I know it has been awhile since I have last updated this story. In truth I had continued working on it but I was updating on archive of our own and forgot to update and post on here the next few chapters. For those who were enjoying the story on here I am sorry, but I will be updating and posting again on .


"What do you think everyone is doing right now?"

"I don't know."

"I hope they're safe."

"Yeah, so do I Tali."

Garrus was sitting somberly on the end of one of the tables by the kitchen. He could remember Shepard standing by the kitchen bar and talking with the cerberus hired chef. Whatever happened to him? Garrus found himself wondering. Not that it mattered. If he was lucky he was dead if he wasn't then he was stranded somewhere without anyone.

"Poor sap." Garrus mutters under his breath to himself. He was mildly aware that the others had paused their conversation to hear if he said anything else. He wasn't going to of course. He wasn't in the mood right now. Nor was he in the mood to deal with their pitying eyes, or hollow reassurances. He knew that Shepard was alive. She wouldn't die so easily. Not again, and the first time had been unfair. Who could be space itself? If Shepard couldn't then no one could. Over in the corner of the kitchen area Tali and Kaidan were talking. He wasn't sure about what. Garrus honestly wasn't listening much. He caught a word or two here and there. Tali was missing the people they left behind from what Garrus had heard. He supposed Kaidan was trying to help put her mind at ease. Not that it mattered.

Light footsteps, slowly but steadily falling onto the floor from behind Garrus alerts him that someone was there. Approaching him. They stop just short of hitting his own. Still staring at his food which he had mashed into mush, he ignores the bystander.

"Garrus." Oh so it was Liara who stood beside him now. He should've guessed. "The rest of us decided that we should hold a ceremony. For Captain Anderson and Commander Shepard." So they were just giving up on her. For Kaidan and Liara that wasn't a change. They gave up on her before. Garrus bit his mandible tightly together so the spiteful words wouldn't escape. He knew they had their reasons, and Shepard had already forgiven them. So had he. Besides it had turned out Liara played a key role in getting the illusive man what he needed in order to bring her back. "We'll wait until you're ready to start Garrus." For a moment she let's her hand rest on his shoulder as if that may bring him a bit of comfort. It didn't, but it did bring him back to his sense a bit more. He was acutely aware of all the eyes on him now.

Tali, and Kaidan, Specialist Traynor and Cortez, Liara and head engineer Adams, Kenneth and Gabriella. As well as a few faces he recognizes but couldn't put names too. Not right now. They were all waiting for him. The others had been left behind on Earth or died while defending the ship when it had landed picking up the few of them that had been fighting out in the field before Joker saved them. Garrus lets his head fall on top of his knuckles for a few moments. He had to take charge. Shepard wasn't here and whereas no one would be able to replace her they at least trusted him. He would get them out of here.

Standing up he looks around at everyone before his eyes rested of Kaidan. The human spectre acknowledges him with a nod of his head, a gesture Garrus was quick to return. "Let's begin Liara."

Liara smiles a hollow smile devoid of almost all feelings, yet it somehow held pity within it. Oh how he was starting to get annoyed by that pity. "Alright Garrus." She leaves to gather everyone up.

The procession began awkwardly. With all the different species that were on board and their different ways of honoring the dead they weren't really sure what to do at first, but Tali had a suggestion. She suggested that everyone who lost someone could have the honor of putting their lost one's name with the others and say whatever they felt would be best for them. So they did. It was a bit awkward at first and there was a few outburst of tears that the alliance members couldn't hold, but eventually they had made it through. One by one the other soldiers left, eventually that left only Shepard's closest friends and family.

"It's time." Liara states as she hands the plaque to Garrus.

Garrus didn't bother to look at the others as he walks up to the list. His eyes wander over the list of names. Thane, Legion, Mordin, Anderson. Shepard's plaque was large, and it was clear that whoever made it, purposely made it as large as it was so it would go in the middle with Anderson's. She wouldn't like that. She would want to be just like everyone else who was a part of the Normandy and lost their lives. She would want to be treated just like all of them, but she wasn't them. She was so much more. Looking down, Garrus runs a hand over the name on the plaque. Was she really gone? Shepard was so strong, he couldn't believe that she would be gone. He didn't even like entertaining the idea. As he stood there for a few moments, all the times they spent together, all the memories, close calls, death-defying moments, the quiet ones when it was just them, how she smelt, how she moved, how her determination and will were the most powerful things he had ever encountered. Garrus looks back at the list and begins raising the plaque to add it. Then he thought about Shepard's last words to him. 'There's no Shepard without Vakarian.' They felt so right. He thought about how happy he had been when she said she would consider settling down with him after all of this, and how they were going to raise a family. They were going to grow old together. Garrus lowers his hands. The plaque goes with them. She wasn't dead. He would know.


Wrex was the first one to find Grunt as the krogan ran back with Shepard held tightly in his hands. He couldn't miss the kid with how much noise he was making as he ran. The rest of the next few hours was a rush that Wrex didn't really think about. Once they had gotten Shepard somewhere for help the doctors kept moving her from one hospital to another and eventually had her moved to a mostly standing hospital a few streets over. The one doctor that finally took her in, and didn't pass her on because of lack of room, or medicine, or simply because they thought she was a hopeless case, was a salarian. Something Wrex wasn't exactly trusting of. He knew not all salarians were bad guys but the alliance between the two species was weak even though it was holding. He stood just outside of the doctor's workspace and watches him as he and the nurses set Shepard up to machines. He and Grunt had been standing right besides the hospital bed but they made them move when they said they couldn't work. Eventually Wrex was asked to come out and speak to some a crowd that was forming outside. He had refused but Grunt convinced him.

"I am not going to talk to a bunch of human reporters."

"It's not just humans. It's krogans, turians, salarians, asari, who knows how many other species, and humans. All you have to do is tell them that, that is Shepard in there. They want to know if their hero is alive." The human politician insisted. Wrex wanted to push him off a cliff for how annoying he was being. Too bad he couldn't.

"Just go. I will stay here and watch the salarian doctor. If he tries anything I'll make sure he'll be served for lunch."

Wrex laughs before finally agreeing to go out and speak. It was grueling, having to stand out there dealing with them all. The questions just kept coming and eventually Wrex lost his temper and left, returning back to Shepard's hospital room. Grunt had been picking at his skin when Wrex had walked back in.

"You're back. Good I was getting hungry."

"Go eat then. I will watch Shepard." Wrex looked around to see no one else was there. "Where is the nurses and doctor?"

"They took a break, said something about Shepard's body needing it and having other patients. Said they would be back in a few hours."

And so they were. A few hours later they were all busy with trying to fixed the broken engineer. Wrex wasn't the squeamish sort, but there were a few times when they used needles in places where he didn't think humans could take them, that he had too look away. It was four days before the doctor said there was nothing else to do. That she would heal physically but that they weren't sure when she would wake up.

Grunt pokes at the IV tube in Shepard's arm. The machine gives off a small alert and Grunt quickly pulls his hand back. Almost too quick for a krogan. He waits to see if a nurse comes in. When one doesn't Grunt sits down in one of the chairs he and Wrex had pulled up to the bed. Wrex watches as Grunt bends his head down and sets it on the side of Shepard's bed, on top of his bended arm. The other was pressing the buttons on the side of the bed, moving it.

"Stop it kid. Unless you want the doctors to throw you out." Wrex warns.

"I'd like to see them try."

"Heh heh."

Silence fills the room again as the beeping of the machines go unnoticed. Wrex crosses his arms and leans against the wall. The doctors and officers said they would start letting people up to see Shepard today. The opposite wall was already covered in cards and some flower pots. Despite all the devastation the humans still felt the need to send gifts that would help no one. Shepard would never use any of this. She may never even see any of this.

There was a knock on the door which drew Wrex's attention. He reaches for his gun, and reloads it with a fresh round of bullets incase it was some assassin foolhardy enough to try for the down engineer. It was unlikely one would use the front door but he could only hope for some excitement in this place. Grunt lifts one of his arms and points his gun at the door.

"Shepard are you here?"

"Where else would she be you idiot?"

"Maybe someone let her out early."

"Before she woke up?" Grunt asks sneering at the human stranger.

"Dude it was a question that I wasn't really expecting an answer to. Or maybe they purposely gave you the wrong room number. I know I wouldn't want you visiting me." Grunt glares at the human but before he could do anything to it a familiar one comes from around the corner. The younger human covers his head as Zaeed shoves him the rest of the way into the room.

"If I was visiting you it would be to finish you by loading a bullet into your head. Sit in a corner and keep your mouth shut." Zaeed orders and the younger human slowly moves to a shadowy corner of the room, beside the bathroom door. Zaeed notices Wrex and Grunt. He eyes their guns. "Are you going to put those away or will I have a shiny, new krogan helmet?"

Wrex laughs. The human had guts to talk to him that way. He always did like guts.

"Glad to see someone has been watching over Shepard." Zaeed comments as he walks over to Shepard's bedside, standing slightly to the right, in front of Wrex, and across from Grunt. Grunt snorts and mumbles something under his breath.

"Hello to you to." Zaeed retorts. Grunt and Wrex finally put away their guns.

"Who's the other human?" Grunt asks eyeing him. "Looks tasty."

"He's not for eating sadly. Said he knew Shepard personally before she joined the army. Wouldn't leave me alone so he came along. Tried shaking him, but no one would shoot the poor fool for me, and I didn't want to waste my bullets. So I agreed that he could come up with me if he stayed quiet and out of my range, firing and sight."

"You could've had security keep him downstairs." Wrex states.

"For what, just so they can gripe about him till I came back down and he could bother me more. No I would just shoot him then."

"How did you get them to let you up Zaeed?" Grunt asks ignoring the intruding human tag-a-long.

"It didn't take much persuading. You would think they would have more security around, down there."

Wrex shakes his head. "If anyone was stupid enough to target Shepard, the kid or I are here." Zaeed just nods barely listening to Wrex. He was now carefully pulling his gun out. Grunt and Wrex watch him as he sets the rifle down on the medical table.

"Well you have another hand on board. From the news that is spreading around out there, you are about to be very busy." Zaeed tells Wrex. Wrex doesn't say or do anything. He had been avoiding some of his responsibilities to be here instead. While he trusted the kid he didn't really trust anyone else with Shepard. He wanted eyes on those doctors. Eve wasn't happy, but she understood. She was handling the krogan, and the aliens who wanted his presence as he watched over Shepard. He had told her she was a friend to all krogans, and a sister to him. She was the only family that he actually ever liked besides his grandfather. He wasn't going to let anybody with bright ideas to take her out now while she was lying defenseless in her rest. Right after she had defeated the reapers. He would wait for her to open her eyes. Even if the doctors or nurses say the chance is low. By now he knew to never doubt Shepard because she always came through. He knew that she would wake up. He wanted to be here when she did. Yet he knew Zaeed had heard right. His people were growing restless, especially after such a battled ended so soon. Too soon for some of the other krogan.

"Speak of the devil." Zaeed says as the door opens again. Wrex looks over his shoulder and spots one of the human politician's underlings he had been avoiding for a few days. All the humans wanted to do was talk. The other species weren't much different. The people focus on rebuilding while the governments were pretending to oversee as they continue to try to make deals that are in the best interest of their own people.

"There's a meeting Urdnot Wrex. You're presence is required." Wrex looks back at the others.

"Go. Zaeed and I will stand on guard. If anything happens we have another human to use as a meat shield." Grunt says with a laugh.

Wrex nods and begins to leave. He pauses as he walks past the human who had been hiding in the corner like Zaeed had told him too. He stares at the young man for a few moments watching as the human began to squirm under his scrutiny.

"We need to hurry." Wrex snorts before following the politician. How had Shepard met someone who was so cowardly? It stumped him.