Shepard knew from the piercing pain that something was horribly wrong. Shifting to try and sit upright she bit back a cry of pain as she saw the piece of rebar sticking up through the armour at her shoulder. The explosion had ripped through the hallway causing the floor to collapse and dropping her onto the newly created rubble on the lower level. Glancing up she saw that the rubble had filled in behind her making it impossible to reach her team on the floor above. The situation wasn't good but looking around her at the mass of debris she knew it could have been a hell of a lot worse. A glance at the timer on her omni-tool showed that they had very little time left to get back to the shuttle before the bombs they'd planted would go off, destroying the station and anything left on it.

"Shepard are you alright?" Kaidan's worried voice came over the comms.

With a sinking heart she knew she had to get her team off of the station. "I'm fine get back to the shuttles. I'll meet you there." The lie rolled easily off of her tongue. She wasn't going down without a fight but neither was she prepared to sacrifice the lives of her crew if they couldn't get to her in time.

Bracing her hands on either side of her she gritted her teeth and with a mighty heave lifted her upper body clear of the impaling metal. Collapsing forward she grasped her chest panting as sweat ran down her brow from the pain searing through her. After a moment she pulled her knees under her, pushing herself up until she was kneeling. One hand probed the wound, coming away bloody but it looked as if she hadn't hit an artery which meant she still had a little time. A quick application of medi-gel helped to slow the bleeding but it wasn't enough. It hurt to breathe but she pushed the thought away as she forced herself to her feet, abandoning her assault rifle on the ground. There was no way she would be able to manage the recoil of the rifle in her current state, her arm was almost useless. She took a few shaky steps before she felt as if she could trust her balance. Holding her arm crossed over her chest she moved through the wreckage of the hallway, trying to find a clear path back to the hangar bay. The timer was a constant reminder to move faster, to push her to get there in time. She had promises to keep and a mission to finish but as she turned the corner and saw the Normandy through the windows she felt a chill of realization go through her.

They're too close. Even as fast as the Normandy was she might struggle to outrun the blast through the debris field if Joker didn't leave soon. Forcing herself into a jog that made every step agony Shepard switched over to a private comms channel.

"EDI."

"Shepard your vital sensors indicate that you have been wounded." The AI sounded concerned.

"I'll be fine EDI but I need you to do something for me."

"Of course."

"I might not make it to the shuttle bay in time. Get the others back to the Normandy and get them away from here."

"Jeff and the crew will not willingly leave you behind."

"Then if that's what it comes to you have to make him."

"Shepard I cannot force Jeff to fly against his will."

Putting as much authority in her tone as she could Shepard made her orders explicitly clear. "EDI you are the ship. If I don't make it to a shuttle in time I order you to take control of the flight systems and get the crew safely out of the system."

There was a long silence before EDI finally responded with clear reluctance. "I understand Commander."

"Thank you EDI." Relief flooded herself as she pushed on, determined to get to the others in time – determined to live – but she was starting to feel the effects of blood loss.

She started to jog even though each step jarred her wounded shoulder with splintering pain. Not much time left. Hurry up! She repeated to herself as she made her way through the sterile hallways trying to find the way through.

"Shepard we've gotta go!" The urgency in James's voice spurred her on but she knew she was running out of time.

"Take one of the shuttles. Get clear!" She ordered.

"Commander…..?" Miranda sounded unsure.

"Go! I'll be right behind you." She promised as her vision began to swim and she sagged against the window.

Moments later she saw a streak leave the station and head towards the Normandy. They were safe. Despite her determination she felt a hot tear slip down her cheek. Furious with herself she pushed herself back onto her feet and hurried as best she could towards the hangar. It couldn't be far now….. there was so little time. Her pulse was a pounding beat in her head, her vision wavering as she finally saw the signs for the shuttle bay. Her extremities were so cold and she knew that wasn't a good sign. She stumbled up the last set of stairs as her vision went black around the edges.

No, I'm not done yet. Gritting her teeth she surged forward clutching her shoulder and burst through the door into the hangar bay.

Too late. She thought as her legs shook and then sagged, unable to hold her weight any longer. Pitching forward onto the ground she managed to catch herself only to cry out when the shock of the landing sent pain lancing through her upper body. Suddenly a pair of strong hands were grabbing her and pulling her up, taking her weight. All she could see was that familiar armour.

"I told you to go."

Kaidan's mouth was set in angry line. "Not this time."

"Come on we've gotta move!" James shouted at them, helping to pull Shepard onto the shuttle.

"Hang on!" Another voice called. Cortez?

She felt the shuttle rumble as it lifted off of the ground and then Cortez fired the thrusters forcing the Kodiak to accelerate with bone rattling speed. Kaidan and James held her down as she tried to push herself up into a seated position. As if from a distance she heard herself attempt to reassure them that she was alright but her vision was swimming again and the replies became muffled as she fought the blackness trying to overwhelm her.

I have to see this through.

It was sheer force of will that got her to her feet and she pushed away the hands trying to support her as she staggered forward to watch the monitors. Cortez tried to be gentle landing the shuttle on the Normandy but time was against them and she winced as she barely caught herself from falling. Staggering out of the shuttle she caught the final glimpse of Avernus Station as the hangar door slammed shut.

"Hang on!" Joker shouted over the comms and she felt Kaidan grab her around the waist and anchor her against the sudden acceleration that caused the Normandy to lurch as Joker worked to get the ship clear before the shock wave hit them.

As the vertigo from passing through the relay hit her and a seeming cacophony of voices filled the hangar Shepard lost the battle against her body and collapsed into unconsciousness with only Kaidan's arms around her stopping her from crashing onto the floor.


The incessant beeping was the first thing she heard as she slowly swam back into consciousness.

God I hate that sound. She thought to herself, finding it all too reminiscent of when she'd woken up in London after the explosion on the Citadel. For the briefest moment she tensed, worried she was still in that hospital with no idea where Kaidan and the crew of the Normandy were but just as quickly other sounds began to filter in – familiar sounds.

As she shifted she heard Kaidan's voice call out. "Dr. Chakwas she's awake!"

Opening her eyes she turned her head slightly to watch Karin Chakwas hurry into the room with a reproachful smile on her face. "Hey Doc."

"You gave us a scare Commander." The other woman chastised.

"What happened?"

She heard Kaidan bite back an oath and when she glanced across the anger was clear in every line of his body. "We managed to get back to the Normandy and hit the relay before the shockwave hit us."

It hadn't been a dream. She closed her eyes in relief. "Is everyone alright?"

"They are now." Chakwas gave her an arch look as she checked Shepard's pupil responses with a penlight and the bandages covering her shoulder keeping her arm strapped into place. "Once your shoulder is healed you'll be just fine."

"Thanks Doc." She felt the numbness in her upper body from the painkillers and though it made her more comfortable she didn't like the feeling of not having full control over her body. At least Karin Chakwas knew her well enough to have given her the lowest dose she could get away with.

When Chakwas stepped back satisfied Kaidan moved closer. "Can you give us a minute please Doctor?"

"Of course, I'll be close by should you need anything."

Neither of them said anything for a long moment after the doctor left. Kaidan seemed torn between relief and wanting to throttle her. Finally the anger seemed to leave him as he turned tired eyes towards her.

"You almost gave me another heart attack. What were you thinking? Why didn't you let us come and help you?"

She gave a wan smile. "I had to make sure you were all safe."

He sighed in defeat as he perched on the edge of her bed and held her hand in both of his, bringing it up to his cheek. "EDI told me about your order. At least you know us all well enough to know that we weren't willingly going to leave you behind."

"Seems like she wasn't going to follow orders either."

"No EDI understood and was going to follow your orders even if it meant taking control of the Normandy away from Joker but she wasn't going to do it unless there was no other choice. I sent Miranda and the others back to the Normandy on one of Cerberus's shuttles while Cortez, James and I stayed back to get you off of the station."

"So much for listening to your Commanding Officer." She said wryly though considering he outranked her she supposed the term was a bit of a misnomer.

"That was one order I couldn't follow." Reaching out he brushed a lock of hair back from her forehead before cupping her cheek. "Nothing you could have said would have convinced me to leave you behind again."

Relishing the warmth of his hand against her skin gave him a bemused look. "What a pair we make."

"At least we can finally put that behind us and figure out what we want to do with our future." He pointed out frowning when Shepard blinked, seeming to remember something at his words. "What?"

"Where are we?"

"We just got back to the Sol System. We're on our way home." Shepard sat up, throwing the blankets back and moving to swing her legs over the edge of the bed. "What are you doing?"

"I need to get ready to report to Hackett."

"Come on Shepard, the report can wait. You've been unconscious for hours and lost a hell of a lot of blood."

Trying to drag her boots on when one arm was strapped to her chest was a pain but not something she couldn't handle as she gave him a half-grin. "You know it doesn't work that way Kaidan. Besides once I give my report to Hackett and I can tell him that I'm going to take some of that shore leave he owes me."

"Now that's something I can get on board with. I even have a few thoughts on what we can do."

"Will I need to take my armour along?" She quipped as she raised an amused eyebrow.

Shaking his head he gave her a pained look. "No I think we can both leave that behind."

"Are you saying you don't enjoy our frequent forays into unexpected and dangerous areas?" She asked innocently.

Chuckling he hugged her tightly to his side. "I think I'll pass just this once."

Striding out of the med bay she saw a couple of the crew automatically smiled in welcome before their expressions turned to confusion at seeing her up and moving towards the elevator with such determination. Samantha's greeting died on her lips as Shepard walked straight past her with barely a nod, Kaidan shadowing her worriedly.

"Shepard? Are you supposed to be up already?" Joker asked without seeming too surprised that she was.

Ignoring the question she checked their location within the Sol System. "Thanks for pulling our asses out of the fire again Joker."

"Well someone's got to." The pilot retorted with a smug grin.

"At this rate the Alliance is going to want to transfer you to bigger and better things."

He snorted. "Yeah right like I'm going to want to pilot one of those big heavy dreadnoughts instead of my baby. Flying on the Normandy and serving under you is as big as it gets."

"Glad to hear it." She replied with an amused grin as they began their approach to Earth.


A couple months later

It was eerie being back on the Citadel. Repairs were well underway and where large sections of the arms had once been destroyed when the Crucible fired new sections had been seamlessly integrated into the superstructure. It would still take years to complete all of the work but soon it would be ready to move back to the Widow System. It had taken a long time to deal with the huge number of casualties and the remains left behind by the Reapers and Shepard couldn't help but wonder what had happened to the poor souls left behind in the dark hallways she'd stumbled through trying to find Anderson and the control panel. Did the Catalyst VI still inhabit the station? She supposed she might never know. The area around her was a hive of activity as construction teams worked to make this section of the arm habitable again. As with the cities on Earth the various wards had banded together in an attempt to bring some kind of normalcy to what remained of the station. Theoretically it should have been completely safe but Shepard was taking no chances and had arrived in her armour, preferring to have the security of the pressurized seals to keep her from being fatally spaced a second time should the worst happen.

A short shuttle ride took them to what remained of Dr. Garret Bryson's laboratory on the Presidium. Splashes of green foliage and glimmers of sparkling blue water could still be seen but the damage to the previously immaculate ward was extensive. The damage to the environmental systems had yet to be repaired and the artificial sun and clouds that shone above them frequently flickered between light and darkness, barely stable for longer than a five minute interval before glitching again. Unlike the first time they'd come to the lab Kaidan had accompanied her and EDI to the Citadel in case there was a problem. He'd seen the results of her first meeting with the Leviathans and he knew it was a risk to contact them again. Stepping into the office she noticed that it was surprisingly untouched. Aside from damage sustained during the firing of the Crucible it was clear that the lab hadn't yet been ransacked by looters or scavengers in the aftermath of the destruction. As they approached the sphere she felt a wave of relief at seeing the shield still encasing the sphere and preventing the Leviathans from activating it remotely.

As EDI ran diagnostics on the shielding to ensure it was still performing as expected Shepard walked slowly through the rooms. Had Dr. Bryson's daughter Ann come here after their mission to find the Leviathans? She had been working on the Crucible project with Hackett but now that the war was over would she come back to collect her father's personal possessions and research? She caught sight of one of the childish drawings Ann had drawn for her father when she'd been a little girl. Folding it gently Shepard tucked it away under her gauntlet, she would make sure Ann got it so that she would at least have a small reminder of how much her father had loved her. A thought crossed her mind unbidden, would she ever be in that position, holding a piece of her own child's artwork in her hands? Up until now it had never been something she'd considered, the life of a soldier didn't generally lend itself to a stable and secure family life.

Sentimental fool. She chided herself. She and Kaidan weren't even married yet and it was not something they'd spoken about. A shadow passed over her features, she didn't even know if she was capable of having children anymore. Perhaps having been given another chance at life was enough of a miracle for her.

"Shepard, it appears that the shields are completely intact and functioning normally." EDI interrupted her thoughts. She caught the questioning look on Kaidan's face but she ignored it, this was not the time.

Focussing on the task at hand she walked over to the sphere, dragging a chair across to support her while she attempted to speak to the Leviathans. She knew from first-hand experience that communicating with them was not a pleasant experience and the memory of the cold and darkness she'd found herself in had yet to fade from her mind. This meeting had already been put off for long enough. She had wanted to wait until the injury to her shoulder had healed to ensure that she did not appear to have any outward signs of weakness. They would delve into her mind, see her thoughts and memories and she knew that if they chose to they could keep her trapped in one of their minds until they had no further use for her. It was a risk she had to take.

"Ok EDI you know what you have to do."

"Yes Shepard though the risk of bringing up the shield should they not release their hold on your mind could damage your psyche beyond repair."

"That's just a chance I'll have to take." With a deep breath she steadied herself before nodding to the AI. She had a moment to notice the artefact begin to pulse and swirl with colour before her mind was yanked into that cold dark space.

"Why have you come here?" The deep voice rumbled, echoing around her. A figure materialized in front of her, it seemed the Leviathan would project itself as Ann Bryson this time.

"I want to know what you intend to do now that the Reapers have been destroyed."

"Who are you to demand such answers from us?" The words were spoken derisively. Clearly her actions had done little to change their opinion of the galactic races. "Your kind is small, insignificant – your existence futile. You could no more understand our purpose than you could stop the galaxy from spinning."

"Do you intend to come out of hiding?" She persisted, the pressure on her mind enormous as the sheer power of the Leviathan's mind bore down on her.

"You may have stopped the cycle of destruction but your civilization is fragile and while you may have averted your end for now it is inevitable that your societies will collapse. It is in your nature. Our plans are immaterial to one such as you."

Shepard fought against the immense weight chaining her consciousness. "It matters if you decide that you want to reassert your dominance over our galaxy."

The Leviathan's voice was matter of fact as it spoke. "We could bring order to the chaos, stop the inevitable cycle of hatred and destruction that haunts your species and those of the galaxy. There could be peace."

"We don't want the kind of peace you're offering." She ground out. "The Reapers tried to do the same thing and I destroyed them."

"The intelligence you call Reapers were our creatures, it appears they were – imperfect. It is not a mistake that will be made again."

"Your 'mistake' caused untold cycles of destruction and wiped out hundreds of sentient species. We know what you are now and what you're capable of. I won't stand idly by if you choose to threaten what I've fought so hard to save."

There was a long pause until the vision of Ann Bryson disappeared. "Goodbye Commander Shepard, we will not speak again."

With a gasp Shepard shot upright, scrambling backwards across the floor of the lab where she had fallen as her breath laboured in and out. She heard Kaidan shout at EDI to bring the shield back up and then he was there. "Shepard are you alright?"

Putting up a restraining hand she nodded as her breathing returned to normal. The cold was bone deep but the feeling was starting to return. Her pulse beat a painful tattoo in her head and a warm trickle above her lip told her that the sheer force of fighting their control had cause another nosebleed. "I'm alright just cold."

"Did you get an answer from them?" His brown eyes watched her with concern as she wiped away the blood.

"I don't think they're going to be a threat to us."

"Is that what they said?"

"No but I felt enough of their mind to know. They took my warning seriously."

Sitting back on his heels Kaidan shook his head. "Only you would find it normal to threaten a race as powerful as the Leviathans and expect them to listen. But I hope you're right."

As she got to her feet and walked slowly back to the shuttle she knew that she was. She would never be able to know what their true motivations were but one thing was certain; when they'd broken off contact with her mind she had caught an impression of one overwhelming emotion – fear. They might consider themselves the apex species in the galaxy but they had trawled her memories and they'd seen the Reapers fall by her hand. Perhaps centuries from now they would re-emerge from hiding and attempt to establish a place for themselves in the galaxy but until then they would not risk the few that remained of their species against the civilizations that had destroyed the creatures they themselves had fallen prey to. As for the artefact it would be transported to a secure location elsewhere on the Citadel where it could be monitored and studied under strict conditions. The shielding would remain firmly in place and strict processes would be put into place to ensure that none of the researchers became indoctrinated.

As the shuttle touched down close to where the Normandy was docked she stepped out first only to find a familiar and unwelcome figure turn towards her. Out of all of the people who had lost their lives on the Citadel it shouldn't have come as any surprise that she'd survived.

"Commander Shepard!" The reporter hurried towards her. "Khalisah al-Jilani, Westerlund News."

"What do you want Miss al-Jilani?" It didn't matter how many years she'd dealt with the woman she still couldn't stand her and it remained an effort to stay polite and diplomatic.

"My viewers want some answers." A few taps on her omni tool and the news camera accompanying her whirred into life, shining a bright light into Shepard's face. What followed was a barrage of questions about the Crucible and Shepard's actions aboard the Citadel which she deflected with consummate skill. Eventually the reporter realized that she was not going to get anything more from the close-mouthed Commander and ended the interview with barely veiled frustration. Raising an amused eyebrow as the woman stalked away muttering about needing to file her story Shepard put her out of her mind and they continued walking towards the Normandy.

Kaidan chuckled softly beside her. "You know I just realized that it won't matter how long we're married, you're always going to be Shepard."

She shrugged, grinning. "Somehow I don't think Mrs. Alenko is going to have the same effect the next time I have to go and straighten out some diplomatic squabble."

"Clearly they have yet to meet our kids." He teased and just like that her heart thudded, her earlier thoughts rushing back.

Deciding to avoid that discussion for now she tilted her head to look at him. "Will it bother you? Those who would need to know would know."

He reached out and gently brushed back a wayward strand of her hair as they stepped through the doors to the docking platform. "No that won't be what bothers me. I guess I just hoped that after a while you would be able to just be you instead of the icon they all make of you."

She smiled gently. "We both know that's never going to happen. But that's just the public's perception of me, I'm quite happy for our marriage and what happens between us to be private."

"Well as private as we can manage with bulldogs like that after you." He pulled a face jerking his thumb in the direction Khalisah had gone.

"Don't forget the Alliance and the Council." She reminded him with a mischievous grin as they stepped through the Normandy's airlock.

Giving a mock groan of despair he hooked an arm around her waist and drew her in for a quick kiss. "What have I let myself in for?"

"Only time will tell." She replied flippantly as she stepped away and walked towards the bridge, waiting until EDI had taken her customary seat beside Joker. As the docking clamps released and the pilot eased the ship away from the station she looked out at the blue planet nestled amongst the stars. "Let's head home Joker."