Author's Note: I'd like to thank RightHandOfPalpatine for favoriting, and Prettyodd001 for following and favoriting.

I'm trying to be as detailed as I can in these next few chapters, while still moving the story along. And I recognize that some of the dialogue is not spot on, but I never really liked most of it, and unfortunately I'm too impatient to go through everyone's dialogue, so there will only be a couple mentioned. I hope you all like my version of the London scene.

This story will alternate between Emma and Saren's points of view. Thanks and enjoy!


She stared at the chest piece as it was pulled from her locker. Part of her wanted this to be the last time she would ever have to put it on, but a smaller part of her wished that this would never end. What was wrong with her? Was it so ingrained that she had to fight hard battles that peacetime would drive her insane? The idea wasn't out of the question, but she could learn to adjust. Emma had learned to adjust to having just one parent, she had learned to adjust to being alone when she grew up, she had adjusted to being expected to do great things. Her whole life seemed to simply be adjusting to different situations. Adaption was survival. But she didn't want to adapt to the Reapers. She just wanted to survive, and then go live somewhere warm in seclusion for a while.

But not without Saren at her side.

"You okay?" he asked as his shadow overcast her and the armor.

"Just nervous." she sighed, lowering the armor and then strapping it on. Emma felt his hand on her side, helping her.

"Good."

"Good?" she looked over her shoulder at him, and he leaned forward to nuzzle her.

"If you're nervous, then you're doing something right." he paused, "That's how the saying goes, right?"

"Something like that." she smiled. "I guess now that I think about it I've been nervous a lot in my life."

"Is that so?"

"Yeah. Especially when I followed you on Omega. Thought you might kill me."

"And look what's happened since." he said quietly, wrapping both arms around her to hug her tightly. Emma turned and wrapped her arms around him as well, silent while they held each other for a minute. They stepped back and she put on the rest of her armor rather quick, snapping her guns into place and adjusting her armor where she needed to.

The elevator in the shuttle bay opened, and she - along with everyone else - glanced over to see who it was. Garrus, Tali, and Liara walked out, all ready to go. Emma smiled and then went over to check over things one last time with Steve as they all grouped up to get on their different shuttles. She was grouped with Saren, Tali, and Garrus in the shuttle.

"Hey, be safe down there." Joker said over the intercom in the shuttle. Emma smiled, pushing the button to talk.

"We'll see you soon, don't worry."

She rocked on her feet as the shuttle started up and headed out, and then went to the back, grabbing a bar to hold as she stood up, watching over the other three with a faint smile. They'd come so far in just a few years. She'd experienced so many things that she was hardly the same person she had been before becoming a Spectre. But Emma was proud of everything she'd done - there were absolutely no regrets. Looking down at her feet, she saw how scuffed her boots were. She laughed a bit.

"What's so funny?" Tali asked.

"I'm gonna need a new pair of boots after this." she said, looking up with a grin. The others laughed with her, and for a couple brief moments, there wasn't any tension. When it quieted down again, she looked to Saren, slightly surprised when he reached out to take her hand without a word. From the corner of her eye she thought she saw Garrus do the same with Tali. She'd definitely met two of the most interesting turians in the universe by pure chance. But she continued to stare at Saren, until she felt the burning sensation in her eyes.

"We're just outside London, ma'am." Steve called out. Saren's hand fell immediately and she moved forward to look out the window. They were at the head of a small group heading towards to Forward Operations Base. Suddenly a Reaper AA gun came into view, and as it shot a beam, the whole shuttle shook. Then a loud beeping started.

"What's that?" she asked.

"That was the shuttle responsible for taking out that Hades cannon." Steve replied.

"We have to take out that cannon."

"Commander?"

"Find some place to put us down. Hammer won't stand a chance if we don't take that thing out!" she said, already heading towards the back.

It took less than a minute for him to find a suitable spot for them to be dropped off. They were coming in hot, but it wasn't anything they couldn't handle. All four jumped off the shuttle and it took off again while they dove for cover. The cannon fired again and the ground shook with so much force that Emma could barely see straight, much less fire. All four were behind a fallen beam from a building, while the various forms of husks were crawling down the stairs. Tali wasn't as effective as she could have been, but Emma was glad that she'd taken out all the shields on their enemies. It made for easy picking.

When the first wave had passed, they made a move to another fallen pillar that was closer to the stairs. Emma nearly dodged a bullet as the cannon started to fire again, and she slid to sit for a moment. She was getting dizzy, and the ground shaking was not doing much to help. Luckily the other three were able to take care of the remaining forces, and they all made their way up the stairs.

She made the mistake of looking up at that exact moment, as she heard Steve yelling. The shuttle exploded and she felt like she'd been shot.

"They're gonna pay for that." Garrus growled, running ahead. Saren gently grabbed her shoulder and gave her a shake, before moving ahead as well. Now wasn't the time to start reliving Virmire, or Tuchanka. They had to stop the Reapers, first. She followed her group to the top of the stairs, peeking around a corner and seeing the wreckage of the shuttle, along with the two special weapons. She turned back around.

"Garrus, grab that weapon closest to us. We'll keep the Reapers off you while you target the cannon. If you miss, I'll grab the next one. If I miss..." she paused and sighed, "Then I guess we get closer on foot and try to find some way to take it down."

"Shepard, I'm hurt." Garrus said, smiling a little, "You think I could possibly miss?"

"Right, what am I saying?" she grinned back, and then turned the corner, firing first, leading everyone into the field. So far, everything was going reasonably smooth. There were only Cannibals and a couple Marauders to pick off. The fight felt like it was taking forever, but the group did well protecting Garrus as he lined up the shot. He was right, and he didn't miss. The cannon came down just seconds later, and then Emma could feel her blood chill before the shriek even came.

Whipping around, they all dove for cover, praying the Banshee didn't see them. It was a vain hope. The concrete pillar they were behind trembled when the biotic blast hit it, knocking everyone from out of their cover. Emma started to fire first, diving for cover again. The others spread out, all focusing fire on the singular Banshee. The others could be dealt with later.

"Anyone? Come in, this is Commander Shepard, we need extraction. The Hades Cannon is down." She tried the radio, hoping someone was close enough to pinpoint their location, and pick them up, soon. She emptied her round and went back to cover to pop the thermal clip, replacing it with a new one in seconds.

"Commander, we've got you marked on our NavPoint, we're coming to get you." someone said over the radio. She let herself smile internally, focusing on clearing a path to the other side, knowing that was the only location for a pick up. It took a few minutes, but the shuttle was soon in view. It parked just off the edge of the building - a small jump - and two men gave covering fire while the others ran to the shuttle. She was the last one, but once her feet hit metal she felt she could relax again. Especially when she saw Anderson.

"Good to see you're alright." he smiled, holding his hand out for her. She shook her head with a grin, and took his hand firmly once she holstered her gun.

"It's great to see you. How have you been holding up?"

"I haven't gotten as much sleep as I'd like." he moved over to the vid screen of what they were flying over. "Major Coats here has been doing an excellent job."

"Ma'am." he nodded from the corner. She returned the nod and then went over to stand by Anderson, looking at the video with him in silence. Coats was going on about something, but Emma was hardly paying attention. She'd been to London once in her life, and to see the grandeur be reduced to rubble in a matter of months was hard to take in.

"I was born in London." Anderson said quietly. It made more sense to her, now, why he was here and not in Vancouver where they'd last seen each other. All the resistance was centered here, so that's where the fighting had to be. She turned her attention back to Coats just in time.

"There's a beam that's sitting right in the middle of the city. A few scouts say that they seem to be massing the bodies there for transportation."

"Where does the beam lead?"

"Right to the Citadel."


She stumbled out of the shuttle with the rough landing, but was caught quickly by Saren.

"Are you alright?" he asked as soon as she was upright again.

"Think I need something to eat." she sighed, "And someplace to sit for a few minutes." Emma hated this but she'd neglected to eat a proper meal before leaving, and now her body was having a hard time keeping up with her demands. He helped her to a few crates, letting the others go help where they could. She smiled up at him when she sat, watching him go get a ration bar for her, moving a little to give him space for when he did come back. She eagerly took the bar from him and somehow remembered to take small bites. It wasn't the best taste in the world, but right now it was just what she needed. Saren quietly sat next to her, and she leaned against him, head on his shoulder. They were silent for a while and Emma knew she was being watched.

There were a lot of people who were still surprised at the fact they'd found happiness with each other. It seemed most of the men and women here had no idea, and were already whispering at the display. She couldn't care less what people said anymore, she was about to save the universe, which, in her opinion, granted her immunity from what anyone else thought about her choice of companion.

"Are you feeling better?"

"I'm feeling a lot better, thank you." she leaned in more to nuzzle him, glad she could hear him purring softly to her. Her eyes shut for a moment as she let herself mentally recharge. "Don't you want to go talk to anyone else? This... Might be our last chance before it really gets going."

"I'll go see the others when you feel well enough to walk by yourself."

"Saren, I'll be fine. Go." she smiled. "I'll find you before I head out."

"Alright." he smiled and kissed the top of her head before he stood up, walking away and quickly getting lost in all the action from where Emma was sitting.

She looked back down and finished the bar, leaving the wrapper on the crate. There wasn't any trash can and by the looks of things, no one really cared, anymore. She followed the path to where she'd last seen Major Coats, so she could speak with him. It wasn't a long conversation, but she'd forgotten where Anderson had told her to meet him. After giving him a quick thanks, she headed over to make a few quick calls to old friends. Just in case something went wrong, she wanted to say her goodbyes. She prayed it didn't come down to that. But the calls took up another hour of her time, and it was growing dark. She left the building and happened to look to her left.

"Hey, how're you holding up?" she asked, walking over.

"The ride wasn't nearly as exciting as yours, but I'm ready." Kaidan smiled. She hadn't talked with him for a while, and now she was starting to feel bad about that fact. "How about you?"

"Honestly? I'm a little scared." she shrugged. "Guess I've seen one too many battles. How are your students?"

"They're more than ready. Eager, you could say." he chuckled, and then a sad look came into his eyes, "I guess that makes us old soldiers."

"We're still young at heart." she smiled, shifting her weight to her left leg. "And once this is done, I'm planning on going somewhere nice and warm."

"Palaven, maybe?" he smirked. She shot him a look and then laughed with him.

"Yeah, maybe... I'm not sure yet, but I have time to think, right?"

"We've got time." he paused, "But listen, I just wanted to say thank you for... Everything you've done for me. I can't imagine I'd be where I am now without getting to go on all those crazy adventures with you."

"Don't sell yourself short, Kaidan." Emma smiled and then took a step forward to wrap her arms around him. She had something else to say but it slipped her mind as she felt a couple tears bubble up in her eyes. She stepped back once they let go and she saw that he looked the same way. They smiled at each other, laughing again. "We'll all be fine. Just be safe."

"You too, Emma." he turned half way, back to someone who needed his attention. She started to head towards where Anderson was, up a giant pile of rubble to the second story of a building. Her knee started to ache on the way up but she made it through.

"You didn't get very far." she hummed, spotting Saren in the corner talking with the Primarch. He turned toward her and she smiled as she walked over to talk to the two of them.

"What you've done here is incredible, Commander." Victus said, looking at her. "We have a chance, thanks to you."

"If it weren't for the War Summit, none of this would have happened. You deserve just as much credit as I do." she nodded.

"I suppose that's true. Still, it is something that will never be forgotten. Good luck."

"You too." she glanced up at Saren, who nudged her.

"Garrus said he wanted to talk to you. So go talk with him."

"Fine. But I'm coming back when I'm finished."

"If you say so." he leaned down to nuzzle her before giving her yet another nudge. She turned and was surprised to see that Garrus was looking intently at her. "What's up, Garrus?"

"I just... I guess this is it, huh?" he said, looking rather sad, or regretful. She couldn't quite tell.

"If you mean that this is what it's all boiled up to, yes." she smiled, and put her hand on his shoulder. "And the war is ending today."

"I know you're right. But I'd hate for..." he closed his eyes and looked down, to the side for a moment. Emma began to feel nervous. Did he still have strong feelings for her? Had he backed off because of Saren? She saw him turn his head back towards her and there was an unmistakable look. "I'd hate to see something bad happen to you."

She could only nod, but she stepped forward to wrap her arms around him. Emma couldn't think of a single thing to say to Garrus at the moment, but she felt a burning at the back of her neck, so she pulled away, clearing her throat.

"We'll be fine. Just be ready to leave soon." she turned to go across the bridge, keeping her head down.


He thought he would have felt upset at what he saw. Emma walked off, looking ashamed. He hadn't heard the conversation because he'd held himself back. But now Saren was curious and he went over to Garrus.

"Is she upset?"

"I shouldn't have said anything." Garrus growled, turning around to pick at something on his gun. Saren stood there for a moment before walking to his side.

"Garrus, what happened?" he kept his voice low, thinking that might coax Garrus into speaking. There was silence for a minute and then he gave with a heavy sigh.

"I thought I was okay when she said she didn't want to be with me anymore. And while I do appreciate Tali's company, it's just..."

"Not the same." Saren finished for him, looking away. He wasn't about to get territorial over Emma, now. But it was bothersome to think about the fact that Emma might actually leave him. "I'm not going to worry about this right now... But when this is all over, the three of us can talk." he put his hand on Garrus' shoulder. "You've been a good friend to me, Garrus. There's not many that I can say that about, so it means a lot to me."

"My father said I was a bad turian. I figured I might as well try to get along with someone who fell into that same category." Garrus looked up with a bit more confidence in himself, nodding at Saren. He went to grab his weapons and go meet up with Emma, walking alone so he could take the time to think more.

He'd once said that the only way to survive was to merge organic and machine into one form. He'd believed it, too - seen the benefits with no drawbacks. But since he'd seen an entirely different side of it. Not just human husks, but husks of every other species. Protheans, Batarians, Asari, Turians... None of them had seen any benefits. It seemed like it was either indoctrination or death, and having seen both of those outcomes, Saren knew that it was time to put the Reapers to an end, permanently. But how was anyone supposed to take out an army of thousands of giant machines?

He arrived at the command center, where the rest of the group from the Normandy had converged. If Emma didn't pick this next team well, she could very well die before there was a chance to end this. He knew who she was going to pick, and he looked to his side, glad to see Garrus had caught up before she started to speak. She had tears in her eyes, but her voice was strong.

"This has been a long journey for all of us. I've met incredible people, made friends... But more importantly I've discovered a new family. Each and every one of you has helped me along on this journey, whether you were there from the beginning, or you hoped on some time later. I wish I could take all of you with me on this final leg of the journey, but this mission demands a small team." Emma paused for a second, stepping forward, "Know that I've come to care for all of you, and that I would trust any of you to carry on in my place if, for any reason, I am not able to continue. It's been an honor serving with all of you, and I'll see you again once the Reapers are destroyed."

There was another pause, and Emma looked right into Saren's eyes. He couldn't hear her clearly all of a sudden, but he knew she'd called his name to come with her. He stepped over with her, and saw the faces of the rest of the crew - their family - staring back at them. It was all beginning to blur together, but soon the group was heading out. Emma, Saren, Garrus, and Liara were going to see this through to the end.