The dust billowed around the resting destruction of the Citadel. It had been Earth’s, no, the galaxy’s last hope. Now it was a wasteland. Days past, and all she smelled was thick bitter smoke. It made her cough and caused her entire body to pulse in pain.

The silence was peaceful but unnerving. This silence Roxanne drank in, allowing it to soak to the depth of her bones. It counteracted the fear and the doubt, giving her a sense of the quiet impact it made. But it also threatened her as each worrying thought emerged inside of her mind. The void of silence filed with her anxieties and leached onto her false hopes. It was that eerie stillness which both poisoned and protected her.

The remnants of the Citadel floated in space but every so often Roxanne eyes opened slightly to look past the wreckage. In the beyond, she glimpsed the shimmer blue waters of her planet. Earth. The reapers lost the war and a small part of her heartbeat with relief.

Every bone in her body ached. Just breathing alone hurt as she tried to will herself to move. Her memories danced before her eyes, blurring the lines of reality and the dream world. Her dreams were confusing but at one point she remembered lounging on a beach with the sun warm against her tan skin. She didn’t want to be awake; she wanted to sleep, to stay asleep. Come on Roxanne, get up. She told herself but she couldn’t move. Death rested on the brink of her mind as her muscles seized up in pain.  But she lived and clung to that reality.

Her hand reached through the rubble but laid it down on the ground. She opened her eyes to notice the wreckage pinned her right arm and leg against the ground, leaving little room to move to a safer location. The ringing sound in her ear echoed painfully as her mind begged her to sleep once more. No, I won’t give in. She reminded herself. It was difficult not to give in to a night of full sleep, but she needed to fight. How long had she even been here? She remembered waking up several times only to crash back out, and she hardly moved from her spot.

Something roared in her ears above as she cringed. Each breath seared with agony in her lungs as she tried to move her hands to push off the rubble on her body. There wasn’t much strength left in her body, only enough for small movements. It proved to be enough to keep her alive, but for how long? She didn’t grasp how much life she had left and sensed her time grew closer. She tried to keep her promise to Garrus, but she didn’t think she was capable of much more. As she tried to shift her body, Roxanne nearly cried out in pain as the stone crush down upon her right leg. Now she remembered why she refused to leave, the stone pinned her leg against the ground.

Roxanne realized why she clung to her dreams. It kept her alive, waiting. Of all the people in the galaxy, she realized her friends would find her. Part of her worried for them though. Did they survive the blast that came from the Citadel? And how did she survive the blast? That question she doubted she would ever find the answer to.

Whatever happened, they would return to find her. Even if she took her last breath alone here, deep down she knew she would never be alone. Her friends would be there to pick her up and return her to where she belonged. And even in the afterlife, she would find them. That part, she didn't fear. Her loyalty and confidence in her friends would never waver.

But she had to fight, and her dreams allowed her to survive. All her nightmares receded as she focused her thoughts on other dreams. Her survival depended upon it. But even her dreams turned into nightmares, the heavy burden of the lost still singing through her dreams.

So much death came from her choices, and even though she reminded herself it was for the good of the world, the one question rested on her thoughts. What about the cost? No matter what advice she received, she still blamed herself for the loses on each planet, from Thessia to Palaven. If she’d been stronger, faster, even more convincing. She questioned herself many times on the decisions she picked last second. Such questions lining with the council to searching harder for proof. Maybe she could have saved one more life. She knew she picked the best decision given to her, but none of these decisions would ever be the right one. Each choice always cost a price, the decision was which one resulted in a better outcome. But was it really worth it? The reminder of the sacrifices she made would always haunt her. She hoped she had done the right thing for the Galaxy. In the end, she wanted the cycle removed so people could live, so that life would continue its circle of life.

But she also didn’t want them to come, they dealt with enough danger for a lifetime. Were the reapers even defeated or did something deceive her? This is what the silence did, it made her question herself. Part of her believed this was a haunting prison much like Leviathan had almost stuck her in, leaving her alone for all eternity. But if this reality truly existed, her desire to ensure the safety of her comrades came first. No matter how much she wanted to live, she would not want her life to cost the lives of others. There was no point saving her if her friends died in the process. That suffering was something they didn’t need on their shoulders.

“Span out, we aren’t leaving. If anyone could survive this, it’s Lola.” A voice echoed in her ear. She jumped back to consciousness, nearly missing their words. She tried to remember who it was. But the crushing pain against her skull taunted her with a migraine from hell. It sounded familiar though, like an old friend she refused to forget.

“But what if she isn’t here?” The raspy voice of another she remembered caught her attention. The fluid sound of the silvery voice held doubt, human, she knew. She tried to figure out who it belonged to but the pressure against her skull throbbed with fire. Their voices came from a distance and she could hardly move. Roxanne tried to speak out but the dryness in her throat cause her voice to crack. A thousand tiny needles pressed into her chest but she refuses to let that dictate if she grabbed their attention or not.

“She’s here, and she’s alive. She has to be, she promised me and she would never break that.” That voice. It was a voice she would never forget. Such confidence brimmed from his voice that brought life into her heart and gave her a second wind. Heaven or hell, she would always remember. She wanted to call out to him but her voice was barely functional. “Ga–” The amount of effort to speak sparked pain against her chest and she cringed in pain.

With her one useful arm, she reached over to find anything to use. Her eyes slit open just enough to glance around as the darkness dared to drag her back underneath its blankets. Her fingers slipped around her dog tags and a small smirk crossed her lips. With what little strength she had she hit them against the rubble. Clink clink clink. She couldn’t hear anything or a response which left her throat tightening up as she tried again.

Each time she hit the stone, she paused to listen for any indication they heard her. However, silence came to her ear and she started to hit her tags harder. The intensity of her tags hitting the rocks rang louder with angry desperation. with her signal unanswered only made her determination beam from her willpower.

The clicking of her tags continued for minutes on end. Whatever the timeframe, she fought against the pain and make the tapping. This Citadel was a huge location to search, and she knew they would search day and night if they had to. Liara searched the entire galaxy for her body once before. Even in death, they would find her, they were a team.

“Wait, did you catch that?” A voice spoke up as Roxanne realized they caught the sound of her signal. Immediately, she clicked the SOS once more with distress. She continued to hit so hard that she felt the warmth of the blood running from the cuts as she broke the skin open.

“I think it’s coming from over there.” These voices blended together, and she found it difficult to register each voice to the name. At least it gave her something to focus on, to stay awake. But one thing was clear; they belonged to her comrades. The rumble against the ground caused her to groan as she kept hitting the tags against the rubbing.

“She’s here! Right here!” At that moment she sensed a hand grab hers that held her dog tags just as she was about to hit them against the rubble again. “Roxanne, don’t you let go, we got you.” His smooth voice reminded her of the rain, cool and comforting. She opened her eyes to see the familiar face. The sharp details of sapphire glowing eyes and the navy blue war painted over his face. She knew it by heart. Even through the blurry vision, she always remembered his face.

“I have the stone, hold on.” The soft feminine voice spoke as she lifted the rubble off of Roxanne. Roxanne cringed at the rush of pain into her body but endured the agony that reminded her she still lived. She forced her teeth so tightly together and her hand crushed against Garrus’. But she wouldn’t cry out, she didn’t want to do that now that life touched her fingertips. “We need to get her medical attention immediately. Joker, do you copy?” She never doubted they would find her, but she feared the danger. Liara’s voice rang against her ear as she requested for Joker as she finally registered it.

“Dammit Shepard, you can’t scare me like that! Don’t you dare let go.” Roxanne refused to let go of his hand as he reached around and pulled her into his arms. The comfort of being in his embrace soothed her soul.

“Garrus…” Her voice cracked as she leaned against him. She needed to talk, but something was crushing against her chest causing her pain.

“Shh, rest, We’re taking you home.” He whispered as she let the weight fall off her shoulders. Her one good hand reached over to grab his armor. It was cold to the touch, but natural unlike the rubble that had been her burial grounds for days now. She tried to grab it but her hands were too weak to even hold her tags much less the armor. But whatever strength she had left she grabbed it with thorough resolve like a last lifeline. Her eyes glassed over as relief washed over her but a single feeling lingered against her thoughts.

Fear.

If she let go, what if she didn’t come back? Her heart raced as she clung to him harder. Something inside of her panicked, and she wasn’t use to it. With wide eyes she stared at him as the tug of sleep pulled on her.

“Help,” She whispered, not caring about looks or strength. Garrus held her in his arms as the roar of the engine came around drowning out her ears.

“I have you. I won’t let anything happen to you.” That rich voice, the tenacity in his eyes, it calmed her nerves. She did her best to keep her eyes from fluttering shut, losing focus as the crew rushed her on board. But there was little holding her there. The exhaustion washed over her body as she finally let herself go. She fought this long enough and with the trust she held in them, she let go of her fear and allowed herself to fall into the dark abyss of her dreams.

The soft flow of water splashed against Roxanne’s feet as she watched up into the bright blue sky. Roxanne laid reclined against the ground, her back resting against the heated sands. The warmth of the sun bathed her skin as she let out a deep sigh of contentment. Her fingers dug into the hot sands as a gentle breeze running through her hair. She pushed herself up halfway as she surveyed the surrounding landscape. Nothing for miles long and wide. The state of peaceful tranquility ran over her like a blanket and she found no desire to leave.

“Whatever I have to do can wait a few more hours.” She sighed as she stretched her arms above her head. Her fingers ran along her arms and held both arms for a moment.

Sitting there, though, Roxanne felt something out of place. Like the entire moment could be too good to be true. It was too quiet and too alone. She pulled her legs up to her chest as her arms wrapped around them.

The atmosphere shifted in the distance to a blackened sky. Storm clouds began to loom overhead as they blotted out the sunlight, contorting the bright colors into grays. The emergence of the storm caused the peace of the beach to turn into a hurricane of a storm. The echos of the wind turned into howls of disarray. With quick speed unlike normal storms, it surrounded Roxanne, taunting her with darkness. The thunder boomed in the distance with a drumroll before the added flashes of lightning join in on the chaos.

The sharp crack of lightning lacing through the sky along with the thunder cause her to jerk and curl closer into herself. The memories race through her mind at the flashes as being a young child. Tormented by electric shocks lashing against her skin. Bright flashes of the lightning dance through the clouds, lighting up the sky. The stinging reminder laced into her skin as if she had just been struck by lightning. No one knew what had happened to her then, it was a secret she long kept hidden. The traumatic sensations of electrical shocks made her tough but gave her this fear that would never leave her alone.

The clouds unleashed a torrent of ice cold rain against her skin which chilled her to the bone. Howls of the wind hit her face as it lash her hair around like a whip. Here Roxanne could not control the storm, leaving her helpless. There was no more color, even her clothes had become as dull as a stone. The only color left was her red hair which was soaked and laying flat against her back.

None of this was right. Roxanne ran her fingers up through her hair, her nails scraping against her scalp as she cringed. “Wake up wake up wake up!” She repeated to herself.

Roxanne’s emerald eyes shot open with terror. Questions raced through her mind as she tried to understand where she was now. The lashing storm was gone. No warm sand shifted through her fingers anymore, only the aching reminder of her that she of her bodie’s agony. Her eyes blinked several times before she finally forced herself to sit up in her bed only to be stopped halfway in torment as she fell back down against the sheets. The realization that she was in a bed and her heart skipped a beat.

“Hey now, not so fast.” The voice caught her attention as Garrus touched her arm. Within an instant she let out a sigh but once more other thoughts ran into her mind.

“Wait, where are we?” Roxanne spoke with urgency. She questioned her sanity at the moment. She wouldn’t jump to conclusions about what had happened. It was also possible they were the truth. She only hoped that she had truly defeated the reapers, that everything she fought for had been accomplished.

“We are on the Normandy.” He spoke clearly as he leaned over and smiled. “Everything is fine now. Dr. Chakwas has you in the best care possible given, as always.”

Roxanne gazed at him for a moment before gathering in her surroundings. They weren’t in the medical bay as she expected. instead, her Eyes took in the aquarium on the right side of the room and the collection of models in front of her. It was the Commander's room, her room. The only difference was the setup with all the medical supplies. She saw the IV in her arm and the bandages over her body. It was a small reminder she was only human before looking back toward Garrus.

“How long have I been out? Who’s commanding the ship? Where is everyone?”

Garrus’ expression soften as he had a chuckle on his mouth. “Always about the others. Just calm down, we are all here, everyone is alive.” Garrus spoke.

“Commander, you are awake. Would you like me to inform your friends?” EDI’s voice spoke from within the room as Roxanne groaned slightly, moving her one capable arm to rub her ears. At least she was capable of firing a weapon if needed. Worse case scenario put aside.

“Not yet EDI.” She softly stated.

“Very well Commander. As to your question, you have been out for one month, two weeks and five days. You’ve had a lot to recover from and went into a medically-induced coma. Your brain waves transmitted signaled that you were still actively alive and fluctuated, showing signs of dreaming. You heartbeat is normal rate but your blood count is still low. You’ve had several transfusions and –”

“Not right now EDI. I’m glad to know I’m alive.” A soft chuckle came from Roxanne’s lips as she waved her hand.

“Of course Commander. I’m glad to see you are awake as well.” EDI’s voice spoke as Roxanne glanced toward the ceiling.

“Do I hear relief?” The intercom went silent for a moment. A small smirk crossed over Roxanne’s lips as she waited for her response.

“I do not know what you mean Commander.”

Roxanne again chuckled and smiled. “Good to hear you are alive EDI. Give me ten minutes and you can inform the others.”

“Very well Commander. I would come up, but my body was destroyed during the blast. So if you need me, I will be in the Normandy system for now.” Roxanne nodded her head even though she realized EDI couldn’t see and glanced over to Garrus.

“What happened? After I– I need to understand what happened.” Garrus’ eyes stared at Roxanne as he squeezed her hand, careful with her body as she was worse for wear than before.

“Garrus?” Apprehension landed on her shoulders, fearing far worse had happened after she destroyed the catalyst.

A pause left her leaning toward him as her hand reached over to touch his. A slight grumble came from her lips as she pushed her body upwards, ignoring the weight in her chest that ached. Finally with a deep sigh she leaned against the headboard and realized that Garrus situated the pillows carefully around her so that her broken right arm was supported along with her back.

“Tali and I, we escaped. Our wounds were treated but nothing too serious. Everyone who, everyone perished on the way to the beam, except you. I don’t know how you did it Shepard, but you did the impossible. The reapers are dead, all of them. The relays are damaged as well, but nothing that can’t be rebuilt. I would say you couldn’t be rebuilt but well, you were.” He said with a smile and Roxanne laughed. “Let’s not do that again.” Garrus added.

She laid her head back against the headboard as she took a moment to let it sink in. “So it’s over.” She whispered as tried to move to face him better but the aches radiated throughout her body. Her smile slowly faded as she realized just how many people lost their lives and most of all, her dear friend Anderson. As it dawned on her, a numb shock rolled through her mind knowing the emotional stress it would cause at a later date. For now, she allowed it to slip from her mind as she had bigger things to deal with, such as recovering.

“Come now Shepard, you may cheat death, but you need to stay in bed. You have a lot to recover from still. Besides, Dr. Chakwas would have my carapace if she learned I let you get out of bed.” Roxanne didn’t realize what to think of that, she wasn't using to sitting still. Her body ached, and she took a moment to look herself over in more detail.

Her left leg was wrapped within a splint and cast and visibly broken, along with her right arm covered in the same casting. And there was way too many bandages over her skin. It bugged her that she hardly had the ability to move and a slight grumble on her lips. To take her mind off of things, she changed the subject.

“I think I missed out on that drink at the bar. I’m a bit late at waking up.”

A soft laugh escaped her lips as Garrus reached over and brushed her hair careful away from her face. “A drink can wait, you’re alive and that’s what matters. You came back to me.” He whispered and leaned forward to rest his forehead against hers.

“I made a promise Garrus, I never break them.” She said as she reached up to touch his face, enjoying the soft touch of his skin. “Can you lay down by me, please?” She asked, her eyes gazing up at him. The way that he moved without a second thought brought a soft smile to her face. There was no hesitation, he was there for her as she was for him

. He moved around and carefully slipped into the left side of the bed beside her, making sure not to lay on any cords or tubes. She shifted even though the pain raced through her muscles so she could lay her head on his arm and rested against his left side.

“Let’s not do anymore stunts like that again. I know you’re crazy Shepard, but that was a bit much.” Garrus reminded her. Roxanne responded with a chuckled and nodded. How many times had she done something crazy and lived to tell the tale? Somehow, she had a sense it wouldn’t end, her life would always throw something her way.

“Well, I’m stuck in bed for now. Don’t think I can do anything crazy from here.” She muttered and glanced over at him. Garrus observed her as and Roxanne knew he was judging his words carefully.

“Roxy, if anyone can do it, you could. But let’s not.” He spoke with a grin as she chuckled and closed her eyes. The tension in her body slowly eased up with the little movement she made.

No matter how much Roxanne argued with herself, she noted she was in no capable condition to fight or even brush her own hair. Memory served her right as she thought back to Mars, when Ashley Williams nearly died at Cerberus hands. The Normandy’s medbay far out stood any medbay on other ships. But she also realized Chakwas would want to get her to a better facility with more advanced equipment that didn’t fit on the ship. If her condition appeared as severe as she figured getting on the planet would be best.

Silence lingered between the two but it comforted her. To many days had gone by where she couldn’t see his face and embrace in his sweet gestures. So for now, she allowed herself this selfishness. Though could she claim this was selfish? No, she refused to think that, for she had been fight for everyone the last few months. This moment, just these few moments she would snag for herself.

While sitting in silence, she pondered the idea of Earth. Since it still stood, she thought about showing some of it to Garrus. They had talked about it here and there but never thought she had the chance to actually show him. A smile crossed her lips as the thought grew into an idea.

“Garrus, how would you like to see where I was born?” She questioned with her eyes closed, allowing herself to relax so the sheer ache and damage faded from her mind.

“You mean on Earth?” Garrus questioned.

“Yeah. I figured since I can’t stay on the Normandy during this whole healing process they will probably transfer me to some Alliance hospital. Might as well be of my choosing.” She said and then spoke up. “EDI, tell Joker to set course to Dublin, Ireland. Also inform the Alliance Fairview Hospital about the situation.” The command in her voice took her for a shock as if she was rolling right back into her same position as before.

“Of course Commander,” EDI spoke up before Garrus shook his head.

“And I didn’t even have to tell you to get checked up. You really did hit your head hard there Shepard, didn’t you?” Garrus’ voice held a teasing note on it as Roxanne smiled with her eyes close, just enjoying this moment.

“Yes, I did.”

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Roxanne was sick and tired and being confined to her bed. At days, she regretted even calling in and getting a room. But recovery was pretty fast and she was up and moving on her legs and using her arm once again. The determination was the key for Roxanne, and she never stopped. She knew that the only way to get moving was to do it on her own.

After a few months, she finally found herself able to leave her room to get out and explore the roads of Dublin once again. Instead of stuck in the hospital, she now had a small apartment that she was renting out. She was unsure of how long she would be on Earth and she wasn’t about to leave Garrus without a place to stay either.

She glanced in the mirror as she brushed her hair easily while staring at the scar that ran across her eyebrow. Her fingers slipped through her hair before pulling it back into a half up position. While doing so she felt like the past flashed before her eyes. She paused and closed her eyes, setting her hands on the counter.

All those deaths, all the innocence once again haunted her mind.

No, she allowed a smile to cross her lips. No, she would enjoy today. She had plans anyway, something she hoped Garrus might enjoy. “You ready Garrus?” She called out as she grabbed her N7 jacket and pulled it over her shoulders.

“Been ready for a while Roxie. Didn’t want to wake you though.” He said from outside and she shook her head with a smile on her lips.

“Then let’s get going, no reason to dull the day.” She said, as she stepped out of the bathroom and looked at the turian. Roxie couldn’t help but smile, as he had stayed with her even with the troubles of the universe. But the relays were still being reconstructed and there was no way to return to Palaven at the moment. Instead, he kept in contact with his family through the omni-tool and watched over her and her recovery.

Her fingers slipped out toward his hands and glanced at him. “What would I do without you?” She asked and he grinned as he stood up.

“Well, the Normandy would need a lot more calibrations and you wouldn't’ have someone to watch your back now.” Garrus teased as Roxanne laughed.

“I’m sure I could find someone to watch my back, but not with as good of a shot as Archangel.” She purred and leaned up on her toes to kiss him. “Come on, I have something to take you to. I use to visit this river over and over.” She spoke as her fingers curled along his hand and lead im out of the apartment.

Along the walk Roxanne leaned on Garrus, her leg a bit sore but no longer causing her pain to walk on. The joy to move etched over her face as she couldn’t stop smiling. The city appeared to be busy, with vehicles flying through the air and reconstruction occurring in certain areas but for the most part Dublin looked untouched. For once, Roxanne felt like this was the one area the Reapers didn’t touched.

The old fashion boat came into view as Roxanne grinned. “There we go!” she said, as she squeezed Garrus’ hand who glanced at the boat. “Its old fashion, I know. But it's a simple pleasure.” She told him and looked at him.

“Anything with you is a pleasure Roxie. I won’t deny, it's odd to be doing something that doesn’t involve gunfire.” Garrus chuckled as Roxanne pulled out the tickets from her pocket and passed it to the ship attendant. He scanned the tickets and then passed them back. “You may board the deck.”

Slipping past the man, she lead Garrus to the front of the ship where she found a seat and sat down. Her fingers slipped along the muscles of her calf, rubbing out the aches of the morning walk.

“You alright Shepard?” Garrus asked and Roxanne nodded.

“Just feeling like a new recruit in basic training all over again.” She grumbled and Garrus reached over and grabbed her leg gently.

“Whoa, what are you doing?” Roxanne spoke with surprise as Garrus put up a finger. He skillfully ran his clawed fingers along her calf, massaging her muscle. “Oh, right there.” She said as she melted into her seat. Her eyes closed as she took a moment to enjoy the pain disappearing into the distance. “When did you learn to do this?”

A sly grin crossed over Garrus’ mouth as Roxanne raised a brow. “I have some hidden tricks up my sleeve. Can’t tell you everything now, it would ruin the surprises.” Roxanne smirked slightly as she rested her arms across her stomach.

“Pleasant surprises, that’s for sure.” She sighed as she took a moment to relax again. A shift in the boat cause Roxanne to open her eyes as she glanced around, noticing no one else was on board. “Well, that’s fishy.” Roxanne spoke with a sarcastic ring and glanced to Garrus. A brief nod came from Garrus as the both became alert, letting her leg go as she leaned forward.

“Let’s see what happens.” She whispered, as the glanced toward the middle of the ship as fish swam around the glass bottom. The intercom also began to start, speaking about the history of the riverboat and of the Dublin river. However, Roxanne and Garrus seemed to be in a whole world other than this. Their attention slipped back into the old ways, taking in everything around them and ready for a bullet to fly.

Roxanne wondered just what could go wrong now. After the defeat of the Reapers she just wanted a few quiet moments but things were just getting weird. Besides, she didn’t know who would want to attack her on earth in the first place. A slight grumble came from her lips as nothing happened for the next twenty minutes but she kept her guard up. Once a marine, always a marine.

A shift in the noise from the intercom made Roxanne dart her eyes upwards as a sound came over it. “You know, I thought you were on the side of humanity Shepard.” The honeyed voice left a chill down Roxanne’s neck as she gritted her teeth. She’s never heard the voice but she could already tell they couldn’t be trusted. “But obviously you only did it to unite all the races. How dare you turn your back on your own species. Look at you, cowering at their feet. We are better than that. If you want to prove yourself, Return to where you began.”

“Really, so you just speak over an intercom instead of telling me this to my face. Real brave.”

“No need to be there.” The voice spoke and then the entire sound glitched and hissed over as Roxanne covered her ears at the shrill sound.

“Making friends everywhere we go.” Garrus said as he glanced around. He twisted and glanced toward the back of the ship. “Something’s clicking.” He said, and then shoved Roxanne out of the chair and he jumped back to the other side as suddenly a click could be heard and high rate shots could be heard.

“CAN’T I JUST HAVE ONE NORMAL DAY? JUST ONE!” Roxanne yelled as Garrus pulled out a M-97 Viper. At the same time, Roxanne pulled out M-3 Predator heavy pistol. “And to think, I wasn’t planning to bring this.” Roxanne muttered as Garrus just shook his head.

“We just found the party. We need to take out that turret gun.” A sizzling blue aura cover Roxanne as she activated her biotics, and an orb grew within her hand. She tossed it around the corner of the chair as a snap could be heard and the turret cracking before exploding from the mass impact of the throwing capability.

“One down,” Roxanne mumbled as she peaked around the corner with her pistol at the ready. Garrus set up a defensive position to cover her back as she shifted out from behind the seats and moved toward the back of the boat. Her fingers slipped around a paper that had been hung up as her eyes glanced over it.

Knowing you Shepard, you take out this turret within seconds. I know of your Biotic capabilities, once again another form of betrayal to your people. Your family. The Tenth Street Reds will never forget. So let's see if you can save the aliens on this boat before it explodes into smithereens.

“Dammit!” Roxanne said, throwing the note aside and shifting toward Garrus. “There are others on the ship! Can you find them Garrus?” He picked up his rifle and moved over toward Roxanne, touching her shoulder. “Will do, do what you need and we’ll meet at the back of the ship.”

Explosions, Roxanne knew a bomb had to be somewhere. Knowing the Tenth street reds, they would split things apart so it was a decision. With Garrus, she didn’t have to make a decision thank goodness. She ran the opposite direction where the steering wheel would be, as she could hear the ticking noise toward the front of the boat. Her hand moved down toward the boards and slammed her fist against the metal. Enough strength from her biotics and she broke the panel, tossing it aside as she glanced at the ticking bomb below. “Should have listened more to Tali.” She muttered to herself, thinking about the technician. She placed her pistol down as she glanced over the wires, ignoring the time limit. It was old fashion as if trying to ensure it would blow up.

Her fingers slipped along the wires, as she took a deep breath and had to make a guess. She slipped her hand into her boot where a knife was and took a wire before cutting it. Immediately, the ticking stopped and the flashing halted.

“That was too easy,” Roxanne said as she stood up. “Garrus, we need to go, NOW!” She shouted toward the back of the ship as she cringed when her leg acted up slightly. She leaned against the chair for a moment before forcing herself forward to the back of the ship.

“Done and done Shepard, but--” The sound from her omnitool sizzled as Roxanne knew what it was. Interference as an explosion happened and Roxanne felt the blast slam her backward and immediately the front of the ship was on fire. She scrambled to her feet, grabbing her pistol and running to the back of the ship. Another explosion came from the left as it tosses the ship sideways and Roxanne had to grab one of the side poles. Without a thought, she ran toward the side of the ship, and using her feet she propelled herself off the ship and dived into the water.

The last explosion causes the entire ship to blast apart as she used the water to keep cover from the blast before breaking the surface of the water.

Roxanne gasp for air as she glanced at the burning ship as it sunk into the river. Her eyes narrowed toward the wreckage as felt her lips purse together. Roxanne knew what this was, the old memories of the past. But why? Why would they be after her?

“Shepard!” She heard the voice as she looked out to see Garrus and grabbed his arm. His grip secured her arm as she used his stability to set her feet on the side of the hull. She climbed out of the river and into the small rescue boat and glanced at the others.

“Everyone okay?” She asked as she could see the terror in their eyes but no physical wounds on them. Her hands reached up into her hair as she drained out the water waiting for their delayed responses. They nodded their heads and then she glanced to Garrus.

“Shepard, are you okay?” Garrus asked as he saw her silent eyes and she nodded, covering up any emotion she might have. At the moment, she didn’t want the others to see what she felt. But she knew what it was, her past started to haunt her thoughts and her fear of what they wanted.

“Course, let us get these people to safety.” She said as she took the wheel to steer the boat to the edge of the pier. Once they were docked, the aliens quickly left the boat and headed toward the proper authorities who were waiting. Without a thought, she climbed out of the boat and quickly left the scene with Garrus behind her.

Her mind was filled with the thoughts of what she heard and what she read. It truly bothered her that this group was coming after her. Not that she couldn’t handle it but that her past was catching up with her. The Mentalist in her was breaking apart every little thing and starting to analysis it, but the main words caught her interest. Return to where she began. The Tenth Street Reds gave her a message. Her fingers curled into a fist with the tension on her neck before feeling a hand on her shoulder.

“Roxanne, hold on.” He said as she turned around. She could see his blue eyes fill with concern. No matter how hard she tried, he could always read her like a book.

“Garrus, we have things we have to do, but I rather talk behind closed doors.” She said, refusing to talk about her past to him. She brushed it off as she turned around and instinctively took his hand in hers. It was the past and she wouldn’t let him know. She had to handle this herself. She would get him home and deal with it. Of all people, she was sure Garrus would refuse to let her do this herself but she had to find a way to keep him safe.