Ash walked up to the Commander's apartment door, feeling very...anxious? The Commander had been dead for almost two years, and though she still had that burning hole where her heart used to be, she was getting better...very, very slowly. The Commander had no family, and the only friends he had were the Crew, mainly Garrus and Ash. And, since Garrus had disappeared after calling the majority of people at the Commander's funeral out (Ash chuckled, remembering the turian's words: 'And some of you treated him like sh*t when he was still around. Yeah, you, Udina. The only people who really should be here are the crew and Anderson.') and the rest of the crew had other things to do, Ash was the owner of Shepard's things.
'Which,' Ash thought, 'includes this apartment.' Ash doubted it'd be more than a small, crappy room used to give the owner somewhere to sleep for the night, much like her apartment was. Ash took a deep breath and opened the door, and was surprised to see it was much, much more than a 'crappy room.' It had paintings, both prints of famous works and made by the late Commander, a large stereo system, bookcases full of books, and a weird lighted case placed against one wall. Ash walked carefully, as if the floor would give if she stepped too hard on Shepard's -now her- floor it would consume her, and looked inside the case's glass at the antique revolvers carefully placed inside. They were rare and, according to the plaques placed beside them, usable. Shepard also had a poster of some man one the wall, and Ash read the words printed in red on the bottom of the picture.
'What is the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly? And who's Blondie?' Ash wondered, then realized that was probably one of those Westerns Shepard said he liked. Ash looked at the paintings Shepard made, noticing Elysium moments before the attack, Mindoir before the attack, and-
'Me?' Ash wondered. The painting wasn't finished, but it was of Ash and Shepard on their first 'date' to Elysium. Ash had insisted they go there, and Shepard had relented. Ash sat on the bed, staring at Shepard's face on the painting. It was a face that had seen so much pain and made it out alive...Ash remembered the fire Shepard had in his eyes. It was still burning, but it was a tired flame that needed something more than just will to go on. Then, when Ash and Shepard finally were in a relationship the fire was brighter than ever.
Ash smiled. 'I miss that damn paragon.' Ash curled up into the bed and began to cry. Two hours later, she was asleep, dreaming about her father and Shepard meeting...
"Hello, Mr. Williams. I'm Commander Shepard." The Commander smiled.
"Ash's Commander? Good to meet you." Ash's dad shook the Commander's hand. "So, you're in love with Ash?"
"Dad!" Ash protested, embarrassed.
"Yes I am, but I want to get your blessings first." Shepard smiled.
"Sure, if you treat her right." Mr. Williams said.
"I will. If I don't, she'd knock me out anyways." Shepard smiled, then kissed her on the cheek.
Ash sat up in the bed, wiping the tears from her eyes with the back of her hand, then took her brown leather jacket off. "Why did he leave me?" Ash asked aloud. Only silence answered her.
*
Ash sighed, sitting back in the park bench. It'd been a while since Horizon, and Ash missed Shepard. Knowing he was alive now...and he was probably angry at her for what she had said. Ash didn't expect him to come back, and it was killing her.
'I saw the man that I loved for the first time in two years...then got angry at him. Good job, Ashley!' Ash thought. She was so lost in her thought that, when a man stopped beside her and said her name, she didn't notice him.
"Ash?" The man asked for the fifth time.
"Sorry." Ash said, blinking and coming back to reality.
"It's okay." The man smiled, handing her a bouquet of roses.
"Wha-?" Ash asked, then looked up at the smiling man. "Shepard?"
"Sorry for being so corny, but-" Shepard began, but Ash jumped up and gave him a giant hug, shaking as she cried. Shepard hugged her back, not worrying about his suit getting stained. "What's wrong?"
"I'm so sorry..." Ash sobbed.
"You have nothing to be sorry about." Shepard said, drawing back slightly. "I understand it if you-"
"Don't leave again." Ash almost begged, holding him closer.
"I won't. I'll never leave again, Ash." Shepard said, and Ash kissed him.
"I love you, Shepard." Ash said.