A/N: Alright, so after playing through ME3 a couple years ago, I've always had this idea of a perfect ending for Thane's romance route. Therefore, voila! Alright, everyone. Prepare yourselves before boarding onto my feel's train, cause it's going to be one hell of a ride. We gon' plunge straight down into the pits of hell. ;-; Here we go! Please R&R! I own nothing of BIOWARE because trust me, if I did, I would have probably done way worse. You'd call 911 for being crippled with angst.
P.S. Please read end of Author's notes
A Little Late
The body in front of her dropped to the floor with a dull thud – the end of her gun hissing quietly - Shepard heaved as the tension crumbled from her shoulders, her arms falling lack to her side. The gun slipped out of her hand and landed onto the metallic floor with a resounding clatter. She grunted with a short cough, buckling and sinking to the ground.
It was finally over.
"Ah."
Shifting to the side behind her, Anderson moved to sit upright. Shepard turned to the side and saw him. His uniform, blooming into a mesh of purple and blue, was beginning to bleed on the surface, dying it as a bleak crimson hue. She leaned back as she dragged herself, her boots swiping across the ground, inching backwards. There, she sat next to him, looking straight ahead.
It was a seamless serenity, securing a rare moment of silence, as they both gazed out into the universe that lay before them.
Anderson coughed, his lungs wheezing.
"Feels like…it has been ages, since I just...sat down."
Shepard adjusted to sit up with a grunt in response, laying her feet out in front of her.
"Goddamn Council," he grunted. "Always had that stick up their asses. Makes you wonder why they could never just sit down during those meetings."
Shepard barked a laugh, tilting her head back at his comment.
"And they wouldn't even know it."
Despite the blazing fire, the sound of their laughter intermingled within the air, it's lighthearted shallows bringing them a sense of home. Hoarse vibrations echoed throughout falling columns of metal skies and roaring debris as the fire began to spread, pillars crashing and groaning.
"...You did good, kid..." Anderson nodded, approving with a stout tug at the end of his lips. "You did good." He slowly nodded forward, eyes crinkling,
"I'm proud of you."
Shepard held her gaze to the scene in front of her, watching the heavy air grow thick with painted smoke and floating embers. She closed her eyes as she felt the weight of his head lean against her shoulder. Shepard looked ahead, smiling gently.
"Rest well, Anderson."
The ceiling whined, debris crashing into the whirlpool of roaring smoke as giant pillars collapsed, raising giant storms of fire and smoke. The crucible was ready, all that was needed was to destroy the heart of the Reaper's core.
Shepard grunted as she forced her legs to steady, grating the heavy weight of her beaten body to stand. Staggering forward, one step at a time, she grits her teeth through the pain of her broken leg, dragging herself towards the controls. She tripped forward as her blood-stained hands sloppily grazed over the glassy surface, slumping over the metal table and grasping onto the edge. Her vision speckled with black as she eyed the instructions. And then, heaving with all her remaining strength, she raised her arm into the musk of the air, bringing it down with a slam.
Machines under her feet began to whine and moan, a metallic compartment rumbling open. A blinding light soon revealing a glowing encasement of glass, revealing a blinding source of energy; the Reaper's heart.
Shepard breathed in and out. One breath at a time. In and out.
She could feel it. The tip of his green scaled fingers, weaving through her scarlet ridden locks. Gently massaging the scalp below, the caress of a dull brush.
And then, she aimed.
BANG-
"Siha, I have been wondering about something and it has come to my attention that I must bring it to the immediate heed of my inquire."
Shepard leaned back, her head touching his chest. She glanced up, raising an eyebrow.
"These strands," Thane pursued, picking at a lock of her hair. "Why do you humans have these…" He paused for a moment, searching. "…. these impeccably wondrous strands of single silk-like thistles, here, attached to your scalps? …And then again, why do some of those do not? What purpose," Thane squinted, "do these ever do serve?"
Shepard snorted, pulling away before turning around with a laugh.
"You mean my hair?"
Thane blinked.
"Well," Shepard paused, amusement dancing in her eyes. "I guess...because it keeps us warm? Maybe?" She said with a snort, "I mean, I think it would kind of be like me asking," Shepard crossed her arms, taking a moment to shrug. "Why do you guys have stripes?"
She quipped, matter of factly.
Thane raised the edge of his brow bone at her.
"I mean, think about it," she feigned, waving a dramatic hand into the air. "Would you actually be so kind as to answering why do you guys, indeed, do, have stripes?"
Thane took a step back.
"I mean, could you possibly be green with black stripes? Or, could you possibly be, black? With green stripes?" Shepard stepped forward, pulling a straight face, gaining on him as he began to move backwards, his thighs hitting the edge of her bed.
"I mean seriously," she continued with a pout, tutting. "What purpose would these," she said, pointing to the black stripe tracing down his arm, "elegantly extravagant patterns ever do serve?"
She then looked up at him with an innocent plaster.
Thane blinked.
He blinked once. And then, he blinked again.
"…Siha. That... that may actually serve as a good question. One that even I may have never accustomed to come to think of." He paused for a moment, as if taking a second for thought. And then, his posture changed as he lowered his gaze. "And even though I am afraid to say that I am a bit but perplexed," his eyes glinted in the dim room as he leaned over to ghost his lips over the valley of her neck, "does it not mean that I will allow for you to mock me in such an impish manner."
Shepard burst out into a bubble of laughter as he attacked her sides, whipping them around and entrapping her to the bed, smothering her with a flurry of butterfly kisses. Her arms flailed around her as the commander's cabin filled itself with their laughter.
She was breathlessly enraptured.
BANG-
He smiled with an invisible twerk of his lips - a characteristic habit of his that had grown on her familiar. And with a taut nod, he held out his hand. The tinge of a slight blush faintly colored her cheeks as she watched him take a tentative step forward, reaching out in the gesture of a charming invitation of chivalry. She smiled warmly, watching with heart, his every graceful touch filling her senses. His gaze lingered for a short moment as he then bowed politely, lightly taking her hand, bringing it to his lips. He whispered over her knuckles, placing a soft lingering kiss upon her blushing skin. She smiled sheepishly.
"May I? Shepard?"
He invited her with an earnest vow, the trace of a playful smile adorning hidden intentions.
She laughed heartily, "Please, such a handsome and able man, proposing such a flattering dance to someone as she?" She flicked out her wrist, continuing with the imitation of a smug curtsey and a polite bow.
"I would be more than delighted."
A snarky smile graced the end of his flush lips as he gently grazed them over her wrist, his fingers leaving tantalizing suggestions at the lightest of touches. Their eyes already waltzing together, conversing without words, every gesture tangled and retorted in synchronized wit. They exchanged glances as they entered, hand in hand, into the blistering lights of Omega. Lights pumping and music rattling around them, he guided her to the center of the beast, set on devouring its heart.
Let it be, as the night was young.
Just for tonight, the After Life, would be theirsto claim.
BANG- BANG -
Soft cotton sheets gently ruffled under tangled limbs as a single pair of pale feet, poked out from underneath the flood of white covers. Bright jade eyes slowly came to the morning light, lazily stumbling about. They danced around the dimly lit room, landing on the surface of a soft glimmer of scales, deep rhythmic breathing filling the atmosphere. She watched in silence, counting the gentle rise and fall of his chest. She then quietly reached over, ghosting her fingers over his face, faintly lining the curves and ridges of his forehead, falling to his eyes, his nose, and over his cheeks. She watched him as he slept, gentle tremors stopping at his lips.
He stirs slightly, eyes moving under closed eyelids. A sudden detachment, she flinches away, hesitant. He rouses to nuzzle his face into the pillow, turning to meet green, black pools of a distant shimmer slowly fluttering open.
"Hmm."
An ache – like the tinge of a fading pain - slowly ripples through her chest, stinging her vision. She quietly smothers her face into his side.
"-Siha?…"
She stays quiet, simply giving him slight movement, quickly rubbing away the wetness against the sheets. He wordlessly reaches over, twirling a stray lock of hair away from her face, tucking it behind her ear.
"Good morning, Shepard."
He leans forward, the morning sun peeking through folded blinds, coloring the dimly lit room with streaks of golden horizon. He kisses her forehead, breathing in her scent. She leans in, melting into his touch.
"Good morning, Thane."
And for the first time in her life, she could say.
She finally felt at home.
BANG-
The flames sparked as they hissed, the fire now engulfing, exploding around her. The power core to the Reaper's heart shambling into oblivion, shards of glass sliced through the air with the sparking ignition of the swallowing fire. The explosion would soon be cataclysmic, galactic in its size, flooding through the entire mass relays with the wrath of an angry sea.
"Comm-...der?" A faint echo of static gently tickled Shepard's ear - a familiar voice easing her into a languid relief. Sheppard breathed in, letting her back meet with the metal wall behind her. She finally released the tension from her lungs, sliding down slowly - her fingers soon meeting the cold ground. She sighed softly as she rested the back of her head against the cool surface.
"C-...-ommand-...Joke-...can you hea-..."
The static went in and out of Shepard's ear as she tilted her head back and gazed up, watching the thick smog of smoke coiling its way up into the air, painting the air black.
"Shep-...have you d-...le? Shepp-..ARD!"
Shepard reached for her earpiece, her eyes falling back. Her vision drumming - the blood soaking past her armor.
"...I'm here, Joker"
"Commander! Finally!" Joker heaved - his voice shaking. "Thank god, I thought you were dead! I mean, not that it hasn't happened before, but I mean a second time? Even you couldn't be that lucky!"
Shepard smiled.
"Okay, okay. Maybe you're just an exception."
She could hear the quiver under his tone.
"Anyways, the connection on this thing is just completely messed up but, don't worry Commander. That's why I'm here. The only reliable cripple, saving the day. Right EDI? Well, hang on for just a sec, I'm gonna get you out of there asap. We'll be there in a blink of an eye, just-"
"Joker-" Sheppard cut in.
"-stay still, right where you are. Don't you move Commander, not even a finger."
He proceeded with a flurry of commands as he worked his station, the methodical computation of pressed buttons coming in an uneven tune, evaluating and calculating his orders.
"Alright. I think I'm all set, just have to locate the docking point and convince EDI to set up course near the Crucible. We are at the ready to rendezvous, commander. Or, maybe we could just have you kind of like cannonball through the airlock again? Haha, just kidding. I don't think Miranda is ever gonna let me live that one down with enough stink-eye, so how about you just wait right where-"
"Joker."
Shepard cut him off.
Joker swallowed his words, a heavy pause tilting the air.
"Listen to me." Her voice was stern. "I need you to get our crew and the rest of the Alliance forces out of here asap. Get everyone on and within the fleet of the Normandy out of here. Get everyone to safety. I know you can do this because that is an order. Are we clear? Joker?"
She held her tone strongly. The silence stagnant with an electric buzz, ebbing in the background on the other line. She waited for his answer.
"Joker-"
"No!" He shouted, slamming his fists down onto his controls. "No! This isn't fair, Commander."
Garrus's eyes flickered downward, his heart sinking to his stomach. He stood next to Joker at the pilot seat as he could hear her sighing on the other end of the signal.
"…Well, you were never really one to chastise penalty on fairness anyways, especially in Poker. Aren't I right?" Shepard quipped on the other end.
Joker gave out a dry laugh as a moment of silence stirred. The burst from the metallic pillars roaring with the fire as it ground and whined, ceilings falling apart, crashing into the pit of fire below it. Shepard continued, lightening her tone.
"And Joker? Let them know that I wouldn't have been able to do this…any of this, without all of you…Please. Take care of everyone."
Joker clenched his teeth, denial flush in his white knuckles as he trembled.
"Take care of yourself, alright?"
"Commander?! Commander! SHEPARD DON'T YOU DA-"
"Alright, this is Commander Shepard, signing off."
"SHEPARD!"
The line was dead.
Joker stilled all movement. The silence their only requiem. The weight of the air heavy, the ship rattled as Tali and Liara both stood silently by, their gazes fixed to the ground. Garrus squeezing his grip on Joker's shoulder.
"…Joker" Garrus whispered. "We have to go."
There was no other way.
"DAMMIT."
Joker slammed his fists down onto his controls, his hands trembling, his head shaking. Not again. Not like this. Dammit, Shepard. Garrus stood motionless. Liara looked away, biting her lip, holding back the stinging in her eyes. Tali quietly raised her hand and then wordlessly, gripped onto her own arm, comforting the own throbbing quiver of her shoulders.
And then for some time, they all just stood like that. In complete silence. The stars beyond the galaxy would mourn of this day, not for the Commander or the Savior. But for a soldier, a companion, an individual, and finally, a friend. The ship rumbled and whined, crying in its own grief, when Joker finally raised his head. A flicker in his gaze now anew, he steeled. Gritting his jaw, he ascended back to his command.
Goddammit, Shepard.
"Normandy SR-2, mark on one-two clear. Op-check is clean. Minor spike in the primary core, compensating. EDI, what's that status on our second engine?"
Garrus glanced over at Liara and Tali as the Normandy quickly roared back to life. They both nodded, determination now concrete, Tali quickly took her seat behind second controls as they all buckled up.
"Alright, this is Normandy SR-2. Breaking off, preparing for hyper descent in 5-4-3-2-"
God dammit, Shepard. If only he wasn't the bestgoddamn pilot of the entire galaxy.
A bloody cough erupted from her throat, the taste of iron coating her lungs. Shepard winced, wiping the blood away with the back of her hand. It tasted horrible. The fire around her had engulfed the entirety of the ceiling as the mass of it now crept towards the ends of her feet. She tilted her chin towards the ceiling, moving her gaze upwards, the cool metal cooling her thoughts. There was a chilling sensation around the nape of her neck as she leaned into it, closing her eyes.
Gentle calloused fingers faintly caressing the back of her neck, gliding through her hair.
Thane
The explosion burst through like an angry tide, consuming the world around her in the blink of an eye, blinding in its wrath. The mouth of its destruction swallowing all with a deafening numbness, like a painful ringing pungent in the air, quickly devouring the world in its masses.
It became an endless quiet of eternal warmth.
I'll see you soon.
Shepard jerked awake with a yelp of pain, crashing her forehead into a lamp over the bed.
"AHG-FUCK."
She hissed. What the hell?
Rubbing furiously at the now bruising bump on her forehead, Shepard seethed, disoriented by the crude awakening.
"Careful, Siha."
Shepard jumped at the voice, whipping around, choking on her own spit.
"Wha-"
Without glancing up from his book, Thane hummed with his gaze glued to the contents at his lap. Shepard froze, watching him. The lamp illuminated a warm golden effect, tinting the room with an ethereal haze, glinting off green scales like evanescent jewels.
He simply turned a page, a tranquil grin bemusing the trace of full lips.
"Bad dream?"
Shepard gaped, words buckling out incoherently.
"Thane? Wher-y am I…uh-?"
Her jumbling fell short, her mind going blank. Her body locked into a frigid state as she jerked her head to the side. She glanced to the side and then to the ground, her eyes bouncing around the room. Her mind was racing, distorted illusions blurred by a muddy fog. She tried to reel back, only to moments before, coming to an unceremonious halt.
Nothing.
Shepard cringed as the pain in her temple now thrummed against her skull like a distant throb. Everything was a blur. Nothing made sense. It was as if everything about her was scattered. Clogged. A heavy haze covering the distant view, fogging her thoughts into a murky depth of gunk, tangled in its own threads of mush and fog.
Shepard furrowed her eyebrows, clamping them shut. The pounding headache was taking charge, traveling up from the back of her nape to the sides of her head. She groaned, holding her head in her hands, bending over, leaning into the blankets.
Snap.
Thane abruptly shut his book, cutting off her headache, as if it were the very essence of her pain. Shepard swallowed dryly as she glanced up, watching him set the book down to the side. She held her breath as he turned, facing her, before gently reaching out to cup her cheek, angling her face to the ceiling. She winced as he feathered a touch to her temple.
"Ah, seems like there will be a minimal amount of swelling." Thane guided her head gently to the side, ghosting his hand over the crevice of her cheek. "…Just a little bit of ice should calm the swelling." He whispered with a smile.
Shepard lay silent, the only sound of their breaths intermingling softly within the air.
"Thane?" Shepard swallowed, her eyes searching silently. "How are you…what….I don't…where was…?..."
Thane grazed the pad of his thumb over her lower lip, hushing her. His gaze glimmered in pools of shimmering black as he slowly leaned forward. Shepard gasped as he slowly leaned forward, closing the gap, before ghosting his lips over hers. She melted into his touch, eyes fluttering closed. Nothing seemed to matter anymore. She was there, in his arms. Nothing mattered anymore.
"Siha, it is late. You have an early day ahead tomorrow, we should sleep."
Shepard swallowed the knob in her throat. She simply nodded in response, thoughtlessly following Thane's guidance to lay back down. Shepard watched as he then reached over her, clicking off the lamp light at their bed stand before laying back down next to her. Darkness quickly shrouded her vision, an ominous weight suddenly growing on her chest. Shepard flicked her eyes back and forth within the silence. Her heart fluttered in her chest as the tightness in her throat began to suffocate her. She felt like she was going to drown.
"….Thane?" She called out. A deep fear settling within her, crawling up from the darkest pits of her gut, poking at the back of her mind. A bitter aftertaste on the tip of her tongue, looming within the shadows, just beyond her reach.
"Hmm?" Thane drew breath as he exhaled into her hair.
He was warm. And then, as if on cue, with a low yet lulling hum, a strong and steady arm reached over her shoulder, pulling the covers over her arm. Shepard paused with relent, her mind eventually inching forward towards the embrace as he pulled her closer to his chest. He squeezed her tightly, the warmth enveloping her body. His arm now hooked around her as he thrummed his fingers gently against her back.
She stared into the crook of his collarbone. "…Thane?" She repeated, tracing a quiet line along the dip of his throat.
"Having trouble sleeping hmm?" He hummed.
"When I wake up tomorrow, will you be… here?"
Thane remained silent.
He waited for her to continue as he felt the way her fingers brushed against his neck, vibrating from his vocal cords.
"…You'll be here, won't you?"
There was a small quake in her voice.
Thane paused for a moment, a gentle trill thrumming in the back of his throat. And then, he shifted with the guarding movement of a strong arm to find its way over her form, to hold the back of her head, fingers weaving through scarlet ridden locks, gently rubbing away at the stiffness within her stature as she sighed. Pulling back slightly, Shepard glanced up, staring into his face through the darkness. Thane smiled, sighing in doting defeat, "Siha."
He lowered her and pulled her into the crevice of his neck, kissing the top of her head.
"I will always be with you."
She didn't know why, but the knot in her stomach seemed to rise to her throat. A sting of wetness reaching her vision.
"I love you, Jane Shepard."
Thane then gently pat her in the back, drawing soothing circles on the surface of her skin. Only the slight movement of her fingers tightly wound around the soft material of Thane's shirt, grabbing at the hem of his chest as Shepard didn't answer. The only reply a quiet tandem as she wound her palms into the center of his shirt, planting her face into his chest.
"Goodnight, my Siha."
Shepard closed her eyes. The rhythmic beating of his heart lulling her into a hazy slumber.
Goodnight.
Thane.
I love you too.
The warm gust of a traveling breeze whipped through the Presidium as the busy telltale of another rousing day rippled through the city. Busy commotions of ambiguous chatter and ambitious footsteps filtered through the air. Faces blurred past in a hazy slue as a tall Turian clad in dark blue out his hand, acknowledging the brief gestures coming from passing pedestrians. He came to the entrance of the Presidium's main hospital as he gave the stunned guards a quick nod, halting in his steps.
They quickly stood to alert, standing to attention with a quick salute, embezzled by his presence.
"Specter. Sir! Vakarian, it is an honor."
Garrus returned the gesture with a quick wave of his hand.
"Ah, no need for the suffocating formalities. Just here for an old friend."
The two possibly new recruits glanced at each other before lowering their arms, bowing politely in his departure. Garrus smirked in return before doubling through a pair of winding glass doors. He breathed in deeply as he met the open air with a fresh gust of autumn wind, his cerulean eyes searching through the canopy of strangers before landing on the back of a head of scorching auburn hair.
An earnest flicker of warmth spread through his chest, tugging at his mandibles.
"Miss me?"
Scarlet locks gently ruffled in the wind, tossing about in the gentle breeze. A hint of laughter tracing subtle lips with a huffed smile. She turned around from the scene before her, hooking her elbows onto the railing and setting her crutches to the side. Sparkling jade met spirited blue.
"Hey Garrus."
Garrus moved over to her on the railing, leaning to turn and rest his head against a fist, propping an elbow against the railing.
"Looking good Shepard." He smirked, eyeing her up and down.
Shepard raised a thoughtful eyebrow. "Thanks?"
She knew he had more to say.
"Although, I do have to admit, the first time around when I came to see you, I was particularly worried that even Cerberus wasn't going to be able to put you back together this time."
Shepard barked a laugh, punching him in the arm. Garrus winced, his stance dislodged.
"Ouch."
"Garrus Vakarian, you are such an asshole."
Garrus shrugged, an innocent pout gracing his smirk. "Mind you, it is a good-looking one, at that."
Shepard shook her head, the remnants of a warm smile still dimpling her cheeks. "I see that it isn't just your reputation that has gotten quite big."
Garrus leaned back, raising an eye ridge before pointing at the air. "Now wait a minute. Which one of the receptionists was it that told you that? Was it Sylvia? Or Tiana? Hm…or maybe…what was her name…Vick? Was it?"
Shepard snorted, scoffing, "Jesus Garrus. You are-"
"Amazing? Overly Handsome? Completely stylish?"
Shepard ate her words, shaking her head. She turned back to face the scenery before them. The sun was now just a speck above the horizon, peeling behind busy hours. Sunlit streaks reached down, through the Presidium, coloring everything within its sights, a golden bright hue. He was right. It was good to be back. She closed her eyes for a moment, feeling the warmth of the setting horizon, gently tickling her face. Garrus watched her for a moment before clearing his throat. He then leaned in, just a bit closer, before gently nudging her in the side.
"So, Shepard."
Shepard cracked open an eye, lifting an eyebrow at him.
"You know…I was kind of beginning to wonder, exactly when are those next couple of rounds of drinks that you had promised, going to be coming through? I mean," he said, as he cleared his throat, continuing, "technically, before the whole mumbo jumbo, you did call the shots first. Didn't you?"
Shepard raised her eyebrow, clicking her tongue.
"Wow. Even in a million pieces you probably wouldn't have let me rest in peace, huh? No pun intended."
Garrus cheeked a smile, shrugging his shoulders.
"Well, as you know, I am Garrus Vakarian. Only taking after the best of the best."
Shepard shot him a look.
Garrus barked a laugh.
The sun began to set, hiding behind the horizon as the evening sky came to life. Garrus pushed himself off from the railing with a short yawn. Shepard mirrored his action as she stood to stretch out her arms.
"So then, Mr. Specter, Garrus Vakarian. You up for a round of some good ol' sniping?"
Garrus paused, taking a moment. "Hmmm…" He brought his fingers to his mandibles, tapping on them before continuing thoughtfully,"…Just so you know Shepard, a crippled leg won't be getting you any free passes."
Shepard scoffed. "Right. Because I could be missing a leg and half a face and I'd still shoot better than you."
Shrugging his shoulders, he replied, unaffected, "You're going to have to try harder than that in order to hurt a Specter's feelings, Shepard."
Shepard scoffed. "Uh-huh. Right. Just like the last time when I let you win."
She let that one sink in for a moment.
Garrus gasped.
"Now, that was just plain offensive."
Hey Thane?
Shepard laughed out loud, shoving herself from the railing before throwing her crutches into his direction. Garrus stumbled back with a flinch, catching them off guard.
"Well then, Mr. Spectarian Vakarian, you coming or not?"
Garrus watched for a dumb moment, the calm setting of the evening sun blinding the distance into a sheen of the golden horizon. Surprise melting from the ridges of his eyes, a small tug cornered the edge of his mandibles as he followed shortly after.
"Are you kidding? I'm right behind you."
I think I might be a little late, after all.
Nothing had ever felt better.
Goodbye, Thane.
I'll meet you across the sea.