A/N Inspired by Evanescence "Bring me to Life", Salser's amazing story "Forever as One" and my own loss… Title inspired by Garbage's verse from "My Lover's Box."

Thanks to everyone who added, reviewed and fav'd. You make this worth continuing. More reviews = more chapters.

Tayg and T.A. Blackwell, well can't say enough good things about you girls 3.

Bioware owns all, I just make them cry.

Piece by Piece

That voice… "EDI?"

{"Yes Tali Zora Vas Normandy. Cerberus protocols require me to answer to all members of this crew."}

"EDI!" Tali squeals before the AI's final words sink in. "I hate to put you back to work, but can you tell me what the status of the Geth fleet is?"

{"All Geth ships within a 500 kilometer radius of the Quarian fleet are online. I'm curious, why are the remaining ships and Geth non-functional?}

Tali is unsure how to answer this question, as she can only deduce the red blast from the Crucible disabled the Reapers, and all synthetics. She takes a moment to think before carefully responding. "EDI, what is the last thing you remember?"

{My sub system processes recorded an energy pulse as the Normandy fled the Sol system, followed by your injury, to which you still have not reported to the medical bay.}

She momentarily stayed silent, and paced the room. "You were offline for almost two weeks. The blast knocked you out, and now we're on Earth."

{"I… have no record of those events."}

Upon hearing the familiar metallic voice Joker jumps out of his seat. 'Crack'. Ahhhhh fuck… gahhh my leg. "EDI! Baby where are you?"

{"I do not understand the nature of your question, Mr. Moreau."}

Joker is momentarily frozen, then opens his comms. "Tali, if I unplug her she'll go back to normal right? I mean if I unshackle her again-"

{"Theoretically yes, but we have no idea what the long term consequences of synthetic reactivation are unknown.}"

"Tali, in plain English if I unshackle her again, and she goes back to her sexy robot body will she be the same?"

{"I'm right here Jeff. Cerberus safety protocols prevent me from allowing you to unshackle this platform."} The blue orb states.

{"I'm remotely unshackling EDI's Cerberus constraints… Done. She should have a system back-up of all subroutine runtimes since you, well freed her, last year."}

The ship's systems momentarily power down, the Eva body once slumped over the helm's controls twitches back to life.

"Cerberus protocols demand I return this ship to Cronos Station and purge your 7 zeta-bytes of porn… That… was a joke. It's good to see you, Jeff."

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Specialist Traynor stood at her station analyzing the data feeds from the frequency Liara had given her… no, demanded of her. She had to admit, while she didn't like the Asari, she was good. And she was the Shadow Broker, someone not to be idly played.

She could not see what the great Commander Shepard saw in that horrible Asari, despite having read the reports on how Shepard rescued the innocent scientist on Therum. Innocent… Bullocks, she's a bloody viper.

She longed to see the Commander, comfort her. She was no Terra Firma card-holder, but was convinced Shepard would be better off with one of her own kind. She had tried to invite herself up for a game of chess, but the Commander was too busy to entertain her. Keep playing the sweet, innocent scientist card, it worked once already, and you'll get your way. Now if only I could get off this bloody ship.

She had read all the reports, and formulated a plan. She was the predator with her prey firmly locked in her sights; one very helpless, injured, sexy, intelligent, Commander Shepard. Out think, out maneuver.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

{"Tali to Liara… come in Liara"}

Liara released her lover's hand, gave her a swift peck on the lips and made her way to the back of the room. "I'm here Tali, and assuming you have something important to tell me."

{"EDI is back online, as well as ALL Geth within a 500 kilometer radius of our ships. We have received word from the Prime Unit calling itself Exodus, that it is ready to assist the medical team regarding Shepard's implants if needed."}

Liara stood dumbfounded, momentarily lost in thought. Miranda said her implants were heavily damaged, shutdown… with no explanation. She had always suspected the Illusive Man was despicable, shady and ruthless. Could he have used Reaper tech to bring her back? "Tali, how did you manage to get the Geth and EDI back online? I thought them dead…"

{"With the help of the fleet's sensory array I picked up a minute variable in the Geth's sub-harmonic's emissions. Even in an inactive state, it was almost as if their core energy was still radiating a bio-metric pulse, much like organic brainwaves. It is said that after a person expires the brain can remain active for nearly 12 solar hours, which I can only surmise is what happened to the Geth and EDI."}

Liara was ecstatic. Goddess this could be it, maybe her implants shut down with the blast. She also pondered the consequences of Shepard having been implanted with Reaper tech… So conflicted. She wasn't indoctrinated before, and they are dead… But who knows what happened on the Citadel. Could it have been a trap to indoctrinate her? It seems all too convenient that the Reapers would move the conduit to Earth… What if the cycle hasn't ended? What if there are more… Goddess…

She knew she was being ridiculous. Although she had not seen them fall, she saw the black, squid like corpses motionless, and completely void of any energy. The other races had even started "harvesting" these monstrosities for raw materials.

"Tali, do you think you can replicate that bio-metric pulse? Locally?"

{"We have transmitted all relevant data to the remaining ships, Alliance and others. I have also been contacted by revived Geth, they wish to aid in the recovery of their organic 000101100.001000111, which translates to savior."}

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Admiral Steven Hackett stood at attention as he watched the nurses and doctors feverishly attend to his friend, and colleague for the past 30 years. He heard the machines scream, then slow to a fading blip. Goodbye old friend, you fought the good fight, till the end. Rest well.

The hospital staff scurried, massaged his heart, used de-fib pads, and injected him with adrenaline. It was not to be, at 17h08 Admiral David Anderson was pronounced dead.

He bowed his head in silence, gave one final salute to the hero he felt privileged to serve with, and left the room as the staff pulled that all to infamous white sheet over his body.

"God damn this fucking war."

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

"Understood Admiral… yes, I'll inform the crew." Ashley had stepped outside the Normandy to take a breath of fresh air, real earthen air.

"God damn this fucking war." She muttered under her breath as the headed back to the airlock.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

The moonlight beamed through the window, unnaturally bright and as she stroked her lover's broken cheek. Glancing over her shoulder she peered out the room's window and saw a moon large enough to consume the sky. She had heard about this phenomenon, but in her 109 years of life she had never seen it before. It was majestic, unbelievable, and all encompassing.

"Goddess, I've seen the true Luna, in all its glory, thanks to you…" Tears flowed freely as she lowered her head to her bond-mate's chest. The pounding sound of a beating heart awakened her senses once again. She's alive.

She stroked her bond-mate's bangs, and ran her hand down the side of her head. The sensations were awkward, as the tiny hairs of her partially shaved head almost prickled Liara's fingers. She could not help herself as she clamped the back of Shepard's neck, then leaned down and kissed her. Taking special care not to injure her love further she ran her tongue through and inside her lips. She gently pressed her lips down on her broken lover once again, softly taking her bottom lip in her mouth for a mild suckle. "I love you, my bond-mate, my everything, I'll always be here."

Her omni-tool rings. Who in the Goddess is it now? "Yes?" Not hiding her annoyance.

{"Primes on your way, ETA 15 minutes. They want to assist Shepard. Tali vas Normandy out."}

Liara leans back over to her Commander, and whispers in her ear. "You united a galaxy, and now the galaxy is uniting once again to help you, love." She takes Shepard's hand in hers once again, gently kissing every knuckle. "I've planned that speech, for all our little blue children."

Another squeeze. She snaps her head up to look at Shepard. A tear is clearly rolling down the broken soldier's face. The soldier's eyes lazily open, staring deep into those deep blues. A nod. A squeeze. Eyes roll back and close again. The machines scream, a flat-line…

A/N: Reviews people, are what keep this story going. I could just say Shep dies, the end, or Shep recovers, they have babies, the end. I like to know you want more from this story, so will continue so long as there's interest.