Pain and Suffering

By: Absolute Edge

CHAPTER X

"Tali, where'd you sneak off to?" Shepard called out making his way down the stairs.

Shepard frowned as there was no reply and walked into the living room, no Tali, but plenty of toys scattered about. He picked up a plastic spaceship, a replica of the Normandy, and smiled turning it over in his hands. Good times. Setting it down on a low table he began picking up all of the action figures and admiring them as they reminded him of old friends. The whole gang was here, some from way back when and even a few that are gone now.

"I miss you guys." Shepard said as he was hit by a wave of pleasant, painful nostalgia.

"So do I." A soft voice said from behind.

Shepard turned around to find Tali leaning up against the wall by the staircase. She was in sandals, yoga pants, and a hoodie two sizes too large with the hood up; she looked adorable and it made him smile.

"What are you smiling at?" Tali began smiling because Shepard was staring at her and looked down to see if she had something on her clothing. Shepard set the action figures down and made his way around the couch to Tali.

"You're so beautiful." Shepard said standing close and placing his hands on Tali's hips.

Her cheeks flustered and it was very apparent against her light grey skin. She smiled and threw her arms around Shepard's neck and leaned in for a kiss and Shepard was more than happy to oblige.

Suddenly the pitter patter of tiny feet came rushing into the living room. Shepard smiled as he spied the two youngsters peeking out from around the couch and Tali laughed following his gaze.

"Ewwww! Dad's eating mommy's face!" Their oldest cried out with a big smile and covered her eyes.

"Now I'm going to eat your face!" Shepard said jumping at them, they screamed and ran around the couch away from him.

"No, daddy! Go way!" The youngest said climbing onto the couch; Shepard scooped him up with a laugh.

"Got'cha!" Shepard called out holding his son in his arms, they laughed together.

His daughter ran around to the other side of the couch screaming with a smile. Tali watched her peek around the other side to see what Shepard was doing. Tali smiled and picked up her daughter who yelped and thrashed in surprise.

"No, no, no! I got you!" Tali hugged her close and walked around to Shepard who had plopped down on the couch.

"Ah! Mommy!" The little girl complained as Tali kissed her forehead. "That's icky!"

She sat down on the couch and leaned into Shepard's shoulder. Their son had snatched up the replica Normandy and was playing spaceships while Shepard narrated a story for his son to fly his ship to.

"Mommy, mommy, I want to play too!" Their daughter struggled to escape Tali's grasp.

"Alright, but play nice." Tali said lifting her up and setting her down on the floor so she could get some toys.

"Go play with your sister." Shepard said setting his son down with his spaceship.

Shepard and Tali watched as their two kids ran off with handfuls of toys. Tali laughed and pushed Shepard over onto his back and lied on top of him.

"Well hello there." Shepard said with a grin.

"Hey." Tali giggled and rested her head on Shepard's chest with a sigh.

Shepard ran a hand down her back and dragged his nails back and forth much to Tali's delight.

"Oh, I love when you do that." Tali breathed out slowly as her body responded to Shepard's touch.

"Can't help it, I have to make up for all the years I couldn't." Shepard said as he reached down with his other hand and began scratching both sides of Tali's back at once.

"You don't, mmm, have to... But don't stop." Tali said slowly.

Shepard smiled and brought a hand up to Tali's head and brushed a few strands of her short, dark hair back behind her ear. She glanced up at him with a smirk and kissed his shoulder.

"Do you know how much I love you?" Tali asked leaning back slightly so she could really look at him.

"Enough to have to have two beautiful kids with me?" Shepard said with a smirk and Tali smiled back.

"Very true, but it's more than that." Tali suddenly became very serious and her face became stern. "I don't want you to think that I'm with you because of all the things you've done for me over the years, for my people and the Geth, I don't want you to think that I've been... guilt tripped into being with you to repay all you've done. I'm with you because I love you, because I love who you are."

"Why would I think that? I know Garrus told you about my past." Shepard said, he winced as painful memories came to the surface reminding him of how many innocent lives he's taken, of how horrible of a person he had been all those years ago.

"He did, yes. How did you know?"

"He told me." Shepard shrugged, indicating that he wasn't concerned that Tali knew, "So you know that I was interested in you way before the whole deal with the Reapers."

"I know, but I wanted to make sure." Tali said lying back down and slapping at his hand, Shepard took the hint and slipped around and under the side of her hoodie and continued scratching her back.

"You better stop thinking that or I might have to take you upstairs and do horrible things to you." Shepard said slowly with a big cheesy grin on his face.

"Oh really? Well, maybe I need to be taught a lesson?" Tali said with a sneaky smile as she slowly slipped a leg to the outside of his, taunting him.

Shepard grinned and felt her body shiver as he sent his hand further south. "What a bad girl."

"You like when I'm bad." Tali giggled but was cut off by a sharp gasp as Shepard performed a sudden, spine tingling maneuver between her thighs. "I'm s-so bad."

"You're a bad girl, very bad, you need to be punished." Shepard whispered in her ear.

Tali wanted to take this upstairs before it got out of hand but they were interrupted as their children came running into the living room laughing and holding toys up in the air as if they were flying.

Shepard yanked his hand out from under Tali's pants and she suppressed a moan. The two kids flew at them and jumped onto the couch yelling gibberish before calming down.

"Mommy, daddy! Aunty Eedy and uncky Joker is here!" Their son cried out as he jabbed the Normandy replica into Shepard's side.

"Also aunty Wiara and uncky Fanx!" Their daughter said climbing up to Tali who sat up to hold the girl on her lap.

"Well let's go see them then!" Tali said in excitement and shooting Shepard a 'maybe later' grin, he responded by licking his lips which made Tali's grin widen.

"I wonder what those kids want." Shepard said standing up with his son in one arm, Tali picked up their daughter and they all made their way to the door.

Shepard looked out a window and, sure enough, the four ex-Normandy crew members were making their way up the small walkway to the house. He opened the door and set down his boy who took off down the stairs, something brushed by his leg and Shepard saw his oldest rush down the stairs after their son.

"Be careful you two, watch your step!" Shepard called out.

Tali walked up and wrapped an arm around Shepard as they watched their children greet their old friends. Their youngest went straight for Joker and EDI; he had always been fascinated with anything to do with spaceships and synthetics so it was no surprise. Their oldest made a beeline to Phalanx and Liara, she greatly took after her mother, always wanting to know everything and figure out why stuff worked.

Shepard smiled as EDI crouched down and caught their son as he charged straight into her open arms. EDI picked him up and laughed as he threw his arms around her. Joker patted him on the back and the boy twisted to see him with a smile. Shepard looked to his oldest who did the same thing, ploughed straight into an awaiting Phalanx who did his best to cushion her momentum without accidentally hurting the girl with his hard synthetic frame. He stood up placing the girl on his shoulder as she cried out in joyous excitement. Liara reached up and ruffled her dark hair, much to their child's delight. They walked up with the children and handed them back to their parents, all laughing.

"Well, here's your goofball back." Joker said as EDI handed their son to Tali.

"Thank you, so how have you all been?" Shepard asked embracing them each in turn with his son in one arm.

"Good, good." EDI said looking at Joker with a smile; he switched hands with his cane and threw an arm around her.

"Better than good I'd say!" Joker said with a laugh.

"How about you two?" Tali asked looking at Phalanx and Liara; they were holding hands.

"Words cannot express my happiness." Phalanx said slowly. Liara grinned, blushing madly, and looked away embarrassed. They laughed again.

"So what brings you to our humble home?" Tali asked waving for them to come in.

"The tenth anniversary of Victory Day is coming up and we were wondering if you would join us in a little get-together we're having?" EDI said handing Shepard and Tali little invitation cards.

Shepard looked to Tali and back to his old friends, "As long as it's child friendly. We'll probably end up bringing the kiddos along."

"There'll be a kids section with adult supervision so you two can relax and have a good time. It's your day after all." Liara said with a laugh.

"Yes, Mr. Shepard, you have nothing to worry about." Phalanx said with a nod.

Shepard looked to Tali again. She smiled and nodded eagerly, "Sounds like fun."

"Alright then," Shepard said looking back to his friends, "we'll be there."

Author's Note: Just a small chapter getting some details out there, hope it was still enjoyable. Oh and there's nothing wrong with borrowing the greatest speech in the history of speeches, just saying. Also, I'm not a good speech writer xD