I do not own Mass Effect or any of the associated contact. Jagher Shepard is my Shepard and Fayelle Shepard is my friend's Shepard. This is a collection of moments set throughout the games. They're rated for language and violence mostly.
Mass Effect 2: Moments.
A Moment of Survival.
After all was said and done—when stock of injuries and damage had been taken, when the repairs had begun, when reports had been sent to the Alliance—Jagher made her way to her quarters. She didn't make it any farther than the door before she collapsed and the shaking started. She had held it together for so long and now, finally, she could just fall apart. The Collectors had been stopped and yes, there were still some things to attend to—Liara had sent a message about The Shadow Broker and Admiral Hackett wanted Shepard's help in rescuing some doctor out in Batarian space or something—but right then, she could just let go.
She started laughing then. Jagher stretched out on the floor in front of the door and laughed. The final battle against the Reapers was still coming but peace for the moment… She had begun to think she would never see peace again, not even for a few minutes.
When the tears of laughter started, Jagher got to her feet. She wiped her eyes and sat down at her desk, immediately pulling off her boots and drawing her knees up to her chest. The chair wasn't big enough to allow the position to be comfortable, but it served. Jagher turned on her private terminal and checked her messages. There were none, which was slightly surprising only because she had been expecting a rant from the Illusive Man; maybe he had finally got the message. Unlikely, but possible. She was sure something would show up eventually. One didn't disobey the head of Cerberus and get away with it. Instead of dwelling on the imminent problem however, Jagher brought up the screen for a new message and put in Kaidan's extranet contact address.
Then she paused.
She didn't know what to say.
Why was it so hard to send a message to Kaidan, even just a note to say that she had made it through the battle with the Collectors?
The sensor at her door beeped, telling her there was someone there. Jagher unfolded herself from the chair and opened the door, admitting her sister. Fayelle strode confidently into the room and settled herself on the desk while Jagher reassumed her position in front of the terminal.
"How are you doing?" Fayelle asked.
"I'm fine." Jagher smiled up at her sister because it was the truth and also because Fayelle's stay on the Normandy marked the longest time the sister had been together where they had not constantly fought. "Why did you come along Faye?"
The younger Shepard shrugged. "I wasn't about to let you go off and die again. Mom may not make an effort to keep in contact with us anymore, but that doesn't mean we should abandon each other. You knew this was a suicide mission, everyone involved did. I thought you might like having someone familiar around… This was before I realized you had some of your old crew."
Jagher's smile turned warm. "I didn't say I wasn't glad you were here, but what about your position in the Fifth Fleet?"
"Admiral Hackett gave me as much leave as I needed after you died and then they assigned me to a desk job. I had just got reassigned to active duty when we got word that you were alive again and I just… kind of lost it. So they took me off active duty and put me back on desk duty. Councillor Anderson kind of adopted me as his assistant or liaison with the fleets and then he let me go after you. I think he wanted someone he knew would care to keep an eye on you. He wants you back in the Alliance."
It didn't surprise Shepard to hear that, but it made her feel warm and wanted again. "Thanks Faye."
"Hey, just be glad we survived. Because if we hadn't survived, I would have found a way to kill you a third time." The sisters laughed. As the moment passed, Fayelle turned her eyes to the terminal behind Jagher. "Sending a message to your lover-boy there?"
"Trying to. Not really sure what to say."
"How about 'Hey. Guess what? We survived. Let's get a drink.'"
Author's Note.
Ogga-booga.
Next Moment: A Moment of Pure Longing and of Being Denied.