"It would be easy for a single ship to get lost out there, wouldn't it?"

"Yeah, it would."

"To find someplace very far away, where you can spend the rest of your life in peace…and happiness."

Liara slid her fingers into Shepard's hand, which Shepard found to be incredibly comforting. Shepard gave it a small squeeze. "I can't think of anywhere else I would rather be."

"Neither can I. But Shepard, you need to open your eyes." Liara looked at Shepard with a supplicating look and traced her fingertips across Shepard's forehead. Jane shut her eyes, relishing the moment. The worries associated with saving the galaxy were temporarily at bay. She was in her room, on the Normandy with the person she loved.

Shepard opened her eyes to find herself alone in her room. Panic filled Shepard's mind and it suddenly became difficult for her to breathe. She struggled out of the bed before feeling an intense pain across her chest. Her body seized up and she let out an exasperated breath.

The pains subsided and she felt comfortable enough to open her eyes again. She found herself in a coolly lit room. A woman in an Alliance officer's uniform had her back to her. She was facing a cabinet, which she softly closed shut. Shepard could have recognized that familiar faded reddish brown hued hair anywhere.

"Mom?"

The officer turned around, with a look of relief on her face. The resemblance was rather striking. Rear Admiral Hannah Shepard had the same reddish brown hair as her daughter, though her hair was styled in a sensible bun. The hairs around her temple were graying. Her piercing green eyes commanded attention. Her olive skin was not without blemishes, having participated in various skirmishes against the batarians decades ago.

The elder Shepard walked over to her daughter's bedside and gave Jane a quick kiss on the forehead. "I'm so glad you're here, Jane."

Jane squeezed her mother's arm and let out a small smile. "It's good to see you too, mom."

Hannah took a seat at the side of the bed. Shepard shifted a little to the side to provide more room.

"How long have you been here?" Jane asked.

"Everyday since I've heard you were here from Admiral Hackett. It has been quite an adventure keeping reporters out of the room." She turned on her omni-tool and the door to the room opened. Shepard could certainly hear a crowd of people having conversations, but they could not be seen.

"We decided the best thing to do was to erect a barrier around these quarters. No one gets in or out with express permission from Ms Lawson."

"How long have I been out?" Jane asked. She felt much better in comparison to the last time she was conscious. Her opened and closed her hands and felt no pain. Her breathing was normal and she felt limber.

"You've been out for an entire month," her mother responded gravely. "Honestly, some of us did not know if you were going to pull through. Of course, I always knew you would.'

This revelation shocked Shepard. Things were always falling out of her grasp, in this case it was time. "What's happening with the Council races?"

"You waste no time in worrying about the state of others, do you?" Hannah joked. "As it stands, the quarian have the largest fleet and are itching to get out of the sol system. They've agreed to cede two live ships to the turian fleet if they can get the schematics to the Normandy. Of course, in order to get that, the turian have proposed they stay here and help with the rebuilding on Earth."

"I never thought I would see the day where the turian are at a political disadvantage," Jane said.

"With what I've seen of the galaxy, I never thought I would see the quarian in an advantageous position to negotiate on anything, much less the schematics on the Normandy. We've given them the blueprints to the SR-1. They don't need to know we've improved on the old formula."

The sat in silence for a few moments, lost in thought. The world didn't fall apart in her absence, so what would stop her from going off the grid?

"Is there any news on the Normandy? My Normandy?" Shepard asked

"Unfortunately, I have not heard from Hackett or anyone else concerning your ship. Over the past month, a handful of colony and Alliance freighters have made it to Earth from other systems. With that in mind, I wouldn't lose hope." Hannah stood up and walked over to a corner of the room and poured two glasses of water.

"There have also been talks about bringing back the council. The salarian, turian, and asari representatives have survived the war, thanks to you, no doubt. Scuttlebutt says you would be on the ballot as the Human representative," said Hannah, handing the glass over.

"Me? I'm not one for politicking. I wouldn't even know where to begin." Jane couldn't wrap her mind around being an ambassador. She was much more comfortable in a firefight than winning arguments. Given what has happened over the past several months, she could understand why she would be chosen for the job. She wasn't sure if she was ready.

"I believe you can do whatever you put your mind to…that being said, I feel that Admiral Hackett would be a better choice for councilor," she said with a slight look of ambivalence on her face.

"Thanks for the vote of confidence there. I'll have to agree with you, though. I don't know if I'm cut out to be a politician."

Miranda entered the room, holding a datapad. "It's good to hear you talking again, Shepard. Maybe you can use that silver tongue of yours and talk all our problems away." She turned on her omni-tool and scanned Shepard's body.

"I'll leave you to it, Ms Lawson. I have business to attend to on the Orizaba." Hannah gave Jane a hug before leaving the room.

"Your mother is quite an individual. I wonder how I would have turned out if she had raised me instead," Miranda said softly.

"Don't start thinking like that, Miranda. You turned out all right; you've saved my life…again. So, what was wrong with me?" Shepard asked.

"If you remember when you we first met, you had visible scarring from small Cerberus implants beneath your skin. To put it simply, they were the glue keeping you together. If you hadn't upgraded the Med-bay on the Normandy, it's very likely you wouldn't be around now."

Shepard was glad she decided against being a cheapskate and dropped the 50,000 units of platinum that was required. "So, I'm not a cyborg. I'm fully human?" she asked.

Miranda gave her a cross look, "I believe we've been over this before. You are still you, but better. I was able to repair the imbedded implants, so you're back to normal. It was painstakingly difficult, to say the least."

That little lying bastard. Shepard was fuming. The Catalyst nearly tricked her into believing that she would not survive these events; that the implants in her would kill her if she chose to destroy the Reapers.

"Is there something wrong, Shepard? You look upset."

"I've been under a lot of stress lately—"

"That's the understatement of the decade."

"—and I'm just thinking about the next step. What do I do? The war is over and now we've got to rebuild. What's my place in all this? Where would I fit?" She ran her fingers through her hair and looked up a Miranda.

Shepard did not want to share too many details about the events on the Citadel. No one would believe an ephemeral spirit-child was the Catalyst. Or that Reapers were synthetic life created to destroy organic life before other forms of synthetic life beat them to the literal apocalyptic punch. If she thought too much about it, it just frustrated her.

"For starters, get the bloody hell out of bed! You are Commander Shepard and you saved the goddamn galaxy from giant mechanized monsters. The Normandy may be missing, but there are people here on Earth that would follow you into the very depths of hell. You aren't alone, if that's what you're worrying about."

Shepard had never seen Miranda like this. The only sides Shepard knew of Miranda were the very driven and professional aspects of her personality. Upon hearing that outburst, Shepard leapt out of bed. "Thanks, Miranda. I needed that shot in the arm."

"Shepard, I consider you a good friend. I can't say that about many people. The last thing I would want to see happen to you is burn-out."

"Sorry, sometimes I forget that I've got great support at my side."

"That's quite all right, given these past several months I'll forgive you for almost anything," Miranda said. She walked over to the cabinet on the far side of the room and retrieved what looked to be an Alliance officer's uniform.

"I'm fairly certain this suit is in your size." Miranda handed Shepard a navy blue Alliance officer's suit. "Take as long as you need in getting ready. I'll be waiting near the barrier."

# # #

Shepard holstered her phalanx pistol and made sure her omni-tool was in perfect working condition before leaving. She saw Miranda standing by the barrier with her arms folded, flanked by two Alliance guards. On the other side of the barrier were a flock of reporters, some with cameras hovering over their shoulders. The barrier was removed and the Alliance guards attempted to part the crowd.

"Try not to pay mind to these vultures, Shepard," said Miranda. She had a look of disgust on her face.

They waded through the crowd as the Alliance guards moved reporters to the side.

"Commander Shepard, what happened aboard the Crucible?"

"Commander Shepard, what was behind the destruction of the mass relays?"

"Commander Shepard, what do you think about all these other alien races setting up bases on Earth?"

"Commander Shepard, is it true you are in a relationship with an asari?"

"Commander –"

They made their way towards a shuttle several yards away from the medical station. One of the guards stayed behind to keep the crowd at bay while the other drove the shuttle away.

Shepard leaned back into her seat as the shuttle sped away from the medical station. She looked out into the crowd and past the debris and buildings that was the city of London. It seemed that the press wasted no time in turning against her.

"Miranda, where exactly are we going?" Shepard asked. It seemed to her that she was being led somewhere, as opposed to what she was used to doing: the leading.

"We're heading to New York City in North America. Before landing we will set up a vid conference here with Admiral Hackett, who has moved his base of operations from London to Reykjavík, Iceland. The reaper attack there was not as brutal as it is here. Your mother was put in charge of operations in London, while others have been sent to various metropolitan areas around Earth to deal with rescue and rebuilding. It's closer to North America so it'll be easier for him to coordinate between North America and Europe."

It dawned on Shepard that it was very likely that the rest of her life will have to be spent on Earth. It was a strange feeling, having grown up in space stations, never having stayed for more than a few months in one specific planet. She looked up at the gray sky and wondered how many ships were orbiting Earth and how many of them were equipped to travel through systems without the help of mass relays.

"Is there something happening in North America that would warrant that move?" Shepard asked.

"New York City was one of the hardest hit cities in North America, along with Los Angeles and Vancouver. Rumor has it that approximately 80% of New York's human population has been decimated. What's left of the Asari fleet has set up operations there. No doubt there is animosity growing between the asari and what is left of the humans…" Miranda trailed off.

"I take it you don't approve of the asari moving in." Shepard said.

"I don't like that any of aliens are setting up shop here, whether they be a council race or not. I still have to live with it, though. For the time being, it seems that we are all stranded here."

"We all need to work together. The Reapers may be gone, be we've got a long way to go…" Shepard looked over at Miranda, who looked away. Shepard decided to change the subject.

"How is your sister doing?" she asked.

Miranda let out a small smile. "She's doing great. We correspond through private message every day. You mother has allowed her to act as a liaison between the Alliance rescue effort and spacer refugees. She seems to be very much a people person, unlike myself. I also think spending time with the elder Shepard would do her good. Less explosions and gunfights, at least," Miranda joked.

Shepard grinned. It was good to see Miranda at peace with her family. "When all this insanity is over, you've got all the time in the world to spend with her."

"That's still the plan, Shepard," Miranda responded.

Miranda's omni-tool began to beep. She turned it on and a small projection of Admiral Hackett was in full view.

"Shepard, it's good to see you in top shape," said Hackett, saluting the commander. Shepard saluted back.

"It's good to be around, sir," Shepard replied.

"I'll cut to the chase. No doubt Miranda has briefed you in on the happenings in New York City. I've been speaking with what was left of the Citadel council and we have decided that the best course of action here would be a Spectre investigation. You're to meet with another surviving Spectre operative once you land in the district of old Queens. There are several bunkers that have survived the Reaper invasion. Any weapons, armor, and lodgings left standing there are free for you to use. Miranda will send the coordinates to your omni-tool"

"Exactly how much of New York City is still occupied by human forces?" Shepard asked.

"On the books, New York is and always will be human territory. It is still on Earth, after all. For complicated reasons, the asari have decided to set up their main base of operations there. The Destiny Ascension has landed on the southern tip of Manhattan island. Human-asari relations have always been congenial. Hopefully, it stays that way, but human survivors of the Reaper war are weary of these newcomers. There are unverified rumors of off-world mercenary bands murdering our people for supplies. I find this scenario highly unlikely, but I need someone to investigate."

"If it will help keep the peace, sir, I will be more than willing to oblige," said Shepard.

"I have transferred some credits to your account in the event of an emergency. We may be rebuilding, but if the volus and asari have anything to say about it, the galactic economy is far from crumbling. Keep me posted. Hackett out." His hologram disappeared

"Admiral Hackett is does not splice words, nor does he hide behind a sinister aura. I should have joined the Alliance over Cerberus ages ago…unfortunately that would have made me easy prey for my asshole father," said Miranda.

"Well, you're helping now and that's all that matters."

The shuttle shook a little. "Sorry ma'am. There's some slight turbulence. Either way, we're approaching New Yor—" the Aliiance guard fell over to the left side, blood leaking from his helmet.

"He's been shot!" Miranda exclaimed. Shepard dragged the body out of the driver's seat while Miranda attempted to keep the shuttle in the air. More shots whizzed by the shuttle, some hitting seats, others windows.

"Can you see who's shooting at us, Shepard?" Miranda frantically asked.

Shepard moved to the passenger seat and saw two faint gleams coming from the roof of a building. "It looks like a pair of snipers," Shepard said, keeping her head low.

"Shit." Miranda veered the shuttle to the right, hoping to land in an area that was not so densely packed with buildings. Four more shots whizzed by, one of which fatefully hit the engine. The shuttle began to descend rapidly and the ship's VI repeatedly pleaded for the pilot to "pull-up."

"I can't keep this up, Shepard!"

"Brace for impact!"

There were no seatbelts in the shuttle, which Shepard thought was a ridiculous idea. Miranda quickly set up a biotic shield, protecting the both of them as the ship crashed. She then let out a biotic explosion, which allowed them to leave the crumpled heap that was once the shuttle.

"Are you all right, Miranda?"

"I'll be fine."

"Do you have any weapons on you?" Shepard asked.

Miranda took out a modded M-25 Hornet. "Stole it from a Cerberus agent on the Citadel. I'll have to admit, it has come in handy more than few times."

Shepard took out her Phalanx pistol, wishing it were her upgraded Carnifex. It'll have to do for now. She quickly sprinted toward one building with a caved-in roof, Miranda trailing behind her. From a distance of about 40 meters she could see a group of solders, perhaps five or six, wielding assault rifles, approaching the crash site. They were speaking to each other over open communications channels.

"That was good shooting Sarto. We finally get to have our revenge over the human scourge, one human ship at a time" said a gruff voice.

"We still have to destroy the alliance between the asari and the humans, though" replied his teammate.

"Let's salvage that ship and report back to Balak," responded the first.

Balak? I should have killed that bastard when I had the chance.

"Those batarian idiots," whispered Miranda.

"Their idiocy is our advantage," replied Shepard.

She launched a sentry turret to cover her right flank. Once the group grew closer, she launched a combat drone while Miranda warped the shields of one of the alien solders. Her warp field bled through to his team mate and they both staggered to the ground.

Shepard shot at the two fallen soldiers while the drone shot rockets at one of the others. Miranda provided suppressing fire while Shepard continued to overload and incinerate the remainder of the platoon.

"That was almost too easy, Shepard," said Miranda.

"Yeah well—" a bullet whizzed by Shepard's head, missing it by a few inches. Shepard retook her position of cover around the corner of the building.

"The snipers, do you see them?" she asked Miranda.

"I can't. Even if I could, our guns wouldn't be able to fire at them successfully from this position."

Shepard thought about their options. They could sprint from building to building, taking cover at every corner and hope to figure out the source of the sniper fire. Or just stand there until the pair eventually run out of ammo. She chose the former.

They sprinted from building to building, Shepard being especially careful. She had no armor and the only shields available to her were from her omni-tool. The two snipers were perched on the third floor of what seemed to be an abandoned school. Shepard could make out the two glints from each of the sniper scopes. They were approximately four meters away from each other and twenty meters from Shepard and Miranda's position behind a pile of rubble.

"We can't get any closer, Shepard. They can pick us off if they wanted too."

Suddenly, the two snipers, were whisked out of the building, and tossed to the ground like rag dolls, their motionless bodies glowing from an obvious biotic attack.

Shepard looked over her shoulder to see a purple-skinned asari in a white jacket floating towards them.

"So, it seems there's only one rule in New York?" Shepard said.

"Quite right, Commander. Don't fuck with me."

# # #

End of Chapter 3. R+R and all that. I'm not used to writing action sequences _