Authors Note - Although I enjoyed the EC endings, I am changing an aspect of the Destroy choice to fit my preferred happy ending. The next two chapters will hopefully explain it.


Shepard and Tali had spoken, albeit briefly, the previous night. Shepard felt exhausted and Tali was too overcome with emotion to explain anything. All he knew is that he had been out for six months, and had suffered an almost immeasurable list of injuries.

Another six months of my life gone.

Other than that, they simply held each other on his bed. Shepard was frightened that this was just a dream.

Another sort of nightmare.

His own mind taunting him.

Indoctrination of an almost unimaginably cruel kind.

Tali was just afraid he would disappear. That she was dreaming. Or cracking up.

She had waited so long for this day. She had already lost Shepard twice.

She knew she wouldn't be able to handle a third time.

Shepard had a million questions to ask, but, at the moment, it simply wasn't the time.

And he didn't care.

He was with Tali. His love.

That was all that mattered.

Miranda checked in from time to time. Some bloodwork to take. Vitals to check. One or two more questions to ask. But, other than that, the two were left alone. They soon fell asleep together.


Shepard woke suddenly.

Rapid breaths.

Covered in sweat.

Sucking in deep breaths, he looked to his left. Tali was lying next to him, her head resting near his shoulder.

It wasn't a dream. I'm alive. She's alive.

Tali stirred next to him and lifted her head. "Shepard, are you okay?" she asked softly.

Shepard swallowed and slightly nodded his head. "Just a nightmare. Six months of them. Another night isn't going to make a difference."

Tali hugged Shepard tighter.

Shepard continued to breathe heavily.

The nightmare.

The same he had relived for at least six months.

But feeling Tali close to him. He felt… good. His arm wrapped around her waist. He felt himself relax back into bed and soon dozed off again.


Shepard stirred and stifled a yawn but he could feel Tali waking up at the same time beside him.

"Morning beautiful," whispered Shepard.

"Always were a sweet talker," answered Tali, as she gave Shepard a squeeze.

Shepard looked around the room and noticed the light outside. "You know, I would get up myself and let some light in, but.. well…." Shepard shrugged and smiled, "Legs don't exactly work at the moment. I would like to see what it looks like outside."

Tali stood up and playfully slapped Shepard on the shoulder, before walking over to the blinds, opening them to show the scene. Bright light entered the room and Shepard had to squint at the new sensation.

Sunlight. Never thought I'd see that again.

He could still see the damage on some of the of buildings outside. But a lot of progress had been made. Plenty of cranes and construction in the distance. Humanity would prevail.

Tali was also surveying the scene as her omni-tool beeped. She looked down to read the message and Shepard could hear the gasp.

"What is it?" asked Shepard.

"It's a… surprise" answered Tali, as she walked to the windows on the opposite wall. Slowly, she pulled back the curtains.

Shepard's eyes began to water again as he observed the line of people through the window.

His crew. Old and new.

Liara. A beaming smile on a tear streaked face.

Kaidan. Stood at attention. A smile. A salute.

Garrus. His best friend. Chuckling. Shaking his head in disbelief.

Grunt. Grinning. Bouncing on his feet.

Vega. Saluting as well. Twirling a finger at his left ear.

Javik. Stood straight. No emotion. Except the smallest smirk.

Miranda. Satisfaction etched on her face.

Shepard found he couldn't do much except give a beaming smile and a small wave. But he noticed one person missing.

"Where's Joker?"

"He's up on the Normandy with EDI."

Shepard choked out "EDI's alive? On the Normandy? But how?"

"Why do you ask Shepard?" answered Tali. She looked back at Shepard, who had an utterly confused look to his face.

"But… the Catalyst… my choice…." Shepard didn't know what to say.

What could he say? He had chosen, heartbreakingly chosen, to eliminate synthetics. He knew it was hypocritical. He remembered the discussions, arguments, debates with Tali about the Geth. Her hatred of them when they first met. And how Shepard had changed her views.

But he had made that choice. 10 billion over here die so 20 billion over there survive, Garrus once told him.

Shepard wanted to save everyone. But the Reapers had to die. He had worked, and thought he would, and had died, to see them all eliminated. The cycles ended.

Tali walked back to Shepard and grabbed his hands before speaking. "Shepard, I know what you're thinking. I - no, we - will need to explain. Things happened, while you were on the Crucible, that you would not know about. EDI can explain it all. Scientists, for the past six months, are still trying to put together what exactly occurred when the Crucible fired. It will be a lot to take in."

Shepard didn't know what to say. But one question was still on his mind. "And the Geth?"

Tali lowered her head slowly. Shepard could feel his soul being squeezed.

I am a murderer. I'm still responsible. The genocide of an entire race.

"The Geth lost millions of platforms. But," as she lifted her head, her voice brightening slightly "there are many millions of Geth based on, or in orbit around, Rannoch. Whatever… happened... when the Crucible fired, the Geth still live."

But… how is that even possible? The Catalyst was adamant.

Shepard looked thoughtful. Tali observed Shepard from behind the mask, his eyes betraying him, as he was clearly shocked at the news. Tali had a slight understanding of why Shepard was questioning, but had no idea as to the inner demons he was facing.

"Shepard, as I said, we have a lot to explain. But, before we even get into that, how about we let in your friends?" as she walked over to the door.


The group walked in and crowded around Shepard's bed, Tali returning to his side, her right hand in his left. He was doing his best to control his emotions, but to see all his friends, alive, was almost too much.

"I don't know what to say..." started Shepard.

"What's that? The great Commander Shepard speechless? No questions for us all, like on your rounds? I'd say chalk that up as a minor victory for the Reapers then," joked Garrus.

"Are those new scars, Garrus, or were you always that ugly?" Shepard retorted, remembering their conversation after rescuing him from Omega.

Garrus chuckled. "Just remember I got these scars saving your ass, Shepard."

"No Shepard without Vakarian, right?"

"Absolutely Shepard. Though you still owe me that drink. I believe I won a certain competition."

Shepard thought for a second, stroking his chin. "Hang on a second, I think I won. Killed all the Reapers right? And with one bullet? Or beam, if you so choose."

"Hang on a second, that simply doesn't count. You can't take all the Reapers for yourself!"

"Can and will, Garrus. Think you owe me now."

Garrus just chuckled again. "Gladly Shepard. It's just great to see you awake."

The group nodded in agreement.

Just like old times already.

"Damn loco, first Saren, then the Collectors and now the Reapers can't kill you. You sure those cybernetics haven't made you invincible? I mean, I know I said you were only human back on Purgatory, but now I'm not so sure," added Vega.

Tali looked down at Shepard, questioning look in her eyes. "Purgatory? You mean that nightclub on the Citadel? And just what were you doing there, Shepard?" mock-anger in her voice. Her eyes, and the slight chuckle in her voice, gave her away.

Shepard smiled. "Tali, it was only to check up on these guys. Though I also had a drink with Cortez. And Vega, whatever the case may be, my fighting days are done for the time being. In case you cannot tell, I'm currently laid up in bed, recovering from what I assume are rather serious injuries. Miranda said she would fill me in on the details later. From what I can gather, though, I damn near had the whole Citadel land on me."

"Shepard, you were an absolute mess," explained Liara, "It's a miracle you managed to survive the run to the beam. And what Harbinger did. To then survive whatever happened on the Crucible..." Liara stopped to wipe away a tear. Alenko moved over to wrap an arm around her shoulder.

Shepard raised an eyebrow, but remained quiet.

Hello, what's all this about?

"A lot has happened in the past six months, Commander," explained Alenko, "and we're sure you've probably got a million questions. We'll be happy to answer anything you need to know. Maybe not all at once, you know, but whatever is important right now, fire away."

Shepard stared straight ahead, thinking. There were so many questions. One of the most important details was to know about people.

His people. The one's he cared for most. But first he knew he had to ask the question he dreaded.

The one he knew the answer to, but had to confirm.

The one that had haunted his dreams.

One word.

A name.

"Anderson?" Shepard asked quietly.

The group looked at each other, almost trying to figure out how to tell Shepard what he probably already knew.

A slight shuffling of feet.

A cleared throat.

The group knew of Shepard's affection for the man.

After a minute or so of somewhat awkward silence, it was eventually Alenko who answered. "The rescuers on the Citadel found Anderson. He had been shot. I'm sorry, Commander, he was already dead."

Shepard grimaced and nodded as he felt the tears form again. He felt Tali's comforting hand massaging his shoulder. "It's okay, Alenko, I needed to know. To confirm what I remembered. Or thought I remembered."

"Are you sure, Commander? We can talk about this later." Shepard just nodded and gave a hand signal to continue. "They found Anderson near the Citadel Tower. Given the destruction on the Citadel, we're surprised they managed to find anyone in that mess. But yourself and Anderson were found not far apart. The Alliance returned you to Earth together. The Navy held a memorial service once the Normandy returned to Earth, about three months after the Crucible fired. Whatever happened up there, Commander, he died a hero."

Shepard just nodded and took a deep breath. He looked up and blinked his eyes cleared of tears.

"I'm just glad he's at peace. He'd fought for years. He deserves the rest. I'm going to miss the hell out of him though..."

Alenko just nodded. There were not many dry eyes as everyone stood quietly with their thoughts. Despite Anderson being part of the Alliance Navy, he was always ready with good advice to anyone who asked.

A kind and encouraging word. Inspiring confidence in yourself.

Particularly after his resurrection. His loneliness after waking. His friends gone.

Anderson was a good friend to many.

To Shepard, he was the father figure he had lacked as a child.

He was a man he deeply respected.

His mentor.

After a couple of minutes, and a smile, as he thought of Anderson one last time, Shepard cleared his throat to continue his questions.

"So, I'm awake finally. But where are all the old crew? I'm delighted you guys are here. But I see a few more missing faces besides Joker and EDI."

The group looked at each, undecided as to who should start. Grunt eventually spoke up first. "Wrex is back on Tuchanka, Battlemaster."

"You can call me Shepard, Grunt. You are looking at one hell of a broken warrior."

Grunt balled his right hand into a fist, smashing into his left palm. As usual, to make his point. "You are my Battlemaster, Shepard. You have faced down an implacable foe and live to tell the tale. You have proven your worth to every Krogan with your deeds on Tuchanka. You cured the genophage. Your many battles against the Reapers throughout the galaxy make you a hero. It is my honour to call you my Battlemaster, Shepard."

"Okay, Grunt, okay," as he flashed Grunt one of his winning smiles, "I'm in no position to disagree at the moment."

"Wrex remained on Earth after the Reapers were defeated, and wanted to stay until you woke up, but once the mass relays were starting to re-open - can you imagine it was the Rachni who were the most helpful? - and it was clear you would not wake up quickly, Wrex thought it was best to head back home and take care of business. There were concerns some upstart clan would try to usurp him, though I'm sure Bakara would have been more than capable of fending them off. Fierce woman, that one. I chose to keep Aralakh Company on Earth, until you woke. We have helped with the relief efforts, adding some muscle as protection for the workers, or taking care of any lingering Reaper forces that escaped the blast. From news that does filter through from Tuchanka, more and more Krogan have joined the clan. We Krogan still think of ourselves as fearsome warriors, but Wrex understands that we must live peacefully within the galaxy. We cannot afford another rebellion. Bakara has been the driving force behind the change in focus of the Krogan. It will take a long time for any real change. But it is a start. Whatever happens going forward, Wrex and Bakara have been the best thing to happen to the Krogan in over a thousand years."

"Glad to hear Wrex is living up to his ideals and that Bakara is being the positive force I always thought she would be. They are exactly the two leaders the Krogan need to lead them into a bright future."

Grunt grinned and nodded. "The Krogan will rise again Shepard. But, this time, peacefully."

"I look forward to catching up with Wrex soon. Glad to hear he survived. So, who else is missing? What about our favourite biotic, Jack?"

Kaidan spoke up. "Jack is back on Grissom Academy. The station was left alone by the Reapers. It had remained empty after it was evacuated, and subsequently abandoned, after the Cerberus attack. Once the relays were re-opened, the Academy has been used as an evacuation centre for kids who lost their parents, either on Earth or the colonies. They have a safe place to learn, a warm bed to sleep, good food to eat. Most will be orphans."0

Shepard grimaced as he remembered his own past. His time on the streets.

Lonely.

Unseen.

Unheard.

Unloved.

He knew there were would be an almost incalculable amount of orphans in the galaxy, not just humans. "How many of her students survived the war?"

"Nearly all of them, Shepard. Choosing to put them in the rear-lines saved their lives. Many biotic front-line units on Earth were simply annihilated by the Reapers. Jack would never say anything, but she is forever thankful you made that choice. I'll let her know that you're awake. She'll probably try and play the news off as not meaning much. Knowing her, though, she'll turn up tomorrow to give you hell."

Shepard smiled at that. "It was definitely the right choice. I wasn't sending a bunch of kids to be slaughtered. There was too much senseless death already. But I'm glad to hear she's okay. Okay, continuing with the old Normandy 2 team, what's up with Jacob?"

Miranda answered this time. "Jacob is working with the reconstruction teams in London. He has kept in regular contact for the past six months. But he has a lot on his plate."

"Jacob mentioned Brynn was pregnant when I saw him last on Huerta Memorial. She's had the child?"

"Yes. A girl."

"That's great!" Shepard scratched the back of his neck and tentatively asked "Her name?"

"They didn't call her Shepard, Commander. Jacob told me all about that. He managed to convince Brynn to drop the idea of her first name. But it is her middle name." Shepard breathed a sigh of relief, though he was delighted by the news.

Life finds a way. Kasumi once said.

"We'll let Jacob know that you are awake. He'll definitely want to drop by and see you."

"Thanks Miranda. What about Samara, still living by her code?"

Liara cleared her throat before answering. "She is back on Thessia, Shepard."

"Oh." Thoughts of Thessia flooded Shepard's mind.

Watching the horror as the Reapers laid waste to the planet.

Annihilated a population.

Another scene that had haunted his dreams.

He knew it would be something he could never forget.

"It's okay, Shepard. You will find out how bad it was everywhere. You were there when the Reapers arrived on at least three planets. It won't take much imagination to understand what the situation is like on Thessia. Samara is working with me to co-ordinate relief efforts throughout asari space. She knows I am still the Broker, but she can see I am trying to be positive in the role, and we are working well together. Things were… bleak to start with, but we're making progress. We are rebuilding. The recovery has been faster than expected."

"That's good to hear, Liara."

"Thank you, Shepard."

Shepard then took a few seconds to survey the room, checking for the tell-tale shimmer of a cloaked Japanese thief. "So, I'm guessing Kasumi isn't here then?"

Tali giggled as she took her turn to answer. "No Shepard, she's not here. I'm sure you would have noticed otherwise and pointed it out. She used to hate that!"

Shepard chuckled as he remembered winding up Kasumi every time he'd announce her presence. Still not got the drop on him yet. "So what is she up to? I remember she went to help out with the Crucible."

"She's also in London, Shepard. We all are. Staying close. She's helping in a nearby refugee centre, particularly with all the kids who haven't been evacuated to Grissom. She desperately wants to be here, but there is still work, almost too much work, to be done. She'll definitely be by soon though."

"Great to hear." Tali smiled beneath her mask. "Okay, so what about all you guys? I don't understand how all of you are still here after six months with all the work that needs to be done. I can understand why Tali is still here," Shepard flashed her a quick smile, "but the rest of you. I mean, I really appreciate the fact that you are all here, a day after I woke up, but I thought you would have all moved on or gone home."

Tali let go of Shepard's hand, turned to face him and pointed a finger, her other hand on her hip, amusing Shepard with another round of her mock-anger. "Now just a minute, Shepard. You have spent the past three years of your life at the front of this war, either chasing Saren, two years dead, hunting the Collectors, or battling the Reapers. But, throughout all that time, you have always taken a very personal interest in the problems of your crew. Your friends. More often than not, it was you who helped solved whatever problem, however big or small, that was affecting us. The least we could do is stay close by and… hope you would wake up. And be there for you when you did. And I know that I speak about the Fleet all the time, and how I want a home on Rannoch, but there was absolutely no way I was returning to my homeworld without you. I'm holding you to that promise, remember?"

"Tali is right, Commander," added Kaidan, "There was no way that any of us were going to leave until you woke up. Admiral Hackett was happy to assign the Normandy to small shuttle runs in, and around, the Sol System, to make sure we always remained close by. Particularly at the request of a certain Spectre. Speaking of the Normandy, Commander, I've actually been, um, acting Captain, since the end of the war." Shepard was amused at the embarrassed look on Kaidan's face as he explained his promotion.

"Kaidan, don't worry, I believe in you. Believe in yourself. The ship is in great hands with you as the Captain."

Kaidan blushed ever so slightly. "Thank you, Commander. That means a lot. But, just so you know, your cabin is just the way it was. I certainly couldn't sleep in there knowing that you were down here fighting for you life. No matter what, Commander, the Normandy is your ship."

Shepard saw his chance. "So, Kaidan, just where exactly have you been sleeping? Surely not in just one of those sleeping pods. That's not befitting a Captain."

Liara's eyes opened wide while Kaidan wrung his hands.

Got them.

The rest tried to stifle laughter.

"Um, the old XO's office."

"Oh, that is interesting. Now, correct me if my memory is hazy, I have been out for six months, but, from what I remember, Liara had set herself up in that office. So, if you're in there, where is Liara?"

Liara was now blushing rather brightly while Garrus was in fits of laughter. "Can't get anything past you, Shepard."

Kaidan answered. "Um, er," as he felt the back of his neck, "she's in the XO's room too," as he grabbed Liara around the waist and pulled her closer to him, smiles breaking across both of their faces.

Shepard looked at Kaidan, over to Liara, and back to Kaidan. "Really?" Liara nodded. "Guys, seriously, fantastic. I'm happy for you. Didn't see it coming. But I'm delighted for both of you."

Liara and Kaidan looked at each other and back to Shepard. "Thanks, Commander," they said in unison.

Shepard smiled at both of them before turning his attention to Liara alone. "So, Liara, I now know about your love life. But I know you like to keep busy? Any major developments in the Broker world?"

"Well, Shepard, apart from my, um, development with Kaidan, I've been co-ordinating relief efforts on the asari homeworld and colonies. I've also been using my Shadow Broker network to help efforts throughout the rest of the Galaxy. The trading of information is still important, but I want to use my influence for the greater good. I've taken lessons from a certain Commander about that," as she gave the Commander a smile, "I'm now working more behind the scenes as Governments re-establish themselves, to make sure everyone is looked after. I could talk for hours about what has happened, but I have no doubt Admiral Hackett, who probably already knows you're awake and itching to call, will probably want to debrief about what's happened. Can you wait until then?"

"Sure, Liara, it's a lot to take in anyway."

"But, other than that, the most important news is that I want to return to my real passion. Archaeology. I think my time as the Shadow Broker is coming to an end. The main reason I became somewhat obsessed with the Shadow Broker role, the war against the Reapers, is over. I'm just in two thoughts about how I should go ahead. I know I can trust Feron to continue as the Shadow Broker, and I may just advise him when required, or I could simply just dismantle the whole thing."

"Liara, I know you. I'm sure you'll do whatever you think is best. And it's good to hear you are returning to your roots. I still remember your passion when you explained your work on the old Normandy. I just don't know if a dashing Commander will be able to rescue you once again. You know, injuries and all."

Liara blushed and laughed. "Thank you Commander, I also think it's the right choice. For me. And I'm sure I won't need rescuing again. I have my very own Spectre to look after me," as she turned to look at Kaidan with a beaming smile.

Shepard then turned his attention to the last Prothean. "Javik, I'm surprised you're still here though? I remember our talks during the war. I thought…" Shepard trailed off.

He was glad to see Javik there. He just didn't want to mention the conversation about his possible suicide.

"Although I am a man out of my time, Commander, I have come to enjoy living with primi… I mean with the young civilisations. But, Commander, all I can do is give you thanks for letting me fight the Reapers once again. And this time leading us to victory. It has been an honour to fight beside you," Javik finished with a slight bow.

"The honour was mine, Javik. You are one hell of a fearsome warrior yourself. One of the best." Garrus grumbled at that remark. "And you have no reason to thank me. But what are your plans now?"

"For the time being, I am happy to stay here on Earth. It is an interesting place. Humanity is simply fascinating. The speed at which you have evolved in the past 300 years, and the pace at which you try to achieve your possible greatness, is worthy of much study. We Protheans were right to be so interested in humanity. But, I believe I will eventually follow Liara when she returns to what she calls archaeology. I may have a lot to offer regarding Prothean history. We have spoken at length about writing a volume of books about the Prothean Empire. Having witnessed what has happened in the past year, I can only say that my thoughts on what it meant to be Prothean has changed somewhat. With the war over, my path of vengeance is complete. The last voice of the Prothean Empire has helped vanquish the Reapers. I now seek peace."

"That's great to hear, Javik. And I look forward to reading your book. I'm very interested to hear about more Prothean history. It's clear our understanding is not what we once thought." Javik nodded. "Okay, Miranda, I'm interested about how you ended up here?"

"Once Oriana was safe from my father for good, thanks to you again, Hackett approached me to work on the Crucible. With the war won, I returned to Earth to work in the recovery efforts. And, because of my work with the Lazarus Project, even though it was a Cerberus venture, Hackett contacted me immediately once your body was found. Hackett had no problem, by the way. He knew I was ex-Cerberus, but he also knew I had cut links, and had been on the run for two years. So I was glad to help. The Alliance were pleased I accepted. No-one had any idea if you could be saved, but they knew I had rather intimate knowledge of your body, particularly your cybernetics, so thought I was the best choice to help your possible recovery."

"Couldn't be in better hands, Miranda. But what were my injuries? I feel exhausted," Shepard held up his hand, "I know, I know, I've just woken up, but I don't have any real pain apart from my legs."

"Well, I can list them off top to bottom. Cracked skull, minor brain haemorrhage, broken nose, cracked shoulder, broken right wrist, six broken ribs, a broken pelvis, your right leg was crushed, and your left leg was broken. Burns to at least 60% of your body. Extensive bruising to 80%. Oh, and a broken big toe on your right foot. Most of your wounds have healed, thanks to modern science, or the simple healing effects of time."

Shepard just whistled and looked around the room. He was surprised to see the disbelief on most of their faces.

He felt Tali squeeze his hand once again and a small sniffle from behind her helmet.

Shepard gave the group a quizzical look. Raised an eyebrow. "I thought you would all have known?"

Garrus spoke up, "We didn't know, Shepard. All we knew is that you were beaten to a pulp. Bloody hell, remind me never go get on your bad side. Seems like that anyone who opposes you simply cannot kill you, well, apart from that one time. And that was just bad form on part of the Collectors, sneaking up on us like that. I remember we spoke on the Normandy while chasing the Collectors. When you returned, I said all they had done was piss you off. Big time. So, er, how you feeling now?"

"Not pissed off this time, Garrus. Relieved. The Reapers are gone. I'm alive. We won."

Miranda continued. "Honestly, Shepard, it's a bloody miracle you survived at all. Half of your cybernetics were fried as well. But your body is incredibly resilient. You will have residual pain for the time being, but, while we have you on a concoction of medication, I will try and wean you off those, now that you are awake. You may have problems with your right leg, where the muscles and cartilage in your knee is simply non-existent. Once we get you up and about, and into some physical therapy, you'll probably walk with a slight limp. We'll start that shortly, so you can start to rebuild some of that muscle you've lost. But, other than that, your vitals are showing a relatively clean bill of health. We'll definitely keep you on some minor pain medication. And I see no problem with you being able to start eating solid food straight away."

"Was just going to ask as I'm feeling a bit hungry!" Shepard's stomach then grumbled, raising some chuckles from the group.

"Not sure you want to try the food here loco," Vega announced, "it is nothing like the food I can get back home."

"Still with the loco I see, Vega?"

"Of course, Commander, only you would run directly at Harbinger, while he's busy firing that giant laser directly at you, while also decimating anything else that moves? That, sir, is purely loco. And took some major cojones. Colour me impressed, Shepard."

"Well, it's good to see you, Vega," Shepard said, as he bumped fists with his Lieutenant, "but I thought you'd be on N7 training?"

"Doing some training, but, as Alenko said, Hackett has given us permission to stay close by. So I've been mixing up many different things - helping out Alenko on the Normandy with shuttle runs, and helping out with some of the relief efforts here on Earth. I would have liked to have had you be involved with my N7 training, Commander, but as I understand it, you'll be heading off with Sparks eventually."

Shepard raised his eyebrow at the Sparks comment then chuckled. "You're right, Vega. I'm sorry I can't be there for it all, but once I'm out of here, I don't exactly know what I'll be doing. Not sure if I'll be fit for service. Not sure if I want to return to service. It's something I'll have to think long and hard about. And discuss with Sparks."

"No problem, Commander. Anyway, I can see Scars is getting all antsy trying to get a word in again, so I'll let him continue."

Shepard chuckled again, while Garrus gave Vega a stare before starting off. "Just glad to see you awake, Shepard. It's been very different without you on the Normandy. We're all used to you doing your rounds, either before, or after, a mission. We all miss it." A succession of nods around the group followed.

"I always thought you all found it annoying!",

"Well, I always thought it was rather endearing, Shepard" said Tali, with another squeeze of Shepard's hand.

"I just like to know my crew is happy and can talk to me about their problems. Nothing worse than having crew dealing with personal problems that may affect their performance. And, what can I say, I like to help."

Garrus just sighed, shaking his head. "Anyway, Shepard, I've had the opportunity to go back to Palaven, but, knowing that my family is at least safe, I've done what everyone else has. Stayed behind. There are hundreds of Turians who have stayed behind to help with the rebuilding of Earth. We have an entire engineering corps in London alone helping out. I'm not specifically in charge, but, well, being part of the crew of the famous Commander Shepard does have some advantages. Primarch Victus was happy for me to stay here for the time being. I'm sure he would like me to pass on his thoughts. He told me he'd like you to drop by and say hello when you eventually get back to the Citadel."

"I'm glad you're here, Garrus. You always had my back."

"And always will, Shepard. But, really, if anyone has your back, it's her. It always has been," as he jerked a talon at Tali.

Tali blushed behind her helmet as Garrus explained. "Shepard, as soon as we were back on Earth, and found out which hospital you were in, she's been by your side. I think you could count on one human hand how many times she's left this hospital since we go back. While we never gave up hope, most of us thought it was a long shot you would wake up. It just seemed impossible. Your injuries were extensive and horrific. As Miranda just explained. Yes, you came back from the dead once. But it cost Cerberus billions to rebuild you. Completely different circumstances. Tali, though, she wouldn't hear of anything, other than 'Shepard will wake up'. She never gave up on you. I like to believe it was her sheer power of will, and her love for you, that eventually led to you waking up."

Shepard simply looked at Tali with what could only be described as unconditional love in his eyes.

Garrus quieted down, and looked somewhat awkward, after describing Tali's emotions just so perfectly.

"Garrus, I never knew you were such a romantic," Liara teased.

"Oh, come on, these two are simply made for each other. They've practically been in love since the first day they met. They were just too stupid to realise, or at least tell each other about, their own feelings, until it was too late the first time around. Add to that, Shepard has practically died for Tali twice now. He has already died once! He ran towards the biggest, and nastiest, Reaper possible six months ago, just to make sure she lived. If that's not real, undying, unquantifiable love, then I don't know anything about it!"

Liara just stared at Garrus, surprised at what he had to say. It was just perfect.

Garrus just stared back, feeling even more awkward than before. He could barely describe his own state of mind when it came to his emotions. Seeing his two best friends back together, and happily in love, left him content. He thought it was just reward for everything they had been through.

Alenko cleared his throat. "Anyway, Shepard, that's a quick run-down of all of us. Just know that we're all doing well, or as well as can expected, given the circumstances. I'm sure I speak for us all when I say that we're just bloody ecstatic to finally see you awake. It's been a long six months waiting for something, anything, to happen." Alenko's words being met with a murmur of agreement.

"I'm just glad to be awake and know you are all alive. It makes me feel good. I still have many, many questions but, for now, I'm happy just to know my crew, my friends, are all okay." Shepard gave the group one of his winning smiles.

The group continued to chit-chat about nothing particularly important, but slowly the group made their way out, as Shepard was starting to feel worn out. It was a lot of information to take in, and an emotional roller-coaster.

Everyone stopped to give Shepard a hug before leaving.

Kind words exchanged.

Expressions of wonderment at his survival.

And thanks that he had saved them all again.

Soon the room was again quiet as Tali closed the door.

"How are you feeling Shepard?" asked Tali, as she moved her way back to Shepard and climbed next to him, laying her head on his chest.

"I'm okay, Tali, doing okay," answered Shepard, as he wrapped his arm around her waist and held her tight.