Hello everyone! I've been playing ME2 like an addict (which I am) ever since its release and trying to read all the fanfiction I can. I've done two full playthroughs (and am currently working on my Insanity one) and must say, I looooooooove it. I'm a Kaidan fangirl (though I'm pissed about it right now) but was really disappointed with how little screentime he got. I was like, who am I going to romance now?! (since Tali and Samara aren't into ze females) but then Thane came along. He is so moving as a character, I couldn't help but love him. I joked before the release that he could be the Kif to my Zapp Brannigan but I've remedied that so he's now the Kif to my Amy (Futurama for lifeee). =p

ANYWAY, I hope you enjoy this fic. It's going to be focusing on Thane and Shepard but Kaidan won't be forgotten. And it's really hard to capture Shepard's (Paragon) personality (Renegade is badass sometimes but DAMN, why do they hate Quarians so much?!) so forgive me if I put any undesirable change to it in there. I promise it's not intentional!

Disclaimer: BioWare is the mastermind behind this universe, all credit belongs to them!!!


Walking on a Dream

Chapter One

She wished Horizon had never happened. It made her feel hopeless about the mission and it was not a feeling easily forgotten. Could she save the universe (a task of which she was constantly reminded) when she couldn't even manage to protect a colony? Could she keep her crew safe on its impossible mission, if she were even able to gather a solid one?

And then there was him. Kaidan Alenko. The first thing Shepard had done was ask about all of her old squad from as many sources as possible but, since finding Garrus, Kaidan was the missing link. That is until he walked back into her life as unexpectedly as she walked back into his.

He had been hurt and angry as hell, but she couldn't begrudge him that. Two years was a long time and she could hear in his voice just how much he had suffered. But she hadn't deserved to be treated like that. Hadn't deserved to be scornfully abandoned on a suicide mission by one of the people she thought she could fully trust and even love. He might not have realized it but the fact of the matter was that she had been dead and completely unaware that entire time. What had been so long for him seemed like nothing more than a few weeks to her newly re-awakened mind.

To top it all off, he had dragged her work for Cerberus into the argument. He acted so betrayed when he found out and, then, quickly questioned her motivations as if they were complete strangers. Of course, she remembered; what she had seen was something not easily, if ever, forgotten. The grotesquely loathsome experiments, the casual murder of innocents, and especially the painfully planned destruction and then death of Admiral Kohaku. How could he accuse her of being a willing and blind pawn in their game?

She had even let her emotions overcome her earlier and ended up snapping at Joker who, thankfully, bore her no grudge. Shepard sighed and sat down at her desk, looking at the holopic so carefully retrieved over the past few weeks. Kaidan was staring, determined and handsome, but after a deep breath, she looked instead at her private terminal. Suggestions, notes, and even a fun little death threat were all waiting to be read and so, with a quick roll of her shoulders and running of fingers through her hair, she did what had to be done. The Illusive Man had already sent more dossiers on potential crew members and she slowly scanned through them. She would've recruited Tali with or without Cerberus' approval, but having it spared her a headache and so she made a mental note to pursue the talented Quarian as soon as possible. Another profile caught her eye unexpectedly, though. A Drell assassin? She barely knew what the Drell were outside their contact with the Hanar and she had never seen one in person. And what was the Illusive Man thinking, suggesting an assassin for the squad. She knew the type of people who were assassins and felt exhaustion creeping up at the thought of having yet another egotistical butcher onboard. Though she was starting to grow accustomed and maybe even a little fond,\ of the blunt bitchiness of Jack, one was more than enough. But that was something to be contemplated later. Tali had said she was on a dangerous mission at Freedom's Progress and Shepard very much doubted it was over so soon.

She stood up to feed her fish, do a once-over her armor, and then take the elevator to the second floor. Kelly greeted her in normal, cheery fashion and Shepard smiled and shook her head, letting it refresh her mind. She stepped up to the galaxy map and set a course for Haestrom, "Let's go, Joker."


Haha, my notes are going to be longer than the chapter but it seemed like an appropriate place to end the chapter. ;o; ANYWAY, the fic is titled after a great song by the same name so you should look it up. The lyrics are beautiful and just perfect for this fic (what I have planned for it). Review if you'd like, much love, time for me to play BioShock 2!