There was another more sad reason why they had hugged the couple. Shiala had died. Liara could not believe it. The asari could not stand the pain that the boy had put onto her, but she kept the connection to save Shepard nonetheless. She had nearly went insane. When the doctors and Normandy crew came in to see the asari doubled over in pain, but also Liara in a successful meld with Shepard, they did not know what to do.
Liara looked down at the little bundle that she carried.
She had begged them to save the baby. She knew that she was going to die, Liara wondered just when. They cut the baby out, only a few weeks early. Maybe she never said her idea during our brainstorming because she knew what would happen.Liara really didn't want to think about it. All she cared about was that when Liara beat the boy to death, Shiala had a few moments of peace before she succumbed.
Liara moved the cover of the bundle to expose the baby's face. It was green, just like her mother, with radiant blue eyes. At least Liara could connect with the blue eyes. It was her baby now; Shiala had entrusted her to Liara.
Shepard turned in his sleep and Liara looked at him. After all that, having faced his renegade side with the help of Liara and coming out of a coma, he needed rest. Once everyone had left, he fell right asleep. Liara leaned down and kissed him on the forehead. He reached up and pulled her down, lathering her in kisses. So he is awake after all.He wrapped his arms around her, finding the bundle in her arms.
"What is this?" He asked, sitting up and removing the cover of the bundle. He laid eyes on his child. "So you are my little friend in my dreams."
Liara looked at him weird. "What do you mean?"
Shepard was making faces at the baby, much to its enjoyment. "In my dreams I felt this sort of connection, to what I don't know." He turned his head to Liara. "But I just know it's this baby."
"Well she's yours." Liara pieced the puzzle together. "You must both have the spores within you... you are... connected." She took back the bundle. "She is beautiful isn't she?"
Shepard kissed her on the cheek. "I don't know who is more in this room: you or the baby."
She laughed. "If you say the baby it's narcissistic. She's got your looks."
Shepard put his arms around her. "Well then I guess I choose you."
The baby began to pout and cry. Shepard looked at the baby. "Ok fine! I choose both of you!" The baby smiled and Liara felt that something had gone on between them that she lacked the connection to feel.
Shepard had rather quickly gained his strength back and was helping out at the hospital, waiting for them to release him. He was changing bed pans in a room, upon completion of the task he turned and saw a man standing in the doorway. Admiral Hackett stood in his full military uniform.
"You did a hell of a thing back there Commander." He took a step into the room. "You killed the council, and convinced the masses to have you as sole leader of the galaxy. They even still eagerly await your ascension to the throne… And then you claim that you were insane and now you're fine. You are just full of surprises Shepard."
Shepard eyed the Admiral. "I'm sorry." He apologized. "I don't really know what to say… are you going to arrest me for the council's deaths?"
The admiral chuckled. "I don't think you understand, Commander. If we jailed you, the people would riot again and devastate our peacekeeping force. If you died, we might as well all be dead. You need to be the leader of the galaxy."
Shepard sighed. "But I don't want to be a leader... I'm a soldier through and through."
"There are no soldiers for peacetime commander. You need to move on."
"But I want to retire."
"We must all make sacrifices." Hackett smiled. "I've already set up a press release. It's up to you." He turned to leave. "Meet me at the embassy in 2 hours... you know, the place that you killed everyone in."
He left and Shepard slammed the bedpan. "Haven't I done enough sacrifice already?" He yelled back at the Admiral.
Shepard stood at a podium, looking out into the crowd of people that had formed. Cameras were focused on him from every angle, which would transmit the speech to giant view screens set up all over the world. Behind him stood Liara and the baby, as well as the rest of the Normandy crew. Hackett stood off to the side, shifting nervously because Shepard would not share his speech to anyone. I guess it's true that I'm full of surprises, because you'll just have to wait for me to start.Green lights signaled him to start. Shepard took a breath and started his speech to the masses.
"I stand by my decision to kill the council. Such a small group in power succumbed to stupid politics, ultimately caring more for their power and political debates than their sworn duties to the needs of the council races. They would have hampered our growth in a time when we needed to grow. The garden that was the galaxy was being choked out by a tree that had grown in the same soil. It was just one plant, but it grew such out of proportion that it needed to be removed for the sake of the other plants.
But I cannot speak those words and then become leader of the galaxy. That is why I will not. We will replace the tree with many radiant flowers. I will help form a new council, made up of all the races that fought the reapers. Every race has shown that they care about what happens in the galaxy, and that is good enough a reason to me to give them a seat on my new council.
And once the new council is set up, I will leave. I wish to retire with my family, just as you might with your own. Is that too much to ask? And I'm not just talking about my Normandy family. There is someone else that I love." He looked back at Liara. "And I was wondering if she would like it to be official... if she would marry me." Shepard turned to Liara and went down on one knee. He pulled out a ring, one with a radiant blue gem in the center. Liara gasped and brought her hands to her mouth. Tears of joy materialized at her eyes, and once the baby was given to Ashley who was next to her, she ran to Shepard and wrapped her arms around him.
Once people got over the scene before them, they patiently waited for Shepard to say more. But Shepard had planned not to. He wanted them to realize that as much as he cared about the galaxy, he had someone he cared about more. They would come to terms with that sooner. The engagement was serious, but it also served a dual purpose; Shepard wanted to distract the people from his previous words of non-committal of his former aspirations to pacify them.
Soon people began to leave once they realized that Shepard was done speaking. They left in droves. Once Liara had let go of him and he had talked with the crew, he looked out to the non-existent audience. Only one person was left, looking oddly familiar he had a kind face and wore glasses. Upon seeing Shepard looking at him, he smiled and nodded. Shepard returned the greeting. Just the aura of the man Shepard couldn't come to think that he was creepy. Shepard stepped back and walked away from the podium with the Normandy crew behind him.
He would have to stay on Earth for a little longer to set up the new council. He told the Normandy crew to leave and make preparations to leave. Nothing short of a Reaper revival would make him stay.
Finally it was all done. Shepard had assembled the leaders of the many species that had worked together to defeat the reapers into a new council. And now it was his time to leave. He smiled to Liara who sat across from him in the shuttle. She held the baby and pointed to the view screen.
"There's our home Shiala."
Shepard looked as well. The Normandy was different with the new prototype FTL drives. A secondary wing started from the top of the vessel and met the lower wing at the tip. A small cylinder apparatus sat situated between the wings, closer to the Normandy. That was the new prototype engine that was the initial reason that they had stayed on Earth.
Shepard did not understand the details, but the simple details made him happy. The baby gurgled Shepard's delight as well.
"Yes, there's home." Shepard added, looking at the mother and child. Soon we'll have our own little blue children to match.Liara answered his stare with a kiss.
"You have not been home in some time... Do you still recognize it?" Liara teased.
"Well the engines are new, I'm sure nothing on the inside has changed much." He eyed Liara. "Hopefully I can make up for my long absence." He answered her with another kiss.
"I'm sure you will." She answered seductively.
The shuttle pulled into the docking bay and the small family got out. They were greeted by the whole crew. A large banner hung up behind them read: Welcome Home Shepard!
Shepard took a moment to take it all in.
"I'm Commander Shepard, and this is my favorite ship in the galaxy." The statement was cheesy, maybe even stupid, but he had come up with it on the spot.
He was answered with laughter. They had prepared a cake for him and the baby, and soon everyone was having a good time. After some time had passed in the cargo bay, Garrus approached Shepard and beckoned everyone to quiet down. He looked to Shepard.
"So Shepard, where are we going first?"
Frankly Shepard did not know where to go first. "Let's just pick a direction and see what we find."
"I think we can all agree with that."
Soon a direction was chosen and the ship embarked. After a short toast, everyone began to fizzle out and head for bed. Shepard and Liara went up to the captain's quarters, accompanied by the little bundle that Shepard held.
They prepared for bed, with Shepard tucked the little sleeping baby Shiala into her small cradle. He then turned to Liara who was already in bed.
"So we got our little green baby here, but what about those little blue ones we promised each other?" He stepped approached the bed. "What were we going to name them? First one was going to be Benezia..."
Liara shook her head smiling. "No, the first one should be Aria."
Shepard nodded. "So to Aria?" He came up to Liara's side of the bed and pulled the covers off his lover. Her naked body was revealed, luscious blue curves accented by the neutral colored covers.
"How about to us?" She suggested.
"Then to us." Shepard brought his lips to hers, intend on fulfilling their promise.
... or at least part one of many.
Author's notes:Well just a few minutes ago I had submitted both chapter 10 and the epilogue to From the Ashes... just hope I kept up to my previous level of quality.
This week has been crazy. I thought I could sit down and do serious work fixing up the previous chapters and then put out an amazing finale, but life always gets you when you start thinking that. I had to work a little overtime at work, and in the off time, I had to help out at home and actually do social stuff... pfffft not cool and especially not cool when I had this to finish xD. Anyway, I sort of fixed up the chapters, but I didn't finish in time, so I'm going to finish that tomorrow. Please bear with me. Lol Then I will put in an actual author's note in the epilogue here.
Finally, if you thought the story ended at From the Ashes, you were wrong. There is more that will come soon! I'm tired as I pulled a lot of late nights writing chapter 10, the epilogue and fixing up chapters, so let me take a break. Lol