Chapter 23

One Last Journey

Shepard stood on the balcony of an abandoned building overlooking the streets of London. Much of the damage from the Reapers had more or less been fixed, but there were still buildings and streets with craters in them. It was to be expected and was not wholly bad when one considered they could have all been wiped out instead.

Her stare was pensive as her gaze fell upon the Conduit to the Citadel in the distance. The structure and the entire area around it were large reminders of the final push; their final desperate attempt at ending the war.

Shepard could remember the sight of Harbingers beam cutting across the ground, the terrible sound of the Reaper and its destructive beam and witnessing Garrus and Kaiden get injured by the Mako. That place was one she had no desire to ever go near again for fear of these memories swarming her in full effect.

It held an ominous aura when she stared at it, to be closer would only intensify the feeling.

The redhead shuddered a little and forced the thoughts from her mind. The ceremony for the victory and the fallen had ended a few hours ago and she felt the need to be alone. She needed to get her thoughts in order; she needed time to keep her sorrowful emotions from swelling to epic proportions.

Her head was swimming with memories of the war. Everything from escaping Earth to the moon of Palaven, Sur'Kesh, Tuchanka, Rannoch, Thessia, Horizon and back to Earth again played through her mind.

Talk about a long round trip. A small smile graced her lips. It reminded her of a novel written a long time ago that she had borrowed from Kasumi's shelf. The story was about an adventure taking the main character far from his home and back again in the company of a wizard and several dwarfs.

Kasumi knew it was one of her favorites and had been a bit relentless in teasing when she found out back during the Suicide Mission. It wasn't that she thought the story was bad, she just saw it as her corruption taking hold back then. Shep had finally fell in love with one of her books after telling her how sappy some of them were.

Thinking of her thief smiling made her smile momentarily, sending a wave of relief through her mind. Her smile fell, though. The thoughts of her thief were comforting, yet they did not rid her of the thoughts about the war.

All the talk about those who lost their lives during the war burdened her heart as she thought about those she lost and different choices she had made.

Choices where she had to sacrifice the many for someone who would be able to help her.

Choices where she had to let friends sacrifice themselves to save entire races.

Ashley's face appeared in her mind first as she reimagined herself stuck between going to Kaiden and going back for the Gunnery Chief.

The next was Mordin as she rested her hand on the locked holographic icon as he placed his hand over hers and smiled sadly at her.

Praying with Kolyat as Thane lay in the hospital bed came next, the tears she shed as she sat alone in her cabin thinking of the friends she had lost.

Hugging Legion from behind before he died knowing he had to do what he was doing but wishing there was some other way. Hearing him call her Shepard-Commander and telling her thank you.

Shepard's eyes began to burn as she held back the tears threatening to fall. Keeping it together as she gave a speech had been one of the hardest things she had done since the end of the war. All of the memories of her fallen comrades and even those who she hadn't had the honor of calling friends had been playing through her mind during the entire ceremony.

She was trying her best not to make them a burden on her heart, but right now it was hard. The wounds of the war were still fresh, just nudging the scab caused it to bleed all over again.

Time was what people said healed all wounds, but the N7 knew the wounds dealt would leave nasty scars on the souls of everyone, herself included.

It's better that way, she told herself. Scars were needed so no one would ever forget the pain and loss that happened in what could have been their final hours. It was one of the reasons she hoped the Conduit and the surrounding area would always serve as reminders to that fateful day. Remembering would keep them from making the same mistakes and would preserve the peace for the next generations.

Droplets of rain began to plop on the ground slowly. The clouds had been building for some time and the smell of rain had hit her senses already.

Shepard didn't mind it.

Her mind knew the Earth was prone for this kind of weather, especially here in London after what the Reapers did to it. All the damage done had no doubt messed up their previously recovering environment. The recovery from the damage inflicted during the late 21st century had started to see major improvements before the Reapers showed up. The violent weather they once had was no longer as bad. She hoped it would remain that way despite the damage done.

Still, despite knowing that the weather was acting as it always did, her heart wanted to believe it was the spirits of the fallen weeping for their loved ones who were still feeling the pain as she was. A foolish thought as any, but instead of seeing it as the spirits not at peace, she saw it as them trying to tell those left behind to find peace.

Like Thane told me.

Retreating back into the safety of the building would have been a good idea to prevent herself from getting drenched…but Shepard wanted to enjoy the rain. There was something…freeing about standing in the rain, listening to it all. The sound of the soft pattering rain on the streets and buildings was quite peaceful.

There was no sound of thunder or flashes of lightning, no swirling gusts of wind.

Just…peace.

Shepard closed her eyes and lifted her head to face the sky.

Rest easy my friends.

Kasumi had never been one for attending large ceremony's unless she was stealing from someone. A lot more fun my way, she mused. Despite this, she attended the ceremony with the rest of the Normandy team and watched her lover the entire time. She had been in the same high ranking suit that Admiral Hackett and Anderson wore except she made it look good.

Biased? Probably, but the thief thought she was stunning. She would have looked even more stunning in a dress. Though this time I'll make an exception, this wasn't the event for one.

Showing off a lot of skin at the ceremony would have been disrespectful to those who gave their lives to stop the Reapers. This was the reason she chose to wear her armor instead of her hooded tank top.

The crew had headed back to the Normandy after the ceremony ended and after they said any remaining farewells to the people they knew at the event. Well, almost all of the crew; all save for Kasumi really. She was on the hunt for her lover who had promptly disappeared after it was over.

For a while she left her be alone. From her seat at the ceremony she could see the struggling in her lover's eyes to get through it all without shedding any tears, as always. There was pain in them, but there was also strength.

After it was all over Shepard looked like she needed some time alone so the thief gave her it even though she would have been happy to be at her side for comfort. Now, though, the rain was coming and she was a little worried about the redhead.

Following in the direction she saw her lover go led her to an abandoned building within the vicinity of the Normandy but still a bit of a walk away. The building had been hammered by the war from the looks of it, on the inside and on the outside.

Ascending the stairs and searching each floor had taken some time, but eventually she found the commander standing on a balcony with her head raised to the sky.

Kasumi could hear the echo of raindrops on the building hitting at a rather slow pace for the moment. Thanks to her natural stealth, approaching silently had been fairly easy. In any other moment she would have tried to scare the woman, but now was not the time.

As she reached the commander, she wrapped her arms around her waist and moved closer so her chest was against her lover's back. She rested her head on her shoulder and nuzzled into her neck. "You look quite beautiful in uniform, my dear commander," she teased lightly. Shepard chuckled softly. "You okay, Shep?"

"Just thinking about old friends."

In truth, Kasumi had thought about them too. She missed Mordin, Legion and Thane and knew without their sacrifices the outcome of the war could have been totally different. It did not ease the pain knowing their sacrifice had helped the war; in fact it only made her miss them more.

She wished she had taken a little more time to stop and visit Thane while he was checked in at the hospital. Going into Geth Space or finding the STG base where Mordin had been sounded like another suicide mission, but she wished to have seen them one last time while they were aboard the Normandy.

It made her regret not joining Shepard back then a bit more.

Unfortunately life didn't work like that. You didn't always get your chance to say goodbye one last time and sometimes doing so was harder than being left with the wish of seeing them again.

This was true in Shepard's case who had been there with those three in their final moments. She had been there at their sides as they passed, had said her goodbyes and now those were some of her first memories of them.

Kasumi knew this to be true as her first memories of Keiji always started at their final moments together. She could still remember good memories, but the first thing she always thought of when Keiji came to mind was that last heist.

For Shepard she too would remember the good, but in moments like these her first memories brought her back to those last moments with them. The thief held her lover a little tighter in an attempt to comfort her.

She felt a bit helpless in the face of such overwhelming sadness.

Deep down Kasumi had worried the ceremony bring about these thoughts. It was only natural since they were talking about those who were lost during the war. Yet she had hoped it wouldn't have reopened the fresh wounds on the strong woman in her arms.

The woman who had faced death and beat it with a strength of will no one could compare to.

"I miss them too. We all do," she whispered gently.

"Think they're looking down with smiles?" Shepard asked.

Kasumi nodded. "I do. They're at peace, Ana. I know it."

They had defeated the Reapers and were about to start the rest of the recovery efforts for the entire galaxy. All three would be happy to know the war had ended in victory and the mass deaths the Reapers caused were at an end.

The rain began to fall in larger amounts, but both women made no move to get out of it. They remained in the embrace, listening to one another breathing and the sound of the downpour around them as they let the rain wash away their worries. Their clothes, and armor in the thief's case, were quickly drenched along with their bodies and hair, yet neither cared.

They were at peace here, together in a warm embrace.

After several minutes of silence and getting soaked, Shepard turned around wearing a sincere smile. "Thank you for your company, Kasumi."

Kasumi gave a smile in return. "My pleasure, Ana. Care to join me under shelter?"

"Yes, but there is something I've always wanted to do first."

"Oh?" Kasumi raised an eyebrow in question.

The redhead closed the distance between them, gently removing the master thief's hood to reveal her soaked face and hair. The way Shepard was staring at her as if she was the most beautiful person in the galaxy made the thief blush as her heart started to beat a bit faster.

Shepard brought a hand to her cheek, caressing it before bringing their lips together in a tender kiss. Kissing in the rain. Now I know I've corrupted you, Ana. Kasumi smiled into the kiss and put all of her emotions into it just as Shepard was.

The kiss was intense with passion under the rain filled sky, each woman pouring their very souls into it as if it were the last kiss they would ever share. In a way it was the last kiss they would share on their homeworld for some time.

With the mission ahead of them, they probably wouldn't step foot in the Sol System again for a time. In the end it did not matter to them because they would be together on this new adventure ahead of them.

Reluctantly, they ended their kiss due to the rain coming down harder than it was previously in sheets of ice cold rain. Together they headed back in under the building, safe out of the rain yet still dripping wet. Shepard pulled off her jacket revealing that she had on her tank top under it then laid the blue jacket on the ground.

She kicked off her shoes and pulled her pants off as well so showing she had come prepared in shorts too. This in turn made Kasumi begin to laugh a little. "You were waiting to get that off, weren't you?" she teased.

"I hate getting dressed up…it's not me at all." The commander gave a look of disdain at the dressy clothes.

"Aw. But I thought you looked gorgeous in a dress." Shepard blushed and turned away to hide her smile. Kasumi saw it though and smiled in victory. She loved letting her lover know how gorgeous she was in a dress even though she hated the clothing item.

Her eyes moved back over to the thief a bit expectantly so the thief smiled and began taking off her boots and gloves. "If you ask me to take it off slower, I am inclined to paint your armor pink."

Shepard shuddered at the thought of going around in pink armor making Kasumi laugh as she began to take off the rest of her armor. Under it all she wore the N7 tags and a shirt and shorts, but she quickly undressed out of those too leaving her in just her underwear and the tags.

The N7 took hers off as well and laid them out to dry. They laid themselves down on top of their soaked clothes and cuddled next to each other, keeping close together for the sake of warmth and the need to be close to one another.

The thief nuzzled up against her lover, resting her head over the woman's heart. "So, my dear Ana, you have me alone, half-naked and soaked from head to toe." Kasumi looked up to her as a sly smirk tugged onto her face. "Was this all part of some ingenious plan to cuddle without interruptions?"

"Err…will you think it's romantic if I did?"

"Of course."

"Then I totally planned all of this."

Kasumi laughed and gave her lover a knowing look. "You little liar." Shepard mocked a pout. The thief kissed the bottom of her chin. "But you're my gorgeous little liar."

"And you're my beautiful thief."

They shared another kiss before resuming their previous position of watching the rain fall. It would be some time before it finally stopped which left the two women to stay hidden within the building. That was okay, they were comfortable laying and holding one another as they were.

They also had no desire to drip all over the Normandy floor.

Joker would never let us hear the end of it.

"Kasumi."

"Hmm?"

"I wanted to thank you."

Kasumi looked up to the sky blue eyed commander in question. "Thank me? For what?"

As the words left her mouth she was hit by a wave of déjà vu.

"Kasumi, before you go…I wanted to thank you," Shepard spoke steadily to her but Kasumi could see the torn look in her eyes. There was something she really wanted to say but was having trouble finding the words for it.

Kasumi tilted her head in question. "Thank me? For what?" she asked. In the commander's holographic eyes she could see that her mind was going faster than the speed of light.

"For everything…you've been a great friend. Although I missed not having you on the Normandy during this war, I was happy that I had been able to see you at the party and during shore leave. If this goes south for me and I don't make it out, I want you to know…" Shepard paused, leaving Kasumi to wonder what she was going to say. Her heart was beating a bit quicker as she could see so many feelings within her best friend's eyes. "It's been an honor knowing you."

Kasumi shook off the déjà vu when her lover started speaking. "For everything. For falling in love with me, for being at my side since the end of the war always ready to help or give a quip to cheer me up, for corrupting me."

She added on the last part as a joke which made Kasumi smile despite her heart hammering in her chest. "Ana, you don't have to sa—"

Shepard sat up, forcing Kasumi to sit up as well. "No, I do." She cupped the thief's cheek as her eyes softened full of a strong love she had grown so accustomed to loving. "You mean everything to me, Kasumi. I just wish I had had the guts to tell you sooner. I love you. I think I always have but I know I always will."

The thief had already been losing herself in to the swelling emotions in her heart as she stared into her lovers magnificent sky blue eyes. But that last statement caused all of her strength to fail.

"You and that damned honey tongue." Kasumi felt a tear escape her as she rested her forehead against her lover's. "I love you too, Ana. So much more than words can describe."

"I know you already said you were coming, but I need to ask to know you are sure about this." Shepard stared at her with hope and love in her eyes. "Kasumi Goto, will you embark on one last journey across the stars with me?"

There was no hesitation in Kasumi in answering that question.

"Yes."

Shepard smiled a loving smile. "I'm glad it was you who stole my heart, Kasumi."

"Me too," she whispered.

Her lover gave her a kiss then pulled her into a warm hug before they resumed lying on the floor.

One last journey across the stars. Kasumi smiled.

She liked the sound of that.

Two Days Later

"Commander, all ships are ready and waiting for your order to go through the Relay," Joker announced over the comm.

Kasumi leaned against the railing next to her lover as she stared at the galaxy map. She smiled, this was finally it. Priority: Galaxy Repairs was finally a go and they were about to make the first Relay jump since the end of the war alongside the other ships.

Part of her was nervous about the Relay, but if it ended up chewing them up and spitting them out in the Galaxy core or something she was going to spend her last seconds with her Shep. "All right, Joker. EDI send the signal, I think it's time we reconnect the galaxy."

"Yes, Shepard," EDI responded.

The Normandy began to make its way towards the Relay at the head of the fleet of ships going through. "Commander, the Captain of The Setting Sun is attempting to establish a comm."

"Put him through, EDI," Shepard replied.

"You know, I'm really glad I'm not the first going through," Ghost came over the comm.

Both Shepard and Kasumi rolled their eyes. That was Ghost as usual. "I could always order you to go," Shepard said.

There was laughter in the background of the comm from Darian as the purple eyed N7 groaned. "….Me and my big mouth. Shut up Darian or I'll send you through with an escape pod." The duo shared a chuckle before the N7 Talon member came back over the comm. "Good luck to you, Shepard. Hope to cross paths with you again during this mission."

"You too, Ghost. Take care of yourself and your crew."

"Yes ma'am. Same goes for you."

The comm was shut off and Kasumi found herself holding her lovers hand as they got closer and closer to the Relay. "Making the jump in 3…2…1."

Shepard pulled the thief into a kiss the moment Joker came over the comm and remained in it all the way through. The Normandy passed through the Relay and came out the other side with the ships designated for her coordinates following through with them. "Jump successful, Commander…You can stop your 'in case this is the end' kiss your doing," Joker snarked over the comm.

The two parted with smiles on their faces. It was nice to hear Joker over the ship intercom giving out witty remarks again. She had many great memories on this ship and the thief knew she would get more on this last tour she and her lover were going to go on.

Kasumi looked to the galaxy map for a moment wondering just how well the others across the galaxy were doing. She hoped everyone was okay and no one was doing anything questionable. If they are they're going to be stopped when we arrive.

"So, what now Shep?" she asked as she turned her gaze back to her.

Shepard smiled at her and gave her a peck on the lips. "Now, my love, now we fix the galaxy."

Kasumi nodded and smiled, intertwining her hand with Shepard's as they made their way down the stairs towards the elevator.

She was looking forward to this final journey across the stars.