Whole, Part 2 (a Mass Effect fanfiction)

A Ship to Come Back To

Lieutenant Traynor was the first person Shepard saw when she stepped off the elevator into the CIC. "Commander, Joker reports we are about to make the final jump into the Sol system."

"About time, too, right, Lieutenant?"

Traynor nodded.

"You holding up okay? Ready for what's ahead of us?"

This time Traynor's nod was more vigorous. "I'm all right, Commander. I'm as surprised about it as you are, but I'm all right."

"I'm not surprised in the least," Shepard told her. "I always knew you had the makings of a great soldier. You're a credit to your uniform, Samantha."

Traynor saluted, smiling. "I had a very compelling example."

Shepard returned the salute, clapping Traynor on the shoulder before she moved past her to the cockpit.

She waited there silently while Joker piloted them through the mass relay. Once they were through, he turned to her. "Earth coming up, Commander. You remember our first trip to Eden Prime, all those years ago, with that turian Spectre watching us?"

"Nihlus." Shepard nodded. She remembered.

"Yeah. I told you then that mission was going to be bigger than we thought."

She chuckled. "I think you can mark that prediction down as accurate."

"And now we're heading back to Earth, ready to blast the Reapers off our planet and out of our galaxy."

"This mission going to be bigger than we thought, too?"

"Man, I hope not," Joker said fervently. "A nice routine delivery run would be fine with me."

"If I can ever remember what 'routine' feels like, I'll get right on that."

"Don't promise things you can't deliver, Commander." He looked up at her, his face as serious as she'd ever seen it. "It's been an honor, Shepard."

"Same here, Joker. I don't know how this is all going to end, but whatever happens—"

"What do you mean, 'whatever happens'? Everyone knows what's going to happen. You're going to kick some Reaper ass. That's what you do. And I'll be flying you there in style."

"The Normandy is ready, Shepard," EDI added from her place at Joker's side. "All systems are armed, all ammunition is loaded. All reloads have been manufactured. Thruster fuel is at maximum. Cyberwarfare suites have evolved in ways that it would be computationally impossible to predict." She paused, then added, "I have also kissed Joker for luck."

Joker blushed up to his ears, and Shepard smiled. "As long as you don't distract him. When this is over, I want to have a ship to come home to."

"We'll keep her in the ether, Commander. No need to worry about that. You just—you stay alive, Shepard. All right? I like this job. I don't want to have to break in another commander."

"I'll keep that in mind." She hesitated, wanting to say something else, to tell him what he meant to her, but he knew. And she didn't want their last words to each other to be anything other than normal.

But Joker had other ideas. He swiveled his chair around and with some difficulty got out of his seat, raising his arm in a salute. "Be careful down there."

Shepard nodded crisply and returned the salute. "We'll be fine. Stay focused."

"Aye, aye." He dropped the salute and gingerly returned to his chair. "We'll be in shuttle range soon, Commander."

"Thank you, Joker."

"Commander." EDI was on her feet.

"A question, EDI?"

"No. A comment. The Illusive Man was the one who ordered my creation. Jeff was the one who allowed me to think for myself. But only now do I feel alive. That is your influence."

"It's an honor to serve with you, EDI."

"And with you, Commander."

Shepard left the cockpit, the place she had spent so many hours, and hoped like hell she would see it again, and the two gallant people who dwelled in it.

Emily Wong was waiting for her in the CIC, and joined her in the elevator down to the shuttle. "Shepard. I just wanted to say good luck ... and thank you for letting me be part of your life aboard the Normandy. I can see now why this ship and its crew are so special. This is the closest I've felt to home in a long time."

"I'm glad it was you," Shepard told her. "Maybe when this is all over, we can actually have that dinner we've always promised to have. Just ... no sushi places."

"And no shop talk, for a change."

"That would be nice."

Emily hesitated. "I just ... I wanted to tell you what you mean to people in this galaxy. What everything you've done has meant. I get mail every day asking you to perform miracles, because they know you beat a Reaper once and they think you can do everything. I know better—I know you're human, and you can't solve everyone's problems, and I don't think you should have to. But ... I need to believe that this isn't the end. And you make me believe that. You make me believe that you can go out there and destroy the Reapers—and I'm going to be here filming it as it happens. And—when the fight is over and my signal goes out on tightbeam, people are going to come together from all over the galaxy. They're going to watch from their couches, and celebrate, and one day, they'll laugh again. Because it will be normal. Because of you."

Shepard smiled, fighting back tears, fighting back the terrible fear that she couldn't do it this time, that all the things Emily imagined simply weren't possible. "Thank you, Emily." She reached out and took her friend's hand. "I'll see you again soon."

"Take care of yourself, Commander."

At the bottom of the ship, the elevator doors open. All of Shepard's team were there, suited up and ready to put their boots on the ground to end this war once and for all. She ordered them onto the shuttles, one piloted by James, the other by Cortez. James's shuttle took off, while Cortez's waited for Shepard.

Dr. Chakwas stood next to the shuttle, smiling at Shepard. "You've come a long way since those days under Captain Anderson, Commander. And it has been my great honor to be with you throughout the journey. I'm very proud of you."

"Thank you, Karin. That means a lot."

"Take care of yourself. I only have so much medigel."

Shepard smiled. "I'll keep that in mind."

They clasped hands, and Shepard grabbed the last of her gear and climbed aboard the shuttle. As the doors were closing, Dr. Chakwas lifted a hand in farewell. "Good-bye, Shepard. And good luck!"