DISCLAIMER—PLEASE READ:

I do not guarantee that the scientific occurrences in any of the chapters of this story, pertaining to the Mass Effect universe or not, are canon/factual.

I did as much research as I could, otherwise I mostly just implemented my own headcanons and wrote as I saw fit. This is all just for the fun of creativity.

Thanks for reading!

Gradually, her surroundings became perceptible. Soon she gained awareness of small noises amidst the silence, and later began to notice a strong smell. Her body and mind were a vessel slowly powering back up after an abiding lack of fuel. Slowly, as more and more energy was infused into its system, the vessel began to regain functionality, and eventually one could hear the constant, subtle hum of its engines again. She felt as if she was awakening from a century-long slumber; her body was energized and capable, yet her mind was still slow to reacquire complete sentience.

Soon she was able to subconsciously identify the stimuli; a soft beeping noise, the feeling of cushions and bed sheets along with tight and restricting casts around parts her body, and a very familiar smell of immaculate chemicals and materials. She felt the rigid stillness of her muscles, and began to slightly clench and release her hands and feet. A strong sunlight poured into the room and she felt a calming warmth kiss her skin. She let out a soft groan as her sense of pain resurfaced. After a few moments, she began to panic as her thoughts resurfaced and then scrambled in disorientation and terror.

Reapers. Galaxy. Death. Crucible…

"The Reapers will be destroyed?"

"Yes. But the peace won't last."

EDI. Joker. Geth. Remorse.

She opened her eyes fully now. Her eyes darted around the room, though she felt pain in raising her head. Now fully awake, she realized that she was a patient in a hospital. Her previous thoughts subsided to make way for new questions. The last thing she remembered before waking up was being in the blast of the crucible. Where was she now? If she's alive and being taken care of, did the galaxy survive? Is it over? She felt a sudden surge of melancholic denial. Those thoughts seemed to be delusions, not possibilities. She had spent what seemed her whole life being the galaxy's sword and shield. She's Commander Shepard, the hero of the galaxy and defender of humanity. It seemed unreal that immediate danger and imminent death just wasn't an issue anymore. Safety and peace were things that she wasn't permitted to feel since she was very young.

The door opened and a strained yet focused human nurse stood in the doorway, her steps interrupted, holding a datapad which she nearly dropped in astonishment upon meeting Shepard's opened eyes and upright position.

"Oh my god," she muttered quickly and quietly, staring at Shepard for a few more moments "Doctor!" She called out as she hastily ran off in another direction. In those short seconds, Shepard could see other corridors of the hospital, along with other doctors who peered into her own room from a distance with astonished looks. "Doctor! It's Shepard, she's—!"

The door shut, followed by another brief silence as Shepard's thoughts scrambled again.

"Commander," blared a hopeful and remarkably familiar voice on an intercom, "can you hear me?"

"Yeah, I…"Shepard replied out loud, placing her hand on her head as it began to throb slightly, "Doctor…Doctor Chakwas? That you?"

"Oh my god," she said, exasperatedly as though a lifetime of waiting had come to a closure, and she needed a few moments to realize and adjust to the change. Momentarily, the door opened. Alongside the same nurse she'd seen before stood Doctor Chakwas.

"Commander," Chakwas said with what seemed both happiness and disbelief, "My god, I'm speechless…" Chakwas and the nurse shared an expression of joy.

"Are the Reapers gone? H-How long have I been out?"

Within their joyful expressions, an obvious undertone of pity emerged. "The Reapers are long gone, Commander. Thanks to you, the galaxy is safe."

"Already?" Shepard's voice trailed off and she paused for a brief moment. Chakwas and the nurse grew more pitiful. "Doctor, how long have I been out?"

Chakwas looked down for a moment before answering. "Three years, Shepard," she said faintly, "you've missed… a lot."

There was an uncomfortable silence as the news slowly sunk into Shepard's mind. Three years. More than enough time for the people she cares about to preoccupy themselves with work and drift away from her. She needed to know where they were. More importantly, she needed to see Liara again; she needed to see that she was alive and okay. She needed confirmation that her love for her was still mutual.

"Delilah," Chakwas turned to the nurse, "I have to contact the Alliance. Make sure everything stays quiet. We cannot let the press know about this. She needs time for a full recovery, not an interrogation."

"Of course. Right away, ma'am."

"I'll be back in a minute, Shepard." Chakwas and Delilah both walked out of the room in opposite directions, the door shutting behind them once again.

Shepard turned around to look through the window behind her. Her mouth was agape with astonishment and an inexplicable relief; she saw a city in broad daylight with people, almost all humans, walking here and there, talking and laughing, smiling and frowning, working and playing… simply carrying on with their lives. Buildings new and intact, with a few construction sites in view. In the distance, she saw two very familiar structures; Big Ben and the London Eye.

Earth.

For the first time that she could remember, Shepard felt soft, slow tears of joy trickling down her cheeks. A few minutes ago, this city was nothing but ruin, rubble, and a collection of traumatizing memories of the many lives forever lost. Now it was just London again. People could finally begin to live life unafraid of impending death. They finally had the privilege to mourn, to learn to live and be happy again. Yet even amidst this amazing portrayal of recovery, Shepard could not help but to question its reality, to see it as a dream and an illusion. For many years, complete safety had been firmly unattainable, and suddenly she finds herself awakening within its embrace.

Minutes passed before Chakwas reentered the room. "Commander, I've contacted the Alliance. Admiral Hackett sends his best wishes. I've also contacted Liara. She was so happy, I could have sworn she was crying. She says she'll visit you as soon as possible."

Shepard's expression lit up, relieved to know not only that Liara would be here soon, but that she still cared. That was enough to set her heart at ease.

"Also, I've contacted Joker. He was delighted, and he said he'd get a hold of the rest of the old crew."

"Old?"

The pitiful undertone in her expression returned. "Things have changed, Commander. But not a soul in this galaxy could forget about you."

"Thank you, Doctor." Shepard turned and looked out the window again. "This is… unbelievable."

"Believe it, Commander," she said with praise, "we were only able to do this because you were there to fire the Crucible."

"I didn't get there alone." Shepard paused briefly as her thoughts began scrambling once again. "Doctor, how am I alive? How did I survive the Crucible's explosion?"

"Well, you'd have to ask Cerberus," she chuckled, "but they're all dead!"

"Was it because of the upgrades they gave me when they brought me back?"

Chakwas shrugged. "In all honesty, Commander, we have no idea. That's the only possible explanation we have. We don't even know how you got back down to Earth."

Shepard paused, scrunching her eyebrows and placing a hand on her throbbing head. "Wait, wait, wait a minute—you found me on Earth?"

"That was my reaction, when the Liara and the Illium doctors brought you in and told me."

"Illium doctors?"

She sighed. "Like I said, Commander, there's a lot you've missed." She began to make her way out of the room. "I'm not the one who should fill you in, though. Liara's on her way."

"How soon do you think she'll get here?"

"Oh, knowing her, I'd say less than an hour. She's not off-world, you know. She's right here in London. Can't stand being too far from you, that one."

The door sealed behind Chakwas. Shepard's heart soared at this news. Her headache was no longer relevant. Her thoughts clouded with impatience to kiss Liara's sweet lips again.