Kate refused to believe this was the end. She just had to make it to the reaper beam, and then she would be transported to the crucible to activate the conduit. She struggled to clear her vision from the blast that had knocked her off her feet a few moments before.

She cradled her left arm to her chest. She was pretty sure her shoulder was dislocated. Most of her weapons were missing, including the widow her favorite sniper rifle. All she had left was her pistol. She moved slowly though the carnage of bodies that littered the ground. She walked carefully around a charred corpse unable to tell if it was one of hers or one of the reapers. Ahead of her three husks crawled from the rubble. She lifted her arm narrowing her sea foam green eyes at her targets. She squeezed the trigger rapidly firing three shots one into the skulls of each husk. Undeterred she ventured forward her focus only on the light ahead.

She idly thought of her companions wondering if they still lived, if they were somewhere behind her still alive, or hell if they had made it to the beam before her. Garrus' face flashed in front of her and for a moment, she stopped moving. She hoped he was alive, and hoped that she would see him again.

She blinked and his image faded and her focus returned to her task at hand. With her mind set and her jaw locked, she walked into the beam and found herself transported to the citadel.

Garrus hid behind a piece of rubble. Damn it, the reaper blast had come out of nowhere. He couldn't see Shepard or Liara anymore. Sticking his head out of cover, he did a quick visual sweep for Shepard, laying out a burst of cover fire as he moved positions. He needed to find her and to find out if anyone had made it to the transport beam.

"Vakarian come in," Joker's voice chimed over his com unit.

"Make it fast Joker, I'm trying to stay alive down here," Garrus growled sniping a stray reaper.

"Shepard has reached the citadel; we just received confirmation from Hackett. I'm coming to pull you and the rest of the team out of the hot zone. ETA 10 minutes."

Garrus let out a breath he didn't even know he was holding. She was still alive; he smiled as he planted a bullet between the eyes of a cannibal. All he had to do now was stay alive long enough for Joker and the Normandy to find him. Then they would be able to fly to the citadel to retrieve Shepard.

Or...

There was a clear path to the beam ahead of him.

"Joker, I'm going up after Shepard. I have a clear path to the beam ahead. Save whoever else you can," he ordered into his com. He could hear Jokers protests, but they fell on deaf ears. Knowing Shepard, she was going to need some backup and there was no way he was going to leave her up there alone. Not his Kate.

He took off in a full run, leaping into the light.

"I don't like your choices," Kate said to the AI.

"Like them or not, you still have to choose."

Kate growled in frustration looking at her options. The red choice would destroy the reapers at the cost of all the Geth and EDI. Kate ignored the blue light completely there was no chance in hell she would even consider that option. Eyeing the green light carefully she weighed her options. This was morally the right choice; everyone, including the reapers, would live. Everyone that is except for her. She sighed and rubbed the back of her hand across her forehead, swiping her blond hair from her eyes while smearing blood across her face.

She was so tired, tired of fighting to live, of having to be the one to save everyone. Tired of having the weight of the world on her shoulders. More than anything, she was tired of losing everyone she ever cared for. She started down the walkway slowly, her mind made up.

"Shepard?" Garrus called behind her. She turned around her gun raised.

"Garrus?" she answered shocked at the sight of him. "What are you doing here?

"Come on Shepard, if you're walking into hell you know I'm only a few steps behind. Besides I've been with you every step of the way so far, you didn't honestly think I would let you do this alone, did you?"

She smiled in relief lowering her weapon, her turian archangel come to save her. "You've always been there for me. I wouldn't want anyone else with me here at the end."

"So this is it then? You walk into that beam of light and the war is over then? All the things that separate us as species cease to exist and we all become one universal synthetic/organic race?"

She swallowed roughly and nodded. Hoping he would understand her choice. She had fought too hard to save everyone else that choosing any other option wasn't possible. Synthesis was the only choice that made sense to her.

"Okay then," he said and dropped his rifle to the ground and walked to her side.

"Garrus, what are you doing?" she asked him as he took her hand in his.

He smiled down at her, "I am joining the woman I love in her final journey."

"Garrus, No, I can't let you do that."

"With all due respect Kate you can't stop me," he answered cupping her face with his hand. A single tear slipped down her cheek, which he caught and brushed away with his mandible. She dropped her pistol and pulled his face to hers pouring all her love for him into her kiss. They embraced for several minutes holding onto one another, knowing these were their final moments together. She pulled away from him slowly, cupping his face tenderly in the palm of her hand.

He looked down at her lovingly, "There is one thing I need to say to you before…well you know."

"What's that?" she asked softly.

"I was waiting to give you this and I realize now I should have given it to you months ago." He dug though his pockets pulling out a simple gold band and holding it up for her to see. "I would be honored to call you my wife."

"No Garrus, it's me who would be honored," she answered lowering her hand from his face for him to slip the ring on her finger. "I love you Garrus Vakarian."

"And I love you Kate Shepard, savior of the galaxy." He turned his head toward the green beam of light and held out his hand. "I believe we have a date."

She swallowed, taking a deep breath and slipped her hand in his nodding her head. Giving him one last crooked smile she replied, "If you get there first, save me a seat."

"Always Shepard," he promised.

Together they ran hand in hand into the light leaping off the edge of the walkway holding on to one another. She was safe in his arms even as the light burned her skin and took her sight. She could still feel his arms wrapped around her comforting her. It was the best thing she ever felt. It was also the last.

She stood at the shoreline, water splashing her bare feet. She blinked her eyes against the sun rising over the water; the sight was so beautiful it almost physically hurt. She turned and began walking further down the shoreline.

"It's beautiful isn't it Shepard?" Thane asked softly from the right of her. He had been sitting quietly watching her and the sea.

She turned towards him happy to see an old friend, "It is a beautiful sunrise."

"It's too bad you have to leave before you get to say hello to Mordin."

"Leave?" she wondered, "but I just got here."

He smiled and stood crossing over to her, "Yes but there is someone waiting for you back there." He pointed to the left of them. She turned in the direction of his hand, her breath catching in her throat.

Garrus stood looking out at the sea almost where she had been a moment before. He turned, smiling and waving at her. Her face split into a huge grin as she took off into a run, leaping into his arms.

Life or death had no meaning here, not that it mattered so long as they were together.