Hey guys, this is my first attempt at writing some fan fic, so I am really happy to receive any criticism and feedback.

I am planning to write a few chapters for this story really to just give a version of Shepard's life after the defeat of the Reapers, pretty much him settling down and attending to his future with his friends and lover.

Chapter One

Shepard's eyes opened slowly, blinking several times so that his eyes could adjust to the darkness of the room. The pain hit him suddenly, a vicious searing sensation all over his body, through his bones coupled with a tingling sensation running up his spine. His body screamed in agony as he turned his head to the side, taking in the room around him. Medical equipment, needles, blood transfusion packs. -Must be a hospital then- he thought to himself, and then he remembered…

His entire life, his struggle, the fight for all life; all culminating in that single decision on the Citadel. The destruction of all synthetics, the destruction of the Reapers. That one decision. He was fully prepared to make the sacrifice, it was almost… fitting. One life in exchange for the survival of all organic life. It was the ultimate sacrifice and Shepard was more than willing to pay it.

That moment, the moment when the conduit exploded into a torrent of pure energy, he was fully at peace as he just let go and let the energy of the explosion carry him. Images had flown before his eyes, those that had been there for him and who had fought at his side for all this time; Joker, always having a laugh but serious underneath, Anderson, the man who was like a father to him, his mentor, Garrus, his best friend, a friend who he loved like a brother, and Tali… that Quarian who he had come to love so damn much. He would never have thought that someone would be able to fill that void left by his parent's deaths so long ago, but she had come along and changed everything. It had broken his heart, but at the same time it had been what fueled him in those last minutes, knowing that he was giving her a future through the decision he had made.

And then the darkness had taken him completely.

-I… I… I'm a-alive-, he thought to himself, stumbling over the words in his mind. -How the fuck am I still al…- his thoughts were quickly cut off by a sharp pain in his gut, hitting him like a head-butt from a Krogan. -I feel like a fucking train wreck- he thought as more sharp pains shot through his body as he tried to lift his arm. Despite his pain, a smile crept across his face as he realised the scale of his situation. He was alive and the Reapers were gone. This was more than anything he could have hoped for. But there was still a thought, tugging at his mind, something that he knew he should be aware of; something very bloody important.

He turned his head to the left and in the darkness of the room he could make out the outline of something along the wall of the room. He blinked a few times as his eyes adjusted once again to the darkness until he could make out what looked like a stretcher-like, drop down bed, – No it's definitely a bed – and lying on that bed he could make out a humanoid form with its back faced towards him. – Who is tha… - his mind cut itself off as realisation came to him suddenly and a wave of relief and pure joy washed over him as the word formed on his lips. Tali…

He just lay there, taking in the sight of her form. From her cute little chicken legs, –Shit, I better keep that to myself or there will be hell to pay– he thought to himself with a grin on his face, to the arch in her back as she slept and finally to the back of her head where the beautiful patterns of her decorative clothing brought another grin to his face. But also, as he tilted his head a fraction closer he could hear a sound. Another smile found its way onto his face as he listened to the sound of her soft breathing coming through her filter.

Shepard fell back onto his back in his bed as tears began to suddenly pour from his eyes and instantly forgetting the strong pain coursing through his body, he began to laugh; a sound of pure happiness as the tears dropped off his face onto the cloth of his bed sheets. He sounded a strong and hearty laugh, one of the laughs his crew on the Normandy knew him so well for, he cried as he laughed, letting everything go, letting pure emotion take control of him as he was finally able to let go of the feelings of suffering, death, despair and hopelessness and finally grasp onto hope and the thought of life and a future.

"She… S-Shepard?" The voice made him turn his head to the left once again, and the sight he saw was as if he was only seeing her for the first time again. She moved forward apprehensively at first and then…

"Shepard!" Tali yelled as she bounded the rest of the way to Shepard's side, throwing her arms around his body and burying her head into his shoulder. Shepard gave off a few grunts of pain as she came crashing down upon him. He was about to voice some protest about the pain, but he decided against it when he noticed just how happy she was in that moment.

"Ouch, the Reapers gave me enough of a beating, now I got a strange Quarian trying to beat me up" Shepard said through a grin, his laughter dying down now, his eyes still watery from his tears.

"I-I, the doctors said that it was a miracle that you were still breathing, that you might never wake up. Oh Keelah Dominic, I thought… I thought that you might not ever wake up." Tali whispered through soft sobs, "I thought that I had lost you."

"I am here Tali, I am here now and I will never leave you again, not this life or the next. I... Oh god it feels so good to hold you again, you are so beautiful." Shepard replied as he stroked the back of Tali's head. "You told me before I stormed the beam that you wanted more time. I am yours again, you have all the time you need now Tali."

"Dominic… When you entered that beam and your coms cut out… I couldn't stop crying… I felt lost, I felt so alone." Tali shuddered as she lowered her head.

"Hey. Hey, it's ok Tali." Shepard said as he cupped Tali's chin with his hand and lifted her head, looking into her eyes. "You were all I could think about before the darkness took me on the Citadel, shit, I really should have said it before when I had the chance. Shepard looked down, but after a long pause he looked back into her eyes.

"I love you Tali."

Tali then swung her leg over Shepard's body so that she was sitting over him and brought her hands too each side of her mask, sounding the audible "click" noise as she removed her mask from her face, hastily casting it aside once it was fully removed from her face. She came down slowly until finally her lips touched against Shepard's and she kissed him deeply, a kiss full of love and passion, desire and lust. Shepard no longer had any reason to be running, he was finally all hers, bound to nothing but their future.

"I love you Dominic."