Chapter 50

"And hitting the relay in five-four-three-two. Jumping."

Crowds on Palaven, Thessia, and Surkesh glowed on the screens overhead. The Sol relay flashed on the projection in the middle of the stage. The ship disappeared. Rows of chairs creaked as the audience sat forward. Silence hung over the auditorium. The audio turned to static. A voice came on.

"Council, this is Tibrus. We made it to Arcturus."

The crowd surged to their feet. Voice welled up. Cheers and applause roared from screens as planet leaders and masses of alien spectators got to their feet. The Summit Hall swarmed with handshaking and laughter. Some asari in the front row stood locked in place, silent, eyes glittering and fixed on the screen. A human diplomat next to them wiped his face with the back of his hand before returning to applause.

The Summit stage's wooden floor boars creaked under Shepard's feet. She squinted through the stage lights surveying all the faces. So much smiling and laughter, disbelief and relief, sobbing and release. Councilors Ilk and Sparatus clapped at Shepard's elbow. Tevos leaned across Sparatus.

"This is a defining moment, Shepard. We wouldn't be here without you."

Shepard smile softly. Her eyes lowered to the irregularly joined wooden planks across the stage, the stain still tacky with a chemical smell. In her mind, she saw the swing of a sledgehammer as it met the scorched granite in the center of the stage. Her eyes drifted to the front row of applauding Alliance uniforms.

"I couldn't have done it without Spectre Alenko," she said.

Shepard caught Kaidan's eyes. The corner of his mouth turned up, and he nodded at her. He stood in a line of admiral clapping and smiling. Admiral Hackett grinned up at her from below the stage.

It had been a hell of a week. It was a wonder Hackett and the other admirals were still smiling at her after her stand on the Krogan. After proposing efforts to reach out the Rachnie, she'd been sure they'd be rolling Mason onstage any moment – hospital bed, dripping IV's, and all – and tossed his surly alternate out on her face. But they probably knew she'd be saying the same thing whether from the front row or onstage sitting with the Councilors.

The Councilors lowered themselves back to their chairs. Shepard watched the split screens of celebration across the galaxy. Everyone was going home. The Summit was wrapped up now, real decisions and plans finally going into action. It was the end of an era. Shepard's eyes drifted back to Kaidan, but he wasn't look. His eyes were fixed on the relay as another ship jumped through.

XXX

A nurse watched Shepard with wide eyes as they passed in the hall. Afternoon sun streamed through the windows of the patient's room as Shepard passed the open doorways. Shepard blew a strand of hair off her sweaty forehead. Alliance uniforms weren't meant for summertime on Earth. They were meant for space. Shepard knocked on the wall next to an open doorway and went in.

"Hola, Captain."

"Staff Commander Vega."

James sat up higher in the hospital bed and chuckled. "Both got our upgrades. Just took living through another beat down, right?"

"Posthumous promotions aren't the Alliance way. Need to be present to win."

"Lots of winners on this spin," James said. "Saw General Alenko. Flight Admiral Hackett, too. A flight admiral visiting me in the hospital about a promotion - Lola, I have arrived."

Shepard smirked and stood next to his bed. Her eyes drifted to the metal table at James's elbow.

"What's this?" Shepard pinched a coin-sized metal disk off the table.

"Uh." James rubbed the back of his neck.

"An eye, right?" Shepard held it up in the sunlight to see the engraving. "Is it a charm?"

"A milagro. My abuela had one just like it. Half open eye. Ojo. Kept it in her sowing basket, would wave it at me when I was up to something."

"Abuela? That's grandmother, right? Sounds meaningful." Shepard set it back down on the table. "Where'd you get it?"

James paused. Shepard folded her arms and waited.

"Lola … fine. Becca, okay?"

"Becca, huh?"

"Yep. Knew that's what you'd say."

"You knew I'd say 'Becca, huh'?"

"Your face, Lola. That's what's saying it."

"My face?" Shepard felt at her lips. "I smile like this all the time."

James sighed, picked the milagro up, and folding it in his palm. "Should have hid it when I saw you come in."

"Hide it?" Shepard raised her eyebrows. "How telling. And, 'Becca,' now, is it?"

"She told me to call her that."

"So, uh," Shepard sat on the bed's edge, "you two … a thing?"

"A thing? Baja un cambio, Lola."

"All right. You're in the hospital, I'll be nice."

"I've done a lot of off- duty work on your Spectre missions, Lola. Got biotically ragdolled across that stage for you."

Shepard grinned. "The playing dead thing worked out for you though. Got you out of clean-up duty."

"Almost-dead really helps with playing dead."

"True. Kind of typecasting at that point."

"What about you?" James flipped the milagro in his hand. "You all up and running?"

"That makes me sound like a machine."

"Nah. Didn't mean it that way, Lola."

"Well," Shepard settled herself better on the bed, "I'm not radioactive anymore. Got all scrubbed. Nosebleeds and headaches are gone. Haven't had another seizure. So, perfect health."

"That normal for biotics?" James frowned. "Those seizures and all?"

"Seizures? No. A lot of factors with that – radiation, the floor's power amplification. Just lucky I'm not sitting it out in another coma, I guess."

"Kaidan, too, huh?"

"Kaidan too."

"He was holed up here, in the hospital, a lot longer than you."

"Yeah." Shepard studied the floor. "That was … well, he's fine now. Just needed to get broken out of the seizures. You saw him. He's good."

"Glad you both pulled through. Didn't know for a bit. The way they found you … Garrus said with all that blood and seizing, he thought you both were dead. And that nuke? Gezz, Shepard. You do the craziest crap and live."

"Holding off a nuclear holocaust? Just another day at the office."

"For you, yeah. I get rolled across the stage, and my number's up."

"A lot of numbers were up."

"Nah. Only the Council and every important person in the galaxy. No biggie, Lola."

"Right." Shepard stood up. "They going to let you out soon?"

"If not, they're gonna regret giving me a room with a window."

"I'm thinking that's only going to extend the stay. You know you're on the fourth floor, right? But, anway, I'm going to shove off." She walked to the door, paused, and turned back with a smirk. "I'll just put it out there – next Christmas, you draw Kaidan's name in the family gift exchange, I can give you ideas."

"Hilarious."

"Right? Kind of wasted on you though. Remind me next time Joker's here. I'll repeat it. But laugh like it's fresh."

"Did you hear me laughing when it actually was fresh?"

"Probably why you're still stuck in the hospital, James. Not taking the best medicine."

James pawed his hand at her with an eye roll. Shepard grinned and ducked into the hallway.

XXX

Shepard turned the hospital corner and collided into a woman.

"Sorry … oh." Shepard froze. "Liara."

Liara took a step back. "Sorry, Shepard. I wasn't paying attention, obviously."

"Corners are notorious danger zones." Shepard smiled. "What're you doing?"

"Visiting Miranda."

"Just finished seeing James. I was going to drop by Miranda next."

"She's awake," Liara said and edged around Shepard. "I'll see you—"

"Liara, wait," Shepard said. Liara turned. "I saw you at Jack's service. I've wanted to talk to you. Then, just wasn't the time."

"Talk to me about what, Shepard?" Liara edged out of the center of the hallway and stood against the wall.

Shepard shuffled sideways with her. She forced a smile and twisted her fingers.

"I'm sure you've heard some things," Shepard said.

"In my line of work, I hear a lot of things."

"About Kaidan and me."

"Oh."

"Listen, Liara." Shepard stepped closer. "It's not true. Nothing happened between Kaidan and me."

"That's not the kind of information I sell, Shepard. You don't need to set the story straight."

"What?" Shepard frowned. "What does that mean? Just listen-"

"Shepard." Liara sighed. "Kaidan already told me this."

"He did?"

"When I visited him in the hospital and a little before."

"Oh." Shepard shifted on her feet. "And you believe him?"

Liara's brow furrowed. "Is there a reason I shouldn't?"

"No," Shepard rushed to say. "I just … I didn't realize he'd already talked to you. Good. I just wanted any misunderstandings put to rest."

"No misunderstandings." Liara smiled. "I'll see you later. We should spend some time together soon."

"Absolutely."

Liara turned, and Shepard's eyes followed her down the hall. She leaned her face against the wall and closed her eyes. It felt like swallowing a boulder, but at the same time, feeling so hollow.

XXX

"Miranda." Shepard drew up a chair. "I'm making my hospital round."

Monitors blinked with moving lines over her hospital bed. Miranda's sunken eyes rolled over to Shepard's face. She smiled faintly.

"I don't know how much more visiting I can take, Shepard."

"Dagger to the heart. I just walked in."

"Sorry, Shepard. You do the talking."

"Make me do the heavy lifting, huh? Fine," Shepard said. "Liara's that taxing?"

"Not Liara," Miranda said. "Kaidan. Very chatty."

"Chatty? Kaidan?"

"Wouldn't stop."

Shepard leaned back in her chair with a thunk. "Really?"

Miranda nodded weakly. "I don't make this stuff up, Shepard."

"Triforce come out with a new triple action, high caliber rifle or something?"

Miranda chuckled. "No."

"Well, I'm curious. Let's have it. What's he so chatty about?"

"It was eclectic." Miranda smiled. "Asked me about my research. Talked about Oriana. Saw the article I was reading on applying krogan nervous system repair to mammalian models. Asked me about that. Talk, talk, talk."

"Korgan nervous system repair in mammalian models?"

"Got the impression he thought I was going to die. Back there."

"Garrus did too. He was ready to read you your last rites."

"Turien last rites?" Miranda grinned wistfully. "Should have let him."

"Anyway," Shepard sat forward on her chair, "I'm glad you're okay. Just dropping by to say that. Done."

Shepard stood.

"Shepard." Miranda looked up at her. "You heard Kaidan's going to the Terminus System?"

"That's … I had heard that."

"Just when I was starting to not dislike him."

"He should stay for that alone." Shepard leaned against the bed's metal railing.

"He should stay for you." Miranda tapped Shepard with the back of her fingers. "You're not going to see him for years. You know that?"

Shepard looked off and shrugged. "His choice, not mine. I don't have any say. That's up to the admirals and, to some degree, him."

"Shepard …" Miranda tapped her hand again, but Shepard kept her eyes on the wall. "Shepard, you've broken yourself three times. I've repaired you. Break your own heart now, and it's going to be a lot harder to repair."

Shepard grabbed Miranda's hand to keep from tapping her and folded it back to her chest. "You've spent too much time with Kaidan. You're getting sentimental on me. Whatever he said—"

"He didn't say anything," Miranda said. "That's just from me, Shepard. Take it for what it's worth."

"Well, thanks for the concern, Miranda, but my heart's not broken. I'm just fine."

"Maybe it's broken, you don't even know it."

Shepard drummed her fingers on her hips. "This is a lot of talking for someone who gave me a disclaimer when I walked in."

"You're my investment. Just trying to keep you in one piece."

Shepard moved to the door. "I'll stop by later. Get some rest."

Miranda gave her a smile and closed her eyes. Shepard wandered down the hall with a sickness rolling in her chest. Her mind spun and concentrated on the floor as she walked. The floor tiles looked asymmetrical. The blue color didn't quite match between all the tiles. They were probably different batches, but bought all together. It had to have been frustrating opening those boxes, realizing the dyes were slightly off. But they put them out anyway. Probably didn't think anyone would notice.

XXX

"Captain. Congratulations." Hackett pumped her hand.

"Flight admiral," Shepard said stopping by the Alliance logo on the wall. "It's well deserved."

"Thank you." Hackett glanced down the hall in front of Shepard. "Seeing Admiral Wilson?"

"Yes, sir."

"Good. With the relay functional, there are some important assignments in mind for you and the Normandy."

"Yes?" Shepard asked.

"A lot going on with Palaven. And, the Rachni? Could be trouble. But Admiral Wilson will fill you in on details. I imagine a trip to Tuchanka may not be far off either."

Shepard nodded. "And leaving soon, you think?"

"Not right away but fairly soon, yes."

At least there was that then. Shepard was ready to get off this planet. The sooner, the better.

"Well, I won't detain you, Captain." Hackett turned.

"Admiral?"

Hackett stopped. Shepard took a step back to face him.

"You and Admiral Wilson, when you came to get me for the Summit, I hope you know, Maj—General Alenko and I … it wasn't what you may have thought."

Hackett shifted on his feet and cleared his throat. "On that, as for me, I have nothing further to say. As far as Admiral Wilson, I haven't heard it brought up again. Let him know the, uh, truth or not. It may pass over. General Alenko's demeanor though … I think Admiral Wilson took it as proof of guilt."

"Kaidan realizes he's standing next to an illegally parked shuttle, he'd look guilty. He knew what you were thinking. That's all."

"I'd call him General Alenko in front of Admiral Wilson, but I see your point. Admiral Wilson doesn't know the General well and may not understand. I have a feeling it will blow over though."

"Thanks, Admiral."

"Captain." Hackett nodded and continued down the hall.

Shepard continued to Wilson's office. The sooner she got her next assignment and got the hell out of here, the better.