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It was that dream again. The wreckage of what used to be London. It was very grey, lacking of color and emotion and hope. It was that suicide mission all over again but on a wider scale.
“Go!” They were both in bad shape but what Shepard wanted to do, the final push, it was madness. It was their only chance. And she was going without her.
“Shepard!” They were making her evacuate. Yes she had a few suit ruptures. Yes she was probably infected and running a fever. But she couldn’t leave Shepard to do this alone.
“Take her and go.”
Tali felt her heart thud painfully in her chest. “No. Shepard. Don’t go. Don’t leave me behind.”
“I need you to make it out of here alive. Go back to Rannoch, make yourself a home.”
It was their dream, living in something she built herself. To see the results of Legion’s dream. To live with Shepard. “I have a home. Come back to me.”
The only thing she saw was Shepard’s eyes. The only thing she heard above the sound of explosions and the dead and the dying were her ragged breathing. The only voice she heard was Shepard’s. “I can’t promise that.”
Then there was only the loud sound of an engine starting up, hands grabbing her and dragging her up the ramp. All she saw was Shepard’s back as she ran towards the Reaper.
She always was chasing Shepard’s shadow, ever since she met the human on the Citadel. When Shepard died, she tried to be here. She tried to lead a team.
But they all died.
She remained.
And all she could see is the Reaper firing its dreadful beam at the running Shepard, and it’s awful noise and it’s awful beam. And all she could see was Shepard’s running shape being incinerated. And the quiet static on the other end of her line. Shepard didn’t even have time to scream.
So she did it for her.
“SHEPARD!”
Tali jerked awake, the HUD display flickering before her eyes. She glanced to the side, only to check, not because she was scared. They had been watching old Earth movies and at some point, fallen asleep on the couch. Shepard was splayed out, hands and feet stretched out. She slept all stretched out, as if she never heard the meaning of personal space.
“What’s wrong?” Shepard’s voice was thick with sleep.
“Nothing. I…I just had a nightmare.” One of many.
“Want to talk about it?” Shepard sat up, rubbing sleep from her eyes.
“It’s about your fight on Earth, the final moment before you activated the Crucible. I…I dreamed that you died.”
Shepard rolled over, laying her arm over Tali’s side. “I’m here.”
“I know that.” Tali sighed. “It’s stupid that I’m…thinking of this.”
“It isn’t. I always dreamed of those I lost or fear to lose. Even now.” In the dim cabin light, it was still startling to see Shepard so soft, so vulnerable. For what seemed to be the longest time, she’d only ever seen Shepard as…untouchable. The hero of the Citadel and now the universe.
“I was scared of losing you Shepard. Down at Earth, the only thing I could think of was that we might not win. Even now, even after we won…still after all that we sacrificed--”
She rested her helm against her hand.
Shepard placed her hand on Tali’s shoulder. “I love you.” She said softly. “I love you so much that I got you a reservation at your favorite restaurant.”
“No, you didn’t! Shepard!”
“Well, being the savior of the galaxy gives me some benefits.”
“Go to sleep, savior of the galaxy.” Tali hugged Shepard, wishing beyond anything to be able to touch skin to skin. Despite the geth’s efforts, it would be decades before they could live outside of their suits. For now, they would have to contend. It was enough.
And dreams would remain dreams. Reality faces them.
//
Shepard hobbled forward, leaning against her cane.
While she may have gotten the best care possible, it didn’t mean they could fix everything. Not at once anyways. The cane was there to help support her weaker leg while it heals. Besides, it looked stylish. Although, she was suspicious, Garrius was the one who make it. Who knows what Garrus did to it?
She even got it painted with flames on the bottom.
Life after the war was….complicated to say the least. The relays were inoperative. Earth was host to a massive alien force that were all desperate to go home to. Thankfully, most of the minutia was dealt with. Thank the gods for Admiral Hackett. Without him, she was certain that everything would have been a lot harder to deal with. Certainly, he was the iron pillar that the Alliance rested on.
Gods, she missed Anderson even more now.
If she let herself, she could mope about everything. About all the lives she choose to doom just to save others. It was hard to not dwell on it. On deaths. It helped to think of all the lives she saved, the heroes that revealed themselves during the war. The good outshine the bad.
She spotted her quarrian leaning against the railing.
“Tali.”
//
Tali’Zorah nar Rayya stared out towards the Presidium, her forearms resting on the railings, her thoughts lost to the future. To think that they had a future at all.
Now it was the time for rebuilding, a time to rest.
“Tali!”
Tali’Zorah turned around. “Shepard!”
Shepard hobbled forward, the tap tap sound of her cane inaudible in the general hubbub of the Citadel. It took a few weeks of surgery, intensive physical therapy and an overbearing hen called Miranda Lawson to get Shepard back to her usual self. But even then it was hit or miss. There was a real chance that Shepard might just die, suddenly, her implants may just deactivate. As long as Tali kept an eye on her, Miranda wouldn’t set up shop in their room.
“Tali. You ready?”
“Of course.”
“Where are we going?”
“Well…I do recall a rather drunk quarian mentioning about not getting a chance to eat at a certain restaurant.”
“You fell in the fish tank, Shepard.”
“Sacrifices had to be made for the greater good.”
Tali shoved Shepard on the shoulder, gently. “Shepard.”
Shepard took Tali’s arm with hers and began to walk her towards the restaurant. It was a way to walk without revealing how badly she limped, or how weak she was. It also let her be closer to Tali.
They got to the restaurant without much fuss. It was pleasant even, being waited on hand and foot. The food was even tasty despite being tripled filtered. It was the best thing she'd ever been at. Certainly worth the wait. Shepard even got her flowers, music and the most romantic spot in the restaurant itself. It went perfectly. Of course, that is when it all went to hell.
Rounds impacted the are around them as they dove for cover.
"Not again." Shepard muttered, looking pissed. "I knew I should have brought my pistol."
Tali sent out her drone, scoping the area around them. Thankfully she had already downloaded a schematic. It was easy to sync it up to her HUD.
"Two of them. Three more at the front." Tali frowned slightly. "It..it looks like a robbery."
Shepard snorted. "Really?"
She slid out from under the table. "Only five of them? Amateurs." Shepard got up and began to hobble towards the front, confident that the snipers had diverted their attention. She wasn't even worried, looked more pissed than anything else.
Tali didn't remind Shepard that she had a team of three that she used to storm bases. And win.
Instead she hacked the door and helped divert terrified civilians.
//
If she wasn't injured, this would have been long over. But she was hurt. Alas, she would have to let Tali do all the work.
"Amateurs." Tali said with disdain as she remote hacked their omnitools.
C-Sec was already surrounding the place, forcing the would be robbers to desperate means.
"What do they think we are? Children? Anyone who fought against the Reapers are hardened veterans, especially those who survived." Tali continued to mutter. "Shepard, stop smirking and help me."
"I can't do anything." Shepard raised both hands. "I'm from the time where we smeared gel on locks."
"So am I." Tali said tartly. "We need firepower though. They have the area sealed up and due to the last time this place was attacked, the security gotten a lot better. C-Sec won't be able to bust in."
"I think I found something really neat about my cane that might help." Shepard pushed against the handle while pressing a button. The handle slid to the side, revealing, that it could be locked as a buttstock. "Oh, Garrus ol buddy. You really are one paranoid bastard."
//
"Lay your arms down." The only remaining guy raised his pistol at Shepard. They had managed to break the robber's team apart, and now it was a showdown. Or rather, an ill planned confrontation. The only person with kinetic shields was Tali and she was halfway across the room. There were civilians between them, the ones being held hostage, the ones that were being used to lure Shepard.
It was, in the end, not a robbery.
It was a foolish boy's desire to make himself known. It was pride.
"Kid, you don't want to do that." Shepard rested her rifle against the wall, her hands up, eyes locked.
"Do I? I get you, I get anything. I get everything. I'll be the one to end your life. I'll be a legend."
Shepard glowered. "You think there is anything place in this universe that would harbor you?"
"Omega."
She swallowed a sharp snort. Aria would have his body strung up. They might not see on the same level, but they did have a mutual understanding. Well, she'd like to think Aria would roast the guy for killing her. After laughing at how she died.
Tali'Zorah saw her dream flash before her eyes but instead of a Reaper it was an upstart mercenary. It wasn't going to end like this. She was not going to witness Shepard getting gunned down and in her favorite restaurant no less. They didn't even get to the main course!
It was then, that a civilian, a turian jumped up and bull rushed the gunman. Shepard jumped in, ramming into the gunman and through the fish tank. Gimp leg or no, she was still a lot heavier than she looked and a lot stronger.
After it was all said and done, C-Sec hauled the man and his cohorts away, people got autographs from the Savior of the Galaxy, Shepard sat on a bar stool nursing a drink. Tali sat next to her, the slightest of smiles on her lips. Not that anyone could see.
“Do you even see the effect you have on people?” Tali asked suddenly, hands resting on Shepard's hands.
“What?”
"Today, that turian jumped in." He was a former soldier, a veteran.
"He saved my life. I should be the one thanking him, but he spent most of it, thanking me." Shepard said wearily. "They all did. They should be thanking you. Without you, we'd be up a shit creek with no paddle."
“It's just how you are, Shepard. You're larger than life. I'm just thankful that they didn't think I was a lost suit rat." Tali's self-deprecation sounded soft, almost melancholy. "We're nothing without you Shepard. You make us want to be better. We want to make you proud.”
“Oh.”
“It’s not bad.” Tali pressed her hand on Shepard’s arm. “You are not bad. Sometimes, you just don't see how brightly you shine. I don't mind.”
“What if I mind?" Shepard asked. "You are part of my team. Without you, I would be nothing. We'd all be dead."
"I am an Admiral, the first Ambassador since the Morning War. It is...enough."
"You're my girlfriend." Shepard added in. "Don't forget that."
"How could I? You're my first human girlfriend. If Father was still alive, he'd be scandalized."
"Am I that terrible?" Shepard asked jokingly.
"No. You're not." She patted Shepard's hand. "What was it that your...cane turn into?"
"Sniper rifle." Shepard said proudly.
“Of course, it unfolds into a Sniper rifle…Garrus would do that.” Tali muttered. “Calibration my ass.”
They shared a moment of appreciation for Garrus.
“Why is it that you fall into my favorite restaurant’s fish bowl?” Tali sighed. "We didn't even get to the main course."
“It just likes me. I’m likable.”
“And remarkably wet.”
“I think there’s a fish in my jacket.”
“Those are just your breasts, Shepard.”
“Heh, I know. Got ya to look.”
Tali shoved Shepard’s shoulder playfully. “Boshtet.”
“Love ya.” She kissed Tali’s helm.