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A Dream Within a Dream

Part 1

Chapter 17

The Citadel

"I do love when a good plan comes to fruition," Saren murmured as he approached, his eyes appearing to glow in the dim light of the storage room. Instant terror engulfed Shepard as she took a shuddering step backwards. Her heart simultaneously froze in her chest even as it quickened its pace to that of a racehorse, thudding painfully as her thoughts dashed every which way. Cold crept up her limbs, threatening to swallow her whole as she hesitated.

She wanted to run. It was a deep seated, basal fear that had been drilled into her over hours of painful deaths and terror filled chases. The mere sight of the man standing before her was nearly enough to send her into a gibbering mess as she vividly remembered the feeling of his cold gun barrel pressed against her head and the darkness that had followed.

But that hadn't truly been Saren. None of it had been real. No one had been relying on her then, and no one else's death had truly hinged on the outcomes of those fights.

And buried down deep in her, beneath the fear, was a burning, fiery hatred that seethed and simmered, tugging on its tightly held leash.

"Saren," Shepard swallowed, steadying her voice, forcing the quiver in her limbs to subside, "I should have expected to see you here."

"I've been looking forward to seeing you again." Saren smirked as he slowly began to pace the length of the room, his piercing gaze never leaving hers. "You, of all people, should know that I always find my prey eventually." His smile widened, a feral glint in his eyes. "Your mother and her little gang learned that the hard way, didn't they? You know, she screamed and begged like a coward before she died. I enjoyed every moment of it."

A cocktail of emotions rushed through Shepard's veins, all raging for control as she let her eyes flick to where Anderson sat, struggling to keep his head up as he stared at her through the red glare of his visor. His eyes were wide and confused, as though he couldn't process what he was seeing.

"I always get what I want in the end," Saren continued, his subvocals humming with pleasure as he stopped before her, and Shepard sneered up at him as she eased her grip on her leashed hatred.

"Not today, fucker." Her hand wiped around and pulled out her shotgun in one smooth movement, pointing it directly at his chest and pulling the trigger. A burst of blue sparks erupted between them, and Saren stood utterly unaffected by the blast, a single brow plate raised in dry amusement as his biotic barrier absorbed the attack.

"You're going to die here today. You understand this, right?" Saren drawled as he gave his wrist a lazy flick, blue biotics sparking around his fingertips. "Your fate is inevitable."

"Well, some things are worth dying for." Shepard stood taller as resolution settled upon her shoulders, her eyes narrowing as she held his gaze. "Vega!" She called out suddenly, "I'll hold him off as long as I can! Get the others out of here!"

Saren's browplates rose as his eyes flicked toward the room's other occupants, one by one. Garrus still sat tied to the chair, and Miranda and Sidonis were tied up against the wall just behind him. Nearby, Anderson sat with some sort of IV hooked up to one exposed arm, and Vega stood by the locked door, his eyes wide and terrified as he stared at her in horror.

Saren's laughter started as a light hum, trickling out of him as it slowly grew to fill the room. Eventually the entire space rang with darkly amused chuckles, lingering even as they petered out like a foul odor.

"You're welcome to try. Your mother tried to fight her fate, too. Perhaps foolhardiness runs in the family," Saren said, and Shepard bared her teeth as anger sparked in her chest. She pumped the shotgun and pulled the trigger, over and over and over, bursts of blue sizzling across Saren's biotic barrier with each shot.

Saren took a step forward, closing the gap between them as he reached out a single hand and backhanded her with a burst of biotic energy. Pain erupted across Shepard's face as she was thrown to the side like a rag doll. She hit the floor hard, and the world spun. She struggled to push herself up, coughing as her head rang, and red blood dotting the floor before her.

"Shepard!" Garrus cried out, and she could hear the chair rattle as he fought to free himself. "Please! Just run! Get out of here and save yourself!"

"Surely you realize that it's too late for that," Saren stated with smug satisfaction as Shepard struggled to push herself back up to standing. She picked up her shotgun from where it lay, noting that Saren still hadn't moved from where he stood above her. Her heart sank through her stomach.

She was nothing but a toy to him. A mouse to be played with, then killed mercilessly once he got bored. Her gut twisted as she struggled to maintain any shred of hope. She forced herself to stand and raise her shotgun again, but this time as she pulled the trigger, she heard an additional roar as Vega opened fire at the same time, his mouth open in a wordless scream.

The biotic barrier flared, and Saren waited a moment before giving his hand a lazy flick. Both their weapons were engulfed in blue, and with another flick of his wrist, the guns were ripped from their hands and sent flying across the room.

Without missing a beat, Shepard charged him, willing Vega to use the distraction to get Anderson out of there… somehow. She threw punch after punch at Saren, each blocked with minimal effort, no matter her speed, power, or skill. She spun, whipping her leg around, only for it to hit the solid wall of his biotic barrier.

Leaping back, she brought her fists up as she tried to envision a training sim program. This was nothing but a training exercise, she told herself. She was not about to die, she was going to win this just like she did most sparring matches these days.

Or at least, she was going to survive long enough to protect the others. She wiped her mouth with the back of one hand as she bounced on the balls of her feet, leaving behind a red smear. She watched out of the corner of one eye as Vega darted along the far wall, kneeling down behind Anderson as he fought with the biotic bindings holding him.

With a wordless shout to hold Saren's attention, Shepard charged forward again, fists flying as she tried to land a hit. But it felt like those early days of her training against Garrus. Her body felt slow and sluggish in comparison to Saren, her hits feeble and ineffective at every turn.

After a moment or two of blocking her attacks, Saren's smile widened, and he moved. Fast. The wind rushed out of Shepard as his fist caught her hard in the gut, and her vision began to tunnel as she gasped for breath.

Her knees buckled, and she fell to the floor, her arms coming up to wrap around her middle as she wheezed, tears pricking her eyes.

She couldn't do this.

She was going to die, and so was everyone else. He was toying with them, and they didn't stand a chance. They had all marched right into his trap, practically throwing themselves right into his hands.

They were all going to die, and there was nothing she could do to stop it.

"This has been fun, Jane. Really, it has," Saren cooed as he kneeled before her, his face inches from hers as he used a single finger to force her chin upward, their eyes meeting. "But it's time to end this." He stood again and raised a hand as it began to glow with blue energy. "I think I'll deal with this garbage first. It will be fun to watch them suffer after all the trouble they've caused me over the years."

Shepard blinked and registered Saren's eyes now turned to Garrus and the other two behind him, and she panicked as helpless terror engulfed over her.

"No, please!" She coughed out as her hands fell to the ground before her. "Please let them go. I'm the one you want to kill, not them."

"Ah, but they've all been thorns in my side for some time. It will be quite satisfying to deal with them once and for all."

"Please!" Shepard forced herself to her feet, wobbling as she thrust her arms out wide in a vain attempt to shield the three behind her. The biotic blast within his grasp continued to grow, and Shepard's body went cold as she took a half step backwards.

They were all going to die, and there was nothing she could do.

She was completely and utterly helpless. She wanted to scream and cry and thrash against the cruelty of fate.

We're going to die. I'm going to die. I'm going to die!

But she didn't want to give Saren the satisfaction of watching her fall to pieces. He didn't deserve the pleasure. So instead, she closed her eyes as she reached deep inside herself for the calm she knew was hidden there even as panic lit every nerve in her body alight.

I'm going to die!

Shepard hovered in the darkness of the void, and nothing existed beyond the single burning flame within her. She fed everything into it, her fear, her anger, her helplessness… everything until nothing remained but the flame. She was the flame, she was the void, she was peace.

There, in the cool darkness of her own mind, on the very edge of her consciousness, she could feel a comforting warmth, like sunshine on a cold day. It was just behind her, as though seen out of the corner of her vision. She'd felt it before in the past, this strange warmth, though only when within the Citadel.

Without thought, acting in sheer desperation, Shepard reached for it.

Power surged into her, filling her up to brimming with a foreign yet oddly familiar energy. With the last vestiges of her panicked desire to live, she opened her eyes and screamed, her body burning as though she were lit aflame.

Blue biotic energy burst forth from her, a barrier springing into life just in time to catch Saren's explosive attack as it surged toward them. Shepard held the barrier before her, letting the power flow through her as she stared in shock. Her eyes met his wide ones, and after a moment, something hard solidified in her, and she took one step forward, then another, forcing Saren back.

Energy sizzled and crackled across her skin, the scent of ozone becoming almost unbearable, and finally, she couldn't contain it any longer. She let it surge out of her as she thrust it toward Saren.

He stumbled back as the energy burst back at him, his eyes wide with shock as he brought his arms up to block his face, his biotics nothing but a dim, shimmering glow.

"What… what is this?" He stammered as he stared at her, openmouthed. Shepard looked down at her hands in awe, watching the blue sparks dance across her skin, her own thoughts a humming, thundering mess within her head as she fought to hold on to the void within her mind.

"I-" Her voice hitched as she looked up at him, her own biotic power illuminating the room in a cool blue. She had no idea how it could possibly be, but she wasn't about to question it now. Hope leapt in her chest, the power now at her command more exhilarating than anything she'd ever experienced in her life.

Stepping forward, she pulled her fist back before thrusting it toward Saren, and energy burst out of her, colliding with him hard. In an instant, he smashed against the far wall with a satisfying crunch. He grunted in pain as he hit with enough force to leave a dent before slumping to the floor. Nearby, Anderson slumped in his chair as he shook his head, his bindings suddenly gone.

Shepard breathed in a shuddering gasp, shock engulfing her as she considered the pure power she now wielded. She felt like her body was attempting to contain the energy of a burning, fiery star, tendrils of it fighting to break free from her control and lash about her. It pressed against her control, and keeping it contained was becoming more difficult as the seconds ticked by. Uncontrolled biotics could level this entire room in a matter of moments, she realized with a stab of fear. If her control slipped, it could demolish everything and everyone in its wake.

She turned her attention to the door, and focused. It felt so natural, almost instinctual, like breathing. She gave her hand a twist, and the locked door shot open. Turning, she gestured to Vega, who stared at her, awestruck.

Saren groaned, a hand coming up to his head, and Shepard turned back to him, feeding her righteous anger into the void as her eyes fell on him. Taking a deep breath, she raised a hand toward him before clenching her fist. Biotics grabbed him and thrust him back up against the wall, holding him there in a vise grip as his eyes snapped open.

"Get them out of here, now!" She barked, and after giving his head a quick shake as though to clear the dust, Vega nodded and ran toward Anderson. Together with a shaky legged Garrus, the two of them took the older man under the arms and started toward the door. Garrus turned and shot her one wide-eyed glance before leaving.

"Hurry! I don't know how long I can hold him!" She exclaimed, gritting her teeth as Saren drew upon his own power and began pushing outward against her grip. Sidonis hobbled past, supporting most of Miranda's weight as she limped. He, too, turned to give Shepard one awe-filled glance before hurrying through the door.

"There," Shepard growled as she tightened her control over the power whipping around her. "Now it's just you. And me."

Saren growled and his eyes flashed blue. Energy burst out from him, breaking her grip and throwing her to the floor as he roared in anger.

"No! I won't let you scum like you ruin all my planning and hard work!" He screamed, his voice reverberating through the small room before turning and running out of the room. Shepard scrambled as she pushed herself to her feet, feeding her writhing emotions into the void as she drank in more energy and took off after him.

"Your fight-" Shepard yelled as she burst out onto the main floor of the club, "-is with me!" With the last word, she thrust the energy forward, catching Saren hard in the back as he ran. He hit the ground, and she looked up to see Garrus ushering Vega, Anderson, Miranda, and Sidonis through the door.

Saren began pushing himself up as he watched them escaping, fury radiating off him in waves as he reached a glowing hand out in a last effort to stop them. With a slashing motion, Shepard let her biotics whip outward toward him. Saren went flying with a scream of pain, his body hitting each low stair hard as he tumbled downward toward the dance floor.

Shepard slid to a stop at the top of the stairs, her breath heaving as she watched the Spectre land hard and begin struggling to hands and knees far below.

"I'm going to end you," she hissed, her voice carrying in the dark silence of the room, and when Saren looked up at her, she saw the first inklings of fear in his eyes.

"Come on! Hurry!" Garrus exclaimed as he stood in the doorway and ushered the others through and out into the night. Miranda and Sidonis stumbled out of the nightclub, followed by Vega and a limping Anderson. "Get a hold of Liara and find the closest exit point you can. We need to get Anderson to safety!"

"Whoa, hold up!" Vega spun to face him, his expression confused. "You're talking like you're not coming with us!" He took a step back toward Garrus, but Anderson wobbled where he stood, and so he reached back to steady the older man.

Garrus hesitated for only a moment.

"I'm not leaving her to face him alone," he stated, his voice as firm as stone, and Vega's eyes bulged as he stared.

"You've got to be kidding me! He's a fucking Spectre! He could rip you apart with the snap of a finger!"

"I might not be able to help much, but I'm going to help her however I can!" Garrus exclaimed as he threw out his hand in a slashing movement, and Vega drew back in surprise. "I'm not going to abandon her! Now get Anderson out of here!"

Vega opened his mouth to respond, but Anderson's hand on his shoulder made him draw up.

"Understood," the captain grunted with a nod. "Make sure she comes back alive, Garrus."

Garrus locked eyes with the older man, and after a pause, he nodded in return as he stood a little taller.

"Yes, sir," Garrus said before turning back to Vega. "Now get out of here!"

With that, he turned and hurried back into the nightclub to face the titans battling within.

Shepard stood at the top of the stairs, her shoulders set as she stared down at the turian below, blue biotic energy emanating off her in undulating waves of pure power. Garrus swallowed, his mouth dry as he beheld her, and he struggled to stay on his feet as he fought as his awe and exhaustion threatened to pull him to his knees.

She was magnificent. Tendrils of sparkling blue whipped around her, catching locks of her hair and the edges of her clothes in a maelstrom of sizzling, crackling energy. She was ethereal, unreal, like something out of a myth or legend, a goddess amongst mortals.

She was a biotic. It didn't seem real, and Garrus felt the urge to pinch himself as he stared at her. Had he passed out in that storage room? Was this some sort of fever dream? Somehow, he doubted it, but it seemed the only rational explanation.

"I'm going to end you." Shepard's voice broke the silence, a dark and cold hiss, and a shiver of fear ran down his spine. She started forward, crackles of energy lingering after every step as she descended toward the dance floor, a very still and quiet Saren staring up at her with wide eyes.

Part of Garrus wanted to call out to her, to beg her to stop, to leave, to run away with him. But as he watched her descent, somehow he couldn't find the words. It was as though she'd somehow ascended to another plane of existence altogether, as though she were a higher being, utterly beyond his words or reach.

But Saren was a Spectre. No one, no one, fought a Spectre and lived to tell the tale. Did Shepard stand a chance? Or would her biotics merely delay the inevitable?

Then she moved. Within a blink of the eye, she was charging forward, falling upon Saren in a blur of biotically charged attacks. Her innate and well-trained skills melded with her newfound power to create a terrifying force to behold. Bursts of blue erupted across the dance floor as the two titans clashed, and Garrus threw himself behind a table to watch from safety.

"How!" Saren's exclamation echoed through the room in angry confusion as he struggled to block her attacks, falling back with each strike. "How can this possibly be? Only the Reapers can bless someone with such power!" Shepard spun, her foot sweeping through the air to catch him in the side. His biotic barrier crackled, deflecting only some of the force of the attack, and he grunted in pain as he stumbled backwards. "Unless you're… but no! They would have told me!"

"What, me? A Spectre?" Shepard growled as she stepped back and glared at the turian with disgust. "I'd rather die than become like you. I'd never turn my back on my crew or the Fleet."

"Then how…?" Saren stared at her like a puzzle he couldn't unravel, no small amount of fear present in his confusion. "How could you possibly use biotic energy if not through the grace of the Reapers?"

This, Garrus conceded, was a very good question, one that had been batting around in the back of his mind, each impossible answer more anxiety provoking than the last. If Shepard wasn't a Spectre, then what was she?

"All that matters right now," Shepard began, her voice low and menacing as she took a slow step forward, then another, "is that you're going to die at my hands here today, Saren." With that, she thrust a single hand into the air, and energy began gathering there for a moment until she pitched forward, slamming it down into the ground.

The biotics burst outward in a series of shockwaves, and Saren threw himself out of the way. In a single fluid movement, he thrust an arm out as he pulled himself to his knees, and a nearby table shot into the air before careening toward Shepard. She pulled up a barrier around herself, and the table crashed into it hard before spinning up into the air and crashing down hard onto the ground a few yards away.

The glow around Shepard pulsed, and five tables around the room rose into the air. She paused, took a deep breath in, and threw her arms out toward Saren as she exhaled sharply. The tables spun as they shot toward the Spectre, his own barrier springing to life only just in time to prevent being crushed.

"This doesn't change anything!" Saren screamed as he stood, his face awash with fury. "You're nothing but a worm!" He threw his arm out toward Shepard, and his fingers clamped shut as though he were grabbing hold of her. The energy shimmered around her, and she stiffened, her eyes going wide as she fought against the power binding her body. Saren's smile was feral as he reached for his pistol.

Garrus didn't know what he could possibly do, horror and fear gripping him as he ducked out from the table he'd been taking cover behind. Before he could do more than take a single step, however, Shepard give a shout and Saren's bindings burst with a flash. She reached forward, and before Saren could pull the trigger, she flicked her wrist, and the pistol was wrenched from his grip. It flew across the dance floor before clattering upon the steps leading upwards.

Saren roared in anger and reached up toward the ceiling far above before pulling downwards. The room shook, and they looked up to see the huge light structures above them begin to rattle. One after another, they broke free of their brackets before raining down upon the dance floor.

The lights crashed to the ground and glass flashed, the entire room seeming to glow blue as the shattered shards caught and reflected the light of the biotics whipping about the two on the dance floor. Shepard held a barrier above her, her arms covering her face as Saren watched the destruction around them, utterly unphased.

The moment the last light hit the ground, Shepard looked up just in time to see Saren rush toward her in a blur of sizzling blue energy. He collided with her hard, and they went rolling across the glass strewn floor. She screamed as slashes of red cut through her jacket and pants, and Garrus' breath quickened with anxiety as they came to a stop, Saren perched upon her chest.

"This is as it was meant to be, Jane. You are nothing but an insignificant little mouse, destined to be crushed beneath my boot," Saren hissed as she fought against his weight, but to no avail. He lifted a glowing fist into the air, and Garrus reached for a sidearm that wasn't there. Panicking, his eyes darted from object to object around him, before landing on the abandoned pistol on the stairs before him.

He nearly tumbled down the steps as he darted forward and fell upon it. In an instant, he had it raised, and without time to think, he fired.

Blue blood sprayed through the air, and Saren screamed as he pulled his injured hand back down to cradle against his chest. His head snapped up and icy fury landed on Garrus with enough force to send him stumbling backwards in fear. Saren snarled before raising his remaining good hand in his direction, and Garrus was thrown backwards, the pistol flying from his hand as he hit the ground hard with a grunt of pain.

In a flash of blue, Saren exploded backwards, and Shepard shot to her feet as her breath heaved. He pulled himself to his feet before raising a glowing hand as she did the same. They both stepped toward each other as a huge sphere of energy began to grow between them alarmingly fast. Energy whipped around them, grabbing at their clothes as it pulsed, intense and angry white. It washed out everything around them, a terrifying focal point, and Garrus swallowed as he pulled himself back to his feet.

The air in the room spun with energy as they both fought to keep their footing, red and blue blood dripping to the floor around their feet. Shepard's teeth grit as she forced herself to press forward.

"You won't survive this!" Saren yelled, the sound nearly lost in the biotic crackles.

"Then neither will you!" Shepard replied as she took another step, pushing the energy closer toward him as she moved. "I'm going to avenge everyone you've ever murdered. Like my parents!"

Saren's harsh bark of unhinged laughter echoed through the room. "I might have killed your mother, but your father has been frustratingly elusive!" Shepard's eyes widened, shocked surprise crossing her face at the admission.

The energy burst without warning, and for a moment, the world was a roaring wash of white pain.

Garrus was thrown backwards. His ears rang, his head throbbed, and stars flashed before his eyes as he groaned. He tried to roll over as the world spun, and he turned to see Shepard struggling to her feet in a mass of bent and broken chairs. Across the room, Saren pulled himself from the wreckage of a shattered table.

"You-" Shepard winced and panted as she brought a hand up to grip her side. "You know who my father is? He's still alive?" For an instant, a flash of surprise crossed Saren's bloodied face before melting away into amusement.

"You really don't know?" His chuckle was low as he rolled his shoulder and stepped back down onto the ruined dance floor. "Well, far be it from me to ruin the surprise for you. I will tell you this, however. The moment he was unplugged, he abandoned you and your mother. Just like that fool, Jacob."

Anger flashed across Shepard's face and she stood taller as she glared at the Spectre. She readied herself, leaning forward as she narrowed her eyes. Then she disappeared in a flash of blue.

She reappeared as she collided hard with Saren a moment later, sending them both crashing back into the pile of broken tables. They grappled, but a breath later, Saren shot into the air, gravity releasing its hold on him. Shepard stumbled as she got to her feet again, one glowing hand raised in the air as she looked up at Saren spinning helplessly above. She set her jaw and whipped her hand downward, sending him crashing to the ground with impressive force.

She was upon him in an instant, her biotics keeping him pinned to the ground as she straddled his chest. Her hands glowed with power as she grabbed the front of his cowl with a white knuckled grip.

"Tell me!" She screamed in his face as she leaned down, their noses only inches apart, "Tell me where he is!" She pulled him upward before smashing him back down against the floor. "Tell me where my father is! Now!"

Saren coughed, blue specks splattering Shepard's cheek, but his mandibles flared in an amused smile. "He abandoned you. You're nothing to him." He coughed again. "You. Are. Nothing."

She roared, her face a mask of rage as she smashed him back into the ground again. "Tell me!"

Saren stared up at her. "No," he whispered, and even his subvocals were quiet as he stared up into the face of inevitable death.

"Then die!" Shepard loosed an animal scream of fury as she raised a single fist alight with energy that glowed white with intensity. She brought it smashing downwards, and bright sapphire blood sprayed through the air.

Garrus stood in shock as the room went silent, the blue glow of Shepard's biotics slowly fading. His knees wobbled, suddenly rubber as he watched her sit back, her gaze fixed on the bloodied mess before her. One step at a time, he carefully descended until he stood before the dance floor.

Shepard stood after a moment, her eyes still locked upon Saren's unmoving corpse. She was painted in blood, vibrant strips of crimson and splatters of blue. Slowly, she turned to look at Garrus, and his heart stopped in his chest as their eyes met.

She looked like some kind of warrior spirit as she stood above her prey, like the ones worshipped by turians of old. She was the embodiment of vengeance, and she took his breath away.

But then she wobbled, and her eyes began to flutter. She pitched forward, her body going limp as though her bones had become jelly.

Garrus darted forward on unsteady legs, his arms catching her just before she hit the ground. He sank down as he cradled her, this amazing, impossible woman, and let out his breath in a long, low hiss. Her eyes were shut, but her vitals were on his visor, and he let himself breath, tension slowly leeching out of him.

He sat there for a moment as his mind struggled to process all that had happened. It had all been too fast, too inconceivable to understand. But Shepard was here, in his arms, and she was real. He pulled her closer and leaned down to brush his forehead against hers gently. He could feel her slow, steady breathing, physical proof that she was tangible, even if this was nothing but a simulation.

Sitting back up, he brought a finger to his ear. "Liara?" There was a static burst in response, then nothing. Garrus cursed and stood, clutching Shepard's limp form close to his chest. Turning around, he began making his way up the stairs toward the exit.

Around him, the shattered remains of the club lay in crumpled heaps, and behind him, the broken, battered, and dead evidence of her inexplicable abilities lay surrounded by a growing pool of blue blood on the dance floor. All around them was proof of her power, and it was enough to make him feel dizzy with confusion, pride, and no small amount of fear.

The door snapped open as Garrus approached, and he breathed in the cool night air with relief. There was a part of him that had never expected to leave this building alive, and freedom tasted sweet, even if the crisp air filling his lungs wasn't real.

"Garrus!" He jumped as Liara's voice assaulted his ears. "Can you hear me now?" He fumbled with Shepard's weight before lifting his finger to his ear.

"Yes, loud and clear."

"Thank the Goddess!" There was a pause as she let go of a harsh breath. "I lost contact with Shepard and Vega when they entered, but I had audio and visuals…" She trailed off, her voice going faint.

"So you saw what happened? With Saren?"

"Yes, I witnessed the whole thing." The words were breathy, as though she was struggling to believe what she saw as much as he was.

"We can talk about it more later. First, we need an exit," Garrus grunted as he started down the steps and into the night.

"Yes, yes of course! I'm sending you the coordinates right now. It's not far."

"Understood." Garrus nodded as the location appeared on his visor's map. He took off down the road, the distant sound of sirens now audible as he hurried his feet forward. It wasn't long before he was shouldering open a jammed door into an old storefront.

His eyes landed on the console, and he beelined for it. Shifting Shepard in his arms, he slowly lowered her to the ground and got everything set up.

"Shepard," he said a moment later as he bent down to stroke her cheek with a finger. Her eyelids flickered and she groaned. "You need to wake up. We need to get out of here." She murmured something unintelligible again, and slowly her eyes began to open. They gazed about languidly, as though she wasn't registering the world around her. They finally landed on him, and she froze.

"Garrus?" The word was slow and heavy as though her mouth was full of cotton, and he nodded.

"Come on, we're almost home. I have the code input already, I just need you to hit 'Enter'." She stared at him for a moment as she struggled to comprehend his words, and then nodded. He lifted her again and held her before the holo keyboard. She struggled to lift her hand, but with a shaking finger, she hit the key.

She froze, and like electric motes in the wind, she vanished. And a moment later, so did he.

(AN: Sorry for the late update, prodromal labor is a bitch. Hope you're enjoying this story, please let me know if you are. Hopefully I'll have good news to share with my next update!)