Cereberus, or rather, the Lazarus Project under the direction of Miranda Lawson had performed a miracle by resurrecting Shepard, re-growing damaged tissue where possible, replacing it where necessary and augmenting with cybernetics, physically Ana was now stronger, faster and more resilient but her mind and personality had been left unchanged. Cerberus wanted Shepard as she was, not a puppet.

The first meeting between Ana since her return and Lieutenant Commander Williams was on Horizon, it hadn't gone well - they had gone their separate ways hurt and angry at each other.

Her relationship with Williams had been fraught with trials; they had finally admitted their feelings for each other before travelling to Ilos and spent the next few weeks spending as much time with each other as possible both in and out of bed, duties permitting.

But then the Collector attack happened and Ana died during the explosions that ripped the ship apart, Ash never really came to terms with the loss, becoming a driven woman only motivated by revenge for her late Commander.

Tali had been there to help pick up the pieces with Ana, then, while on board the SR-2 mutual respect and affection had developed into love between them.

Somehow they had survived their 'suicide' mission through the Omega 4 relay and destroyed the Collector base, Shepard had immediately severed ties with Cerberus and turned herself and the Normandy in to Alliance custody.

Ana had been under house arrest for several months while the Alliance fended off calls for her execution for the destruction of the Batarian system. Even this enforced isolation wasn't to last, the Reapers finally arrived in the system. Destroying unprepared fleets and cities in mere days, it was only this calamitous turn of events that resulted in Ana's reinstatement to active duty in the Alliance Navy.

Fleeing the destruction of London and travelling to Mars on Admiral Hackett's orders they had managed to secure Liara's safety and a now deactivated Cerberus infiltrator unit. Unfortunately, the disguised AI chassis had seriously injured Ashley before it was finally made inoperative.

During a desperate flight to the Heuta Memorial Hospital on the Citadel and its cranial trauma unit they'd managed to keep Ash stabilised until she could receive the specialised treatment she needed.

Shepard had visited the comatose Ashley as often as possible, talking to her as if she was aware of her presence and even reading her favourite poems to the unmoving Lieutenant Commander. Ana was overjoyed when Ash finally showed signs of recovery and slowly regained consciousness.

It was during on such visit while Ash convalesced that Shepard had broached the subject of their relationship and professed her un-dimished love for the injured Williams despite all their differences. Ash had been on the point of throwing a disparaging response back at Ana regarding her love and yet betraying it with Tali when the door opened suddenly and the petite quarian was there in front of them.

"Shepard, Ashley, please listen to me," she pleaded, they could both hear the quaver in Tali's voice even through her helmet's distortion. Tali rushed forward between the two and took hold of Ana'a hand and reached for one of Ash's, Ash recoiled involuntarily away from Tali, who had taken her place in Shepard's affections.

"Ana, I love you with all my heart, you know that don't you?" she gripped Shepard's hand tightly.

"I know Tali, and I love you too," Ana looked at her with love and sadness as she knew she was about to break Tali's heart, "but I also love Ashley."

"I know that too, I've seen the look in your eyes whenever she's mentioned...and you talk in your sleep." Shepard flinched at that last comment and blushed furiously.

"Ashley, you're like a big sister to me - you know how much you hurt Ana when you rejected her on Horizon don't you?" Ashley blinked at her in surprise and hurt but nodded almost imperceptibly.

"She is our Ana Shepard, not a clone or an imposter, nobody else could have pulled us through from the Collector base, you have my word on that." Tali hesitated briefly while she composed herself, "Do you still love Ana?"

"Yes. No. Hell, I don't know anymore!" Ash cried with frustration, a haunted look in her eyes, while she flitted looks between the two women she cared for most in the world, her lover back from the dead and the young quarian she'd come to consider as a little sister.

Eventually Ash sighed, lowered her tearful eyes to her lap and whispered "Yes, I love her more than life itself."

Tali reached over once more and took Ash's hand, this time the dark haired marine didn't pull away. "Then there's only one option left to us,"she straightened herself in the chair, took a deep breath that rattled through her speaker and carried on, "I don't want to lose either of you from my life...so, don't sisters share?"

A stunned silence followed Tali's question, the two humans stared at her then each other, then slowly Shepard started to chuckle then laugh out loud, but it wasn't a happy laugh, it was filled with hurt and longing and was bordering on the hysterical.

"Oh Tali, life isn't that simple, it was a bold idea but I don't think it would work out like that."

"But we love you Shepard, you love us, why not?"

"Tali..."

Shepard was about to say more more but was interrupted by a quiet remark from Ashley, "She has a point, Shep, we all love each other so I'm not totally writing that idea off."

"I beg your pardon?"

"I'm willing to try if Tali and you are," Ash raised her head and made eye contact with the other two, with a pained grimace she slowly pushed herself forward from the bed and took hold of one hand from each woman.

Mindful of Ashley's healing wounds the three women embraced each other tightly quietly crying tears of happiness.

So it began, it took time and patience from all of them to learn how to share their love with each other. Months working together on the Normandy during the mission to rally the disparate races to combat the Reapers gave them ample opportunity. Mourning the loss of Mordin brought the whole team together and added as further cement to their relationship.

Eventually Ashley also started to undergo the treatments that the Salarian doctor had prescribed for Shepard so the three of them could share a bed without risk to Tali's health.