"say your goodbyes my friends, were waiting for you"
His Breathing was laboured as he lay in bed the sheets perfectly set encompassing his body as the old man lay half asleep and half awake
"Shepard" the old man heard a sweet soft voice come through his mind like the cooing of a dove as he opened his eyes to see an Asari sitting on the bed next to him
"Liara" he whispered protecting it as if it was the word was the most valuable thing to him
The Asari smiled as she looked down at her husband, he was dying they knew this day would come but she wasn't sad they had spent the best years of their lives together and they both had known this day would come
"where is everyone?" he whispered again his breathing laboured
"outside John, shall I send them in?" she asked tentatively towards him as he nodded and used what energy he had left to prop himself up
As Liara approached the door and spoke to someone outside
"Liara" Shepard called "could you make it a few at a time?"
"of course, dear" she smiled back as she beckoned someone in
A Large figure appeared in the doorway as a tall broad Krogan walked in with a middle-aged woman
"Shepard" the krogan grumbled
"Grunt, Jack Good to see you" the Shepard smiled trying not too show his frail self to the krogan
"So when you going to be back up?" grunt asked
Shepard smiled at him "tomorrow then me and you are going to kill some thresher maws, just like we did at your rite remember?" Grunt smiled fondly of the memory
"and now look at you leader of clan Urdnot, Wrex would be proud Grunt" trying to look seriously at his friend but he couldn't help crack a smile
"yea the old bastard last words to me was to not fuck it up" the krogan smiled
As Shepard smiled and turned to Jack
"and you Jack headmistress at grissom academy you've come a long way"
"Yea well you had a hand in that" she smiled at him the years having mellowed her mood
"shut up Jack, you made your own way i just asked you to help me kill some bad guys" as he chuckled before having a small coughing fit, Liara approached him worryingly but he raised a hand to let her know he was fine he turned to Liara and nodded indicating he wanted the next visitor in, Jack and grunt went to leave but Shepard stopped them
"Don't go I want us all together" he said breathing in through an oxygen mask reading himself for the next visitor
As James, EDI and Kasumi much to Shepard's Delight as he saluted James who returned it, it would seem old habits were hard to kick as James approached him
"How you feeling Loco?" the middle-aged man asked him
"pretty good" Shepard lied " so Admiral Vega things turned out alight in the end, didn't they?"
"not the end Loco" as his friend knelt beside him "just a bump in the ride" as he smiled at him
"listen Shepard, thank you for everything" he said fixing him with a deadpan face resting his hand on Shepard arm smiling before standing and moving next to Jack and grunt
"Kasumi" Shepard smiled as she approached him
"ahh Shep, looking better I see"
"it's good to see you It's been a few years" he said looking up at the no longer hooded kasumi
"I know, when Zaeed passed I had to take care of a few things for him" she quietly lowering her head at the memory as Shepard put his hand on her's
"age catches up to everyone" he said giving her a reassuring look as her eyes welled with tears as she leant down and kissed his forehead before joining the others
"Shepard" came the metallic voice of EDI as she approached the bed sitting next to him
"EDI, how are you?"
"I am functioning at optimum capacity" she said clearly sad though and Shepard picked up on this
"EDI" as he fixed her look
"with Jeff passing a few years ago, I worry as a synthetic..." as she paused as her voice lowered " ...whether I will see my friends again"
"EDI, I don't know what happens but if there is any good in this galaxy" as he held her arm as she turned to look at him "we'll see each other real soon" he smiled
"thank you Shepard, I feel everything will be fine" as he got up to join the other as Shepard nodded at Liara to send in some more as Jacob Miranda and kaiden came in
"hey you two" shepard smiled as Jacob and Miranda approached him
"Shepard it's been to long" came Miranda who looked liked she'd barely aged a day compared to Jacob now an old man
"that it has, I hope you too are well?"
"we are, thank you Shepard"Jacob answered "in fact I became a great-grandfather this morning" as he beamed proudly as Miranda supported her colleague
"that's wonderful Jacob congratulations" Shepard beamed at him as he turned to Miranda
"how Oriana?"
"she's fine she wanted to come, but she has kids of her own now" as she smiled down at him
"I understand" he said smiling at them as they went to join the others
"and what are you doing here" as Shepard fixed kaiden a smile as he approached
"Can't a friend visit another friend any more?" he smiled down
"Well it's unusual for two of the highest ranking alliance admirals to be away at the same time"
"the board deemed this an exception" he smiled "Shepard I..."
"stop right there Mr Alenko, there's nothing to say my friend" as he reached out and grabbed Kaidens hand tightly who in return grabbed his
"I have much to thank you for as you have, so were even damn it" as he cracked a smile with tears brewing in his eyes as he nodded for him to join the other Kaiden smiled at his friend and moved to join the others as the door opened a jar to show Tali and Garrus enter
"I'm surprised you came vakarian, Primarchs rarely visit old soldier like me" giving garrus a wirery smile
"well I didn't want to, but palaven command said something about you and saving the galaxy a few times, seemed like the right thing to do" he said smiling down at his friend
"Tali" Shepard whispered as he moved his face to kiss Tali's cheek
"shepard, how are you?" she asked worryingly
"I'm fine Admiral" Shepard said wearily
"don't give me that tone you bosh'tet I'm only concerned" playing him with a half serious and half-joking tone as garrus laughed before backing away slightly to give them some time as Tali sat on the bed next to him
there was a pause between them for a second before Tali broke the uncomfortable silence
"Shepard I don't know how were all going to work without you" she smiled as tears fell from her eyes
"You'll be fine, I was the one that threw us into bad situations it was you guys that pulled us out" he smiled as their hands moved to grasp one another's as she held his gaze
"Im going too miss you" shepard whispered almost making Tali break down as he moved his hand up to her face which no longer needed the mask as she looked at him
"I'll see you again" he smiled as she leant forward giving him a soft hug before composing her self and walking away
"what? no tears vakarian?" as shepard looked up at his turian friend who had walked over to him
"no need Shepard, there's no Shepard without vakarian" as the two shared a smile
"Garrus, normally I wouldn't do this but given the situation I think I'm allowed and I don't give a damn" as Shepard rearranged himself before breathing in some oxygen from his mask " we've been through hell together garrus, geth, collectors , Cerberus, reapers. You were there for the whole thing and for the years after it as well " as garrus a little taken a back by the openness from him sat on the bed looking at Shepard
"take care of everyone for me will you? make sure Liara's looked after and my daughter" as a tear fell from Shepard's eye not wanting to pretend to play the tough guy any longer
"you'll do that yourself Shepard" as garrus chocked on his words at the sight of his friend
"keep telling yourself that vakarian" Shepard smiled at him "I'll be at the bar garrus, drinks on me" garrus smiled at him
"goodbye my friend" garrus spoke softly fixing shepard one last look before walking away
Liara approached the bed Shepard looked sleepy she knew it would be time soon as she gave him a loving look
"could you bring in Amaire" he said softly she nodded and approached the door bringing back with her a young Asari who looked quite scared Shepard beckoned her over with a hand as she approached him cautiously as she sat next to him
"come here" he said whispering as he pulled her towards him as she began to cry as Shepard let her sob into his chest as he stroked her back
"I don't want you to go" she whispered into his chest as if speaking to his very soul
"I'd like to stay too" as he looked at Liara who smiled at him
"My daughter" as he pushed her up so she could look at him "Leaving you is very hard but I have had the good fortune to see you turn into the perfect person I could have ever of dreamed off. but you must be strong know for me and your mother" as Amaire composed her self taking stock from her fathers words
"listen to your uncles and aunts" as he nodded over his group of friends on the far side of the room as they spoke quietly among themselves. As he turned back to her looking into her deep blue eyes "you'll see me again Amaire, in time. Now, please send you mother over"
as father and daughter gave each other one last hug she kissed him on the cheek and he watched her walk towards garrus and the rest
"Is that it?" he asked wearily as Liara came towards him, as she lay on the bed and gently put her head on his chest
"that's it" she whispered
For a while they sat there talking about anything and everything, about memory's shared, friends who were now gone as they laughed as if there wasn't a care in the world they lay in each others arms like they had done so many times before and just talked that's all Shepard wanted. To him this was the perfect ending to a perfect life
"I'm tired" Shepard said wearily as Liara sat up to look at him she knew this would come but now it was here she didn't want it to end
"Shepard..." she began as tears began to fall from her eyes
"Liara, you have meant more to me than anything in this existence. There are little words I can say that will do justice to what you have truly meant to me"as he paused just taking time took look at her "do you remember how we met?"
"of course you fool, you rescued me from that prothean ruin" she said smiling at the memory
"when I saw you, trapped in there I thought you were an angel. My god how beautiful you are" he said stroking her face thinking of the memory
"John I don't know what to do" as liara let the tears run openly down her face
Shepard smiled at her "Live, take our daughter and you make the most out of this life don't squander it my love, for me" as their eyes met she nodded at him and they kissed tentatively before Shepard rested his head on the pillow and closed his eyes
"it's time Shepard, don't worry they'll meet us again. across the sea"
"I will wait for you, across the sea" he whispered with a smile as he fell asleep
Well I hope you enjoyed that, for the record the italic writing was in my head Thane talking to Shepard as we wavered on the point between worlds. Just a little one shot anyway hope you enjoyed