Hannah sat quietly next to Jane, reading over her data pad. It had been two weeks since Jane had been found and brought to Steven's ship. Her body was slowly healing; her mind continued to torment her. She hadn't yet been able to sleep without medication. Nightmares tortured her at every turn if she attempted to rest unaided. Hannah wished she could somehow reach inside Jane's mind and excise her horrific experiences. Her daughter deserved to relax in peace. Hannah feared it would take a very long time for Jane to ever be Jane again.

Hannah herself had wrested control over her own wounded experiences. Weeping with Jane in her arms secured a band aid over her memories of the Orizaba and Toureau. She covered them for the sake of her daughter. They were still there and would no doubt show themselves again, but for the time being, they hurt little. As such, she had finally gotten the sleep she desperately needed. Jane on the other hand…Hannah stared at her sleeping daughter. Jane had seen far more and suffered far more. It might take a lifetime for her to ever regain a normal existence.

Reporters and various diplomats had tried to get in to see Jane, but Steven was diligently protecting his newest Admiral, blocking everyone from access to her. Jane had been promoted the moment she had been found to a full Admiral. The galaxy hailed her as their savior. Details hadn't yet emerged concerning what had happened on the Citadel. Jane hadn't been willing to discuss it, stating simply that she'd been offered choices and she'd chosen to destroy the Reapers. What other choice she'd had remained unstated for now. Jane seemed afraid to even touch her experiences of the last few years. Hannah obliged, making small talk and never pressing Jane to open up. Her daughter was liked an exposed nerve right now; even the tiniest push hurt deeply.

Hannah looked up when a now familiar figure entered the room. "Still asleep," the turian stated. Hannah nodded. Garrus had been by Jane's side the entire two weeks. She'd come to appreciate and respect him. Even though she'd seen true love in his eyes, Hannah still hadn't been entirely comfortable in the beginning with a turian as her potential son-in-law. It wasn't that she hated turians. It was that whenever she'd imagined Jane with someone he had always been human. She'd conceived of a tall, handsome soldier with a short haircut and friendly parents living on Earth or a human colony. She'd never thought that she'd be mother-in-law to a tall turian with mandibles and blue face tattoos. It took some getting used to the idea.

Actually, Hannah found Jane's pairing with Garrus quite poetic. Humanity and the turians had started out at odds. Daniel had learned to see aliens as real "people" early on. He'd infused Jane with the idea that aliens and humans weren't really that different at the core. They all had the same aspirations and weaknesses. For that reason, they could learn to get along, to understand each other. It made sense that Jane would see beyond appearance to the inner heart of the aliens she met. She must have seen something commendable in Garrus that drew her to him.

Hannah watched Garrus settle himself down in a seat next to Jane's bed on the other side. They hadn't spoken much over the last two weeks, just small talk. They were in the uncomfortable time of getting to know each other. Hannah sensed lingering fear in Garrus of alienating his soon-to-be mother-in-law. Still, Hannah had learned Garrus had a father and sister that had fled Palaven during the war in turian space. He had heard from them and they were safely on Tridend, another turian colony. Garrus didn't mention his mother and Hannah didn't want to pry, not wanting to cause any more discomfort to Garrus than necessary. Hannah had ventured to inquire into the mission Jane had undertaken to raise the support the Alliance needed to take back Earth. Garrus had filled her in on the series of events that had once again taken Jane from one end of the galaxy to the other. They'd fought Cerberus and Reapers along the way and lost crewmates. Those deaths weighed heavier on Jane's mind than anything else.

Garrus reached over and stroked Jane's arm tenderly. Jane didn't stir. The sleeping aids she'd been given did their job well. Hannah smiled inwardly. She'd come to respect Garrus because she'd seen how he interacted with Jane. Jane would need months of physical therapy. She'd already begun recouping and Garrus supported her every step of the way. Hannah observed how gingerly he held her as she began to walk and move again. He never let her give in, no matter how tired she was, yet he did so with a firm gentleness. Garrus' actions proclaimed to Hannah that he was completely committed to Jane, even if her personality wasn't back to its former strength.

Hannah heard a rustle at the door and turned to see Steven approaching the foot of Jane's bed. "How is she?" he asked.

"Same," Hannah said, turning off her data pad.

"I'd like to talk to both of you privately for a moment."

Hannah flicked her eyes to Garrus and then back to Steven. "Alright."

Hannah stood and walked into the med bay lounge, followed by Garrus. Steven turned to face them. "I can't keep Jane on my ship much longer."

Garrus' mandibles fluttered. "Why?"

"I'm getting more and more pressure to let people see her. The council knows she's a powerful symbol of restoration. They claim the galaxy needs to have access to its heroine."

A council had been hastily pulled together from the various races who participated in the final Reaper battle, an attempt to establish some kind of order as soon as possible. Talks were in the works to start afresh, creating a whole new entity that provided a way for every race to have a voice in the running of the galaxy. It only seemed fair considering all had paid a price to defeat the Reapers.

Steven spoke on. "I'm afraid if I don't move her, they'll force themselves on board to see her. And they'll bring reporters."

Hannah let a frustrated breath escape her mouth. "Don't they know she's hurt? That she can't see them now?"

"They don't see it that way," Steven explained, rubbing his temples with a thumb and forefinger. Hannah could only imagine the arguments he must have had over Jane. "They think humanity just wants to keep Shepard all to itself. The reporters only want a story, some kind of explanation of what happened."

"Well they won't get it until she's ready," Garrus' asserted, harsh and defensive.

"Look, I have an idea," Steven assured, holding his hand up to stay any further anger from Garrus. "I don't want her hounded any more than you do. I want her to record a speech."

"She's not going to be able to…" Hannah began to disagree, but was interrupted when Steven spoke on.

"It doesn't have to be complex. A short speech congratulating the allied races on their victory, stating the choice she made on the Citadel and her hope that the races will come together to restore what was lost. I've already written most of it for her. All she has to do is agree to make the recording. I give it to the Council and they can play it wherever they go. Then, you," here Steven pointed to Garrus, "take her back to the Normandy and hide her away on Sur'Kesh."

"Why Sur'Kesh?" Garrus asked.

"It's not that far from her home system, close to the Alliance, and compared to other planets, not nearly as damaged by the Reapers. I've already contacted Major Kirrahe. He's arranging for Jane's transport as we speak."

"But the Dalatrass…" Garrus began to protest.

"Is a non-issue," Steven insisted. "She fled Sur'Kesh. Where she's hiding, no one at present knows. I doubt she'll want to show her face any time soon, considering her actions could have lost us the krogan as an asset in the final battle."

Hannah didn't know much about what had happened with the krogan, save that the genophage had been cured with Jane's help. This event brought the krogan to the side of the allies to take Earth. Apparently, the Dalatrass had been against this development.

"Besides," Steven went on, "I trust Kirrahe. He'll protect her."

"I'll protect Shepard," Garrus said, drawing to his full height.

"Of course, you'll go along and it's your choice to stay with her," Steven agreed.

"I'll go, too," Hannah declared.

"About that…" Steven said, his voice hesitant.

"You're not going to ask me to abandon her?" Hannah asked, flabbergasted.

"Hannah, to tell you the truth, the Alliance is in a mess. Earth is mostly destroyed, people are starving to death, soldiers have lost peers and leaders. The Alliance needs you now more than ever."

Hannah's angry retort caught in her throat. She had made a vow to the Alliance, to serve it all times and at all costs. She'd done that her entire life. She remembered warning Jane once that to sign on with the Alliance was to grant them control over your life. You lost the freedom to do whatever you wanted. When she'd taken that vow, she hadn't been married nor had a child. It had been so much easier to give over her loyalty when nothing personally was at stake.

"Don't make me choose between Jane and the Alliance," Hannah pleaded.

Steven put a hand on her shoulder. "I don't want to do this to you. But out of all the leadership we have left, you're near the top. Our parliament is dead; Arcturus doesn't exist. It's to the military humanity's looking. I won't order you to stay, but I'm asking you as an officer and a friend."

"I'll take care of Shepard," Garrus said, looking to Hannah. "You won't need to worry. I won't let anyone get to her."

"That's not what I'm worried about," Hannah muttered. Jane was hurt mentally. She'd need someone to help her wade through the pain. Hannah could walk with her down the path.

"You're worried about her mental stability," Garrus intuited.

Hannah nodded, surprised the turian read her mind.

"Neither of you need to worry," Steven contended. "I've already asked a human counselor to come along. She's good at her job. She can help Jane."

Hannah bit her lip. Jane was so far gone, even Steven had figured out she needed mental help. He'd seen to all the details. Everything he said made perfect sense…and she hated him for it.

"I'll stay," she mumbled, her heart breaking. She would leave Jane behind…again. What else could she do? Jane had given every part of herself to save humanity. Hannah couldn't let it dissolve into chaos now.

Hannah enveloped Jane in a tight, but careful, hug. Jane returned it, though not as tightly. She was still quite weak. Garrus stood next to her, supporting her with an arm around her waist. Hannah pulled back and reached up to Jane's face, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "I'm really sorry I'm not coming."

"That's the third time you've apologized," Jane stated, a slight smile playing on her lips. Hannah was pleased to see her smile. She hadn't smiled much at all since she'd been found. For the most part, she maintained a shell-shocked look, like a soldier that had seen too much to handle.

"I can't help apologizing," Hannah answered. "Not going with you feels all wrong."

"It's not wrong, mom. It's what you need to do. I don't resent your staying. I know when the Alliance calls, you have to answer, trust me."

Hannah nodded. Jane knew better than anyone else.

"Besides," Jane went on, "I have Garrus."

Garrus tightened his grip on her waist and fixed her with a loving gaze. Hannah smiled. "Yes. You've made a good choice, Jane."

Garrus cocked his head and Jane stared at her warily. "You truly approve?"

"Why wouldn't I? I figure your dad is looking down on you both, proud to see his daughter an example of how the galaxy can get along, especially with those who were once enemies."

Garrus visibly relaxed. "I wondered what you were thinking about me the last two weeks. Glad to hear it was positive."

Hannah eyed Garrus good-naturedly. "I didn't exactly imagine Jane choosing a turian for my son-in-law, but race doesn't really matter, does it? The point is Jane's chosen someone with a good heart."

"Thank you, mom," Hannah heard Jane's trembling voice. Turning her attention to her daughter, she found tears in her eyes. Jane cried so much easier these days, touched by even the smallest things.

"Take care of each other," Hannah said, indicating her final good-bye and stepping back from the couple.

Garrus helped Jane board the shuttle that would take them to Major Kirrahe's ship. Hannah expected the door to then close, but Garrus returned, pacing quickly up to her. He stopped in front of her, rubbing his neck. "I'll make sure she keeps in touch with you. We'll try to call as often as we can."

"Thank you," Hannah replied. Her eyes met Garrus'. There was now one other person in the world who loved Jane as much as she did. She knew Garrus Vakairian would protect Jane with his life.

Garrus coughed, not seeming to know what else to say. Hannah recognized that he'd come back in appreciation of her acceptance.

"Go, Garrus. Make sure she heals and comes out of this better than she was."

Garrus bobbed his head. "Definitely. She's done so much for me, I won't let her down now." He turned on his heel and entered the shuttle.

Hannah left the bay and watched through the window as the shuttle took to space, already anticipating the first call she'd get from Jane when she landed on Sur'Kesh and thankful that Jane had a partner by her side whose heart was completely committed to her.

When Hannah returned to the Menari, she felt terribly lonely. When she and Jane were together, she always felt more relaxed and comfortable. Whenever they parted, all that was warm and homey seemed to leave with Jane.

So when Hannah stepped onto the bridge and heard a familiar voice, she started for a moment, her heart soaring. It was Jane's voice. But since she'd seen Jane set out for Sur'Kesh, she realized quickly that Jane wasn't on her ship. The message Jane had recorded for Steven before she left was playing on several of the screens on the bridge. Hannah stared at her daughter's recording as it played back, just as amazed now as she had been when Jane had made it, admiring how easily Jane masked her pain with the trappings of duty.

"Destroying the Reapers has given our galaxy a chance to be better than we were before," Jane was saying. "Our sacrifices must not have been in vain. We cannot let the Reapers win even after they are gone. We must live as one, a united galaxy. We will restore our homes. They will become symbols of the resilience of our races. We will make the Citadel the base of a new Council, a Council devoted to the needs of all its members. Let us spread our victory from planet to planet, cultivating the strength of our unity in each race as we lay aside old grudges and make enemies friends. Never forget what it has taken to bring us to this point. It has taken all the races to work together as a whole entity. Only by working together will we restore what was lost. Let us never doubt that we will claim this galaxy back as ours!"

As Jane faded and the recording ended, the crew of the Menari erupted with cheers of agreement and a smattering of clapping. Hannah looked around at the faces, from so many different races and yet already one on the Menari. Here she saw in miniature form what Jane wanted for the future. Her heart felt encouraged. They could do it. If they worked hard at it, it would happen. They would be united and heaven help anyone who thought they could take over the galaxy ever again.

Several weeks passed. Hannah poured herself into the tasks Steven assigned to her. She only stayed on the Menari one more week until Steven assigned her to a new ship, the Lhotse. Three dreadnoughts had been in the process of being built when the Reapers had attacked. They had been finished in a hurry to bolster what was left of the Alliance fleets. Hannah bade good-bye to Lucas and Keta, promising to keep in touch as she was able. She proceeded to take control of the Lhotse, the familiarity of heading a dreadnought both comforting and painful at the same time: comforting in that she easily fell back into the mode of work, but painful in that every part of the ship reminded her of the Orizaba and the crew she had lost. At times, as she walked the Lhotse, she could swear ghosts from the Orizaba stalked its corridors as she thought she spied this or that crew member out of the corner of her eye. She knew she had done nothing wrong, but that fact didn't stop her from considering what she could have done differently to spare all those lives. Fortunately for Hannah, regret, although heavy in her mind, couldn't be entertained for long. She had her hands full, carting different council members to the Citadel, ferrying refugees to and from Earth, defeating bands of pirates whose greed knew no bounds as they moved in on the vulnerable Earth.

After a couple months of going back to work, Hannah had learned what had happened to most of the people she knew. Her old Admiral, Novikov, had been killed at Arcturus, the savior of the Orizaba if but for a few seconds. Her old captain, Maddock, was alive. He'd been instrumental in fighting back the Reapers in Vancouver. Her heart broke, however, when she finally was able to reach him and he informed her that Lourdes had perished, lost in a Reaper attack. Jules had gone missing during the fighting and Maddock had declared his intent to find his son if it took the rest of his lifetime. She had wished she could help him in his search, but her time was spoken for. The Menari had gone back to batarian space as batarin refugees flooded back to the area, looking for a place to call home, a way to rebuild their race. Hannah heard from Keta that she was helping to bring new life to her people, Lucas by her side. Balak had died in the battle for Earth, a hero to his people, having taken down two Reapers with his batarians. How ironic, Hannah thought, considering all the awful things he had done that he would be remembered as a hero. Millions had died on the Citadel. After all rescue efforts were halted, only about a dozen had been recovered alive. Among the dead were Charles Saracino, Giovanna Moretti and Dominic Osoba. Hannah had also found out that Ernesto Zabaleta was still alive, having joined the rebel forces in London and for his actions in helping Earth was being reinstated to the Alliance.

Of all the people Hannah cared about, besides Jane, she cared about her mother most. She'd been relieved when she'd finally found her mother's name on a list of survivors from Sault Sainte Marie. She'd even reached her mother and been able to talk briefly and learn that her hometown had also survived the onslaught as the Reapers had concentrated on major cities to exclusion of all else. Her mother was shocked to hear of Jane's engagement to an alien and expressed skepticism. Hannah tried to explain, but also realized her mother, having no personal interaction with the wider galaxy except through the Reapers, could be forgiven for cautious fear.

Hannah kept in constant contact with Jane. Kirrahe had set her and Garrus up in a safe house with all the comforts he could manage to find her. She should have been relaxed, but every time Hannah talked to her any sense of happiness was a façade. Jane still spent most of her days in counseling and on medication at night to sleep. If she didn't medicate, she found the nightmares overpowering. Not that Jane admitted this to her. It was Garrus that kept Hannah truly informed. He snuck her calls here and there, filling her in on the details. Hannah was grateful for his willingness to keep her in the loop. The more she interacted with Garrus, the more she liked him.

Hannah found her own emotions echoing the galaxy's—she was downhearted, yet not willing to give in. The devastation the Reapers had wrought on all inhabited planets scarred everyone that saw the films of destruction. Batarian colonies had been leveled, hardly anything left at all. Palaven had taken a hard hit, 90% of it reduced to rubble. Thessia's beauty had turned to ugliness, its ancient architecture now only broken testaments to the thoroughness of the Reapers. Every planet had experienced some level of destruction. The pain of seeing their homes destroyed had sent the galaxy into a state of perpetual mourning. Still, every race pledged to rebuild and become stronger than before.

For her part, Hannah found herself interacting with aliens more than she ever had as they combined efforts on various missions. This was a change she liked, even if it had taken something devastating to get her here. But if she had taken the time to assess her own mental state, she would have been forced to admit that she wasn't up to par by far. She wasn't despairing, but she wasn't living. She felt like a dead soul making her way through a dark valley, never getting a glimpse of the light at the other end. She couldn't help but wonder some days if it wouldn't have been better to die and be with Daniel than live with the horror the Reapers had wrought. She missed Daniel intensely these days. She could have weathered it all so much better with him by her side.

One Year Later

Hannah fingered the rocket necklace she had worn ever since Daniel died. She stared at herself in the mirror in her quarters. Wrinkles feathered outward from the corners of her eyes. Her red hair was tinged with grey. Today was her birthday. She was now fifty-six, only middle-aged by the current lifespan of humans. So why did she already feel she had lived far too long?

Things were better—order had returned to the galaxy. A new ruling body had come together over the last year: the United Intragalactic Alliance. Its members were from all the races. It had its share of squabbles and disagreements, but at least every race's voice was now heard. Planets were rebuilding. Actually, the resilience of the races was impressive. Time, it seemed, healed all wounds.

Hannah sighed as she pondered her image. Some wounds healed. She still dealt with the pain of the losses during the Reaper War. So did Jane. Hannah just kept hanging in there, working to restore humanity, hoping that a day would come when she would wake and find the Reapers weren't the first thought to cross her mind.

"Admiral?" she heard a voice in her ear, her communications officer, Heinberger.

"Yes?" she answered the stoic, feminine voice.

"I have your daughter on vid comm."

Hannah smiled. Of course, Jane had remembered what day it was. At least talking to Jane would infuse some happiness into her day. "I'll take the call in my quarters."

"Yes, ma'am."

Hannah walked over to her desk, then sat down and punched several buttons. Jane appeared to her right, standing tall and oddly, smiling. Really smiling. A broad happy smile Hannah hadn't seen in a very long time. The last time she'd seen that look was after Jane's wedding. She and Garrus had tied the knot on Sur'Kesh eleven months back, with only Major Kirrahe as a witness and an authorized Salarian officiating. Jane had called Hannah to let her know she was now a married woman. She'd been afraid Hannah would be upset that she'd gone ahead with a wedding without her in attendance, but Hannah couldn't very well get angry when her own marriage had been arranged pretty much spur of the moment. Jane explained she and Garrus didn't want to waste any more time, ready to formally say good-bye to singleness and begin their new lives together. Hannah wondered now why Jane was smiling so freely; she didn't think it was just her birthday that produced the expression on Jane's face.

"Hey, mom," Jane exclaimed. "Happy birthday!"

"Thanks," Hannah acknowledged her greeting, swiveling in her chair to face Jane and leaning back, crossing her legs.

"Doing anything special?"

"I suppose you could call a lobster dinner special," Hannah conceded.

"How did you manage that?" Jane asked. Earth's economy was still recovering; trade into far space only provided essential nutrients as luxuries were cost prohibitive.

"Crew managed to get it for me. I'm not supposed to know about it, but Melton, our cook, accidentally let it slip. I'm going to pretend I'm surprised at dinner mess."

"Wish I could have sent you something," Jane spoke apologetically.

Hannah waved a hand, dismissing the idea. "Talking to you is good enough for me."

"I might actually have a gift for you, but it won't be ready for several months." Jane grinned mischievously.

Hannah knit her brow. "What's up?"

"First thing's first. I need your advice." Jane's face sobered. "Hackett called me up. He has a proposition, a job."

Hannah cocked her head. What had Steven tried to rope Jane into now? And how dangerous was it? "What is it?" she asked hesitantly.

"It's actually quite normal. There are a lot of refugees that still have no home. Their planets are uninhabitable and they don't want to face the daunting task of rebuilding. The Council has decided to try an experiment. They want to start a colony on an uninhabited moon that will be open to anyone, a place where multiple species can live together in peace. It will be considered free space, owned by no race in particular."

Jane paused and Hannah filled in the silent gap. "O-kay. How does this concern you?"

"Hackett's asked me, with the Council's urging, to head up the colony, administrate it."

Hannah breathed out slowly. Jane had distinguished herself as a woman of action, not an administrator. But maybe this is what her depressed daughter really needed—to do something calm and mundane. "And…"

"I don't know if I should do it," Jane said, crossing her arms over her chest uncomfortably. "I don't feel…put together yet. I still dream a lot and it's not good. I just…I'm tired, mom."

Hannah nodded, understanding Jane's trepidation. "I hear you. But then, maybe this is just what you need. A chance to help others, to do something positive. Maybe it will help you to see the good that's happening out here, aliens all working together. You can be a part of it."

Jane nodded thoughtfully. "To be honest, it is tempting. Garrus and I could get away and have our own life, put the horrors behind us and make a life of our own."

"I think you know your answer."

"Yeah, but am I up to the task?" Hannah read worry in Jane's eyes.

"You'll be able to handle it. Garrus will be by your side."

Jane smiled softly. "Hackett has plans for him, too. Security chief for the new colony."

"Do it, Jane," Hannah spoke definitively. "Go make a life for yourself. The Alliance Navy has taken enough from you. You deserve a break."

Jane sighed. "Mom, to be honest, I've been done with the navy since the war ended. I've paid my dues. I want to focus on my family." At the word "family," Jane once again smiled secretly.

"What are you hinting at?" Hannah asked.

"Well, this is kind of hard to talk about," Jane said, shifting back and forth on her feet nervously. "I don't want you to freak out when I tell you what we're going to try to do."

Hannah tilted her head. "I'll try."

"I had this salarian crew member on the Normandy, Mordin, a scientist…He died curing the genophage." Jane's eyes misted slightly.

"I'm sorry," Hannah intoned genuinely.

"Thanks…Anyway, he was always experimenting, coming up with these outlandish ideas. He was incredibly smart and talented. When we got to Sur'Kesh, we decided to give his research to his people thinking maybe they could use it. We figured they had the right to his work." Jane paused here.

"And what did they find?"

"Well, Garrus and I, we've talked about children. We've joked about adopting a krogan."

Hannah giggled.

"I know. Crazy idea, right?" Jane laughed. "But…I don't know, mom. We just really want a child that's both of us, a child that joins turian and human, Shepard and Vakarian."

Hannah's mouth fell open. "Are you saying…"

"Mordin had done this research on interspecies genetic reproduction."

"But…but…it can't be done."

"Maybe it can. There's a group of scientists here that think they can actually use his research and make it happen. We'd be the first to try it on."

"But how…" Hannah stammered, her voice faltering.

"I won't pretend to be able to understand all the science behind the theories. It won't exactly be a fifty-fifty joining of our DNA. They'll have to use one of us as a base, Garrus they say. Turians are hardier than humans so the child would have more probability of surviving. They'd use Garrus' DNA and then adapt and manipulate mine to fit where they could. They have to make sure any changes they make won't cause instability." Jane paused again. "So…I wanted you to know we're going to give it a go."

Hannah shook her head, trying to believe what Jane was telling her. "But what if it doesn't work? This is life you're talking about Jane. A living being."

"Every other doctor has told us it won't work and not to do it," Jane admitted, her face falling. "But I thought you'd support us."

Hannah grimaced. "I…I do trust you, Jane."

"I need this, mom," Jane said, pleading intensely for her mother's acceptance. "I need to believe this can really happen. This is the only hope I've got right now."

Hannah heard the urgency in Jane's voice. For a year, her daughter had struggled facing her own demons, memories of pain, choices she'd made that had cost lives, times she'd been forced to throw friends to the wind so others could live. Her experiences tormented her daily. Now, here was a hope she thought she'd never have, a child born of both herself and her own true love. "I'll support you every step of the way," Hannah spoke decisively.

Jane sighed with relief. "Good. Cause I want you to be there when our child comes out."

"Of where?" Hannah asked warily.

Jane laughed quietly. "I can't carry her. She'll be grown in a tank until she can live outside it."

"She?"

"Well, they did ask us if we wanted a certain gender and we decided on a girl. We figure we should continue the line of strong Shepard females."

Hannah grinned. "I'm okay with that."

Jane looked to the side, then back to Hannah. "I have to go. Garrus needs me."

"Alright. I love you, kiddo."

"You, too, mom. I'll keep you informed where we are in the process, both colony and baby alike."

"Thanks."

"Bye."

"Bye." Jane's image flickered out. Hannah turned back to her desk and sat with her chin in her hand. If things really did work out, she'd have a turian-human grandchild. It was one thing to accept a turian son-in-law. A turian-human hybrid granddaughter? She could hardly wrap her mind around that one.

Seven Months Later

Hannah stood nervously next to Jane and Garrus. She'd easily wiggled leave out of Steven and made it to Sur'Kesh on time. Beyond everyone's expectations, the experiment to create a child from the DNA of both Jane and Garrus had been a success—at least, so far. The baby had grown in a tank, closely monitored by the salarian scientists who had every reason to want everything to go right. Not only did they feel this act honored their fallen hero, Mordin, but they saw it as their gift to the savior of the galaxy, Jane Shepard.

The passing months hadn't enhanced Hannah's ability to comprehend what was taking place. Even as she stood here staring at the tank, she couldn't believe what was about to be lifted out of it. Jane, however, was having no trouble at all. In fact, this whole process had brought Jane back as close to her former self as she could come. She could tell her daughter was ready to be a mother. This baby had brought joy back into Jane's soul.

Hannah peeked at Jane and Garrus out of the corner of her eye. Jane was looking up at Garrus, smiling, excited. Garrus was his usual reserved self, but Hannah had learned to read his eyes rather than his body language. He was just as excited, anticipating seeing his child for the first time.

Hannah turned her attention back to the salarians, all dressed in white suits. They had already started the process, the tank ready to be opened. As the lid slipped back, Jane leaned forward, eager to glimpse her daughter. A salarian lifted the baby out, suctioning its nose and mouth. It began to cry strongly, mewling as it met the wider world. Hannah gazed on in amazement as the salarian wiped the baby down, wrapped her in a warm blanket and walked over, placing her in Jane's arms. Jane held the child gingerly and Hannah perceived tears in her eyes. Garrus wrapped his arm around Jane's shoulders and peered down at his child with pride.

"Welcome to the world, Terra Eve," Jane whispered. Jane had already told Hannah the name they had chosen. Terra, referring to Earth, the place they had won the battle against the Reapers, and Eve, a name to honor a krogan friend of Jane's and because their daughter was the first of her kind.

After a time, Jane turned to Hannah. "Do you want to hold her?"

Hannah nodded, not having the words to respond. As Jane passed the bundle over to her, she gazed at the baby in awe. She held Terra, rocking her gently in her arms. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. For the most part, Terra was turian. She had mandibles, the cowl, the spurs on her legs. But it was what she sported on the top of her head that floored Hannah. Peach fuzz adorned the top of her head, fuzz that would eventually grow into hair.

"She has hair…and it's red," Hannah whispered.

"It was one of my genetic characteristics they could work in," Jane explained, reaching out and rubbing the baby's head tenderly. "Her skin's also softer. She won't be able to withstand the radiation on Palaven." But that didn't matter, Hannah knew. Jane had accepted the job to run the new colony.

Hannah cooed as she continued to rock the baby. Terra stared up at her, blinking her newly opened eyes. Her crying ceased as she grew comfortable in Hannah's arms.

"She likes you," Jane smiled.

Hannah marveled. Why had she been worried she wouldn't be able to accept this child? It didn't matter that she was turian and human. It didn't matter that she didn't look like the grandchild Hannah always thought she would have. In that moment, grandmother and granddaughter bonded. Love burgeoned in her heart for the baby in her arms. And for the first time in almost two years, Hannah felt herself come to life again.