Shepard POV (intro: Alternate universe post Mass Effect 3, Femshep x Garrus)

Blood covered my hand. No matter all the pain, what hurt most was my chest, but that wasn't a physical injury. The thought of leaving Garrus alone, pained me more than any physical wound. I stared at the three beams wondering, why me? Why did I have to choose? Why did I have to give up my life and hurt the ones I love most to save the lives of both innocent and otherwise?

So many questions, so few answers. The pain was slowly fading as my multiple cybernetics worked to fix the extensive damage. The choice was however just as difficult. I didn't want this to ever happen again, to any one. So destroying them was out. No one person or creature should have control of the reapers either so, that too, was out. I stared down the light at the center. I slowly limped towards the beam, I wished to speak with Garrus one more time, to kiss his lips one more time, or to feel the smooth warm plates of his cheek against my hand once more. To run my fingers across his fringe, that looked sharp as razor blades but we're actually smooth and flexible like cartilage, I loved the feel of his fringe...But in the words of Mordin, it had to be me someone else might of gotten it wrong.

I paused at the edge before looking to the catalyst.

"Just one request?" I asked of him, my heart breaking knowing this was for the best.

"I can't in any way promise survival Shepard, I thought of all the species to exist you would be more of a hero instead of..." The catalyst said with disgust and I cut him off mid-sentence.

"I'm not begging for my life... I just want someone to look after the one I love most, the one who drove me to achieve all that I have, because without him, I wouldnt be here. I'd have died back during my investigation of Saren."

The Catalyst was silent for a very long moment. I could tell it was trying to understand the concept. The expression on its face reminded me of EDI when she was trying to understand the concept of organics. I seen it almost visibly sadden...I knew it didnt mean much given the circumstance but when it nodded, I felt braver and more satisfied than I had previously. If Garrus had a shot at surviving, thriving, I felt better.

Garrus POV

I looked up from the floor. My vision fading in and out as I looked up at the dead console. I had landed beneath it when we landed. The crash had been severe but it looked like I made it without any serious injuries. My heart ached, wishing Jane had been able to come with; leaving earth without her was the hardest thing I've ever done. Grabbing various things to steady myself, I clambered to my feet. I touched my head, it was bleeding a little but nothing that wouldn't heal. I'll have to thank Joker, hopefully his head doesn't get too much bigger.

I made my way up one of the maintenance ducts to the CIC. I seen Tali poke her head out a moment later. I headed for the bridge to check on Joker. The Normandy had taken a few hits but nothing that couldn't be fixed. I gave a slight smile at the sight of Joker and EDI working away, trying to get linked to a comm buoys but it was all static. Joker sighed hitting the console in frustration. EDI then began typing furiously. Suddenly the admiral's voice came through;

"Normandy, come in Normandy."

I rushed to the console to help clean up the message.EDI got it to clean up but we couldn't get it to allow an outgoing transmission. It must be pretty damaged from the crash.

"Normandy if you are out there... Earth is safe, the reapers are no longer a threat. We've lost Shepard and Anderson. The Relays are destroyed. I am not certian what she did but, as always it's a miracle. The reapers are now assisting in the rebuild of the mass relays. God's speed."

I felt relieved and broken all at once. I felt a hand on my shoulder, I turned to see Liara. She pulled me into a hug. I had known deep down that someone like Jane, some one like her was never meant to remain here long.

I pulled myself together, I'd fall apart later when I was alone, for now we needed to focus on the unknown that laid ahead. There was too much to get done to mope or do anything but focus on fixing the ship and survival. Just then I heard a phrase from EDI I'd never heard from her before.

" ow". She lifted her hand from a sharp section of the console that was broken. A single drop of black ran down her grey metallic colored skin. No one had noticed, especially me. All of our eyes glowed green. I'd never seen anything like it. A green hue rolled across the plates of my arm. It slowly started to fade.

That's when we all turned to Tali, the only other amoung our crew that relied on technology so much they could almost be considered synthetic. Tali pulled off her helmet. What had obviously been a breather for her helmet was now something new, much like black gills on her neck. Somehow, Shepherd had merged both organic and technology. It was amazing to finally see Tali, not in a helmet that is. Her big brown glassy eyes were fairly set into her head and went well with her smooth brown and grey skin, scaled much like the snakes that Jane had shown me vids of from earth. She had crests of scales on her head that were spiked up and almost black in color with a soft blue hue. Her nose was small and nearly flat against her face. Her mouth was full lipped and soft looking compared to my own and very similar to say, human or asari. Her tongue was unusually narrow compared to most species and split into a fork at the end. It was like meeting someone new.

Leave it to Vega as he whistled at Tali as he walked up.

"Heeeeellooo beautiful".

Tali blushed softly as they quietly discussed this new change. However beyond a short conversation and Joker taking EDI to Jane's quarters for clothes... We never really stopped to investigate the changes further. Survival was much more important at this point. We could leave it to Chakwas and Liara to figure everything out but for now we needed power, water and food.

I missed so much in the beginning as my mind would wander back to Shepard, my chest would ache. I rubbed my neck where two small half moons were permanently etched into my neck just above where my shoulder plates ended. My mate was gone...

I vowed then to protect these people, these friends, colleagues of her's the people she fought and died for. I had no idea where to start. How would I ever survive without her? How would I save them without her?