Mass Effect: Each Story Has A Million Tales.
Summary: "There is always more than just one side to a story- and more than one lesson to learn. Follow Garrus Vakarian as he stands by a promise that he means to keep, contemplates the true meaning of life, death, and the ultimate sacrifice, and as he confronts someone who should have been behind him all along. Follow Adelais Vakarian as he mends a broken bond, and as he comes to terms with a terrible loss of his own. Follow Kolyat Krios as he navigates through a very dangerous place, only to find another- under the guidance of someone who may or may not be there at all. And follow Commander Joleen Shepard as she goes through her past and present, only to find herself in the middle of a battle for her future." (Garrus' Story: 'The Promise-Keeper.' Adelais' Story: 'The Old Soldier.' Kolyat's Story: 'The Wanderer.' Shepard's Story: 'The Missing.')
Warning: "This is a heavy one- some swearing, angst, implied adult situations, adult situations, a few character deaths, violence, and blood. All the big ones this time. Remember, this is my Shepard, my feelings on the game and what should have happened and will happen, with my own opinions and storyline, so no nasty comments. Got it? Good." (Commander Joleen Shepard: War Hero, Earthborn. Soldier. Paragon. Romanced Kaidan Alenko in the 1st game, Garrus Vakarian in the 2nd and 3rd. Shot and killed Udina during the Citadel Coup.)
Disclaimer: "I do not own Mass Effect. At all. So don't make me say it again."
Author's Note: "Just so you all know, the name 'Adelais,' is Latin for 'Noble,' and the name 'Carissa' means 'the most beloved one.' Personally, I just thought the two names fit the story and what the characters were meant for."
N._.S._.S
Chapter Thirty-Six: The Missing VII.
It was like she was flying and falling at the same time.
She fell past old faces- enemies and friends alike.
She saw Miranda, back turned, waving at her sister, Orianna, who ran over and embraced her.
She saw Jacob holding a little bundle in his arms, dark eyes lit with a mixture of happiness and loss.
She saw Samara and Falere standing together on the balcony of the Ardat-Yakshi sanctuary, arm in arm.
Then she saw Liara, standing alone at her usual place in the Presidium Commons. Behind her was the Matriarch Benezia, arms folded behind her back, obvious pride glistening in her eyes.
Mordin stood, arms folded in deep satisfaction as Wrex and the Shaman Bakura beheld a large bundle lying in a bed of rocks, bulky arms outstretched for them.
Ashley stood behind Kaidan, reading an old poetry book as the young Spectre stared out the window of the Normandy, looking all but completely alone.
Chakwas worked diligently at her computer in the Med Bay, unaware of Legion standing right beside her, headlight staring into her computer in unspoken curiosity.
She saw EDI and Joker sitting together at the bar, Joker grinning and EDI looking as if she finally understood the emotions that Shepard had tried to introduce to her.
She saw Saren standing outside Councilor Sparatus' office, arms folded and leaning against the wall, critically eying passerby, accompanied by another Turian who could have only been his brother.
She witnessed Anderson standing next to Hackett's desk, arms folded behind his back, eying the older man's progress as he spoke to the Asari Councilor, who had admiration set deeply into her once-cold eyes.
She saw a Turian woman sitting next to someone she had probably loved very much- another Turian that Shepard vaguely recognized from somewhere.
She placed an unnoticed, taloned hand on his shoulder, a gesture that made the other's shoulder's relax a little, as if somehow he could see her and feel her ghostly touch.
The Illusive Man sat alone near the Control Panel, primly and properly. His eyes were that same damned-strange azure color. Kai Leng stood next to him motionlessly, fingering the hilt of his sword with shielded eyes.
The young boy, the Catalyst, stood silently and alone in his "home," arms folded and waiting.
And lastly, she saw Thane, walking quietly and alone on a white-sanded beach that Shepard knew wasn't Elysium. He looked determined- but there was something else in his eyes- worry, perhaps?
He was approaching what looked like a small group of Drell and Hanar. They were Medics, by the look of them, and maybe a few officers, by the way several of them were dressed. They were talking lowly amongst themselves, whispering.
One of the Drell held a drenched, leather-bound book.
There was someone on an odd, floating, stretcher-like device, much like those used at Huerta. On it lay a Drell that Shepard instantly recognized-
It was Kolyat.
Thane side-stepped the unsuspecting Hanar and Drell to stand beside Kolyat, and said something that Shepard found inaudible. As he did so, the Drell holding the book (which, Shepard knew suddenly, was the same prayer book she'd seen the young Drell carrying the day his father died), placed it on the stretcher with Kolyat.
As it and the crowd began to move away, leaving Thane behind, he turned his head to look over at her, all sorrow replaced by staggering confidence- as if he knew something she did not.
"It's time for you to rejoin the world of the living, Siha."
With that, he vanished.
And so did she.
N._.S._.S
God, her body ached.
But at least she woke up warm.
Bright, blurry light flooded her sensitive, near-sighted vision like the headlights of the old Mako as her eyes fluttered open. As her eyes adjusted, she slowly, vaguely recognized this room- this was the same room that Kaidan had been taken to after nearly being killed on Mars.
A light hum to her right made her slowly sit up.
Her body was stiff and her spine cracked from the light movement as she sat up. She reached instinctively to the table and felt for her glasses, but they weren't there. So she took a deep, calming breath, and allowed her eyes to adjust for a few minutes before squinting at the silver-armored bulk sitting in the seat close to her bed.
Garrus.
Doing so as carefully and silently as she could, as to not to wake her sleeping best friend, Shepard slowly pulled away the blankets still incasing her lower body and slowly lifted herself out of bed. Her bare feet instantly froze as they hit the cold marble floor, but she didn't pay them any mind.
Cold floors were a petty price compared to getting her life back.
She reached out and slowly touched the scars on the left side of Garrus' face.
As always, his face was warm, but rough because of the scars, against her palm.
"Garrus," her voice came out low and scratchy from disuse. "Garrus."
His eyes opened and his old visor blinked on. Shepard peered up at him as his eyes focused on her.
"Joleen."
His voice was just barely above a stunned murmur- it was softer, gentler than Shepard ever remembered hearing it before- even during their first time together just before the Collector Base, even during their special date at the top of the Presidium.
She nods once, keeping her eyes locked on his. "I came back," she told him, her voice gaining a little more strength, "Just like I promised.
His eyes have flared back to life, all traces of grogginess or surprise vanishing.
Instantly, he folded her into his arms.
They stayed there, silently, until a nurse, making the morning rounds, discovered them.
And screamed.
N._.S._.S
News of Joleen Shepard's sudden recovery spread through the Citadel like wildfire.
Within an hour, Huerta Hospital was crowded with well-wishers, self-proclaimed "fans" and, of course, a few old faces, like Diana Allers; armed with her camera drone and allowing it to meander cheerfully over everyone's heads, flashing endless photographs and recording everything.
Liara had heard the news from General Septimus Oraka, who had recognized her as one of Shepard's. Apparently, he had heard it himself from a friend of his who worked C-SEC; and that friend had heard it directly from Executor Bailey, who was already dispatching C-SEC personnel to the scene.
By the time Liara had rushed back to the Normandy with the news, every single broadcaster on the Citadel was screaming the news at top volume.
Immediately, after a quick vote, Kaidan was dispatched to Huerta while Joker and EDI got hold of the Council, Primarch Victus and Adelais and Solana Vakarian (Vega was heading down to their apartment to fetch them), while Tali and Liara worked furiously with Chakwas to get a hold of the old crew.
N._.S._.S
"No we can get away with sneaking out, right?" Shepard asked, mildly, as she pulled on her old blue-and-gold Alliance uniform's jacket, squinting at the dark blue blur in front of her- the buttons were like old stones. They eluded her fumbling grip- made worse by the fact that she was decidedly blind at the moment.
After the nurse had screamed and ran for "help," Garrus and Shepard had been pulled apart and doctors from every race had stormed in, each of them demanding "one last checkup" again and again.
By the time they were satisfied, the news of her abrupt recovery had spread throughout the Citadel.
And now she, Garrus, Kaidan, Bailey, and that Turian lurking quietly in the corner (whom Shepard didn't have a chance in hell of recognizing without her glasses) were trapped.
"Not even Thane would have a chance, Shepard." Garrus confirmed when the other Turian, who was standing at the entrance from the little tunnel-like area, backed up by Executor Bailey and Kaidan, signaled something at Garrus before saying something Shepard didn't catch to Kaidan.
"We've got to move, Commander. We can't stay here forever- Councilor Hackett's already waiting for you in the Normandy," Bailey announced a moment later, after pulling out his Omni-tool and quickly examining the message he'd just received.
"Councilor Hackett?" Shepard replied, half-amused with the thought.
"I'll catch you up on what you missed later," Garrus promised while Kaidan, a blurry, tanned peach and white blur with black dots for eyes, thanks to his uniform and skin-color, shook his head and folded his arms, looking tense as he impatiently eyed the still-growing crowds outside the hospital's door.
Shepard just sighed and smoothed out the wrinkled collar of her jacket nervously.
She hated big crowds.
Always had.
She'd cleaned herself up as best as she could, having found that her reaction speed and even small movements like walking were slow as hell- probably because she'd been lying comatose for eight months. She was dressed in her old blue-and-gold Alliance uniform that Kaidan had been able to get from her cabin on the Normandy (he'd forgotten the glasses, unfortunately).
"Glad it's Hackett," she said, trying to distract herself, "How long has he been Councilor?"
"Since the end of the War," Garrus told her as Kaidan approached Bailey and pointed to something that Shepard couldn't quite make out because she didn't have her glasses, "He's made a lot of changes I think you might like." Garrus told her, giving her a nod while keeping his eyes on Kaidan.
"Such as?" Shepard answered in a soft undertone as Bailey snapped something back impatiently. Kaidan threw up his arms in apparent exasperation as the Turian, who had been listening in, looked over, folded his arms, and seemed to begin backing Kaidan, for Kaidan nodded approvingly at him as Bailey glared at him.
"Well, for starters, the top of the Presidium is no longer restricted."
Shepard's dark brown eyes glistened. "We'll have to thank him for that."
"Already have," Garrus responded, "Multiple times."
"What else?"
"You'll see," Garrus told her, cryptically.
Shepard pouted at him, but before she could respond, Bailey waved them both over. "Here's what we'll do," Bailey told them, "All of us will part the crowd as best we can, so you can get through, Commander-" Bailey's kind eyes looked her over before speaking again, "Because I assume you don't want to be carried out?"
Shepard simply raised a brow at him.
"All right, then," Bailey said, simply, "Let's get going."
N._.S._.S
Walking through that crowd had been absolutely mortifying.
It was made even worse when she collapsed.
She didn't know whether or not it was from the shock, from all the sudden excitement, or the weakness that the doctors had warned her about several times before her small group began moving, but half-way through the crowd, halfway to safety, her knees buckled and she actually fainted.
For about ten seconds.
But still.
She emerged from the darkness abruptly to find that Garrus was supporting her, stopping her from falling- strong armored arms around her waist- which went completely unnoticed to the crowd, which continued shouting and waving. She also noticed that the other Turian, the one with all of Garrus' looks (except he was a little bit taller, had darker midnight blue eyes, black armor, and no scars) and Kaidan were following closely behind her, and Bailey and his officers were forcing the crowd to disperse.
"Almost there," Garrus promised in an undertone- she could barely hear him from the roars of the crowd.
By the time they finally reached the elevator, leaving behind the taller Turian and Bailey- who promised they'd get to the Normandy unhindered this time) Shepard gave a sigh of relief.
"Hell of a welcoming party." She told Garrus as they glided downwards.
His ice-blue eyes gazed down at her with some amusement.
"You have no idea."
N._.S._.S
LOL! Shep doesn't know who Adelais is!
That'll probably cause some confusion later.
Back from the dead, suckers!
Nah, I'm kidding.
Not really.
XD
And thanks to Baynard and Kasena for the awesome reviews back on 3/10/13.
And thanks for all the Favorites and Follows ever since.
Please look forward to the next few chapters you guys!