Mass Effect: Alive

Filler 1: Dreams

(//as stated in my author's note about filler chapters, this is basically an example of one. Lemme know what you all think and if I should keep them coming!)

Exhausted after a long day of fighting mercs and saving her best friend, Hazel needed a small break. She sent a message to Kelly, asking her to relay all questions to her until Shepard woke up. Kelly replied with an 'okay' and Hazel smiled a little. She wandered over to the bed and laid down.

She began thinking about her life before. When Liara and Tali were still on the team. When Wrex would often tell her tales of his life as a mercenary.

She enjoyed listening to Ashley tell her about her sisters and how Sarah had defended herself against her boyfriend. She told her that she was one of the best soldiers she had met.

And Hazel left her to die on Virmire.

She stared up at the ceiling, sighing. She instinctively reached to her side, only for her arm to find bed instead of human warmth.

Right. Kaidan isn't here anymore.

God if she missed anyone more, it was Kaidan. She could still perfectly recall those moments before landing on Ilos. She remembered his touch so vividly, and she longed for it.

She needed to stop thinking about it all. She came to sleep, not dwell on the past. She pulled the covers over her body and closed her eyes, feeling sleep overtake her.

(//dream sequence in italics, since it's kind of a thing)

"Hazel?" She heard Kaidan's voice call out to her. "Hazel, come on, we're on Virmire!"

"Who the hell is 'Hazel?'" she heard Wrex ask.

"That's the commander's first name, though usually you're not supposed to call her that. Right, scuttlebutt?" She could hear the damned smirk in Ashley's voice.

"Ha ha, chief." Hazel opened the door and came out, looking right at Kaidan with a small smile before addressing the crew.

"Alright, everyone, let's get down there and stop Saren! Everyone to their stations!" She looked at Ashley and Kaidan. "You two will be in the Mako with me when we drop."

"Aw come on, more of your senseless driving?" Ashley teasingly whined, grinning as Hazel rolled her eyes.

"Well we could let Wrex drive-"

"Nope, I'm good, meet you down at the Mako." Ashley immediately left and went down a level. Kaidan bit his lip and looked at Hazel.

"Hey, can... can we talk? In private?" His voice shook a little. Hazel cocked her head curiously and nodded.

"Sure, Kaidan, what's on your mind?" She gestured for him to follow her into the captain's quarters. When the door closed, Kaidan pinned her against the wall, earning a surprised yelp from Hazel. "K-Kaidan, what the hell are you-"

"You left Ashley to die on Virmire," he stated, staring right into her eyes. "It should have been me to die, you know that." Her body went cold.

"Kaidan, what are you talking about? We haven't even landed-"

"I should have died, Shepard. Maybe then... I wouldn't have to watch you fall in love with an alien."

Everything changed in front of her, and now she was on Eden Prime. She looked around until she noticed two people off in the distance. Grabbing her sniper, she looked down the scope and examined the scene.

Saren. No doubt he was talking to and getting ready to shoot Nihlus-

Wait. That's not Nihlus. She looked down the scope again.

Garrus?!

Oh shit... She had to take action, and fast. She aimed the scope for Saren's head, only to have a geth pop into view right as Saren took the killshot.

"NO!"

Hazel quickly sat up in her bed, shaking and covered in a cold sweat. She looked around and examined her surroundings.

She's on the Normandy. In her quarters. It was all just a bad dream. She stood up and slowly walked over to her terminal, checking for messages and looking over at the photo of Kaidan.

She picked the photo up and stared at it, sighing shakily. In her dream he said she would leave him for an alien. Then she has a dream about Garrus being killed by Saren which made her feel absolutely horrible. She set the photo back down and ran her fingers through her hair.

"Well... so much for a break." She stared at the wall before walking out of the room and into the elevator.

"I believe Garrus still owes me a story."