#or you show up back at the citadel and go “where's shepard” and they redirect you a Very rundown and dangerous feeling area on earth

[shepcdr]

was thinking about the idea that post-me3 happy ending shepard would benefit from a service dog but i know he'd just end up with smth like this

anyway. jokes aside. more rambling re: the post-me3 ending thoughts below

the scenarios im cooking will work i think whether or not the normandy crew have already returned from being crashed on that random planet in the middle of gods-know-where?? ... though i do have some thoughts on how he struggles with vulnerability going from strong and capable commander shepard to... what he is, after the war. aka an injured and disabled man who needs to heal, but he doesn't immediately see that — but the main difference, if the normandy crew is there, is he goes through... some difficulties with being perceived as vulnerable and weak around them. people who've only ever known him to be commander shepard, relentless and hardened and impossible to knock down.

post-me3 — depending on if they're even there, or if they arrive back on the citad lwhilst he's still in the process of recovering, re-learning basic functionality, even unable to walk again yet — is a really hard struggle. Either he's struggling to function without his crew there (because this is how he feels about ALL the normandy crew btw [excerpt from this thread]:

because he bonds on such a deep. and v codependent level when it comes to the mass effect crew, especially the me1 people. these were the first people he trusted after so many years of self-isolation and loneliness)... Or he's experiencing the horrific struggle of "holy shit i can't let them see me, the man they followed across the galaxy to fight REAPERS, like this"

but all that aside:

i think he'd jump onto helping rebuild as soon as he's physically capable. he doesn't know what else to do, and he's probably best off not using biotics for a while (uncertain what the destroy ending ... EMP sort of thing would have done to his biotics implant but either way. his body probably needs all the help it can get recovering. so no biotics). he certainly can't jump back into active duty whilst still struggling with even day to day functioning, and perhaps even struggling with having undergone some amputation (i'm undecided on that part...). So, volunteer work. Rebuilding both structurally and in terms of of contributing to community, building that all back up in the aftermath of horrific suffering and loss.

And part of that means he ends up on earth for a bit and perhaps.. passing through the area where he grew up. just to see how hard the reapers hit. and then he'd decide to stay a bit and help out!!!

bc i'm always always thinking about the various news you can hear in me2, in particular... about the Shepard Memorial scholarship on earth that's aimed towards disadvantaged kids (well. aka just sends them to the Alliance. but that's certainly a step up from a lot of situations they could be in) and the "Shepards" charity that conrad formed to help orphans/POWs/refugees... and i think after some contemplation, that's where shepard's mind goes first. so he sticks around, puts in some work in the place he came up in + in other low-income and disadvantaged areas/communities similar to it. my heart says he's particular dedicated to charity & work with disadvantaged kids. he bounces between there and anderson's apartment on the citadel, because he's helping there too (and. because. do they ever?? fucking move that thing back to where it was?? or is it permanently hovering above earth now? — i like to think in control ending that shepard as the catalyst + the reapers help rebuild, and drag the citadel back where it used to be because. just easier that way for everyone. but, like, in a post-destroy ending??? it's just stuck there now...)

and he probably has a dingy and modest little apartment he rents on earth around where he grew up, where he's concentrating a lot of these efforts. and in the morning he gets out on the streets for a morning run with this giant fuck-off service dog in tow... it's sitting there with him so well-behaved when he's hanging around with the bunches of rowdy kids he's working with ...

[amvngthestars]

Parentage

While on their way to another visit to Apollos, Jason and Kaidan have a chance encounter with Rear Admiral Shepard, who's just glad to see her son in person again, even if it was by accident.

Words: 809, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English

Series: Part 2 of the Jason Shepard: How Long Has it been Since I Held You Last?

Fandoms: Mass Effect Trilogy Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Categories: M/M Characters: Male Shepard (Mass Effect), Hannah Shepard, Jason Shepard, Kaidan Alenko Relationships: Kaidan Alenko/Male Shepard, Kaidan Alenko/Jason Shepard Additional Tags: Hannah Shepard is glad to see her son again, Jason is bad at calling home, Kaidan loves to make fun of Jason

   “Jason?!?”

    “Mom?”

    “JASON BARTHOLOMEW SHEPARD!”

    “Oh, here we go, she used the full name”

    “Bartholomew?” Kaidan asked, trying not to laugh at the name.

    “It was my grandfather’s name, c’mon K, don’t be mean-oOF!” Jason was cut off by his mother who had just reached them and in lieu of berating her son, gathered him up in a strong hug.

    “Do you know how long it’s been since you’ve sent word to me young man?”

    “I’m not really a young man anymore, Mom-”

    “Three years, four months, and 27 days, Jason,” She said, gripping him tighter.

    “I-I’m sorry Mom,” He said hesitantly, hugging her back.

    “You’re damn right you’re sorry! Now you better buy me dinner and show how sorry you are,” She said finally pulling back far enough to look him in the eye. Jason knew he wasn’t out of the fire yet, but that glint in her eye told him that she wasn’t truly mad, just worried half to death with all the reports about the Normandy’s misadventures.

    “And what kind of son doesn’t introduce me to this poor awkward looking man,” Hannah admonished when she noticed Kaidan standing there. Both boys spoke at once going to introduce him but Kaidan won out, stiffening into a proper salute.

    “Kaidan Alenko, an honor to meet you Rear Admiral Shepard,” he said. At this Hannah could only chuckle, seeing as he was trying to be so formal after seeing her in such an informal state.

    “Please Major Spectre Alenko, there’s no need for any of that. I’m not your commanding officer now am I? Shake my hand properly Kaidan,” she said, extending her hand. Jason was watching all of this with a smile, wondering if he would cave and tell his mother about his relationship or if she would figure it out by how awkward Kaidan was during dinner.

    “Ah, yes ma’am, thank you,” he said, shaking her hand.

    “Mom, we were about to head up to Apollos if you wanted to join us? I know it’s nothing amazing but-”

    “What is amazing? Especially during wartime. I’m just glad to not be eating ship’s rations, boys,” Hannah joked, looping her arm around her son, gently steering the three of them back towards the elevator.

    “After dinner I can show you the apartment Admiral Anderson is letting me borrow while we’re on forced shore leave. I’ve got a nice Batarian shard wine,” Jason offered.

    “Oh, you and your shard wine, Jason, I appreciate the offer but you know I won’t drink that,” Hannah replied. “How about you, Kaidan? Also a shard wine drinker?” she asked.

    “Not quite, ma’am. I’m a fan of a good ol’ Canadian lager and a shot of whiskey myself.” he answered.

    “Ooh a real manly man huh? I’m kidding, haven’t had any good whiskey since I got shipped out into space for the first time,” Hannah said, winking at Kaidan.

    “We managed to find some Peruvian whiskey, costs an arm and a leg to get though,” Jason said, remembering his get-well gift to Kaidan while he was in the hospital.

    “I can only imagine, do you have any left?” Hannah asked hopefully.

    “We should, we stocked up pretty well for the party for the crew,” Jason mused.

    “You never mentioned that it was so expensive,” Kadian said, also remembering that gift.

    “Of course I didn’t mention it, K. It was a gift, don’t worry about it,” Jason said back-tracking. Hannah just gave the both of them a bemused look before changing the subject.

    “C’mon boys, lead me to this Apollos, I’m normally on a different ward of the Citadel,” she said, tugging Jason’s arm.

    “Oh, yeah sure Mom, it’s just this way. They’ve got a really nice view of the Presidium from the outdoor seating,” Jason said, thankful for the distraction, however the look on Kaidan’s face made sure Jason knew that the conversation about the whiskey wasn’t quite over. Kaidan approached on his other side and said quietly to Jason.

    “I can see where you get your great sense of redirection from,” he said, to Jason’s fake shock and dismay. Jason knew it was absolutely true, but that doesn’t mean he’d ever admit that.

    “So Kaidan, I know you were on the original Normandy with my boy. He got so busy after Eden Prime he never called me, tell me all about what you were doing. Was he keeping up with his laundry?” Hannah asked.

    “Mom!” Jason complained, “I’m 32 years old for Christ’s sake. Trust me, I do my own laundry,”

    “That doesn’t mean that laundry has expanded beyond your fatigues in the last three years. It took far too much convincing and persuasion in order to make you get that jacket, if you’ll recall,” Kaidan admonished.

    “Not you too, K!” Jason said with shock as his mother and boyfriend began laughing at him.