Finding a way: Mass effect 3

Epilogue

5 years later (2191)

Kaidan stepped out onto the back deck of his parents' old beach house, taking a breath of the salty air blowing in off the ocean. He set down the plates of appetizers he had been carrying and turned to fire up the grill. Everyone would be arriving soon and he wanted the steaks going when they got here.

He heard the pounding of feet before he heard Aubrey's voice carry through the open deck door, "Alexander David Alenko! What did I say about running in the house?!"

"Sorry, mom!" Alex called back as he yanked the door open and ran excitedly up to him with all the unbridled enthusiasm a four-year-old boy could muster. "Daddy they're here, they're here, they're here!!"

"Well, that's a relief," he said, swinging him up into his arms. "I was worried no one would come and we'd have to eat all this food ourselves."

Aubrey's deep blue eyes stared out at him from his son's face as he replied with utmost seriousness, "I would've taken one for the team, dad."

Kaidan laughed before the sound of voices at the door drew his attention. Aubrey stepped onto the deck, the wind wrapping her loose-fitting sundress around her body in an insanely enticing way. The small bundle of their six-month-old daughter Katherine lay against her chest, sleeping soundly. She was talking to Liara and James who followed her onto the deck. He set Alex down and stepped forward to hug his friends.

"Happy birthday, Kaidan," Liara said warmly, wrapping her arms around him, the swell of her pregnant belly making it difficult to get too close.

"Thanks, Liara. It's good to see you both," he replied, shifting from her to shake hands with James.

Their friends continued to file in – Garrus and his wife, Tali, Joker and EDI, Ash and her fiancée, Cortez and his boyfriend, Adams, and Dr. Chakwas. The pleasant buzz of conversation and laughter filled the air as drinks and food were passed around.

The evening passed in perfect company and once everyone had left, he cleaned up while Aubrey got Alex to bed. He grabbed a beer and went out on the deck for one last look at the night sky, the half-moon rising over the waves.

He smelled Aubrey's perfume as she came behind him and wound her arms around his waist, coming to stand beside him as he wrapped his arm around her shoulder.

"So, was turning the big 4-0 everything you thought it'd be?" she asked, playfully smiling at him.

"Everything and more," he replied.

"Really? How so?"

"Well...if you told me eight years ago when I stepped on the Normandy for the first time that I was going to break every rule by falling madly in love with my gorgeous CO, and that we'd overcome a galactic extinction event to get married, have two beautiful children, and live happily ever after, I would have called you crazy."

"Ah, so this is what happily ever after looks like?" she teased, kissing her way up his neck and along his jaw before giving him a quick peck on the lips.

"Sure as hell looks like it to me," he answered, gazing down into the depths of her ocean blue eyes before kissing her lips more deeply. You've always been my happily ever after, Aubrey, he thought to himself with a smile.