Original Stories Fan Fiction ❯ Ever After ❯ Chapter 1

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Disclaimer: All anime, video game, book, television and any other series or any copy righted material are the property of the owner. These are borrowed without permission.

Dedication: To my friends. You’ve been the better than any family I could have been born into.

Author’s Note: What is that you dream of? What do you imagine and hope for your future? What about beyond that? Your heaven, your hell? Well this is one possibility among trillions. This is my…

By Tobias

Mabelle (Belle) Rogers sat in her recliner and watched her Great Grandchildren play. There was a little smile upon her lips as she watched them wrestle with the large plushie based on a character from that new cartoon. She winced as she felt a sharp pain on the left side of her forehead. She raised her left hand to rub it.

“Are you Gran?” Belle looked up to see her Granddaughter Rose watching her with concern.

“Just a head ache, nothing an aspirin and good night’s rest won’t fix.” Belle said. She carefully moved forward, grabbing her cane in her right hand. As she forced herself up, she felt her knees wobble and knew she was going to tumble back. As she started to fall she felt a firm hand support her back. She looked to her left and saw her son, John, Rose’s father.

“I’ve got you Mom.” He said, softly. She smiled gratefully at him.

“Getting old isn’t for the weak of heart.” She quipped at him as she steadied herself with her cane. Once she was sure of her feet she headed at a leisurely pace for the bathroom’s medicine cabinet.

“Ninety-four isn’t that old, Gran!” Rose’s youngest, Lily piped up from the floor.

“Bah, flatter! Goodnight you scamps!” Belle retorted as she moved by them.

“Good night Gran!” They coursed and Belle headed down the hall.

“TJ and Sue were due to get in soon with their families. Are you sure you don’t want to stay up a bit longer Mom?” John asked. Belle shook her head.

“No, I’m a bit tired to put up with almost twenty more trudging in for the holiday. I’ll see them in the morning.” Belle said. She stopped by the bathroom to raid the medicine cabinet for aspirin Quickly popping them in (and her teeth out) she shuffled off for her room. She pointedly ignored her oldest’s hovering as she tucked herself in.

“Goodnight Mom.” John said with a sigh as Belle shut off the lamp by her bed. He closed the door and Belle heard him talking quietly with some one before the moved down the hall.

“Goodnight my babies.” She murmured, snuggling deeper into her comforter. As her eyes began to drift shut she felt another bolt of pain, this ten times stronger then the one before. Then everything gradually turned black.

~*~*~

The first thing Belle became aware of as she began to wake, was a humming. It wasn’t an unpleasant sound, but it was very soft and constant. When she opened her eyes, she saw instead of the white of her ceiling, but a dull, metallic gray. When she turned to her right, she saw bunk beds and tables. However what struck her most was the instant recognition of it all. It was the crew quarters of Normandy SR-2, which only existed in pixels on a video game. Now she was there and it all appeared quite real.

“I’m dreaming.” Belle murmured to herself. She swung herself out of bed and gently landed on the floor. It didn’t surprise her that she was dressed in an Alliance jump suit or that she was seventy years younger. Dreams worked like that, but this one felt so real. She could hear others as they shifted in their own bunks, the room was dim with night running lights and she could even smell the sharp tang of recent cleaning supplies being used. She headed for the door and watched it slide open. It was exactly as she expected. Everything looked just like the Normandy SR-2 in Mass Effect 3, only real. Turning left she headed for the observation room with the bar and poker table. The moment the door opened, her ears were assaulted with the sounds of music and laughter.

“Son of bitch! Do you ever lose Loco?”

“If you recall James, two hands ago you thumped me with a full house. Turnabout is fair play.” A familiar voice said. Belle felt her eyes grow wide as she took in the scene. Sitting at the Normandy’s poker table were James Vega, Liara T’Soni, Joker and an old friend of hers. He looked like he did when he was 21. He had a full head of brown hair and blue eyes. His glasses were gone and he was in an Alliance uniform.

Now Belle knew she was dreaming, Tobias Fiften had died forty-three years ago.

“Well look who decided to wake up!” Tobias said warmly, spotting her staring at them. He raised his left arm, an omni-tool shining to life. He taped something and the music cut off. “I have to cut the game short folks, duty calls.”

“Figures. Come on Joker, I think Garrus might still be up and I feel like a drink or ten before I hit the sack.” James said, standing.

“Sounds good to me, EDI has control for the night.” Joker said getting up himself to hobble out. Liara turned to Tobias who nodded.

“I’ll be in our quarters.” Liara told him, before giving him a kiss on the cheek. Tobias grinned at Belle’s dumb founded look and gestured to one of the lounge chairs.

“Sit down.” He offered, getting up from the poker table. He headed for the bar. “You want a drink?”

“No thanks.” Belle said, sitting in the offered chair. “This is the craziest dream I’ve ever had.”

“It’s not a dream.” Tobias said, taking a seat across from her, drink in hand. “It’s something more.”

“More?” Belle asked confused. Tobias nodded, taking a sip.

“What was the last thing you remember before you woke up here?” He asked. Belle frowned.

“I was settling in for the night and then felt a headache slam into me as I was drifting to sleep. Then I woke up here.” Belle mused. She gave a small jolt as a realization hit her. “It wasn’t just a head ache was it?”

“Not bad Belle, some people take awhile to figure it out.” Tobias mused, setting his drink aside. “It was a stroke, a pretty bad one too. You had the fortune of going pretty quick after that.”

“So I’m really…” She trailed off and Tobias nodded.

“Mabelle Rogers passed away at 9:52 pm on July 3rd, 2077. I’m sorry Belle.”

~*~*~

“Sorry?! I’m dead and you’re sorry?!” Belle shouted. She felt dizzy as everything seemed to swoon around her. What about her babies? The Grandbabies? Oh God they would find her-

She felt some one’s hand take hers and felt a rush of love, joy, serenity, caring, protection, and other feelings of strength rush into her. She glanced down and saw Tobias had taken her left hand in his right. There was small blue glow around their joined hands.

“Better?” he asked quietly and Belle took in a shuddering, deep breath.

“Yes actually. What did you do?” Belle asked as he let go.

“It’s something you’ll learn as you go here. My guide called it Bridging and I can’t think of a better way to put it. I touched my soul with yours and sent all my feelings about you to you. It has the benefit of calming the recipient down. You were starting to freak out on me.” Tobias said, smiling. “Understandably so.”

“Toby, why did I show up here? Shouldn’t there have been gates? Saint Peter?” Belle asked and Tobias laughed.

“Well missy, let me tell you a unknown fact. Pure, clean souls go right around that. No waiting line for you.” Tobias said, and Belle blushed. “You can’t believe how happy I am for you.”

“So Heaven is the Normandy?” Belle wondered and Tobias laughed again.

“Well my Heaven is the Mass Effect universe.” Tobias replied and Belle’s eyes went wide again. “I’m going to help you find yours.”

“So you’re my guide then? Why you?” Belle asked and Tobias smiled.

“I’m your guide because I know you. And I’m a guide because I have to do penance. I went to the gate.” Tobias said. Belle stared at him.

“Why did you go there?” She asked and Tobias shrugged.

“I didn’t live the cleanest life but my sins were two fold. I slept with a married woman without knowing it and I hit that boy with my car. Remember?”

“But you tried to help him!” Belle protested. Tobias sighed.

“Yes but I shouldn’t have been going that fast on the side road. I wasn’t think clearly. That and what happened with Julie were black marks so to speak. If I hadn’t been truly repentant I’d have gone the other way.” Tobias said. “I think this is fair trade off. Helping my friends and family that make it is a fair price to pay.”

“I guess….” Belle mused and then jerked in her seat when she remember. “What happened to Steve?!” Tobias winced. Steve was her husband and had passed away six years ago. Heart attack.

“I hate this part.” He muttered. He shook his head before looking her in the eye. “Do you remember back in 2024? Two weeks after your ten year wedding anniversary?”

“Of course I do! That man broke into our house and when Steve was checking down stairs…” she trailed off in horror.

“He shot him.” Tobias said quietly. “What he didn’t tell you was that the man gave up as soon as he saw Steve. He dropped your TV and put his hands up. Then Steve shot him. He didn’t throw the TV at him like Steve said. He killed him in cold blood.”

“You’re lying!” Belle screamed. Tobias gazed at her coolly.

“I can show you if you like. There’s a place here where you can watch scenes from your life and the lives of loved ones. Do you really want me to show it to you?”

Tears ran down her cheeks as she shook her head. Tobias got up and moved to hug her. Belle clung to him as she began to cry.

~*~*~

She had no idea how long she cried but eventually she felt the pain lessen and she let go of Tobias’s shirt.

“Feel better?” he asked and Belle nodded. She sniffled and Tobias handed her a box of tissues that was just suddenly there.

“How long did I-?” Belle began to ask.

“Your cried for about three weeks.” He answered and Belle stared at him.

“How did I do that?” Belle exclaimed, cleaning her eyes.

“We’re not a body anymore Belle. We’re the soul. Some times the soul needs to cry too.” Tobias said. He headed for the bar, fixed her a drink and came back. She took it gratefully. “When I found out my son’s baby died in child birth I cried for a week for him.”

“You didn’t have any children!” Belle accused and Tobias grinned.

“Remember those trips I made to the bank when I needed money in college?” Tobias reminded her and Belle gasped.

“So some one used your-”

“I have seven children.” Tobias said cutting her off. “I met one of them not too long ago. It was nice to get to know her and her parents. Her father was sterile so…”

“Wow.” Belle mused. She glanced around. “So Mass Effect is your idea of heaven?”

“Not the game, more so the universe.” Tobias said. “I find it comforting and it changes. Some days it’s the Mass Effect universe, other days it’s a perfect day in the park where I grew up. It’s not so much what it is but when you feel ready to accept that you’re really here. I see my family some times for years at a time and then not again for decade. Or we see each other every other day. Not to mention the place where the Angels and God are. Its wonderful.”

“So we’ll really meet God?” Belle asked, wonder in her voice.

¡°Yes we will. But first we need to start looking for your Heaven. I’d really like to see what yours is like. Are you ready to start walking?”

“Walking?” Belle asked and Tobias nodded. He held out a hand to Belle and she took it. He helped her up and lead her to the observation room’s door. It didn’t open automatically.

“When I guide people I like to use the metaphor of moving from room to room in a house. To help you find your Heaven we walk through other people’s Heavens. People connected to me and you. Are you ready?”

Belle nodded, suddenly nervous. Tobias smiled at her and squeezed her hand re-reassuringly.

“Don’t worry. It’s a fun walk. Some times it takes days, others years. But the journey is just as wonderful as the destination. We’ll see J’dee, your daughter Jennifer, your parents, my parents, my daughter, your professors, and dozens, maybe hundreds more. It’s not so much the people as it is the journey. One time we’ll step through the door and then no one will be there but you and me. And then you’ll feel it. This home. And you’re loved.”

Belle smiled and Tobias touched the panel on the door. It slide open to reveal a large meadow. Belle felt her heart skip a beat when she saw some one resting on a tree stump.

“Let’s go say hi.” Tobias said. He tugged her hand and gently led her through.

The door softly closed behind them.

~Fini

Finale A/N:

When I first thought about this story, my friend Mabelle popped right into my mind. She's a devote Catholic and she has more faith than anyone I've ever known. She's helped me with a few crisis of faith I've had myself. It seemed only fitting to have her in the other role,

Basically this story is me trying to explain how I see the after life. I think every author is entitled to at least one story sharing their own views.  Its what makes our lives so much richer to share that with others.

It doesn't really fall under fanfiction so much because the Mass Effect universe is only talked about for setting the scene. So I think I'm safe to say this is original fiction.

I hope you enjoyed the story. If you want to read any fanfiction I've written, lease check out Heart's Desire. It's a new fanfic I'm working on with my friends J'dee & Mabelle.

Take care.

~Toby