She blinked her eyes. The place was quiet, empty. Cautiously, she raised her head in confirmation to her surroundings.

The shuddering of the craft had ceased, the horrendous noises quieted. All her fears had been doused in that one instant.

She tensed her limbs, feeling her muscles cramp from the effort. So she wasn't dead. That was a good sign. Curiously, she still wasn't wearing her mask. This was immaterial, the craft was sterile enough. But furthermore, she needed to know where she was before she could get too excited. There was something in her grasp, though. An unyielding object that prevented her arms from coming directly to her body. She glanced down to peer at the obstruction.

With a small gasp, her mouth fell open. Shepard's head was tightly pressed against her chest, eyes tightly shut as he had embraced his fate. His mouth was set in a hard line as he still strained his body to block out the beckoning of death itself. He had not noticed yet of their transition into solitude. His mind was still warped from the encounter on the Citadel. He needed an outside force to shake him out of his daze.

"Shepard!" Tali whispered excitedly. "John, wake up!"

Shepard grunted, sounding sleepy, as he slowly pried his eyes open. Blinking in the darkness of the craft, his vision blurred and centered on the quarian that was still entangled around him, seated on his lap.

"Tali?" he asked, eyes squinting in recognition.

She nodded dimly, eyes filling with tears as he abruptly brought his head in to kiss her on the mouth. She happily responded, letting all of her inhibitions run wild and free as the both of them continued their loving duties. The feeling was strong, sweet, and addicting to Tali as she treasured this moment every step of the way.

As he broke the kiss, Shepard breathed, "Are…are we dead, Tali?"

Tali shook her head quickly, with joy, "If we were dead, then this would not be such a bad ending. But we are alive…and that makes this even better."

She leaned forward so that their foreheads were touching. Both closed their eyes as they savored the other's touch. Shepard ran a hair through the quarian's silver hair as she stroked the back of his head.

"Does this mean…" he said slowly. "…That it's over?"

Tali brought a hand around to stroke his cheek, "You did it, John. You beat them."

Shepard rested his back against the chair of the shuttle, "A lifetime of war…and all of a sudden, it's done."

"That's not necessarily a bad thing, is it?"

"No," Shepard said, looking straight into Tali's blue eyes. "It isn't."

She repositioned her body so that her back was now lying against Shepard's chest. Tali folded her hands across her lap as Shepard embraced her from behind. Both human and quarian sighed in the silent atmosphere that the shuttle provided.

"Thank you, Tali."

"For what?" she asked, mouth frowning in puzzlement.

"For being there for me. I would have been lost without you."

"I…I don't understand, John."

"When I was on the Citadel…the Reapers…they managed to indoctrinate me."

Tali let out a small gasp as her eyes shone, "They...they did it? But...how did you...?"

"I was trapped in some kind of limbo. They showed me my worst fears come true...they tried to break me in that one moment."

"I..." Tali stammered, slightly shaking her head. "I don't think I can hear any more of this..."

Shepard gave the quarian in his arms a squeeze, "Wait, Tali. The reason why they failed was because they didn't take into account one thing. A goal that I clung to in my despair. The one bright point in my life."

Tali's head rose as she began to understand, her mouth opening in shock.

"It was you, Tali," Shepard smiled. "Even after all they did to get to me, I could only think of you. You brought me back, you saved me in ways you cannot even imagine."

Tali quivered in his arms as he gently ran his hands down her arm, stroking her in reassurance. Silently, Tali began to cry, overwhelmed at Shepard's devotion to her. Tears ran down her cheeks as he softly leaned in to kiss her cheek. Her brain was wracked with emotion, she was completely overpowered. All she could do was remain in her position as her lover, her savior, continued to nuzzle and embrace her, calming her down.

"What...what should we do now?" Tali mumbled after some time had passed.

Shepard gave a small shrug, gently teasing Tali's hair with his fingers, "I'm not sure. I don't even know where we are."

She leaned her head back to face him, "I meant after we get out of here, wherever it may be. What were you thinking on doing after that?"

He drew his hands tighter across her chest, "I'm tired of saving the galaxy, Tali. It's all I've been doing for the past three years."

"Not exactly a low-stress job."

"Exactly. So, how about this?" Shepard shifted his body so that Tali could have an easier time looking at him. "First chance I get, I resign from the Alliance. I put it all behind me and that's the end of it."

A hand came to Tali's mouth as she gaped in shock, "What? You're certain?"

"I'm dead serious. I don't want to fight anymore. I want to relax, settle down, have a normal life." He took a deep breath before continuing, "But most of all, I want to be with you throughout the whole thing."

Tali whirled as she grasped Shepard's head in her hands, "Promise me, right now you bosh'tet. Promise me that you meant every word you said." He bottom lip started to tremble, "I…I c-can't bear to be separated from you a-again. If we're going t-to do this…I n-need to be certain…certain t-that you…"

"Tali," Shepard said gently. "I love you. I promise that I will be with you until the end. I'm yours now. Nothing else will take you away from me, that I swear."

"You…really are…mine," she gasped as she hugged the human with all of her might. Shepard returned the fierce embrace, encapsulating the quarian in a feeling of ultimate contentment, having finally achieved closure in this chapter in her life.

There was a slight rumbling noise in the air. Shepard and Tali both lifted their heads as the noise raised an octave. They glanced at each other in confusion.

"A rescue party?" Tali asked. "So soon?"

Shepard smiled, "Probably detected the shuttle as it entered the atmosphere. I'd better- agh!"

"John!" Tali exclaimed as the human tried to rise and was immediately assaulted by a stabbing sensation in his side, ankle, and shoulder, causing him to slump back in his seat in pain.

"Rrghh," he groaned as he clutched his side, his hand coming away red. Tali, now alarmed, moved to retrieve her visor on the bottom of the craft, twin snaps and a hiss of air indicating a correct latch, and quickly dabbed a bit of medi-gel on her lover's wounds.

There noise was now a slight roar as Tali could hear the characteristic whoosh of engines from a set of Kodiak shuttles. Rather than open the door to greet their visitors, she carefully laid Shepard out across her lap.

"Damn it, John," she softly admonished. "You're relentless. You need to stop and take care of yourself before you burn out, do you hear me?"

He gave a brief smile, "I'm not worried about that anymore. I have you to help me…"

Shepard continued to smile as flecks of debris started to collide against the shuttle, creating soft pings that echoed throughout the hold. Tali grasped Shepard's hand in a firm grip to which he returned, but his expression eased as his exhaustion began to take its toll.

"Please stay awake," Tali begged. "Don't leave me behind."

Shepard laughed quietly, "Never again…Tali…my love."

There was now a harsh rapping on the door. Tali, after giving herself a brief check to see if there were no breaches in her suit, cried, "Yes! Yes! We're here!" She scrambled to her feet and rushed over to the door of the Kodiak, depressing the door control as the entire craft was suddenly flooded with light and heat.

"Un…believable," came a deep baritone voice. Tali squinted in the light to discern the person who spoke when she suddenly felt herself being whirled around the air in an enormous bear hug.

Urdnot Wrex let loose a bellow of a laugh, "Tali! You little pyjak! You did it!"

"Wrex!" Tali gasped, trying to draw a breath from the krogan's embrace. He set her down, gently this time, as he continued to laugh in absolute glee.

"How are you here?" Tali asked, confused.

"It was simple," came another voice, this one quieter. "Just a matter of following the tracker installed on the shuttles. Not a hard task, Tali."

Tali laughed as Kasumi Goto stepped from around Wrex. She sprung forward to give the thief a warm hug. Wrex, in the meantime, beckoned to a squad of soldiers outside and they rushed forward with a stretcher to pick up the semi-conscious Shepard who was lying on the ground.

As the men were preparing to transfer him to the stretcher, Wrex knelt down to address the human. "Shepard, you are the luckiest bastard that has probably ever lived in this universe. Sometimes I even catch myself wondering if you were a krogan in a past life."

Shepard opened his eyes slowly, giving a small smile and a weak laugh, "It was never intentional, Wrex. I only did what had to be done."

"Well then, you've got an overinflated sense of duty there, human. But it was an honor to know you and to call you my friend."

Shepard held out a hand from the stretcher as the medics lifted him. Wrex gingerly grasped it in his huge hands, giving a firm shake, as brothers.

The medics now started to move outside, where another team walked in to secure Anderson's body, treating the admiral with care and respect. Shepard blinked in the harsh light as a blast of heat washed over his mangled face.

The surrounding landscape was flat, shrubs lined the dusty ground as burst of wind blew sand every which way. The sun blazed down overhead, causing his skin to bristle in discomfort. In the distance, rocky mountains lined the horizon, bare of vegetation. The soldiers' feet crunched on the dry ground, their footprints indenting the earth. He coughed at the new sensations, craning his head to address one of his carriers.

"Where…where are we?"

The man looked down and smiled, "Just fifty miles outside of Barstow."

The town sounded familiar to Shepard, "Barstow…California?"

"Yes, Commander. Welcome home."

He sighed and laid his head back to let the rays of the sun assault his body. The warmth came as a relief to the battered human, the basking heat was a welcome presence that pushed the cold residue from the Reapers away.

All of a sudden, a hand was gently laid down across his shoulder. Shepard glanced up to discern his visitor. When the facial features were revealed to him as his eyes adjusted to the shadow that the figure cast, he immediately started to sit up until the man carefully shook his head.

"No, Commander," Admiral Steven Hackett said. "You don't need to salute. You've done enough."

Shepard, fighting to control his training, obeyed the admiral, "I…I'm glad to see you here, sir. What happ-"

Hackett interrupted him, "All your questions can wait, Shepard. Right now, our biggest focus is getting you back to your full strength."

"My crew…what happened to my crew?"

"Admiral," one of the medics interjected. "We need to move him quickly."

Hackett nodded and stepped aside but not before addressing the commander one last time, "I'll come back the instant you are ready. You won't be out of it for long, I promise."

Shepard dimly nodded as he was whisked away towards the shuttle that was patiently waiting across the sandy ground, engines sending up plumes of sand. He shut his eyes as the grit peppered his face, threating to choke him.

Tali, busy conversing with Kasumi, only now saw where Shepard was being taken. Excusing herself, she bolted for the shuttle as Shepard was being strapped in. She was desperate to reach the craft before it left. He foot caught on the brush and she tumbled forward a few feet. Scrambling back up, cursing at herself for her clumsiness, Tali brushed herself off and continued to travel the last few meters.

Before she could enter, a nearby soldier wrapped an arm around her waist, stopping her in her tracks. She screamed, "Let go of me!" but the armored man wouldn't budge. She started to beat on the arm with her fists but she could not do any damaged to the armored gauntlets. Her efforts to free herself were weakening as her resolve was being sapped. She shed a solitary tear as the craft prepared for liftoff.

"I…have to be with him," she begged quietly. "He said that…nothing else would separate us…"

"Soldier!" a stern voice barked. "Release the admiral!"

Shocked, the man loosened his grip and Tali seized her chance to wrest free and run past the guard. Continuing to run over the sand, she gave a nod to Admiral Hackett in thanks.

"Keep him safe, Admiral Zorah!" he called.

"I will!" she yelled back.

Finally reaching the Kodiak, she stumbled into the cramped interior as she found a seat next to Shepard's stretcher. Sensing a presence beside him, the human opened his eyes and beamed as he saw his quarian sitting next to him. He twitched his hand towards her and she grasped it with her own, her grip reassuring him. They said nothing as they continued to stare at the other, both reflecting on the finality of the past few hours and the unknown future ahead of them.

A medic then jabbed a syringe into Shepard's arm, depressing the plunger, injecting a specialized cocktail of drugs into Shepard's system. Immediately, Shepard's eyelids began to droop, relaxing his grip in Tali's as he embraced the black, noting how comforting it felt this time.

It seemed like only seconds later when Shepard began to feel his body again. He was aware that his orientation meant that his back was propped up, yet he was still lying down. He felt well rested and the pain from his injuries had greatly subsided. In this position, he was at his most comfortable, probably more comfortable than he had been in years.

As he finally opened his eyes, he took in his surroundings eagerly. The room was sparse, white, as he realized that he was in a hospital. The whole room was dedicated to him as his was the only bed. A desk filled with get-well cards was positioned on his left, some of them even arranged on the nearby windowsill for there were so many.

Shepard's left hand came to his face as his right seemed to be pinned down by something. He gingerly felt his face, sensing no pain from the cuts he sustained back on Earth. He lifted up his shirt to view his left side and exhaled when he saw that the gunshot wound had been completely healed over, as was his shoulder when the Illusive Man had stabbed him. He felt better than ever, to be honest.

His right arm was still pinned. Annoyed, he glanced over to see what was obstructing the use of his limb when he stopped and stared in shock. Tali was lying right next to his side, her body partially atop his as she was still asleep. He could see her breath rise and fall through her suit, her visor was blank as he could clearly see that her eyes were closed, based on the lack of the white glow from the other side.

He craned around to perceive a clock on his desk. It read ten in the morning but what was intriguing was that it read three days after he had arrived on Earth.

Had she been here the whole time?

Carefully extracting his arm, he reached around to draw the quarian closer to him, gently positioning her so that their heads were at the same height. She sighed in the new position, her body slightly shifting to the interaction. Shepard leaned his head on her visor, brimming with delight to know that he would get to spend the rest of his life with the woman he loved.

As if on cue, he saw a slit of white appear on the other side of the translucent mask. In less than a second, two white orbs suddenly shot wide and Tali practically jumped to hug the human in a gesture of love.

"John!" she exclaimed. "You're…you're awake!"

Laughing, Shepard returned the action, murmuring from the warmth of Tali's body as she gleefully savored his presence, "I'm here now, Tali. I'm here…"

Before she could utter a loving reply, the door at the end of the room slid open and she scrambled off the bed as their visitor entered the room.

Admiral Hackett briskly strode into the room, his hat tucked underneath his arm, mouth in a wide smile.

"Commander," he said. "The staff noticed that you were awake from your vitals. I promised that I would be there when you awoke. And I keep my promises."

"I'll…just," Tali stammered as she backed toward the door. "If you…I mean if you don't need me…"

Hackett held up a hand, "I'm going to have to insist that you stay, Admiral Zorah. You will need to hear what I have to say, and the commander needs you right now."

Tali looked at Shepard's longing face as he gazed at her, waiting for her to return to him. Embarrassed at her shy nature, she quickly walked back and grabbed a chair so that she was by his side again. Shepard held out his hand, much like he did days ago and she confidentially grasped it.

Hackett also appropriated a chair as he sat down on the opposite end, "So, Shepard. How are you feeling?"

Shepard sighed, "Much better, Admiral. Although I have to ask, where exactly are we?"

"You're currently in the care of the staff of the Ronald Reagan Medical Center at UCLA."

"I'm still in California, huh?"

"Well," Tali added. "It is a rather beautiful place. At least from what I could see from the room."

Shepard turned to face her, "And how long have you been here?"

Tali's head tilted down a little. "The whole time," she mumbled quietly.

Hackett could not detect the surge that Shepard suddenly felt from his heart at the quarian's words so he continued on, oblivious, "I would imagine that you'd want to know exactly what's happened over the last few days."

Shepard's head shot back to the admiral, "Yes, I do. What happened when the Crucible fired? Did the fleets make it? Did the Normandy? What about-"

"One at a time, Commander," Hackett said calmly. "You have to be careful in your state as you are still very fragile. You just need to take it slowly for the next week until you're back to normal again."

"I…" Shepard started to protest. "I understand."

"But, in regards to your first question, the Reapers were completely immobilized when the Crucible fired. We have been scanning them for the last few days and can detect no signs of life or any signals emancipating from those machines. It worked exactly as it intended."

Shepard slumped in relief as Hackett continued, "On the other hand, the blast did damage the Citadel and the mass relay network, by that I mean that they were shut down." Noting Shepard's anxious expression he continued, "We're currently working on restarting the relay in our system. This isn't a big deal, Commander. We expect to have it back online within the week and from there we can start work on repairing every last one in the galaxy. It will be an enormous undertaking, yes. But with the galaxy working together on this, I'm confident that it will be a simple order to accomplish."

Shepard's brow furrowed in concentration, "So, what happened to the Reaper forces? What about the Cerberus troops still isolated across the galaxy?"

Hackett nodded, "The blast caused all Reaper forces to disintegrate so there is no trace of their existence left. There are no more troops to oppose us anymore. As for Cerberus, the same fate befell them because their last troops had been so heavily integrated with Reaper technology that the blast did not discriminate between the Reapers and them."

"But…what of the geth? They had Reaper upgrades too."

"The geth are fine. As of right now they are making huge progress towards repairing the relay. Our best guess of why they were spared is because they were never provided actual physical upgrades, only a snippet of Reaper code when they achieved consciousness on Rannoch."

Tali lightly nudged him, "Then that must mean that EDI is fine as well! She had less upgrades than the geth so there's no reason why she should have been affected."

"Thank god," Shepard sighed, his worries completely alleviated as his conscience was eased.

Hackett continued to smile broadly, "From your actions, Commander, I'd wager that every civilization in this galaxy is going to want to pin every single medal that they have on your body. Beyond that I really cannot say what other kinds of accolades you will accrue as you have accomplished several feats that have gone unparalleled in human history, perhaps in all galactic history."

"You're making it hard for me to attempt to be modest, Admiral."

"I never exaggerate, Shepard. You're going to be looked at as a hero, whether you like it or not. And there are some rumors that come from the top that they want to promote you to a new rank, be it admiral, or a title that they would manufacture specifically for you. To be honest, Commander, your entire life has changed from this point forward."

Shepard gave a faint smile as he clutched the quarian's hand in his grip, "My life was changed a long while ago..."

He continued to stare out into space for a few extra seconds as he considered the admiral's words. When he was only a grunt in the Alliance, the rank of admiral was his ultimate goal in life. He wanted nothing more than to command an entire fleet of ships, traversing the galaxy and having all that power to himself. However, those days were long behind him as the entire war with the Reapers provided him a new outlook on life. A career in the military was no longer an option, for the past few months, he had a completely new objective. Making the decision was relatively easy at this point.

He confidentially raised his head as he looked straight at the admiral, "Whether these rumors are true or not, you'd have to give them my appreciation and my condolences as I wish to resign from the Alliance barring my discharge from the hospital."

Hackett continued to smile, "Is that your final decision, commander?"

"It is. I just don't have it in me anymore to carry on with the military. There is nothing for me if I continue on that path. But...there is something...someone...that is waiting for me on the other side."

"Between you and me, Shepard, I figured that this was the path you were going to take. No man would possibly want to throw themselves back into the fire after what you've accomplished, especially when you have a loved one waiting for you at the end of that fire."

Tali awkwardly tilted her head at Hackett's words as Shepard laughed at her reaction. Hackett winked at her and continued to speak, "I would assume that this would mean that you are also going to resign your Spectre status as well?"

"You're right about that, admiral."

"I'll pass along your message to the Council then. I would guess that there's no changing your mind and it is a decision that should be respected, considering all that you've done."

"I appreciate that, admiral."

Hackett patted the man's knee as he rose, "I am just glad to see that you're doing better, Shepard. When the day comes that you walk out of here, that will be your greatest victory."

Shepard laughed at that before frowning, "Wait, admiral! What about the Normandy? Did they make it out all right?"

Hackett stopped and turned to fully face Shepard, "The Normandy managed to reach the relay before the Crucible's blast overwhelmed the area. Based on the distortion from the energy, their route must have been distorted as the entire network went haywire. However, we have been tracking their signal and it looks like they made it to a planet in the Apien Crest. Based on the stagnant readings, we have to assume that the Normandy most likely crash landed in the area."

Shepard breathed out, "But…it is possible that they survived?"

Hackett nodded, "Regardless of its fate, we are sending out a fleet to discern for ourselves once we get the network back online."

Shepard sat up, alarming Tali with his quick movement, "Admiral, request permission to head the fleet to search for the Normandy."

A small smile crept across Hackett's features, "Even though you expressly wished to resign your commission as soon as possible?" The question was serious but the tone was not.

Shepard shook his head, "That is my crew. I have a responsibility to them." Tali nodded emphatically as he continued, "If the fleet won't follow my orders, that's fine, but I still insist on being there when they leave. I need to make sure that they're safe."

Admiral Hackett nodded, "Permission granted, Shepard."

Joker closed his eyes as he listened to the slobbering of the turian seated behind him. He desperately pounded away on the keys on the holographic display in front of him, trying to drown out the disgusting noises. Fed up, he turned his chair around so that he could properly engage the turian.

Garrus was currently peeling a fruit, juice dripping everywhere as he lifted the segmented pieces to his mouth. His hands were coated with the sweet, sticky substance but it just made Joker wince when he saw that it was starting to drip on the floor.

Sighing, Joker waved an arm, "You know that someone's going to have to clean that up, right?"

Garrus looked down, curious, "Oh, sorry Joker. Didn't think that this fruit would go everywhere."

Joker rolled his eyes, "Why can't you eat that down in the mess?"

"Because it just wouldn't be right. I'm the only dextro on this ship now and since everyone else is levo, I can't really enjoy a meal from this planet without drawing looks of ire."

Joker had to concede the turian's point. A week ago, Joker had maneuvered the Normandy into the Charon relay, per Tali's insistence. When the spark of energy touched the ship, it sprung forward to the safety of the blistering speeds that the mass relays brought. However, midway through their journey, a shudder had rocked the ship and had sent them spiraling through several relays until they were unceremoniously yanked out of their travels to crash onto a distant planet below.

It was only through the quick acting of the ace pilot that the ship was able to land mostly intact, albeit it was now immobilized as an entire wing had sheared off during the crash. When everything settled down, EDI managed to produce a schematic of where they were from the remaining power supply that they currently had.

EDI determined that they were in a small corner of the Apien Crest on the planet Digeris. This was rather fortuitous as they were a relative short hop away from Palaven, the turian homeworld. But because they assumed that all of the turian fleets were in the Local System, they surmised that rescue would not be as immediate as they thought.

A week later and the crew were starting to get testy. EDI had assured everyone that the tracking beacon was intact and operational but it still did not make any sense why no one had picked up their signal yet. At least the war hounds like James and Javik managed to let loose their anxiety by sparring practically 24/7 in the cargo bay. Everyone had their own way of reducing stress.

Garrus had taken to exploring the planet with Liara and Kaidan, his broken leg mended by Dr. Chakwas after a few days in a specialized cast. A few samples from Liara proved that the planet was dextro in its chirality which was a mixed blessing. For one, it meant that Garrus had an ample supply of food, which was lucky as the Normandy's dextro stores were getting low, but this meant that the crew had to ration the rest of the food.

Finishing his snack, Garrus grumbled, "Still, I wish that Tali was here. She could probably find a way to fix this ship right up."

"Tali'Zorah's experience with mechanics would be a benefit," EDI replied from beside Joker. "But inconsequential as the damage to the Normandy is too catastrophic for conventional repairs."

Garrus rolled his eyes, "You're very reassuring, EDI. You could make a wedding feel awkward, I bet."

"Hey, lay off her!" Joker snapped, glaring at the turian.

Garrus held up his hands in submission, "You're right, Joker. I apologize, EDI. But I'm still worried."

"Worried about what, Garrus?" EDI asked.

"About Shepard and Tali. Whether they're all right."

Joker shrugged, "Ah, the commander cheated death once before. I'm sure he got out of this one."

"Enough with the bullshit, Joker," Garrus huffed. "I want to know, what do you really think?"

Joker wilted in his seat as his gazed dropped, "I…I don't know."

"Shepard accomplished his goal regardless," EDI assured. "He would be proud either way because of what he did for the galaxy."

Garrus nodded, impressed, "I can accept that, EDI. What I can't accept right now, is sitting on my ass any longer." He stood up as he made for the airlock door, throwing the fruit peel to the side as he activated his blue eyepiece.

"Where are you going?" Joker asked.

"Out. I have no idea where."

Depressing the airlock release, Garrus blinked in the light as he stepped down onto the rocks that served as a makeshift staircase to the ground.

He walked over to where the nose of the Normandy lay as he looked around the area. They were in a forest, a tropical one, and Joker had one close call because the nose was almost hanging over the edge of a steep cliff. Garrus could see forested hills beyond and the light blue of an ocean. There was a dampness in the air and Garrus could smell rotting vegetation and salt.

He paced around the clearing for a few minutes, trying to formulate a plan for where he would go today. His leg twinged a bit and he growled, grasping his limb to control the pain. He should not have been exerting himself so much after Earth, he was still not fully healed. But he could not just sit idly by and do nothing. He had to help.

A loud noise interrupted his thoughts as he whirled around to face the rear of the Normandy. It sounded like an engine. What was Joker doing? Was the idiot powering the ship up in a vain attempt to escape their prison? He debated running back into the ship and smacking the human upside the head when he determined that the noise was a bit thinner than the Normandy's bass thump of its propulsion systems. It actually sounded like a smaller craft.

Breaking into an awkward jog, Garrus ducked underneath the Normandy's one remaining wing as he sped past. The engines were still dark which meant that the noise wasn't coming from the Normandy. But where was it coming from?

Turning in all directions, Garrus could see the hints of blue and white through a clump of trees a hundred meters away. Curiosity bursting at the seams, he smacked branches aside and kicked away leaves to reach the object.

Garrus activated his omni-tool and sent a burst message to Joker, ordering him to alert the crew. He pushed aside the last branch and gasped at the sight.

A Kodiak, in Alliance colors, stood proudly in a clearing, ferns waving from the output of the engines. Garrus could hear voices coming from the opposite side of the craft but the noise was drowning them out. He quickly moved around to approach them.

As the sound began to die down, he could now understand the words being said, his heart jumping at the familiar sounds.

"Scans show the Normandy is in that direction."

"Are you nervous, John?"

"Yes, Tali. I am nervous. I don't know what I'm going to say if they're still alive-"

Garrus mandibles spread in shock as he stepped from the side of the craft, "There…is…no…way…"

The two figures standing next to the Kodiak turned. Shepard burst into a wide smile as the incredulous form of Garrus stumbled out to meet them. Garrus could hardly move from the shock until Shepard closed the gap and lifted the tall turian in a brotherly embrace.

"Garrus! You son of a bitch! You're all right!"

Garrus' jaw was opening and closing but no words were being uttered, "How…how is this possible?"

The form of Tali soon joined them as all three were now wrapped in a hug. Garrus' arms patted the two numbly, as if he could not accept the sight in front of his eyes.

"You're…you're alive, Shepard…and...Tali, you too…"

Tali giggled in his arms, "Yes, you bosh'tet. We made it…and so did you."

Garrus' knees gave out as he suddenly collapsed to the ground. Shepard and Tali followed, alarmed, but Garrus held up a hand in reassurance. Breathing hard, he tilted his head up to meet Shepard's eyes.

"Did you…did we win?"

Shepard grinned, "Yes, my friend. We won."

Garrus sat still for a few seconds before bursting into slow laughter. He closed his eyes in bliss as he laid himself down on the ground, continuing to laugh as he finally whooped in jubilation. The turian was going mad, Shepard had never seen him this giddy in his life.

"Garrus?" a voice called from the Normandy. "What is it? Where are you?"

Sitting up, the turian practically screamed, "Liara! Get everyone over here now! Shepard! It's SHEPARD!"

A sudden crashing through the undergrowth indicated that the asari was maddeningly making her way towards the three. Soon, Liara T'Soni burst out from the trees to also wrap Shepard in a hug before making her way to Tali, cradling the quarian like a sister.

Within minutes, James Vega, Javik, and Kaiden Alenko also ran out to meet the commander, each greeting him in their own way. James, giving Shepard a tremendous slap on the back as he laughed, Kaiden providing a solemn hug, and Javik extending a hand as he gave a small smile. All were eventually joined by Joker as he stumbled towards them, EDI beside him every step of the way.

The ecstatic tension practically reverberated around the forest as the entire group celebrated the return of their beloved friends. In the middle of getting encircled, Shepard could only look at Tali the whole time, and she could only look at him. As Garrus and Vega lifted Shepard into the air, he extended a hand to indicate her. With a nod of knowing, she stepped forward to meet them as Shepard was lowered to the ground. Smiling at the group, Shepard moved in to grab Tali and enveloped her in his arms as an indication that they had completed their final mission. Now, they were free.

The cheering echoed throughout the jungle as the noise reached towards the stars, towards the future, wherever it might take them.

I am so, so sorry for the delay on this chapter. Between relocating for a new job and severe writer's block in the beginning, it was tough for me to get this one out on time.

Although, this story is almost done so it should be completed by tomorrow.

I'll give my eventual thought process afterward but let me know how you think this turned out.