It had been hours since the battle ended. The Reapers had been destroyed, but Jack was not celebrating with her students or looking after the wounded with Kahlee Sanders. She was sitting alone waiting for a call. She was waiting for someone to tell her Shepard had been found alive. She was considering whether or not she should join the search. She was a jumble of confused emotions and she hated feeling like this. She hated that he was able to get under her skin like this.

"Damn it, Shepard." She didn't mean for the words to come out, but she could not hold them in. Kahlee heard the outburst and left the last wounded man with a treatment of medi-gel and encouraging words before walking over to Jack.

"Any news yet?"

"What do you think?" Jack snapped. Confusion made her angry. Confusion and being forced to wait could make her down right homicidal, but she held herself in check. She took a deep breath. "I swear to God, if he dies I won't shed one tear."

"Jack…"

"Not one fucking tear, Kahlee. He knew what he was getting into."

"What is it you're trying to prove, Jack?" Kahlee asked.

"I don't have to prove anything to anybody." Jack stood up and started pacing. "Damn it. I don't need this shit."

"It's obvious that you care a lot about him."

"No shit, really!" Jack is almost yelling, but the look on her fellow teacher's face helps to calm her down. She's worked alongside Kahlee for six months now. She knows Kahlee is no longer intimidated by her mouth. "I can't believe I was so stupid. Lonely and alive worked for me for a long time and then Shepard shows up with his king of the boy scouts act."

"Only it wasn't an act." Kahlee added. Jack's voice softened. A smile almost crossed her face.

"No it wasn't."

The comm crackles to life. A voice on the other end says that Commander Shepard has been found, but he is badly hurt. With the message delivered the comm once again fades to silence.

"They'll have taken him to the camp hospital. You should go to him. He needs you now."

"I don't know…"

Kahlee puts her hands on Jack's shoulders looking right in her face.

"It's okay to care about people and let someone care for you. "

Jack takes a deep breath. There is nothing more to say. She is bound to Shepard whether she likes it or not. She cannot deny that she cares for him more than she has ever cared for anyone, but she still hates it. She hates that his life is important to her. She hates that she let him get so close. She hates that she still cherishes the time they spent together and that in her dreams she relives it. He and his mission have become the bright spot in her tortured life. She has to admit that being with him awakened something in her she believed to be long dead. She hates that she opened herself up to this man, this hero who may now be dying in some makeshift hospital in the rubble of what used to be London. If he died, she would once again be alone. She would have her students. She would have a respectable job, but she would still be alone. That part of her that he touched would be buried with him.

It didn't take her long to get to the hospital camp. She commandeered a vehicle and sped through what used to be the High Street on her way to Shepard. The camp was a mess of wounded and dying soldiers and civilians. Jack found herself navigating the overcrowded camp like it was an obstacle course dodging rushing doctors and nurses and avoiding patients all while scanning the bodies for Commander Shepard. There were few beds in the facility and a lot of the patients were treated on the floor. That was where she found him.

Commander Shepard was at the far corner of the camp lying against what remained of a wall. His armor had been removed. From his waist down he was covered by a blanket. From his waist up he was covered in cuts, bruises, and bandages. Where he had once appeared so strong he now looked fragile, and broken. Jack walked over and knelt down beside him.

"Damn it, Shepard, I'll tell you like I told Kahlee: If you die here, I won't shed a single tear for you. You just had to be the hero. Didn't anyone ever tell you there are no heroes? Hero is just another name for a dead man." The anger faded from her voice to be replaced by sadness.

"Dumbass, when I said come back alive, I meant a little more alive than this. The war is over and I'm still waiting to get laid." Deep breath. "Don't read too much into this, but I kinda like having you around." Jack had said all she had to say. There were other words she might one day say to him, but he had to be alive and she had to have more time to work up to them. She didn't realize she'd been holding his hand until she moved to get up. She gave it a light squeeze before letting go and turning to leave. Something stopped her. She looked down to see Shepard's hand on her wrist. His grip was very weak, but he managed to hold on.

"I love…you too…Jack."

She could barely contain her emotions. In a moment she was on top of him straddling his hips and kissing him. The euphoria of the moment was pure. There were no drugs running through her veins to give her this warm feeling. She was just full of joy. It was like after surviving the suicide mission knowing that they were successful, but this was even better. Jack kissed Shepard until his need to breathe made him turn his head away. She rested her forehead on his and just breathed.

"You're crying." He said.

Jack put her hand to her face. He was right. Her tears were running down her face and dripping onto him.

"You're not dead, dumbass."