IT'S ALLLIIIIIIVE! Also, I noticed that their is a lot of Kelly hate, which I don't understand. I like Kelly. She's cute and gives free hugs, no matter how many tentacles you have.

Soundtrack: Knockin' on Heaven's Door-Guns and Roses

Simple Man-Lynyrd Skynyrd

You have another niece, Bethy! Harlan and I named her Hannabeth, after mom and you. She's the sweetest little thing. She has these big blue eyes. She looks like you did when you were a baby. :) Olivia keeps asking about you too. I tried to tell her about, well, you know. I don't think she understands yet. She's used to not seeing her Auntie Beth often, but two years is pretty long, even for you. The tabloids are saying that you were seen on Omega. I want them to be right. I pray that they are. But it wouldn't be the first time that they were wrong. Or even the fifth. I don't know why I keep sending these things. I guess I just think that if I keep talking to you, maybe you won't really be gone. Maybe you can hear me somehow. I just want to see you again. We all do.

Love,

Arlene, Mom and Dad

Shepard ran a hand through her hair, massaging her temples as she rested her head in her hands. Her fingers itched to reply, to comfort, to tell them that she was back and they could stop mourning because hey, she was alive after all. They could be a happy little family again. But that wouldn't happen. Not anytime soon, at least. To tell them that she was alive would lead to her explaining that she was going to throw herself right back into the fire and they probably shouldn't expect another miraculous return. That would be infinitely more cruel than to simply let them think the sightings were just another false hope.

'Or you're just too cowardly to face them. Afraid to see just how they've changed and you haven't?'

She shoved the thought aside and stood up, her boots hitting the floor with a forceful thud. Shepard strode away from the message, away from her room, to the elevator. She paused as the steel grey doors slid open obligingly. She couldn't think of any actual destination but stepped inside the elevator and hit a random button anyway. As long as she wasn't alone with her thoughts, she didn't care where it took her.

'Or maybe that's a part of the problem. You have changed. Working with Cerberus wasn't your idea, but you aren't fighting it. You're not even just going along with it. You've embraced the situation, no matter how much you might deny it. Better to have them think you're a dead hero rather than a living terrorist.'

The doors opened to the main deck, revealing a surprised Kelly Chambers.

"Oh! Shepard! This is great, I needed to talk to you."

The redhead grinned at Shepard as she entered the elevator, a perpetual spring in her step.

"I have time, Kelly. What's on your mind?"

Kelly pushed the button back up to Shepard's cabin and leaned back on the elevator walls, waving a hand in Shepard's general direction.

"Actually, it isn't what's on my mind. It's what's on yours. Or who, for that matter."

Shepard froze, ignoring the urge to cross her arms defensively.

'Your family would hate to hear that humans don't do it for you anymore, wouldn't they? Bad enough that you've joined a terrorist organization, but starting to have feelings for a turian? That's just downright unnatural.'

Her arms crossed.

"I have no idea what you're talking about, Kelly."

Kelly arched an eyebrow skeptically.

"Shepard, it's my job to notice people's problems. I know you like to pretend that you're some sort of immovable rock, but you're not, and that means my job includes noticing your problems too."

"I believe I told you that your job did not include me, and would never include me. I take care of my problems on my own."

Kelly nodded her head, biting her lip thoughtfully, and hesitated before she spoke again.

"I know that you're used to working things out by yourself. But I can help."

Anticipating the cold rejection that Shepard would no doubt give, Kelly said the words that she knew would force the Commander's hand.

"If you aren't clearheaded, you're putting the mission in jeopardy, Shepard. We can't afford that. No one can."

Shepard stepped out of the elevator and entered her cabin without replying, with Kelly awkwardly half-running to keep up with her. Settling on the couch, she gestured for Kelly to sit with her and broke the frigid silence.

"You have ten minutes, Miss Chambers. Make it count."

"I can do a lot with ten minutes."

"Nine minutes and thirty seconds."

Kelly furrowed her brow and leaned closer to Shepard from her spot on the couch, saying indignantly,

"It didn't take me a half minute to say that I can do a lot with ten minutes."

Shepard stretched out on the couch, tapping an imaginary watch.

"Now it's nine minutes and thirty seconds. You should probably hurry."

Kelly frowned, then tucked a rogue strand of red hair behind her hair, composing herself and returning to her original position.

"Point taken. I saw the message from your sister. I didn't read it! I just noticed who sent it. I know that you haven't replied."

Shepard relaxed slightly, folding her hands in her lap, but her mouth was still drawn in a tense line. There hadn't been a mention of Garrus, but talking about her familial relationships to a shrink wasn't high on the list of things she liked to do, either.

"I saw no reason to do so. I won't tell them I'm alive until I know I'm staying that way."

The yeoman opened her mouth to speak.

"And that's final, Kelly."

She sighed, but nodded.

"It's up to you, Shepard. But I know that if my sister died, I would do anything to see her again. Even if she couldn't stay with me."

"And what would you do in my position? I would give up anything to see my family again. I have one niece that wonders where I am, and another niece that might not ever get to meet me. My sister had to come to terms with the fact that she was the only Shepard kid left. My parents had to watch my empty coffin put in the ground, had to realize that they were still alive while one of their children had died alone. You think that I would be cruel enough, selfish enough, to make them go through that hell again?"

Kelly's eyes were glassy with unshed tears. She took Shepard's hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.

"No. I don't you would be. I don't think anyone would. But I think your family would believe that hell is worth going through if it means seeing someone they love again."

She let go of Shepard's hand and headed to the door.

"Just something to think about, Shepard. Love is worth hell."

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