“In my headcanon, Earthborn/Sole Survivor Shepard has been emotionally destroyed by the Akuze incident, and would be incapable of functioning as a human being if he did not have his crew. He unconsciously regards them as the family he did not have on Earth and takes it upon himself to protect them and talk them through their troubles. This behavior means his team functions incredibly well, but it also causes him to fall into a terrible, pitch-black depression each time he loses someone, such as Virmire. It also means he forced himself to suppress his feelings for Ash first and Jack later, because he cannot accept the thought of caring for one crewmember more than the others.”

Submitted by anonymous.