The decon cycle hissed to life, and Shepard dropped her helmet onto the floor, uncaring.

"Joker..." She said, hitting the intercom. She didn't need to finish the statement. The Normandy shuddered under her feet and from somewhere on the other side of the wall, a cheer went up.

"We just hit the other side of the Relay, Commander. We're home!" He said, before the transmission dissolved into happy clamor.

Shepard let out a deep breath, nodding, though of course he couldn't see. Her head rolled back on her shoulders, eyes closed. The cold spray of the decon fluid felt good on her sweaty face and neck. She was so tired—the kind of deep bone-tired that made her hands tremble and her eyes burn.

She had never felt better.

Samara laid a hand on her shoulder, startling her.

"For what it's worth, Commander, I never doubted that we would survive." She said, her deep voice completely serene and even.

Shepard narrowed her eyes.

"Really?" She said, skeptically.

"No. I was actually quite certain that we'd all be killed. I'm pleasantly surprised." Samara intoned, her expression never shifting.

From her left, Miranda snorted. It was the closest thing to humor Samara had ever demonstrated. Apparently the celebratory atmosphere was effecting even her.

Then the decon cycle finished and the door hissed open. The rest of the crew stood on the other side-non-Humans and Cerberus employees alike—some in scuffed and bloody armor, others in uniform, still more in their civvies and even a few in pajamas. A wall of raucous cheers went up as they emerged.

Suddenly everyone was talking and embracing her all at once. Jacob, thumping her on the back with bone-jarring force, Tali, wrapping her arms around her and Kelly at the same time, shrieking and jumping up and down. Somewhere to her right, Gabby and Donnelly were alternating between sobbing and kissing passionately. Over to the left, Grunt had somehow gotten Jack onto his shoulders and was carrying her around while she howled and punched the air.

Shepard found herself laughing, for once content to just be carried away by something.

"...ard! Shepard!" The sound of her name being called snapped her attention back and over her shoulder. It was Garrus. He was on the edge of the group with an awkward Mordin, a smiling but sedate Thane, and Legion, who was more-or-less always just Legion. A rowdy group of Cerberus crew were gathered around him. He gestured at the elevator with his head.

"We're going up to get Joker. Wanna come?" He shouted over the din.

She made a show of surveying the group.

"I think I'll stick around for awhile." She said, laughing as a somehow already-drunk Zaeed ran into her and kept going.

Garrus gave her what may have been a knowing look, or she could have just been her imagination. Then he winked at her, and she knew it wasn't her imagination.

"Don't do anything I wouldn't do!" He said innocently as the elevator doors closed.

With difficulty, she eventually managed to maneuver herself to the edge of the increasingly rambunctious group. Several crew-members had produced alcohol from somewhere, and a party was definitely winding up.

Mordin and Thane were still parked by the edge of the group—even Legion had abandoned them. The two were standing silently, slightly awkwardly, watching the merriment.

Her eyes flickered over Thane. He gave her a deep bow.

"Congratulations, Shepard. I never doubted you." His generous lips quirked into the barest smile. A shiver started at the base of her spine and climbed all the way into her scalp. Her breath quickened noticeably. Memory made her body respond before she could stop it. He only held her gaze evenly.

"Oh?" She said, tearing herself away from the past forcibly. She arched an eyebrow at him skeptically.

"Certainly." He said emphatically, nodding.

"Oh! You were serious." She said, her posture maybe a little too military, hands clasped behind her back like she was "at ease", instead of actually at ease.

"Of course, Shepard." He said.

"Good. Good. I appreciate that."

He bowed again. Someday, she would persuade him to stop bowing.

Shepard cleared her throat, pulling her eyes away from him with difficulty.

"Mordin, can I talk to you for a minute?"

Professor Solus snapped to attention.

"Yes. Please. Let's go to the lab." He said, already charging away from the group.

"I don't want to pull you away from the party..." She said as they rounded the corner and stepped onto the elevator.

"Oh please, Shepard. Human displays of exuberance-ah, disturbing to me. Pleased for an excuse to escape from obligatory celebration."

The CIC deck was completely deserted. Mordin's boots clicked on the deck-plating. The door to the lab hissed open, and Mordin went to stand in front of his console.

"What can I do for you, Shepard?"

Shepard put her hands in her pockets and rocked back on her heels. She cleared her throat.

"Well, Mordin…Do you remember a few days ago we were talking...in the lab..."

Mordin looked at her expectantly.

"...And, ah, we talked about a topical anti-inflammatory...in case of...for the..."

Mordin just stared at her, blinking. She glared back, eyes narrowed. She suspected strongly that he was playing with her, but of course he would never admit it.

"...You were right about the rash, OK?" She nearly shrieked.

Mordin grinned and tossed her a sealed vial from somewhere.

"Of course. Always right. Now get out of here, Shepard."

"You're a terrible individual, Mordin."

He waved her off, already looking intently into his research terminal.

"Yes, yes. Just be gentle—poor man's been celibate for ten years." He said dryly as she fled the lab.