Worth it
The first thing she noticed… well, the fire and screaming sort of gave away the explosion. Her eyes darted around, calculating the damage, the possibility of survival… and of not. All numbers. Always the criss-crossing lines. So scientific, stable, and real in times when nothing else was. This was one of those times. She watched her people running past to the escape pods. Safety. She hadn't failed them yet, but… something was wrong. Chatter still filled the comm.
Desperation. Pleading. Confidence. Hysteria.
Save what couldn't be saved.
The Normandy.
"…Is lost, Joker!" Shepard grit through her perfect teeth. Toned muscles tightened in preparation for her swift rush towards the cockpit. A shard of metal tore her cheek as she ducked under a collapsing slab. Offhandedly she decided it wouldn't heal right no matter how much attention she'd give it (the later blue line there would only prove her right).
It didn't matter.
The silence of space was unnerving, to say the least. Even though they all called it home… did any one of them ever really know it?
"Joker!" Shepard growled at the delusional pilot.
"Can't talk, Shep…." He waved her off. She shook her head and took him under her arm, pulling him gently up.
"You don't have to go down with it." Really, when she thought about it as she floated off slowly, seeing his face contorted in fear as his pod drifted away… wasn't it worth it?
They didn't talk much about it after she came back. Maybe she didn't know what to do with her second chance. He definitely didn't know how to handle the fact that she'd died saving him. All he could do was fly for her again.
When it was all over,
When she thought it was safe,
And the world fell around her,
When his voice came across loud and clear in her helmet speaker,
She knew he'd always be worth it.
Always be there when she needed it.
Always be her pilot.
A/N: (Here thar be spoilers, arrrr)
Okay, so this isn't even close to my best work, forgive.
It's just a little fan tribute before ME3 on Tuesday (can't wait!)
Even if my Shep and Jeff can only stay best friends, I will happily point him (and give a helpful shove) in the direction of the airlock if he romances EDI.
R&R and show your support! Any spoilers, nay-sayers and flames... just remember you threw your companion cubes in the incinerator, so think twice about killing someone else's last hanging hopes ;)