A/N - As always, all credit belongs to Bioware... Hope you have all enjoyed the journey, let me know how I did! Oh, and I don't speak Spanish myself - so I apologize in advance if I butchered James' line here... blame google translate and my son's 4th year Spanish... I tried my best!
Kat and Kaidan looked at each other in amusement when the door chime to the captain's cabin rang first thing the next morning. Kat had just finished feeding Kira and she scrambled to get out of bed as Kaidan moved to open the door. When he sent her a look, she shrugged.
"I'm not greeting my crew in bed," she said with a bit of a growl.
Kaidan simply chuckled, but waited until she had seated herself on the couch with the baby before he opened the door. He was not at all surprised to see Garrus and Tali on the other side. He waved them in and then raised a brow at his old turian friend.
"Was there a schedule or did you win a competition to go first?" he asked laconically.
"Nothing so dramatic," Garrus answered breezily. "I just reminded everyone that I was Shepard's closest friend."
"While you were cleaning your Widow?" Kat asked with a laugh.
"That might have played a part," Garrus admitted with a laugh. He moved to the couch and then stopped dead a few feet short. "That is a very tiny human."
"They start out that way," Kat replied, doing her best to keep a straight face in light of her best friend's obvious discomfort. "She'll grow quickly, don't worry."
"I've never seen a human infant this close," Garrus admitted. "I didn't realize how… fragile they could be."
"Would you like to hold her?" Kaidan said from behind him. "She should get to know her uncle, after all."
"Uncle…" Garrus breathed. He cleared his throat. "Are you sure? I'm afraid I'd break her."
Kat laughed then, she couldn't resist. She stood and handed Kira to Garrus, showing him how to support the baby's head and hold her properly. She stood back and watched as Kira lay quietly, totally at ease in Garrus' arms. Kaidan moved behind her and wrapped his arms around her from behind and the two of them watched the introduction with smiles and pride.
"She's so beautiful," Tali breathed as she, too, watched the tender scene.
"We think so," Kaidan agreed with no small amount of pride coloring his voice.
"Cross-species mating isn't possible for us," Tali said with a sigh. "So this will be the closest we'll come to a child of our own."
"There are still plenty of orphaned children on Palaven," Garrus said in a soft voice. "If you're interested, we could adopt and give one or more of them a better life."
"Really?" Tali replied, and the tone of her voice spoke volumes. Clearly this had been an issue she had worried over.
"I think the two of you would make amazing parents," Kat said softly. "And you're welcome to babysit Kira anytime for practice in the meantime."
"I think we'll take you up on that," Tali replied. "We'll be stopping at the Citadel when we reach it and then heading from there to Palaven. But travel between Palaven and Earth is relatively safe and quick." She stretched out a gloved finger and softly stroked Kira's cheek. "We definitely will enjoy being able to watch this little one grow up while we get settled."
"We'll be married as soon as we reach the Citadel," Garrus added. "I'm not taking any chances that Tali will get distracted by another super-secret project and delay the wedding again."
Kat looked over her shoulder at Kaidan and met his eyes. She saw that he was thinking the same thing as she was and winked and smiled at him. She turned back to her friends, and watched quietly as Garrus handed the baby to Tali, repeating the instructions she had given him for proper holding just minutes before as if he were now an expert nanny. She cleared her throat once the exchange was successfully made and waited until her friends met her eyes with questioning looks.
"Alliance regulations allow for the age-old custom of starship captains being legally allowed to perform certain ceremonial customs – weddings included. You could be married before you reach the Citadel if you would like."
"You could marry us? Here on board?" Tali repeated.
"Absolutely," Kat confirmed. "If you would like that."
"Yes!" Garrus and Tali answered in sync, and a bit too boisterously for the baby. She started to fuss a bit and Tali looked absolutely terrified until Kaidan stepped forward and rescued her. He took the baby from her and rocked her in his arms for a few seconds before Kira settled and yawned, then closed her eyes.
"That's rather amazing," Tali said in wonder.
Kat couldn't help but agree. Kaidan was, in her estimation, an incredible father already, and their daughter obviously knew and loved him as much as she did. She blinked emotional tears from her eyes and concentrated on the issue at hand.
"We can hold the ceremony tomorrow if that's ok with both of you?"
"That would give us another two days before we reach the Citadel," Garrus answered with a nod. "That will work, thank you."
"Tali?" Kat asked the bride-to-be. "Is that ok with you? Do the quarians have any special needs for weddings?"
"Frankly, most quarian weddings are conducted by the captains of our liveships – or well, they used to be. Having you marry us here on board makes our wedding much more quarian than it would be otherwise. Thank you, Shepard, for thinking of this," Tali replied.
"You're welcome," Kat replied. "I love you both and I'm glad to see you happy."
"We're glad to be happy," Garrus said, throwing his arm around his fiancée. "And we have you to thank for that, too."
"Well, you know, save the galaxy, have a baby, fix my friends' love lives… all in a day's work," Kat replied with a breezy wave.
"And we should be going now," Garrus added. "We only allotted each group ten minutes."
"You seriously have a schedule?" Kat asked with an arch look.
"We figured it worked for Kaidan in London," Garrus replied, referring to the rotation Kaidan had established for visits when Kat was in the hospital recovering after the War. "Why not do it again?"
Kat laughed at the logic, but couldn't disagree.
"I guess I should expect the entire crew two-by-two for the rest of the day?" she asked.
"We provided rest intervals," Tali replied seriously. "We were told that infant humans need a lot of sleep."
"So do new parents," Kaidan added with a grin. "But we appreciate the effort. You can send in the next group as soon as you leave," he added, with his eyes on his daughter sleeping peacefully in his arms. "I think this one could sleep through anything."
"She must get that from her mother," Garrus replied with a laugh. He nodded and took his fiancee's hand and they prepared to go. "Thank you, both, again," he said over his shoulder as they exited.
Kat and Kaidan had barely time for Kaidan to shift Kira back to Kat's arms before the door chime sounded again, indicating their next visitors. Once again, Kaidan opened the door, and this time Liara and Samara were on the other side. He waved the asari in and decided that someone other than these two had actually written the 'schedule' since they were a rather unlikely pair, other than sharing a race. He smiled and led them over to Kat and Kira.
"We apologize for intruding on your private bonding time," Samara began.
"But we couldn't wait to see the baby," Liara added with much more enthusiasm.
Kat handed Kira to Liara, and noted that the asari did not need any instruction. She smiled to see her child in the arms of her oldest female friend. It was a time-honored Earth tradition and a bit of normality in her very unusual life, and it amused her.
"Congratulations to you both," Samara said in her solemn manner. "A daughter can be the greatest blessing the universe can provide a person."
Kaidan winced a bit as he remembered all the pain the asari had endured as a result of her daughters. He knew that she was sincere in her happiness for them – she was that good a person – but that their happiness had to be reminding her of her pain at the same time.
"How is Falere?" Kat asked softly.
"She is well. She continues to live in solitude, practicing her meditation and studies," Samara answered. "I try to see her as often as possible. Thank you both for making that possible."
Kat nodded in acknowledgement.
"Thank you for being here to share this with us," she said in an equally solemn tone.
"It is a time for joy, and I share that with you. I care for you both and am truly happy to see you at peace and with your beautiful child. I am… glad to have been here for this."
"She looks just like both of you," Liara said with a coo, apparently oblivious to the solemn undertones. "She's absolutely perfect."
"We think so," Kat replied with a laugh, enjoying her friend's obvious wonder and happiness. It never failed to make her wonder that although Liara was three times her age, she often considered herself the elder. She had fought to make it possible for Liara and many others like her to hold on to that youthful optimism and she would never regret the sacrifices she had endured as a result.
"So what's next for you, Dr. T'Soni?" Kaidan asked with a soft smile of his own. "Plans for daughters of your own in the future?"
"Perhaps," Liara answered with a grin, handing the baby off to the elder asari with a sigh. "I would have to find a suitable mate first, and the two of you have set that bar a little high."
"I'm sure anyone you found would have to pass the Shadow Broker's rigorous screening, too," Kaidan added, a bit tongue-in-cheek.
"There's that, too" Liara admitted with a laugh. "In the meantime, I'll return to the Citadel and my current project – I'm documenting the origin and evolution of the Reaper species."
"That's a painful and complex subject," Kaidan replied with a low whistle.
"And I guess we have just added a footnote or two to it," Kat added.
"At least a chapter or two," Liara corrected seriously. "I think it's important to recognize the mistakes of the past and learn from them. I hope that my work can help with that."
"You're certainly well-qualified for it," Kat said. "And you, Samara?"
"I will report back to asari high council and then go where the Code takes me," Samara replied. "It is my calling, my life. But I am grateful that I was able to be here to help you."
"As are we," Kaidan replied. "It's good to know that the galaxy has someone like you defending and protecting it."
Samara handed Kira back to her mother.
"In asari culture, the birth of a daughter is celebrated extensively, but only after the family unit is allowed a respectful interval to bond together. It is a private time – very intimate and joyous – and unfortunately, very often occurs only between the mother and daughter. Very rarely do asari mate and bond with their partners permanently, and, as you know, it is frowned upon for two asari to mate together. In that, I envy you. And I wish you the great joy of it." After that short speech, Samara handed Kira back to Kat and turned to go. "We should leave them in peace," she added to Liara.
"Yes," Liara said with a nod. "I am so happy for you both," she added as she, too, turned to leave.
"Garrus must have written the schedule," Kat said once the door closed behind them. "That was an odd pairing."
"Rather the opposite ends of the spectrum of asari life," Kaidan agreed with a nod. "But interesting for just that fact."
"That's the science in you speaking," Kat replied with a laugh as the door chimed again. "And here we go again."
Kaidan chuckled as he called for the next visitors to enter. The door opened and revealed just James this time.
"Where's your other half?" Kat asked with a smirk when James approached them, looking rather more sheepish and timid than she had ever seen him.
"I snuck up here right before our turn. I wanted to see you alone, first, Lola," James replied. "Well, by myself. Without Kris. You know what I mean."
"What's going on, James?" Kat asked in concern.
"Nothing galaxy-threatening, I hope?" Kaidan added, equally worried.
"Nah, it's nothing like that, it's just… Dios, I'm not good at this," James muttered in a rush. "Look, Lola, I wanted to ask... Do you still have the codes for Anderson's apartment on the Citadel?"
"I do, but I'm not sure if it's been rebuilt – we haven't been back there since the War," Kat replied. "Why?" she asked with a serious look, though she was hiding a grin. She was pretty sure she knew where this was going now.
"I wanted to take Kris somewhere special, somewhere upscale," James replied. "I mean, I could do it here, but I don't think the mess or engineering or crew quarters is very romantic. And I could wait until we get back to Earth, but then she would wonder when I had to make up an excuse to stay in Rio and it would get complicated… So the Citadel seemed like the best place, but everything is so public there, so I thought I'd ask…"
"Take it from me, James, it won't matter where you ask her, only that you do," Kat cut off his rambles with a smile. "After all, this one," she said with a finger pointed to her husband, "asked me in my hospital room. It's not really about the setting, but about the sincerity."
"Yeah?" James asked with a surprised look.
"I said yes," Kat replied, and then added at her husband's cough, "Eventually. That being said, if you'd like to try the codes, you're welcome to them."
"Nah, I'd rather save those for the celebrating after she says yes," James replied with a cocky grin.
"Yes to what?" Kris asked as she entered the open door.
James swung his eyes comically to his girlfriend and visibly swallowed. He stood agape for long seconds until Kris finally laughed and took pity on him.
"You look like a fish, mi amor, and if the question is whether I want to make an honest man out of you, then my answer is most definitely yes," she said with a grin.
James got even greener, if that was possible and gawked for another few seconds before he visibly pulled himself together and cleared his throat. He walked toward Kris slowly, then stopped just before her and went down to one knee.
"Kristina Alvarez, mi vida, eres lo mejor que me a pasado nunca, ¿quieres casarte conmigo?*" James asked softly and seriously.
Kris responded with a rush of Spanish too quick for Kat to follow, followed by a happy 'Si'. James stood and the two fell into a passionate kiss which Kat watched with some amusement until Kaidan coughed softly.
"Congratulations, you two," he said, "But let's keep it PG-13 in front of my daughter."
James and Kris broke apart guiltily as if they had just realized they weren't alone.
"Sorry, Major," James said with a blush and a grin.
"He's just giving you a hard time," Kat said with a laugh. "I'm pretty sure Kira is too young to notice. Congratulations, though."
"Speaking of Kira," Kris said with a pointed look. "Can I hold her?"
"You should be careful," Kat said as she handed the baby over to her friend. "EDI informs me that there's an old wives' tale that babies are contagious."
Kris laughed but James looked utterly horrified for a moment until Kat shook her head and laughed as well.
"Don't worry, Lieutenant, it's just a superstition," she told him.
"Not that I don't want to have babies. Someday," James said with a relieved grin. "Just…"
"Not just yet," Kris added firmly.
"So what is next for you, two then? A wedding appears to be in the future, but what else?" Kaidan asked.
"I think we'll stay engaged a little while and let everything settle," Kris replied.
"I'll need to transfer to Rio anyway," James added. "Which I would have anyway. Apparently they could use better security at the Villa. Allowing instructors to get shot on base is very bad form. And we'll need to re-interview all the candidates on base the day you were shot and look for memory gaps."
"Does it matter at this point?" Kat asked with a grimace. "Whoever did it was acting as a pawn of Leviathan, and doesn't remember the incident. The artifacts are gone, Leviathan is gone, I'm not sure we need to solve that mystery."
"If you're sure, Captain?" James replied with a hint of censure. Kat smiled internally to see the MP coming out in him.
"I think enough lives have been ruined as a result of this mess," Kat answered with a nod. "And I don't believe that the candidate is still a danger – though a hell of a soldier to get that past me. The Alliance is better off having them where they are – as an N7."
"Good point," James conceded. "But at least I'll be nearby to make sure something like this doesn't happen again."
"And I'll be glad to have you there," Kat replied with a smile.
"Maybe we could have a baby or two once you transfer and we get married," Kris added with a soft look, staring at the baby in her arms. "It would be nice for this one to have a playmate or two to grow up with."
"Uh, Kris, I think it's time to give the baby back," Kaidan said, holding out his arms to receive his daughter from her. "That's why the superstition exists," he added with a reassuring look to James, who was once again looking green and panicked. "Babies are hard to resist."
"Would you like to hold her?" Kat asked, biting her tongue to hold back a grin.
"Um, maybe next time," James said with a touch of panic. "We should go now, anyway."
"Kat was just having some fun with you, Lieutenant," Kaidan said with a grin. "At ease."
"He's right, though," Kris added. "Garrus has a fairly strict timetable."
With that, the two of them turned to go – though not before Kris sent one last longing look to the baby in Kaidan's arms and James sent one last glare to Kat.
"That was rather mean," Kaidan said mildly once they had left.
"And funny," Kat added with a chuckle. "I bet they're married and pregnant before Kira turns 1."
"And that's a sucker bet," Kaidan replied and kissed her cheek. "No way I'm taking that."
The door chime interrupted them once again, and they fell back into the pattern of greeting their friends and showing off their daughter. The parade continued and involved the entire crew, down to the MPs and engineering techs, and even included a 'checkup' from Dr. Chakwas that was much more of a social than medical visit. When the door chime sounded one more time and Kaidan bid their latest visitors entry, it was a sheepish Joker and EDI on the other side of the door.
"Garrus just realized we weren't on the schedule at all and sent us up here. Just so you know, we're the last," Joker drawled once he was seated next to Kat on the couch.
"Jeff insisted that I bring my mobile platform to your cabin for this meeting," EDI added. "I explained that I have technically been present since you indicated the end of your customary night privacy this morning, but he felt that it would be 'bad form' to not 'come in person.'"
"We appreciate the effort, EDI," Kaidan replied with a laugh.
"And thank you for all your help during Kira's birth," Kat added with a smile.
"I'm glad that I was here to provide assistance," EDI said.
"So am I," Kat replied with a smile, knowing that her words had a meaning that EDI might not catch, but that her pilot would.
"I brought this for her," Joker said, extracting a rather mangled (and yes, pink) SR2 cap from his jumpsuit. "It's a little big still, but she'll grow into it."
"Thanks, Joker," Kat said, taking the cap from him with a smile. "I guess I would have won that bet, too?"
"Yeah, well, I had both a pink and a blue one made once I realized you were gonna be stubborn about not telling us what you were having."
"Did you want to hold her?" Kat asked softly.
"I'd love to," Joker replied seriously. "But better not. Brittle bones and babies don't really mix"
Kat nodded. The small group fell into comfortable silence for long moments before Joker spoke again.
"Look, Shepard, I don't really do the big emotional speeches as well as you – or at all, really – but thank you. Just thank you," Joker said, again in a much more serious demeanor than she had ever seen from him.
"You don't have to thank me, Joker. Everyone deserves to be happy," Kat replied.
"Not just for that," Joker corrected. "Though having EDI back is amazing. But for being the person you are. It's been a long road, and you've been the best CO I've ever had."
"Good thing," Kat replied with a grin. "Because you're stuck with me. I called in a favor or three with Admiral Hackett since I've saved the galaxy… again. He's reassigning you to Rio with me. Although in between N7 runs, you'll have to act as a flight instructor for incoming candidates. And of course, EDI will be required to interface with Alliance ship building ops to work on new technologies for our fleet. Assuming of course, you say yes?"
"I say hell yes!" Joker exclaimed, loud enough to wake the sleeping baby. "Oops," he added sotto-voice. "Guess I need to get used to having a baby around."
"That you do," Kat confirmed with a grin. "Since Uncle Joker is going to be around quite a bit."
"Guess our daughter is going to be learning some interesting words and phrases rather early," Kaidan said with a mock sigh.
"She would have anyway," Joker replied. "You do know your wife, right? Her mother?"
"Fair point," Kaidan conceded.
"Ok, well, since we're headed to Rio, I guess I better go get everything packed and get the old girl ready and stuff," Joker said, standing as quickly as his brittle bones would allow. "Thanks, Shepard, you really are the best," he added as he hurried out, barely waiting for EDI to follow.
Kat turned to Kaidan and laughed.
"Did he remind you of a kid at Christmas?" she asked.
"Quite a bit," Kaidan replied. He sat beside her and put his arms around both her and the baby. "You really are the best, you know?"
"I try," Kat said with a cocky grin. "It takes a lot of work to be Commander-fucking-Shepard, you know?"
"Uh huh," Kaidan replied with a grin of his own. "And how does Commander-fucking-Shepard feel about retiring into the much less exciting but equally demanding roles of Captain Alenko and Mommy?"
"That sounds absolutely wonderful to me, Daddy," Kat said. "We've spent so much of our time together fighting and struggling and sacrificing and in life or death situations. I think I want the biggest challenge we have to face for the next few years to be dirty diapers. Speaking of…" she handed their daughter to Kaidan with a grimace.
"And your way of facing the dirty diaper challenge is to hand the baby off to me?" Kaidan asked with a laugh as he stood to take care of the task.
"A smart CO uses all the tools at her disposal in the most efficient way," Kat replied. She yawned immediately after.
"And Commander-fucking-Shepard never admits she needs a nap," Kaidan replied as he changed their daughter. "You have a wedding to conduct tomorrow, Captain, I think you should rest up."
Kat nodded and headed back over to the bed without complaint. Kaidan joined her a moment later with a cleaner and happier baby. They curled up together with the baby between them. They lay together in comfortable silence for long moments, watching their daughter sleep, until Kat finally spoke.
"I could get used to this."
"Peace, quiet, and family?" Kaidan summarized in a question.
"Mmm hmm," Kat confirmed with another sleepy yawn.
"Let someone else rescue the galaxy for once?" Kaidan questioned mildly.
"Absolutely," Kat said. "Because I really am done this time."
"Uh huh," Kaidan replied, drawing her close to him and kissing the top of her head gently. "We both know that the next crisis, you'll step up and fix it. It's not a bad thing; it's who you are, and it's part of the reason I love you so much."
"And the fact that you know that about me and accept it and still love me makes me love you even more," Kat said with a sigh. "You're right. Though the next time, I'm not doing it pregnant. Even heroes get maternity leave."
"I can definitely second that," Kaidan replied with emphasis. "So… next time… maternity leave… does that mean you plan on giving Kira a brother or sister?"
"Yeah, eventually," Kat said with a nod. "We were both only children; you know how lonely it can be. I don't want that for Kira. But I need some time to get over this one first," she added with a finger point.
"You've got it," Kaidan replied with a laugh. "I'm a patient man."
"You have to be – you married me."
"Truer words…" Kaidan said then smirked when his wife smacked him lightly. "But the galaxy is safe for now, so let's get some sleep."
"Sleep sounds perfect," Kat said mid-yawn.
The two of them drifted off peacefully, with their daughter between them. For once, the galaxy let them rest.
* James' proposal translates to "my life, you're the best thing that's ever happened to me, will you marry me?"... I hope.