Disclaimer: I do not own anything here bioware has done and make no profit in my work… yaddyaddayadda

I am new to the fan fiction so any help along the way is appreciated. Like most fans I was heavily depressed with the endings to mass effect 3 and even though I have hope they will be changed. I want my Shepard to have some kind of happy life after the war. My Shepard romanced Ashley in the first mass effect and stayed loyal in the second and my stories here will concentrate on them both.

By Dahellraider Special thanks to owl208 for helping with my Revision


PROLOGUE

Hours later after the battle, Shepard was awakening from what seemed like all but a dream, his eyes could barely see any signs of light and he was trying to shove his way out of the rubble that engulfed his body. Noticing it was useless to struggle, he stopped and thought for a moment. "I did it" he said to himself. "I defeated the reapers and…Ash" he stopped right then and there and realized he has no idea if Ashley is alive or not. And if she wasn't, it would all seem for nothing to him.

He knew he should have told her to stay out of the fight the night before they hit the illusive man's base. But she was a marine. And not just any marine, but also a Spectre now as well, so it would have been impossible to convince her otherwise. Wanting to continue to make his way out, he realized this was the first real moment in years he could actually relax and think about the future.

CHAPTER 1: In the stones of sorrow

Ashley was still digging through the rubble for the past 6 hours "no…not again, I can't lose Shepard again" Ash was screaming to herself, over two years ago she was left helpless in the Normandy's escape pod seeing Shepard suffocate to death not far away screaming in the comm for Shepard not to go. She was an emotional wreak after that day and never fully recovered despite the fact that 2 years latter Cerberus had brought him back to life.

Garrus came over to Ashley and had to force her to stop.

"Stop it! You're of no use to the Commander like this, just look at yourself" Garrus insisted.

In that moment Ashley looked and didn't even realize how bad her hands were after the countless hours of digging. "I can't lose him" she paused "I will not lose him again Garrus."

"Believe me Williams I understand, that's why we will take over for you so you can go rest"

"We?" Ashley replied, she looked behind Garrus and was shocked to see that that Wrex, Vega and a few other alliance marines had just begun to start digging. Admiral Hackett had just recently declared him dead in the line of duty saying there was no way anyone could survive that blaze of destruction. However Ashley and a few others saw a quick transport beam into this rubble just before the citadel had been destroyed and she just knew it was Shepard.

"Yes now for your own sake go rest, I promise the second we find any signs of him you will be the first to know."

"Find him Garrus" Ash demanded "without him I am nothing" Garrus nodded and helped Ashley up as she made her way to a small encampment nearby.

She didn't have to go far, in fact, she could still see them all digging from where she sat. A field medic came to her tending to her hand wounds and gave her some medi-gel. With all that was going on in her head she didn't even realize she was experiencing pain. Only the other night, Shepard and she expressed how they truly felt towards each other. It was the real first time that Shepard had told her he loved her. And she was probably going to lose him again "no I can't think that way, I need to keep myself together" she cried to herself.

Looking around she thought to herself that this didn't look like Earth at all, more like another planet with all this rubble. In the heart of London and it seemed like nothing more than the bottom of a quarry. She heard someone walking towards her but was too depressed in her thoughts to even turn.

"You look like someone just shot your dog"

Ashley turned to the unfamiliar voice of the woman and even thought she is someone she never talked to, Ashley could recognize her anywhere.

"Captain Shepard" she tried to get up and salute.

"At ease, Lieutenant Commander, she insisted."

It was Captain Hannah Shepard, Shepard's mom. Ashley had seen her before at the funeral all those years ago, but she dared not to speak to her then. The last thing she wanted his mom to think was her own son was breaking regulations by sleeping with one of his own crewmembers, with Shepard coming from a military family and all.

"I know who you are Williams, you don't have to hide the fact that you loved my son."

"How long have you known?" Ashley replied.

"My son never kept any secrets from me; in fact he always shared them. He told me shortly after the battle of the Citadel and talked on and on about wanting to retire with you, once the threat of the reapers was dealt with, of course." Hannah explained.

She continued, "I tried to reach you after the funeral, but honestly it didn't look like you wanted to talk to anyone, so I figured that you would come to me at some point."

"He only recently just told me how he really felt and now it seems like I might lose him forever this time around," Ashley spoke looking towards the rubble.

"I figured you would like to know that your family is still alive and well; they were with the few that managed to escape the citadel when the reapers took it by force." Hannah said, trying to reassure Ashley in the slightest. She knew that her family was important to her, since Shepard had told her once before.

"If it would help at all, I could have them transported down here to see you?" Hannah asked.

"No." Ashley said bluntly. "I don't want them to see me like this, I….I have too much on my mind right now." "However, I would appreciate it if you at least told them I'm alive." she insisted.

Hanna simply nodded "I have duties to attend to, Williams." I believe you and I insist you stay for however long this takes." Hannah said, turning to head back to her transport. She turned towards Williams before she walked off saying, "For what it's worth, I would love to think of you as a daughter."

Garrus signaled Vega to come over to help move a piece of ruble that was hinged in deep. "What's wrong Garrus, I thought you turians were all strong and all," Vega joked as he came to help him. They have been digging for what seemed like hours, but it had only been a few minutes. It wasn't helping that they haven't rested since the galactic fleets came back and liberated Earth last night.

"Says the human with the muscles of a krogan," Garrus quickly replied, answering his joke with another.

"Just trying to keep you on your toes, so um you think the commander is really somewhere down here…..or were you just saying that to get the LC to stop digging herself to death in shock?" Vega stated.

"Both. Williams is a friend and I owe the Commander my life many times over." Acknowledging Vega as he was still chipping away stones, "besides Vega, if your mate was in there wouldn't you search Intel the end of time" Garrus continued.

"Wait, what….." Vega said confusedly. "You're not telling me the Commander and the Lieutenant Commander well"

"How blind you are Vega, did you really not notice because I think everyone knew."

"I thought she was digging for so long because of how long they been friends and all," Vega told looking at Garrus. "I guess is should of figured it out with how distracted the Commander was when the LC nearly bought it on mars" he told to himself.

"Hey what's this?" Garrus said as he was picking up what looked like a piece of metal with the label N7 on it. "This looks like part of the Commander's armor!"

"Are you sure? There were other alliance marines charging in the final push with Shepard, Garrus."

"Yes, but none of them were wearing N7 armor. Besides, I'd recognize the paint Shepard uses on his armor anywhere."

Garrus flashed his Omni-tool down what looked like a small hole through the rubble and could barely see a figure down there. "Commander is that you?" Garrus shouted. If it was him, he wasn't moving and looked as solid as a brick.

"Did you find him?" Vega asked quickly.

"I'm not sure. It could be him, but it's really deep down there, so it will take a while to get to him if it is."

Garrus ordered everyone to come and help dig at that spot. "Keep digging! I think we may have found the Commander! I'll be back with help!" Garrus ran off knowing they were going to need better equipment and more bodies to get to at Shepard down there if of course that was him.

Continued in chapter 2…..