PART II
Interlude.
A few years later. What happened to our beloved characters ?
Tali
Shortly after the end of the war, she started a daily publication : "Survival Quarian style, or How to build stuff that will save your life out of useless crap that you found in the ruins."
While criticized by some as containing "too much text", her ideas were simple, to the point, and really useful. People loved it.
It ended up evolving into VI software that you could run on your omni-tool. Whenever you found a piece of useful junk, it would tell you what you could do with it and it would even talk you through the process. It was really helpful.
She wanted to give it away, but EDI insisted that she sell it for one credit.
That's how she eventually bought her own little ship. It is there, in front of the house.
Garrus
He's with Tali... where else ? Certainly not doing Turian politics...
He actually likes it on Rannoc'h. Ironically, the planet is in better shape than many others, and at least you don't need to clear the rubble and dead bodies in order to build something. Quite a lot of people came to live there, besides the Quarians and the Geth.
He is slowly finding peace. Thinking less often about guns. That feels weird.
Ashley
Still a Spectre, and still kicking ass.
Wrex
Father of a very numerous family, respected leader, they won the war and he got the girl. What else do you need.
Jack
Still teaching biotics. Going through apocalypse and coming out alive helped her get rid of her old traumas. She will still fill the swear jar in style.
Miranda
Where else ? CEO of Mordin Solus Foundation, aka ex-Cerberus Labs, aka EDI's mad science black-ops.
Samara
Shepard talked some of her code out of her head, and there were people to help everywhere. No time for meditation, really...
Aria
Somehow, Shepard and especially the twins managed to warm her icy heart. Just a little, but enough. She's still Queen of Omega, and the twins' godmother… and that thought makes her smile. Not the same kind of smile she has when she watches someone who tried to fuck with her die... but another kind, which feels much better.
Shepard and Liara still haven't decided whether it is appropriate to let the twins wear the T-shirts she sent them, though. Perhaps if it was written a bit smaller... Still... "No-one fucks with my girls"... Maybe next time they go to Omega...
Samantha Traynor
Kept her job with the Alliance. All those ships that went into battle with Reapers needed lots of repairs... She moves around a lot, and still doesn't come home at night.
And although she has found her special someone... somehow a part of her still wonders what would have happened if Shepard had come inside the shower, that day.
Zaeed
Come on. He's just fine. Let's look at what he is doing right now.
"You think that because we had apocalypse, means that maggots like you don't need to be kicked into shape ?
YOU ! This thing in your limp baby hands is a gun.
YOUR JOB is to help the gangsters in that building over there kill themselves, and so far they haven't started yet.
They need your FUCKING HELP."
Kelly Chambers
Didn't you know ? She became a drug addict and killed herself in ME3. Just look at her face. So devastating.
Vega
After the war, he updated his priorities.
He was still feeling uneasy about letting the whole colony die just to save Blue Vagina from Paragon Lost...
They seem very happy together now.
Liara
The kids, and Shepard.
Then, running that Shadow Broker. She actually likes the job, although she spends less time at it now. She hired competent staff, and the thing mostly runs itself. The top floors of the building below their home is her base of operations. She also runs several other companies and businesses, some of them very profitable, others just for cover, and she invests most of her profits into rebuilding and generally, trying to help.
Shepard is discovering how efficient and deadly she is when doing business.
Really, Shepard. You know who wears the pants here. You just have to admit it.
Shepard
It took quite a ways to get there, but her life is bliss now. She loves the kids, she loves Liara, she loves to meet her friends, she feels great to be alive... She even cooks, dammit.
Her schedule is a bit hectic.
Shepard retired from combat, but people everywhere still need to be talked into not doing stupid things. And somehow, people listen to Shepard, so she puts her prestige to good use. Liara pumps her full of information and there she goes, on a mission.
Which brings us to their main problem, as a couple.
Truly epic sex drive... Both of them... Those two are so in love that they start to experience physical withdrawal if they don't fuck their brains out about as often as they can. There is no getting around it, they are completely addicted.
That can make your day a bit … complicated.
Thankfully, EDI did something to the Normandy SR3's drive core... Shepard did not ask exactly what it was... but she can go there, save the day, and be back in time to make love, take care of the kids, and cook dinner. And that feels fucking great.
Just that little ship... the fact the trip doesn't take 15 hours... is what prevents Shepard from having to choose between coming there to save all your sorry asses, and staying home and making love to Liara.
If Shepard had to choose... well, you should start digging your own grave about right now.
.
A/N : Now back to the story proper. EDI still has lots of projects. Although she's not telling anyone yet, not even this chapter.