NAME: Kirk Baldridge

EMAIL: kirkbwriter

TITLE: Aftermath

DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything. It's all Bioware.

FANDOM: Mass Effect

PAIRING: Commander Shepard (F) / Liara T'Soni

RATING: M

SUMMARY: In the aftermath of Mass Effect 3. How it all ends.

The war was over.

Finally, after so much incomprehensible death and destruction, the Reapers were defeated.

Their lifeless shells littered the surface or floated in orbit of hundreds of worlds. The husks and banshees and other smaller Reapers were utterly destroyed by the Crucible.

For many, however, victory was diminished by the collateral damage.

The Geth suddenly stopped functioning, as did every known VI and AI. The loss of the former was a significant blow for the Quarians, especially crippling to those who had uploaded Geth run times into their suits. In addition all technology powered by mass effect fields had been severely damaged, including the relays, which meant all the ships which had come to Earth were trapped at or near Omega, where they had rendezvoused following Admiral Hackett's evacuation order. The consensus was they could be repaired, though it would take time.

The full death toll likely would not be known for years, but to a majority of the Alliance survivors learning the fate of one individual in particular was paramount.

Everyone wanted to know what had happened to Commander Shepard.

Two shuttles were repaired well enough for a reconnaissance flight to the Citadel.

Steve Cortez offered to pilot one, taking with him the biotic Jack and Urdnot Grunt, while the other was flown by Zaeed Massani and carried the asari Justicar Samara and Miranda Lawson.

The Citadel was without power, oxygen or gravity. Getting inside was simple enough but to their dismay there were corpses everywhere. Many had been in the middle of being processed and were unidentifiable. Others they knew. Through her breather Jack let out a deafening "Fuck yeah!" when she came across the body of the Illusive Man with a bullet hole in the side of his head. They were all more subdued when they found Admiral Anderson.

Shepard, however, was nowhere to be seen.

It was Samara who finally detected the faintest trace of biotics, coming from a higher level. A bulkhead in their way was no match for Grunt, though Samara and Jack had to brace it to keep the whole thing from coming down on them. They found what remained of Commander Shepard sprawled out in the rubble.

While the left side of her body had clearly taken the brunt of whatever happened to her, virtually all of her flesh had been burnt. Her face was a ruined mess and her left arm was gone.

"Shit." Jack turned to Miranda. "Is this what she looked like two years ago?"

Miranda shook her head. "No. This is worse."

They loaded Shepard, who impossible as it seemed was somehow still breathing, onto one of the shuttles and returned to Earth as fast as possible. Admiral Hackett gave Miranda, who had the most experience, clearance to use whatever resources were necessary to save the Commander's life. Given the multitude of wounded following the war the repair of medical technology was given precedence over everything else.

Days of skin grafts and surgeries followed. Shepard's heart stopped several times and was eventually fitted with a regulating implant. Her left arm and eye were replaced by cybernetics. The doctors assisting Miranda were amazed Shepard survived the treatment, let alone her injuries. Better yet they were able to capitalize on several medical and cybernetic breakthroughs made during her tending to save many more lives. But even after her body recovered, scans revealed only minimal brain function. There was no physical damage, she just wouldn't wake up.

A week after the destruction of the Reapers the Normandy finally returned to Earth. It had been thrown off course thanks to the Crucible and crashed on an uncharted world. Joker and Tali were able to repair it, without help from EDI since the AI had sadly suffered the same fate as the Geth. Shepard's entire crew, past and present, gathered at the hospital to pay their respects but the doctors initially refused to let anyone in.

"I'm sorry." A nervous Salarian doctor clutched a pad to his chest. "Family only."

Liara T'Soni stepped forward. "Xana has no siblings or parents." She pointed at the others. "They are her family." Grunt and Wrex snarled. Biotics swirled around Jack, Samara, Miranda and Jacob. Garrus and Zaeed clenched their fists. Joker and Samantha Traynor glared. Liara's blue eyes narrowed. "And I am her bond mate."

The Salarian doctor took a deep breath. "Of course. This way." A few minutes later Liara was holding her lover's hand while he explained the situation. "Her body is healed. She's alive but is not responding to external stimuli. She seems to have withdrawn into herself. Beyond a coma state." He shook his head. "I've seen it before. Unfortunately, in my experience if they don't wake up on their own, they eventually lose the will to live all together."

Tears welled in Liara's eyes. "No!" She cupped Shepard's face and her eyes turned black. "You're not going to leave me! I won't let you!" With that she slipped into Shepard's mind.

Liara found herself standing in a dim gray forest. "Hello?" She could hear voices echoing all around her but couldn't make any of them out. "Xana?" Before joining the first Normandy she had never felt the desire to meld with anyone. Shepard was an exceptional individual and she had been drawn to the human almost from the start. Their first night together, before the trip to Ilos, they had joined on every level and she felt a connection that was tragically severed on the day of the Collector attack. "Can you hear me?" But they had made love numerous times before Shepard died, and while their minds touched more than once she had never experienced anything like this. "Xana?"

Out of the darkness strode a familiar figure. Kaiden Alenko. He looked angry. "Why did you abandon me?"

Liara blinked. "What?"

Kaiden turned into Mordin Solus. "You could have stopped me."

The Salarian became Thane Krios, who steepled his fingers and lowered his head. "You didn't help me. You knew I was dying. Why did you let me fight Kei Leng alone?"

Liara shook her head. "No, this isn't right. This isn't real."

The Drell turned into a Geth, who it took her a moment to recognize as Legion.

"No carrier! No carrier!"

Liara took a step back and tripped. Her hands landed in something wet, which she realized was blood. She looked around and was shocked to see bodies. Dead Asari. Hundreds of them. "Goddess."

A little human boy in a gray sweatshirt walked past her. He was crying and calling for his mother. As Liara got to her feet a crackling red beam of energy shot down from the sky and incinerated him.

Liara shook her head. "I don't understand." She jumped at the unmistakable bellow of a Reaper, but there was no sign of the monster. She turned to find herself face to face with the door of Shepard's quarters on the Normandy. "Hmm." It opened as she approached but it was the bridge of the Normandy she walked on to. And standing at the galaxy map, with her back to the door, was the dark-skinned, blonde haired human she was looking for. "Xana!"

"No one is supposed to be here."

"Including you. Xana. I've come to take you home."

"There's nothing for me out there."

"There's me!"

Xana still hadn't turned to look at her. "You're just a figment of my imagination. Like the kid. And Harbinger. Did you know I was arguing with him and Sovereign a little while ago?"

"You're confused, Xana. I understand. But I'm real. It's me. Liara. You're in the hospital. We brought the Normandy back and I'm in your mind. We're waiting for you."

"Who's we?"

"All of us. Tali. Garrus. Joker."

Shepard finally turned, tears streaming down her face. "But not EDI. I killed her. When I fired the Crucible, I knew she would die. The Geth too. But I did it anyway."

"To stop the Reapers! Xana, I know it must have been hard, but you did what you had to."

"That doesn't make it right!"

Liara was fighting back tears now. "Of course not. It was horrible. It was war. You said it yourself. Sometimes you have to send people out knowing they're going to die. EDI and the Geth are casualties of war. We'll mourn for them but we need you back." She held out her hand. "I need you. Please. I love you, Xana."

Shepard's eyes widened, as if seeing the asari for the first time. "Liara? Is it really you?"

"Yes." Liara walked slowly toward her, arms outstretched. "We're melded. I'm in your mind. You were hurt badly but you're okay now. You just need to wake up. Please, Xana. I love you. Come back to me."

"I don't know how."

Liara held up her hands. "I do. Trust me."

"Always." Shepard put her hands in Liara's and gasped as she felt her consciousness expanding.

Back in the real world everyone was startled when biotic energy surged around Shepard's body. As she jerked upright her biotics flared and Liara was pushed back as she suddenly charged out of the bed. She passed right through the wall and finally came to a stop in the middle of the hall.

Shepard fell to her knees, groaning as her head erupted with pain. "Crap."

Liara stumbled out of the room. "Shepard!"She knelt beside her lover. "Are you okay?"

"I think so." Shepard embraced her. "I was afraid I would never see you again. I love you Liara."

"By the Goddess. I love you too."

In and around the door of the hospital room most of the others were watching and smiling, but Jack rolled her eyes. "You two are so fucking sweet you make my teeth hurt."

Several doctors arrived, concerned at the sudden cessation of Shepard's life signs. While she assured them she was fine they nonetheless asked she get back to bed and that the others should leave. Most did but Liara made it clear she wasn't going anywhere and the doctors only relented when Shepard insisted.

"Yes Commander. Call if you need anything else."

Liara curled up on the bed beside Shepard once they were alone. "You may have to get used to that."

"What?"

"People bending over backwards for you."

Shepard blinked. "I don't understand."

"Do you not have any idea what they're saying about you?"

"Who?"

"Everyone. Xana, you were already a hero to the Alliance but now...Goddess, you did the impossible. You defeated the Reapers, machines who terrorized the galaxy for millions of years. Did you know many of your own people are starting to call you the Shepard? And the others races. Wrex won't ever let the Krogans forget how you helped cure the genophage. The Quarians are mourning the loss of the Geth but are still talking about how you ended three hundred years of enmity between their people. Even the stubbornest of my people have to admit that while Thessia fell, the Asari who survived owe their lives to you. They'll be telling stories of you for generations."

Shepard frowned. "That's...not why I did it. Any of it. I never wanted to be a hero."

"I know." Liara cupped her cheeks. "And that's one of the many reasons I love you so very much."

They kissed, though Shepard's expression remained unchanged.

Shepard was released two days later. Actually getting out was not so easy, however, there were so many reporters and autograph seekers waiting, people hoping to catch a glimpse of 'the Shepard'. Hospital security was concerned the potential for violence, intentional or otherwise, was high. Luckily Wrex had positioned a couple of Krogan outside the hospital just in case and when they escorted Shepard to a car no one was willing to test them.

The Alliance set up an apartment for Shepard and Liara to use. They spent part of the time making love and otherwise watching the news. Even though the Reapers had been defeated there was some question about what to do with the massive corpses littering planets and the space around them. Every test indicated they were completely nonfunctional but there were still many fears of possible indoctrination. It was eventually decided the planetside Reapers would be torn to pieces and destroyed while those in space would be directed into nearby stars. Quarian Admiral Daro'Xen publicly bemoaned the loss of valuable technology but was quickly shouted down.

"Finally." Shepard motioned the screen off and rolled over to look at Liara, who was lying on her side. "And all it took was the near collapse of the galaxy to get everyone to listen."

"To be fair, if we hadn't spoken directly to Sovereign and I hadn't been in your mind to see what the Prothean beacon showed you, even I might have had a hard time with the idea of ancient machine from dark space coming back every fifty thousand years to wipe out most galactic life."

Shepard sighed. "Well, when you put it that way, you may have a point."

"Let's not talk about the Reapers anymore."

"Fine by me." Shepard rested her head on her hand. "So what should we talk about?"

"The future. Especially now that we know we're going to have one."

"Did you have something specific in mind?"

Liara moved closer. "As a matter of fact. Do you remember what you said to me, when I asked you that very question after we took down the Shadow Broker?"

"Refresh my memory."

"Marriage." Liara kissed her. "Old age." Another kiss. "And a lot of little blue children."

"Rings a bell." Shepard arched an eyebrow. "Is that a proposal, Dr. T'Soni?"

Liara sat up and gestured at her bag, sitting open on a couch across the room. A small red box, coated in a biotic field, flew into her hand. "I know there are a variety of human pair bonding traditions, which are very different from Asari ones, so forgive me if I get something wrong..." She took a deep breath and opened the box, to reveal a golden ring with a glimmering diamond fitted into an intricate heart design. "Xana Shepard, will you marry me?"

"Hmm..." Shepard laughed when Liara playfully swatted at her. "Yes. Absolutely."

"I love you."

"I love you too."

Wrapping their arms around one another they kissed as they fell back onto the bed together.

Unwilling to wait any longer than they had to, Shepard and Liara informed their friends of their plans and requested Admiral Hackett be the one to perform the ceremony. He not only agreed but also arranged for Hannah Shepard, the Commander's mother, to be given leave to attend as well.

They decided there was only one place they could get married. The Normandy. The shuttle bay was the only area big enough so they removed the shuttles and put in flowers, chairs and decorations. Joker, Samantha Traynor, James Vega and Steve Cortez, who had been part of getting the ship ready, acted as greeters.

Grunt and Wrex were the first to arrive. They had tried to find appropriate clothing for the occasion but tuxedos didn't come in Krogan sizes so they had rather hastily repainted their armor black and white.

Samara, Zaeed and Jacob Taylor landed within minutes of one another. Both men were a bit taken aback by the Asari's sleek, low cut gown, while she commented on their suits.

Ashley Williams was wearing dress blues. When asked she said she had been more concerned about her hair, which had taken an hour to arrange in a very formal looking bun.

Miranda Lawson and her sister Oriana showed up just after Garrus Vakarian and Tali'zorah vas Normandy. The Lawsons wore a black and white gown respectively while the Turian had on an ill-fitting tuxedo. The Quarian had opted for an all white suit, which was a tradition among her people.

To no one's surprise Kasumi Goto revealed herself to have been present all along, though she was the only one to wear the same outfit as when she had been on the Normandy before.

Jack showed up last. Before anyone had a chance to comment on her sleek red dress she threatened them with a biotic blast through the bulkhead and grudgingly explained it was all she could find.

As the crew, past and present, took their seats they were pleased to see empty chairs had been arranged for the fallen as well; Admiral Anderson, Mordin, EDI, Thane and Legion.

Military or not, everyone stood at attention as Admiral Hackett took his place at the podium.

Defying traditions, as ever, Xana Shepard and Liara T'Soni walked down the aisle together, with Hannah Shepard and Liara's father Aethyta close behind. Both Shepards were in their dress blues while the Asari wore long, tight blue dresses matching their skin tone.

Hackett had been informed they wanted the ceremony as informal as possible. He had a few words, spoke of the heroism of both women and then had them kiss. The guests erupted in applause.

The celebration went on for hours. Zaeed and Kasumi supplied the alcohol. In the end Ashley and Tali ended up drunk on the floor, along with Traynor, Grunt and Wrex nearly went through a bulkhead all on their own, and Jack and Miranda got into an argument than ended with torn clothing and biotic furniture damage.

As things wound down Shepard and Liara quietly made their exit. They took a shuttle to a small Rachni ship waiting in orbit, courtesy of the Queen. They got lost in the stars for a while, and eventually found an uncharted and uninhabited world where they could start their new lives together.

THE END