A/N: Sorry for how long it took to release this chapter, was quite busy so I had to type when I had time. It was hard trying to keep the same emotional content inside when you can only type a few hundred words a day . Anyway, hope you all enjoy this chapter! Don't forget to leave your thoughts on it in the reviews!

Feel free to PM me if you have any questions or suggestions!

…

Light flooded the dark, cramped and dreary room of the Normandy. A woman stepped through, carrying a plate loaded with food. Information dashed through the screens of the multiple computers put together, providing the only light source on the inside. On top of the queen sized bed a slim figure curled up into a ball underneath a multitude of blankets lay there silently, unmoving.

"Hey there…" The soft spoken voice addressing the poor figure before her, it had been like this for days. One of the crewmembers would come in to check up on her and leave a plate of food beside the bed. They desperately tried to coax her out of the shell Liara had formed around her mind. Every time they came back the food would still be there but the water wouldn't. Ashley surmised it was probably to refresh the tears. Offering sweet words of comfort were of no use they had deduced, she had fallen too deep into the depths of the void.

The spectre glanced to her right and noticed instantly that the picture of the party. Quickly setting down the plate beside the bed, and making her way back to the desk. Ashley sat down, it was still warm. Her eyes narrowed, the asari was still fulfilling her duties as the Shadow broker; she was vigilant at least.

"Her body…gone…only…h-h-hair and armour." The small voice murmured in a shaken voice.

A blunt thud hit Ashley's chest, she suddenly felt disoriented. No body to bury. She shook her head, and replied, trying her best to be tough "At least she went out with a bang. The skipper would have liked that."

Liara lay there for a long while, not knowing whether she should be upset at that comment or to accept it gratefully. It was only until she heard Ashley stand up and begin to leave did she say something. "Ashley…Thank you."

Nodding in her direction, she turned and walked out, with a small smile of relief. There may be hope yet for Liara.

…

Taking a step out of the crowded shuttle and into the open land was a godsend. She had spent nearly four hours unable to budge a single muscle in fear of bumping into another refugee. Stretching her arms wide with a big sigh she allowed a small smile to appear on her face, after all she wasn't going to blend in by being grumpy and stern.

Jane looked at her surroundings, the ground was gravel, dusty and dry but her surroundings were clear, with crates of supplies stacked on top of each other. Fellow survivors and refugees wandered around the camp, chatting and organizing supplies with the soldiers from all races. To the distance she could spot tall green lush trees, a sight she had missed since the invasion.

It honestly looked like a medium sized camp out area.

She crossed her arms and observed carefully, noting all the spots where she could dive for cover almost instinctively.

"Hey there." A cocky voice chuckled.

Without turning her body she looked over her shoulder. A heavily obese and balding man stood there, a faint trace of a beard could be seen. Wearing nothing more than an undershirt and shorts, he cocked an eyebrow along with a smirk. Jane inquired suspiciously, "Can I….help you?"

"Yeah you can, baby get that fit ass of yours over here!" he leered thrusting his hips and reaching forward. His hand never made it half way before he was flipped and slammed into the ground brutally by the Commander in disguise. His eyes bulged as the air in his lungs was forced out.

Bending down onto one knee, "Try and touch me again and you won't have a hand anymore." She warned with a cold look in her eye, finishing him off with a kick hard enough to flip him onto his left side.

She turned around to walk off only to bump into someone. "Hey! Wat-" she cut off. In front of her was the same alliance soldier from yesterday. Mike; without his helmet and a surprised look and smile.

"Wow…a bit brutal don't you think?" he asked half-jokingly.

His blue eyes met her green with full of curiosity.

"I..Uhh..He was being weird…" Jane stammered out, shifting her gaze quickly down to the ground.

"So you decided to throw him to the floor an- hang on a minute how do you even know how to throw a man that's at least three times your size?!" Mike questioned with a mock look of suspicion, she was definitely fit, he would get her that. But it didn't seem to match her with strength.

Jane fidgeted around nervously, mind racing to think of an excuse. Simply no way she could think of an excuse that would match…unless…unless her parents were military. Regaining her confidence, "My mom was a military woman; she served on the SSV Orizaba. Made sure us women of the household could hold out against the men." She replied, returning her gaze and looked at him steadily.

A surprised look overcame the alliance soldier, he had heard of that ship before. "No way…isn't that ship under Captain Shepard?

Jane met his question with an equally surprised face, not expecting many to know of her mother's position in the military, "Uh…yeah sure I think.."

"Wow...thats awesome! My mom and dad are just boring old citizens in a small colony."

The former commander's eyes hazed over slightly, murmuring after a short while, "Sounds….peaceful…."

She continued to stand there, daydreaming about how it would feel like to live in a peaceful small town. It wasn't until the alliance soldiers hand waving about in front of her face and him calling her fake name did she finally snap out of it.

"W-Wha?"

"I asked if you've had your name taken yet by the board yet. Have you?" Mike asked with a concerned look on his face, he turned and pointed without breaking eye contact to the line of people gathered outside a metal stand.

"Oh…nope…Guess I should go then." She started to walk past him, only to realize he was right beside her as she walked towards the back of the line.

"Allow me to give you some company." He smiled at the former commander with a faint hint of lust in his eyes.

Jane suppressed a chuckle, she felt flattered and out of the corner of her eyes she could see the same platoon laughing at him back on earth pointing and joking to each other, giving him a mere nod as a reply to the offer.

Glancing off to her right she saw a couple deep in embrace. Crying into each other's shoulders, whether out of joy or sorrow, it was impossible to tell. But it did invoke the memories tucked into her mind of her asari lover. Jane sniffed and looked away; a small tentacle of guilt had weeded itself into her mind, making a mental note to contact Liara as soon as humanly possible.

…

It was a strange feeling when they had landed without the commander. He sighed and leaned back into his chair, it just didn't feel the same, that was twice Shepard had saved his life in sacrifice for her own. Jeff was sure this time she wouldn't be coming back….not after a devastating explosion such as the one he had witnessed.

"Jeff? We have landed." EDI's robotic feminine voice spoke quietly to her pilot. She could not fully understand what he was going through; the loss of the commander was huge. But most people's reactions would be to cry and mourn…yet here sat Joker, silently.

"I know EDI. Just thinking and processing it all." Joker muttered back quietly. After a short while he shook his head and pushed himself up. EDI rushed to his aid quickly, grabbing his arm and throwing it over her shoulder.

The two hobbled towards the exit, nodding to the other crewmembers that walked past them. Everyone around the crew of the Normany SR-2 was ecstatic, everyone except the crew. At the sight of them the crowd of soldiers and civilians broke out into fresh cheers, pumping their fists into the air and shouting in a mixture of joy and relief.

Some of the crew broke out into relieved smiles but most remained silent and solemn. They walked through the crowd, sometimes pushing and nudging, making their way towards being debriefed.

Joker hobbled alongside EDI towards the command centre, out of the corner of his eyes he could spot a familiar blue figure, trudging through the gravel path with just as familiar and friendly turian.

He opened his mouth to call out to them but thought against it, now wasn't the best of times for his jokes and cheery attitude.

"Jeff…by any chance, what you may be doing is your way of mourning over the loss of Shepard?" EDI suddenly asked her curiosity overflowing.

Joker his head to look into her smooth silver eyes, a moment of silence passed between them as they hobbled together. "….Yes. Yes it is EDI. This is the second time she's passed away in front of my eyes." The hazy image of the explosion flashed before his eyes as he finished his sentence.

EDI looked at the pilot with affection, staring at him for a short while before nodding and turned to face the front. Concluding that the loss of Shepard was far greater to joker than he would show, after all his normal behaviour would be to laugh or joke it off.

…

The cheers and yells of victory were all empty to the blue shadow broker. Dark rings surrounded her pale blue eyes, puffy from all the mourning she had done aboard the Normandy. She doubted the fact she could have made it to the debriefing if it was not for Garrus and Tali's assistance.

Sitting there quietly as the Admiral congratulated everyone in the clear white room with a stage, it looked like an assembly room, making sure to congratulate the amount of effort and will the crew of the Normandy. Even among the praise she sat there, her eyes staring into the hard floor, her head resting on her chest.

After the debriefing she picked herself up with a huge amount of effort and stumbled away from the celebration amongst the others. Clutching the rails of the balcony and collapse onto it, suddenly feeling nauseated, within seconds she heaved the contents of her stomach up.

Liara collapsed onto the floor her right hand resting over her stomach, her breathing heavy with her back against the metal rails. She could feel her vision tunnel close and her conscious slowly fading, considering for a moment to call for help but in her feverish state thought against it. Head lolling to the side as her half lidded eyes grew heavier, "Goddess…forgive me."

It was then did the darkness finally take her.

…