Everyone had rushed into med bay after Chakwas had given the news that he was waking up. Tali was the first one inside followed by Garrus and Wrex. Mordin had stumbled over as Grunt pushed passed him. Legion was already talking with the Doctor when everyone came in. Tali ran to Shepard who was standing up with his head looking down at the floor, still groggy from the sedative. She threw her arms around him and squeezed as hard as she could. Shepard recoiled and yelled in pain from her tight embrace and then removed her arms from around himself and pushed her back causing her to fall on her butt.

"Get off me!" Shepard yelled. He sounded as if he'd lost his voice. She looked up at him as did everyone else. Completely puzzled by his strange reaction. Chakwas walked over to him with a small flashlight in hand and examined his pupils. Garrus helped Tali up.

"Commander Shepard, do you know where you are?" The Doctor asked. Shepard looked even more confused and tried to push her away but was in too much pain even with the strong pain killers she had given him.

"Who's Shep-get away from me." He moaned. Chakwas clicked off the flashlight and continued with the questions.

"What is the current date?" She asked again. Shepard only looked at her with anger in his eyes.

"What? What are you talking about? Where am I? Who the hell are-ugh..." He covered his chest as it ached from his rib reconstruction. Chakwas helped him lay back down and then walked over to the crew and whispered.

"I believe the commander is suffering from Amnesia. His brain must have shutdown his memories to protect itself from the trauma." Grunt's eyes shot wide open and then he turned to leave the room. None of the others seemed to even notice. Wrex seemed to study Shepard who was sitting back up again.

"Wait a second..." Wrex said. He then walked over to the medical bed and stared Shepard in the eyes. Shepard stared back in confusion. Wrex then lunged forward causing Shepard to flinch backward nearly causing him to fall off the bed. Wrex turned around and pointed his thumb back at Shepard.

"Yeah, he definitely doesn't remember. Shepard wouldn't flinch." Wrex then smiled and turned back to Shepard who had a fearful expression on his face.

"No he can't forget!" Tali ran back to his side and grabbed both his hands. "Shepard! It's me! Tali! You know me! You would never forget me!" Shepard looked confused. He drew his hands out of her grasp.

"Don't touch me Quarian!" Tali gasped upon hearing this and brought her hands to her mouthpiece as the tears began to flow down her face. The rest of the grew were shocked to hear him use the name of her species like an insult.

"No..." she whimpered and ran out of the med bay with her hands covering her visor. The others watched her run out. They almost couldn't believe it. Garrus decided he would try to get something out of him.

"Shepard snap out of it! It's Garrus! You know," Garrus, not thinking straight then blurted out, "the guy who saw your girlfriend naked!" Everyone in the med bay all gasped at once except for Wrex and Legion. The room fell dead silent. Garrus' mandibles stretched out so much in embarrassment that it seemed they would snap off.

"Um... I-I meant that metaphorically..." the turian stammered. Wrex began to laugh clutching his belly as he did.

"Hahaha! You saw the Quarian nude?" Wrex laughed even harder then started to stomp the floor with one foot in his fit of laughter.

"Just let it out Wrex... Just let it out..." Garrus said while covering his face with one hand. Wrex started to settle down slowly before Mordin brought everyone back on topic.

"Focus on Shepard. Memories suppressed..." The professor inhaled. "Disturbing..." Chakwas placed a hand on Shepard's shoulder and spoke softly as she leaned in close to him.

"Shepard...what is the last thing you remember." She had a look of expectancy but Shepard could not satisfy it.

"Who's Shepard?" he replied. Chakwas took a deep breath.

"Listen to me very carefully. Your name is John Shepard. You are the Commander of the frigate SSV Normandy SR-2. My name is Doctor Chakwas and these people are your crew." Shepard looked at her with a blank stare, trying his hardest to remember something but his mind was black and empty.

"I don't..." Shepard began to say. He then lifted up his shirt to look at the surgical scar that ran down his chest. "What happened to me?"

"You were injured in battle. You're suffering from Amnesia, that is why you can't remember anything." Shepard ran his hands threw his hair.

"I know this is a lot for you to take in, but right now you need to rest. You've not yet fully recovered from your injuries." She laid him back down on the medical bed.

"What do we do with him?" Garrus asked.

"For now..." Chakwas said. "Nothing..."

...

Back in Shepard's cabin Tali had thrown herself on Shepard's bed, crying into a pillow. Shepard losing his memories, to her, felt the same as him dying again.

"I...I've lost him...he's gone..." She thought while sobbing heavily. All the happy memories she had of him flashed through her mind like a slide show of photos. She remembered when they first met, when he saved her from the turian assassin. When he had given her the Geth data for her pilgrimage, when he first came back into her life on Freedom's Progress. Even when he saved her on Haestrom. But most importantly, when he helped her with her trial. The strength he spoke with. So noble he was, using everything at his disposal to keep her from being exiled. And then...when he admitted his feelings for her...the happiest day of her the following night before going through the Omega 4 Relay. The passion they shared for each other that night...

She remembered how nervous she was, worried that Shepard would shun her if he didn't approve of her face. However, he didn't see a a vagrant Quarian like the rest of the galaxy when he smiled upon seeing the beauty in her face for the first time. He saw past the species. He saw a beautiful young woman full of love, love for him. He was everything she ever dreamed of and more. In that moment she knew...no one could ever love her as much as he did.

She began to think about what could have been. In their time together she felt that it was more than just a temporary relationship. She felt that they could have been much more. If Shepard had ever asked her if she wanted to spend the rest of her life with him, she would have accepted without hesitation. But now it seemed that that thought would remain only a fantasy, never to become a reality. The reality she so longed for...

...

"Seems like I've got no other business here. Watch out for him turian." Wrex and Garrus were chatting outside the med bay. Apparently he was ready to head back down to Tuchanka.

"We could really use you here with the way things are going. Sure you can't stay?" Garrus asked.

"I would, but I should get back before my idiot brother starts a war over a losing a battle in the pits." Wrex replied.

"Well..." Garrus stretched out his hand, Wrex did the same and shook it. "Good luck Wrex." Grunt came around the corner just as they broke their handshake and Wrex glared at him.

"I...would like to return to Tuchanka with you Chief Urdnot..." said Grunt trying not to look into Wrex's eyes.

"What makes you think I'd have you?" Wrex retorted. Grunt lifted his head and locked eyes with Wrex.

"It is clear to me now that I must learn to control my impulses, lest they control me. I believe there is much I can learn from you Chief Urdnot. I...owe it to Shepard. If you would have me, I would be honored to call you my battle-master..." Wrex turned to Garrus who nodded in agreement then back to Grunt.

"Very well, you will return with me. It's the least you can do to make up for the shit storm you've caused." Grunt nodded. Wrex turned back to Garrus.

"Try to keep your eyes off the quarian." Wrex headed for the elevator with, laughing out loud. A few minutes later Garrus watched out the port observation window to watch Wrex's shuttle leave. Chakwas walked in behind him, he noticed but didn't bother to turn around to greet her.

"How is he?" Garrus said, his voice full of concern and doubt.

"Finally asleep. The medication I've given him should allow him to be back on his feet by tomorrow." Chakwas replied. Garrus paused for a moment.

"Will he ever remember anything?"

Chakwas moved closer beside him and she too gazed out into the void of space. "I don't know. Even with all our advancements in medicine, we still can't correct something like amnesia. The best we can do is hope he will recover. I do know one thing for sure. If anyone can help him, it's Miss Zorah..."

...

Tali awoke early the next morning. She had not bothered to leave the cabin ever since Shepard shoved her away like an annoying pest. It still hurt. She hadn't eaten for hours, having fallen into a state of depression. His words echoed in her mind, hitting her like a hammer over and over again.

"Don't touch me, Quarian!" Quarian... The Shepard she knew would never call her that. No, the real Shepard would have gladly broken a few more ribs just to embrace her for a few more seconds.

She jumped slightly from where she sat at the end of the bed upon hearing the cabin door hiss open. Shepard stepped in with metal braces around his legs, probably to help him keep balance. Chakwas must have given him the strongest pain killers on board just to give him enough strength to go and see her.

"Um...hi..." he said. Tali looked him over then dropped her head to the floor again.

"I'm...sorry if I hurt your feelings... It's just... I...don't remember you. I didn't know." Tali still didn't answer. It was like listening to a complete stranger.

"The doctor told me your name is Tali and that...we're...in love..." she lifted her head to look into his eyes when he said this. He seemed genuinely apologetic.

"Yes...we are..." Tali whispered just enough for him to hear. He walked closer to her.

"I feel like I was just born. This-all of this just seems so new to me... I want to remember but I just cant..."

Tali could hear the sincerity in his voice. "You really don't remember anything?" she asked. He listened to her words, suddenly something flashed in his mind so quickly that he decipher it.

"I feel like...like I'm supposed to know you, but..." She walked over to him and brought his hands together. His words awoke a new resolve within her. She couldn't and wouldn't give up just yet.

"I'll find a way..." she whispered softly.

...

The Blue suns cruiser, the Cyclops, dropped out of FTL, preparing to enter orbit over Illium.

"Sir, incoming message from our contact on Illium, text only." An officer said rising from his seat.

Vido sat in his command chair in the bridge. "Patch it through." he replied. A holo-screen appeared in front of his chair and he read over the message carefully. The more he read the more his lips curved into a devious smile.

"Well, well, well... How the tables have turned... See you soon Massani. And this time you won't have Shepard to cover your ass you old dog..." Vido rose from his chair. "Contact Eclipse and tell them they better be ready for a joint operation!"