Jason Shepard stood on the front porch. The soft summer wind whisked over him as he stood upon the newly painted patio. The wind made the grass dance in a soft yet sporadic rhythm and rustled quietly off in the distance. The sun hung gently, just barely in the western sky. A second gust ruffled his jacket. He readjusted his N7 leather jacket. He looked out at the open landscape. He took in the mountain range, the clouds gently hugged the peaks. The mountains were so far off. They were like a distant dream or memory.
He thought about what got him here. Everything he had done, from the Skylian Blitz to the destruction of the reapers, it finally seemed his life was now starting to become relaxing. He had married Ashley Williams and two kids. His daughter, the oldest, was sent to the rebuilt Grissom Academy. She had shown biotic potential and superior aptitude tests had helped her as well. The youngest, a boy, had just entered elementary school. He smiled at the thought of his kids. They had potential but it made him wonder. What about him? He had served as admiral until the citadel was rebuilt and then he, hesitantly at the least, took the office of councilor. He still occasionally went on specter missions with Ashley or by himself but he was getting old. The young vigor and fire that burned in his veins had dulled.
A voice ran out from inside the house "Hey skipper, David just sent me a message. He is almost home and Jack called from Grissom. Samantha got through the sol relay. She should be here right along with David." Ashley walked out. She wore a tank top and shorts. Her wedding band glowed in the afternoon sun.
"I'm glad their home but I was hoping" Shepard walked up to her and pulled her close "we could have a little more time to ourselves." Shepard grinned wickedly. Ash laughed and kissed him on the cheek.
"Maybe later but I have things I need to do."
"Sure, whatever you tease!" Shepard laughed. She went back in and he went back to his thoughts.
He thought about his friends and Ash. Ash had been offered a spot as admiral since Shepard had become councilor but she refused and peaked out at major. She served with Shepard as a spectre. He then thought about Garrus. Garrus became one of the best Turian Specters. He had helped Wrex with some clans that were less the cooperative about rejoining the galactic community peacefully. Tali had stepped down as admiral and became the ambassador for the Quarians for the council. Joker had become a flight instructor and EDI became the first AI councilor to much protest. Wrex had stayed on Tuchanka and was able to quell some the aggression towards turians and salarians and was able to establish the krogan as a civilized society. Eve became the first Krogan councilor. The salarians and some turians tried to protest and stop it but Shepard, EDI and the Turian councilor were able to establish her seat. Samara had returned to the monastery and helped her daughter rebuild it. Jacob became a security contractor on Eden Prime and was raising his family there. Miranda had seized the remaining Cerberus assets and turned them into a fast growing company. Jack had become the premiere instructor of Grissom Academy and Shepard's daughter had become her favorite student. The only problem was, she had taken up saying "Screw you!" Grunt returned and became a krogan battle master and helped defend several salarian colonies from pirate attacks.
Shepard finally just sat down on the bench and sighed. This entire thing he had been through, but now here he was. A councilor getting past his glory days, and his kids starting to grow up, he was starting to feel the time catch up to him and here he sat like an old man just relaxing. After the war with the reapers he signed autographs till his hands fell off, answered more questions then he thought could be asked and earned more medals then he had wall space for. Yet all the pageantry wouldn't beat his wedding day. A beautiful ceremony followed by one of the best receptions. Garrus and he drank and laughed, and talked about which videos would get the most royalties and Garrus made the point that he is not married. Wrex and Grunt got into a friendly head-butting competition. Tali and Liara giggled like school girls about emergency induction ports. Jacob showed off his new kid and Miranda showed up with her new born niece.
Thinking about those times made him smile. Yet here he was now, just sitting, not running to save some planet from some evil force and ride off in the blast of something that conveniently exploded. But now, he is laying back in the chair just looking at the English country side.
His omni-tool beeped. He activated the interface. A girl, no older the sixteen, long black hair and bright green eyes, looked back at him.
"Hey Sam, how close are you to home" Shepard said warmly.
"We are about to enter orbit. Should be there in a bit. I have a surprise for you when I get home" She said wickedly. Her voice had the strength her mother's did. Her very attitude rang out from the holo-screen.
"I'm not a fan of surprises. Just tell me." Shepard jokingly annoyed.
" Nope." She laughed "You will just have to wait"
"You and your mother both just like to watch me sweat" Shepard joked. She just laughed and logged off. He sat back in his chair and just as he got comfortable again he heard a shuttle land. The young voice of a boy yelled "Dad!". The young boy could have been mistaken as Shepard's past self except the brown eyes of his mother. Shepard turned around to see a small kid getting off a yellow shuttle, running down the dirt road up to his house. Shepard stepped of the porch and walked over to him.
"How's my boy doing?" Shepard asked as he scooped up his kid. The kid laughed all the way up to his father's chest.
"It was awesome. We talked about how you defeated the reapers." His son squirmed with excitement.
"Oh really? What exactly did you talk about?' Shepard replied.
"We talked about how the reapers came and the defeated the Batarians." The kid said looking up at the sky trying to remember.
"What else?" Shepard said encouragingly
"Then they attacked earth. Then you got all the aliens to work together and defeat them." The kid said with pride.
"Don't forget the part where the good looking turian pulled your father out the rubble." A rough alien voice of a familiar alien interrupted.
Shepard turned around with kid in and hand and there stood in a C-Sec officer's uniform was none other than Garrus Vakarian.
"Garrus!" Shepard exclaimed.
"Uncle Garrus" Little David Shepard squirmed out of his father's grip and ran over and hugged Garrus' leg.
"You got big David." Garrus patted David on the head. A young girl stepped out from behind Garrus. She was wearing the Grissom Academy uniform. Her long black hair rested on her shoulders and her green eyes sparkled.
"Surprise dad!" she said calmly. She then walked over and gave him a hug as well.
He smiled and said "Thanks Sam. We got to warn your mother we are going to have to make a run for some dextro based food." Shepard looked back at Garrus who was showing David his visor. David was always fascinated by it and wanted one when he got old enough. "So what brought you here Garrus? Don't tell me you are going soft and letting a teenager get you around her finger." Shepard laughed Sam walked over and leaned on Garrus. Garrus patted her on the head as well and messed up her hair.
"Not yet, Shepard. Not like you anyways. I actually received a message from Ash asking when I and some others were free to come visit. We have been so busy we have hardly have time to talk." Garrus messed up Samantha's hair again. "Then your daughter called me up and I have to say, she can be rather persuasive. Looks like the Shepard charm is getting passed along."
"Yeah…wait" Shepard paused. "Did you say others?"
"Yeah. You didn't think I would be the only one who joined in on this."Garrus turned around. Behind him was the shuttle he came on. The doors opened. First, a female stepped off the ship. It was Tali. Followed by her was an Asari being tailed by an information drone. Liara was telling it something important. Then two krogan got off punching each other in the arm. Grunt and Wrex were laughing. Next, a dark haired human female stepped down from the ship. Miranda was fiddling with an omni-tool. She was wearing an executive dress. Then a dark skinned man came off the shuttle with a teenage boy right beside him. Jacob and his son were casually talking. Then a man in plain clothes was helped out by mech based on the female human form. Joker and Edi continued walking over, hand in hand. Then a very muscular man stepped off with two bags full of what looked like bottles. James Vega followed behind out trading banter with Joker and Edi. Then the rest of the Normandy crew followed, such as Traynor and Adams. Then a tattooed woman jumped off. She was wearing alliance uniform with the sleeves rolled up. Samantha at the sight of her instructor ran over and gave her a hug.
"Hey squirt. " Jack said affectionately.
"Thank you for coming." Samantha replied still hugging Jack.
"Yeah, well can't let the king of the boy scouts have all the fun." Samantha let go and ran back to her dad.
Shepard stood there dumbfounded. All his old crew was right there in front of him.
"So dad…" Samantha said awkwardly. "Are you just going to stand there or say something?"
"Are you ok Shepard?" Edi asked in a monotone voice.
"After all your damn speeches, now you're speechless." Miranda retorted.
"For once I agree with the cheerleader." Jack replied. Samantha laughed.
"Shepard, the man who faced down the collectors, killed a rogue specter, and freed the galaxy from the threat of the reapers" Joker started with faked grandeur "apparently can't handle crowds of ten plus."
Shepard finally got his thoughts together. "Who got all this together? Samantha?" he said in awe.
"Sort of." She said bashfully.
"I need to go tell your mom not to make dinner. We are going out."
"Actually, I helped get this arranged." A female voice rang out.
Ashley strode over and came to Shepard's side. He kissed her on the lips and hugged her. He whispered "Thank you."
She whispered back "You deserve it."
"Well the whole crew is here so ummm…now what?" Shepard asked still surprised.
"Well thankfully we rented a shuttle to take us to this place Miranda owns. A nice restaurant that serves dextro as well." Liara spoke up.
"Then when we get back, the whelp and I brought some fireworks. Krogan style fireworks…" Wrex added in.
"Just try not blowing something up Wrex." Garrus joked.
"Don't worry Garrus. I will only aim for you if something goes wrong." Wrex laughed. Garrus looked worried.
After a great meal, they returned to the Shepard home for some interesting semi-legal fireworks, things started to wind down. Jack was showing Samantha how to throw singularities and warp fields. After a while Samantha went off and started talking to Jacob's son. The two eventually started holding hands much to Ashe's disapproval and Jacob and Shepard laughed at the irony. David played with Uncle Garrus' visor and chased Aunt Liara around playing Shepard and Saren. The others sat and talked about what they had been doing for the past few months. Eventually Garrus, Vega, Wrex and Grunt started comparing war stories. Vega almost won with the mission on Omega that earned him his N7 ranking but Shepard cleared his throat and said 'So, how many reapers have you killed?" Everyone laughed and kept talking. Vega went over and played with David. This time they played Vega and the harvester. It consisted of David riding on Vega's shoulders.
After much laughter and reminiscing and drinking most of the guests left and started to board the shuttle. Garrus and Jack finally caved in to the kids begging them to stay the night. Jack promised to teach her some more tricks before they went back to Grissom Academy. Garrus promised David to tell him some more stories about archangel before bed time and before he left back for the Citadel.
Everyone but Garrus and Shepard had gone to bed. They stood quietly out on the porch listening to the wind. "So Garrus" Shepard started "we have futures and lives now."
"Yeah it is kind of weird. Just us heroes now lounging about and it almost seems like we aren't needed anymore." Garrus replied dryly.
"I understand what you mean. The councilor and the best Turian specter just sitting on our butts watching the galaxy go by." Shepard joked.
"Well you may Councilor Jason Shepard but I am still getting in some good shots in." Garrus joked back.
"Good, cause I could of sworn one of Vega's bottles was about to attack us." Shepared returned. Garrus laughed.
"Still my favorite spot on the citadel." Garrus turned and faced Shepard. "You look almost disappointed the reapers are gone."
"No I'm not. I have an amazing wife, amazing kids and amazing friends. Glory is good and all but my time hero is coming to an end." Shepard returned with a slight hint weariness.
"I don't blame you. I do have to ask you something though. Do you ever wish you could have one last epic battle? Just one more to define the ages and feel young again." Garrus inquired.
"Sometimes" Shepard leaned against the railing of the porch. "Days when the politicians can't agree on something or days when the paperwork gets piled on are the days I wish I had a pistol again instead of a pen. "