Character(s): Shepard & Tali (although Garrus does make minor appearances every now and then 'cause he's just that awesome).

Disclaimer: I own nothing. BioWare and EA claim the realm of Mass Effect . . . If I did own it, however, just know that I would have made a happy ending option available. Maybe with enough War Assets or something . . .

Readers: Let everyone be aware that this is the first fanfic that I have ever posted, though I have dabbled extensively in others. In light of the recent endings to Mass Effect 3, this is my tribute to my Shepard as he appeared to me and Tali'Zorah vas Normandy. My intention here is to flesh out their romance a bit and make it more dynamic. Whether I continue this will be based upon the kind of response I get, which I hope will be good . . . *my fingers are crossed* So, please, no flames. Constructive criticism is welcome.

For those interested in this story, just know that I plan on updating it every Friday. :-)

The title, and the overall theme of the story, is based upon the song "To Build A Home," by The Cinematic Orchestra. Truly, it fits Shepard / Tali. And might I just suggest checking out the YouTube video that gave me the inspiration for this piece? The video itself is by TheBroomKing, just add this link to the end of the YouTube home-page - /watch?v=eyVjJbD9I7Q

Chapter One :

Everything's Eventual

oOoOo

"Our newest admiral has also volunteered to offer technical expertise . . ." offered Admiral Shala'Raan vas Tombay meaningfully. As she spoke, the door behind the quarian admirals opened, and Commander Nolan Shepard couldn't help but be impressed with her timing. Otherwise absorbed, he tore his eyes away from the dreadnought's holographic schematics in order to acknowledge their new-arrival, who was presumably the quarians' newest admiral. Their eyes met, silvery orbs upon emerald-green. His eyes widened.

It was Tali.

She stood impressively in the doorway, and Shepard felt an immediate rush of relief upon seeing her safe and unharmed. As his breath caught in his throat, all of his previous concerns regarding her well-being instantly evaporated, and he found that he could feel whole again. It was a funny thing really because, ever since the quarian admirals first boarded his ship, he'd been desperately trying to find an opening in which to ask Shala'Raan about her adoptive niece.

"Shepard," she said by way of salutation. He froze; it was more formal than he'd like, but he appreciated the smallest trace of relief in her synthesized voice. In it, he understood that she was glad to see him, glad that he was here, and that was all that mattered.

She seemed to be aiming for a professional reunion, and so he did likewise. "Tali," he breathed, a little too relieved. If the quarian admirals noticed anything odd about this exchange, however, they certainly didn't show it. He was unexpectedly uncomfortable, and crossed his arms over his chest; they positively itched to take her into them and to never let her go again. After all, the past several months had proven the hardest separation of his life; never before had he felt this strongly for anybody, and his feelings were only intensified by the war that raged all around them.

Truthfully, he'd been looking forward to this moment for weeks. Citadel reports about the Migrant Fleet's movements had left him confused and worried for her safety. Of course, he'd always known that she would be with her people; she'd told him as much when she first left the SR-2 Normandy. Besides, she loved her people, and he entertained no illusions about just how far she'd go for them. And all this time, while he was rescuing Primarchs on Palaven, curing genophages on Tuchunka, and foiling Cerberus's dastardly plots on the Citadel, he'd been internally debating whether or not he should locate the Migrant Fleet and see for himself if she was okay. Now, he found that his reward was well worth the wait.

She was alive and she was okay. More than okay, actually; she'd been given a goddamn promotion. Still, he was hurt by her lack of communication when he was all but obsessing over her safety. A simple message letting him know that she was okay would have sufficed. And he would have rushed to her people's rescue if only she'd contacted him sooner.

He could have stared at her forever, his eyes drowning in the intricate swirls on her environ-suit and the violet shawl her mother had given to her before she'd died, but knew that such a thing was not in any of their cards right now. As it was, the decks seemed stacked against them. He had work to do, and so did they. Every second they wasted here would only cost more quarians their lives.

So, it was with reluctance in his heart that he finally tore his eyes away from her (which was more difficult than he originally thought it'd be) and instead met Shala'Raan's softly-glowing eyes through her polarized visor. He couldn't be sure, of course, but he thought that detected a small, imperceptible smile behind her jade mask.

Shala'Raan likely believed that this reunion would be a welcome reprieve for the two of them amid such chaos and destruction because they were such good friends, and had been that way ever since meeting upon her Pilgrimage and his hunt for the rogue Spectre, Saren Arterius. She likely remembered how disconsolate Tali had been when she finally returned to the Fleet with his geth data in hand, mourning both the loss of the SSV Normandy and her captain, the first human Spectre, Commander Shepard. How Tali had stayed disconsolate for two entire years, which was well beyond the normal grieving period for quarians, following orders mechanically and without any real interest in what she was doing. Shala remembered thinking that this wasn't the same Tali she loved as a daughter, the one who'd set out on her Pilgrimage so many months ago. At the same time, she herself had been deeply concerned; Rael, on the other hand, had been rather . . . upset. She wasn't thinking about the Fleet, he'd said and the disappointment in his voice was palpable.

Of course, that had all changed when she coincidentally ran into Shepard on Freedom's Progress; when she returned, she'd suddenly had a spark of determination in her eyes that had previously been absent. And then she'd left her people as soon as her mission on Haestrom was complete and joined Shepard's crew yet again, to her father's consternation. He simply couldn't understand why she trusted an alien, especially one who worked for Cerberus, more than she trusted one of their own people.

Then, the incident on the Alerei happened, and Rael was killed, and . . . yes, Shala remembered how valiantly Shepard had defended her adoptive niece when no one else would. Not even her real captain, Admiral Han'Gerrel vas Neema. When Rael's body was cremated and his ashes scattered throughout the void of space, returned to the stars from whence all life came, it was not Han'Gerrel who stood by Tali's side, but Shepard, offering a shoulder to cry on. All of this only served to lead Shala to the most logical conclusion: Han'Gerrel had never really been her true captain at all; he'd merely been a rather poor replacement for Commander Shepard, who had doubled as a friend. In her heart, Tali would always remain a member of the Normandy's crew (as she'd certainly been branded as such). And that was okay. Even Shala could not doubt the allure of the first good ship one belonged to, and it was simply a dream come true if that ship also had a reliable captain and crew. She would have preferred for Tali to remain with her people, where it was safe, but that was okay. Really. She knew that Tali could more than handle herself.

Little did she know that they'd become so much more in the months since her trial. Neither Shepard nor Tali, however, had any intention of letting her know because she would likely disapprove of their dangerous relationship. Having been regarded by the galaxy as one of the most untrustworthy species for several centuries had logically lead the post-Pilgrimage quarians to their own distrust of aliens, even if these aliens really were trying to help them (which was a rare thing in itself).

"Admirals," said Shepard decisively, "I'll ready a team to hit that dreadnought as soon as possible." Meanwhile, he was thinking an altogether different thing: But I need to talk to her first. I need to know where we stand. I mean, a lot can change in six months . . .

Neither Han'Gerrel nor Darro'Xen seemed particularly touched by his declaration. Zaal'Koris, however, appeared relieved, and Shala'Raan's eyes brightened immediately. When he looked for Tali so he could gauge her reaction, she seemed oddly neutral to his promise of aid, which only served to confuse him. He was doing this for her, wasn't he? For her people? He thought that she'd be enthusiastic; just as she always was whenever she threw herself into something new. Like, for instance, when he'd first brought her aboard the original Normandy, and he inwardly smiled at the pleasant memory. Her optimism, after all, had always been one of his favorite traits that she possessed, the way she could cling to hope even in the darkest of circumstances. And this optimism, enthusiasm, or whatever you wanted to call it, was infectious. She was well-liked aboard the Normandy for a reason, but no one liked her more than he did.

Shala'Raan respectfully bowed her head. "Thank you, Commander," she said. Their business concluded, the other admirals viewed this as a sign of dismissal and began to disperse. They would soon be needed on their own ships and not Shala'Raan's Tombay, which was the scouting vessel currently docked with the SR-2 Normandy. They wordlessly passed Tali on the way out, and she and Shala presented a pretty forlorn picture without the other three to round out their numbers.

Her body language fraught with gratitude, Shala'Raan turned to Shepard. "Truly, I am glad that you decided to help us, Commander," she said.

Shepard offered a small smile in return. It didn't quite reach his eyes. "It's no trouble at all," he told her sincerely. "And you're welcome to stay here in the War Room, Admiral. While I get the team ready, you can synch up the Normandy with all of your ships and private channels on one of these empty consoles." He paused, and his eyes flickered towards Tali. "If you need any help, I'm sure EDI would be more than willing to lend a hand."

He knew she was listening, knew that she was always listening (How could she not be? In a way, they were inside her, after all), so it didn't come as much of a surprise when she confirmed his suspicions. "That is correct," announced EDI over the Normandy's comms.

Shala, for her own part, was more surprised by his generosity than by the disembodied voice that suddenly filled the room. By letting her stay in a room full of delicate, possibly harmful, information about the forces he'd collected thus far, he was subtly extending an offer of trust. Such a thing being offered by an alien was shocking, to say the least. And in return, all he asked for was that the Normandy be patched into the rest of the Fleet so he could help them as much as he possibly could.

She was not only impressed with his sincerity, but with his kindness as well. He had treated them with nothing but since their embarking on his ship, and she was slowly beginning to understand why her adoptive niece preferred to follow this human rather than one of their own people. Shepard simply exuded confidence and determination, making him an excellent leader. He was much like Rael'Zorah or Han'Gerrel in that regard. His ship was another reason, she suspected; it was far more advanced than anything she'd ever seen and she, like many of her kind, absolutely craved an opportunity to glimpse the Normandy's engines. Maybe by studying the technology that powered the Normandy they could improve the functionality of their own outdated ships . . .

But like a true quarian, however, she abandoned this train of thought and focused upon the present. She nodded to show him that she had graciously accepted his offer, and said, "Of course, Commander."

He then focused upon Tali, who was anxiously awaiting her turn to be addressed. She still stood beside Shala and was nervously wringing her hands, which was an endearing gesture that he hadn't seen in a long, long time. The sight of it made him smile because, though she'd grown extensively since they'd first met and blossomed into an attractive woman, it showed that the naïve, insecure girl he'd first rescued on the Citadel was still in there somewhere.

"Could I speak to you for a minute, Tali? Outside?" he asked, nodding towards the exit. He offered a friendly smile as a way to show that there was nothing wrong, that he just wanted to catch up with an old friend. An old friend I just so happen to harbor some more-than-friendly feelings for, Shepard inwardly amended with a small sigh.

She nodded demurely. "Sure thing, Shepard," she said, and followed him out of the War Room and into the adjoining Conference Room. As he passed Shala'Raan, who had found an open console and was furiously typing some message to her crew via omni-tool, he realized that he'd been right all along.

Behind her visor, she was furtively smiling.

Please, read and review to let me know what you think. I love random messages. :-)