Dancing through the afterlife

Part 1: Welcome Home

A/N: So...I finished Mass Effect 3 the other night and I'm sure you all know my pain...so I wanted to do something for my favorite couple...obviously Shakarian...and all the others ha! Basically after finding no possible clever and clear way (as of right now) for Shep to come back I've decided...to write a story based on her afterlife because who doesn't want an afterlife that includes a bar and all the people you miss and love among other things.

I mean...what if the afterlife (especially in Mass) was just another world where souls go to when they die. A simple place full of peace and harmony and people can live their lives and be happy. So I suppose you'll all decide whether you like it or not but nonetheless I'm going to write as much as I can because I like this idea and I'm gonna roll with it. Thanks everyone.

Also Ima use my Shepard cause..well she's the one I know right? And the boy is a character I made up to insert into Shepard's background...he's been around since...probably since I started ME2 with my Shep. Since she was an earthborn I wanted her to have some heartbreaking orphan life.

~X~x~X~

The first thing she sees after the pain fades and the bright light disappears is Anderson's face, smiling and pleased with his hand held out to her. For a moment she's curious before she looks around and notices the blank expansion around them. His voice seems to echo in the area.

"Nice to see you, Shepard...welcome home." With his words the blank whiteness dissolves into the citadel presidium, and she notices that she's on her ass in front of the elevator. No ones around except for them. Her eyes direct themselves back to him and she feels tears fill them as he nods his head and assists her in standing. "We thought you weren't going to make it to this side, but we're glad you're here."

"We...sir?" her voice doesn't echo as she speaks and she raises a hand to cover her lips until she notices the figures coming out of the woodwork to smile at her. She sees Thane, Nyreen, Kaiden, Mordin, Legion, Charr, and even Kal'Reegar along with so many more...so many people she had helped and so many she had seen die and...

"The shepard of our wayward flock." A voice from a few feet below her height speaks and she looks down in shock, eyes on a boy she had not seen since he had died in her arms when they were kids. He was the reason her name was Shepard...he was the reason she became an alliance member. Her eyes overflow with tears at the sight of everyone and she falls to her knees in front of the boy to embrace him and sob into his shoulder. She mutters soft words, whispering "I'm so sorry Alan...I'm so sorry I couldn't save you...any of you." And for a moment all is silent but a small laugh makes her look up.

"Ha! What we wanted, Shepard! Could not continue on with life if it meant not doing the right thing." Mordin speaks with a smirk as Thane steps up, hands behind his back and Irikah at his side.

"Yes, Shepard, our lives would have meant nothing if it had caused your failure. Being here...isn't bad. We all welcomed death with arms wide open if it meant the world would survive another day and you could save our homes." The drell smiles in a fashion she'd never seen on him before and she feels a laugh bubble up in her throat before she allows it to escape. Her laughter, however, quickly turns into soft sobs as she remembers all the people she's left behind. She realizes that she has never felt so much emotion before and it was all just flowing out...she can't stop it and no one seems to care. Maybe this was okay.

"Everyone's alright, Shepard, you did good." Andersons' voice reaches her again as he kneels next to her and pulls her in for a hug. "You did good...You'll see them all again. Just enjoy the afterlife for a while and you'll see them again soon, I promise." She wraps her arms around him as she nods and forces back tears though she knows that within itself is a sure to fail plan. Being dead sure takes a lot out of a person, making them feel so many emotions all at once. It was exhausting. When the tears finally cease she pulls away and leans back against the elevator to stare at everyone.

"So...this is the afterlife? Garrus said they're might be a bar, but I didn't expect the whole galaxy to be here. Anyone have a theory on that?" She runs a hand through her hair and laughs softly, waiting for a reply. Kal speaks up.

"Commander, we've all determined that the afterlife is basically a replica of the our real world, suited to our needs just without the problems of war and pain and suffering. People come and go as they please and the space in this world seems so unlimited that no matter how many faces you see you'll see at least forty different ones the next day." She is surprised by the quarians choice to be the one to say all that. So much for being just a soldier. It makes her smile again.

"I see...it's so good to see you all." her eyes glance over every one of them and she rubs at her eyes again before standing up. Legion makes his attempt to speak.

"Shepard-Commander, we are all glad to see you too."

She raises a hand and waves off his formalities. "Please...Call me Kamilla."

~X~x~X~