Three weeks later, Nathan was walking without a cane. He'd even managed a light jog that morning and returned to the house dripping with sweat and the biggest grin Kaidan had ever seen on his face. As his recovery had progressed, the thing that Shepard was most looking forward to had been self-reliance. He'd long since stopped asking Kaidan to do everything for him, but Shepard knew that before long, his dependance on Kaidan was going to get old for one of them.

While there'd been the odd ceremony or meeting to attend, Kaidan had largely been helping Shepard with his recovery. There were messages back and forth with Liara and both sets of parents as the wedding drew closer. The guest list had been nailed down, with just the right balance of dignitaries to acknowledge Shepard's role ("our role," Shepard often insisted) in galactic events, but it was largely a family & friends affair. Representatives from every Citadel race, except the batarians, would be there, and the crews of both Normandys. The only name Kaidan couldn't place was Felicia Hannigan. He didn't ask, but he knew her name wouldn't be on the list if she wasn't important to Shepard.

Kaidan stepped out of the steaming bathroom, rubbing the towel over his hair to dry it and walked into the living room, where Shepard was reclining on the couch in pajama bottoms, a datapad in his hands as he scrolled through some report or another. Shepard glanced up briefly then did a double-take at his fiancé's state of undress. A sly smile played across his lips as he beckoned Kaidan closer, setting the report aside.

Kaidan obliged and Shepard leaned over to place a tender kiss on the shaft of his penis, something he did occasionally that never failed to take Kaidan's breath away by the tenderness of the act. It was never something that was done to initiate sex, it was merely an acknowledgement of the intimacy of their bond.

Clearing his throat, Kaidan asked Shepard about the report.

"Councilor Sparatus sent it to me, with a note saying he'd be in touch."

"That doesn't sound good," Kaidan said, tossing the towel on the couch and sitting beside Shepard.

"It's not," Shepard replied, his fingers crawling until they met Kaidans, and he entwined them absently. "It's an update on the talks with the krogan, allowing them to colonize. The krogan ambassador has gone missing after a particularly heated meeting with one of the salarian dalatrasses."

"Linron?"

"God, wouldn't it be fun to nail her ass for something? But no, not her. One I've never heard of, Chinnan."

"Why would the krogan be negotiating with the salarians?" The two creases between his eyebrows showed as Kaidan picked up the report.

"One of the council's conditions to even discuss krogan colonization beyond Aralakh. They believed that the krogan deserved the opportunity to prove themselves, but they were determined to make them work for it. Valern wasn't completely opposed to curing the genophage, but he sure didn't encourage me."

"I wish I could have been there to see that."

"Me, too," Shepard said softly. He reached up to touch the back of Kaidan's head. There weren't any scars or outward signs of the trauma Kaidan had suffered at the hands of the Cerberus mech, but Kaidan knew that's what he was rubbing his head for. It was incredibly endearing.

"So, you think they're going to rope you back in to find a missing krogan ambassador?"

"Nah," Shepard said, a little too dismissively for Kaidan to take it seriously. He narrowed his eyes suspiciously at the other man, who caught the look and answered it with one of complete innocence.

"What? They don't need me. They have plenty of other well-trained and more mobile Spectres."

"That they'd trust with this? Who?"

Shepard simply looked at him.

"Oh, please. I'm surprised they haven't revoked my Spectre status. You know I was only pushed through because Udina thought he could have someone gullible on his side."

Shepard growled at that. "Let's pretend for a moment that's true, and I don't think for a salarian minute that it is, but let's pretend. They haven't yet, and you've been at all the ceremonies. You saved their lives on the Citadel when Udina did try his coup, so they already trust you."

"This is totally up your alley, Shepard. Why else would they send you that report?"

#

Kaidan had been right. It was a couple of days, but the council did summon him to the Citadel for an audience. The call came in the middle of an intense make-out session in the shower. Ever since Shepard had gotten his land-legs again, they hadn't been able to keep their hands off each other. It was finally starting to hit home that forever was beginning, but even the knowledge that they had the rest of their lives didn't diminish the aching need to touch each other.

The council had called back an hour later, and both men were attired appropriately. There was something going on, Kaidan thought, as he looked into the asari councilor's eyes. Tevos always had her secrets, politicians did, but there was some sort of glint in her eye that was throwing Kaidan off as he listened to them discuss the state of the recovery. The people hit the hardest by the destruction of synthetic life were the quarians, who'd been rebuilding Rannoch with the geth. While the bodies of the geth were being dealt with, the quarians had decided against attempting any recreation of the geth, having finally learned their lesson. Some of the mass relays were working, but most of the major relays were still months, if not years, from rebuilding. Scientists and engineers were frothing at the mouth with their efforts to dismantle the Reapers and the Crucible device. Indeed, some parts were being used to rebuild the Citadel.

Through it all, Kaidan was distracted by Shepard, for a change. The man who was normally bouncing a leg, shuffling, crossing his arms, simply couldn't sit still when dealing with politicians; that man seemed to be gone. Shepard sat patiently, merely gazed at the asari councilor with polite interest, allowing her to go on. Kaidan had only seen Shepard that still in the hospital. Even in sleep, the man twitched. Finally, she said something that completely caught both of their attention.

"...and, of course, we have the salarians working on restoring your AI."

"I beg your pardon?" Kaidan realized he'd shot forward in his seat, and he looked back to Shepard, who was covering his mouth with his hand, amusement dancing in his eyes.

The asari feigned innocence, though there was a smile tugging on her lips as she pretended she hadn't just buried the lead.

"The salarians are working to restore EDI. They report good progress, it is responding verbally to commands... Commander Shepard, what is so funny?"

He couldn't contain his laughter anymore, and his shoulders shook as he spoke. "EDI was one of Cerberus's tools, designed by human-first terrorists, and you're having her restored by salarians. The Illusive Man is frowning down on you. I love it."

"I'll admit to feeling a little smug," the councilor said, the barest twinkle in her eyes as she said it. "But that is immaterial. We'll have the Normandy up and running for you shortly."

Kaidan felt as if every cell in his body stood still for a moment. "Excuse me?"

The councilor's eyes flicked to him, then returned to Shepard. "The Normandy is your command ship, isn't it, Commander Shepard?"

"As long as it's not needed elsewhere, yes."

"We've been in discussions with the Alliance, and the ship has now been transferred to your exclusive command, to aid you in any and all Spectre operations. Your crew," she flicked her eyes to Kaidan again, "is entirely your choice. Now that the Reaper threat is apparently over, your missions will likely be of a more diplomatic or covert nature, for which the stealth drive and QE comm systems should be useful."

"So you are sending us to look for this missing diplomat," Kaidan added. He was pulling at the skin around his thumbnail in earnest. A sharp intake of breath as he pulled on too big a chunk drew a baleful glance from Shepard and a tiny bit of blood.

"Spectre Alenko, if you choose to accompany Commander Shepard on this mission, that is your choice, but you are not being sent anywhere." There was a light emphasis on the pronoun, but it was there. "No one can dispute your track record working together, but having two Spectres working together is... not common. And let's put aside the fact that you'll be married soon. Will you be able to set aside the personal to focus on your task at hand?"

"Ask Harbinger," Shepard replied quietly.

Tevos's head rocked back on her neck slightly, and she inclined her head, conceding the point. "Very well," she sighed, standing. "The krogan have sent another diplomat to negotiate, a female, for a wonder. An Urdnot Bakara, with whom I believe you're familiar."

Shepard merely smiled.

#

Admiral Hackett's image wavered out of view as Kaidan came up behind Shepard and wrapped his arms around Shepard's chest.

"Everything ok," he asked, pressing his cheek flat against Shepard's back.

"Yep. Just making a special request."

"Oh?"

"I asked if Vega could be part of Bakara's security detail."

Kaidan was quiet for just a moment, then: "I assumed you'd want Vega with us on the Normandy."

"I do, but I need to make sure that she's safe."

"Interesting choice, Urdnot Bakara."

"It's perfect," Shepard said, turning in Kaidan's arms to rest his hands on Kaidan's hips. "Wrex chose the one krogan I know who doesn't blame the salarians for the genophage. She's cautious and intelligent, even-tempered, and acknowledges that krogans haven't always been their own best friends. She's also not going to give in and accept just anything."

Out the window, the Citadel was teeming with life. Power had obviously been restored, as had most of the basic functions of the station. Some of the lifts were still out, so there was a lot of stair climbing at the Citadel these days. Repair drones and shuttlecraft were busy ferrying engineers and tools around in attempts to restore the wards, and more people were returning every day. The war was over, people were picking up the pieces of their lives and trying to put them back together. Sooner or later, they'd start fighting with each other again, but for now, there was a sense of community.

They'd done this.

The history books would mention Shepard, he was pretty sure that was out of his hands. They would talk about how he took down a rogue Spectre and destroyed the Reaper scout. Of how he destroyed the Collectors. Of how he united the galaxy and finally destroyed the Reapers.

But history didn't know that he couldn't have done it without Kaidan.

Shepard leaned forward and brushed his nose against Kaidan's, then drew him in for a soft, slow kiss. "Now, let's get Liara on the line. We're gonna need to do this wedding thing quick. I'm ready for you to be mine."

"I always was," Kaidan replied, tangling his fingers in Shepard's hair and pulling him in for another kiss.