A Thousand miles away from you

(Jane Shepard/Liara)

The beggining of Mass Effect 2

I don't own the characters or the lyrics at the end of the story.

The door opened in front of commander Jane Shepard. She took a step forward and looked around. Everything was so different. Furnitures, smells, voices... the door closed behind her and now she was standing in darkness. With small steps she walked beside her new desk, turned the light on and leaned forward to read a note Joker had left her.

Hey, I hope you like your new cabin, I chose all the furniture, figured you'd like it. You know, it's going to be hard at first but I'll be here if you need me, up in the cockpit just like old times.

I'm glad to have my boss back. -Joker

Shepard couldn't help smiling, but despite all those kind words she felt empty. Of course Joker would support her but she was still the one who had to lead her crew and take care of everything. "Strong, invincible, commander Jane Shepard," she murmured to herself and lifted her gaze from the note. There was a medal she had earned from defeating Sovereign. All those people who had been with her there, were gone. Ashley, Tali, Liara... Liara. Oh goodness how she missed her. Beside the medal, encased in a black frame was a picture of Liara. She took it, smiling as a thumb trailed over the blushing asari's cheek. Joker must have put it here.

She didn't even know where everybody else from the old Normandy crew were. Everything was so new, Cerberus, Illusive man, Miranda, Jacob; she placed the photo of Liara back on table and shook her head. How on earth everybody expected her to be just fine with the fact that yesterday she had woken up from the dead was beyond her, and yet being a glorified zombie was the least of her problems right now. Warm, salty tears started running down on her cheeks, her head swimming with confusion; chest constricting with anxiety. Two whole years had passed in her absence, everything had changed, everyone she knew.

Then she realized; the old crew probably didn't even know she was alive. And poor Liara, she must have thought that her girlfriend was dead and never coming back. What if Liara had found someone else? Shepard swallowed and took a deep breath. No, that couldn't be. At least, she didn't want to believe it.

"Why does everything have to be so complicated?" Shepard murmured and flicked the overhead light off. She changed into a tank top and underpants and crawled into her bed, pulling the blanket to cover almost her entire, scarred body as she sighed. Tears had been running down her cheeks the entire time and it seemed they weren't going to stop any time soon. She blinked hard and tried to wipe her face, but it was no use. She couldn't help but think; maybe it would have been better if she'd stayed dead. Would it have been better to not know about the things going on? Did Cerberus need her that badly? Slowly her head was overcome with dizziness, her body tired from all the tears she had shed. Before she finally fell asleep she whispered: "Good night Liara, wherever you are..."

"I'm here again
A thousand miles away from you
A broken mess, just scattered pieces of who I am
I tried so hard
Thought I could do this on my own
I've lost so much along the way"

Red – Pieces