***Note: Garrus and Shepard are on different 'timelines'. Shepard is viewing everything as a rapid flashback, Garrus is currently living out events after the war. I will put a little note ate the top so you know what timeline we are in. Please let me know if you think this screws up the story flow, it would be fairly easy to clip it and change it so its more like the normal storyline fics. I'm trying something new and I dont know if it will blow up in my face. I will skim over large chunks just to push the story ahead quicker, since my focus will truly be on my next section (Shut Up and Dance). I refuse to accept biowares ending. I honestly don't know how well this turned out, I've gone back and edited it so many times that I think I'm just making it worse! I hope you still enjoy! As always, please leave constructive criticism! I'm just doing this to justify the time I spent on it!***
Currently Editing again, Sorry! Chapters 1-12 finished editing 6.30.15 - Still wanting to work on the rest. Thanks for your support and encouragement!
She sat up erect the minute her eyes opened. What... She looked around frantically. The last thing she remembered was falling. A thick fog surrounded her, muted colors swirling in its mass. As she blinked, an image began to focus. A violent red light pulsed, cascading across the universe, reapers falling dead in its wake. The Normandy fled hard, her engines burning, Joker desperately trying to escape.
The fog turned white and swirled like smoke around her as she rubbed her eyes. More of the world opened around her: the earth beneath her was grey, thickly leaved trees loomed overhead. She looked down at her body, her broken and bloody armor had been repaired. She felt none of the pain from her wounds, because they were no longer there. It frightened her. She heard the soft rumble of someone speaking off in the distance and stumbled towards it, trying to get her bearings. The fog parted on a bar in the center of the woods; a Salarian, a Drell and a dark haired human sat drinking together. A large screen above it displayed the Reaper war, a large red pulse permeating the Galaxy. One turned to face her.
"Ah, Shepard. Was wondering when you would wake up." He smiled at her.
"M…Mordin?" She narrowed her eyes confused.
"Greetings, Siha." Thane bowed his head.
"Sup, Commander?" Ashley grinned widely.
"What are you all doing here?" She looked around, "Better yet, what is here?"
"Heaven, Shepard. Seems fitting you wanted a bar." Mordin smiled at her.
…If this thing goes sideways, meet me at the bar…
She turned on her heel and scanned the area. Aside from the three at the bar, the only things she could see were towering trees fading into the thick white fog.
"Is…anyone else here?"
"No, commander, Joker got the rest out safely." Ashley smiled and stood to greet her, embracing her warmly. "It's great to see you again."
She returned the hug, "You too, Ash. I'm so sorry that-"
She laughed, interrupting, "Its alright, Shep."
Shepard turned to Thane, "Kolyat is doing well. Bailey has actually taken him under his wing and he's considering a career in law enforcement, you'd be proud if you saw him."
Thane stood and bowed to her, she lunged forward to embrace him. He chuckled lightly, "Thank you, Siha."
She smiled over to Mordin, he stood and held his arms out. She wrapped herself in them.
"Oh Mordin, I wish you could see the Krogan." He let her go and they resumed their seats at the bar, Shepard in the middle. "The cure worked beautifully, Eve is currently pregnant and couldn't be happier. And once the war is over, Wrex is going to fight for a new colony world and it looks like they are going to get it."
"That's excellent news!" He smiled, then pointed to the screen. "Would you like to join us, Shepard?"
She looked up and watched the reapers falling, crashing hard into the earth.
"What is it?"
"It's how we've been watching over you, Siha." Thane stood and went behind the bar, handing her a drink.
"Everything you see is happening right now." Ashley added, sipping her beer. Thane handed her a glass, she sipped it, vodka cranberry. She smiled. "Have to say, I'm a bit surprised you chose to destroy, commander."
"As am I, you always opposed destruction, extinction… yet you didn't hesitate to destroy the reapers." Thane sat back down beside her. "Why?"
She fell silent for a moment, it ate at her that she'd chosen destruction. But she had faith in her friends, and she had to take revenge for the countless number of lives that were taken thanks to the Reaper cycles. Even she had a breaking point.
"Well, when you think about it that way, it makes perfect sense." Ashley laughed. Shepard blinked, "We're in your heaven, we can hear your thoughts."
"Warn me next time, I'll think of something pervy just for you." She glowered.
"Next time?" She laughed, "Plan on dying again?"
That's right…she was dead. In her joy of seeing them all again, she'd overlooked that blatantly obvious, very important fact. She took a long swig of her drink and wished it was stronger. It wasn't that she was afraid of death, but it ached to know she would never see her friends again, never see Garrus again. She stared up at the screen to watch the final events unfold.
Her trust had been well placed. Thanks to the Geth and their new Reaper code, they were able to specify the blast to only wipe out the reapers. In fact, it was a Geth Prime that detected the flaw. The Crucible was in-discriminant and the Geth, while desiring the reapers destruction, did not want to die. She watched as the red glow passed over Geth forces, washing over them harmlessly as the reapers fell around them. She smiled and thought of Legion, she hoped he would have been happy. She knew how Joker felt about EDI, but war left little room for romance… now they would have that chance.
The camera switched to view the Normandy, running hard and fast from the blast before coming to a crash landing on a garden planet. The door opened and Joker, followed closely by EDI, stepped out. Her heart wrenched as Garrus stepped out behind them. He was safe. He was safe. He was safe. Her heart chanted loudly in relief.
Thane clasped her hand and she gripped it tightly. Her other wiping a tear from her face. She would never see him again, but he was safe. She watched the memorial wall, saw him run his fingers tenderly across the plaque with her name on it. He hesitated, she could see he didn't believe she was dead. He turned to Joker.
"Joker…can we head to earth? I… I need to see for myself." Joker nodded and headed up to the helm.
Garrus tucked the plaque under his arm and headed into the battery alone, ignoring Tali's attempts to console him. He sat on his bed and hung his head, running his fingers along the inscribed plate as the ship began the long, arduous task of returning to earth. If they left now, they may have enough provisions to make the several month journey, made such with the destruction of the relays.
She looked away.
"Shepard," Mordin put a hand on hers, she looked up and he smiled. "We did not bring you here to mourn. We came to join you in observing your life."
She blinked, confused.
"Think of this area of heaven as a kind of purgatory." Ashley added, "You review your life and the universe makes a decision. Do you stay in heaven, go to hell, or are you reincarnated?"
"Mordin, if you'd please." Thane gestured to the television. Mordin punched some things into his omni tool and a scene from what was now her past flashed up on the screen.
She stared, bewildered as she watched her life in third person unfold. The screen displayed her initial departure on the Normandy, the initial assault on earth, the thousands that had died on the first day, the little boy she couldn't save who's form the Catalyst had used to speak to her. She felt every hit like it was still happening; the shockwave of the dreadnaught, the sharp tumble down the concrete, all of it. This was going to be painful…
**The rest is first person for Garrus and Shep!**