The events of this story take place after Mass effect 2, presuming Shepard chose to destroy the reaper base, Kaiden Alenko survived, as did Wrex, however this story also takes a directive in which the Arrival DLC never occurred. The following is my own interpretation of the effects after Mass Effect 2, which I thought up during the time before Mass Effect 3 came out. Which I am now putting to paper... in a sense.
How hard it is to forget
Only a few days had passed since the Reaper base had been destroyed, days that blurred together. A suicide mission they called it – but that would imply death, in which none was lost. Shepard sat in her bed, head pressed into her hands as her long black hair cloaked her face. Staring into those hands she remember the horror of the human reaper she had destroyed, never before had she been that afraid. Thousands of lives lost, and the means in which it was done, she couldn't image the pain of being digested alive – the reapers truly were evil, to do such a thing to a person, death should be quick she thought, a bullet to the head or a biotic crush of a skull, not like that.
Shepard collapsed onto her back looking up to the space window, her ocean blue eyes reflecting in the glass as she looked out into the black, swirls of colour hazed past, they were traveling back to the citadel upon request of the council. Shepard didn't know what to think, seeing the council again after they discarded her. With their help many a life could have been saved, sure she understood the reputation Cerberus has, she herself with initial suspicion discovered the Illusive Mans disturbing intent, however this was her, she did those missions on her own accord, to save life's, and they betrayed her… They left her… He left her…
Her sculpted body creaked with disuse as she rose to sit on the edge of her bed, her tank top tight against her muscular frame. She crossed the distance of the loft and headed for the shower, discarding her boy-shorts and top. A hot shower – to clear her head, days like these she wished alcohol had an effect on her.
The mess was empty when shepard arrived, her long hair tied in its usual bun, she wore a loose hoody and trackpants. Gardener was preparing dinner as Shepard headed for the kitchen, her body seemed to not require much food anymore, she hadn't noticed in the past month with all the busyness of saving humanity, grabbing a shake out the fridge she heading up to the cockpit.
It was all too quiet, this ship had become a graveyard. Bodies inhabiting it but the feel of it was not quite right, like something was lost in the Omega 4 relay, the ships moral perhaps, the enormity of the enemy was realised in that relay, and many had lost their faiths, and Shepard had lost the desire to reunite them. "Kelly" Shepard called, the red-head was staring dasidly into her screen. "Shepard… I didn't see you there. How did you sleep?" The girl looked exhausted and worn, hardly able to hold her gaze, "I slept fine, you look tired, how are you hold'n up?" Kelly's gaze left Shepards as her eyes searched the floor, "I'm fine..". "Kelly?" She looked up into Shepards disbelieving eyes "Ok Shepard, I haven't been sleeping, everytime I try its like im there again. I can see them, the collectors - and I watch… I watch as they dissolve, people like you and I, dissolving". Kelly eyes began to well up. "If it wasn't for you Shepard. If you hadn't got there when you did.." her voice cracked. "Kelly seeing that, being there, it was hard, but your safe now". Shepard closed the gap between them and rested a hand on her PA's shoulder "Look go downstairs and get some sleep ok, EDI can hold up the slack while your gone, were not due to arrive at the Citadel for another 6hours". Kelly to exhausted to protest nodded her head in agreement and headed to the elevator.
Shepard headed to the terminal to check her messages, there was only one. It was from him. Her heart dropped, and she quickly closed the terminal. "Shepard?" Garrus called from behind her, "Hey Garrus, I was just…"Shepard had forgotten what she was doing, where she was, everything. It had apparently been 2 years and 4 months, and yet he still affected her so. Garrus's face softened with worry, he turned half facing the elevator "I say its about time for a sparring session, would you?" Giving her his best attempt at a smile with his ridgit mandibles. With Garrus around Shepard could breath again, whats done is done after all, though without Garrus's sparing sessions she would have gone mad from the pain as it was only then she stopped thinking, between the jabs, hooks, and throws, the blood and sweat she was at peace. The two headed down to the shuttle bay leaving the unopened email.
That's the end for my first chapter, I'm sorry if it was a bit boring I really wanted to set the scene however i can guarantee there will be a lot more drama and points of interest later on :)