A/N: this is a collaboration between Mine6chan and Silver-06

Mine6chan: I think I'll be able to do this now that I have a second person helping me with ideas and stuff. Mind you that Silver-06 came up with the original idea. All the credit for the story's plot should go to her. I only write. Sorry about any mistakes you might find…

Silver-06: Yay! Somebody is finally taking on my story! *hugs* Okay, let's get this show on the road. XD

Dual Reality

Chapter 1: Life vs. Death

A lone figure stood over twenty-some caskets. The imposing figure of Commander John Shepard, first human Spectre and Saviour of the Citadel, leaned over one with a quarian symbol on it. Tali vas Normandy, his Tali. Memories of their last night flashed vividly in his mind. She had fought so hard next to him and Garrus to kill the damned human Reaper.

They'll pay. he thought. I'll make all those fucking Reapers pay. I promise.

He stepped back into the hangar and pressed the button next to him. One by one the empty caskets shot out into empty space.

"Joker." came his voice.

"Yes, Commander?" Joker a.k.a Jeff Moreau, Flight Lieutenant of the Normandy SR-2, replied.

"Take us back through the Omega Four Relay and make route for the Citadel." He said looking down at the data pad in his hands and headed for the elevator. "The Council wanted proof, I'm gonna give it to them."

"Aye Aye, Commander." Came Joker's reply.

John looked out over his team briefly as the doors to the elevator closed. Including his beloved Tali; Miranda, Thane and Kasumi had all died. Not many had made it back to the ship. Among the few survivors were Gardner, Dr. Chakwas, Yeoman Kelly, Gabby and Kenny. They were now missing over half the crew.

He headed to the empty Starboard Observation room. Samara would have to find some other place to hang out in for a while.

He wanted to cry, scream, yell, anything, but it wouldn't come. He'd learn a long time ago that those feelings wouldn't go away. Instead they'd grow, grow into something dark and heavy, and settle in his heart until he'd manage to quench his thirst for vengeance.

"Commander?" EDI's blue orb suddenly appeared.

He looked up. "What is it, EDI?" he asked, slightly annoyed at the AI's interruption.

"The Illusive Man wants a word with you." She said.

John stood silent for a moment but then nodded and walked to the briefing room. As the holo-projector activated John saw the Illusive Man sipping at his customary glass of brandy and smoking his cigarette.

"Good job, Shepard." He said. "With the Collectors out of the way we can deal with the Reaper's now…" He paused and took another sip. "…However, it would have been nice had you not destroyed the Collector Base. The technology there could've been used in the betterment of humanity."

"Humanity? Or just Cerberus?" John asked trying to keep himself calm.

"Cerberus has always had humanity's best interest at heart, Shepard." He said with a slightly annoyed tone.

"I highly doubt that. "John retorted.

"Watch it, Shepard." He warned.

"No! You watch it!" John growled. "I'm done playing your games! From now on we're doing things my way! Either you help us or get the hell out of the way!"

"I created you!" The Illusive Man yelled, throwing his glass to the ground.

"Guess you should have read the memo." John said. "I'm nobody's pet. EDI lose this channel."

"SHEPARD-" the comm channel cut.

John the left the briefing room and made his way to his quarters. Once inside he undressed to take a shower but stopped in front of the bathroom mirror. All the surgical scars had finally faded, leaving behind unblemished skin. John frowned as he looked at himself. Even though the old scars were gone from his skin they still lingered in his mind and in his heart. He could still see them with his eyes. The scars on his right arm from fallen debris from the attack on Mindoir when he was sixteen. The scars on his right shoulder from a shot on Eden Prime. The scars on his chest from hand to hand combat on Virmire. His eyes darkened as he stepped into the shower at the memories of that day. His decision to save Kaidan instead of Ashley had come to bite him in the ass later on. He'd lost a friend then and now he'd lost a lover.

He shook his head. Don't think about it now. Later… you can think about it later.

He showered off the dirt and sweat of the day, and quickly got out of the shower stall. He didn't want to remain in there for too long, as with most of the places on the Normandy SR-2, it contained memories of happier times, times with her, his Tali.

He dried off and put on a uniform. Unfortunately, all of the clothes he owned had the Cerberus emblems on them. He decided then and there that the first thing he was going to do when arriving at the Citadel was to buy new clothes both for himself and his crew. He was just about to lie down for a quick rest before heading down to the crew deck to grab a bite to eat when…

"Commander," came EDI's urgent voice. "…we have a problem."

John ran a hand over his head thinking that he really needed a haircut. He sighed, "I'll be right there." and with that he headed down to the CIC.

As he walked through the deck he saw both Grunt and the Justicar look up. Garrus turned his attention away from the data pad he was reading and watched John pass with a dark look in his eyes. Immediately, he knew something was up with his friend and followed him to the front of the ship. John didn't respond to Joker's acknowledgement of his presence and stepped up beside him.

"EDI, open the shutters." He ordered.

What he saw made them all gasp.

In front of them was the SSV Normandy in all its glory and behind it a planet some of them knew too well. Garrus stepped closer to the glass.

"… What is this?" the turian whispered, unsure whether to be amazed or angered.

They watched the SSV Normandy and then the flash of a nuke detonating on the planet below them.

"Virmire… This can't-" John mumbled. "Get Mordin up here!" he turned around and yelled, watching as the nearest crewman hurried to follow his order.

"COMMANDER!" Joker's voice didn't hide the panic in it.

"What is it Joker?" he asked and turned back around, eyes going wide at what he now saw.

"They're about to fire at us!" he yelled.

Shepard hadn't said a word since they'd been picked up. She braced herself for the Normandy's acceleration and walked up to one of the few spots in the ship were you could look outside. Shepard stretched her neck to work out a kink.

Alexis turned to look at her teammates. No one talked. She turned back again and leaned her forehead on the glass, closing her eyes for just a moment.

Have to get Captain Kirrahe and his men back to the salarian military. She thought. In that case, we should head back to the Citadel. I need to speak with Anderson, and try to get that damned Council to accept what's going on. Alexis opened her eyes and caught Garrus staring at her in the reflection of the glass.

They'd barely managed to get to a safe distance when the nuke detonated on Virmire. They all, with the exception of Wrex, lowered their heads in a minute of silence to pay their respects to the now late Lieutenant Kaidan Alenko. Wrex was then the first to move, he'd never cared for the man but he had respect for Commander Alexis Shepard and stayed silent.

"We'll meet up in the comm room in twenty." Alexis announced and left one of her crewmembers to accommodate Kirrahe and his men. She needed to be alone.

She took her time, passed by her quarters and changed into her uniform. She picked up her gun and laid it on her lap as she sat on her bed in complete darkness for a couple of minutes, remembering the man she'd left behind. She wasn't blind, she had known about the Lieutenant's feelings for her and once she'd confirmed that there was nothing going on between him and Ashley, she'd even entertained the thought of maybe accepting his feelings. He reminded her of so much of a former teammate of hers. Another biotic, a Vanguard. She'd been close to that man, closer than was permitted in the Alliance, but neither of them had cared. She'd lost him, just like she had now lost Kaidan.

When she finally got to the comm room she was the last one to arrive. Alexis ignored Liara's concerned stare, she was in no mood for the asari's hero worship, and took her seat.

"I- I can't believe Kaidan didn't make it! How could we just leave him down there?" Ashley said in despair.

If anyone was taking Alenko's death harder than Shepard was, it was Ashley. She had become close with the lieutenant over their short period of time together. Alexis had thought that there might have been something going on between them for a while, but when she'd tried to talk about it with the Gunnery Chief she had been assured that there wasn't. Alexis hadn't been sure what to believe but had decided to drop the issue.

"Alenko knew the risks going in. He gave his life to save the rest of us." Alexis tried to calm her. She knew that what she was saying wasn't the exactly the truth and she didn't think her Gunnery Chief was going to be fooled by her words.

"It should have been me, Commander. You know that." Ashley protested.

Alexis sighed. She would have to talk with Ashley about her survivor's guilt. If anyone knew what she was feeling it was Alexis, having lost her entire squad on Akuze. She would never be able to get over the guilt, her scars reminding her day and night of her mistakes. But there was one major difference between her and Ashley's guilt. Shepard's guilt was a result of the death of her squad caused by her own decisions and actions. Ashley's guilt was a result of simply not being chosen to die.

Alexis decided to quickly end the meeting and talk to her. She caught her Gunnery Chief's stare and told her to stay while she dismissed the others.

"I know this isn't easy for you, Williams, but I need to know that you'll be capable of doing your job after this." Alexis said, putting her duty first. They had a mission to complete.

Ashley looked at her in disbelief. She and Kaidan had become friends, and Alenko had confided in her that he might have had feelings for their Commander. Ashley, in spite of the heartache it caused her, had advised him to 'go for it' and to ignore the Alliance rules about fraternization. She'd thought their Commander had similar feelings for the Lieutenant, at the least some feelings for him, but her apparent attitude to his death shocked her. She's worried whether or not I can do my job? That's what she's worried about?

Ashley was unable to respond and Alexis realised that her Gunnery Chief was taking Alenko's death harder than she'd first thought. "I chose you, Williams, because I need you. Lieutenant Alenko was an excellent marine but he was a Sentinel. I don't need more biotics or tech, I need weapons. Garrus is good but he's not enough. My choice wasn't personal, it was strategic, and you have nothing to feel guilty about, Williams. You did not make that choice. You followed orders like I expected you to."

It's not your fault, Ashley. It's mine. Alexis thought but couldn't say. Her team needed her to be strong. She needed herself to be strong. Now was not the time to regret present and past mistakes.

The two women stood in silence for a moment longer until Joker's voice sounded over the comm link.

"Commander, we have a problem." He said.

Alexis took a moment to answer, unsure of Ashley's condition.

"Commander!" Came Joker's voice, sounding panicked this time.

"I'll be right there." Alexis replied, quickly this time, and left the room.

She hurried to Joker's side but once there froze in shock.

"Our sensors aren't identifying it as either turian or alliance. It just appeared out of nowhere and hasn't done anything. Commander, it's-" Joker stopped talking as he caught the look in his Commander's eyes. It seemed she'd seen it as well. It was impossible to ignore the logo imprinted on the Normandy-look-alike's hull.

"Destroy it." Alexis ordered, her eyes stone cold.

"Aye Aye, Commander. Everybody to their stations. We're about to take down a Cerberus frigate." Joker's voice boomed all over the ship.

"Joker, get us out of their line of fire! We can't afford to get hit with the Normandy in her current shape! EDI, try to set up a connection. Tell them who we are and to cease their fire at once!"

"Yes, Commander." Joker's and EDI voice said in choir but were barely heard over the alarm alerting them of enemy fire.

He stumbled in to a wall as Joker tried to manoeuvred out of their direct sight. The front of the ship light up as they barely managed to avoid getting hit but no one had time to relax as the SSV Normandy lined up to shot again.

Alexis watched as the Normandy-look-alike moved and avoided their shot.

"Again!" She barked. It couldn't be a coincidence that a Cerberus ship had appeared. Not at Virmire. Not when she'd just destroyed Saren's cure for the genophage at the cost of one of her teammates life.

"Damn, they're good! But no one is better than Jeff Moreau!" Joker shouted and showed just why he'd been placed at the controls of the most advanced stealth frigate in Citadel Space.

"Commander! Incoming message!" a crew man yelled to her left.

Alexis ignored him as she watched the Cerberus ship outmanoeuvre them once again. She could see the damage to the ship and knew it was only a matter of time before she got them, seconds if her trust in Joker's skills was well placed.

"Commander! It's from the Cerberus ship! They're… they're identifying themselves as a ship under the command of John Shepard, human Spectre!"

"Commander?" Joker asked.

Alexis stared at the other ship. "Cease fire. Set up a connection to the comm room. Joker, I want you to try and get in close. If they try anything I don't want to miss this time."

"Aye Aye, Commander. Getting target in sight and preparing to fire."

What the hell is this? she thought and moved from Joker's side, meeting up with Wrex and Ashley and once again headed towards the stern of the ship.

"Commander, we're getting a signal through. Setting up a link in the communications room." EDI's voice informed them moments after all fire had ceased.

"Joker, don't get them out or your sight. At the slightest indication of trouble you get us out of here, understood?" John ordered and left with Garrus to the comm room, meeting up with Jacob on the way.

"Yes, Commander. Ready to hightail us out of here, sir." Joker said. Not taking his eyes off of the Normandy. Unable to do so at the sight of the SSV Normandy.

This is the weirdest thing I've seen so far, and I've seen some weird shit. Joker thought.

Alexis activated her personal comm link and set it to record as the Normandy's AI waited for her order to let the signal through. If this is a trap or whatever, I'm gonna have proof.

As an image of a man came on before her she scrutinized him from head to toe. Sizing up the man who claimed to be a John Shepard, human Spectre. You're a looker, I'll give you that, but you look like you couldn't even hurt a hair on my head.

Alexis was furious. This Cerberus ship was bringing up bad memories at a moment when she had more than enough to handle, and she didn't even try to hide the hate she felt for Cerberus. But while she was glaring daggers at him and promising a slow and painful death in case he screwed her over, he was looking at her with surprise and confusion in his eyes.

A girl? John thought. He didn't know what he'd been expecting when the holo blurred to life but the woman standing before him was not it. He looked off to his right at Garrus, Jacob and Mordin who could only stare at the holo of the woman.

She looked small, thin. Like Jack, probably.

"Who the hell are you?" she demanded.

Yeah, like Jack. He thought and prepared to deal with her. He'd been caught by Mordin just before he'd loaded the holo-projector, and to be honest, he was very sceptic to the salarian genius's explanation of the situation.

"I'm Commander John Shepard, first human Spectre and Saviour of the Citadel."

If it weren't for his confidence and the seriousness in his voice Alexis would have given the order to shot them down at his answer.

"I'm Alexis Shepard, first human Spectre, and I'm in no mood for your bullshit. Now, who are you?" she asked again.

"I am John Shepard, Spectre and Saviour of the Citadel" he repeated. "Look, I know this sounds like something taken out of a sci-fi novel, but I have a salarian scientist on board who just moments ago gave me a rather… logical explanation."

Alexis didn't say anything and let him continue talking.

"He believes we've manage to travel to the past, courtesy of a malfunctioning in the Omega Four Relay. If that were true, however, I would have been talking to a younger version of myself, but since I'm not and there are still too many things that add up I can only assume this is an alternative, or parallel, world."

As John finished his explanation he took a glance at Mordin to see if he approved of his ridiculous explanation. John could hardly believe what he had just said and he couldn't really blame Alexis Shepard for not believing even one word coming out of his mouth.

The holo of Alexis chuckled. "Do you really thing I'm gonna believe anything you say? You're Cerberus; I've dealt with you more than enough to know that what I really should be doing right now is to tell my pilot to shoot you down. But I was curious about your claim of being 'the first human Spectre and Saviour of the Citadel'." She shook her head in disappointment at herself. "Joker, fire at-"

"How did Virmire go? Did Saren kick your ass? Who did you pick? Kaidan or Ashley? Did you figure out where you're supposed to go next from those Prothean beacons? Ilos perhaps? By the way, you also now know that the real threat are the Reapers, right? Right." He asked and then answered before continuing. "How about Noveria? Did you bring Liara to kill her own mother Benezia? What about the Rachni Queen? You set her free?" The more John spoke the angrier Alexis got and soon a soft purple/blue glow surrounded the woman.

"Interesting." He heard Mordin mumble.

She's a biotic? He thought and continued talking. "I've been there, done what you've done and what you're going to do."

"Who did you pick?" Alexis asked out of the blue.

"What?" John was lost, one moment she was ready to shot his ass out of the sky, metaphorically speaking, and the next she looked like a lost kid.

"On Virmire." She elaborated.

"Kaidan." He answered. John hesitated; at the mention of the planet she'd gotten this look in her eyes. A look he'd seen before in the eyes of people who had seen too much in their lives.

"Why?" she asked.

"I'm a soldier, an expert marksman with the sniper. Kaidan's a Sentinel, biotics. I needed that." He told her.

"Was." Alexis mumbled.

"What?"

Alexis looked to her right at where Ashley had stood. At the mention of the Lieutenant's name she'd almost bolted out of the comm room. Alexis wished she could do the same.

"Kaidan was a Sentinel." She answered his question loudly and composed herself again. Wrex moved at her side, out of the range of the projector, and she got an idea. "Wrex has been bugging me to help him find a family heirloom…"

"The Urgnot Clan Battle Armour." John said interrupting her and Wrex shifted at her side, his attention fully on the Commander and the holo.

Alexis watched the krogan for a second and then turned back to the holo. "Garrus…"

"Dr. Saleon. Also known as Dr. Heart." He started. "Cloned organs inside his employees. Kidnapped them when Detective Vakarian, as he was known then, got too close. He tried to stop the doctor but…"

"FINE!" she yelled, realising that she might have to believe him. "What now?" Alexis asked after taking a deep breath.

John smirked. "Easy." He crossed his arms. "Stop Saren and stop the Reapers. I've got proof they exist. This time the Council won't be able to sweep my claim of the Reapers being the real threat under the rug. That's probably been getting on your nerves, hasn't it?"

Joker looked at the Normandy duplicate. "I've got you in my sights, you assholes." He muttered causing his co-pilot to shake his head.

"I don't like this." the co-pilot said. "Cerberus killed me brother and his team on a moonbase only because they were working with the Salarian STG at the time."

"Nobody likes xenophobes." Presley said. "You just deal with 'em."

"Yep, that's-" Joker began when suddenly alarms went off on his console. "What the? Someone's trying to get into our systems!" he turned to his co-pilot. "Run a scan!"

"Oka-hey!" he began. "I'm locked out!"

Presley tried with his. "Same here!"

"Not me." Joker informed. "Okay, let's trace you, you mother fuc-"

"I do not believe that is appropriate language, dear Jeff." Came a soothing feminine voice from his console.

"Holy-" he began with his eyes as big as flying saucers.

"Now now, EDI. Don't scare the newbie." Came his own voice form the same device.

"Shiiiiit!" Joker hissed and then yelled. "COMMANDER!"

Joker laughed as he heard his younger self begin shooting off curses and calling for his Commander. "Awe, babe. I think he likes us."

"I have to disagree, Jeff." EDI said. "I believe he is 'freaking out', as you would say." EDI had only managed to lock out two out of the four console-panels in the pilot's cockpit on the SSV, and she'd only managed to mess with the optics.

"What the-" the younger pilot began. "What is this?"

"I am EDI." She said.

"And I'm sure you'd recognise your own voice, you ass." Joker said.

"Presley's right." The younger began. "I'm up here way too much."

This caused Joker to burst out laughing while EDI started recommending activities he could do away from the cockpit.

"Joker!" Came John's voice behind him.

"Shit!" he cursed and cut the connection "Yeah?" he asked, acting innocent as he turned around.

"We're heading to the Omega dry docks to get the Normandy fixed." He said with a knowing look in his eyes. "They're still after Saren and we're going to help but first we need to fix our ship."

"Aye Aye, Commander." Joker responded and began to plot a course to Omega.

"Sir, we've stumbled upon something you might find interesting."

"..."

"We were following the SSV Normandy and keeping a close eye on Alexis Shepard's progress as per your orders, when a second ship appeared. It has the Cerberus logo on it."

"…"

"We were unable to communicate with it."

"…"

"It appears to be heavily damaged… Sir, it also appears to be a bigger replica of the SSV."

"…"

"No, sir."

"…"

"Understood, sir. We'll continue our surveillance. Cerberus Operative Symes out."

"What does this mean?" Miranda Lawson asked her superior as they watched the images sent to them of the two ships

"I'm not sure, but we're going to find out. This is an opportunity I'm not going to let slip through my fingers." The Illusive Man said and poured himself a glass of brandy. "I want that ship no matter the costs."

Silver-06: O_o ... Holy- that's better than I ever thought it would be. It's gonna be fun working together! XD

Mine6chan: hehehe *smug face* I'm glad you liked it. I hope everyone else will too. Thanks for the inspiration. Now on to chapter 2! XD