The room was dark. No light could creep in through the sealed door. Only the minute light from Tali's visor lit up the wall beside her bed. The Shepard AI had provided what accommodations were available on the Presidium, but the Reaper forces had slaughtered hundreds of thousands of people, civilian and soldiers alike, where they stood or slept. Most buildings had yet to be cleaned sufficiently for the living to take the place of the dead.

Tali stirred fitfully in her sleep.

She stood before the Crucible device, power shooting off of it as it powered up. She didn't mind; Shepard was on his way. Power circled around in on itself and began to form a mass in the center of the area. Gray gelatin grew up from the floor to a human height.

'Come on, Shepard!'
Limbs and a torso formed in the unknown goo, a head slowly accumulated atop it. The gray slowly faded into a swirl of tan and dark blue. Tali didn't know exactly what was happening, but she didn't care as long as the result was Shepard. Still, she wrung her hands nervously. Detail formed on the body, the charred armour, the burned skin, the cuts and bruises, and finally the eyes. Shepard's body was completely still and at attention, his eyes closed. He looked exactly as he did when he disappeared into the Crucible. The same armour, that same wounds, the same face.

'His face...'

The matter stopped moving; it had fully coalesced into Shepard. Tali approached her lover to welcome him back. She was visibly shaking as she reached her hand toward Shepard's cheek. The tips of her fingers stretched out and grazed his skin. Everything around them stopped.
Then the air cracked.

Shepard's eyes shot open and he reared back, away from Tali. His mouth gaped open in excruciating pain, and his eyes rolled back into his head. His limbs jerked around in random directions; his entire being spasmed uncontrollably.
Tali got scared. Really scared. Everything was supposed to go right. Shepard was supposed to get better and come back to her.

'Shepard! What's wrong!?'

Then he started screaming. The high pitched cry of pain reverberated through the air and cut through Tali's soul until he had no more air to cry with.
With despair beginning to overwhelm her, Tali grabbed the sides of Shepard's head and brought his face to her facemask, trying to get his attention: Trying to know that Shepard was really in there.

'Shepard, please! Tell me how to fix this!'

He opened his eyes and he looked towards her. Not at her, but past her. The desperate quarian looked into her lovers greenish blue eyes. Then they turned gray. Not just the irises, but the eyes in their entirety. The gray ooze. In one swift moment, her love fell to the floor, slipping through her gloved fingers, and splashed across the floor, nothing more than a gray stain.
The shock and terror filled Tali. Now Shepard's gone, and he's not coming back.

She screamed.

Tali shot up from her bed, her throat clenching to hold back her screams. Her hands had nearly shredded the pillow in her dreamt terror, it had felt that real.

It had been a busy week. Tali kept herself busy so she wouldn't go mad with the waiting. Luckily, if one could call this luck, there was plenty of work needed to be done on the Citadel. The number of Keepers had been slashed by the Reapers, so the Shepard AI was grateful, if a machine could do that but Tali wasn't sure, for any help he received on repairs. Apparently, even controlling an armada of the most advanced machinery in the galaxy had its limits. But no one entered the area where the Crucible connects to the Citadel for any reason. Not even the squadmates. That area was constantly full of energy in a state of flux. The Shepard AI was preparing.

To make sure Shepard comes back safely.

That brought the other thought back to the surface of her mind. The one thought that had been nagging at her since her last conversation with the Catalyst about Shepard. That Shepard could die. Permanently.

(Flashback)

"Wait, what!?"

"There is a 30 percent chance of Shepard's mind not surviving the transfer resulting in his irreversible brain death."

Tali was not pleased.

"Well, make the process better! We can't risk Shepard's life like that. I won't!"

The Shepard AI looked away from Tali. It always seemed to act nervous around her and sheepish when she was upset. She never understood how this construct could act so similar to a human, but right now she did not care.

"The process has achieved optimal efficiency. The risk to Shepard's mind cannot be reduced further."

Tali took a step toward the holographic projection in defiance.

"You're the most powerful entity in this galaxy! You built the Reapers, you bosh'tet! You mean to tell me that you can't improve upon the Crucible half? A machine that we mortals built!?"

The Shepard AI cringed at this outburst.

"Tali, you know better than most, a machine is only as efficient as its most inefficient part. The Crucible is a power supply, and I have improved upon it as much as possible. I have done everything I can in the time I have.

Tali was getting desperate. She began pacing back and forth.

"But… what if you had more time? We could delay this so you can perfect the process."

The AI avatar raised a hand to stop her.

"Tali, if this is not done soon, Shepard will die."

Tali stopped moving. She slumped as if defeated, but then came back up and faced the Shepard avatar.

"Is there anything I can do to help?"

"No."

The matter of fact statement hit Tali hard. She was the best engineer in the entire Migrant Fleet! Arguably the best in the galaxy. And now, when it truly mattered, she could not help the person she cared for the most. Tali visibly slumped yet again.

The Shepard AI did not miss these social cues.

"Feel free to assist the many refugees on planet Earth or work on the destroyed equipment littering the Citadel. Tali… you should really fill your time with something."

Tali had heard that line from Garrus plenty of times. She glumly nodded. The avatar nodded back, placed his right fist over where his heart would be and bowed before vanishing.

(End Flashback)

Tali threw aside the torn pillow and fell back onto the bed. After all of that, sleep proved impossible even after the Shepard AI had removed the noise dampeners from the ventilation system. So she stared up at the ceiling in her dark room, alone. She wasn't used to being alone. She missed Shepard. She missed his arms around her. She missed the heaving of his chest beneath her cheek, the beating of his heart.

Luckily, Tali didn't need to worry about sleep. A projection of the Catalyst sprang up on the nightstand by Tali's bed.

"Tali, Admiral Hackett asked me to call you to the elevator to the Council Chambers. The rest of your squad mates will meet you there. Do you require assistance?"

Tali waved it away and stood up, adjusting her fabric hood as she headed for the door.

"No."

Tali snapped her head toward the hologram.

"Wait, is it time?"

The Shepard AI chuckled lightly at her enthusiasm.

"Calm down, Tali, calm down. I'm not bringing Shepard back yet. The missing pieces, the human resources I require, have arrived. Admiral Hackett has brought them to the Council Chambers for… well, you'll see when you arrive. Most of your squad is waiting for you by the nearby elevator, others are still completing their morning rituals. Please arrive there as soon as possible."

The hologram shimmered away, and Tali muttered to herself as she activated the cleaning programs in her suit on her way to the door.

"You don't need to tell me twice."

Tali walked briskly out her door and into the short hallway of the first floor apartments she and her squad had lived in. She jogged forward to catch up with Wrex and Grunt, who were slamming their heads against each other as they slowly walked toward the elevator. Tali was not completely surprised by their behavior. The two krogan had very little to do for the past several days and they were extremely restless.

"Don't you guys have a better way to release stress?" Tali said as both krogan recovered from the most recent head butt.

Wrex guffawed at that and Grunt answered.

"You know it's going to be a good day when you start the day by head butting your clan leader."

Wrex quickly smashed his forehead into the younger tank bred krogan who subsequently stumbled backwards.

"You're still young, Grunt. Don't bite of more varren meat than you can chew."

Wrex then turned to Tali as the three made their way to the elevator together.

"Just another way to pass the time until the big day. Besides, I wouldn't want Shepard to think I'd gone soft since he died again."

Garrus laughed out loud as he walked up from behind the group.

"Like that will ever happen."

Tali made her impatience known by hurrying toward the elevator.

"Come on guys, Admiral Hackett is waiting for us. Let's go."

The other three understood her impatience, Grunt not so much, but he sped up with the rest of the group anyway. Everyone else was already waiting by the elevator, making sure that they could all fit in it in one trip. With some special planning, they were all able to fit. There was some small talk. Kasumi spoke to Tali by the front of the elevator.

"So, did the all knowing AI tell you anything about the 'selection' we are going to?"

Tali was somewhat quizzical.

"The what?"

"The selection" Miranda responded from nearby. "We're going to decide who gets to die to bring back Shepard. I would have offered my services in reconstructing Shepard, but as there is no body," she shrugged "it was beyond my area of expertise."

Jacob gave her a noticeable sidelong look and then looked at Tali. Miranda shrugged. Garrus spoke up.

"Well, with an all powerful AI, I guess anything is possible."

"You aren't kidding" Kasumi said. "Bringing someone back by manipulating matter and a mental imprint… that sounds like something I would hear after a night of drinking Krogan liquor."

Wrex laughed and Grunt grunted. The group grew quiet as the elevator continued to ascend. Garrus started shifting his feet.

"So… the elevator music hasn't changed much."

Wrex, Liara, Ashley, and Tali looked at him, laughing on the inside. Before the music aggravated Grunt and Zaeed enough to cause them to break something, the door finally slid open and the extended squad began to exit the full space. Tali was the first to leave and a few steps later she stopped. Her eyes grew wide as she looked up at the entire room, the full room. As the rest of the squad exited the elevator, they too stopped in their tracks. Every balcony, every garden, every square inch of space in the entire Council Chambers was occupied by what seemed like a thousand humans. Some wore the rags of refugees, others the crisp uniforms of Alliance soldiers or the (less crisp) uniform of mercenaries. Tali was speechless. So many had come to give themselves to bring Shepard back.

Licking her lips, Tali spoke up as loud as she could.

"Thank you. Thank you all so much. If Shepard were here, he would be overwhelmed."

"That's why we're here, ma'am" a soldier in the front called out. "To give him that chance."

Hackett stepped out from beside the elevator, nodded to the squad mates, and turned toward the crowd.

"Thank you all for coming" Hackett announced. "But we only need two of you for Shepard."

The crowd realized very quickly that they had a problem; How to choose.

"Should we draw straws?" a young refugee woman called out.

"No," another called out "that would take too long."

A commotion quickly began as many people offered ways to pick from the mass or themselves outright.

"We should find the healthiest!"

"I'm ready to go right now."

Tali began rubbing her hands. The rest of the group was uncomfortable as well. They had never seen so many people offering to die for a man, no matter how beloved he was.

Shepard would have told them to stop, that he wasn't worth killing more people, Tali thought.

"What do we do?" she asked to no one in particular.

Hackett's expression remained stoic, and he remained silent. Tali looked out at the sea of faces before her. Some were overly enthusiastic, some seemed to maintain a dignified and reserved posture, but all had the light in their eyes. They all knew what was being asked of them. They were willing to stare death in the face and welcome it. All for a man. For Shepard… for her love. Twin tears slid down her cheeks.

No one noticed the two squat figures making their way to the forefront of the crowd with. Javik noticed them quickly as the nearby crowd calmed as these two people made their approach. The rest of the squadmates saw this phenomena in the crowd as well. Hackett blinked. An elderly heterosexual couple, seeming to have lived the same amount of years as an asari matriarch, were before the crew. They stood hand in hand, with the other two hands occupied by old fashioned, seemingly handmade canes, and slightly hobbled from ancient spines. The sea of humanity grew still as news of this development passed from mouth to mouth. The man had little hair to speak of. What was left atop his head was pure white. His face sported several epidermal blemishes of age and squinting eyes that had seen far too much. His all white attire went magnificently with her all gray outfit. The woman had gray yet vibrant hair tied in a bun atop her head, her mouth seemed pinched in a small perpetual smile. The warmth of her expression distracted any observer from the innumerable wrinkles upon her face. They both leaned heavily on their archaic wooden canes. The man spoke first.

"I think it can easily be argued that we are the best choice for this final mission."

Unbeknownst to everyone, the avatar of the Shepard AI popped into existence atop the doorway of the elevator. The hologram waved its hand and suddenly the man's voice was projected throughout the entire area. The man continued.

"We have lived long lives together. We have thoroughly enjoyed ourselves with this existence. Now we have one last chance to use our brittle bags of bones to do some good. To repay Shepard for his deeds."

Grunt interrupted.

"You mean him saving the galaxy's collective ass."

A loud humorous chortle escaped the old woman's cracked and aged lips.

"Of course, dear."

Grunt shifted uncomfortably. He wasn't used to being labeled with any kind of term of endearment, especially from a stranger. The aged lady continued.

"But we have a far more personal motive. We owed Shepard this debt before we even heard of the Reapers."

This was interesting news. Those who had been with Shepard the longest tried to recall ever seeing this couple. Tali cocked her head and inspected the pair, scanning them from head to toe.

I don't remember them at all. Maybe we met them before taking down Saren, but no one else seems to remember them either.

After letting them fester for several moments, the nameless woman finally ended their suspense.

"We lived on Terra Nova a couple of years ago, our children and their children. We had a nice farm out on the fringes of the capitol city."

Realization dawned on Joker, Tali, Garrus, Wrex, Liara, and Ashley.

"Then, when our lives and the lives of our family were threatened, Shepard saved us. He stopped the Batarians and that asteroid in the nick of time."

To Tali's surprise, the crone looked down as if embarrassed.

"We always meant to thank him, but we never got the chance."

She began to breathe deeper. From the inner folds of her dress and shawl, the elderly woman brought out a water bottle and drank from it. She beckoned at her husband to continue the story. The Shepard AI was still broadcasting the entire discussion throughout the crowd and everyone was enthralled by the situation. They waited with bated breath as the old man gathered his words.

"During and after the… Asteroid Incident, the cities erupted with riots. First, to make the government stop the asteroid, and then against the government itself because of its inaction. We didn't feel safe in our own home. We decided to board a shuttle and move to…"

The litany went on and on. It seemed as if every single deed Shepard had ever done had helped this couple in some way. The quarian whom Shepard had prevented from remaining a slave on Illium had saved one of their grandchildren from being mugged in a back alley on the Citadel. While looking for a permanent residence on the Citadel, a strange little man who seemed to be under the care of a pair of nurses and spouting mathematical equations came up to the family out of nowhere. He interrupted their conversation with the realtor by grabbing the contract away. Between his ramblings, he informed the couple that the realtor was ripping them off by a factor of ten. On their way to Earth, the ship they were on was attacked by pirates. They hid with their family in a storage closet for almost twenty four hours until a bloodied turian, named Sidonis, found and freed them. Sidonis spent the entire time hunting down the pirates and saving everyone he could.

The list was exhaustive and covered many worlds as the family slowly made its way to Earth. Tears of joy welled up in Tali's eyes. The reiteration of all the good Shepard had done reminded her how much Shepard needed to come back to her. To come home.

The man paused in his storytelling and took a swig of the available water. Many in the crowd craned their necks in an anxious attempt to see why the marvelous tale and stopped. The woman continued.

"After getting lost and ending up in Chicago, we all settled down in a wonderful suburb. The kids and their children lived nearby and we were happy. It was a relief."

"Then the Reapers came" the man interjected, his voice breaking. "Our family got caught by those creatures that fell from the sky. We waited, but… no one came back. We're the only ones left. Out of a family of 15 healthy young'uns, just us old fools."

Tali reached out to console the old woman. The elderly female looked up and waved away the proffered hand. Her eyes were still keen.

"No, no, my dear. Don't you worry about us."

"We were devastated" the old man said. "We were parents for so long that we did not know anything else. We had no purpose. But not anymore." His eyes, too, were aware; Full of grief, but focused.

Tali bowed her head as she remembered her own grief and devastation. Now you have a reason to try.

"Now we have a reason to live. A reason to die. An ending that we can smile at."

The crone turned her now tear streaked face to Hackett. The undulations of tears over wrinkles made it seem as if an aura was emanating from her face and eyes.

"That's all we ask. Give us our ending."

The crowd was silent. The soldiers stood tall, empowered by Shepard's triumph. The civilians held those they loved. The parents held their children close as the story concluded. Everyone waited.

Tali could barely breathe. The story she had just experienced was the most sensational, gripping, and evocative saga she had ever heard. The similarities between her goal and theirs was not lost on her. She wanted her ending and they wanted theirs.

Hackett bowed his head from the gravity of the situation. Finally, he responded.

"When we were fighting the Reapers across the galaxy and above Earth, I had my chance. Shepard, Anderson, myself, and all the other brave souls beside me. We all fought for you. We all tried. It ended. Our chance ended. I cannot turn back the clock. I can't do this for you anymore. Only you can. This is your chance. Are you sure you want to go through with this?"

The nameless old woman looked over to her life partner. He smiled and reached for her hand. They clasped firmly in union, relishing in each other's warm embrace. Tali couldn't remove her gaze from them. They stood together, the nameless arbiters of Shepard's return, of Tali's hope. The pair breathed in as one.

Please.

"Yes."

A palpable ripple passed through everyone after the old couple spoke that word. Silence reigned for but a moment, and then, slowly, the sound began. Not just a cheer, but a sea of sounds. A roar. A mix of a thousand different sounds. Nothing coherent, but everyone understood it. From the deepest place of everyone's metaphorical heart rose a bellow of triumph, as if a great battle had been decided before their eyes. Each soul raised a fist into the air in successful defiance of the hand they had been dealt and a willingness to fix it. All of them, brothers and sisters, united in one glorious cause, raised their ten thousand fists in the air and let their voices reverberate through the cosmos.

Tali welcomed the rush of joy as it washed over her.

Now it's real.

She barely managed to stay on her feet as she walked toward the pair.

Now he's coming home.

Tali placed a hand on each of their withered shoulders as the crowd continued to roar. Her shining eyes met their eyes dimmed by age and experience. But one last spark remained there.

"Thank you. We- I am in your debt. You don't know how much this means to me. If there is anything you need-"

The old woman grasped Tali's gloved hand before she could finish.

"My dear, we do."

As if she could see through Tali's mask and into her, the withered crone quietly and calmly replied.

"Let us help him. Let us help you. That is all we want."

Admiral Hackett motioned for the pair of lovers to come with him.

"I have a preparation room for both of you. I think it would be best that I tell you the details of what I need to do to you in private. I promise that I will make your final moments as comfortable as possible."

Hackett motioned to Garrus and then to the rest of the crowd as he walked away. Garrus did a double take but understood the message. Garrus cleared his throat and spoke to the still quieting crowd.

"Everyone, we thank you so much for your support and passion. We are working our hardest to ensure Shepard is saved, so please go to the designated refugee areas. Military personnel, please assist in maintaining order and facilitating communications with the rest of the fleet.

Everyone, dismissed!"