A/N: Mass Effect belongs to BioWare. If you have never played part 3, I suggest you don't read this! I have taken the ending and added a few liberties for my characters and my story's ending. Lastly, please excuse any typo as I am the only one that fixes it after writing.

Mass Effect 32: Before a New Dawn

"We just lost contact with two of our deep space outposts. There's something massive on the long-range scanners."

"Is this what Shepard warned us about?"

"I'd stake my life on it."

"How long do we have?"

"Not long. I've sent word. The fleets are mobilizing."

"God help us all."

In 2157, humanity discovered it was not alone in the universe.

Thirty years later, they found a peaceful place among dozens of galactic species. But this idyllic future is overshadowed by a dark past: Reapers, a sentient race of machines is responsible for cleansing the galaxy of all organic life every 50,000 years, are about to return. The leaders of the galaxy are paralyzed by indecision, unable to accept the legend of the Reapers as a fact. But one soldier has seen the legend come to life. Something big was headed their way.

And now, the fate of the galaxy depended on him.

"The reports are unlike anything we've ever seen. Whole colonies have gone dark. We've lost contact with everything beyond the Sol Relay. Whatever this is, it incomprehensibly powerful."

Shepard shook his head. "You've brought me here to confirm what you already know. The Reapers are here."

"Then…how do we stop them?"

"Stop them? This isn't about strategy or tactics," Shepard spat. "I gave you warning long ago. You chose to not act. Now? We aren't prepared. Now, this is about survival. The Reapers are more advanced that we are. More powerful. More intelligent. They don't fear us, and they'll never take pity on us."

"But... there must be some way…?"

"If we're going to have any chance at surviving this, we have to stand together."

"Stand together," a defensive council member scoffed. "That's it? That's our plan?"

"—Admiral," one of the attendees interrupted, "we've lost contact with Luna Base."

"The Moon?" Anderson turned away, nervously. "They couldn't be that close already…"

"How'd they get past our defenses?"

Shepard watched as a tinge of fear and disbelief began to materialize on each of their faces.

"Sir, UK headquarters has a visual."

A holo-vid of a UK soldier, well decorated but already covered in ash, appeared on the monitor. He was trying his best to be vocal above the chaos behind him, but the falling rubble and explosions were so overpowering that the signal became lost.

Mere moments later, smaller monitors, too many to count, appeared on live feed. Each was placed in a different location around the world. Each showed the grim reality of the Reapers landing and destroying everything within moments.

"What…what do we do," one of the defense council asked, shock thick in his voice.

Shepard turned and walked towards the three seated members. "We fight or we die."

The distant sound of rumbling: A great noise—almost war horn-like echoed from the heavens. The sky breaking in shockwaves of red and white were only the beginning.

Shepard had been right the first time. The Reapers were no longer a distant threat.

They were here.

The destruction of earth continued to come swiftly. Anderson had given a strict command of reaching the citadel in hopes of uniting all the species in the galaxy. However, on the way Admiral Hackett had sent the team on an emergency mission to Mars, where Dr. Liara Tsoni awaited them with news of a secret: a weapon blueprint and tool that could turn the tides of war. They were named The Catalyst and The Crucible, used together to create a Prothean weapon whose purpose was solely the destruction of The Reaper machines.

With this new-found information in hand, and with the entire Normandy Crew and Galactic Fleet under the leadership of both Hackett and Shepard, the newly-strengthened Alliance makes one final push to take back Earth. Having landed on London in an attempt to gain access to the Citadel via Citadel beam, and ensuing a long battle with a Reaper to reach his destination, Shepard suddenly comes face to face with his last, and easily the most powerful of obstacles: Harbinger.

"Another Reaper? He won't make it," Grunt said angrily, pounding his fist against the ruins of a vehicle debris, watching Shepard plan his final pathway towards the Citadel Beam before returning to the group. Harbinger was guarding the entrance, molten streams of cybernetic energy flying from his center eye at everything that moved. "We need to get him in there!"

Shepard raised his hands to calm the group. "From here I go alone."

Miranda refused, hissing as she slathered Medigel on her bloodied shoulder and gaping hip and knee wound. "Like hell you do, Commander. Our missiles are doing nothing to his shell. We aren't even getting close! He's killing everything on site on the ground. You won't make it."

John exhaled, closing his eyes only to feel the heaviness on them. Everyone was tired. "You got ideas? Talk to me."

"We need to make an opening from the air. We need to launch something right into his shell. Break just enough to squeeze through," London said, catching her breath from the last battle.
"If we can get to his core and blow it up…we win."

Grunt slammed his bloodied fists together. "We go into the Reaper. You go into the beam. It sounds like we'll all probably die. I'm in."

London looked to Grunt before nodding her head and turning to the Commander and Miranda.

The XO winced and groaned as took the woman's hand in her own, her shoulder and hip wound causing hot pain to shoot through her. "If this is going to be our end, then let it be together."

"No," London replied, using her strength to help Mirada stand upright. "You've got to get back to the Medical. You're hurt and having you're here won't help."

"We're all hurt," Miranda said through her anger. "We're all bleeding!"

"You can hardly walk," Shepard held firmly. "London is right. I'm sorry. Kasumi," he continued, looking over the last of his crew. "You, Tali and Miranda are in bad shape. I need you all get out of here. The Normandy is in route for an evac."

"What? Shepard, no! I told you that I was in this to the end!"

"And you have been," the commander replied, his voice calming her as he extended an arm to place a hand on Miranda's shoulder. "This is an order, Lawson. That wound in your hip will only hinder our movement speed. If you want to help now, it'll be by getting out of the way."

The second in command's expression fell, knowing her Commander was right in the end. Her grasp around London tightened as both Tali and Kasumi walked towards them. "Be careful," she whispered into the Brunette's ear, kissing her firmly before being pulled away. "Please. I love you."

London nodded, holding onto Miranda's hand until she was pulled away. "I love you too."

Vega turned to John. "We can do this, Commander. You know there is no other alternative. We're low on munitions now. All we're doing is wasting time. This is the final haul. Let us help. We all knew what could become of this. We signed up for it."

"So are we all in," the Krogan asked, gazing over the battered and remaining crew of Normandy foot soldiers. "Vega? Garrus? O'Conner? We gonna put a chink in that hunk of metal and blow him up from the inside?"

"Hell yeah we are," Garrus said readily. "Grab the last of our explosives. Let's go put a hole in that Reaper."

Shepard looked into the eyes of each of his crew mates, not one without blood or injury. "I don't know what will become of this, but know that it's been an honor to serve with you all. Thank you."

Each of his crew…his family nodded in understanding, a tired but honest smirk gracing their lips one, final time.

"Don't get mushy on us now, Shepard," Garrus chuckled. "It isn't over. When this is done, we'll meet at a bar on the Citadel. You're going to owe us all drinks."

"Go, go, go!" Garrus waved his arms towards the center core, blasting waves of husks before ducking down behind a barrier. "Grenade going out!"

London slid down, bashing her shoulder into cover alongside Grunt and Vega. After the explosion, she lifted her rifle and took out six more husk-cannibals swiftly. "They don't fucking end," she yelled. "Giving cover fire! Go, go, go!"

Vega kept low and ran up to the next barrier he could duck behind: a large piece of fracturing metal from the Reaper interior room. "Oh, he ain't happy we've made it this far! INCOMING. MASS WAVE. LOOK ALIVE."

Grunt rolled forward and slammed into a barrier on the opposite side of Vega. "They got 3 abominations and two scions following up! Frag out!"

Garrus switched weapons to help take out the red, glowing husks. "London," he called out in warning.

"Working on it," London grunted, placing her incisor and steading herself. 12 perfect headshots in quick succession made easy work of the exploding husks. "Move in, Grunt! Covering fire!"

The Krogan laughed, pounding his head against the barrier before getting up and charging at wave of husks, pinning a scion against a barrier before putting his shotgun up to hit its' neck and pulling the trigger four times. Black goo covered his face and eyes and he cackled happily. He looked over to see Vega raining bullets down on the opposing Scion before lopping a grenade in the large hole he'd made. "You ain't bad for a squishy!"

Vega grinned, using the butt of his rifle to melee a husk in the face before shooting three more in succession. He turned around towards Garrus and London. "Let's move u—LOOK OUT. PRAETORION ON YOUR SIX."

London turned around, only to view a silent and deadly praetorion, a death machine whose barrier and armor was completely immune to biotics and a krogan's charge, had come up behind her. Before she could even scramble up to stand, the machine initiated its Death Choir, a ground attack that knocks all nearby enemies to the ground, causing her to legs to give out and land face forward. She flipped around on her back quickly, using her rifle to fire 3 precision shots into one of its four, blue eyes. The machine turned red, using its stinger like claws to slash wildly at the ground, instantly gashing London's right leg open from the front of the thigh to the bottom of her knee. The brunette screamed as white-hot pain shot up her whole body.

"COVERING FIRE," Vega yelled, raising his rifle to unleash hell on the machine's head. "PUSH IT BACK BEFORE IT UNLEASHES ITS AOE."

Grunt released a bellowing yell, pumping his shotgun empty as he took mighty strides forward towards the foe.

Garrus grunted as he hopped over his barrier, using a pistol to aid in covering fire before grabbing the woman by her collar and dragging her back to safety, a trail of blood following in her wake. London's screams echoed throughout the chamber.

Grunt, after depleting the enemies armor and shields, used what last ammo he had to blow a hole in the Machine's neck, reaching in with his hands to use his might strength to rip out all of the cords. The praetorion fell into scrap metal.

"I need medigel," Garrus called out, looking at the other two.

"I got you," Vega said, running up and kneeling beside the already pale, sweating and shivering woman. He slathered as much as he had onto the huge gash, causing her to scream through clenched teeth. Garrus used what little bandage wraps he had left to wrap the center of the wound, where blood was pouring. "The medigel should clot the wound. Hang in there, O'Conner. We're almost there," he said, lifting London into his arms. "Vega, Grunt, head up into the chamber. I got her."

"I got the explosives ready," Vega yelled, taking it out of its heavy, bullet proof chamber. "Moving up. Grunt, take the right."

The final cavity was tiny in comparison to every other room the group had encountered. A faint red glow emitted from the large drive core; the heart of the Reaper.

"Here," Garrus said, placing London down. "Rest, okay? I'm gonna set this up and then we're getting out of here."

Vega kneeled down beside the woman, making sure her wrap was still tight. "You got this, O'Conner."

London smirked, her pale body beginning to naturally shake from blood loss. "It's all good, Vega."

"Explosives are set. Putting the time for thirty minutes. Thirty minutes set. Initiating count—wait." Garrus furrowed his brow, his fingers tapping away at a series of button. "No…not, shit. Come on."

Grunt shadowed him. "What's the problem?"

"It's malfunctioning. The fucking timer isn't initiating. I'm going to try a bypass. Maybe I can reroute the signal to launch from my omni-tool."

London leaned back against the wall with an exhausted groan. "That won't work. We'll be too far. And even if we did make it outside, his shell is too thick. The signal won't make it either way."

Garrus hunched over the explosive, sweat falling down his face. He exhaled. She was right.

"I'll stay," London said calmly. "Get out of here."

"Hell no," Vega replied in kind. "We ain't leaving no one here. Fuck that. We'll figure it out."

"There isn't any time," London yelled, furrowing her brow as she looked up at all three of them. "Shepard is losing his opening as we sit here chit-chatting." London took out the pistol from her hip. "I'll give you all thirty minutes. When the time passes, I'll pull the trigger and set off the explosive."

Garrus kneeled down beside the woman. "We can't just leave you."

"It's alright." London reached up to roughly pat his cheek, a quivering smirk on her lips. "I'm not doing well here. I'm losing a lot of blood and can't hardly stand up much less run out of here. It's gotta be me that does this. You know it. Go. Go before you and Shepard lose that window."

Vega and Garrus both stood up, nodding towards her. Grunt extended his rough, huge hand. "It's been an honor, battle-sister."

London shook it weakly. "It's been an honor fighting with all of you. Give the crew my best, and good luck out there. Finish it."

Giving her one last nod, the man, turian, and krogan made their way out of the Reaper.

London, England

Population (Highest) 17,780,892

Current Population: 1,306,134

"I know what you're thinking as you watch this. You're asking 'where are you' and 'why aren't you here yet'. I'm so sorry, Teagan…Miranda. I stayed. I stayed so that everyone we love may have a chance to live. I had to give Shepard a chance on that Citadel. I send this so that there are no secrets kept from you, so you know that in my last moments of life it was you that I thought about. I'm currently at the heart of the beast, counting the minutes away to pull my trigger on this …this fucking defective bomb."

Several loud, repeated thuds were heard. It was as if the butt of a gun was slamming against metal angrily, harsh puffs of breaths accompanying the already violent noise with each and every thrust. There was silence and then a long sigh in attempt to try and calm down. "I'm…I'm sorry. Hopefully, our shuttle is moving away from this Reaper as I speak. They're safe now. Thank God. I couldn't let Shepard take this responsibility. None of us could. Humanity still needs him as long as he is able, and that makes his life worth so much more than mine. It was my decision. Mine. I understand that you may never forgive me, but I do hope that you'll understand why I did it."

The echoes of gunfire and husks filled the recording.

"Listen: Teagan, the next few years will be hard. The earth is broken. But even in the midst of the fire and death, we are still here. Humanity is still here. And we will rebuild. I know this isn't what you want to hear so close to your birthday, but in doing this I'm ensuring that you will live past these troubled times. I can think of no greater gift to give to you."

[…Signal Interrupted…]

[…Reconnection Established…]

[…Transmitting…]

"I…uess…th..ts…t…hen. I wish I could say something profound so you know it'll be okay. But I can't. If anything, I want you to keep this advice close to you: The age you're becoming will be a transition in your life. It's where you'll start to try and find the places and people you belong with. I need you to know and understand that along with honest people, the world will always have equally bad people, people that say that you're too different because of your body or because of your power; that you should change to be more like them, that it's okay to trade in pieces of your self-respect in exchange for self-interest. But you listen to me. You are a beautiful person. Don't try to be different, just try to be good. To be good is different enough. If ever a time when you doubt yourself, just think back and remember where you're from, who loves you, and that you are never alone. Live a long, fulfilled, happy life and know that I was blessed every single day that you were with me. You made my life better and gave my life meaning. I'll love you forever, Teagan. I'll always be your big sister."

"Miranda…my love. I'm sorry. I'm sorry for this explosive device malfunctioning, I'm sorry for making it this far then having to say goodbye, and I'm sorry for the pain I've caused you today. I know you probably tried your damndest to get me off this thing and onto that shuttle for evacuation. I know you probably hate me for making Shepard drag you away… but I know you. If I hadn't spoken you wouldn't have left my side. Let's face it, baby… the plan was to get in, set it, and get out. I'm not going anywhere with these wounds so the choice was clear: Prop me up in front of this damn device, give me the gun, and let me do it while you guys go. It had to be me to stay behind and you know it.

Now be the strong, intelligent, beautiful woman that you've always been and finish this. End this fucking war and go home to your sister and mine. Be with them. Take care of them. Watch them grow for the both of us and most importantly…grow with them. I need you to continue on. And before you start cussing and yelling at my recording, know that I do wish that we had more time, but that I'm already so grateful for what I was given. You're my missing half, my love, and I'm so lucky to have found you. I can only hope that one day when you finish grieving you find another lucky soul to share your life with. You owe it to yourself and to me to be happy, to grow old and surrounded by fat, spoiled grandchildren. I love you, Miranda. I always will. Now live. Go out there and live."

[…Transmission to user: (********) has ended…]

[…Message Sent…]

London swallowed her tears then, letting no sound of fear escape as raised her gun towards the explosive device, an old poem her father used to recite falling from her lips, the last ounce of courage needed to pull the trigger:

"When I am laid, am laid in earth, may my wrongs create
No trouble, no trouble in thy breast.
Remember me. Remember me, but ah!
Forget my fate.

Take this, Motherfucker. Given them hell, Shepard."

[….Signal Lost…]

[User: London O'Conner has disconnected]

[User no longer detected.]

The battered ground crew messily shoved their way into the evacuation shuttle, evident signs of harsh battle from the looks of their armor. Garrus, who stood in front of the second in command could only open his mouth—nothing able to leave his lips.

"Where is London," Miranda asked, her eyes scanning the group, screaming to hold lift-off as the doors began to close. "Where is she!"

Grunt stood up as best as he could, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth and a tinge of deep regret in his tone. "I'm sorry. O'Conner had to stay behind."

As realization etched itself across Miranda's face, she clawed herself towards the door. Grunt held her back as the shuttle rapidly lifted off.

The moment the ex-operative heard the explosion and her omni-tool ring with an incoming transmission, Miranda fell to her knees, buckling over in excruciating anguish, pushing and screaming at anyone who dared to come near her. Kasumi could only watch, hot tears rolling from her eyes as she covered her lips with a gloved hand. No one had ever seen the second in command cry before, much less to this extent. "You left her," Miranda gasped, clutching at her chest and hair, her body rocking slowly. "London no," she cried, "no, no, no, not yet…"

"Give her some space," Garrus said, turning to give her as much privacy as the small shuttle could afford, his heart breaking at every gasp and wail that emitted from the woman's lips. "We need to get this thing parked back on the Normandy. Let's…let's go."

"Is there any news on Shepard?"

"Not yet," Joker said quickly. "We managed to scrape Jack and a few of her students out of a bad situation not too long ago. All that we're waiting for is….Shepard!"

"J…Joker," a voice abruptly said, echoing loudly in the cock pit. "…I'm bleeding heavily… Can't breathe well…go…I'm too slow…get out of here…"

"Where are you," Joker said quickly, his fingers pressing a long series of buttons. "Acquiring location now. Hang in there, Commander. We're not dancing to this song again."

"Go," Shepard rasped. "It's too late for me."

"We can make it," Joker said, his brows furrowing in concentration. "Garrus, get the fastest bastards we have. We're going in for emergency evacuation. We only have a four-minute window. He's in rough shape, but his vitals are there."

Garrus nodded, pacing back and forth before running down towards the loading dock. "I'm on it."

Jack, upon seeing Garrus fly down to the lower deck, burst through to the pit with 21, her best student. "Is he alive? Did he make it? Is he okay," the biotic asked harshly, her eyes crazed with worry, trying to make sense of all the words and numbers flooding Joker's screen."

"Strap yourself in. We got a package that needs to be picked up."

For what felt like the first time in years, Jack felt her heart flutter. "Well fucking go faster!"

Even in the midst of war, decay, and death, life had found a way to continue:

Miranda, in her infinite despair was eventually able to pick up what little pieces of her life remained, taking with her all the harsh lessons war had taught. In the end, the second in command eventually turned her back towards the military, opting to watch the remaining of her family grow and help raise them. She observed as Oriana grew into a good, beautiful woman. She helped Teagan do the same. London would have swelled with pride at the little biotic's graduation, at the person Teagan chose to become.

Miranda had kept her end of the bargain, eventually finding a sort of amity in the way things turned out. Her love had died so that humanity had a chance to live. How could she not love or forgive her for that?

For Jack, however, we find that on the eve before their final mission, when the ex-convict had taken the Commander into her bed; when their fierce love making occurred as if it would forever be the last time they were together, we find that it was not, in fact, the last.

Shepard had survived, and soon after, when the war had ended and humanity had lifted their palms towards the sun, eyes closed as they reveled in their new chance at living, that there, in middle of the Normandy's medical bay floor, the beautiful and tattooed biotic lifted her hazel eyes to meet the Commander, smiled softly, fearfully, hopefully and said, "I'm pregnant."

[End of Story]

A/N: It's been a hell of a ride. Over 600 pages of work is finally done. Thank you to everyone who enjoyed reading this story as much as I enjoyed writing it. I'll be posting some fixes and a few things I don't like with my writing in the next months to come. There will also be a few chapters of life after the war, but a happier, alternate ending-just for fun, you know?

Thanks again, everyone.

Assuming Direct Control. :D