Sequel to the story No return. The story follows five characters. Emilia Shepard and Kaidan Alenko as they look for Alex Northway to kill him for his crimes. Annie Northway and James Vega as they try to find answers for Annie. And Alex Northway, running away from quilt and consequnces of his actions, as they slowly consume him.

Some of you've been asking for this kind of story, so I'm happily giving you want. I appreciate you asking for one, and I hope you'll like it.

There'll be Vega/OC later on, and maybe some Shenko, too.

Kaidan Alenko - Normandy

Kaidan was sitting behind his desk in captain's cabin. It wasn't long ago when he called it Shepard's cabin and avoided the place entirely. Now, he could proudly call the room his, considering his belongings were in the room, though most of them were still neatly packed inside boxes on both sides of the room.

He couldn't bring himself to unpack, to make the room, that still faintly reminded him of Shepard, his. And although this room was occupied by another "commander" not so long ago, he couldn't remember his face, couldn't quite place his voice.

But her smooth voice, her features, her lovely honey smell he could remember every time his eyes closed and every time he breathed the air. And he couldn't help but wonder, did she think of him as well?

No, of course she wouldn't after what he'd done to her. Ignored her, yelled at her, judged her actions at every occasion, and worst of all, he didn't trust her. And yet she was the most honest person in his whole life, and he let her get away, again.

He took another long sip from the glass, emptying it, then placed it back on the table, right next to an empty bottle of whiskey. His eyes closed for a second, weariness overwhelming him, but he didn't give in.

Computer on his desk beeped, informing him about unread messages. Kaidan was on his feet in seconds, crossing the coffee table, stumbling while making his way to the desk. Rubbing his eyes, he opened the message and let out a breath he didn't know he was holding.

Major Alenko,

We found his location, I'm sending you the coordinates. Bring him back alive, he might still have information we need.

Shepard knows, I believe she's on her way, so I suggest you leave immediately.

Admiral Hackett.

His eyes stayed fixed on the message for seconds that dragged into minutes. Next thing he knew, he was going through his stuff, taking his omni-tool, few spare clothes and more importantly, his side arm.

Considering his options, he took only a shuttle, leaving the rest of his crew behind. This was something he wanted to do alone, besides, they were on a shore leave, getting the team back together would take hour, maybe more, and he couldn't waste his time.

Alex Northway - London

A figure of a man walked out of the shadows, keeping a low profile as he passed a few buildings, always looked behind his back. His paranoia was obvious to anyone who passed him, but no one knew what caused it.

Only the man himself was aware of the danger that could be waiting for him behind another corner, or in the next building. He brushed against a woman, jumping back when their arms touched briefly. She stared at him in shock, mixed with anger.

He didn't even apologize, keeping his eyes on the ground when he was sure that she wasn't the one. But even though, he brought the collar of his closer to his face. When he couldn't take it anymore, he stormed thought the room of a local bar, ignoring the eyes that fixed on him, probably mistaking him for a homeless.

His clothes were indeed worn off, his dark coat torn here and there, his boots covered in dried mud. And his hands were covered in blood not visible to himself or others, but it was there and it drove him to the edge.

He ordered a scotch from the bartender who eyed him with questioning look, but as soon as the man placed money on the counter, the bartender nodded and poured him a glass.

"Leave the bottle." the man said, stopping the bartender from taking the scotch from him. He nodded at the money and bartender took it, giving the man his change. The man waved him away, not interested in quite large sum of money he left as a tip.

He wasn't used to this money, nor was he used to this world he helped destroy. But he found the irony of his hideout sufficient. No one will look for him here, he thought, but his guilt and paranoia were following him around like a stray dog.

Emilia Shepard - London

As soon as Northway walked into that bar, Emilia knew that this would be a long night. Considering how careful he was trying to be, he wouldn't leave until either fully drunk or sure, that no one would follow him.

The thought of spending her night outside in the cold made her shiver. She was used to this kind of weather, after all, she travelled across the galaxy on daily basis. But it's been a few months since she left the Earth.

Weather in London was certainly different than in New York, where she came from. Anderson never talked about it, so she wasn't quite as ready for this. But her goal was far more important to her than rain or wind.

She ran across the road, passing by others who tried to hide from the sudden rain shower. Diner across the street was open until late at night, so she chose it as the best spot to see the bar from. The tables inside were full, but she managed to find one right next to the window, with name of the place written on it, providing her with suitable cover.

Her leather jacket was damp from rain, so she spread it on the frame of a chair next to her, taking a seat on the other one. Soon, a waitress was asking her order, dressed in a brown uniform to match the Diner's colors.

"Coffee, please." said Emilia, smiling politely at the waitress, The young woman nodded, her blonde hair whirling around her as she turned on her hells and left to bring Emilia's coffee.

Earth was still recovering from the war, making most places seem old, or as Emilia called It, classic. Small places like this still used old money, didn't need computers or machines. Sooner or later, everything would go back to normal, but these reminders of times when humans thought about themselves as the only creatures in the galaxy, would still be here. And those more sentimental people would still come here. Occasionally, you would even find and Asari here, enjoying a cup of tea, reading a book.

A cup of hot, dark colored liquid was put on her table. The smell of coffee was spreading around the small room, mixing with various smells of pancakes, bread or sweets.

"Anything else?" asked the waitress.

"Can you tell me how long the bar is open?" Emilia pointed at the bar across the street. The waitress took a one quick glance at it before returning her attention to Emilia.

"All night, I guess." she shrugged her shoulders, the frustration in her voice was clear as day.

Emilia smiled for herself and reached for a book from her bang, placing it next to the cup of coffee.

"Then I'll take pancakes as well." she said and the waitress' face suddenly lit up, glad she wouldn't lose another customer. She watched her leave before opening her book, turning herself to a side for a better view of the street.

Annie Northway & James Vega - Vancouver

The four walls around her made Annie feel uncomfortable, like they crumble on her any minute, just like her life had few minutes ago. Sometimes it's better not knowing the truth, living a lie your whole life, or simply to stop care.

But she couldn't let it go, she had to know whether the only family she's got left betrayed her, like he betrayed the rest of the galaxy. Alliance records showed her the evidence that her brother was working for the enemy.

And now, rather than searching for him, she was rotting in a cell, exhausted, unable to use her biotic powers to break free. James Vega came to see her two or three times, brought her food and asked her questions.

Annie knew who he was, everybody knew. The heroes of galaxy, the Normandy saved us once again, it was all over the news, including the fact that Alex Northway was still wanted for aiding the Illusive Man.

It was evening, judging by the lack of light coming from the small window on the back wall, he came again. The door locked behind him and he leaned against the wall, opposite of the bed she was sitting on, hugging her knees.

He watched her as she braced herself for more questions, positioning herself so she wouldn't have to look at him directly. Annie hasn't answered any of his questions yet, but he came every time to try again. She found it annoying.

"I have a proposition." he said, his voice full of joy, as if a little kid was about to ask you to go to an amusement park together.

She snorted, facing sideways and hiding the grin on her lips. James ignored her reaction, standing completely still beside the wall, with his arms crossed on his chest.

"You want to look for your brother, I'll take you." he stated, shrugging his shoulders. Annie turned her head to him, curls of her brown hair swirling around in the motion. She eyed him with confusion, waiting for him to laugh and tell her it was a joke, but his face remained serious.

"Why?" she managed to ask, her voice as calm as she could make it, hiding the excitement that flickered inside her chest. Once again, he shrugged his shoulders, looking at the door before returning his attention to her.

Staring straight into her eyes, he said, "He's your family, you deserve an explanation."

A laugh echoed across the room, hers. James pushed away from the wall, confused. When her voice lowered to a low chuckle, she got on her feet, determination burning in her eyes.

"I'm in." was all she said. James' lips curved into a grin.

She had to swear she wouldn't try anything funny, or he'd lock her up again. Judging her options, it was either jail, or partial freedom. When they find her brother, she gets her answers, but will have to return to Alliance for the rest of her sentence.

But until they find Alex Northway, she's got couple of days at least to think of an escape plan. Staying in prison for someone like her brother was never in her plan.