Author's Note: So, I've written a one-shot about Miranda, Gillian, and Liara. I hope you enjoy it.
Disclaimer: I don't own Mass Effect.
Atonement
"People find meaning and redemption in the most unusual of human connections." -Khaled Hosseini
Miranda Lawson wasn't entirely sure why she decided to follow Gillian Grayson instead of continuing since she was now on the run from both the Alliance and Cerberus. Maybe, it was because of Tali's accusatory tone when the quarian spoke of the attack of the migrant fleet. Or maybe it was because looking at the picture of a skinny, black haired fifteen-year-old girl reminded her too much of her sister Oriana. It was one thing to say you didn't care when the incident was distant. But looking at the picture changed everything. It wasn't difficult to track Gillian since the girl clearly had no experience with concealing herself. Unfortunately, Miranda didn't take into account that the girl's response to her presence might be hostile.
Gillian pushed her back with a Biotic Throw, knocking Miranda off her feet. "You're with Cerberus! How long have you been following me?!" she hissed.
Miranda cursed the fact she still was wearing her old uniform, since combat gear was practically impossible to acquire when you were a fugitive. "No, I'm not with Cerberus. I left them a while back."
"Why should I believe you?!" she hissed, her blue eyes hostile and angry, focused on the wall behind Miranda.
"Contact the fleet and ask for Tali'Zorah vas Normandy," Miranda replied. "She'll tell you everything you need to know."
After about a minute, Gillian apparently decided that Miranda was trustworthy enough to turn her back on, and began typing something into her omni-tool. After several minutes in which Miranda briefly contemplated leaving the headstrong girl in spite of the danger the teen was in, Gillian turned. "Well, it looks like you aren't lying," she said. "But why were you looking for me? Shouldn't you be lying low?"
"Yes, I should be," Miranda admitted. "Then an old friend of mine let slip about your vendetta against the Illusive Man and I decided to follow you."
"He deserves to die for killing my father!" she yelled loudly enough that Miranda worried that someone would come running down the hallway to see what the commotion was. Fortunately, no one did.
Miranda held up a hand. "I'm not arguing that. However, did it ever occur you that this could be a trap? Think about it. The intel you acquired about the Illusive Man was easy to find. It's almost as though he wanted you to follow the trail."
Gillian deflated slightly, and began to curl her hands into her raven-black hair. "I did think it was a little convenient. But I still have to kill him!"
"Would your father want you to throw your life away on revenge mission that might not even work?" Miranda asked, knowing from the Gillian's dossier that the teen and her adoptive father were close.
"That's not fair!" Gillian retorted, tears starting to stream from her blue eyes.
"Would he?"
Gillian finally shook her head. "No, he wouldn't. That's why he left with the migrant fleet, so Cerberus wouldn't get their hooks into me and I could have a normal life."
"I could understand why," Miranda noted, thinking about her own efforts to keep her identical twin sister Oriana safe from their micromanaging father. Maybe, she and the late Mr. Grayson had more common then she initially thought. Just then, she heard a loud boom from the end of the corridor. Gillian jumped slightly, her eyes darting between the source of the sound and Miranda.
"Did you bring anyone with you?" Miranda inquired, attempting to keep her voice even and calm in spite of her fear.
Gillian shook her head, and Miranda noted that there were circles under the teen's eyes, indicating that she probably barely slept at all to keep a watchful eye for Cerberus operatives. Clearly, Gillian was more cautious then she gave her credit for.
"Let's go then," Miranda said. "I have a ship, and I'd like to put as much distance between us and this trap as possible."
Before she'd even finished speaking, the door at the hall flew off its hinges. Kai Leng, the Illusive Man's assassin and attack dog stood in the doorway. Apparently, the Illusive Man was taking no chances of Gillian surviving his little trap. Miranda decided what she needed to do and made a mental apology to Liara and Oriana, since she was breaking her promise to return to them alive.
"I'll distract him," she hissed to the girl. "Then you make a run for it to the ship."
To her surprise, the teen shook her vehemently. "I can't let you face him alone," Gillian insisted.
Realizing she possessed neither the time nor the persuasive to convince her to leave, Miranda nodded curtly. Kai Leng utilized a Biotic pulse that pushed both of them off their feet. Miranda just barely managed to push Gillian out of the way as a toothbrush shot by and imbedded into the wall. Miranda was talented, but Kai Leng was even stronger, and she wasn't sure how much of a fight Gillian could put up, considering the kid was operating on a minimal amount of sleep and miniscule amounts of food.
Fortunately for both of them, instead of killing them right then and there, Kai Leng chose to gloat. "Well look what we have here?" he crowed. "Looks like I'm getting two bounties for the price of one. It's too bad about your falling out with the boss, Miranda. You could have been so much more. Instead, you'll have to settle for getting eliminated by an enhanced person."
"You haven't won yet," Miranda retorted, as she glanced around for anything that would give them an advantage over Kai Leng. Suddenly, as though neon signs pointed her towards it, she noticed that Kai Leng stood under an air conditioning unit. She gestured towards Gillian, hoping the teen would notice. The teen looked confused, until she noticed the position of the air conditioning unit and nodded. Miranda held up a hand, as though she were trying to ward off the still gloating Kai Leng. One. Two. Three. As one, the pair pushed their biotics against the air conditioning unit, which buckled and crumbled on top of Kai Leng, who attempted to deflect it with his sword, but failed.
"Come on," Miranda said, tugging Gillian to her feet and running down the hallway back to her ship. Even if Kai Leng was dead, Miranda wanted to get as far away from this station as she could. As it turned out, the ship was able to take off without any further difficulties, and they zoomed off to a remote system that would be easy for both her and Gillian to lie low in for a while so Miranda could contact Oriana. Gillian dropped the easiness with which they'd working to bring down Kai Leng and was glancing around uncertainly.
"You look hungry," she noted, pulling out some ration packs and tossing two over to the teen, who deftly caught them, and sat on one of the chairs in the cockpit. Meanwhile, Miranda plotted a course for their new destination, and hoped that no one was following them.
…
To say Gillian was uncomfortable on Miranda's ship was a gross understatement. While, the former operative at first seemed aloof and cold, Gillian observed that it was façade to protect the brunette haired operative from being hurt. It was similar to how Gillian behaved and was perceived. However, while Miranda cultivated a cold persona to keep other people out, Gillian often accidently put her foot in her mouth so to speak, being rude unintentionally. One thing Gillian was certain of was that she owed her life to Lawson. Her biotics would not have been able to protect her from Kai Leng, who was hopefully dead. In addition, Gillian recognized that her revenge scheme against the Illusive Man was foolish and not what her father would have wanted. There was one question that still prodded at the back of her mind like a hang nail that resisted being ripped out. How had Miranda been able to locate her? As Gillian learned from her fruitless pursuit of the Illusive Man, the galaxy was large and it was quite easy to disappear off the map, especially if their records were conveniently wiped.
Gillian finally received her answer four days later when the communication device in the main hold started ringing incessantly, until Miranda, a towel wrapped around her head to dry her hair rushed in and punched a button. An asari with eyebrows that were either wire-thin or fake appeared on the screen. While Gillian was attracted to women, she never really saw the appeal of the asari. "So, I assume your mission was a success?" she inquired.
Miranda actually rolled her eyes. "Of course, it was a success," she said. "Besides, this wasn't an official mission. Just a favor for…."
"So how are you settling in Gillian?" Liara asked.
"I'm fine," Gillian replied, and attempted to smile. After Liara and Miranda began talking about vague stuff, Gillian took that as her cue to leave, and spent the rest of the day reading a manual on controlling biotics.
…
"So, I noticed you weren't too eager to label us as anything," Liara said.
Miranda blushed. "I didn't want to call us girlfriends in case you weren't ready for that." When Liara raised an eyebrow at that, she added. "When Gillian and I were facing Kai Leng, all I could focus on was getting back alive to both you and Oriana."
Liara smiled at that. "I'm glad to hear that, since to be honest, I was never content to just be friends with benefits."
After they chatted briefly about Shadow Broker stuff, and Miranda gave Liara some intel she'd acquired on the Protheans that might be useful, they said their good-byes and Miranda's heart beat a little faster when Liara said "I love you". It was ridiculous that after years of coldly getting involved with men via a dating service and her brief fling with Jacob, that Liara T'Soni made her behave like a love-struck teenager. Miranda pushed the thought from her mind, and decided now would be an excellent time to make some lunch for herself and Gillian out of the ration packs, which while not particularly appetizing, were still edible.
…
Gillian admitted to herself when they arrived on the Citadel, that she was out of practice traveling in crowds. Moreover, all the flashing signs on the Presidium almost caused her to pass out from the sensory overload. Fortunately, Miranda decided that it would be safer for Gillian to bunker down in this ramshackle apartment instead of accompanying Miranda on her top-secret rendezvous to gather more intel on where her twin sister Oriana's current whereabouts. Gillian hadn't met Miranda's sister in person, but from the glimpses she'd gotten Oriana was kind of hot. Not that she was going to admit it, since Oriana was five years older than her and probably wasn't romantically interested in girls.
Fortunately for Gillian, her musings were interrupted by Miranda's arrival. "Did you acquire what you were looking for?" she asked.
"Some," Miranda said. "However, there are several potential leads I could get from some former Cerberus operatives who owe me favors. But it's probably too late in the day for that. So, let's get some biotic practice in."
Gillian inwardly groaned since Miranda was a much stricter teacher than the ones at Grissom Academy. On the other hand, Gillian knew she needed to improve in her biotics just in case the Illusive Man sent someone else after her.
…
Miranda shook her head as she noted the devastation on the Peridium. While she now admitted to herself that Cerberus had never been the noble organization she'd thought it was, their wanton attack on the Citadel, which was jam packed with war refugees was low even for them. Thankfully, Shepard showed up at the room Miranda bribed a janitor to rent for a couple of hours. Miranda noted that there were deep circles under Shepard's eyes, not surprising given the woman's double duty of serving in the war and playing diplomat.
"I got your message Miranda," Shepard said. "Is this about your sister?"
Well, here was the chance to lay out what she needed and hope that the Commander would understand. "Shepard, I need access to Alliance resources. I can't say anymore. You'll just have to trust me."
Jane pursed her lips thoughtfully before she finally said, "You'll have your access Miranda. But I don't like the sound of this. And there's something else you should know. Kai Leng is still alive."
Miranda gasped before she could stop herself. Of course, she should have known that a collapsing catwalk wouldn't be enough to kill Kai Leng. The man was practically made of iron. "Thank you for letting me know. I'll take extra precautions."
Not long after that, she discovered her father's refugee camp on Horizon of all places. As she prepared to confront him, Gillian not surprisingly wanted to come along.
"It could be trap," Gillian said. "Besides you could use some back up."
"No!" Miranda yelled. "I'm not putting you in anymore danger." With that, Miranda left on her ship for Horizon. Looking back, she should have realized that Gillian was too stubborn to be left behind.
…
To say Miranda wasn't pleased about Gillian following her to Horizon was an understatement, and given the horrific footage of helpless refugees being transformed into husks, the teen couldn't blame her. Then they confronted Henry Lawson, who Gillian couldn't believe was blood related to Miranda if it weren't for their similar eye color. Kai Leng showing up, really put a wrench in their plans. Fortunately, the assassin ignored her and focused on the Lawson family, and managed to grab the research data from Miranda's father. Of course, Miranda's father continued to hold a gun against Oriana's body, preventing Miranda from rescuing her sister. It was in this moment, that Gillian realized how grateful she was to have an adoptive father who truly cared about her and wanted her to have a safe and normal life. Just then the tan skinned woman they referred to as Commander Shepard showed up with a couple of her squad.
"Shepard," Miranda said as she sat on the floor.
"Commander Shepard," Henry Lawson said speculatively. "Excellent timing."
"Put the gun down," Shepard said with authority.
"No," Miranda's father replied. "Oriana tried to shoot me. Miranda's poisonous influence, no doubt."
"I'm sorry she missed," Shepard retorted. "Where's Kai Leng?"
"I don't know. Gone. He took my research and left us here to die."
"Miranda, can you hear me?" Shepard gently asked.
Miranda was struggling to stand up, and Gillian noted that there were several bruises on her arms from her struggle with Kai Leng.
"That's close enough!" Henry spat. "Both of you! Kai Leng didn't finish the job. But I will!"
"This ends here," Shepard said.
"On the contrary," Henry declared. "Now that the Reapers are taken care of, we have a way out."
"Let her go," Shepard ordered, not that any of her commands seemed to have swayed Henry Lawson.
"Shepard," Miranda gasped, as though speaking put a strain on her ribs. "Don't let him take her!"
"Shepard, please," Oriana said, her voice barely louder than a whisper.
"I have no problem with you. I just want Oriana and the research data," Shepard explained.
"You want a lot," Miranda's father said.
"You get your life in return," Shepard pointed out. "How much is that worth?"
Henry Lawson seemed to consider it for a moment as he glanced between Shepard and his daughter, before releasing and pushing Oriana to the floor. "All right. Take her. But I want out alive. Deal?"
Before Shepard could reply, Miranda glowed blue with her biotics, and pushed him out a window, which cracked from the force of a body being shoved into it. Henry Lawson fell, screaming, to the floor below. "No deal," Miranda said, her tone irate. Her tone softened as she approached Oriana. "Did he hurt you? Are you all right? It's ok, Ori. You're safe now."
"I'm fine," Oriana said. "I just…. I want to get out of here."
"We will," Miranda reassured her sister. "Give me a minute, ok?"
As Miranda and Shepard conversed about Cerberus and the facility, Gillian cautiously approached Oriana. "Hi, I didn't exactly get a chance to introduce myself before, but I'm Gillian."
Oriana smiled, and shook her hand. "It's nice to meet you. Miranda mentioned you before."
As they chatted, Gillian hoped that Oriana didn't notice the blush that was on the teen's cheeks.
…
As Miranda arrived at the party Shepard was hosting, she couldn't quite believe that they'd manage to get a lull in the fighting. While both Oriana and Gillian wanted to come, Miranda put her foot down, since they were both underage, and alcohol was going to be flowing freely at this party. Once, she entered the apartment and didn't make it ten feet, before a blue figure tightly embraced her.
"I missed you so much," Liara declared.
Miranda resisted the urge to roll her eyes at her girlfriend's melodrama. "We saw each other on Horizon. It wasn't that long ago."
"But you were in bad shape then," Liara said. "I like seeing you when you don't look black and blue from bruises."
Miranda admitted that the heavy bruising and cracked ribs inflicted on her by Kai Leng meant that she'd taken things easy for several days. Oriana enjoyed the opportunity to fuss over both her big sister and Gillian, who apart from a sprained ankle from climbing the ladder, mostly escaped injury. "Well, then let's go get a drink at the bar. I hear they've got everything."
They socialized with both people Miranda worked with when they took down the Collectors, and new faces that were either from the first Normandy crew or were from the current one. However, after they got bored, she and Liara ended up heading back to one of the many bedrooms, and Miranda fell asleep, her head against her girlfriend's chest.
…
Gillian was nervous, and felt underdressed at this party, even though her purple evening gown went down to the tops of her low-heeled shoes. This would be the first time she'd either Miranda or Oriana since the war against the Reapers ended five years ago. After the war, she'd chosen to return to the quarians on Rannoch, although she did write to both Miranda and Oriana occasionally. Miranda married her longtime girlfriend Liara T'Soni and the pair had a daughter named after Liara's mother and the tabloids whispered that T'Soni was pregnant again, although from what Gillian observed, Liara didn't look particularly round yet.
It was several minutes before Gillian spotted Oriana, who looked quite beautiful in a green knee-length dress that a little more on the casual side, but was still nice. "Hi," Gillian said, holding out her hand, which Oriana took eagerly. "I haven't seen you in a while. How's college been?"
Oriana smiled. "Fine actually. I'm glad Miri twisted my arm and talked me in to going on to graduate school."
They talked about a couple of light topics, and it was several minutes before Gillian worked up the courage to ask her question. "So, since you're not busy on Saturdays, would you like to hang out some time?"
"As friends, or…."
Just then, Gillian realized something. "You did notice I was blushing."
Oriana shrugged. "You were under eighteen back then, which isn't a problem now. And yes, I would be very interested in going out with you."
"Then I'm looking forward to it," Gillian declared, seeing a bright future ahead of her, that Oriana could be a part of.