Thanks to everyone who has continued to read and support my story! This chapter grew so long that I had to split it in two. Here is Shepard's part, and Kaidan's will be posted soon.

The auditorium was full of Alliance higher-ups, reporters, and photographers. It was relatively small, but to Shepard it might as well have been a room full of thousands of husks. Instead of wanting to rip her to shreds, this group wanted to get into her head, read her emotions, and get answers.

She waited on the sideline of the stage as Admiral Hackett announced her. Colby stood directly behind her, eyeing the crowd.

"Commander Shepard has accomplished many great feats in her time. She got the job done on Torfan in harsh circumstances. She defeated Sovereign on the Citadel. She warned us of the Reapers before she perished and was reborn. She took down the Collectors. She killed several Reapers before finally putting them away for good. She has united us. Shepard has saved the galaxy so many times that we will never be able to thank her enough. The Systems Alliance and the rest of civilization will always be indebted to her," Admiral Hackett proclaimed.

Shepard began fidgeting. It was almost her time to go up.

"You okay?" Colby whispered.

Shepard gave a quick nod of her head. She straightened up and smoothed out her uniform.

"Commander Shepard is truly the most remarkable hero of our times. So it's fitting that we have established a new award today. Shepard has already won all of the others anyway, including those reserved for our fallen comrades."

The audience laughed a little.

"Today, we bestow the Key to the Galaxy on Commander Shepard. It's a fitting honor. The Alliance has also promoted Shepard. She will now be a captain in the Alliance."

The audience cheered. Shepard's mouth was agape. No one had told her about this. She felt proud to receive the promotion, but she was also a little worried. She didn't know if she was Alliance at heart anymore.

"I will be introducing someone else to present the award to Shepard. Someone close to her."

What? Who could it possibly be? Shepard's first thought was Kaidan, as impossible as it might have been. Anderson was dead. She couldn't think of anyone else, other than Jack, Miranda, and a few other lower-ranking Alliance types.

"May I present Rear Admiral Shepard… Hannah Shepard."

Shepard froze in shock. She saw her mother walk out onstage from the other side. Her mother was all done up in her dress blues, waving to the crowd like an eager politician. It was the first time Sheppard had seen her mother in years.

Shepard and her mother only exchanged a few brief messages with one another from time to time. Hannah Shepard hadn't been a particularly warm and nurturing mother. She was a busy military career woman. Shepard's father had been a civilian. He basically was the only one raising her until he got sick and died when she was little. Then Shepard spent most of her time roaming on ships alone and occasionally seeing her mother.

It didn't surprise her that her mother would show up for this event. Hannah Shepard was all about making moves and crawling her way to the top. Shepard had joined the Alliance to make a difference. She wanted to get the bad guys. Her mother was surprised and thrilled to see her daughter follow in her footsteps. Tears were in her eyes when she saw Shepard sworn in. The advice that Hannah gave her was to complete the mission at all costs, look good, and keep safe. Eventually, Torfan happened. The guilt had almost eaten her alive. From that moment on, Shepard had decided to be less cold in her decision-making. She would be like her role model, Captain Anderson.

Shepard loved her mother despite her faults. She had turned down the admiral position after her daughter's death. That was saying a lot because Hannah's goal had always been to move up in the ranks. She knew her mother was proud of her. However, Shepard and her mother disagreed on many topics. Sometimes it appeared like all her mother cared about was her career, whereas Shepard's priority had always been to save as many lives as possible and keep everyone else safe.

Now Shepard was looking straight at her mother as she gave a little speech to the crowd. All she heard was silence. Panic had made her numb to her surroundings. Then everybody looked toward the side of the stage. Shepard's mother was staring right at her. Shepard didn't make any attempt to move, but she noticed that her chair was going forward. She turned around and saw Colby pushing her ahead. Sorry, he mouthed. You're going to be great.

Hannah Shepard held a translucent glass key on a platinum chain. The glass was flecked with all sorts of colors. She held up the chain when Shepard had finally made it in front of her, and she placed it around her daughter's neck.

"You did it, sweetie," Shepard's mother whispered so the audience couldn't hear. Shepard noted that her mother's eyes had a little sparkle to them. Could it be that her mother was so proud of her that she was overcome with tears?

The audience was now standing on their feet, and the flash from the media's cameras was blinding. Shepard posed and grinned good-naturedly until the noise finally died down. Shepard gulped and hesitatingly cleared her throat before she moved up to the microphone.

"I am so honored to be receiving the first Key to the Galaxy, though I have to say that it doesn't feel like I deserve it. Safety and peace came at a high price. So much damage has been done, and so many friends have been lost."

The crowd grew quiet and still. Shepard glanced down at the award around her neck and held it in her hand over her heart.

"But I hope that now we will be able to rebuild, while still maintaining a sense of community throughout the galaxy amongst those of different species and varying beliefs."

Shepard paused briefly to look at everyone in the room.

"This is what we fought for. This is what I fought for. I'm thankful that I had the opportunity to fight. I'd like to thank Admiral Hackett for believing in me and my crew. I'd like to thank Captain Anderson for being the military hero I always wanted to be. May he rest in peace. I'd also like to thank my mother, who inspired me to follow her footsteps into the Alliance."

Shepard gave her mother a sheepish grin. Hannah appeared surprised, but she returned her daughter's smile.

"I'd like to thank those who fought beside me throughout this war. Ashley Williams died on Virmire. She was a brilliant soldier and a good friend. It was so early on, but without her sacrifice, we wouldn't have made it here. Mordin Solus passed away on Tuchanka, where he was making sure that a cure to the genophage was finally available to the krogan. Thane Krios was a skilled assassin, but he was also a great man who helped to take down the Collectors and protect the Citadel even as he was dying. Zaeed Massani was the toughest mercenary around, but he gave his life to save someone else's. There are countless others I could name."

Shepard let her eyes glaze with tears at the memories, but they dried as she prepared her next few lines.

"I'm most in debt to the wonderful crew of the Normandy. I pray that they are safe out there somewhere and will be back shortly."

Shepard now peeled the chain off of her neck and held up the key to the audience.

"This one is for you guys."

Everyone began cheering and the rapid fire of camera flashes returned. Reporters started shouting questions left and right, but Admiral Hackett walked up and took the mic.

"There will be no questions from the media today. Shepard's story will be told, but I think for now we should celebrate her accomplishments."

There were disappointed murmurs, but Hackett's stern face made it clear that there was going to be no interrogations today.

"Thank you, sir," Shepard whispered. Admiral Hackett gave her a curt nod before they resumed posing onstage for the millions of pictures and videos to be taken.

Shepard was backstage saying goodbye to Hackett when her mother casually walked up and stood awkwardly to the side.

"I should let you two talk," Admiral Hackett declared, giving Shepard a pat on the back before stepping away.

"Hi, Mom," Shepard sighed, loosening the buttons around her neck so she could relax.

"I'm so proud of you!" Hannah wrapped her arms around her daughter before quickly pulling back.

"Thanks."

"I mean, I didn't know you had it in you!"

"What?"

"After Torfan, after the whole Cereberus scandal and blowing up the Bahak system, not to mention dying."

"Thanks… I guess."

"Don't be like that, honey. I'm just trying to say that I'm glad that you're alive. You're the hero I always wanted to be. I was afraid that when you're dad died that you would pull away. I guess you did pull away from me emotionally, but when you joined the Alliance it felt like there was a still a piece of me in you."

"Mom, I'm sorry for not contacting you more…"

"No, it's okay. I was a little harsh on you. Maybe I gave you some bad advice, too. I hope to make it up, and hopefully we can be closer now, captain." Hannah gave a little wink.

"Yeah, I'd like that."

"Well," Shepard's mother smiled, but she looked like she didn't know what to say.

"Well."

"Anyway, I best be leaving. I'm shipping out this week. Going out with a whole fleet to inspect the mass relays. Don't know how long I'll be gone."

"You're already leaving?" Shepard asked, confused and a bit hurt.

"Already leaving? It's been two months."

"Yeah, two months since the biggest war in history. Two months I've spent in a hospital alone after almost dying…"

Colby suddenly appeared behind Shepard, grabbing the handle to her chair.

"So sorry, ma'am. The captain needs to get back to the facility. Been a long day for her. Hasn't it been, Shepard?"

Shepard was so thankful to be pulled out of the conversation that she just wanted to jump up and hug him.

"Okay, I suppose you're right," Shepard huffed.

"It was so good to see you, sweetie."

"Yes. It was good to see you, too. Have a good deployment."

The two hugged each other briefly, but when Hannah backed away she glanced over Shepard.

"Are you feeling better?"

"Am I feeling better? Do you mean if I'm still paralyzed? Then yeah, I still am."

"Do you know how it's going to affect your career and…"

"We really have to be taking her back now. Not safe here," Colby butted in. He started to push her toward the exit. Shepard gave a little wave to her mom as they left the building.

"I definitely owe you a drink, lieutenant. You saved my ass back there," Shepard exclaimed.

"Ha. Just protecting my commanding officer, ma'am."