This is my first story I've ever writ on here, so bear with me. This will occasionally jump forward in time by days, weeks, or years, but it's all for the story. And this will be a continuation of the story after ME3 without the DLC, so if I'm missing characters, that's why.
Now let me tell you a story...
Shepard's lungs were on fire, in fact almost all of him felt that way. He couldn't remember much of what happened to him, and then it all came flooding back. The Crucible, the ghost child, the bullets he fired into the damned machine in order to destroy the reapers.
"Can anyone hear me?" He called into his coms, not expecting to hear more than the static coming through.
"We hear you soldier." Came a voice in his ear through the static. "State your name, rank, and location as best as you can, and we'll come evac you ASAP."
"This is Commander Shepard of the Normandy.." he began.
"Commander?!" The voice interrupted, "Everyone thought you died on the crucible! Private! Locate where his signal is coming from! NOW! We'll come get you commander, you can count on it!"
Three days later...
"Well commander," the Salarian medic said, "as quickly as you're healing, you should be fit as a cello in no time, I believe that's how your species saying goes."
"Close enough doc." Shepard said with a cough. "I don't suppose there's someone who knows anything about what happened to the Normandy yet?"
"Not yet,"came Admiral Hackett's voice through the doorway, "but the quantum entangler is almost done being moved so we will be able to get a fix on if they can answer or not." He said as he made his way to Shepard's cot. "I know how much Tali'Zorah means to you, and I may not know for sure, but if I were a betting man, I'd wager that she's just fine, along with the rest of your crew."
"Thank you Admiral." Shepard replied to the superior officer.
"By the way, I've got another purple heart here for your collection," he said as he handed it to his friend. "how many does that make now? Six or seven?"
"About seven, sir."
"Sir? I guess you haven't heard yet, I'm retiring, and by the looks of your record, I'd say you should too. The galaxy should be able to fend for itself now that the biggest threats of this cycle are over. And besides, if you plan to settle down at all, now would be the time."
"I'll think about it sir."
"Good, now get some rest, you've more than earned it."
Meanwhile on the Normandy's AI Core,
"There!" Tali'Zorah yelled, "I've got Edi back on!" A loud hum could be heard from the core as it powered up.
"Online." The feminine voice could be heard throughout the ship.
"I'd bet Joker's excited to have his girlfriend online again." Tali teased.
"Jeff is positively extatic." Edi replied. "Unfortunately I am detecting several core systems down, so our happy reunion must wait for now."
"I know, what you mean... I hope we can get back to Earth and find out what happened to Shepard..." Tali said depressingly.
"Then I guess we better get started." Joker said over the intercom.
London, One Week Later
"Sir! We've got a connection!"
"Good work private, send someone to get Shepard, I'm sure he has someone on there he will want to talk to."
Normandy Quantum Entangler room ,Fifteen minutes later
"Please answer." Tali'Zorah whispered to herself. Suddenly the console lit up, the form of Admiral Hackett appeared.
"Admiral Tali'Zorah Vas Normandy I presume?"
"Yes Admiral, I was hoping you would have news on Shepard."
"Will this work?" He asked as Shepard entered the entangler's visual.
"SHEPARD!" Tali cried. "I was so worried about you, you Bosh'tet!"
"I know... I'm sorry I made you worry. Are you okay? Will you be able to make it back?"
"I'm fine, and yes, we'll be able to make it to Earth though it may take some time. The relays were broken apart from the blast, but it looks like the keepers are putting them back together. It should only be a few more days until we reach you, depending on if the relays are repaired quickly."
"I'll let you two be alone. I need to inform the fleets on the situation with the relays. Hackett out."
"I missed you Tali."
I missed you too you Bosh'tet."
Normandy Cockpit, Four days later
"Arriving at Charon Relay." Joker's voice rang over the intercom. "ETA to Earth, six hours."
"Jeff, what will you do when we get back to Earth? Will you leave the military, or will you stay on the Normandy?" Edi said with a slightly worried tone.
"Hey, wherever you are, that's where I want to be Edi." Joker replied.
Normandy Commander's Quarters, Five hours Forty-five Minutes later
"London docking bay, ETA ten minutes"
Tali jerked out of the daydream she was in while looking at Shepards collection of ships, thinking how they would be valuable to anyone thanks to the living legend that owns them. She decided it would be best to make her way to the airlock so she could find her lover.
London, Normandy Docking Bay, Eight minutes later
Commander John Shepard stood looking as the sky, waiting for his ship bearing the love of his life to arrive. Finally he saw it break through the clouds in the distance. As it drew near he could make out scars on the hull, a reminder of the crash it suffered on a planet in the middle of nowhere. He waited, while both nervous and excited to see his friends and lover again.
Finally the Normandy docked, the airlock door opening to reveal a Quarian in a purple environmental suit making a mad dash for him. When she got almost five feet from him she jumped into his arms, tearing off her mask and planting the longest, most frantic kiss on him she ever thought she would do. He quickly began kissing her back, until they heard Garrus cough.
"Whoops..." Tali said, blushing intensely as she fumbled to put her mask back on.
"Why don't you two get a room?" The Turian said mockingly.
"I have one, so long as Joker didn't break that too." Shepard said with a grin.
"Oh, hardy har, make fun of the cripple some more why don't you?" Joker said as Edi helped him through the airlock.
"Is everyone alright?" Admiral Hackett asked as he walked into view.
"A few bumps and bruises, that's about all." Ashley said, while others nodded in agreement.
"Good, because you've all got an awards ceremony coming up in a few hours, and I'd hate for you to miss it.
London, Commander Shepard's quarters, later that night
"Keela, I still can't believe both you and Admiral Hackett announced your retirements at the ceremony." Tali said.
"We agreed that the galaxy will be able to fend for itself now that the reapers are destroyed." Shepard replied.
"I suppose it's for the best, considering the news I got from Doctor Chakwas." This caught Shepard's full attention.
"What? Are you alright? It's not something serious is it?"
"Shepard.. calm down." She held his hands and looked into his eyes..."Shepard, I'm pregnant."
Well? How's that for a first chapter? The Suprise at the end shouldn't have been a big surprise at all if you read the story description. But this took me several hours to write, between looking up names and how to spell them, and playing ME3 to try and get a feel on how characters talk and act. But I want to hear what you people think. I'm writing this story as ideas pop in my head, the first few chapters might come easily to me, but as it goes on, I'm going to take longer to come up with them, so if you've go ideas that you want me to hear, message me. See you next chapter.