A/N: Thank you for those of you still reading; the reviews, alerts, favorites, give me motivation like you wouldn't believe. This story has taken a back seat to A Path Rewritten, but for those of you still following, don't worry, I'm not dropping it. Because I opted to have the Citadel destroyed in this rewrite, this chapter took a little bit longer to redo because I had to rework some things. Thank you all still here for your continued support!
If you have a moment, please do leave a review. :)
Here is the picture for the space station(I'm not very good yet at describing these sorts of things, remember to take the spaces out).
Space station design: www. wreckamovie system/ shot_medias/ 0000/ 3552/ Station_C .jpg
Disclaimer: Bioware
After Our Darkest Hour
Chapter Nine – Unsteady Ground
Several weeks later, the station was nearing completion in its new home in the Serpent Nebula, where its predecessor had resided before it. All the races had come together, much like when they had built the crucible, and even though it could not live up to the Citadel, it was a marvel to behold. Shepard could scarcely believe her eyes as the Normandy completed its jump through the mass relay; nearly as big as the Citadel, one long cylindrical center piece, with three circular rings. Each ring had three massive arms, stretching out, each arm holding four smaller branches and Shepard watched as ships came and went from the docking portals. It really was a marvel, she thought as the Normandy swung around to pull into port.
"Tower control, this is the Normandy requesting clearance for dock," Joker said as he brought up the comm, expertly moving his hands across the flight controls.
"This is Alliance command, tower control, you're cleared for landing Normandy," the reply came through quickly.
"You'll let me know how the new digs are?" Joker asked her as the ship pulled in through the kinetic barrier, the docking arm latching itself to the Normandy's airlock.
Shepard chuckled, the docking seemingly effortless. "You're more than welcome to check out 'the new digs' yourself, Joker," she replied as she uncrossed her arms.
"Nah, I think I'll just hang out here. Home sweet home, and all that."
"Good point. Probably going to get lost anyway," she sighed. "Oh well. Things have to be done. Take care of the ship while I'm away." She waved as she left.
The docks were impressive not only in their size, but in the amount of bodies coming and going without the station being completely finished. Turians, asari, salarian, krogan, human; many and all, with smiles, something Shepard hadn't seen since the Reaper's invaded all those months ago. A lot of them were most likely refugees that had been rescued by patrols, or post-war search parties, and were no doubt looking to catch lifts back to their home worlds. All of their home worlds had been devastated by the Reapers, and were undergoing massive rebuilding efforts. That's where her friends had gone, back to their homes to try and help put things right.
Eventually she found the lift and stepped inside. "Spectre status recognized – which floor, Admiral Shepard?"
"Embassies?" She supplied hopefully; this lift seemed much like the one she'd used each time she visited the Citadel, a VI that assisted in the coming and goings of travel in the station. It was almost comforting that the galactic assembly was working so hard to make this a station worthy of its predecessor.
The doors hissed shut and soon the lift was moving. It wasn't long before they opened again and she stepped off, to find herself in a large lobby, large holographic screens overhead. There were many help desks, she saw, something that made her feel pride; since the war had ended, more of the galactic populace was more willing to pitch in and help where they could. There was only one large set of stairs and she opted to take them, climbing them to find herself looking down a long hall. A turian guard just to her right saluted her, catching her off guard; he was tall, even for a turian, nearly black, though he held bits of silver, his eyes almost a garden green. He reminded her of Nihlus.
She never recalled any Turian – save Garrus – that had ever seen her equal in rank or title. To see a Turian saluting her, acknowledging that, was nearly surreal. "The others await you in the meeting room, Admiral." He said, his dual-toned vocals making her almost nostalgic. "Second door on your right, ma'am."
"Thank you, but you don't need to salute me," she said with a slight half shrug of a shoulder.
"Negative, Admiral. You saved Palaven from the Reapers – if I didn't give you the respect you deserve, my mother would kick my ass." His mandibles fluttered in the way she had come to know was turians smiling. Or grinning.
She chuckled and snapped off a return salute. "At ease, soldier. Keep up the good work." He moved and she passed by him, shaking her head with a small laugh; would the wonders never cease? She was beginning to feel like a commander of the galaxy, not just of the Alliance; it was a good thing she wasn't the egotistical sort, or this could have very well gone straight to her head. The walk to the meeting room wasn't long and she was stepping in before she even realized it. Down the steps and to the left into the main room where she expected them to be waiting for her; the asari was expected, as well as the turian, and the salarian(though after what the Dalatrass had tried to coerce her into doing, she was not all that fond of the salarian hierarchy right now), but she was pleasantly surprised to see a krogan – and not just any krogan, but Eve.
"Eve!" Shepard greeted her warmly, clasping her hand and shaking it once she had offered it.
"Commander Shepard – it is pleasant to see you again."
"You have no idea how happy I am to see you," Shepard grinned. As much as she wanted to continue to talk to Eve, she had to speak the whole of them not just the krogan. Her body turned slightly, so she could address them as they gathered close by. "Hackett sent me to negotiate who you will have taking place on the council as humanity's representative. He said you had someone in mind."
The asari nodded softly. "We do, yes."
"There really was no one else in mind; if there were, we would be as blind as the previous council was." The salarian nearly scoffed, waving his hand almost dismissively as if the conversation was pointless, as if the decision was made, not just in consideration.
"It was a unanimous decision, Shepard." The turian was next to step up. "If you would gladly accept, Admiral, we would like you to be humanity's representative."
Wait – what? Shepard's brain nearly blacked out as shock settled in. Her? On the Council? Representing all of humanity?
"There is…no one else?" She asked cautiously; she made sure to keep her voice steady, not wanting to appear ungrateful.
"There is no one else, Shepard." Eve said as she folded her arms across her chest. She nodded, as if acknowledging it to herself. "If it weren't for you, there would be no galaxy to council, no races left to inhabit our worlds. You single handedly defeated the Reapers and are the best that humanity has to offer."
Her voice failed her, as did her words; they just wouldn't come to her. Her lips moved as she floundered for something to say, anything really. A gesture uncharacteristic of her, a hand raised and rubbed the back of her neck as her thoughts ran at nearly incoherent speeds. It was the kind of job Kaidan and she wanted her to have; out of the way, no fighting – and yes, important, because Kaidan said she deserved it. However, in the last three years the council had nearly died twice, and then actually did die. Though, the responsible parties were now quite literally six feet under thanks to Shepard.
Could she say no? Should she say no?
"I have to admit that for once I find myself at a loss…" She chuckled softly.
"That's understandable, Shepard. It is not a decision to take lightly." The salarian offered, helping to ease her mental anguish over her indecision.
"I would ask for some time to think on it, if that's acceptable."
"Of course, Shepard." Eve took her hand again and shook it, clasping her arm in a warrior's gesture. "Please, give it some thought – you would do great, I know it without a doubt."
Shepard moved to the bed and sat back, lying there and looking up at the ceiling for a long moment. The doctor hit a series of keys on her console, then fired up her omni-tool, syncing the two; a sensory rod whirled to life and she moved it to settle just over Shepard's slightly extended abdomen. She felt the warmth as the sensory machine did its work, mapping her abdomen, her womb, and the life growing there as the doctor's omni-tool took all the normal sensory readings that were necessary. The whole procedure only took a few minutes and it was over before Shepard had too much time to dwell on it – the slight, few moments she had to think were spent praying there was nothing wrong with her baby. After all they had been through, Fate would get a serious ass kicking from her if something was wrong with the one perfect thing her life had been given(well, besides Kaidan).
"Alright, you can sit up, Shepard." She did as the doctor said and stretched slightly, popping her back.
"Good news I hope?" Shepard asked cautiously.
"I would like to think so." The doctor smiled. Almost beamed. Shepard's brows rose slightly. "Everything is healthy with your babies."
Wait – did she say babies? As in more…than one?
"Wait – what? Babies?" Shepard's voice cracked and she cleared her throat.
"Two babies, twins. Both appear to be girls, though earlier sex detection is not one hundred percent reliable."
Oh lord. Not one baby, two. Two babies.
It seemed as if she would be returning to the Normandy with far more news for Kaidan than she had realized. The day had started off ordinarily enough and now, everything, had flipped upside down and the ground beneath her suddenly didn't feel as solid as it had this morning.
"What did you want to talk about?" Kaidan asked as he sat back on the sofa, watching with a curious gaze as Shepard paced the confines of her cabin. She looked anxious and nervous; biting her lip each time she glanced over at him – almost as if what she had to tell him would send him running for the hills. The smile was betraying him, tilting his lips upwards ever so slightly. How did a woman of her integrity, her strength, manage to look so cute when she was worried?
"Well let's just say this day has been filled with a number of surprises," she huffed, crossing her arms across her chest.
"Nothing bad I hope," he chuckled.
"I…I don't think so," she answered, giving him a somewhat hesitant smile. "That all depends on your reaction, I suppose."
"Oh – well, you certainly have my attention now." He sat forward, bracing his elbows on his thighs, giving her a mock intense amber gaze, cocking a brow. He tried to keep his lips steady, but they twitched, betraying him.
She stared at him for a long moment, before she started laughing, shaking her head. A hand scooped up one of the sofa pillows, tossing it at him – he merely chuckled, using his biotics to stop the pillow and let it fall at his feet. "Cheater," she mumbled, to which he shrugged his shoulders and sat back again. "You're impossible, you know that right?"
"Of course Commander." He chuckled.
"As long as you know," she shook her head again and moved to the edge of her bed, sitting there on the mattress and leaning back on her hands. Her iridescent silver gaze was on him, almost studying him, and he knew she was doing that thing again – weighing her options, going over the pro's and con's of what she had to say. As a soldier, and a leader, it was something she had learned to do out of necessity; while it was something he admired, at the same time he wanted to shake her and tell her there were things to life besides missions and war. He wanted to be here with her, even if in the wake of the war she was having trouble adjusting to what they would call a peaceful life – even if the galaxy was in chaos trying to rebuild.
"I'm not going to run, if that's what you are thinking, Shepard."
"You say that now," she huffed and turned her gaze to the window in her ceiling; whereas the stars were nearly all she could see from here, being docked at the station, she could see much of the arm they were docked upon. "I spoke to the council candidates about their human representative."
"Did they have someone in mind?" He asked, genuinely curious – whomever they chose, he just hoped it wouldn't turn into another…Udina. To think he had almost taken that man's word over Shepard's.
"Yes, actually they did. They want me on the council."
Kaidan's brows rose nearly into his dark – slightly graying – hair. Well…that was not entirely unexpected. He probably would have put her up as a candidate himself had he been in their position. Shepard, by far, was the obvious choice. "What did you tell them?" He asked finally.
"That I needed time to think it over; I at least wanted to talk to you about it first." He nodded at her words. "Kaidan…it was a shock, to be honest. I have always been a survivor, a fighter, not a diplomat. I am no politician."
"Perhaps this will be good for you, Shepard." She looked at him, surprise evident on her features. He offered a reassuring smile, waving emphatically with a hand. "The war is over. Things are…peaceful enough. You're pregnant and retiring; we talked about finding you an easier job. The council could be just what you need. And as a council Spectre, I would always be at your side; I'm not about to let another Coup try to separate us again anytime soon."
Shepard seemed to mull over his words in silent contemplation, before she gave a slightly hesitant nod. "You may be right. I…will take what you have said into serious consideration, Kaidan. Thank you." Getting up from the bed, she moved toward the sofa, instead seating herself just beside him now. "That's not all I wanted to talk to you about."
"I figured as much," he chuckled, linking his hand with hers and lacing their fingers together; it was strange, how well they fit together, even with something so simple as this. "You can tell me anything, Shepard. You know that."
"I do know that," she smiled and leaned against him for a moment. They shared the comfortable silence for a few moments, content to be able to sit here like this, with no worries weighing them down. Finally she straightened and angled herself to face him, though she did not pull her hand away from his. "I saw a doctor while I was on the station."
"About the baby?" She nodded, though the sight of her biting her lip again had him cautiously pessimistic about the news she had to share with him. They had been through so much already…he hoped, beyond hoped, the news was good. It had to be. "Shepard?"
"Please, please, don't freak on me," she almost whispered the words like a prayer. "I am trying not to panic myself at the moment; if you panic, I may not be able to help myself."
"I will do my best?" He smiled slightly, a brow arched.
"The babies are fine." She bit her lip again – vaguely he wondered if she had ever made it bleed the way she nibbled on it. Her gaze was watching him so intently, he wondered why; the babies were fine, right? So why did she look so worried? Or like someone had just stolen her puppy?
"Well…that's good, Shepa –" And then, like a bucket of ice cold water, it hit him. He felt like someone punched him in the gut and robbed him of his breath. Eyes wide, he stared at her, analyzing her from every vantage point – ever so vaguely he was weighing the option that she could be messing with him. When she gave no slip, no indication of a jest, he asked, "Did you just say babies – as in, more than one?"
"Yes," she whispered the word, adverting her gaze. "And, you were right about something – not only are we having twins, but they are both girls."
It was silent for a long, long moment as Shepard's heart pounded against her breastbone and pounded like a drum in her ears. Oh god, he was panicking, wasn't he? She was afraid to look back at him and see that she was right. When his gentle laughter hit her ears, she thought she'd finally lost it. Her gaze slid back to him, to find his face alight with joy and a grin that could shatter glass across his face.
"Two girls, huh?" He finally asked, although rhetorically, when his laughter subsided. "Can't say that I am surprised – no, wait, I am surprised, well…you know what I mean." He chuckled again, bringing her hand to his lips to kiss it gently.
"You…you're fine with this?" She swallowed thickly.
"Of course I am!" He wrapped his free arm around her and brought her against him. "You were worried over that?"
"Well…yeah. It's not like I have ever had to tell a guy I'm having his baby, much less two of them. I wasn't sure how you would react," she sighed the confession against his neck, leaning her cheek against his shoulder.
"You should know me better than that by now, Shepard. If I stood at your side to fight the Reapers, you should have known I wouldn't run at the thought of being a father to twins…as intimidating as the thought is."
"True enough." She raised her head and they shared a gentle kiss. "Thank you, Kaidan, I mean it. I don't think I could have done this – any of this – without you."
"I have made my mistakes, Shepard - I don't plan on making any more." He trailed his fingers through her hair, caressing the strands before he leaned his head down to find her lips again. A gentle caress that soon turned into a passionate melding of their lips. After a moment, he lifted his head and nearly found himself drowning in her unique gaze. "I love you, Anvi. No matter what your job is, how many babies we have, no matter what happens - that will never change. I should be the one thanking you."
"For what, Kaidan?"
"For giving me another chance, for letting me redeem the fool who turned his back on you. Your death...I may as well have died with you; it was hell getting over you, and I never really did. I let my bitterness and my mistrust of Cerberus control me. Thank-you for your trust. I won't let you down again, I promise." He wiped a tear that threatened to spill from her eye, kissing her softly again.
"Kaidan Alenko, I will make you pay for making me cry," she chuckled.
"I look forward to it, Shepard." He responded with a grin.
Admiral Shepard and Major Alenko stood before the council candidates as they reconvened at Shepard's behest in the meeting room of the embassies. Eve seemed happy to see her back, and Shepard knew, could she see her face, she would have seen a grin there. The thought had her missing Wrex all of a sudden and his grins. That's right…Eve and Wrex were going to be parents too, weren't they?
That thought alone made Shepard feel more at ease.
"I believe you have given our offer consideration?" Neesa, the asari councilor, asked.
"I have, yes."
"I would hope you gave it a due amount of consideration," Krin, the salarian, added.
Shepard nodded as she folded her hands behind her back, straightening her spine. "I have. I did not take it lightly, I assure you."
"That is good," this time it came from Naxis the turian. Shepard felt better knowing their names; after all, she would be working closely with them, wouldn't she? "You have an answer then?" His mandibles fluttered slightly, head tilting a bit in what she could now recognize as curiosity, having seen the same from Garrus a time or two in all their years of friendship.
Again, she nodded. "I, Admiral Anvi Shepard of the Alliance, formally accept your offer to name me as human councilor to the Galactic Council." She cocked her head to indicate Kaidan as he came to stand directly at her side. "Spectre Alenko has asked that he be assigned as Council protection and I have not denied him. He was here, protecting the Council, when Cerberus attempted to take over with Udina's help. I believe him to be the very best, both as a soldier and as a biotic."
"You will hear to argument from me, Shepard," Eve admitted, extending her hand to shake it with both, first Kaidan, then Shepard. The other councilors agreed as well.
"It is settled then," Naxis said with a nod. "Welcome to the Council Shepard."
