So I decided I wanted to try something different (mainly because I am stuck on how to continue one of my other stories and this idea has been in my head for awhile) and hopefully it turns out better than my other stories on here.
During my last play of Mass Effect I read some fanfiction of two Shepards in the same story but all were siblings or just two different ones. Me being different, immediately thought of a scenario where the two are married and continue the story that way...which is how this story was born.
The story will mostly remain linear aside from a few events that I haven't decided upon haha!
Little bit of the backstory of characters M!/Shepard is Spacer/War Hero while F!/Shepard is Colonist/Sole Survivor. M = Soldier, F = Adept (with some Sentinel abilities a.k.a First Aid for obvious reasons). In this story, M!/Shepard is the "Commander Shepard"
So let me know what you think, constructive criticism is always welcome and appreciated! (All things aside from personality and appearance for Shepards belong to BioWare)
It had been three weeks since Captain Anderson had put in a request for Lieutenant Commander Isaac Shepard to take on the helm of his XO for the SSV Normandy. The man had many feats under his belt, some of which seemed logically impossible. His efforts during the Skyllian Blitz saved thousands but they were achievements that recruits dare not dream of. To them, he was a man who chiseled his own pedestal and he was the proof that they could accomplish great things.
There were few that didn't recognize the Shepard name. Though his father died during Isaac's adolescence, his mother rose within the alliance ranks and a thimble drop would transfer them to another ship. And every time, he was introduced to the head brass of each ship. To most, he was well liked and most acclaimed it to his honest and outgoing personality. Others thought it was a result of how he didn't shirk from his faults, instead wearing them proudly on his chest. Whatever the case, it didn't take long for him to gather an army of small children and alliance brass. But the one thing all made note of the twenty-nine year old was his unfaltering smile.
The slow but harsh incessant throb against his temples was one of the few things to dissipate his broad grin. He grunted, dragging himself upwards, much to the dismay of the greying medical officer and the newly acquired gunnery chief. "Ah, I see you're awake, Commander. How do you feel?" A pen was poised to scribble down whatever bits of info escaped his lips. It wasn't every day that a human came into contact with ancient alien technology and survived.
He rubbed his cheeks harshly, eradicating any lingering sleep that had formed. "I feel like it's my twenty-first birthday again and I've attempted five shots of Ryncol." The typical stoic face of the medical doctor quivered against an unprofessional smile that tugged at the corner of her lips. His hand stopped at his jaw. What he had seen was disconcerting and the more he thought on it, the more questions burrowed into his mind. His drew his brow, trying to process the vision with what little straws he held. "How long was I out?"
His last memory consisted of throwing Ashley away from the beacon after it was somehow triggered. Then pain as it took control of his body. Beside the doctor, Ashley stood awkwardly with her arms crossed as she shifted her weight. It was quite clear she blamed herself for the following events but she shouldn't bother. The outcome would have still been the same just a different victim. It only took a gentle smile to coax her out of the continuous apologizes and return a smile followed by a head nod. "Roughly fourteen hours. Commander, I noticed some abnormal signs during your REM stages." Chakwas fell silent, allowing him to take command of the conversation.
He stared into his hands, words finally failing him. No words could adequately describe the horrors he had witnessed. "I really can't. I just…I just don't know." He stuttered before cutting off completely. He needed to refocus his mind. "I don't know what I saw really. Just that organics were being murdered horrendously by synthetics…" He died off, refusing to continue more. Ashley's face only worsened his mood. "Don't blame yourself Williams, none of us knew this was going to happen."
She sprang at that, grasping it like a lion with prey. "But-!" He cut her off with one gaze, sending her back to fidget silently in her boots. Chakwas muttered something about recording it but paused as Captain Anderson strolled into bay, commanding all attention.
At his appearance, Ashley excused herself, taking two more glances at Isaac before disappearing. There was something in her look that made him feel uncomfortable? "Don't worry, Captain. It'd look bad on your record if you had to break in a new XO already." His grin merely forced the man's lips tighter. At Anderson's silence, he excused his comment and instead, waited for the man to speak.
Anderson turned to Chakwas, staring hard at the elder who nodded before taking her leave. "I've arranged for Gunnery Chief Williams to transfer to the Normandy." Isaac was pleased with that.
"Good, she's a fine soldier." Anderson blinked at that, his own form of recognition. The conversation lost its lightened tone the moment the Captain's arms crossed and for good reason. There was a pressing matter at hand. Saren, who was a Spectre no less, had attacked a human colony and gone rogue. The only problem presenting itself now was finding the evidence to convince the council to prove the fact. Isaac found his mind going in circles.
"Go tell Joker that we are ready to dock."
"Aye, sir." There was a slight pause as Shepard gauged his words. "Sir-"He began rather hesitantly. "Please don't tell my wife about this." He gestured to himself. The man didn't respond, instead an unnatural smile took place of pinched lips.
"We shall see Shepard."
The petite woman staggered, barely catching herself on the medical bed. Beside her, the red-headed doctor quietly observed. "Is it your implants?" The woman tilted her head forward before teeth dug into lips, halting the cry bubbling up. "Please, rest. You're here almost every day volunteering after your work in Huerta Memorial." It subsided, albeit rather slowly. "You shouldn't overwork yourself."
The woman scoffed at that. "Chloe, you sound like my husband." When her shift ended at Huerta she always felt antsy. Maybe it was just the fact that she didn't want to spend the rest of the day alone. Or the fact that it had been almost two years since she had met her husband in person.
"How's that going exactly, Addy? I mean, are you okay?" It wasn't often that the woman asked about her personal life and Addy, like always, kept it to herself.
"It's going pretty well." She checked her watch methodically. "He should have sent a message a few hours ago. I wonder if he's okay." Michel patted her shoulder reassuringly.
"He's the famous Commander Shepard, he's fine!"
She smiled at that, brushing off the dust particles gathering on her orange science outfit. "Maybe if the pace picked up here, I wouldn't be thinking about it as much. I mean this is the Wards, I thought this place would be filled of gunshot victims!"
"You should have been here earlier then! There was a Quarian with a gunshot who apparently had some incriminating against a Spectre no less!" Addy shook her head, a faint smile playing on her lips.
"Speaking of Spectres…" Michel continued absent-mindedly. "I heard that your darling husband is a contender for being the first human one." She waggled her eyebrows.
Addy cocked a brow at that. "Oh? So he's a darling now?" Michel punched her arm lightly before gathering strewn paperwork. "To answer your question, I don't know. He hasn't spoken about the matter." She replied dejectedly.
She respected his position and understood there was a level of secrecy involved but sometimes she just felt so separated from him. When they talked, the conversation was almost always steered towards her. The door whished open, as three thuggish looking men wandered in.
"Afternoon men, what can we do for you?" It was the Wards after all and by then, the two ladies were quite used to the varying people that visited. The first man examined his fingernails, flicking gunk out from underneath them.
"Yeah I guess there is something you could do for us…" He smirked, raising a pistol to Addy's forehead. "Tell us where the Quarian is and we'll let you live." Addy glanced at Michel, fear evident in her eyes.
"I...I don't know about any Quarian, I swear!" She stammered, eyes refocusing on the barrel between them.
The man clicked his tongue at her. "Not the answer I wanted to hear, doll." The world closed in on her, hindering any noises that tried to touch her mind. Her head shook slowly, tears forming at her clover eyes. What would Isaac do in this situation? That was an easy question to answer. Unlike her, he'd be able to take down the guy and save the damsel in distress.
Thankfully Michel had one of those items down. "Wait! She went off to find Fist. That's all we can tell you!" Her eyes pleaded with the man, hoping there was sympathy deep down. He looked between the two women before his finger tightened on the trigger, a disgusting smirk taking control of his lips. Before he could pull the trigger, the door slid open.
The man merely shifted, his hand griping Addy's throat before pointing the gun at her temple. "Don't move or she dies!" He hissed at the intruders. Her chest tightened at the sight. Slowly, Isaac's hands rose into the sky. A loud pang resonated within the clinic as blood splattered against Addy's face. Behind the counter, a Turian peered over the cover, his rifle steaming. A groan exited the man as he slid down her body. No words formed, instead a high shrill scream before bullets rained.
Well congrats! You made it to the end! Was it horrible? It wasn't horrible was it? It was horrible! Anyway, hope you enjoyed, there will probably be another part or I might forget about this one like my others and then forget what is supposed to come next haha!
-TSP