Archive of Our Own ^beta

    "The only thing we serve here is champagne," she says. Jack gives her a slightly scary smile.

    "And the last time I checked, bitch, that had alcohol in it. I suggest you go get us some." The woman quickly scurries out of the room and Jack turns back to us with an eye roll. "And they say I have a bad attitude."

    "Jack!" I say with a grin. "It's great to see you. I didn't think you'd be able to make it all the way back to earth." She gives a short laugh.

    "You didn't honestly think I'd let these two pick out the bridesmaids dresses without me, did you?" Before either Liara or Samantha can protest there's a shimmer in the air and Kasumi appears beside Jack, drink already in hand. 

    "I second that. No offense guys, but Alliance blue isn't really my color."

    "That reminds me," says Liara from behind me, "what are the wedding colors?"

    "They're, um," I begin. Crap. I should really know this one.

    "They're pink and yellow," volunteers Traynor.

    "That's right," I say, turning to face Liara. "They're- hold on, when did we decide on pink and yellow?" Traynor rolls her eyes.

    "Two days ago. You told Annie yellow roses with pink tips." I frown at her.

    "But I hate yellow." Sam sighs. 

    "Fine, we'll focus on the pink."

    "I knew I should have been here sooner," grumbles Jack. She swipes a glass of champagne from the tray being brought in by the attendant, this time much more humble.

    "Where's Miranda and Tali?" asks Kasumi, flopping down in one of the overstuffed chairs set up around the room. I take a glass and settle into the chair beside her.

    "Miranda couldn't make it. She's helping to rebuild Horizon, an attempt to repay the colonists for what Cerberus and her father did to them. She sent her measurements though, and promised to be here for the wedding," I say. "And Tali... well, Tali's very busy on Rannoch. She said she'll try to make the wedding, but no promises." I try not to show how much that hurts. Tali and I have been through a lot together. The thought that she won't be at my wedding stings.

    "Then fuck 'em. More champagne for us!" declares Jack. I can't help but laugh. 

    "All right ladies, are we ready to begin?" asks a lightly accented voice from the doorway. I glance over to see a man that would be shorter than me if I had my mag boots on(they add a few inches). He has short blonde hair, over-sized glasses, and an eccentric air about him. "I am Pierre Olivier. Which of you lovely ladies is the Savior of the Galaxy?"

    "That would be the asari," I say, taking a sip of my drink. His sharp eyes quickly hone in on me.

    "Very funny, Commander Shepard. I have heard you like to make jokes. It is my pleasure to meet you," he says, accompanying the statement with a small bow.

    "And you as well, Mr. Olivier," I respond. 

    "Please, call me Pierre," he says, pulling up a chair across from us and taking out his sketchbook. "Let me tell you what I had in mind for today. Instead of having you try on the stock dresses I have on hand I'm going to design one for you from scratch. So, we're all going to sit and talk for awhile while I sketch. 

    "So I don't have to try on dresses?" I ask, pleasantly surprised. Pierre smiles.

    "No, Commander. All you have to do today is drink champagne and talk." I return his smile.

    "That I can do. Do you want me to tell you what I like?" He chuckles slightly.

    "Not exactly. Let's start with your friends. What would you ladies like to see her in?"

    "A mini skirt," says Jack. I raise an eyebrow at her.

    "Really?" I ask. She shrugs.

    "What use is a dress if you can't party in it?"

    "Something that glitters, like... expensive jewels," chimes in Kasumi. "I know where to get you some, if you'd like." I laugh and shake my head.

    "Of course you do, Kasumi. I'm surprised you didn't say a hood."

    "I couldn't do that," she says, reaching for a fresh glass of champagne. "Kaidan would kill me."

    "I would like to see you in a huge, vintage ballgown," says Liara, drawing the silhouette in the air with her hands. The other girls start to laugh while I look at her incredulously. 

    "You must be joking!" I protest. "I would never wear anything even remotely like that." Liara grins at me.

    "Which is precisely why I'd like to see it."

    "Ruffles!" declares Traynor. "Girly, frilly ruffles!"

    "You guys are killing me. You do realize we're designing my wedding dress and not one for a doll, right?" They all nod.

    "Yeah, we get that," says Liara. Pierre is smiling along with them as he glances up from his sketch book.

    "And what about the groom, hmm? What would Kaidan like to see her in?"

    "Something sexy," says Jack.

    "No, something classic," counter Liara. 

    "I'm going with something girly," adds Traynor.

    "Something white!" declares Kasumi. This has us all in laughter again and I'm beginning to think we've had enough champagne. 

    "What do you think Kaidan wants, Commander?" asks Pierre. I think for a moment.

    "Elegance," I respond. He nods at me approvingly.

    "And how did you meet your fiance?" he asks, his eyes once again on his sketchbook. 

    "On the Normandy. I was his commanding officer." I wait for the next question, but Olivier simply shakes his head.

    "No, that won't do. Tell me the story of your first meeting."

    "Okay," I say, a bit uncomfortably. "Let's see... The first time I met Kaidan face to face, one on one, was a few days before the Normandy's first official flight. I knew his name, of course, from the roster I'd helped Anderson put together. I knew his service record, knew his basic stats, but I probably couldn't have picked him out of a line up. I was coming out of Captain Anderson's cabin, my eyes focused on yet another list of critical things that needed fixing before the Normandy could leave dry dock, when I quite literally ran into Kaidan.

    "My datapad went flying one way and I went flying another. I braced myself for the inevitable impact with the deck, but it never came. Instead I found myself looking up into the most beautiful brown eyes I'd ever seen. He looked anxious, and at the time I thought it was because he was afraid he's knocked over his superior officer, but now I think it might have been something more.

   "He set me on my feet, introduced himself, and then proceeded into his meeting with Anderson. Meanwhile I went about my duties for the rest of the day with the image of the handsome biotic Lieutenant imprinted on my mind. I tried to shake it off; I needed to focus and there are regs against that sort of thing, but I couldn't. If it wasn't love at first sight then it was damn close," I say, a smile on my face as I relive the memory.

   "So you were definitely claimed by the time I came aboard," says an amused Liara. I shoot her a grin.

   "Yeah, sorry about that. I guess my heart has always belonged to Kaidan."

   "Finished!" declares Pierre, closing his sketchbook with a snap. "Thank you ladies, for coming in to see me today. I'll be in touch."

   "Hold up," says Jack. "I didn't come all the way from Petra Nebula to not pick out bridesmaid dresses."

   "Oh, yes, of course," says Pierre, pulling a page out of his sketchbook and handing it to her. "Will this work?" Jack looks at the design, a floor length sheath gown with an empire waist and single shoulder neckline done in a pale pink. 

   "Hmm..." she says. "Yep. This'll work."

   "Wait, what about my gown? Don't I get to see the design?" I ask. Pierre gives me a secretive smile.

   "Not this time, my dear Commander. I realize it must go against your nature to not be in control, but trust me on this. You're going to love it."    

    I'm sitting on my parent's porch, drinking a beer and enjoying the view. It should remind me of old times, but so much is different that I'm having trouble being nostalgic. It's been a long day. Shepard and I came down from the Citadel on the same shuttle, but she barely had time to set down her bag before being whisked away to go dress shopping. That left me here, with just my mother and the memories of my father. This house seems to be filled with his presence, but at least my mom is holding up pretty well. Probably because she's thrown herself into planning our wedding. At some point we're both going to have to deal with his loss, but I guess it can wait. 

    I've finally managed to escape my mom's talk of wedding plans, which I understand less about than Shepard does. Shepard. I can't help but smile at the thought of her. I remember sitting here a year ago, brooding over her. Now the memories of her only bring peace and contentment. And perhaps a bit of embarrassment. 

    Like the first time we met. I mean actually met, not me admiring her from afar. It had been a month since I first saw her inspecting the troops and I hadn't been able to get her off my mind. I finally caved and had been actively looking for a way to meet her when I caught a break, coming in the form of a call from Joker. I answered the call on my omnitool, not recognizing the number.

    "Hello?"

    "Alenko, Joker here. I've got a tip for you." I looked down at my omnitool in confusion.

    "Joker? The pilot for the Normandy?" I asked. He sighed.

    "Yes, the pilot. Try to keep up, Lieutenant. I hear you've been trying to meet Shepard."

    "What? No, of course not-" I started to protest.

    "Dude, do you want to hear what I have to say or not?" I paused for a moment.

    "Yes," I said, and could practically hear the grin spread across his face.

    "Good, here it is: Shepard's in a meeting with Anderson in his cabin. That should give you about 20 minutes to get over here and 'accidentally' bump into her coming out, just make sure you don't knock her over. Then you can shake hands, say nice to meet you, talk about biotic-y stuff..."

    "Thanks for the info, Joker, but I can handle the introduction myself. This isn't the first time I've talked to a woman," I said, though I felt as if it was.

    "Right, could have fooled me," he said, disconnecting the call before I could respond. I glanced down at my watch. 20 minutes gave me just enough time to get there. I quickly dropped what I was doing and called a sky cab, drumming my thumbs impatiently on my thighs as it weaved its way through traffic. Now, how to handle the introduction? I thought as we rushed to the Normandy, arriving with just moments to spare.

    I passed by Joker in the cockpit and jogged through the empty CIC, headed for the stairs. My plan was to open the tech station beside the captain's cabin and, when she came out, I'd introduce myself, say what a coincidence it was to find her on board, play it cool, and hopefully leave a lasting impression. The good kind.

    Of course, that plan was ruined as I came around the curve of the stairs and saw the door to Anderson's cabin open. Damn it! No time to rush to the tech station, I thought to myself. Guess the accidental bump will have to do. Shepard stepped out of the cabin, her eyes on the datapad in her hand. I sped up my walk so I'd be just the right spot when she looked up from her notes, dropping my head so it would look accidental. Only she didn't look up, a fact I didn't realize it until it was too late. Here's the thing about Shepard- she's a strong and formidable woman, but she isn't exactly big. So when she walked into me at full speed, she was the one who went flying.

    She had braced her body for impact, but by some stroke of dumb luck I managed to catch her before she hit the ground. When she realized she'd stop falling she popped open her big blue eyes and for the first time I felt the weight of them turned on me. She smiled up at me and I think I fell in love with her in that instant. It was also that instant I realized I was holding my commanding officer in my arms.

    "I, uh, I'm sorry about that, Commander," I fumbled, swinging her to her feet and taking a step back.

    "Not a problem, these things happen," she said, her smile still turning up the edges of her dusty pink lips. "Though I'm afraid you have me at a disadvantage." Images came to my mind of the things I would do to her if I truly had her at my advantage. Get it together, Alenko!

    "Alenko, ma'am," I said. "Lieutenant Kaidan Alenko." Her eyes lit with recognition. 

    "Ah, Lieutenant, I recognize the name. It's good to have a face to go along with it," she said, retrieving her datapad from the floor. "I didn't realize there was anyone else on board today, well, besides Joker and the engineers." I really should have thought my plan through better. 

   "Yes, well, I have a... meeting. With Captain Anderson," I said, trying to keep my tone unhurried.

   "Oh, then I won't keep you," she said, giving me one more smile before heading down to engineering. I stood rooted to the spot, watching her leave. 

   "She's quite the woman, isn't she?" asked a voice behind me. I stiffened and quickly turned to see Captain Anderson leaning against the door to his cabin with an amused look on his face. 

   "Sir?" I asked, feigning ignorance. He just shook his head at me.

   "Why don't you come in for a quick drink, Lieutenant?" he asked, walking back into his cabin and expecting me to follow. I did, taking a seat while he pulled out a couple of glasses and a half empty bottle of whiskey. He filled them both and handed me one, taking a seat across from me.

   "Now then, son, what I was saying is that Shepard is an incredible woman."

   "I really wouldn't know, Sir. We just met," I said, managing to keep both my gaze and voice steady. The amused look was back on his face.

   "Come now, Lieutenant, a blind man could have seen the way you were looking at her." I lost my battle not to blush. "Don't be embarrassed son. You'd have to be blind not to see her beauty. Of course, there's much more to her than that. She's had a rough life so far, what with losing her family on Mindoir and her squad on Akuze... The last thing she needs is more heartache, though I think we can both agree she's overdue for some happiness," he said, taking a drink of his whiskey.

   "Sir, why are you telling me this?" I asked. He sighed.

   "Because I'm betting the thing flashing through your mind is the fraternization regulation. I was once in your shoes, Alenko. 15, 16 years ago I met a girl, one of those once in a lifetime kind of girls," he said with a faraway smile on his face. "But Kahlee was alliance, and so was I. We respected the regs and went our separate ways, and let me tell you there has not been a day since that I haven't regretted it," finished Anderson. I eyed him with caution.

   "Captain, are you telling me to break regs?" He shook his head and sat back in his chair.

   "I'm not telling you anything, Lieutenant. I'm simply having a drink with one of my officers." I nodded slowly and rose from my seat.

   "Thank you, Sir. For the drink, and for the conversation." He gave me a sad smile.

   "You're welcome, Alenko. Dismissed." He was staring into his drink when I left the room. 

   From that day to this I haven't so much as kissed anyone but Shepard, not even when I thought she was dead. You only ever get one once in a lifetime girl, and I plan to hold on to mine.

   "Credit for your thoughts?" asks the woman in question, sliding onto my lap and stealing my beer. She takes a sip and looks at me expectantly. I can't help the smile that spreads across my face. 

   "I don't know, they're pretty deep thoughts. They're worth at least five creds," I tease. She leans in close to me, her breath warm on my neck as she whispers,

   "Or, how about I promise to do that thing you like with my tongue later?" An involuntary shiver runs through my body.

   "That, ahem, that is definitely worth more than five credits." She gives me a coy smile paired with wicked eyes.

   "I'll let you keep the change." I try to pull her in for a kiss, but she stops me. "First your thoughts, then your payment." I caress her cheek with my thumb and get caught in her eyes. I can't even imagine my life without her. 

   "I was just thinking that Joker really does deserve to be my best man," I tell her. She rolls her eyes. 

   "That is not a deep thought," she says, moving to get off my lap. I wrap my arms around her tightly and don't let her go.

   "I was also thinking about how much I love you, and that breaking regs was the best decision I've ever made." She glances at me from the corner of her eyes, seemingly satisfied by that answer.

   "Is that all?" she asks lightly.

   "I'm also wishing I didn't have to wait for tonight to claim my payment," I breathe in her ear. She turns to me with a cheeky grin.

   "Who said you have to wait til tonight?" she asks, sliding off my lap and to her knees in front of me. She looks up at me with a wink while reaching for my belt. God, I love this woman.