A/N: Same drill as the first two chapters, this is also a series of drabbles to introduce these characters – if you want to skip ME1 and ME2, feel free to continue to Chapter 5!
Disclaimer: BioWare owns Mass Effect, I just share a deeply emotional bond with their characters.
Chapter 3.1 – 2185
I am dead.
Aurelia drifted in and out of feeling, going through periods of immense pain and complete numbness. When she felt pain, she felt like her entire body was exploding. She wanted to scream, to rip her skin off, to tear her hair out, anything, anything to stop the pain. When she was numb, she doubted her body ever existed – was there such a thing as reality? Does life truly exist?
I am dead.
Benezia lied. She said there was no light. Why then, was only thing Shepard could see a blinding, burning blaze of white? She wanted to close her eyes, to stop the glare, to finally rest, but she could not.
She could not, until a striking cornflower blue replaced the brightness. It took her a few moments to realise that these were eyes.
But she did not know these eyes. She did not recognise them and she started to panic. She tried to scream, but her throat simply burned in response. She panicked even more, she felt the pain returning, but sweet relief started rushing through her fragile body.
She dropped her arm, her eyelids betraying her and shutting of their own accord.
The last thing she heard before finally, finally darkness fell upon her was a woman. "I told you your estimates were off. Run the numbers again. We almost lost her."
She awakened to the same voice yelling at her to get up.
Shepard was on autopilot as she pulls on some strange black-orange pants and shirt, grabbed a pistol and ripped through some mechs trying to kill her. She still felt like she was in a dream when she met Jacob Taylor, who tried to tell her she was dead for two years. I can't have been dead. I'm here right now, aren't I?
She only truly woke up when she saw the cornflower blue eyes again, this time in the face of someone named Miranda Lawson, and when she climbed onto a shuttle with these two strangers.
"Is this some kind of a sick joke?" She felt bitter, and she couldn't quite understand why. "I was on the Normandy. I was on my way back to the Citadel. I can't have been dead, otherwise I wouldn't be here now, would I?" She folded her arms defensively across her chest. "And why would I ever be recovering in a Cerberus facility?"
The strangers glanced at each other. The one named Jacob spoke up. "Commander, I understand this might be hard for you. I don't know how Miranda did it, but she brought you back to life. When they carried you in, you were as dead as dead can be. I saw your body myself."
Her stomach fell; perhaps deep down, she really did believe them. She realised she was bitter at the thought of having missed two years of her life.
Blue eyes turned to Shepard. "It's alright if you don't believe us yet, Shepard. Once we're off this shuttle we can give you access to news reports and such, but we ask that you trust us for now. The Illusive Man needs to speak with you urgently. As for the moment, I want to ask you some questions."
Jacob groaned. "Not now, Miranda! The Commander is obviously fine – the fact that she made it through the mechs should be evidence enough."
"Physically, she has done well, but I want to test her memory." Miranda pulled up her omni-tool. "Let's start more recently. During your quest to stop Saren, you encountered his Krogan cloning facility on Virmire. Ashley Williams was killed in action that day, and it was your call. Do you remember that?"
Shepard frowned. Of course blue eyes started with that. "I left a friend to day that day and I didn't do it easily. She was fully aware of the situation and sacrificed her life so that a superior ranking officer and a group of STG soldiers could escape. The only justice I could give her was taking down Saren later on the Citadel."
She shuddered as she remembered that day. 'I'll see you all soon.'
If Miranda noticed how uncomfortable how Aurelia felt, she didn't show it; she just proceeded to ask Shepard about the Normandy, about Akuze, about her pre-service history.
When she got to Shepard's accident, Jacob interrupted her. "Miranda, I think that's enough. I think Shepard has more than proved herself to you."
Miranda pursed her lips. "Very well then." She put away her omni-tool, and the trio sat in silence for the remainder of the journey.
Chapter 3.2 – SR-2
After Freedom's Progress, Shepard hates herself for agreeing but there was no doubt – the Collectors needed to be stopped. She begrudgingly agreed to work with Cerberus (not for Cerberus) for the time being, telling the Illusive Man she would temporarily put aside her opinions of Cerberus to take down the Collectors.
When she told the Illusive Man she wanted her old crew to assist her, he laughed at her and said they moved on; he wouldsupply her with the dossiers, a ship and a crew. She hoped he didn't see the pain in her eyes when he told her that her friends, her family, had moved on with their lives after her death.
"I did find a pilot you might like. Let's just say that at least one person hasn't quite moved on yet."
"Just like old times, huh Commander?"
She froze; Joker's voice brought her a myriad of emotions. Happiness because he was a familiar face; anger because she was saving his ass when she died; sadness because he was the only familiar face with her right now (Tali had made it clear she was unavailable); but most of all relief because he was alright, and he was here.
They walked together to the docking bay where Joker revealed her new ship. "I took the liberty of naming her already, Commander. Thought there was only one name appropriate."
She smiled for the first time since waking up. "You've never been more right, Joker."
Aurelia was extremely impressed with the Normandy SR-2 – it was bigger, faster, and quieter. Joker's presence comforted her, and she sat with him in the cockpit for so long he almost had to throw her out, telling her she needed to see the rest of the ship. She obliged, walking around each deck slowly and alone, meeting her new crew and brushing off anyone who offered to accompany her tour. She wasn't impolite to these strangers, but they were Cerberus – she wasn't ready to hold them too close.
She found Chakwas in the med-bay and she almost cried with relief, happy that there was at least another familiar face in this sea of strangers. They chatted for a long while, mainly because Shepard wanted to know why Chakwas left the Alliance for Cerberus, but also because Shepard was not willing to retreat into the seclusion of the personal cabin she hadn't seen yet. She was scared of what would happen if she isolated herself behind a closed door.
EDI, the ship's AI, called her out when she walked into the crew's restrooms.
"Commander, would you not prefer your own personal cabin? It is equipped with ensuite restroom. I have also noticed that you have not yet logged into your cabin. Would you not prefer to have a rest before arriving at Omega?"
Shepard sighed. Well, there's no hiding anymore. "Err, I'll head up there right now, thank you EDI."
When the door of her cabin opened, she wasn't prepared for the extravagance that assaulted her eyes. "Uh, EDI?"
The response was instantaneous. "Yes, Commander?"
"Why is there a fish tank in my cabin?"
"The Normandy SR-2 is meant to be more of an homage than an exact replica. Cerberus has made significant improvements to the design, including a more spacious personal cabin for commanding officers."
"Yeah, but I don't see why I need a fish tank, a glass wall, and a, uh…" she descended the stairs and eyed the box by her bed. "…a sound system?"
"Commander, Cerberus is not a military operation. The Normandy is classed as a civilian vessel, so its engineers spared no effort in making the commanding officer's personal cabin luxurious. If you wish to purchase decorative items, they may also be displayed on the glass wall above your desk."
Shepard frowned, still unsure. "Well it's a lot more than I'm used to… but thanks for explaining, I guess. Have Joker let me know when we're two hours out from Omega."
"Very well, Commander."
Shepard took a moment to inspect her room. It was brighter than she would have liked, but she was sure that there was probably some setting to dim the lights 'for her comfort.' She climbed the few steps to her desk again and towards the bathroom, suddenly craving a shower to be rid of the haunting feeling of Freedom's Progress. She paused in front of her desk, eyeing the personal console and the models of the SR-1 and SR-2 sitting on the glass wall, when she spotted a familiar face.
She grabbed the frame a little too roughly, causing a small crack in the glass on Kaidan's cheek.
She was absolutely furious. "How did they know?!"
She slammed the frame face down on the desk, hearing some glass shatter. Her breathing started to increase rapidly and she ran into the bathroom. She felt sick. How could they know such personal details about her?
The first thing that Shepard could think to do was run into the shower. She didn't know why she thought a hot shower would fix this, why she felt like the hot water could wash away two years.
Feeling the need for air, she tugged on the neck of her shirt with too much force and ended up ripping it in half down her front. She didn't care; she just needed to breathe. Cerberus would have more. She stripped off the rags and stood shirtless in the empty shower, burying her face into her hands and willing herself to take deep breaths.
The only thing she was sure of today was that she looked pathetic right now.
After she regained some calm, she removed the rest of her clothes and started up a hot stream of water, standing under it until her skin begged her to stop. She took the time to inspect herself: she was covered in raw marks; her former honey skin was paler than she would like it to be; she was thinner and not as muscular as she once was; and her hair was too short to cover her implant markings. Miranda had explained that Shepard's hair had to be regrown from her scalp, and that there hadn't been quite enough time for it to grow to its original length. It wasn't short enough to leave her neck completely naked, though, and Shepard was satisfied with at least that.
When she exited the bathroom and saw the overturned frame, Shepard decided she needed some answers. Not pausing to dry herself off, Shepard threw on another stupid Cerberus shirt and pants set, grabbed the frame and marched into Miranda's office.
"How did you know?" she threw the frame bitterly onto Miranda's desk.
Unfazed, Miranda did not even bother to look up from her console. "Commander, you were my project for two years. It was my business to know everything about you and your life."
"Yes, I know you know everything about me, but you don't need to bring my crew into this without their consent!" She felt dark energy amassing in her hands, and told herself to calm down.
Miranda sighed. "The two of you weren't as discreet as you thought. Most of your former crew did know, and when we found the holo on your old omni-tool, our suspicions of your… intimate relationship were confirmed."
Shepard crossed her arms defensively. She knew that it was her holo. Obviously, it was on my omni-tool. "And you felt the need to place it in my cabin because…?"
Accepting she wouldn't get any work done with Shepard in her office, Miranda pushed away from her desk and walked to the window, looking out with her hands on her hips. "The Illusive Man thought you'd like a touch of home in your new environment."
What she didn't say, but what they both heard, is 'and to remind you what's at stake.'
Knowing that was all she'd hear about the subject, Shepard considered leaving before joining Miranda at the window. "Miss Lawson, you are obviously a very intelligent woman. Why would you work for an organisation with a reputation like Cerberus? Why not put use your expertise to work for the Alliance, or even the Council?"
Miranda glanced at Shepard as if that were the most ridiculous suggestion she had ever heard. "First of all, Commander, we're going to be working very closely together. I'd prefer it if you called me Miranda." She moved her arms to cross them over her chest, mirroring Aurelia's position. "And to answer your question, well, I enjoy working with Cerberus. Most of the operations you've dealt with or heard of are factions that went rogue without the Illusive Man's consent. Besides, the Illusive Man has a brilliant mind and virtually limitless funding, creating science that the Alliance would never think possible." She looked over at Shepard. "We brought you back, when all the Alliance did was declare you KIA."
Miranda strolled back to her desk, obviously trying to end the conversation. "I might not agree with everything Cerberus does, but the Illusive Man and I share a lot of ideologies, one of them being that the Collectors, and eventually the Reapers, must be stopped."
Shepard swallowed and nodded, moving to exit the office. "Thank you for your… opinion, Miranda."
"I am here to make sure you don't lose sight of the bigger picture just because there's a Cerberus logo in the way." Miranda sat down at her desk. "If you find yourself doubting again, please come and chat with me. Oh, and I'll have the frame fixed and returned to your cabin."
Shepard left the office with a little less trust in Cerberus, but a little more respect for Miranda Lawson.
Chapter 3.3 – Spectre Status Upheld
Shepard's mood had improved immensely after they found Garrus on Omega.
"You crazy son of a bitch, when did you become a vigilante?"
He had simply laughed in response. "You're calling me crazy, when you were dead for two years?"
The Salarian doctor was eccentric, but Shepard enjoyed his company and what he had to say. Mordin was always tinkering with something and working on this project or that. "Trying to determine how scale itch got onto Normandy, sexually transmitted disease only carried by varren. Implications... unpleasant." She went to talk to him often, made a sort of game of it – could she listen to what he said without laughing?
The 'veteran,' Zaeed Massani, was a little extreme for her tastes, but nonetheless he got the job done and even Shepard had to admire that. She did find herself having to put him in his place more often than she should have to, but after Zorya he finally started respecting her – in his own way, of course.
After recruiting the 'psychotic biotic' Jack and releasing the genetically engineered Krogan (Grunt, he wanted to be called) from his tank, she finally was able to travel to the Citadel to see Anderson. She met quickly with the master thief Kasumi Goto before heading alone to the Presidium, meeting C-Sec's Captain Bailey on her way to clear her through security.
Her palms were sweating – she had made sure to wear her armour (though exactly how Cerberus was able to get their hands on N7 armour she didn't know) instead of anything with a Cerberus logo. She didn't know how Anderson would react. What if he rejected her? The man who took her under his wing, who she has known as long as she can remember?
The guards outside ushered her in. "He's expecting you, ma'am." Before she could even say 'thank you,' the office doors opened and sure enough, there he was in his usual pensive stance by the window.
She needed to blink rapidly so that her eyes didn't fill with tears. "Anderson."
He turned to her. "Aurelia." He breezed across the room and hugged her tightly. "It's really you." He broke the hug and took her chin in one hand, lifting it upwards to inspect her face.
Shepard suddenly felt a little self-conscious about the scars on her face and body. "I'm still trying to believe it myself, you know?"
They both laughed and he released her. "Unfortunately we'll have to catch up later, the rest of Council want to speak with you."
Before she could complain, Anderson had already moved to activate the comm. The shapes of Councilor Tevos, Valern and Sparatus appeared in front of her. "Commander Shepard. So the rumours are true."
Shepard tried desperately to remain calm throughout the entire conversation, but very nearly lost it when Sparatus declared they have "dismissed" the "claim" of the Reapers.
She responded through gritted teeth. "But why not inspect any of Sovereign's remains? Surely you can see that the technology is far more advanced than the Geth could achieve."
"Commander, this is beside the point." Tevos completely cut off the argument before it could begin. "We called this meeting today to give you a chance to explain yourself. We owe you that much. But we cannot accept the fact that you are working with Cerberus, an avowed enemy of the Council."
"Councillor, nobody else is willing to investigate these colonies."
"That is also true. Though we are unable to show any public signs of support, we would like to offer to uphold your Spectre status so long as you restrict your activity to Terminus Systems."
Shepard nodded. "Thank you, Councillors."
"Let us hope for a very swift end to your relationship with Cerberus. Good luck with your mission, Commander." The comm cut off.
Anderson looked at Shepard apprehensively. "Well, that could have gone worse."
She shrugged. "Yeah, but I'm not here to make enemies. I'm in a tricky situation and I need all the friends I can get."
Anderson led her to the balcony. "So I've heard. I hear you've been recruiting various people to help you from across the galaxy."
She sniggered. "Well, someone has gotten more resourceful with information these past years. And hell, Anderson, you don't expect me to take on the Collectors by myself, do you?"
He smiled. "No, you're right."
They leaned against the railing on the balcony. "How are you, Anderson? How have these two years been treating you?"
"I'm not gonna lie, Shep." He sighed. "It's been hard. Politics were never my game, and it's hard for me to balance my duties on the Council with my devotion to the Alliance. It's like riding a unicycle."
"If you want out I can always kidnap you with my super-advanced stealth ship."
He laughed at that. "I'll consider it. Though at my age I'm pretty sure I'd be more useful in the backroom than on the frontlines."
They discussed the Alliance, Cerberus, how she's even alive.
She finally mustered up the courage to ask. "Sir… where is Staff Lieutenant Alenko?"
"Staff Commander Alenko is fine. He's doing some classified missions at the moment, one that I'm not permitted to disclose to you while you have a partnership with Cerberus."
She wanted to protest when Udina interrupted them. "Anderson, do the words 'political shitstorm' mean nothing to you?"
"What's the matter, Udina? Don't believe in ghosts?"
Anderson frowned at her. "Shepard, there's no need for that." He turned to Udina. "And you, do I have to remind you that I am the Councillor here, not you? The meeting was fine. They upheld her Spectre status as a private gesture of support."
Not wanting to deal with Udina, Shepard made her way to the door. "I should go, I don't think Udina wants me here." She turned before she exited. "We'll keep in touch, Anderson."
"Please do. Keep me updated, especially when your Cerberus ties have been cut. Feel free to visit me anytime."
When she got back to the Normandy, EDI immediately ushered her into the comm room. "Commander, the Illusive Man wishes to speak with you."
Aurelia stepped into the comm and braced for the shiver that ran down her spine every time she saw the Illusive Man's eyes.
"Shepard, I heard you had a meeting with Councillor Anderson and the Council. How did that go?"
That was quick. "Surprisingly okay. The Council reinstated my Spectre status, which I suppose will come in handy. I didn't get much else out of it, though."
"And by that you mean you couldn't get the Councillor to tell you where Staff Commander Alenko is currently stationed?"
Shepard nearly choked on her own saliva. "How dare you bring him into this."
"I'm not; you are. I'm mentioning this because we got a tip about the next colony to be hit. A colony on Horizon, in the Iera system, has gone dark. It's the biggest lead we've had and I want you to check it out. And it just so happens that one Kaidan Alenko is currently stationed there under an 'Alliance outreach programme.'"
Her heart started beating rapidly, but Shepard wasn't sure if it was because she might see Kaidan again, or she was worried they would get there too late.
"I'll head there immediately."
"I hope Mordin has an antidote for the seeker swarms ready, or at least works very well under pressure."
Shepard cut off the comm and muttered under her breath. "He'll have something. And we'll be there."
Chapter 3.4 – Horizon
They arrived on Horizon just in time. The Collectors had already started loading the colonists onto their ship so Shepard, Miranda and Grunt rushed to the GARDIAN towers to disable the ship before it left. Of course, it wasn't easy. The trio had to fight through Collectors, terrifying Scions and even husks, which left no doubt the Collectors were working with the Reapers.
For the first time, Shepard truly appreciated the few changes Miranda made to her body. Her new implant, as Miranda had explained they upgraded her L3 into a proto-type L5x, meant she had more power and finer control over her biotics. And the few weeks of 'recruitment' missions also came in handy, because Shepard felt physically fitter than she did two years ago.
The group fell into a pattern: Shepard sent out shockwaves or singularities to disorient Collectors and husks, Grunt finished the fallen enemies up-close where he was best, while Miranda and Shepard threw Warps at the Scions to cover him. Shepard was a little terrified when several times a Collector drone started glowing and talking directly to her (how do they know who I am?), but she remembered the old Krogan's words of wisdom and didn't let it faze her. She just kept on throwing Warps and shooting until the possessed Collector was dust.
When EDI finally got the guns to work, a flying creature almost finished them off – it broke through Shepard's biotic barrier too easily and she constantly needed to take cover between using biotics and shooting at the Praetorian so that it didn't kill her. When it was defeated, they realised that it was only a pawn to distract them so that the ship could flee – the ground shook as it took off from the colony.
She tore her horrified gaze from the Collector ship to the mechanic running up to her. "No! They've still got half the colony! And Lilith!"
"I… I'm sorry."
Miranda put her arm on Shepard's shoulder. "You did everything you could, Shepard."
Grunt stomped in agreement. "It was a good fight."
The mechanic stirred. "Wait, Shepard? I've heard your name before. You're one of those big-time Alliance heroes."
"I –"
A familiar husky voice interrupted her. "Commander Shepard: captain of the Normandy, first human Spectre, saviour of the Citadel." A familiar figure accompanying the voice walked into the clearing. "You're in the presence of a legend, Delan. And a ghost."
"You got left behind? Figures," Delan spat and left. "I'm done with you Alliance jerks."
Shepard felt her heartbeat quicken as Kaidan approached her. She looked into his eyes, his beautiful amber eyes that she dreamed about every night, but they had a hardened glaze over them. They softened for a brief second and he pulled her into an embrace.
"I thought you were dead, Shepard. We all did."
The bitter tone in his voice was enough to make her break the hug. "I was… I'm sorry." She bit her tongue. Why am I apologising for my own death?
"Then how are you here? After two years?" He scoffed. "Why didn't you contact me, Shepard? I thought we had something. I loved you, and thinking you were dead tore me apart."
Loved. She could feel her heart shattering. "I tried, Kaidan. Anderson wouldn't tell me where you were." She sniffed. "I was clinically brain dead. Miranda here took two years to bring me back. I don't know how she did it but I'm here, alive."
He glanced behind her at Miranda, and she already knew he was zeroing in on the Cerberus logo on her suit. "So it's true, then. You are with Cerberus. After everything they put you through on Akuze? All those 'science experiments' we stopped?"
"I'm not with anyone or anything, Kaidan. I don't work for Cerberus. You saw what the Collectors have done here, and why they need to be stopped. Cerberus brought me back to life because they knew nobody else would be willing to fight the Collectors, not even the Alliance!" She was starting to get angry. Why can't he see the truth? "Besides, I spent most of the past two years on an operating table or in a coma, how was I supposed to choose what happened to me while dead?"
He stepped back, crossing his arms over his chest. "Maybe you're right. But the Shepard I knew wouldn't be willing to compromise who she was to stop it; she'd find another way." He took another step back. "Maybe you just feel like you owe Cerberus because they brought you back to life."
"It's not like that, Kaidan. It's just an agreement – collaborate to stop the Collectors." She made one last desperate attempt. "I could use a good soldier like you. You could join me, re-join the Normandy, where you belong."
He narrowed his eyes at her. "Me? With Cerberus? I'm sorry but I know where my allegiance lays; I'm an Alliance soldier, always will be. And if there's one thing I learned these past two years, it's that I'd never betray the Alliance. I've got to report back to the Citadel. Good luck with your mission, Commander."
Shepard never thought she'd have to watch Kaidan walk away from her. She wasn't ready for the pain stabbing her heart; she shoved it down and ignored it, numbing herself.
"Miranda, where is the goddamn shuttle?" Shit, I'm starting to sound like Zaeed. "I want to get off this planet."
Garrus was waiting – no, more like frowning – in the shuttle bay when they got back. "Are you alright, Shepard?"
Crap, did I keep my ship-wide comm open by accident or something? "I don't want to talk about it, Garrus."
She moved to a weapons bench and started unloading her gear. She knew she could take it to Jacob in the armoury to have it cleaned, or she could even leave it to Garrus, but she liked doing it herself down here – it was a little bit of calm that she liked taking advantage of.
After a moment, Garrus continued cautiously. "Kaidan was always a stubborn one but I'm sure he'll come around. He has to. No one can deny the Collectors are behind this now."
She slammed her pistol onto the weapon bench's surface. "I don't want to talk about it, Garrus!"
He crossed his arms. "You know you two weren't exactly a secret, back on the SR-1. Especially Liara and I were fully aware of your relationship."
Shepard busied herself with unstrapping her armour. "I know, Garrus."
"Then you know that you'll have to talk about it eventually. You're my best friend, Shepard, and when you to decide to talk, you know where I am." He starts towards the elevator.
Chapter 3.5 – About Horizon
After a busy week on Illium involving a Drell assassin, an Asari Justicar, Liara, Miranda's sister, mercs, and even Conrad Verner, Shepard retreated to her cabin. She told the crew to have a night off, wanting a little time to herself to process what Liara had just told her about being the one who gave her body to Cerberus. As if that was your decision to make, Liara…
She knew deep down Liara was right – Aurelia needed to be alive to fight the Collectors, and ultimately the Reapers if she survived the Omega 4 Relay. Tomorrow she would need to go to Liara's offices and apologise before setting off to Tuchanka. For now, she just wanted to rest.
Shepard opened up her console to check her messages. Her heart stopped when she saw the first one.
About Horizon…
She couldn't even bring herself to open the message, because suddenly all the emotions she had been shoving down resurface and she needed to punch something.
The first thing she could think of was the stupid fish tank. It was empty, anyway; she never bothered to get fish. She would probably just forget to feed them. The glass was stronger than it seemed and she ended up barely scratching it, whereas her hand came back bleeding and she thought she heard a knuckle crack. But she was too angry to feel any pain.
"How could you fucking say those things to me?!" She kicked her chair.
EDI's voice was alarmed. "Commander, are you alright?"
"Leave me ALONE, EDI!"
She grabbed the glass of water she had on her desk and slammed it against the wall. "How could you not trust me?!"
She reached for the Normandy SR-1 model and thrust it at the console as if Kaidan could see through the screen. "Did this mean nothing to you?"
Finally, she biotically picked up the newly fixed frame staring at her from the other side of the desk. "Did we mean nothing to you?" She was about to throw it against the wall with her biotics when she looked into his eyes and sadness replaced her anger.
She sunk to the ground, ignoring the broken glass around her, and started to gently weep.
She still had the frame suspended in the air when the door hissed open. "Commander, are you alri–" Miranda startled. "Oh…"
Shepard laughed through her tears and put the frame down gently. "Come to see the great Commander Shepard, have you?"
Surprisingly, Miranda just sat down next to her. She had become kinder since they saved her sister Oriana. "EDI was worried about you." She gently took Shepard's injured hand to inspect it. "Don't let him get to you, Shepard. Just because he couldn't see past the Cerberus logo doesn't mean he's right."
Shepard wiped at her eyes with her free hand. "I know."
They sat in silence for a few minutes.
"Miranda… why me? You could have trained several armies with the funds you spent on bringing me back to life."
"Isn't it obvious, Shepard? You have that fire that makes someone willing to follow you into Hell itself. There is no other like you. The Reapers are coming, and the galaxy will need you when that time comes, even if they don't see it now." She helped Aurelia up, careful to avoid any broken glass on the floor. "Now come on, you should get your hand checked up. Chakwas is in Illium at the moment, but I'm sure Mordin would be more than willing to patch this up for you."
Mordin was his usual chipper self, and Shepard was thankful that he didn't mention her puffy eyes.
"Wrist not broken. Slight damage to knuckle, however should heal easily. No shards of glass, fortunately. Would complicate things. No matter, can have this patched up quickly." He started work on her hand. "While you wait, can entertain you with some music. Was just remembering some old Gilbert and Sullivan pieces."
He started to sing and her mood was immediately uplifted.
Later that night, after Mordin had calmed her down by singing to her more, she returned to her cabin (cleaned up by Miranda) and finally read the email. She read it slowly, hearing how his voice would say every word.
When she finished, she shut off the console and made a promise to herself. I will defeat the Collectors, Kaidan. I will return to you.
A/N: Thank you for reading! You can contact me here, on my tumblr (bioticnerfherder) or my Mass Effect tumblr (shepeffect)!