Chapter 10… Let's just hop to it shall we? Mass Effect is owned by Bioware, so enjoy!

Ch. 10: Dreams

Unknown Location

Commander Shepard

Shepard grunted as he attempted to stand. His head was ringing and he felt pain in his side, but he could still stand. He looked around him and noticed the trees, the same damned trees! The trees that had haunted him for so long surrounded him and the same gray fog loomed overhead; he was having another nightmare.

"Shepard…" Whispered an unrecognizable voice. Shepard turned around to look at the face of the kid that had haunted him. "You saved me … you saved everyone…" The kid smiled and then began to dissolve away.

"Shepard…" This voice he knew; it was the voice of his past love Ellen.

Shepard felt a tear form in his eyes and took a step towards her. "Ellen?" She looked so real…

"I always knew you'd do something great, even if you could never dance." Ellen put a smile on her face. "You've made Mindior and me proud my Sheppy. You've made everyone proud." She began to dissolve away.

"Wait, Ellen, no!" Shepard tried to grab her arm, but he only gripped mist. The tear fell down his cheek and he turned away.

"You've made us proud, son."

Shepard turned to the voice. It was his father, smiling at him with his mother in his arms. His sister was standing next to them with a shy smile.

"Mom, Dad, Jane… what's happening?"

His sister took a step forward. "We've come to tell you that you did a good job silly. Now quit crying, you're embarrassing us!"

Shepard chuckled, and smiled at them. They were just like he remembered before the raid! It had been years, but he could see them as clear as day. This wasn't a nightmare at all...

His mother began to speak. "You know you've made us all proud with what you did my child, now don't worry about us anymore. It wasn't your fault, and if you keep blaming yourself I'll have to send you to bed without dinner."

Shepard just chuckled and felt more tears come to his eyes at her words. They were so real…

"I knew you'd do what's right son, you always do." Shepard's father nodded.

Shepard's family began to dissolve in front of him like the others had. Again Shepard tried in vain to stop them, and again he only gripped mist.

"Commander Shepard, sir!"

Shepard watched as 48 marines assembled in front of him. 48 marines he knew… 48 marines he had failed on Akuze…

When the marines had assembled completely, each gave him a proud salute. He looked at his marines; the marines that were once some of his greatest friends. His former best friend Tony 'Red' Paterson came forward and gave Shepard a hand shake.

"You've done us all proud, Shepard. Now quit blaming yourself for our deaths, no one could have done anything about it." Red then nudged Shepard. "And next time we play poker I'm winning … Because I think I know your secret!"

Shepard's face paled at the sight of his long dead best friend. "Red I … I let you die! I watched as you got burned alive by acid!"

Red just smiled at Shepard, "And now I'm here, telling you that you didn't let me die. Stop your moping Sheps, you always do the right thing."

The rest of the marines chanted once: "You always do the right thing, sir!"

And then they began to disappear.

Shepard just felt … relief. He always thought that everyone had blamed him for their deaths; that they had been his fault because he had failed them. But the squad from his greatest failure, Akuze, just told him he wasn't to blame, and he did the right thing. Shepard's smile only grew as his squad dissolved away.

"You didn't forget about us did you, Shepard?"

Shepard turned around again. All of those he had lost on the Normandy were standing a few feet from him. Jenkins, Ashley, Thane, Mordin, Legion, Anderson, and the 20 crewmen he lost on the SR-1 all stood there, smiling at him.

Shepard's smile faded. These people he had failed much more recently, and seeing Anderson again began to hurt his insides more than he could have imagined. But they continued to smile at him.

Thane spoke up, "You have righted any wrongs you have done Shepard, a great bounty will await you across the sea. You have made everyone proud."

Mordin stepped forward spoke, "Did well Shepard. Saved galaxy, righted horrible mistake by Leviathans. Had to be you… Someone else might have gotten it wrong." Mordin nodded as his smile grew.

"Shepard-Commander, I am forever in your debt. My people would have been dead without your intervention, or we may have had to destroy the Creators... You have saved more lives than you know, and you have made everyone proud. You are… a very efficient model." Legion seemed to smile with his head flaps.

Jenkins took his turn, "Commander, it wasn't your fault when I died. I was just so stupid … But you saved us all, and that's what matters. You've done better than anyone else could've hoped for!"

Ashley began speaking. "You did it again skipper, you've saved everyone. You know my death wasn't your fault, and I had no regrets. I wouldn't trade it for anything, and you've made me damned proud."

Anderson took a step forward and put a hand on Shepard's shoulder, "I'm still proud of you son, and while we're all in the great beyond we'll give that Leviathan AI a good kick in the pants."

The rest of the crew saluted Shepard and Pressly nodded as he took a step forward. "We always knew you would end this, Shepard. And don't blame yourself for our deaths, the Collectors struck without warning. There's nothing you could have done."

Shepard just smiled at his former crew. They were right, the war was over. Everything would be better now, and he had done what was right.

Everyone, from the kid to Anderson, appeared in front of him in a crowd. They all saluted him, even his little sister, and they all said these words. "Just follow your heart, Shepard, and you'll always do what's right."

Citadel

James Vega

James continued to fire his rifle, trying to reach Shepard with the others; Samara and the others had made it and were assisting them now. There were just so many Reaper forces… James had no clue how Shepard had been able to just drill through them, but the explosion they had all seen put a bad feeling in all of their minds. They had no clue what Shepard had done, but they had seen him hit the Brute as the explosion occurred. The Brute was limp … as was Shepard. It certainly didn't look good for their Commander, but they had to get to him.

Then the Reaper forces just stopped; they all deactivated and fell to the ground. James rushed forward with the others at his heel and he knelt down next to Shepard. He slowly flipped the Commander over and James noticed his eyes were closed and he wasn't breathing. There were several tears in Shepard's suit from shrapnel and a small pool of blood had begun to form underneath him.

"No way, Loco, you can't do this. Get up Loco, come on!"

Liara knelt down beside James with tears in her eyes. She put a hand on the cheek of his helmet, hoping to get a reaction. Anything would work... but she got nothing and she put both hands to her face and began to sob.

Jack started to get irritated. Shepard couldn't die, damn it. HE COULDN'T DIE! "Come Shepard, get the fuck up!"

Zaeed turned his head from the sight of Shepard, mumbling something along the lines of 'Guddamn Reapers.' Kaidan just stood there in honorable silence for the man he respected more than anyone. Jacob did the same, though he couldn't help but shake a little from the shock of seeing Shepard dead. Samara began praying a silent prayer with closed eyes.

And then a gasp was heard.

Citadel

Unknown

He opened his eyes. He saw bright. He felt cold; he needed air. He had no air, but he needed air. He let out a gasp and relief flooded him. He was still alive! He had saved everyone and was still alive! He began to try to get up but heard cheers. There were people near him, with voices he knew. There were people near him that he knew! He was safe, he would make it. His heart told him he had to make it, and make it he would... because the one thing that was always right, the one thing that always led him back to her, was his heart.

And he'd be damned if he left her now.

Author's endnote: Mysterious person at the end!? Oooooooo. Aaaahhhh. *other creepy and mysterious noises* MYSTERY… Oh who am I kidding, that wasn't very mysterious at all… XD Hope you enjoyed this chapter, and I'll see you all next chapter (hopefully). Also, I'd like to thank everyone who has read my story so far; it has over 1,500 views! I must be talented or something (lol jk). I'm just glad so many people like it, or at least read it! Also, don't hate this short chapter: It's setting up stuff people! :)