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So I think I am a bit of a romantic. So for Mass Effect's Perfect Destroy Ending I imagine Shepard's love interest, in this case Kaidan Alenko, racing back to find Shepard after refusing to believe they perished with the Crucible.

I played through Mass Effect 1 - 3 for the first time recently and yeah totally imagined this at the end. What can I say I like my happy ever afters.

Pencil Sketch to Corel Painter.

Below is kind of the story behind it. Spoilers if you've never played Mass Effect. Yeah ... I am a romantic confirmed...

Kaidan scrambled through the rubble scanning for any sign of Shepard. Somehow even after Admiral Hackett told them about the Crucible, even with Shepard's nameplate in his hand he could not bring himself to believe that she was gone. He could not bear to lose her again. The others on the Normandy may have thought that he was nuts, but they agreed to get the Normandy airborne as soon as possible and go back.

That was hours ago and that hope that he had burning in him was fighting against his head. If she was alive, most likely she was hurt, otherwise she would have contacted them. Hackett had said Shepard had sounded badly wounded in their last communication. Both Anderson and her had made it to the Citadel, but neither had been heard from since.

The rubble was very difficult to get through. Kaidan often found himself blocked or having to heave large pieces of steel and concrete out of his way. James and Liara had come down with him. The others were still attempting to patch up the Normandy. Cortez scanned the search area with the shuttle, but had to be careful. The shuttle had been one he had grabbed quickly as a replacement after Hammer team had been supposedly wiped out. As he had said to the crew when more wanted to come, "It's only so big and this one handles like a drunken hanar".

They had been searching for awhile, and it was just wreckage and more wreckage. James had mentioned that it was like trying to find a needle in a haystack and Kaidan had been inclined to agree.

Kadian stopped for a moment and listened. He could hear Liara and Glyph on his right running scans with her Omni tool. James was off somewhere to his left moving a steel beam from his way. Besides that it was unearthly quiet, only the slight sound of a few burning embers in the rubble.

"I am here Shepard... where are you... you said you'd be waiting..." Kaidan brushed a tear away. No I can't fall apart now. She could still be here... Shepard wouldn't have fallen apart, ... wouldn't fall apart. The thought in past tense scared him.

"MAJOR, LIARA!" James' voice bellowed across the silence. Kaidan looked over and saw the top of James' head through a hole in the rubble to his left. "I... " James' voice trailed away.

Kaidan launched himself toward James, quickly closing the gap between them. Where he had been so careful moving through the rubble earlier he now moved with a reckless grace that even surprised him. He pulled up beside James to where he was standing and staring towards the ground.

Kaidan saw what he was gazing at. In the rubble nestled between two concrete columns was a N7 breastplate barely visible beneath a pile of debris. Without looking at each other James and Kaidan immediately went to work digging out around it. Liara soon pulled up behind them.

"By the Goddess, Glyph run scans quickly"

Kaidan and James removed the rubble around the top, working fast, but being careful not to upset the pile of stone and steel. Before Glyph could finish its scan, James, Liara and Kaidan were looking upon the face of their Commander.

Shepard's form looked lifeless, her face pale in the places where it showed through the blood and dirt that caked it. The left side of her face had numerous burns, and there were also large bruises around her eyes and cheek bones. Her hair was also singed in a few places and discolored in blood.

Kaidan felt sick, his heart now pumping to where he could feel it bang against his ribcage. All the battles he had fought, he had never seen her with more than scratches. Seeing her like this...

"Reading minimal life signs, numerous contusions and fractures, significant blood loss, recommend immediate medigel application and evac." Glyph's voice seem to snap them out of shock. Kaidan's heart leapt. She was alive for the moment and that was more than what he had a few moments ago.

"Thanks Glyph" breathed Liara immediately pulling out her medical kit.

"I can't believe she's still alive. Shep's one tough son of bitch" James said shaking it head in amazement.

"She won't stay that way long if we don't get her help" Kaidan stated beginning to clear out the rest of the rubble around Shepard's body. James and Kaidan went to work clearing out the rest of the rubble. Within minutes they had freed her arms and head. Her legs were pinned under a large beam. Shepard's armored boots had sustained the bulk of the beam's weight. When it was removed, there a large snap that made all three of them jump. They carefully freed Shepard's legs and the armored boots cracked and gave way. Seeing this armor cracked was something that in all James' or Kaidan's years they had never seen. Underneath Shepard's legs and feet were as bruised and bloody as her face and arms. It appeared that she had taken an explosion at pretty close range. Even in parts of the armor that had remained somehow intact were cracks, holes, and pieces of debris lodged in.

Liara had contacted the Normandy and Cortez. She was now liberally applying medi-gel to Shepard's wounds. "She's lost a lot of blood and it's everywhere. This wound in her side is deep. Between the armor and the pressure from rubble though, it may have saved her life. It's bleeding again, but the medi-gel is working"

"Do you think she'll make it?" asked James

"I've seen her in a lot worse condition and live, so knowing Shepard, this is nothing." replied Liara.

"Yeah last time she was dead." James retorted.

Liara gave a weak smile and went back to the medigel.

Kaidan couldn't think of anything to say at the moment, but he appreciated James' humor. They had been with Shepard before being evac. Kaidan couldn't bear the thought of leaving her, especially now since he felt relatively fine.

The sound of the shuttle was coming closer and he could hear Cortez over the coms saying he had visual. He watched Shepard's face. Now free from the rubble he could see her shallow breathing. He touched her face with his hand. "Hang on Shep, we're here" he whispered.

"Esteban, bought time you got here." James shouted at the shuttle as it hovered just above the rubble. "Let's move people"

Kaidan gently put his arms around Shepard to pull her up. He thought he had heard her moan, but it was difficult to hear over the shuttle. With a heave he lifted Shepard into his arms. Suddenly there was an intake of air, her body which had been limp suddenly tensed, and Shepard let out a cry.

"Easy I got you I got you..." Kaidan repeated.

Shepard's head listed from side to side. Her arms reached around him, one hand coming to rest on his shoulder, the other on his front breastplate. Then with what seemed like all the effort she could muster, her head lifted and her eyes opened. It was like time itself had come to a halt. He stood there, staring into her eyes. She looked dazed, but the fire was there. Her brown eyes seemed to beam like stars behind the bruised and bloody face. She was alive, she was awake!

"I am here Shepard. You're going to be okay..." Kaidan breathed, his voice trembling, tears now free falling from his eyes.

Shepard reached her hand to his face and smiled. Kaidan held her closer and she brought her head to rest on his chest.

He made his way over to the shuttle behind Liara and James who were trying to make the path as easy as possible. Pointing out places to watch her feet, don't bang her head there, careful this is uneven.

James jumped in the shuttle with Cortez and they helped pull Liara and then Shepard and Kaidan aboard. Shepard drifted in and out of consciousness, but Kaidan kept talking to her, reassuring her. James and Liara joined in. For some reason, even in Shepard's condition they felt compelled to report to her everything that happened.

Shepard would require hours of surgery and months of recovery, her memories fuzzy after firing at the crucible. She would recall however, the loving faces and voices that kept her going through the darkness.

Kaidan asked for her hand in marriage the day Shepard was able to stand on her own for the first time since the battle. They were married 6 months later and moved to Vancouver where Shepard continued her recovery. Together with Kaidan they started a new Academy for young Biotics, focusing not only on their martial abilities, but everyday uses as well.

As Shepard said at one commencement "Never once doubt where you can go in life. I started as an orphan on the streets of New York City, and through death and hell itself, I found a family spanning a galaxy and heaven here on Earth."

Description
So I think I am a bit of a romantic. So for Mass Effect's Perfect Destroy Ending I imagine Shepard's love interest, in this case Kaidan Alenko, racing back to find Shepard after refusing to believe they perished with the Crucible.

I played through Mass Effect 1 - 3 for the first time recently and yeah totally imagined this at the end. What can I say I like my happy ever afters.

Pencil Sketch to Corel Painter.

Below is kind of the story behind it. Spoilers if you've never played Mass Effect. Yeah ... I am a romantic confirmed...

Kaidan scrambled through the rubble scanning for any sign of Shepard. Somehow even after Admiral Hackett told them about the Crucible, even with Shepard's nameplate in his hand he could not bring himself to believe that she was gone. He could not bear to lose her again. The others on the Normandy may have thought that he was nuts, but they agreed to get the Normandy airborne as soon as possible and go back.

That was hours ago and that hope that he had burning in him was fighting against his head. If she was alive, most likely she was hurt, otherwise she would have contacted them. Hackett had said Shepard had sounded badly wounded in their last communication. Both Anderson and her had made it to the Citadel, but neither had been heard from since.

The rubble was very difficult to get through. Kaidan often found himself blocked or having to heave large pieces of steel and concrete out of his way. James and Liara had come down with him. The others were still attempting to patch up the Normandy. Cortez scanned the search area with the shuttle, but had to be careful. The shuttle had been one he had grabbed quickly as a replacement after Hammer team had been supposedly wiped out. As he had said to the crew when more wanted to come, "It's only so big and this one handles like a drunken hanar".

They had been searching for awhile, and it was just wreckage and more wreckage. James had mentioned that it was like trying to find a needle in a haystack and Kaidan had been inclined to agree.

Kadian stopped for a moment and listened. He could hear Liara and Glyph on his right running scans with her Omni tool. James was off somewhere to his left moving a steel beam from his way. Besides that it was unearthly quiet, only the slight sound of a few burning embers in the rubble.

"I am here Shepard... where are you... you said you'd be waiting..." Kaidan brushed a tear away. No I can't fall apart now. She could still be here... Shepard wouldn't have fallen apart, ... wouldn't fall apart. The thought in past tense scared him.

"MAJOR, LIARA!" James' voice bellowed across the silence. Kaidan looked over and saw the top of James' head through a hole in the rubble to his left. "I... " James' voice trailed away.

Kaidan launched himself toward James, quickly closing the gap between them. Where he had been so careful moving through the rubble earlier he now moved with a reckless grace that even surprised him. He pulled up beside James to where he was standing and staring towards the ground.

Kaidan saw what he was gazing at. In the rubble nestled between two concrete columns was a N7 breastplate barely visible beneath a pile of debris. Without looking at each other James and Kaidan immediately went to work digging out around it. Liara soon pulled up behind them.

"By the Goddess, Glyph run scans quickly"

Kaidan and James removed the rubble around the top, working fast, but being careful not to upset the pile of stone and steel. Before Glyph could finish its scan, James, Liara and Kaidan were looking upon the face of their Commander.

Shepard's form looked lifeless, her face pale in the places where it showed through the blood and dirt that caked it. The left side of her face had numerous burns, and there were also large bruises around her eyes and cheek bones. Her hair was also singed in a few places and discolored in blood.

Kaidan felt sick, his heart now pumping to where he could feel it bang against his ribcage. All the battles he had fought, he had never seen her with more than scratches. Seeing her like this...

"Reading minimal life signs, numerous contusions and fractures, significant blood loss, recommend immediate medigel application and evac." Glyph's voice seem to snap them out of shock. Kaidan's heart leapt. She was alive for the moment and that was more than what he had a few moments ago.

"Thanks Glyph" breathed Liara immediately pulling out her medical kit.

"I can't believe she's still alive. Shep's one tough son of bitch" James said shaking it head in amazement.

"She won't stay that way long if we don't get her help" Kaidan stated beginning to clear out the rest of the rubble around Shepard's body. James and Kaidan went to work clearing out the rest of the rubble. Within minutes they had freed her arms and head. Her legs were pinned under a large beam. Shepard's armored boots had sustained the bulk of the beam's weight. When it was removed, there a large snap that made all three of them jump. They carefully freed Shepard's legs and the armored boots cracked and gave way. Seeing this armor cracked was something that in all James' or Kaidan's years they had never seen. Underneath Shepard's legs and feet were as bruised and bloody as her face and arms. It appeared that she had taken an explosion at pretty close range. Even in parts of the armor that had remained somehow intact were cracks, holes, and pieces of debris lodged in.

Liara had contacted the Normandy and Cortez. She was now liberally applying medi-gel to Shepard's wounds. "She's lost a lot of blood and it's everywhere. This wound in her side is deep. Between the armor and the pressure from rubble though, it may have saved her life. It's bleeding again, but the medi-gel is working"

"Do you think she'll make it?" asked James

"I've seen her in a lot worse condition and live, so knowing Shepard, this is nothing." replied Liara.

"Yeah last time she was dead." James retorted.

Liara gave a weak smile and went back to the medigel.

Kaidan couldn't think of anything to say at the moment, but he appreciated James' humor. They had been with Shepard before being evac. Kaidan couldn't bear the thought of leaving her, especially now since he felt relatively fine.

The sound of the shuttle was coming closer and he could hear Cortez over the coms saying he had visual. He watched Shepard's face. Now free from the rubble he could see her shallow breathing. He touched her face with his hand. "Hang on Shep, we're here" he whispered.

"Esteban, bought time you got here." James shouted at the shuttle as it hovered just above the rubble. "Let's move people"

Kaidan gently put his arms around Shepard to pull her up. He thought he had heard her moan, but it was difficult to hear over the shuttle. With a heave he lifted Shepard into his arms. Suddenly there was an intake of air, her body which had been limp suddenly tensed, and Shepard let out a cry.

"Easy I got you I got you..." Kaidan repeated.

Shepard's head listed from side to side. Her arms reached around him, one hand coming to rest on his shoulder, the other on his front breastplate. Then with what seemed like all the effort she could muster, her head lifted and her eyes opened. It was like time itself had come to a halt. He stood there, staring into her eyes. She looked dazed, but the fire was there. Her brown eyes seemed to beam like stars behind the bruised and bloody face. She was alive, she was awake!

"I am here Shepard. You're going to be okay..." Kaidan breathed, his voice trembling, tears now free falling from his eyes.

Shepard reached her hand to his face and smiled. Kaidan held her closer and she brought her head to rest on his chest.

He made his way over to the shuttle behind Liara and James who were trying to make the path as easy as possible. Pointing out places to watch her feet, don't bang her head there, careful this is uneven.

James jumped in the shuttle with Cortez and they helped pull Liara and then Shepard and Kaidan aboard. Shepard drifted in and out of consciousness, but Kaidan kept talking to her, reassuring her. James and Liara joined in. For some reason, even in Shepard's condition they felt compelled to report to her everything that happened.

Shepard would require hours of surgery and months of recovery, her memories fuzzy after firing at the crucible. She would recall however, the loving faces and voices that kept her going through the darkness.

Kaidan asked for her hand in marriage the day Shepard was able to stand on her own for the first time since the battle. They were married 6 months later and moved to Vancouver where Shepard continued her recovery. Together with Kaidan they started a new Academy for young Biotics, focusing not only on their martial abilities, but everyday uses as well.

As Shepard said at one commencement "Never once doubt where you can go in life. I started as an orphan on the streets of New York City, and through death and hell itself, I found a family spanning a galaxy and heaven here on Earth."