And I was wrong about this being the last chapter. I thought I was almost done, but then I checked amazon and my copy of ME3 is Tennesee at the moment, and I got a review, and I just felt too excited to stop. This piece is something I've worked on for awhile, and it's a little bit different from previous pieces in this story. But Olio means a miscellaneous collection, so it fit right in with the rest of them. I think that I'll continue this story even after the release of Mass Effect 3. I like writing little snapshots, and I have a feeling the third game is going to give me plenty of fuel. A quick thanks to all of the support I've been getting; without you this fanfiction would have ended a long time ago.

Tell me what you think about this one and leave me a review!

One Day- Time to Wake Up

Sunlight streamed through the curtains, shining straight into my eyes, forcing me to wake up. I rolled over, stretching out on the large bed. It took a minute to adjust to my surroundings, to the way my chestnut hair fell past my shoulders, to the comfort and size of the bed, to the fact that this was a room in a house (and not on a spaceship), and to my state of dress (or undress, really).

The other side of the bed was empty, sheets thrown off the bed haphazardly. I rolled over to that side to snuggle into the pillow. It smelled like him. Suddenly, there was a compelling need to be close to him. But he wasn't anywhere to be found, so I did the next best thing and found one of his shirts and putting it on before settling back into his side of the bed.

"Good morning sunshine," he said, walking into the door. He sat down next to me, and then leaned over to kiss me.

"Good morning Kaidan," I replied, wrapping my arms around his neck.

"You've betrayed the Alliance, and you've betrayed me. I can't be with you, especially when you are with Cerberus."

"But Kaidan I-"

"Sorry Shepard. I can't. I still know where my duty lies."

"Anything for you, Shepard." He told me. I grinned at him.

"I'm not Shepard anymore," I said, pointing to a ring on my finger, "I'm Mrs. Sarah Alenko now. You should remember. You were there." He smiled back at me.

"How could I forget the most important night of my life? I just like hearing you say it."

I replied with a smile as I got up and walked into the bathroom. While I was washing her face, a small box caught my eyes.

"For the most part, Cerberus did a thorough job resurrecting you. The Lazarus Project restarted all of your vital organs, allowing you to live again. However, there was one organ they deemed unnecessary, and it might have sustained extensive damage unchecked. Unfortunately at this time it may be too late, and you don't have the luxury of taking the time or the risk that a surgery would entail. I'm sorry, Commander."

I stumbled out of the bathroom.

"Sweetheart? Are you alright?" Kaidan asked, immediately at my side. When I didn't reply he pulled me into his arms. "Sarah, what's wrong?" I pulled back a little so that I was looking him in the eyes, and for a minute I was struck by how beautiful they were, even filled with concern as they were now. The corners of my lips started to turn upwards as I grinned slowly.

"Kaidan Alenko," I said, stretching his name out, "you are going to be a father." His smile was heart-meltingly beautiful as he kissed me, and we both were laughing and crying, marveling at our ability to create new life.

"So that means I won't be able have children, right?"

"I'm afraid it's not likely."

The joy that we both felt at the prospect of the new life inside of me was overwhelming, and I couldn't recall a time when I had been happier. Come to think of it, I couldn't recall very much. My memories were a little fuzzy. I frowned a little at that, but then thought it was probably just the excitement that was getting to my head.

"Love, this is amazing news," Kaidan finally said. "Your parents are going to be ecstatic when we tell them at dinner tonight."

"There were two caskets at the funeral, and neither of them had been opened at the wake. The crash had been so brutal that the carnage was horrifying. But I didn't want to see them anyways, lifeless. They had always been so full of life, even though they both were very focused on their military careers. I only had a day. I only had that day, the funeral and the memorial service, to say goodbye to my parents. But that was what it took for me to join the Alliance."

I pulled away from Kaidan quickly, backing up against the wall.

"My parents have been dead for eleven years." I said. And there was a jolt and a flash of bright light. I blinked repeatedly, trying to regain my vision.

"Shepard? Can you hear me?" Dr. Chakwas' voice floated somewhere around my head. I blinked, opening my eyes to the stark brightness of the Normandy's medbay. "You've been unconscious for several hours. You took quite the hit to the head." I sat up, trying to process everything.

"None of that was real," I said quietly, earning me a sympathetic look from Dr. Chakwas.

"You were dreaming while you were unconscious," she replied gently.

"It's time to wake up," I murmured to myself.