Chapter 1:
"You never told me that Anderson had an apartment on the Citadel," Tali said as she and Shepard stepped out of the elevator onto level 14 of the Typerbius Towers Apartment complex.
"I didn't either. Then again, he was the human councilor for a time so it would make sense for him to have a private residence." Shepard responded as he punched in the entry code into the door's holographic panel. The door opened, and the couple was greeted with the sight of a fully furnished luxurious apartment with a view of the Silversun Strip below them.
"Keelah Shepard. I knew that people had more privacy outside the Migrant Fleet, but to think that one person could have a use for all this space is mind-boggling." Tali said as she continued to gawk at the apartment. "And the Alliance is paying for this?"
"No. Anderson left this to me in his will. The Alliance is paying for the rest of the crew's accommodations. Hackett said that Anderson left me a message here somewhere, lets see if we can find it." Shepard said before setting down the suitcase he was carrying in his free hand onto the nearby couch.
Tali put her small backpack full of her suit maintenance tools and spare parts down as well before walking over to the nearby television that had a blinking light. "It looks like someone put this is sleep mode rather than turning it off."
She pulled up her omnitool, typed in a couple of commands, and waved it in front of the TV. Anderson then appeared on the screen wearing the same combat fatigues he had been in during the battle for London.
"Shepard. If you're seeing this, then that means… well, I guess I'm dead. Or missing in action at the very least, but its all the same in the end. Bottom line is I'm not around anymore. I uh… well, talking about your own mortality is never pleasant, but it's a reality we need to face as soldiers. I had originally planned to settle down with Kahlee in this apartment, maybe get a taste of civilian life again, but it's obvious thats not going to happen if you're seeing this. So I'd like you to have it. Assuming that my lawyers are still alive, they should be sending you the rest of the details of my will soon. If not… well, my laptop should have a copy of all my personal files stored on it. Though they aren't very organized."
Anderson paused, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand.
"I know that if I'm dead, then I probably won't get a better opportunity to say goodbye than now. And Shepard, I also know that I have no right to say this, but… I've always seen you as the son I never had. I've split all my assets between you and Kahlee. That includes my retirement savings. If you live long enough to see the end of this war, then you should be set for whatever life you plan on having afterward. I hope you do live to see the end of this war. After all the fighting you've done throughout your life, you deserve some peace for once. Good luck, son."
And with that, the video ended.
For several seconds after, silence dominated the room. Even the ambient outside noise felt muted. Tali walked over to Shepard and put a hand on his shoulder.
"Are you alright? I… I know what it's like to lose your father. Wait, you were there for that… I uh…just know that I'm here for you if you ever need to talk about it." Tali stuttered out.
"I know you are Tali. I just still can't believe he's gone. I'm pretty well acquainted with death at this point but… I thought I'd be finished with my mourning at the funeral we had for him. I never thought the grief would follow me here." Shepard said slowly. In truth, it wasn't just his grief for Anderson that had stayed with him. Kaidan, Mordin, Thane, and Legion… They all weighed on him.
"I don't think it ever really goes away. There are times when I get stuck in my own head about my father. About what he did, about how he died, about what he didn't do. Is there anything specific you want to talk about? Anything that Anderson did or didn't do that you feel like you never had closure on?" Tali said, pulling Shepard down onto the couch with their luggage.
"No. We actually did get the chance to say goodbye on the Citadel after we opened the arms. I guess it just feels awkward living in his apartment." Shepard said, looking up at the surprisingly high ceiling.
"I understand. How about this? You work on unpacking our stuff, and I can go pick up some groceries." Tali said. She pulled up her Omnitool's notes app. "Anything in particular you want?"
"Nothing special. You know, the standard bread, milk, eggs, lunch meat, and maybe some ketchup. Wait, why don't I just go get the grocery store? I can get you some nutrient paste and all the stuff I need for my meals." Shepard responded. Quairan meals were all prepackaged nutrient paste. All he needed to know was what flavors she would want and find them.
"Oh no, you don't. Shepard, you could barely handle that suitcase on our way up. There's no way you'll be able to carry back several bags worth of food. I'll go to the store." Tali said getting up from her position next to him on the black leather couch.
"Tali shouldn't you be the one to unpack your suit filters? I don't want to accidentally contaminate them or break something." Shepard said, craning his neck to track her movement to the door.
"Shepard, please. The migrant fleet has pre-packaged them, so just don't rip the plastic or drop any of them and you'll be fine. I'll be back in an hour. Call me if you need anything!"