Chapter 4

Thank you all who are reading my story. I know I had a lot of grammar issues in the last couple chapters but I have learned to minimize it. Thank you for reading. Please review

Garrus had woken up early to get his things together and say his goodbye's. he walked through the camp. People were still depressed over the war with the reaper's. They had defeated them yes ,but their lives they had spent building had been destroyed. Houses had been demolished. Loved ones dead or missing. Garrus knew that people would die during the war. Even he could not imagine the destruction the Reapers left in their wake.

Garrus had finally made it to Shepards tent. He grabbed the fold from the tent. Before he walked inside he turned and looked once more to the shattered lives of most people there. Not knowing what to do or were to start to pick up the pieces of their lives.

He sighed and walked in. He closed the flap and turned around to see Shepard still sleeping. He had told Shepard to wake up early because of joker would send the shuttle down to get them shortly after the sun rises. Garrus put the small box he had been holding with his possessions down. He walked over to Shepards bed and stood over him.

He slapped the side of his face softly trying to wake him up. "Shepard wake up." Garrus had said. Shepard sound asleep. "Shepard wake up." He said a little louder. Shepard still didn't budge. Garrus started to think of a way to get him up. Garrus Smiled. "Shepard Tali is coming to see you and she sounds pissed." With that said. Shepard's eye's shot open. "Oh shit what did I forget this time?" Shepard said in a scared voice sitting up quickly looking around.

Shepard looked around realizing that he was still in the medical tent in London. "ha really funny Garrus. Get's me every time." Shepard said sarcastically. "well that is the only sure way I'll get you up." Garrus said taking a seat in the chair next to Shepards bed. Shepard looked at him squinting his eyes. " you're a very cruel Turian you know that."

"Yeah well I told you to get up early to get ready. I walked in and you were still asleep." Garrus said pulling the box he had brought to his feet. " I don't have anything besides the shirt and pants on my back. So what's the point." Shepard replied leaning back on his bed.

"speaking of which. When we got that armor pried off your skin. I checked the pocket's and found this." Garrus said reaching in his pocket and pulling out a folded piece of paper. Shepard looked at it and reached out and took it. He unfolded it. Shepard smiled while looking at the piece of paper.

"Tali's photo. Thanks for holding on to this for me Garrus." Shepard said folding it back up and putting it in his shirt. Garrus bent over in his chair opened the box and pulled a black jumpsuit out. "No problem. Here put this on after I leave." He placed it on the foot of Shepards bed. "you will be probably more better off wearing those. Looks better then baby vomit green shirt and short's" Garrus said smiling.

Shepard nodded. "be ready in ten minutes. I'm pretty sure that's when the shuttle comes down and get's us. Use five to get new bandages on and five to get outside." Garrus said picking up the box and walking towards the flaps of the tent. "oh and take this. It will help you walk around." Garrus said reaching into the box and pulling out a three inch cylinder tube and tossing it to Shepard.

Shepard caught it and looked at it. "what do I do with this." Shepard said eyeing it. "hold it out off the side of your bed and squeeze it for five seconds." Garrus replied. Shepard did as he was told and squeeze it for five seconds. When the fifth second hit it turned into a long pole that looked like a cane.

"Doc says you don't have to use it constantly. Only when you get tired. To help ease the stress of your bones." Garrus turned opened the flap all the way and walked half way out. "be ready in ten minutes." He said before fully exiting.

Shepard looked at the cane and squeezed it again for five seconds. It turned back into a three inch cylinder. He placed it on the table. Then took his sheets off of himself and sat on the side of the bed. When he was moving his bones did not hurt. They were just soar. He rubbed the side of his neck. Then stood up and grabbed the bandages off the table. He unwrapped his old bloody bandages and then replaced them with new ones.

When he was done he changed his clothes with the junk suit put his boots on that were surprisingly not that damaged and put Tali's photo in his pocket. He looked around to see if he was not leaving anything. He didn't recognize anything. Shepard grabbed the three inch cane off the table and put that in his pocket as well. He made his bed and proceeded towards the flaps of the tent.

He took a last look around and proceeded outside. When he got outside the sun started to hit him. He felt the heat emitting off the sun and closed his eyes and enjoyed it. Feeling the sun was just a small thing to be thankful for. The real thing to be thankful for is to be able to see his friends and Tali again.

He walked straight forward through the amassed tent's and people working out of them. He noticed that most people were living and working out of the small tents. Children playing just outside of their shelter that had been provided for them. Family's having breakfast inside. Husband and wives constantly working on something.

People started to see the man walking amongst them. They stopped what they were doing and looked at the man that had saved them from being killed by the Reaper's. People started to give Shepard smile's and greetings. Everyone paying a couple minutes of their time to their hero. Thanking him. Some men even ran up and shook his hand and thanked Shepard more time's then he could count.

Eventually after getting far enough in. someone clapped for Shepard. Starting a mass collection of people joining in and clapping as well. It got enough to where it actually sounded like a roar of people clapping. Thanking him and cheering.

Shepard finally walked past all the tents and made it to clear land where he saw his turian friend standing in front of a small ship talking to what appeared as an alliance solider. He quickly approached them. His leg's starting to burn from the sudden increase in speed, but he didn't care.

"They have been out for almost nine days." Garrus said sounding annoyed. Shepard had heard this and his curiosity peaked. "What's going on" Shepard asked. "Garrus looked at him. "About time you got here. We are actually about to leave. I also found out why I was not able to contact the Normandy."

Shepard eyes widened. "Really did something happen." "No ,but it was engineering problem that happened and the comms system are offline. It's a good thing joker remembered to come get me or we would have not been able to remind him." Garrus replied. Shepard looked at him a little confused. "am I not coming with you." Garrus looked at him confused as well. Then realized why he asked that. "no what I meant was that he thinks he is only picking me up. He does not know your alive and coming with me." Shepard nodded in understanding.

"alright what are we waiting for then let's go home." Shepard said with enthusiasm. Garrus laughed at him. "you go ahead and sit inside I'm going to put this box in the back and then come join you." Shepard nodded and boarded the spacecraft. He sat down on the bench on one of the walls. He settled in making himself comfortable. He then looked tried to look out the window ,but was not able to because of something the used to clean it was so good. He could actually see his reflection to the point where he could not look out.

He eventually gave up and then just looked at himself in the window. He had a couple scars and bruises. He kept studying his face. When out of nowhere he heard a voice speaking to him.

"you killed us when we started to live."

"you betrayed us."

Shepard wondered where that was coming from. He looked around and could not find the source of it. He looked back at the window and was startled by a machine in the window. Not just a machine. A geth and not just any geth. It was legion. Shepard quickly rubbed his eyes to test his vision. When he opened them again legion was gone.

Garrus had come in right after and sat across from him. He settled in and looked at Shepard. He looked nervous. "Shepard." Garrus called out. Shepard snapped out of his trance. Looking at his friend. "you okay." Garrus asked. Shepard looked at him for a second then nodded. "don't worry buddy soon you will be with your friends and your girl Tali." Garrus said reassuring. Shepard smiled and nodded.

A couple of seconds later the shuttle the shuttle took off and were heading for the Normandy.

Back on the Normandy it was a busy day. For Tali at least she had been spending all most two weeks trying to fix the Comm systems. She had been crawling through vents in the floor taking out all the burnt wire and replacing it with a new one.

She had to replace wire from most parts of the second and third floor. The lowest floor was spared. Tali would repeat the process each day. She would go in and cut as much wire as she could get out and then she would go back and replace it with new wire so that way she doesn't get confused with the wires. Most of them look the same down there. There they were not tagged as what was for what wire. It was even worse because there was no lighting system down there so she had to take a flash light.

She was in a rut. A very annoying rut. When she stopped for lunch. She would take whatever wire she had and took it with her. When she finally had gotten out she would exit through the lab were Mordin was stationed before he died. She would admit every time she walked through their Mordin would want to talk about something. It was usually about sicknesses she had never heard of. He annoyed her when he was here, but she still cared for him as a friend. After all he did manage to keep Shepard alive after the bar tender in omega poisoned him.

He had also helped the team with the collector's a lot. His research did a lot for that mission. Tali walked past the table where Mordin would work at and out the door. She kind of missed the talking. She carried the wire's and put them in a cardboard box next to the command console. Near the rest of the tools. She would throw them out after lunch.

She quickly called the elevator and it opened instantly. It was probably just sitting there the whole time. She walked in and pushed the button to go to the crew quarters and cafeteria. It took forever for the door to close and to start to move.

A couple minutes passed and the doors opened. She casually walked out and proceeded towards the cafeteria. She walked up to sgt Gary the cook. "hey Gary" Tali said tired. Gary smiled "hard day's work huh" He said while getting her meal ready "you don't even know the half of it." She replied leaning on the counter. Trying to hold herself up. Gary just laughed. "well hang in there kid." Gary put out Tali tray with the tubes of food paste that she eats, her filtered straw in a wrapper, flavored water that tastes like cherry in a sealed cylinder container And a napkin just in case. Tali looked at Gary and smiled. Even though he could not see it through her mask.

She went and sat down at the table and started to eat her food. slowly enjoying it. She lifted her arm up on to the table and activated her Omni tool. She had a novel programmed into it she was reading and enjoying her lunch.

Private Jones had entered the mess hall. He was looking for Tali. He searched across and then saw her sitting at the end of the table. He quickly approached her Tali was to into her novel to notice him walk up. Private Jones tried to get her attention. "Ma'am." He said while standing next to her. Tali did not notice. "Ma'am" He said a little louder. Tali was startled by him. She had not noticed him walk up.

"Uh yes. What can I help you with" Tali asked. "Ma'am a landing shuttle is returning from orbit and you are needed in the landing bay to see what condition it is in." Jones said waiting for a response. Tali sighed. Looking away and closing her Omni tool. "Alright I'll be right down." Jones saluted her and walked away.

Tali sealed the tubes she had not eaten and put them in her belt pouch. She would eat them later. She quickly finished her cherry water and walked towards the elevator. Jones had used the elevator to go back from were ever he came from so it would take a little bit. "I hate elevators" She thought

When she finally had gotten down to the landing bay. she had grabbed a PDA to record the shuttles condition. "I can't even enjoy my lunch anymore" She said angry waiting for the shuttle to arrive. About ten minutes had passed. "They called me down this early to wait for it." Tali was getting impatient.

Five more minutes had passed and she had eaten another tube of her food while She was sitting on a random wooden crate. When she finished it the shuttle got there. It was moving around to get in the best spot before it landed. She watched the fire and smoke come out of it. Finally it started to move towards the ground.

When it landed finally. Garrus had gotten out with a box in his hands. He looked at Tali's posture. She looked tired. "Hard week" Garrus asked walking by her. "You have no idea." She got to work checking the outside of the shuttle to check for damages from any small rocks drifting in space. She checked the thrusters and the lights.

When she finished the outside she proceeded to go in the shuttle to check it's circuit's. as she was about to step up she bumped into someone. She did not see his face ,but quickly apologized. "i..Im sorry. I didn't know there was anyone in here." She looked up at the man she had bumped into. His eyes staring into hers

Tali had dropped the PDA. She lost the ability to speak. She was overwhelmed by joy. It felt as though the whole world had stopped for this moment. Finally he said something. "Hi Tali." The man said. Tali looked at him. "Shepard" she said with disbelief. Shepard smiled. "the one and only." He said.

"Shepard" She repeated. Tears had started to run down her eyes. "is that you" She said. Putting her hand up to his face. Feeling his face. To see if it was true. She quickly dropped her hands and put them around his waist. In a powerful hug. "it is you." Tali yelled. Shepard was shocked by the sudden hug. it drew his breath out of his lungs. She dug her head into his chest not wanting to let go. For fear of him disappearing. She hugged him as tight as she could. He hugged her back.

"Shepard it really is you." She said crying. Tears were like a river coming from her eyes. She tried to wipe her face ,but forgot about her mask. The tears running down her face were endless. Like the ocean. She just could not stop crying from joy. "John I thought I had lost you." She said crying even louder now.

Shepard smiled with one tear coming from his eye. "I thought I would never see you again either." He said moving an arm up and down her back. Trying to soothe her. Shepard kissed Tali on the top of her mask lens. Then lowered his head to Tali's head which was at his chest. Embracing her as well.

Tali was shaking with joy. She had a warm sensation from her heart. As if it had woken up after these last horrible day's alone. Finally reunited with the man she loved. She did not lighten her grip ,but looked up at Shepard.

"I have missed you so much. I thought I lost you." She said with a hiccup. She pushed her head back into his chest. Shepard Stopped rubbing her back and started to rub the back of her head. Trying without success to calm her down. " I thought you had left me." She said. Shepard tried to keep his voice straight "I would never have left you alone. I would have been watching over you. I will never leave you alone in this universe. I promise."

Tali calmed down slightly. Some of the crying that had left her system had been replaced with hiccups. As they embracing each other. Tali would slightly bounce every couple of seconds or so. "I love you Tali with all my heart." Shepard broke the silence between them. "and I love you with all of mine to" Tali said

Tali finally let go of Shepard and he did the same. They looked at each other. All of the crying had subsided. They smiled at each other. Holding each other's hands. Never breaking eye sight. They wanted to make this moment last forever, but was cut short by Shepards Stomach grumbling asking for food.

"Sorry. All I have had to eat was soup for a while." Shepard said ashamed of his stomach for ruining the moment. Tali laughed still holding on to his hands. "let's go get you something to eat." Tali said letting go of his hands. "Alright." He said. As they started to walk up to the mess hall. Shepard reached out and put a hand around Tali's hips and brought her close to him.

Tali was surprised by this and returned it by putting her hand around his waist. They got to the elevator. And pushed the button. Shepard remembered this thing. "one thing is for sure. I will always hate this elevator." Shepard said laughing. Tali laughed as well. She was glad to have her life with Shepard back.

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