are standing out on the porch overlooking the water with Liara.

He's been talking with Steve for the last hour. He always wished he could bring back Robert for him –but Steve has never held Shepard's return against him. And he has him to thank for pulling him through the months where he couldn't know if she was really gone or not. He couldn't ask for a better friend.

The sun sets and suddenly he notices Shepard is no where to be found.

"I'm gonna go check on her," James murmurs, after Steve inquires about her absence.

His oldest friend nods and smiles, touching him on the arm in passing.

James makes his way through the house. He's pretty sure he knows where she is. He cuts down a hallway and turns left and finds himself at their bedroom door. He pushes it open and peeks a head in.

"Lola?"

Sure enough, she's lying on the bed with her hands clasped over her stomach. Her head turns at him when he enters and even through the shadows he can see the light of her eyes.

"Hey," she murmurs.

He crosses the room and climbs onto the bed next to her. He props himself on an elbow and leans over her, brushing away a strand of her hair. She's let it grow out a little. It almost reaches her shoulders.

"You okay?" he asks.

She nods once, twice, and then in an unsteady rhythm like she's trying to convince herself too.

"Mmm, just thinking," she whispers.

"About?"

She's quiet. Her eyes close. A breath swells in her lungs and her lips part.

"Having everyone here..it just puts things into perspective," she says, "How lucky we are to be able to do this."

"Luck had nothin' to do with it," James corrects her with a smirk, "You took out the Reapers. You gave us this future."

They're far enough away from the general public so Shepard can forget that most days. She's praised as the angel of the galaxy, a hero, a messiah –her face is everywhere. But they're far enough away from it that it allows her to be separated from the fame. She doesn't want all of the publicity or the honor. She never wanted it. She's happy just being a mother now –and James respects that.

So on the rare occasion when some unsuspecting news team comes knocking on their door, James meets them with a narrowed glance and his heavy, tattooed arms crossed over his chest. Preeya is usually there with him too, standing at his side in a similar position. And Lord knows that girl is terrifying when she wants to be.

The reporters usually pack up pretty quick after that.

Shepard laughs softly.

"I had help."

"Not when it really came down to it. You were alone up there and you made the choice and you saved a hell'uva lot of people, Shepard."

She sighs.

"I'm just glad we're able to do this."

"You and me both."

He lowers his head a little and they kiss. Briefly, but then with more heat. It's been seven years and he still can't get over that tight, buoyant feeling in his stomach that she gives him. She sucks the wind right out of him and her rosy nails touch at the back of his neck. He sighs and they break away. He rolls onto his back and Shepard curls up against him, her head on his chest.

"The skylight was a good idea," she murmurs absently.

He glances up with her to the window they put in right over their bed. The vast expanse of stars hovers over them, just as it used to in her cabin aboard the Normandy. He tightens an arm around her and kisses the top of her head. They lay in warm silence for a moment.

"Wanna head back out there?" he asks her, hearing a murmur of voices return from the direction of the living room.

She nods, but as he starts to move her hand curls on his chest.

"In a minute."

Her flickering blue gaze ignites in the dark and she leans over him, bringing her satin mouth to his. He kisses her hungrily, hands at her waist and through her hair before he flips her over and starts to kiss at her neck. Her husky laughter runs through him as she tilts back her head and lets her hands rake over his shoulders.

They kiss under the stars for ten minutes longer than they mean to before they brush themselves off and make their way back to the living room.

Not that those ten minutes really matter. These days, they have all the time in the world.

Wowwowowow. I've had such an amazing journey writing this story and you guys have made it all worth while! I honestly will never be able to express my thanks enough for all the support you've given me and I am so happy to have shared this experience with you. The reviews I've gotten have literally brought me to tears at times. You all are so kind and I can't begin to tell you how honored I am to have connected with some of you with this story. That is really the thing I love most about writing and it wouldn't happen if you guys weren't so amazing and hadn't shared this journey with me. :)

From the bottom of my heart, thank you thank you thank you! To all those who have been reading from the beginning, middle and even the end! Every single one of you is so special to me and I'm so so so so so humbled by all your comments and feedback. I wish I had something more to give you guys than words!

Be sure to stick around, I'm sure as heck not done writing yet! Mass Effect has pretty much given me material to write for ages so I expect there will be some more exploration of this verse in the future for me :)

Thank you again to you, wonderful readers! Hope you have enjoyed this as much as I have!

-Vermouth