(A/N Hello again, everyone! So here we are at part 3! (If you have not read 1&2, please click on my profile to bring them up, and go read them. They are fun, I promise.)

Anyway, if you remember my note from the end of the last story, I am going to go as far as I can, following canon. Basically, I'm going to race Bioware to the end of the story. Either they fix it, or I will. Anyway, let's get down to it!)

Creating the Future.

Chapter 1

Kaidan stood on a small balcony and looked out at his hometown of Vancouver. The breeze coming off the harbor smelled like saltwater, and was cool on his face, making him glad to be home, but he wished it was under better circumstances. Six months after Shepard had destroyed the Alpha Relay, she was finally going to face trial, and since he had been the one to encounter her on Horizon, he had been called in to testify about her involvement with Cerberus. Glancing up, he squinted his eyes to try and see through the windows of the upper floors. Somewhere up there, Shepard was under house arrest, unable to leave the building since she had turned herself in. Should I try and see her? I don't even know what to think anymore. She seemed so much like herself on Horizon, but the things she's done... What if she is a Cerberus spy? I don't know if I can get over her working with them.

The building itself was full of rushing soldiers, apparently Admiral Hackett had ordered the fleet to mobilize. Something big had happened since he had arrived earlier in the day, called away from his students and team.

"Major Alenko? They're ready for you now." A redheaded aide was holding the door open for him, and he followed her into the large chambers of the Defense Committee.

Standing before them reminded him of his many times with Shepard arguing with the Citadel Council. He felt a knot growing in his stomach. What are they going to ask me about her? How much do they know about us? Can I be professional about this? Not let my feelings for her overshadow what I've seen and heard? He looked up at them, they were strangely quiet. A older woman sitting at the center of the table leaned forward and addressed him.

"Major... We'll keep this quick. There are... other pressing issues at hand." They looked at each other nervously. "When you encountered Shepard on Horizon, was she working with Cerberus?"

"Yes, Ma'am."

"Do you believe her association with Cerberus lead her to destroy the Alpha Relay?"

"Um... No, Ma'am."

"What brings you to that conclusion, Major?'

"Commander Shepard believes the Reapers are on their way, Ma'am." The Committee members shifted awkwardly.

Something is going on. They know something. Do they finally believe Shepard about the Reapers?

"Thank you, Major. I'm sorry for taking you away from your team for this, but we are going to have to postpone the rest of the hearing. You'll be given a new set of orders, and we'll be in touch when things are rescheduled. Dismissed."

Kaidan saluted, and left the room. That was weird. What do I do now?

He made his way through the halls towards the exit. Maybe I can get in a visit with the family before I head back out. Assuming everyone is panicking for nothing, that is. He rounded a corner, and was surprised to see Admiral Anderson walking towards him. They exchanged quick nods.

"Anderson." His gaze slipped past the Admiral, and caught a familiar figure further down the hall. His breath caught in his lungs, and his chest got tight. Calm down. You were going to have to see ever eventually. Better to get it over with now. Then you can ship back to your team and forget about this whole mess. Shepard had her back to him, her hair chopped short again, but she was instantly recognizable to him. She was talking to the giant Lieutenant they had appointed to guard her, and Kaidan couldn't stop himself calling out to her. "Shepard..."

"Kaidan..." His name crossed her lips before she even turned around. She walked towards him, their eyes locked, until Anderson interrupted the moment by nudging her. Shepard looked up at their old commanding officer.

"How'd it go in there, Major?" In his shock of seeing Shepard, Kaidan had completely forgotten about his reason for being there. He fumbled for words as Anderson stared at him curiously.

"Okay, I think. I'm just waiting for orders now."

Shepard turned away from Anderson to face him.

"Major?"

"You hadn't heard?"

"No, I hadn't..." She looked surprised at the news of his promotion, but slightly sad. Is she sad that I technically outrank her, or that she didn't know about it?

"Sorry, Shepard. It's been... well..." Its your move, Shepard. I don't know what to do here. Give me a sign of what to do...

"That's okay. I'm just glad I bumped into you, Kaidan." She gave him a slight smile, like she might actually be happy to see him. He clung to that like a lifebuoy. Maybe she doesn't completely hate me.

"Yeah. Me too."

Anderson signaled her to follow, and they walked past him. When Shepard was a few inches away, he returned the smile, and gave her a nod. I don't think she's walking in to a disciplinary hearing any longer. As she walked away, he found it impossible to drag his eyes away from her. She must have felt his gaze, her hand self-consciously reached up and tugged at her short hair, like she had done at Ashley's memorial service. He felt a hulking presence behind him, and turned to face Lieutenant James Vega.

"You know the Commander?" The Lieutenant voice was softer than he would have guessed.

"I used too..." Kaidan didn't feel like getting into the whole story. He turned back to look at Shepard, but she was gone.

"She's one tough lady."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. The Admiral's had me guarding her since she got here." He sighed. "She doesn't need a lot of guarding though. The Alliance wouldn't let her talk to anyone, or have any extranet access."

"So what did she do for the last six months?"

"Read. Work out. We talked through the door a bit. Man, it was as much punishment for me as it was for her. I wanted to be out in the field." He gave a short laugh. "I bet she did, too."

"What happened to her hair? It looked pretty long on the news when they were bringing her in."

"Oh, do not bring that up to her. They chopped it all off last week. Said it wasn't 'Alliance regulation' length. She was livid." He shook his head. "Girls and their hair."

They stood in silence for a while, awkwardly not talking. What am I doing? Am I waiting for her to come back out? Well, what else am I going to do?

"So... What happened to the Normandy?"

"Alliance seized it. Tore it apart, put it back together. They're finishing the retrofit down in the spaceport, with the pilot."

"Joker?"

"Yeah, that guy. He practically refuses to leave the ship."

"That sounds like Joker."

Their awkward silence was broken by shouts from down the hall. After a quick glace, Kaidan and Vega took off running towards the sound. Several Alliance officers were clustered around a large monitor displaying static.

"Come on, Sarge! Get it working!" Vega called to a man in dress blues. He smacked the side of the monitor, shaking it into life.

The screen showed fire and smoke. The face of a terrified soldier filled it, his shouts unintelligible from the static. A loud humming noise came from the speakers, and an explosion wiped out everything on the screen before the signal cut out.

"Holy shit! What's happening?" Vega muttered under his breath. The frantic Sargent scrolled through the frequencies, quickly bringing up the Alliance News Network. The image of a ship, identical to Sovereign filled the screen, dwarfing the buildings it had landed next to. They stood in speechless horror, watching the screens around them fill with pictures of the giant creatures.

"Oh god." Kaidan said. "The Reapers are on Earth."

"We gotta get Shepard. " Vega turned to run back towards the chambers, but the floor began to shake, and a dark shadow filled the window. A Reaper dropped out of the clouds at high speed, and fired a beam right where the committee chambers were.

The explosion knocked Kaidan to his feet. As he staggered upwards, all he could see was burning rubble. "Shepard..."

"We gotta get to the ship, Major!" Vega yelled, grabbing him by the arm. "If Shepard survived that, we gotta get outta here, and get the ship ready!"

With a last glance backward, they took off running towards the spaceport. Shepard, you can't die on me again. As they made their way down several flights of stairs, his radio crackled.

"This is Admiral Anderson, report in, anyone!"

"Admiral?" He called back in, ducking under a burning pillar.

"Major Alenko, is that you? What's your status?"

"Alive, Sir, making my way to the spaceport!"

"I can't raise the Normandy. You'll have to contact them. We'll meet you at the landing zone. Anderson out."

He caught up with Vega, surprised at how much the large man had outpaced him. Kaidan frantically searched frequencies with his omnitool to raise the Normandy as he ran.

"Joker! Do you read?"

"Kaidan? What the hell is going on out there?"

"Just get the Normandy up and running! We'll be there is a second!"

"But what the hell is-"

"Just get it going!"

They finally reached the bottom of the stairs, and booked down a long hallway towards the spaceport entrance. The Normandy came into view, docked near the entrance of the port. A howling noise caused the marines to skid to a halt and take cover as several large, lumpy husks staggered into view.

"What the hell are those?" Vega hissed at him.

"I've never seem before." He peeked his head around the corner and studied their misshapen faces. "Oh god, they look like Batarians." He leaned back so Vega could take a look.

"Holy shit. Do you see their arms? Those are people."

"Okay, we just need to get past them to the Normandy. Are you ready to make a run for it?"

Unfortunately, the husks took that moment to notice them. They unleashed a barrage of fire at the marines, just as Kaidan's radio came to life again.

"Major, do you read me? I'm patching in Shepard!" Thank god, she's alive. He felt like a weight he didn't even know had been there was lifted off his chest. Now she just needed to get to the ship, to safety, to him. As soon as I get to safety.

"We're almost to the Normandy! I've got Lieutenant Vega with me, but we're taking heavy fire!"

"We're about five minutes out!"

The transmission cut out as Kaidan and Vega made their way through the small cluster of husks. Thank god I take this pistol with me everywhere. The modded pistol Shepard had given him so long ago had saved his life more times than he could count. They finally made it to the ship, bolted through the open airlock, and Kaidan ran up behind his old friend.

"Get us in the air, Joker!"

Joker nodded as he lifted the ship off the ground, and took it out through the hanger doors.

"Tell me what's happening! What the shit is going on out there?"

"Reapers!"

"What!"

"Just get us in the air! And open the hanger door!"

Kaidan ran through a now unfamiliar Normandy. Half of it was as it had been, but so many things had changed. Doors were added, the stairs were gone. Vega hit the button on the elevator, which was now on the main deck and stepped in.

"This way to the hanger, Major."

"Everything is so... different."

"You served on the SR1, Sir?"

"I did. It was my home. It burned out from under me." His stomach gave a turn as he remembered the day he thought he had lost everything.

The elevator stopped, letting them out on the hanger deck. It was completely unrecognizable from the original ship. As he walked past it, Kaidan ran his hand over the updated armory. Ash would have loved this. He felt the slight twinge of guilt that accompanied any thoughts of Ashley, but had learned to embrace that guilt as a part of himself. He grabbed an assault rifle, and followed Vega down the hanger ramp as it opened partway.

The wreckage of his hometown made his stagger. Vancouver was on fire.

"Hang on tight!" Joker yelled over the comms. Kaidan grabbed a loading strap as the Normandy dove through the buildings to avoid missiles launched from the ground.

Kaidan was about to answer when his radio crackled. Anderson's voice came through, heavy with static.

"Major Alenko, we're in sight of the spaceport. ETA 3 minutes."

"We've made it to the Normandy. Taking heavy fire." He looked up to see an Alliance dreadnought taking heavy fire from a large Reaper. "Oh god! They're gonna take down the dreadnought! Evasive maneuvers!"

"Major? Kaidan!" Anderson's voice was choppy with static. "Dammit, they're in trouble!"

"Goddammit!" Shepard's voice was unmistakable through the static.

The dreadnought took a direct hit and exploded with a blinding light. Joker swung the Normandy around, practically shaking Kaidan and Vega loose from their grips.

Normandy, This is Anderson, do you read?"

"Admiral, what is your location?"

"By a downed gunship in the harbor, I'm activating its distress beacon. Send support. We've got wounded down here." A loud burst of static crackled over the radio. "Major?"

"Admiral? Dammit. Joker, get us to the harbor!"

"Cavalry has arrived!" Joker yelled triumphantly into the comms.

They swooped down into the harbor, and hovered low to the ground, opening the hanger door all the way. Shepard booked it up a piece of wreckage, and threw herself towards the ship. She landed heavily, falling onto her knees. Kaidan grabbed her arm, helping her up to her feet. A cut traced its way across her cheek, strands of hair sticking to the fresh blood. He pulled his hand back before he tried to brush it away.

"Welcome aboard, Shepard." He said, trying to sound calm.

"Thanks." She said absently, jogging back down to the end of the ramp.

"Shepard!" Anderson called out. He was still standing on the piece of wreckage.

"Come on!" She cried out desperately. They all turned to watch two Alliance shuttles swoop down and land behind the Admiral.

"I'm not going." He yelled back. "You saw those men back there. There's a million more like them, and they need a leader!"

"We're in this fight together, Anderson!" She leaned towards him, and Kaidan had to fight the urge to pull her back.

"Its a fight we can't win. Not without help. We need every species, and all their ships, to even have a chance at defeating the Reapers. Talk to the Council. Convince them to help us."

Shepard threw her hands up.

"What if they won't listen?"

"Then make them listen. Now go! That's an order!"

"I don't take orders from you anymore. Remember?"

"Consider yourself reinstated." Anderson whipped a set of dog tags across the divide at her. "Commander." She stared at the dog tags, weighing them in her hands carefully. "You know what you have to do."

"I'll be back for you." Her voice cracked slightly. "And I'll bring every fleet I can." She turned away from him slightly, then looked back over her shoulder. "Good luck."

"You too, Shepard."

She walked up the ramp slowly towards Kaidan, staring at him intensely. He returned the stare, unsure of what it meant. She stopped a few inches away from him, and spun around to watch Anderson get smaller, and more evacuation shuttles land. Shepard stood stock still, watching civilians board.

The Normandy had only gone a few yards away when a deafening noise tore through the air. A large Reaper prowled its way towards them, destroying everything in its path with an immense laser. The shuttles took off in a hurry, but were no match for the creature, they exploded into tiny pieces, raining debris into the harbor. Shepard closed her eyes and turned away, a look of grief crossing her face. She spun around and stormed up the walkway, the hanger door shutting behind her. I should let her be. She looks like she's going to punch someone. Unfortunately, Vega had no such thoughts.

"What the hell's going on?" He called out to her. "Where's Anderson? Where are we going?" She ignored him and kept walking. "Hey!"

"We're leaving." Her voice was flat, emotionless. Vega followed her towards the armory.

"Leaving?" He towered over her.

"What's going on?" Kaidan stepped up, ready to intervene if necessary.

"Anderson wants us to go to the Citadel, get help for the fight."

"Bullshit. He wouldn't order us to leave."

"We don't have a choice. Without help, this war's already over." Her voice maintained its calm, level appearance. If she was still the Shepard he knew, she was about ten seconds away from ripping someone's face off with her fingernails and teeth. He almost pitied Vega.

"Forget it. Drop me off someplace, cause I'm not leaving." The large man turned away from Shepard, only for her to grab his shirt and pull him back down towards her face.

"Enough!" She yelled, anger practically radiating off her. "Don't you think I'd rather stay and fight? We're going to the Citadel. You want out? You can catch a ride back from there!"

They stared at each other, neither one wanting to blink, until Joker's voice broke the deadlock.

"Commander!"

"Joker? Is that you?" Shepard let go of Vega's shirt, and he stumbled backwards.

"Alive and kicking! Got an emergency transmission from Admiral Hackett for you."

"Patch it through." With once last glare at Vega, she turned her back on them to talk to Hackett.

"Shepard... sustained heavy losses... force was overwhelming... no way we can defeat them conventionally..." The static made hearing every other word practically impossible.

"Anderson already ordered me to talk to the Council." Shepard had regained her calm exterior, but the way her hands clenched and unclenched betrayed her emotions to Kaidan.

"We need you to... Alliance outpost on Mars... lose control of the system..."

Shepard saluted.

"Yes, sir."

"Researching Protheans... Doctor T'soni... Found a way to stop the Reapers... Only way to stop them... Contact soon. Hackett out."

"Joker, set a course for the Mars Archives."

"Roger that."

She stalked away from the armory, opened a locker, and started pulling out her armor.

"This is loco!" James exclaimed.

"Why Mars? What does he think we'll find there?"

"I don't know yet. But if it helps us win this war... grab your gear!" She started strapping on her armor and Kaidan looked around for any spare armor.

Its funny how this time, the whole world is on fire, not just the Normandy. Everything is crashing down for everyone. But she's here now, with me. Even if I'm not sure who she is anymore, even if she doesn't feel the same about me after all this time, she's still here. No more wondering where she is, what she's doing. She's alive, and standing in front of me. Staring. Awkwardly. He realized he was holding armor and not moving.

"Everything alright, Kaidan?" She asked, eyebrow raised. Oh, I missed that...

"Um, just checking that this will fit. I didn't have time to bring my stuff with me."

"We'll pick up better armor from the offices on the Citadel. You don't mind wearing standard armor for this mission, do you?"

"No. This will do." Nice to know she's not going to leave me on the Citadel. He put on the armor, and looked around the hanger. "Hard to believe this is still the Normandy."

"She's been through a lot. But she's still my girl." Shepard ran her fingers lightly over the armory. She looked up at him with a sad smile, and climbed onto the shuttle.

I wonder if you're still mine.