The Final Goodbye
Ragged breath, burning lungs, pounding heart.
The beam.
Shepard had to reach the beam
Garrus and Kaidan weren't far behind. They could do this.
All that stood in their way was Harbinger. A small Turian fighter flew at the monstrosity.
The Reaper's beam swatted it away as if she would a fly
They were close now, so close.
And explosion blew chunks of rubble the size of tyres near but missed her by dumb luck alone.
Just a little further!
Two Hammerheads roared past her and one was blown clear into the air in front of her, the useless hunk of metal flew at her, she skidded on her knees as it bounced, missing her by mere inches. Adrenaline like cold fire in her veins she looked back for Garrus and Kaidan, they still running towards her and unharmed.
Another explosion blew the second Hammerhead clear over her heading right for them.
NO!
The word was lost in the strangled yell of her cry as the Hammerhead plummeted at them, exploding again the spraying shrapnel everywhere. Unthinking she ran back to them, leaping off of the fallen Hammerhead.
Garrus needed her, The Reapers could wait.
She saw Kaidan finding his feet and Garrus, wounded but still alive. She seized his arm, pulling it across her shoulder and dragging him to cover. Garrus was bleeding, badly.
"Normandy? Do you copy? I need an evac right now!" She shouted over the roar
"We're taking-zzzzzzzzzz- Commander!"
She looked to skies and saw the Normandy swooping down to them.
She took Garrus' arm; his breathing heavy and laboured.
I won't let you go yet Garrus.
"Come on!"
She half-helped, half-dragged Garrus to the Normandy, Kaidan only just ahead, she called to him.
"Here, take him!" He supported Garrus, taking his weight.
"Shepard..." Garrus' called to her. She heard the pain in his voice, and the Reapers would pay dearly for that alone.
"You better get out of here."
"And you've got to be kidding me!" He snapped
That turian would walk into Hell it's had she asked him to. But she wasn't, not this time.
"Don't argue Garrus."
"We're in this till the end."
In spite all of the chaos and pain around them; she'd never loved him more.
But this was it, no more second chances, the final goodbye.
She looked into his eyes, reaching for a connection to him staring into the eyes that had once been so alien and now so familiar. She recognised everything she felt in that grey stare. She knew she didn't have to say anything.
So she did any way.
I'll always love you
"No matter what happens here…" Her voice cracked with emotion.
She reached her hand out to his face, holding that connection one last time.
"You know that I love you. I always will."
"Shepard."
He reached up and held her hand. Looking at him now she saw their future, the future they could have, and then fall apart like leaves.
Before now had been hope, hope to find each other at the end of all this and carve out a future so bright that the galaxy itself would shake. Trillions of people all still had that hope.
But they didn't.
Not anymore.
"I… love you too."
As she moved away he reached for her still.
I will be the last person the these bastards take from someone they love.
This is for you, Garrus.
She offered him a smile as she walked away.
See you in the bar.