Epilogue

Ten Years Later

"And this is the day, the day the krogan will never forget."

The Council's amphitheater seats erupted in applause as cameras buzzed overhead. Urdnot Bakara grinned from the center of the stage by the microphone. The great expanse of the citadel glimmered through the glass walls around the hall. The lawn and walkways beyond the doors budged with a cornucopia of cheering races. Screens with Bakara's face glowed over the crowds across the city. Bakara turned to the back of the stage and held out an arm. Shepard strode to the front of the stage, and the cheering swelled. Bakara placed a hand on Shepard's back and waited for the roar to die down.

"Councilor Bakara," Shepard nodded to the krogan. Shepard's voice projected back at her from the distant corners of the council stage. "This is the first time a krogan has taken a seat at the Councilor's table. What you and Urdnot Wrex have accomplished, unifying the krogan and restoring the great cities of Tuchanka, is a testament to the great things the krogan can do. And now, you bring that strength to the Council. The return of the krogan is a historic event for Tuchanka and its colonies, but it's also a great moment for the Council. The innovative curiosity Councilor Bakara brought to her own people, will now benefit us all. The boundless strength and tenacity of the krogan now bolsters all the galactic races. Welcome to the Citadel Council. Welcome back, Glory of the Krogan."

Applause rose as ambassadors and delegates got to their feet all around the room. Krogans shoved and roared in the first few rows around the stage. A few reporters stumbled back as a krogan tumbled back from a head butt and broke the backs off a couple of chairs. Councilor Tevos fell in next to Shepard and gave a sideways grin. Councilors Ilk and Sparatus stepped up on Tevos's other side. The audience's cheers pitched up even higher, and Shepard craned her neck around to see Wrex stride out from backstage. He stopped next to Bakara and gave her a toothy nod. She inclined her head with a smile.

"The krogan have returned," Wrex boomed the stage. "Tuchanka recognizes the Galatic Council." He pumped his fist in the air and stirred the deafening crowd. He stepped to the side and put his hand out. "Our Councilors."

Shepard glanced between Bakara and Tevos with a smile. She looked out at the crowd, the Citadel's arms glowing in the distance. The stage echoed with cheers.

XXX

"Councilor."

Shepard turned. "Garrus! Damn, it's good to see you."

Garrus looped through the crowd in the echoey, white reception room. Cameras flashed in the distance roped off from the main part of the room. VIPs milled among the room's pillars and banquet tables – Alliance brass, Council representatives, and foreign dignitaries. A krogan had already knocked over a buffet table against the wall. Waiters scrambled with towels as some scrambled out from the kitchen with a mop.

"Shepard." Garrus shook her hand.

Tali came up behind him.

"Tali!" Shepard rushed forward and hugged her. "It's been too long."

"Damn, Shepard." Garrus whistled. "I see where I stack up. Where's my hug?"

"Fine." Shepard grabbed him for a hug. "I saw you last month. Tali I haven't seen in … hell, who knows? A year? More?"

"Ten months ago, Shepard," Tali said.

"Felt like a year."

"Have to come to Rannoch with me more often," Garrus said. He turned to Tali and waved a hand at Shepard. "I invite her every Council recess."

Shepard tapped Garrus's arm with her fist. "Hey, you. You keep spending every recess there, Palaven's going to fire you as their Council liaison. Tali, make him go home once in a while."

"We go to Palaven all the time," Tali said putting her hands on her hips. "Might have been a few months maybe. We've got a new house there, you know."

"What about visiting the here? Ever think of staying a bit in Garrus's pad on the Citadel?"

"Where do you think I'm staying now?"

"It's been ten months, and the last time I saw you was on Rannoch, not here. Seeing you here is like a Big Foot sighting."

"A what?"

Garrus whispered into the side of her mask, then rolled his eyes to Shepard. "You keep testing my human trivia knowledge. Won't work."

"How do I know what you whispered to her?" Shepard shrugged. "Could have been 'Nod, like you know what I'm saying.'"

"I am so insulted by your reference, Shepard," Tali pointed at her.

"Still, not convinced. You could be insulted by context alone. Go ahead, tell me what a Big Foot is. Maybe I made it up just to fool you, Garrus."

Garrus gave her a hard stare. "Sasquatch."

"Damnit! You're getting good."

"He makes me do flashcards with him."

"Tali!" Garrus turned on her.

Shepard laughed. "Huh. Thanks, Tali. I think I can incorporate that into some teasing later."

"Uh, sorry." Tali's mask turned to Garrus and pinched her shoulders up in a shrug.

"Tali, I miss you. You should think about coming back as the quarian ambassador," Shepard said. "Herron's an asshole."

"Shepard," Garrus said under his breath and looked around them with wide eyes. "He could have been standing right behind you, would you have known? You're supposed to have tact to be a Councilor."

"They can fire me." Shepard shrugged. "Everyone knows he's an asshole. He probably knows he's an asshole."

"Herron's just…" Tali paused. "Yeah, I can't think of anything nice to say."

"See." Shepard looked at Garrus and motioned at Tali. "Even Tali."

Garrus chuckled. "So, a quarian admiral has, quote, 'nothing nice to say.' That, compares to a Councilor calling the quarian ambassador an asshole?"

"Just to you."

"And the passing wait staff," Garrus said.

"And that guy over there," Tali said. "Maybe those ones behind you too."

Shepard rolled her eyes with a limp shrug. She turned to Tali. "Any chances though? I'd put in some good words."

Tali's mask tilted. "The quarian ambassador and Palaven liason …"

"Sounds like a good vid," Shepard said. "You eat that stuff up. It could be real life."

"Sounds like a media storm," Garrus mused. "Let's do it."

"No, no, no." Tali put up a hand. "I'm staying on Rannoch. Excursions are all right, but I waited all my life to be there. I'm not moving to the Citadel or Earth."

Garrus sighed. "She's gonna make me retire young and settle down in Rannoch. Be a boring farmer."

"I couldn't make you do anything," Tali said.

"Oh, no. Not you," Garrus said. "My love for you. Does this stuff to me all the time."

"Well." Shepard patted Garrus's back. "I'm hoping you have a few good years left in you before you break out the plow."

"We'll see," Garrus said. "Damn tough being apart so much. Retirement doesn't sound half bad, even if I'm counting seeds. Long as I have the love of my life."

"Oh." Tali snuggled his arm. "I love you, too. We should go to Palaven on your next break."

"Sure. Hey, look, Tali." Garrus nodded his head at the corner of the room. "Shepard's asshole ambassador is waving at you."

"Oh, no."

"Yeah. Enjoy that." Shepard moved off. "That's my prompt to mingle."

"He's coming over." Tali sighed.

"Shepard," Garrus said. "Drinks later?"

Shepard turned. "The Fountain's down for reconstruction."

"Earth then," he said.

"Okay." Shepard pointed at him as she backed away. "Message me."

XXX

"Thought I saw the Normandy come in." Shepard plucked a stemmed glass from the buffet table.

"Lola." James turned with a plate in one hand.

"Councilor." Joker peeked around James's shoulder.

"Joker." Shepard nodded them looked between them. "So, how was Hades? Got those mercs pinned down yet?"

"Working on it." James picked a cluster of grapes off his plate. He pulled one off the stem with his teeth. "You met my new XO, right? Damn brutal with the shotgun. Those vorcha mercs – vano. Right, Joker?"

"You're asking me, Vega?" Joker laughed. "Uh, little busy. Had to outmaneuver their supped up Bakarian cruiser. You know, so I could come back and save your asses."

"Ah, right." James grinned and finished off the last grape. He tossed the stem in the garbage. "Meant to ask what you're doing up there. Picked us up ten minutes late."

Joker stared at him. "Uh, Captain. For the first point—"

"Hey, hey." Shephard put out a hand. "I've seen enough headbutting this month."

"Oh, yeah," James said. "How'd that go? Tuchanka nice this time of year?"

"Is it nice any time of year?" Joker said then turned to Shepard. "Vids made you look all humanitarian. Kissing krogan babies and all."

"A month too," James whistled. "Long time to be shacked up with the krogan."

"Trust me. My entourage was extensive. It wasn't just the krogan."

"When you get back?" James picked at his plate then set it on an empty table.

Shepard sipped from her wine glass. "Been here for …" She checked her Omni-Tool. "Fifteen hours."

"You're kidding?" James said.

"Seriously? That's a close shave," Joker said.

"Hey, they weren't starting without Bakara." Shepard shrugged. "Walked off the ship, shooed Anita away with Avyn. We practically strolled right on stage clearing our throats for the speeches."

Shepard tipped her head back with the glass and finished it. She set it on the table next to James's plate.

"Maybe we oughtta move. We're in traffic," James said motioning around them.

A salarian dancing around Shepard to get to the drink table.

"Hey, there's Miranda." Joker pointed to a figure moving through the crowd toward them.

"Let's get out of the way," Shepard agreed with James.

They settled up against the wall. Miranda swung around a pillar and came up beside Shepard.

"Got back from the Tuchanka tour, Shepard?" Miranda said. "Thought I'd see you before the ceremony."

"Hey, Miranda." James nodded.

"James, Joker."

"Sorry. We rolled in late," Shepard said.

"She's still here? I can scan her right now."

Shepard checked the time on her Omni-Tool. "Probably already left."

"You're not staying on the Citadel?" Miranda asked.

"Headed planetside."

Miranda sighed. Joker's eyes glazed, and he glanced over at the buffet table.

"Later," Joker said. "Fancy cheese to sample."

He passed around them with his cane.

"I do this for you, you know, Shepard." Miranda tapped her foot to draw Shepard's attention.

"I know. Can't say it hasn't helped your career though. That paper you published … Had a horde of salarians rushing us on Sur'Kesh three months ago after they read it."

"Good to know people still read science instead of just watching vids."

James gave them lazy looks and brought up a screen on his Omni-Tool. He leaned against the wall and started to scroll through what looked like messages. Shepard pulled her eyes away and smiled at Miranda.

"Why don't you come planetside? Come down for dinner this week."

Miranda pursed her lips. "Is Avyn going to spend all dinner hiding in her room?"

"You need blood or just a scan?"

"Both."

"Eh. I'll smoke her out. If we just get it done, we can enjoy the rest of the night. How much longer you need to keep running the blood? Thought you said she was out of the woods."

"Almost out of the woods, isn't out of the woods."

Shepard nodded, quiet. Miranda eyed her.

"Don't worry. Those other neural bundles … after this much time? They're benign. This is just being cautious."

"I suppose," Shepard murmured.

James shifted and turned off his Omni-Tool. He looked down the banquet table at Joker.

"I'm going to check on the alcohol situation. Be back," he said and moved off.

"She'll never need an implant, you know," Miranda said.

"Yeah." Shepard bunched her shoulders, folding her arms, and looked off. "If that's a good thing."

"It is. Human evolution, Shepard. All those years with eezo exposure contained, it was postulated humanity had seen the last generation of biotics. Now this? It's a step forward."

"If your child live," Shepard said. "I doubt those biotic parents think of it as a step forward."

"You're not one of them. That's what matters," Miranda said. "How many human biotics are there to begin with, let alone how many have children together? Eezo in the DNA. Essentially, a germline mutation becoming somatic. Just the right combination of chromsomes. It's—it's—"

"I read the paper," Shepard said flatly.

"Don't be testy, Shepard. I'm trying to help."

Shepard gave a dragging sigh. "I'm … sorry. Just, you make it sound like some grand discovery and leap for humankind. For me? Worst years of my life. Hands down. Worse than Saren or being spaced. Worse than the reaper invasion. To me."

"Don't do this again." Miranda rolled her eyes. "It's no one's fault."

"But, I'd heard about babies with the tumors. Knew it had something to do with biotic pairings. If we'd … I don't know. What's passed is passed. Got through hell. Here now."

"As she gets older, the risk decreases for another tumor. She's almost out of the woods, Shepard."

Shepard shrugged. "I hope so."

"What're we talking about?" James came up between them with a freshly loaded plate.

"They don't feed you on the Normandy?" Shepard asked.

"This?" James touted the plate rolling with crackers, meats, cheeses, and fruit. "What we get ain't exactly fresh."

"Good to be home, then?" Shepard asked.

"I'll come over for dinner," Miranda said, "Do I have to listen to him again?" She indicated James. "Your Normandy escapades get more outlandish with each retelling."

"We have to listen to fetus neural structure?" James shot back. "Kind of ruins the appetite."

"You might need to hear about fetal neural structures more often then," Miranda said pointing at his stomach. "Getting a little soft around the middle."

"Huh? You want me to take my shirt off? We'll settle this."

"Save the entertainment for Shepard's dinner." Miranda took a step back. "Tomorrow?"

"Works for me," Shepard said.

"You want me to cook?" James asked. "Got some new recipes. Jalapeno burrito."

"Shepard …" Miranda gave her a pleading look.

"Anita'll cook," Shepard reassured. "Don't worry."

"Thank you." Miranda walked off.

Shepard snaggefd a piece of cheese off James's plate. She bit the corner of it with a grin, but he just shrugged.

"So …" she said.

"Hey." He grinned suddenly. "Bec tell you what Avyn did last time we had her? It was right before Tuchanka, think you're on Arcturus. You know, she's just like you." James pointed at her with a slice of pepperoni then wadded it into his mouth.

"What'd she do?" Shepard folded her arms.

"Well, she's out playing with the twins, right? It's getting dark. So, I go out and tell 'em it's time for bed. Avyn's trying to persuade me. I'm having none of it. I tell her it's dark, they've got school tomorrow. She says to me, 'Uncle James, I'm sorry, but I have to respectfully disagree.' Respectfully disagree!"

"Uh, that's not me coming out." Shepard plucked another piece of cheese off his plate. He frowned this time. "That's one hundred percent her father. Probably remembered him saying it to me."

"That's not the part I'm talking about."

"There's more?" Shepard grimaced and took another bite of her cheese.

"Yeah. So, I send them to bed. Bec and I are cleaning up dinner and, uh … talking and stuff."

"Talking and stuff? You censoring this for me?"

"And … stuff." James grinned. "We're in the kitchen. I see this blue light through the window, out in the yard. Knew right away. I get out there. Sure enough. Avyn's out tossing the ball around with the twins. I'm like, 'What do you guys think you're doing? You two in. Avyn, go.' I used her name, so she knows I'm pissed. She picks up the ball and comes over to me. Says, 'I tried changing your mind so you wouldn't need to be so mad when we came back out here.' Like she was doing it for me, to make me feel better for when she did whatever she wanted to do anyway. Then, Twins are all upset. Tailor's sobbing, apologizing, and apologizing. Avyn's just shrugging."

Shepard grinned. "Okay. I'll give you that. Could be a little bit of me there."

"A bit?" James laughed. "She's always doing crap like that. I try to keep the harsh face, ya know, but uh, yeah … sometimes. You got your work cut out. Be glad you only got one."

"Gone in for the ultrasound yet? Do you get to recycle all the twin outfits?"

"Lola … don't even go there." James moved crackers around on his plate and dug for the last slice of salami. "Those sleepless nights again? It's illegal for me to keep prisoners up for that long."

"Maybe you need to be more careful about your, uh, 'talking and … stuff.'"

James chuckled eating a cracker. "Just, can't be twins this time. All I'm hoping for."

"Triplets then."

"Lola, stop."

"Hey. Just be glad it's even an option."

James looked up from his plate with round eyes. "Uh … Yeah, Lola. Guess so."

Shepard grabbed another cracker of his plate.

"What? Stop," he said.

"Coming over tomorrow then?" Shepard asked.

"I'll see how Becca's feeling, but sure."

"Good. The twins can entertain Avyn. She's bored. Keep hearing about it. But, I'll be thinking of some repercussions for that little stint. She tries to get the sentence commuted, I'm telling her 'I have to respectfully disagree.'"

"I like it, Lola. Sure you don't want to adopt some six year old twins? Or, you wait five months, probably have an infant up for grabs."

"When you leave my house tomorrow, I'm counting heads. Already got my hands full."

"You know what they say about the apple and the apple tree, Lola."

"I know. Kharma. Still unfair."

Shepard bid everyone good night and reception hall exit. As she neared the doors and heard the roar, she grimaced. It looked like she'd be beating back the reporters to get home.

XXX

Shepard turned down the Citadel hallway and looked over her shoulder. The last reporter had finally broken off when she's switched back through an ancillary council chamber. The media was restricted from being back in the Councilor's housing, but you couldn't get everyone to play by the rules, especially reporters. Her apartment door stood at the end of the hallway.

"Shepard."

Shepard stopped short. She twisted around. Liara stepped out of the shadows of an intersecting hall and strolled over.

"Liara! Where'd you … why weren't you at the reception? Why're you here?"

"I wanted to catch you alone. Too many people suspect who I am. Thought it might look bad for you in front of the cameras."

"Ah, right. Tonight on ANN: What is the human councilor and alleged shadow broker talking about at the reception banquet? Tune in to find out."

"Maybe not ANN, Shepard. The gossip sites."

"They'd have to take a breath from criticizing my outfits," Shepard said. "If they found sources close enough to hear what we actually talk about, I think they'd be rather disappointed."

"Perhaps they'd assume there's something to read between the lines."

"The human councilor and alleged shadow broker exchange banana bread recipes, but what does it really mean? War with the rachni? Tune in to find out."

Liara gave a soft smile. "I was at Bakara's ceremony, in the audience. You did it."

"Little help here and there." Shepard smiled at her. "Hey. Miranda, James, and Becca are coming over for dinner tomorrow. My house on Earth. You should come."

"Miranda, James, and Becca. That's all?" Liara asked quietly.

"And you, if you'll come. Anita too. You've met her. And, the kids. Fair warning on that. The twins and Avyn - matchsticks and oxygen. Gets loud."

Liara pulled up a small smile. "Yes. Perhaps."

"But no. No, in the end."

Liara gave a limp shrug. "Perhaps."

"I'll lock the kids up. Could send them down to the beach. We can have nice adult conversation over wine."

"It sounds nice, Shepard."

"But still no?"

Liara shrugged and looked down. "Perhaps."

"You never come over." Shepard frowned. "Why?"

"I'm busy. A lot of responsibilities in my work."

"Sure …" Shepard studied her. "You should make time. Time for something else."

"Like you?" Liara said. "You don't miss it? The Normandy? The action?"

"Sometimes," Shepard admitted. "But I'm happy."

Liara nodded silently.

"Hey." Shepard took a deep breath and stepped in closer. "Tell me there's nothing to these rumors going around, Liara? Selling colony information to the Terminus slavers?"

Liara didn't say anything.

"Liara," Shepard said slowly. "If it's not true, deny it. That leak, everything I heard, I thought they're just slandering you."

"Where's did this leak come from? The media hasn't gotten wind of it. Why?"

Shepard stared at her then took a step back. "I repressed it. Our Council intel uncovered it. I didn't think it was true. Couldn't believe it. The slavers are paying you to repress their movements, sow misinformation to Council and Alliance sources, giving them the colonies security and population numbers? And that quarian massacre a few years back. You gave the ground terrorists the flotilla's reactor codes? Thousands died. And all the rest I heard … tell me it isn't true."

"Of course not," Liara said coolly.

Shepard touched her throat. "You know what slavers mean to me?"

"Yes. I'll talk to my sources in the Terminus System. If the Council sources are being fed lies, I'll send the what's reliable your way."

Shepard swallowed and stared unfocused at the wall in thought. "That would be … You're telling me this isn't true?" Shepard peered closely at her.

"Of course not." Liara held her gaze.

Shepard nodded slowly. "I hope not, Liara. Why were you so silent at first? You scared me."

"Thank you for repressing this … misinformation," Liara said.

"Right." Shepard frowned.

"There are things I should attend to," Liara said and moved to the corner of the intersecting hallway.

"It's not true?" Shepard repeated with a dry throat.

"No."

Shepard dropped her hand fall from her throat and nodded. "We should talk sometime. Soon. If you can't come to dinner, give me a rain check."

"Of course, Shepard."

She disappeared down the other hall. Shepard's eyes were stuck on the mouth of the hallway, and her heart beat in her ears. With a slow, long breath, she pulled her eyes away. Liara said it wasn't true. It wasn't true. Shepard walked down the hall to her Citadel apartment.

XXX

The door slid open on the dark Citadel apartment. Dim light projected through the window as Shepard moved inside. She tripped. She caught herself against the wall with a curse and snatched a model spaceship off the floor.

"Avyn," she growled and tossed it on the couch.

She flicked the lights on. The luggage was gone. Anita had already left then. She'd even taken Shepard's luggage. Perfect.

Shepard walked to the window. She looked out at the glittering arms of the citadel. A lot left to restore. Her eyes moved to the dark sections. Eventually, it'd be more than just council chambers and dignitary housing. One bar so far, and one place to eat. Someday it would be great again though. Until then, they'd rely on Earth.

Earth. Shepard folded her arms with a smile and looked out past the arms of the citadel. The green and blue globe filled most of the space in the background. Stars peeked through the narrow section of dark sky framing the bright orb. Her heart warmed, and Shepard backed up. She walked to her bedroom. If Anita had taken her bags, she only needed to grab a few things.

XXX

Shepard lifted her satchel off the floor of the shuttle and stepped out onto the grainy landing pad. Her hair whipped around her in the wind. The council-staff pilot gave her a smiling nod sped and lifted up against the background of dark mountains and swaying pine trees. Shepard turned back into the wind. The sky glowed a fiery red. A blazing line, all that remained of the dropping sun, burned on the very lip of the ocean. It reflected all the way to the sandy beach.

Shepard tightened her fingers on the satchel's handle and wandered to the ocean-worn, wooden railing running along the beach. It skirted the beach and rose up to the multistoried house on cliff in the distance. Wide sweeping decks encircled the glass walled middle story. The view over the ocean vista, even from inside the house, not on the deck, was breathtaking. Shepard smiled into the wind. Seagulls and ocean waves. No passing shuttles or cacophony of voices and bustling. No one else around for miles. Just the house and the ocean.

Shepard drew the scent of pine and salty beach into her lungs and picked her way along the railed pathway. White paint flaked off the weathered wood as her hand ran lightly along it. Shepard gazed up at the house as she neared, and her steps slowed. Anita's shuttle was missing. It should be on the landing pad right by the house. Shepard frowned, stopped, and flicking her Omni-Tool on. No messages. Shepard tapped her fingernails on the railing. She glanced back at the beach's landing pad where she'd been dropped off, then turned back to the empty pad by the house. Maybe Anita had stopped at the Vancouver apartment first to get something.

Seagulls squawked overhead, and Shepard's eyes turned to the ocean's horizon burning with sunset. Her eyes stopped on a shape in the sand. It wasn't a person, but it was large. She pressed up against the railing and squinted at it with a tilt of her head. Her breath slowed. She set her satchel in the sand and ducked under the railing. The peeling wood caught her hair as she came up on the other side. She smoothed it down in the wind as she walked down into the sand.

She stopped over a trail in the dry, powdery sand. She looked to her side. There were two trails. She followed them until the sand turned wet. The trails became imprints. Feet. Individual toes stood out into the sand above the footpads. Small prints trailed alongside much larger ones pressing deeper into the sand. Water already filled the heels. Shepard followed the footsteps to where they stopped in the wet sand. It looked like from here, they had turned back, skimming along the beach, and turning onto the walkway.

Shepard gazed at the last two set of footprints where the trail had turned back. The footprints had pressed in so deep the whole foot, even the arch, was visible for both the large and small set. Shepard lifted her head to what had drawn her attention in the beginning when she'd left the pathway.

Half way between the ocean and the footprints, towered an enormous sandcastle. It stood as tall as her probably, maybe taller. Towers and spires decorated the corners, and it was surrounded by a large moat partially washed away. One of the back towers nearest the ocean had melted in on itself. The tide must have come in, but it was going out now.

A smile brimmed on Shepard's lips. The castle's whole western half was starting to collapse where the tower had gone down. Shepard stepped on the pair of larger footprints. The little footprints with the small toes stood next to her as her boots sunk into the sand.

She focused on the castle and stretched a hand out. The air flared with blue light. Sand particles swirled in a glowing vortex rising off the beach. Shepard bit her lip and compacted it with both her hands. Grains of wet sand coalesced, sticking, and pressed into a cylinder at the base of the toppled tower. The castle's tower rose little by little as sand streamed up from the base around it.

The sand tower rose higher, but the sand was dribbled and loosened beneath as she built. Shepard frowned. It was starting to melt outward from the foundation. Shepard moved down from the top of the tower and compacted the tower's base. Her face scrunched with a frown. The tower top tipped and leaned to the side. Shepard couldn't pull a hand away from holding the base together to steady it or it would all cave in. The tower top started to slip.

The tower top burst with blue light. Shepard's eyes widened, her hands still holding the base pressed together. The tower top right itself, sand rose up in a swirling blue haze, and compacted the tower's peak. The sand pressed tighter, building, smoothing, and coalescing into a sharp, swirling spire.

Shepard snapped her head to the house. A faint blue glow shone in the distance from the deck overlooking the ocean. The glow faded away, and the tower's light faded away, except for the base where Shepard still held it. Shepard drew her hands away slowly, blue fading away, and it held. Her skin faded out. The tower stood solid.

Shepard raced back through the sand, almost tripping in the sand. She ducked the railing and sprinted up the pathway pumping her arms. Sand blew over the pathway and sprinkled against her boots as she spurred faster. She rushed past the empty landing pad by the house. Anita must have been sent home then.

Shepard burst through the front door into the house, ruddy with the glow of the sunset. Garlic tinged the air, intermingling with some savory meaty aroma. Shepard kicked her boots off by the door, spraying sand, and padded into the glass-walled living room. The door down the hallway stood partially open and dark. It was late. The sun set late in the summer this far north on the Pacific.

Shepard strolled to kitchen and looked over the granite countertop. The oven was on. A wine bottle stood on the bar further down the counter. A corkscrew, still holding the cork, rested at the base of a single, empty stemmed glass. The deck glowed bright with sunset from the glimpses she catch through the window between the kitchen cabinets. A warm trail of sunset projected on the wooden floorboards at the base of the counter from the glass patio door.

Shepard poured wine into the empty glass. The wine bottle label made her smile as she set it down. She almost forgot him buying it - Crystal wine from the Tuchanka market during the second week's tour of the south capitol. He must have kept it unopened after being called off to Kite Nests, saved it. If the strike had finally honed in on that slave lord, the Council was going to need his Spectre report sooner rather than later. It hadn't come through yet, but maybe that was by design. Back a week early. Shepard grinned into her cup and took a sip.

She swirled the wine in her glass and dragger her fingers behind her on the kitchen counter as she strolled to the patio door. As she neared the glass doors, the red-tinted deck expanded out in her vision. A silhouette leaned forward on the railing looking out at the ocean. Light refracted in the glass of wine resting on the rail in his fingertips. His head turned making his face a dark profile against the horizon. Shepard's smile widened. She opened the glass slider and stepped out.