A/N: Thanks to everyone who's favored, subbed, and reviewed thus far. =D It always makes me smile.

Ok I've been thinking over everything that's happened thus far in the past four chapters, and I've had a lot of ideas for this particular chapter... So lets hope it all works well together lol.

Also, I'm not very medically inclined so I may make mistakes in this chapter regarding Katelyn's injuries. If I have made a mistake and someone out there knows more about this stuff (you'll see when you read over it), let me know so I may adjust appropriately. My interwebs research really didn't yield much detail on what I ended up writing about. Thanks!

Onto the next!

Chapter Five

Katelyn had grown to really hate doing physical therapy. She never had to do such a thing before. Then again she should probably count her lucky stars that she never had to before. Up to this point she was considerably fortunate given everything that she had done the past few years alone. Fighting Reapers, tackling with Geth, and even the occasional Krogan mercenary. It was a surprise she didn't wind up in the position she was in now sooner.

Most of the physical therapy surrounded her left knee. In reality it required surgery to repair what had happened to it. Torn tendons and ligaments mostly. Though, they suspected hairline fractures as well. The doctors wanted to do surgery on her knee, but Katelyn refused it. Sure she wanted to have her leg fixed, but supplies were scarce and others needed the attention more than herself. There were people out there still dying from various injuries during the Reaper occupation on Earth. Katelyn would wait. A bummed knee wasn't going to kill her.

So in place of surgery she was doing physical therapy. It was tedious at best, mostly light exercising. It was to help keep her knee from getting too stiff, and in a way to help it heal properly on it's own. Though without surgery her knee was never going to be the same again, yet somehow Kate was ok with this. It wasn't like she was in any need to be in top condition at this point.

She cracked a half smile as she carefully bent her knee before extending it for the twentieth time. Somehow it made her think of Thane when she saw him on the Citadel after the war began. He had told her he exercised because it pleased him in the end. She didn't have to be at top physical form but she knew exercising would probably be more of a hobby now, more than because she needed to keep in shape because she was a soldier.

"Have you managed putting any weight on your knee?" Doctor Michel asked. Katelyn looked up eyeing the doctor a moment. It brought up another memory, one on the Normandy with Dr. Chakwas. Have I ever told you I don't like doctors? The commander had asked when Chakwas insisted on doing a quick check up on Kate's implants. She really didn't like getting prodded at by doctors. Shepard knew it was needed from time to time, but that didn't mean she had to like it.

Kate sighed however as she shook her head. "Maybe a little." She replied as she reached for her crutch sitting to her left. She had been sitting on the floor for this particular flex and bend exercise. She grabbed hold of the crutch with her left hand before carefully hoisting herself up off the floor, using the crutch as a means of support as she did so. Some days it did annoy Katelyn that she couldn't just get right to her feet like she use to. Now it took some effort, and at the very beginning she had to take extreme caution when doing so. After a few weeks of this it became a little easier to do as she got more use to it.

Once Kate was back on her feet, leaning against her crutch she looked over to the beat up leg exercising machine not far from them. "Well it might take some time before you can." Michel commented as she typed away on some data pad. Kate made her way for the machine knowing it was time to try some strengthening exercises.

She hated this part of her therapy more than any other. It involved trying to push weights with her bad leg. The weights weren't that much at all either. Barely even one pound was used for her injured leg. It still took everything the Spectre had to accomplish at least ten pushes. But just as she approached the machine someone called out her name.

Michel and Kate both turned to see another doctor, a man, standing in the doorway. "Sorry to interrupt, but a Miranda Lawson is here to see you, Commander." Kate couldn't help but feel a notion of excitement hearing that name. It had been hard to locate anyone in this mess, let alone hearing from anyone. Miranda, and members of her old squad from the SR2 had been missing since the push for the beam.

Katelyn wasn't even sure if any of them had survived the night... "Send her in." Kate said, smiling. It was her first real break, maybe Miranda knew where the others were. Jack, Zaeed, Kasumi, Jacob, Grunt and Wrex... None of them had reported in. Though things after the Reapers had kept everyone fairly busy. Everyone but Shepard. She wasn't allowed to do much aside from sorting through data pads and her physical therapy.

After a moment Miranda came sauntering in, Jack close behind. "Defying death again, I see." Miranda sad, as Katelyn couldn't help but chuckle some at the remark. Miranda and Jack looked well considering their last fight was fairly intense. The Reapers had thrown just about everything at the hammer team, and the squads covering them.

"As if there were any doubts." Kate commented with a smirk. Miranda chuckled some as she stepped further into the room. Jack stayed glued to the door way, looking around. The room itself was probably in better shape than the rest of the building, but that really didn't say much either.

"You look like shit." Jack then said as her eyes landed on the Commander. She had a smirk on her face shortly after making her statement. Katelyn shook her head, smiling. She began to hobble her way over to the two biotics, despite Michel's persistent nagging for the need to finish the therapy session. Katelyn ignored it however as she was just glad to see others made it out alive and in one piece.

"God, you guys are a sight for sore eyes." Kate then said as she finally reached Miranda first, unable to hold herself back as she reached out with her left arm, her right still in it's sling. She grabbed Miranda in a fierce hug as Jack rolled her eyes behind the former Cerberus agent.

"Don't get all soft on us now." Jack then commented as Miranda carefully hugged Shepard back. She could see the Commander was severely injured, and did not want to risk making it any worse for Shepard. Katelyn smirked as she released Miranda though, making her way to Jack, holding out her hand.

Jack rolled her eyes again as she reached out, taking Shepard's hand for a firm shake. "Me? Soft?" Kate questioned with a humored tone. Jack leaned back, folding her arms under her chest as she couldn't help but smile slightly, shaking her head. "Come on, lets get something to eat. I have questions." Kate then said as she began to make her way for the door.

"Commander, I really must insist we finish our session!" Michel called out. Katelyn simply waved her good hand in the air dismissively as she wandered off on her crutch, limping as she moved.

"We can do this later." Shepard replied as Miranda perked a brow. Jack instantly followed the savior of the galaxy out of the room without so much as a backwards glance. Miranda then shrugged at the doctor, who stood there looking displeased by Shepard's lack of cooperation.

Miranda then gave a half smile as she looked at the doctor. "If it makes you feel any better, she avoided check ups on the Normandy too." Miranda said before turning and following Jack and Shepard out of the room. Catching up with the Commander did sound much more appealing than watching her do physical therapy, admittedly.

Michel simply sighed as she rubbed at her forehead.

VWVWV

The group of three sat at a small round table in the mess hall of the hospital. Each had a tray of food in front of them as they exchanged light banter. "So," Katelyn began, putting a halt to any further idle chit chat. "Did any of the others make it?" She questioned as she looked between Jack and Miranda.

Miranda smiled, which came as a relief to the Commander. If she had looked away, or frowned, Shepard knew the answer would not have been a good one. "Everyone is alive and kicking, Shepard. Grunt and Wrex were one of the first on a transport off planet." Miranda said before reaching for her mug of coffee taking a sip. Kate half smiled as she looked down poking at her food before taking a bite.

Miranda then continued, "Zaeed is on planet somewhere. I saw him get on a shuttle the morning after the Reapers fell. I got a transmission from Kasumi, otherwise I'm not sure where she went off to." Katelyn chuckled some. Kasumi was always a free spirit. She went where ever the moment took her. She couldn't blame the thief. If Katelyn could she would have left the hospital by now herself.

"Jacob is with Dr. Brynn, and Samara has been helping out with retrieving the wounded and scouting for needed supplies." Miranda finished as Katelyn nodded. It was good to hear they had all made it... Shepard took a silent bite as her mind wandered off to the Normandy crew. She never stopped worrying about them, especially Liara.

Miranda seemed to catch the look in Shepard's eyes. She looked to Jack who had apparently noticed it too. "Shepard, has there been any word from the Normandy?" Miranda asked. Katelyn couldn't help but frown further. Katelyn sat her fork down on her tray of half eaten food as she leaned back in her chair. She looked off to her right, watching refugees and patients alike slowly inching along in a line at the food counter.

"No... There's reports of stragglers still... Mostly from ships that's crashed planet side, and believe it or not, the moon. But... no word from the Normandy yet..." Kate sighed as she rubbed her left hand over her face, falling silent. She almost didn't feel like talking about it, let alone think about it. Katelyn was not use to worrying about others... Sure there were a few suicidal missions that had her nerves going but this was different. No immediate news, just waiting and hoping.

Miranda leaned forward a bit, watching the Commander, "I'm sure they're still out there." the ex Cerberus agent said as assuringly as she could.

Jack decided to add her own two cents on the matter as well. "Ya, I mean shit. We all survived the Collector Base. Your damned speeches have a way of making people move their asses, for fear of hearing another one." Jack wasn't usually good at reassuring people, but it made Kate smile a bit as she looked back at the two across from herself.

Kate sat up straight again, picking up her fork. "You guys are probably right." Katelyn said before taking another bite of her lunch.

VWVWV

~Two days later~

"Are you sure you feel alright enough to travel, Shepard?" Hackett asked as Katelyn and the Admiral walked slowly to the waiting shuttle. Hackett had told Katelyn that the area her apartment was in was fairly safe for a quick look around. For Katelyn it wasn't a matter if she felt up to it or not, but more that she had to do it. She felt the need to find that picture of her crew.

Katelyn gave a slight look of annoyance at the old Admiral before looking back at the Alliance shuttle. "I'm fine. I really wish everyone would stop pampering me." Kate said bluntly. Hackett shook his head at her retort. He had heard from the crew how she was stubborn, but he didn't think she was that stubborn. He had barely worked with her in person himself. Maybe he was wrong about how stubborn the Commander could be after all.

Katelyn managed to limp her way to the shuttle without much problem and as the door opened, the only help she accepted was someone taking her right hand and pulling her in as she semi-hopped on her good foot. Hackett followed right behind her.

Katelyn then took a seat in one of the chairs, letting her crutch rest against the seat next to her. Kate couldn't help but look around the shuttle's interior. It looked just like any other kodiak shuttle, only it felt... weird being inside of one without any members of her crew. It also felt weird being inside of a combat shuttle without being geared and armed to the teeth.

It didn't take long for the shuttle to take off and the ride to the Citadel was spent in silence. Really it didn't even take long for them to reach the outer atmosphere, and it was only slightly difficult to approach the station due to debris that floated in orbit.

Katie couldn't help but look at the viewing screen, seeing all the wrecked ships in Earth's orbit. It was her first real look at the now dormant battle field above the planet. Chunks of metal and ships floated around, while other ships were torn in two, looking like death itself. Dead Reapers also orbited Earth, a way to remind everyone of the victory never thought possible. But it all came at a high price.

Many were dead as a result. The victory was both a relief and a sad reminder to everyone for the people they lost. Though the galaxy felt lesser for those who died, the people were able to rebuild. Hopefully for the better, at least for a long while.

Finally the shuttle made a landing in the Silver Strip area. Shepard did was not patient, being the first off the shuttle. She was ready to find that picture. It was about all she had left right now. She wasn't exactly sure how she would feel if she could retrieve it, but she knew she desperately wanted it.

"Come on, my place isn't too far ahead." Shepard said as she looked around herself. As she approached the apartment complex, she couldn't help but feel a sense of... pain seeing the area in such a wreck. The party of three soldiers, Hackett, and herself had to use the flash lights on their omni tools to see where they were even going. Power was at a bare minimal. There were no lights, no idle music over the intercom, no sign of life at all. It was surprising there was even life support as the group of four slowly made their way through the rubble.

Support beams laid in ruins all around them, shops and stands were a mess, and some had even collapsed. Shepard couldn't help but wonder how anyone was able to find her if the scenery around her was anything to tell about the rest of the Citadel. The station may as well have been one giant piece of rubble if the crucible was any more unstable.

Once inside the complex it took some effort to reach the floor where her apartment resided. They had to clear debris along the way, and force open doors. Navigating the emergency stair way, was at best, difficult on top of it. When they did finally arrive at her apartment it was a bit easier to get around. Once the doors were pried open Katelyn was forced to wait while the two soldiers made sure the area was stable. It wasn't worth the risk of going inside if the whole apartment were to collapse on top of them.

"It's clear!" She heard one of them say from somewhere inside, and she didn't even wait for further approval as she hobbled her way inside. She shined her omni tool's light within the entrance of her apartment, frowning at the wreck it had become. One of the support columns had fallen over, effectively crushing the piano in half. The second floor's ceiling had collapsed, making it impossible to go upstairs, and the kitchen was a right mess.

But she now eyed the wrecked instrument as a point of focus, slowly making her way over to it. The front half rested in such a way that the front end of it stuck up in the air. As she took a closer look she noticed a number of keys missing and she couldn't help but frown further, her brows furrowing. She carefully ran her fingers across the keys, her mind wandering to when she saw Liara playing it the day they had their shore leave.

She never knew the asari could play, even if it was just the one song. But it was a beautiful piece and Kate felt a small ache in her chest thinking about it. She even remembered first seeing Liara standing there, the asari's guard down, as she played the only tune she knew how to. The light from the picture windows had hit the asari's form in such a way she had almost looked like an angel. "Liara..." Kate had barely whispered as she pressed down on one of the keys, only to be greeted by silence.

Kate then felt a hand on her good shoulder as she gave a start, looking behind herself to see Hackett standing there. "We will find them, Commander. That's a promise." The elder man said firmly. Kate's brows furrowed again, looking back to the piano for a moment or two longer. She then nodded as she carefully moved away from the instrument and towards the den where the picture would be.

Once in the den she saw the giant flat screen laying in a heap on the floor. It was damaged. Katelyn couldn't but wonder if it was still possible to get the picture from the disk drive. The surface of the screen was nearly shattered, parts of tech from within showing from the holes in the screen. Kate carefully knelt down next to the screen, keeping hold of her crutch so that she didn't fall over. "Damnit." Kate said, Hackett kneeling next to her.

"I take it this is where the picture is?" He questioned. Kate nodded, letting go of the crutch and activating her omni tool. She swept it over the beaten television, running a diagnostic scan on it. She watched as information scrolled along on her omni tool's mini screen. As the scan finally reached the storage of the tv she smiled.

"Good, the disk drive is still in tact." Kate said to Hackett as she once more swept her omni tool over the flat screen, doing a data abstraction. Once the transfer was complete a new window popped up on her omni tool, showing the picture of her crew sitting on and standing around the living room couch.

Kate stood as she eyed the picture, remembering the details of that night. Everyone in the picture was smiling, or posing in some silly fashion. Edi and Joker were looking at each other, while Liara and Kate were also looking at each other, both with bright smiles. One of the best nights of Kate's life really... Having all these friends, and throwing a party, just for the sake of having one normal night in the midst of a chaotic storm that threatened everything around them.

"It's a good picture." Hackett said as he too examined the holo photo. Kate smiled a bit as she nodded, never taking her eyes off it. Now that she had found what she wanted, a new sense of hope filled her. She would see them again, she knew it. She felt it in her very being. She would see the crew, most importantly she would see Liara again. Whether it was today, tomorrow, or years from now, she would see them. She would wait until she was old and grey if she had to, but it was worth it for Katelyn Shepard.

VWVWV

Ok ending the chapter hear for now. Now I have to think of wait to do for the next chapter lol. So that one might take me a bit.

Until next time!