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Description
Mass Effect 3 Fanfiction
spoilers, i suppose for extended cut
We're Coming With
   It was the final push, the last stand for all organic life, for the galaxy. And, to make things even more interesting, Harbinger itself decided to show up, right behind the Conduit doing all it could to stop Commander Catelyn Shepard, her crew, and the last surviving bit of the Hammer squad.
   "Go, go!" Shepard shouted, sprinting ahead of her crewmates.
   Vera Landen and Garrus Vakarian exchanged a look, a good-bye sort of look. The two were close friends for many years, stumbling upon each other again those two years back when Shepard herself recruited both of them for the first time. He'd been there for her in her darkest of times, leading her out back into the Sun with a friendly hand.
   Now, she reached out to him as the ground around them shook and exploded from the Reaper's multiple lasers issuing from its maw hidden inside its appendages. Without hesitation, but with a significant look to the way-ahead Shepard, Garrus wrapped his three fingers around Vera's five. She squeezed his hand, and then they ran after the Commander at a full sprint.
   The closer they got to the beam, the more violent and devastating the Reaper's attacks grew. Vera watched as men died around her and the tanks blew up from a mere brush of one of the lasers.
   Sure, she'd seen war, but never like this where it was nearly genocide.
   Vera purged her thoughts as a laser blasted not a foot to the left of her. She released a cry, and Garrus pulled her on, his touch comforting and encouraging.
   "Almost there, Vera!" He shouted over the noise.
   And they were so close to the beam.
   Then, a tank was flung backwards in the air, bouncing off the ground directly in front of Shepard. She easily slid under the tank, continuing her all-out-run, barely breaking her stride. She seemed to be okay, but Vera felt Garrus' grip tighten in anxiety. It gave her a small smile to see him react that way, but the joy was very short lived.
   That same tank that almost got Shepard was coming straight for Vera and Garrus. She saw Shepard turn, her face wide with terror. The two glanced at each other, released their hold, and then jumped to either side, leaving the tank to explode in their wake.
   Vera cried out, clutching her side that was now coated with her blood. Shrapnel had scraped across her, but that was pretty much the extent of the damage. She rolled onto her knees, surprised to see Shepard at their sides. Shepard gestured towards Vera, but Vera waved her off. She could get up on her own, albeit with slight difficulty.
   Shepard then focused on Garrus, who was in a much worse state than Vera was. Shepard carefully put her arms under him and led her crew behind a fallen tank for cover. Vera slammed her back to the tank, sliding down to sit with a huff. After placing him as gently as she could against the tank, Shepard caressed Garrus' face before bringing a finger to her ear to call Joker. She demanded an evac-now, while Vera looked over Garrus' heavily-bleeding wounds.
   "Just…scratches…" He wheezed.
   Before Vera could give him a disapproving frown, Shepard pulled him up back under his arms. She waved her gun behind them, and Vera watched the Normandy swing into position.
   "Let's go!" Shepard yelled, trudging towards where the Normandy was now idling with the cargo bay open.
   Vera limped along, knowing why Shepard called Joker and wishing it wasn't true. She climbed the ramp and turned to see Shepard handing Garrus off to her.
   "Here. Take him." Shepard ordered, and then began to back away.
   "Shepard…?!" Garrus gasped, now relying solely on Vera to keep him up.
   "You have to get out of here." She said, although her tone was torn and came out slightly choked; this pained her as much as it pained him.
   "No, I'm coming with you." Garrus pressed weakly.
   "And so am I!" Vera piped up. "My daughter, Shepard…"
   "Shepard, no-!" Garrus tried again.
   "You have to live, Garrus." Shepard whispered urgently as she stepped up to them amidst the chaos. "And no matter what happens, I'll always love you." She put her forehead to his. "Always."
   "Shepard, I…" Garrus paused as she pulled away. "…love you, too."
   Vera's heart broke, feeling like she had no right to have just observed this. Shepard smiled, knowing not to make a promise she wasn't sure she'd be able to keep. She nodded at Vera, who started blankly back in shock.
   "You better come back, damn it." Vera blurted. "And make sure my family doesn't die in vain."
   Shepard nodded again and began to step back from the ramp.
   "Shepard…" Garrus breathed, reaching out to her desperately.
   "Go!" The Commander cried, tears at the corners of her dark eyes.
   Vera sucked in her lip, pulling a weakly struggling Garrus with her. He gave a hoarse cry, Shepard's name in there somewhere, but she was running back for the beam with whoever was still capable of running. She was gone. The ramp began closing, forcing everyone back into the Normandy as it took off.
   "Garrus, shh, come on. You're bleeding badly." Vera begged, not thinking much of her own blood loss.
   "Please…come back t-to me…" Garrus whispered, eyes still on the now closed ramp.
   "Vera!"
   Vera turned her head to see Kaidan running towards them with Dr. Chakwas at his heels. His brown eyes widened at the sight of her blood and became even frantic at not seeing the Commander with them.
   "She…?" Kaidan murmured, taking up Garrus' other side.
   "Of course she bloody stayed back," Vera snapped, tears running down her dirty cheeks to leave two paths of clean, stark, flawless skin. "But, come on, Garrus needs medical attention right now."
   "And you don't?" Kaidan shot back as Chakwas approached Garrus to do her best on their way to the med bay.
   "Just a few gashes, is all-"
   "The baby," Chakwas interrupted, putting her hand on Vera's stomach briefly. "You need as much attention as Garrus does."
   Vera moaned as Kaidan registered what the doctor just said. Luckily, they were now in the med bay, so Garrus could be placed on a bed before Kaidan could have a panic attack. Chakwas bent over Garrus, going right to work.
   "Baby?!" He shouted while Vera plopped exhaustingly onto the other bed. "What is the doctor talking about?"
   "Yeah, yeah, alright. I'm pregnant again, Kaidan. It's even yours again." She seethed, not wanting to have this conversation right now. "A few weeks along, but now isn't the time, is it?"
   A hard silence drifted in, taking away all of Kaidan's resolve. The room got awfully thick with tension, and it was the last thing any of them needed. He sighed, closing his eyes as he approached Vera. His fingers traced her face, wiped at her tears. Vera sniffed, catching his hand in her own.
   "Kaidan, I…" Vera started an apology, her eyes squeezed shut against the tears.
   "I'll be sure to be around for this one, Vera." He gently kissed her lips, and Vera happily returned it the best she could. "I promise."
   She soaked up his presence with her forehead against his, trying in vain to keep the Commander from her mind, and how Garrus and Shepard just shared a moment like this...
   Her arm tightened around herself, partly to comfort herself and partially because her blood flow wouldn't stop still. Kaidan pulled away, looking down at her bloody chest with dismay.
   "Doctor?" He ventured, turning to see Chakwas still working diligently on the unconscious turian.
   "I can handle myself, Kaidan." Vera assured, though she's never had to deal with so much of her own injuries before. "Garrus needs it more than I."
   "But the baby…" Kaidan argued softly, putting his hand over her stomach that still showed no signs of pregnancy.
   Kaidan, we need you up on the bridge. Liara's usually calm, but currently frazzled, voice drifted throughout the med bay. It's Jeff…
   "I'll be right there." Kaidan answered. "You'll be alright?"
   Vera nodded, kissing his cheek before urging him onward. He left, pausing at the door to look back at her with so much love that she almost cried some more. Once he was gone, Vera set to work on herself. It was much better than she first assumed. The gash across her chest was shallow, but must've taken a few veins with it at the rate it was bleeding. She wrapped herself up in bandages while watching the doctor's progress on Garrus.
   He did lose a lot of blood, but it wasn't anything Chakwas couldn't handle. After Garrus was stable, which was about an hour, the doctor turned on Vera. She was impressed with Vera's attempt at healing herself, but she had to unwrap the bandages to assess the damage and make sure the baby was alright.
   Thankfully, the baby was fine, and Vera was able to leave soon after the doctor was done. But, she pulled a chair up to Garrus' bedside, taking his limp hand in both of hers. After checking his vitals one more time and happy with the results, Chakwas crept out of the med bay to give them some privacy.
   Garrus was still unconscious, drunk on painkillers and misery, but still she stayed with his hand in hers. She wiped constantly at her face, not realizing one could cry this much. She didn't know how much time had passed when Kaidan was suddenly at her side, his hand on her shoulder. She looked up to see pure anguish painted on his face, his eyes bloodshot and watery. Gasping, Vera shook her head.
   "No…" She breathed, not wanting to believe it one second. "She didn't!"
   "The Reapers are gone." Kaidan told her, his voice stiff and dry. "They were destroyed, along with every other synthetic in the galaxy." He paused, swallowing the next wave of tears. "She did it. She saved us all, just as she swore to."
   "Of course," Vera rasped between sobs. "She d-died a bloody hero. Like she deserved. Oh, God, Kaidan." She released Garrus' hand to throw her arms around his chest. "Shepard's really gone…and you and her-"
   "Hush, now." Kaidan cooed, kissing her head. "Let him rest. You can break the terrible news to him later-"
   "I'm not leaving his side, especially not now." She hiccupped, pulling away to take Garrus' hand again. "I'm not leaving, but you should. I want us to be alone when I tell him, no offense. It'll be…easier for us both…"
   "Of course," Kaidan murmured into her hair. "I understand."
   Kaidan turned to leave, but Vera caught his wrist. She met his eyes through her tears, holding his gaze.
   "I love you," She whispered.
   "And I you." Kaidan said back, kissing her hand before leaving her alone with Garrus.
   Vera looked back at the turian, dreading and looking forward to the moment when his blue eyes would open.

Description
Mass Effect 3 Fanfiction
spoilers, i suppose for extended cut
We're Coming With
   It was the final push, the last stand for all organic life, for the galaxy. And, to make things even more interesting, Harbinger itself decided to show up, right behind the Conduit doing all it could to stop Commander Catelyn Shepard, her crew, and the last surviving bit of the Hammer squad.
   "Go, go!" Shepard shouted, sprinting ahead of her crewmates.
   Vera Landen and Garrus Vakarian exchanged a look, a good-bye sort of look. The two were close friends for many years, stumbling upon each other again those two years back when Shepard herself recruited both of them for the first time. He'd been there for her in her darkest of times, leading her out back into the Sun with a friendly hand.
   Now, she reached out to him as the ground around them shook and exploded from the Reaper's multiple lasers issuing from its maw hidden inside its appendages. Without hesitation, but with a significant look to the way-ahead Shepard, Garrus wrapped his three fingers around Vera's five. She squeezed his hand, and then they ran after the Commander at a full sprint.
   The closer they got to the beam, the more violent and devastating the Reaper's attacks grew. Vera watched as men died around her and the tanks blew up from a mere brush of one of the lasers.
   Sure, she'd seen war, but never like this where it was nearly genocide.
   Vera purged her thoughts as a laser blasted not a foot to the left of her. She released a cry, and Garrus pulled her on, his touch comforting and encouraging.
   "Almost there, Vera!" He shouted over the noise.
   And they were so close to the beam.
   Then, a tank was flung backwards in the air, bouncing off the ground directly in front of Shepard. She easily slid under the tank, continuing her all-out-run, barely breaking her stride. She seemed to be okay, but Vera felt Garrus' grip tighten in anxiety. It gave her a small smile to see him react that way, but the joy was very short lived.
   That same tank that almost got Shepard was coming straight for Vera and Garrus. She saw Shepard turn, her face wide with terror. The two glanced at each other, released their hold, and then jumped to either side, leaving the tank to explode in their wake.
   Vera cried out, clutching her side that was now coated with her blood. Shrapnel had scraped across her, but that was pretty much the extent of the damage. She rolled onto her knees, surprised to see Shepard at their sides. Shepard gestured towards Vera, but Vera waved her off. She could get up on her own, albeit with slight difficulty.
   Shepard then focused on Garrus, who was in a much worse state than Vera was. Shepard carefully put her arms under him and led her crew behind a fallen tank for cover. Vera slammed her back to the tank, sliding down to sit with a huff. After placing him as gently as she could against the tank, Shepard caressed Garrus' face before bringing a finger to her ear to call Joker. She demanded an evac-now, while Vera looked over Garrus' heavily-bleeding wounds.
   "Just…scratches…" He wheezed.
   Before Vera could give him a disapproving frown, Shepard pulled him up back under his arms. She waved her gun behind them, and Vera watched the Normandy swing into position.
   "Let's go!" Shepard yelled, trudging towards where the Normandy was now idling with the cargo bay open.
   Vera limped along, knowing why Shepard called Joker and wishing it wasn't true. She climbed the ramp and turned to see Shepard handing Garrus off to her.
   "Here. Take him." Shepard ordered, and then began to back away.
   "Shepard…?!" Garrus gasped, now relying solely on Vera to keep him up.
   "You have to get out of here." She said, although her tone was torn and came out slightly choked; this pained her as much as it pained him.
   "No, I'm coming with you." Garrus pressed weakly.
   "And so am I!" Vera piped up. "My daughter, Shepard…"
   "Shepard, no-!" Garrus tried again.
   "You have to live, Garrus." Shepard whispered urgently as she stepped up to them amidst the chaos. "And no matter what happens, I'll always love you." She put her forehead to his. "Always."
   "Shepard, I…" Garrus paused as she pulled away. "…love you, too."
   Vera's heart broke, feeling like she had no right to have just observed this. Shepard smiled, knowing not to make a promise she wasn't sure she'd be able to keep. She nodded at Vera, who started blankly back in shock.
   "You better come back, damn it." Vera blurted. "And make sure my family doesn't die in vain."
   Shepard nodded again and began to step back from the ramp.
   "Shepard…" Garrus breathed, reaching out to her desperately.
   "Go!" The Commander cried, tears at the corners of her dark eyes.
   Vera sucked in her lip, pulling a weakly struggling Garrus with her. He gave a hoarse cry, Shepard's name in there somewhere, but she was running back for the beam with whoever was still capable of running. She was gone. The ramp began closing, forcing everyone back into the Normandy as it took off.
   "Garrus, shh, come on. You're bleeding badly." Vera begged, not thinking much of her own blood loss.
   "Please…come back t-to me…" Garrus whispered, eyes still on the now closed ramp.
   "Vera!"
   Vera turned her head to see Kaidan running towards them with Dr. Chakwas at his heels. His brown eyes widened at the sight of her blood and became even frantic at not seeing the Commander with them.
   "She…?" Kaidan murmured, taking up Garrus' other side.
   "Of course she bloody stayed back," Vera snapped, tears running down her dirty cheeks to leave two paths of clean, stark, flawless skin. "But, come on, Garrus needs medical attention right now."
   "And you don't?" Kaidan shot back as Chakwas approached Garrus to do her best on their way to the med bay.
   "Just a few gashes, is all-"
   "The baby," Chakwas interrupted, putting her hand on Vera's stomach briefly. "You need as much attention as Garrus does."
   Vera moaned as Kaidan registered what the doctor just said. Luckily, they were now in the med bay, so Garrus could be placed on a bed before Kaidan could have a panic attack. Chakwas bent over Garrus, going right to work.
   "Baby?!" He shouted while Vera plopped exhaustingly onto the other bed. "What is the doctor talking about?"
   "Yeah, yeah, alright. I'm pregnant again, Kaidan. It's even yours again." She seethed, not wanting to have this conversation right now. "A few weeks along, but now isn't the time, is it?"
   A hard silence drifted in, taking away all of Kaidan's resolve. The room got awfully thick with tension, and it was the last thing any of them needed. He sighed, closing his eyes as he approached Vera. His fingers traced her face, wiped at her tears. Vera sniffed, catching his hand in her own.
   "Kaidan, I…" Vera started an apology, her eyes squeezed shut against the tears.
   "I'll be sure to be around for this one, Vera." He gently kissed her lips, and Vera happily returned it the best she could. "I promise."
   She soaked up his presence with her forehead against his, trying in vain to keep the Commander from her mind, and how Garrus and Shepard just shared a moment like this...
   Her arm tightened around herself, partly to comfort herself and partially because her blood flow wouldn't stop still. Kaidan pulled away, looking down at her bloody chest with dismay.
   "Doctor?" He ventured, turning to see Chakwas still working diligently on the unconscious turian.
   "I can handle myself, Kaidan." Vera assured, though she's never had to deal with so much of her own injuries before. "Garrus needs it more than I."
   "But the baby…" Kaidan argued softly, putting his hand over her stomach that still showed no signs of pregnancy.
   Kaidan, we need you up on the bridge. Liara's usually calm, but currently frazzled, voice drifted throughout the med bay. It's Jeff…
   "I'll be right there." Kaidan answered. "You'll be alright?"
   Vera nodded, kissing his cheek before urging him onward. He left, pausing at the door to look back at her with so much love that she almost cried some more. Once he was gone, Vera set to work on herself. It was much better than she first assumed. The gash across her chest was shallow, but must've taken a few veins with it at the rate it was bleeding. She wrapped herself up in bandages while watching the doctor's progress on Garrus.
   He did lose a lot of blood, but it wasn't anything Chakwas couldn't handle. After Garrus was stable, which was about an hour, the doctor turned on Vera. She was impressed with Vera's attempt at healing herself, but she had to unwrap the bandages to assess the damage and make sure the baby was alright.
   Thankfully, the baby was fine, and Vera was able to leave soon after the doctor was done. But, she pulled a chair up to Garrus' bedside, taking his limp hand in both of hers. After checking his vitals one more time and happy with the results, Chakwas crept out of the med bay to give them some privacy.
   Garrus was still unconscious, drunk on painkillers and misery, but still she stayed with his hand in hers. She wiped constantly at her face, not realizing one could cry this much. She didn't know how much time had passed when Kaidan was suddenly at her side, his hand on her shoulder. She looked up to see pure anguish painted on his face, his eyes bloodshot and watery. Gasping, Vera shook her head.
   "No…" She breathed, not wanting to believe it one second. "She didn't!"
   "The Reapers are gone." Kaidan told her, his voice stiff and dry. "They were destroyed, along with every other synthetic in the galaxy." He paused, swallowing the next wave of tears. "She did it. She saved us all, just as she swore to."
   "Of course," Vera rasped between sobs. "She d-died a bloody hero. Like she deserved. Oh, God, Kaidan." She released Garrus' hand to throw her arms around his chest. "Shepard's really gone…and you and her-"
   "Hush, now." Kaidan cooed, kissing her head. "Let him rest. You can break the terrible news to him later-"
   "I'm not leaving his side, especially not now." She hiccupped, pulling away to take Garrus' hand again. "I'm not leaving, but you should. I want us to be alone when I tell him, no offense. It'll be…easier for us both…"
   "Of course," Kaidan murmured into her hair. "I understand."
   Kaidan turned to leave, but Vera caught his wrist. She met his eyes through her tears, holding his gaze.
   "I love you," She whispered.
   "And I you." Kaidan said back, kissing her hand before leaving her alone with Garrus.
   Vera looked back at the turian, dreading and looking forward to the moment when his blue eyes would open.