AN: "Destroy" seems to be the preferred ending for all the romantics out there, and understandably so. This is just a gentle tweak of one of the other endings, giving a different sense of closure to my favorite couple. Enjoy!
Her pulse throbs in her ears, every beat bringing a new wave of pain. The metallic bitterness of blood seeps past her lips onto her tongue, and the gun in her hand weighs two hundred pounds. An unimaginable trifecta of choices spreads before her. Which path is the correct one? Which one will cause the least amount of suffering and end the agony of war, not just for her, but the entire galaxy?
The column of light beckons to her, drawing her towards it as if she were the proverbial moth to its blinding flame. Murmurs echo through her mind, words the Catalyst used like "evolution" and "synthesis", but she's so, so tired, she can barely make sense of them. All that counts is stopping the number of casualties from soaring even further.
Just as she takes a step in the beam's direction, a soft click sounds behind her. Altering her course requires effort, but she exerts the necessary force to turn around. Another platform similar to the one that brought her to the Catalyst raises and locks into place, another crumpled body on top of it.
Anderson?
The newcomer lurches to his feet, no easy task considering the charred armor strapped to his body. As he stands against the backdrop of the explosive sky, she realizes it's not the ill-fated admiral, but a far more cherished figure. The pounding of her heart grows faster and louder, and she wills her legs to let her run towards him. Her muscles refuse the commands. She concedes to the only pace of which they're capable and tries to swallow. "K…Kaidan?"
He staggers towards her with the same unsteady deliberation. Crimson stains streak his skin, the bruises below blending with them to form a macabre rainbow. She's seen him wounded on Virmire, she's watched him skate alongside death on Mars, yet those injuries pale in comparison to the ones she's sure are mirrored on her own face. Despite his appearance, he manages a drowsy smile. "Hey, Shepard."
Relief and anguish compete for prominence. "What are you doing here? How did you get here?"
"The same way you did, I'm guessing."
"That's not what I meant." She frowns, the corners of her mouth tightened with drying blood. "I watched the ship leave. I wanted you to be safe."
"They turned around." His gaze drops towards the floor and he raises a heavy arm to rub the back of his head. "I may have threatened to unleash a biotic storm like they've never seen before if they didn't bring me back to you. Lieutenant Vega probably would have thrown me out if I didn't get off on my own accord."
She doesn't know whether to laugh or cry. "That was a risky move."
"I know."
Behind her, the incandescent shaft glows brighter. "The Crucible won't work without me," she says, more apology than explanation. "It…it needs me."
"I'm not surprised."
"If I infuse my own energy with the Crucible's, the DNA of organics and synthetics will meld together and take on a new form. The cycle will be broken and there will be…." She closes her eyes and she chokes out the last word. "Peace."
His boots thud towards her, lessening the gap between them. "I always said you were an amazing woman. If anyone could achieve this, it would only be you."
Though the brief respite felt good, she opens her eyes again. Beneath the painted mask of the battle's aftermath, there is no hint of anger or disappointment on his face. His acceptance only stings that much more. "I'm sorry," she says. "I know I promised you—"
"Don't be," he cuts her off. "It's okay."
"It's not okay."
"It is. Because I'm coming with you."
Her breath catches in her throat and her chin trembles. "No," she states firmly.
"I told you I'd follow you anywhere," he says. He closes the remaining distance, and she can see past the spatters and swelling into his deep set eyes. "I'm not going to stop now."
"No," she repeats, shaking her head. "Get out of here, Kaidan."
"I'm pretty sure it was a one-way trip."
She doesn't laugh at his attempted joke. "I'm doing this for you, and all the others. I want you to live in a world free of fear and slaughter. I want you to have the future you're supposed to have."
"All of that is meaningless without you." For the first time since his arrival, torment darkens his features. "I spent two years thinking you were dead, the longest years of my life. I made the mistake of turning my back on you and everything we had on Horizon." His chest heaves underneath the remnants of his armor. "Knowing how much time I missed with you haunts me to this day. We've both been trained not to make the same mistakes twice, and I won't."
Time is running short, and every moment means more lives lost. "I can't let you do this," she says.
"I've made my choice."
Nothing has ever stopped the commander from fighting before. She tries to draw herself to her full height and reclaim her domineering presence and authority. "Leave. Go back the way you came and return to Earth." Her voice is not as resonant as she would have hoped, but she forces the words through anyway. "That's a direct order, soldier."
Behind the grime and exhaustion lies the coy smile that captivated her soul the first time it was flashed her way. "Nice try, but that's not going to work this time," he says. "The ranks, the chain of command…none of that matters anymore. We're what matters."
She looks over her shoulder at the towering pillar of light. Never has she felt so small before. She glances at the childlike form of the Catalyst, who says nothing. Her fatigue has sapped her inclination to argue further. The time has come.
Flinging her gun to the side, Shepard extends her hand towards the man whose passion for her refused to be cast aside by the fate of the galaxy. His grip circles around her wrist and he presses her palm to his cheek. Intimate memories cascade over her like a surprise summer rainstorm they'll never encounter again. His skin is warm and alive beneath her touch, and his lips graze the delicate underside of her thumb.
Side by side, they face the dazzling beam. Kaidan's fingers intertwine with hers and he squeezes her hand, one final gesture of unadulterated affection. He turns his head to gaze upon her and his stare never wavers as she leads them along the path to the unknown precipice. Whatever the Crucible holds in store for her, for them, for humanity, for civilization no longer fazes her. She is not afraid.
The solid ground vanishes below their feet. They slip and tumble, plummeting into fluorescent green depths. Blinded by the abrupt immersion, each clings to the last tangible shred they have, never releasing their hold.
Though their bodies accelerate, their leap seems to slow the passage of time. Faces appear before them, images of those who made immeasurable sacrifices to pave their way. The familiar scenes soothe the transition and offer comfort. Instead of sorrow, there is hope
The two entwined forms dissipate into the pulsing core of the Crucible, which shoots through the relays in an inescapable blast. Their combined energy touches every living being in the galaxy, regardless of origin. With their union, not only have they synthesized both factions of life, they have imbued every citizen, organic and synthetic alike, with the potential to share the most powerful, poignant force in existence.
Love.