Author's Note: Warning! Sad chapter!

:,(

Chapter 24

Shepard rubbed her temples. Her head ached as she anxiously waited for EDI to analyze the Reaper IFF. She slowly twisted her head in Sean's direction. Sean finished what he was saying and held out his hand, offering the drive to her.

"So this is everything?" Shepard said taking the drive into her hands.

"Everything." Sean repeated, nodding slowly.

"So are you taking your old life back?" Shepard asked, turning to her computer, inserting the drive.

Sean sighed and looked at the ground, "I don't know."

Shepard waited until the drive loaded up onto her computer. She began to skim the thousands of files on the drive. "Quite a bit on you…" She began.

"I just have one more favor to ask from you." Sean said, sheepishly.

Shepard sighed, "And if I say no will you run off again?"

"No." Sean said biting his lip, "I understand." He finished, turning around and walking out the door, a large lump forming in his throat.

Shepard sighed again as she saw the doors begin to open, "Damn it." She cursed, "Sean…"

"Yes?" Sean asked, slowly turning around.

"What do you want?" Shepard asked, spinning in her chair to face Sean.

"I just want to go to Terra Nova, tomorrow if that works out…" Sean said trailing off, "just some loose ends…"

"I'll look into it." Shepard responded.

"Thank you Commander." Sean said as he turned and exited.

Shepard let out a slow breath as she opened the first file. Why tomorrow? She asked herself. Her eyes skimmed across the first few lines of the dossier. Her eyebrows furrowed as her eyes locked onto a specific line. She quickly turned to her calendar, then back to the file, then back to the calendar.

"Damn it." She cursed once again, shaking her head. "Joker?"

"Yes Commander?" Joker's voice responded over the intercom.

"Set a course for Terra Nova." Shepard said.

"Aye, aye." Joker responded, ending the com link.

Shepard ran her fingers through her hair as she returned her attention to the files on the drive.

Sean walked slowly into the graveyard. He had chosen not to wear armor, but was suited in all black. Shepard and Tali walked behind him, giving Sean some room. Sean slowly began to pace through the isles of gravestones, pausing for a few moments on ones that he recognized. He slowly set a single flower on those and walked on. As he gradually wound his way to the center of the graveyard his eyes locked onto a woman and young man standing before a grave. The young man kneeled before the grave and rested a bouquet of flowers on it.

"Happy birthday." He said, pain deep in his voice.

Sean's body lightly shook as he approached. The young man had his arm around the woman. As Sean neared the gravestone he paused. The gravestone had an Alliance insignia on in as well as the rank of the soldier, sergeant. Sean tried to swallow through the lump in his throat as he read the name, Alexander Dean. He looked up at the woman and man, then slowly stepped forward and rested the flowers on the grave, then took a step back and clasped his hands together, his head bowed. The man and woman looked at Sean but said nothing.

Sean looked up and quietly said, "I'm sorry for your loss." He then let out a painful sigh.

"Did you know him?" the young man asked. Sean's body shook as he recognized the voice. It was his brother Jace. He wanted to hug him, he wanted to tell him everything, but he knew he couldn't. He knew they wouldn't understand it. He was no longer Alex; that ship had sailed off a long time ago. It was the hardest thing he'd have to do.

"We served in the same unit. For a long time." Sean responded, fighting down his emotions.

The woman looked up, her eyes becoming tear. Sean recognized her as his mother. She then lightly hugged Sean. Sean winced. He couldn't break his character, but everything was pushing him to the limit. "I'm sorry, it's just- you remind me of him." She said backing off

"It's alright." Sean said, "I knew him very well." He fought back the tears as he said, "He was like a brother to me." He then winced as he realized what he had said, "I'm so sorry." Sean said

"It's alright." Jace said, "He was a great man. A great brother too…" He said, his voice growing hoarse.

"Your Jace?" Sean asked. Jace nodded. "Alex talked a lot about you. He even showed me a few pictures you sent him. You meant the world to him." Sean said, his voice becoming raspy.

Jace let out a painful laugh, as tears began to fall down his face, "You don't know how much I miss him…"

"I do." Not being able to hold back his emotions any more, Sean reached forward and embraced his brother. Jace slowly began to sob, his body shaking.

"They pronounced him missing." Jace said pulling back and wiping the tears from his eyes, "I just think he's out there somewhere, trying to find a way back."

"You and I both." Sean said, "He was a tough bastard. It'll take a lot to stop him." Jace nodded slowly. "Alex gave me this a while back. Just a few letters he wanted to give you two." Sean said producing a small drive, "I'm sorry it's late, but…" His voice slowly trailed off.

"Thank you." His mother said, taking the drive.

Sean bit his lip as he slowly turned. "I'm sorry." Sean then slowly walked out of the graveyard, tears slowly streaming down his eyes. Tali walked up beside him and took his hand in hers, slowly rubbing the back of his hand. "It's over now…" Sean quietly said.

"You did the right thing back there." Tali said.

"I know." Sean said, tears still falling from his eyes, "It just hurts to leave them… You don't know how much I wanted to tell them."

"I know, but it'll be alright." Tali said.

"Yeah." Sean said looking up, a weak smile on his face as he slowly entered the cab. "Maybe after this is all over…" Sean said trailing off. The door slowly shut as it began to take off towards the docks. Sean looked back down at the graveyard one last time as it slowly vanished.

Author's Note: It took a lot out of me to write this… Hope it had an effect on you…