The Universe faces the threat of the Reapers. Two women are the only chance at stopping them, but that is easier said than done. Besides finding a way to stop them, both women are busy dancing with their demons and trying to put themselves back together. How do you redeem the things you've done? Saving the Universe might be a good start.

This takes place after the events of Bioshock Infinite and before the events of Burial at Sea; and just after Horizon.

Commander Shepard, I can help you with your problems. I have ways of stopping your Reapers; meet me at the Dark Star as soon as you can. Don't keep me waiting to long; the universe depends on it.

-A.D.

Shepard stared at the note for what seemed like forever. It was a handwritten note handed to her by Captain Bailey. Who even had paper anymore? Whoever it was, she was sure she wasn't working for Cerberus; she even avoided sending it to her terminal. She told Garrus about the note and asked him to come along just in case worst came to worst. The two began their journey to the Dark Star.

"Screw that we can handle ourselves, go back and get Alenko." "Lily, sweetheart you have to calm down they will see you glowing." "Dad do something she is going to get us killed. The Batarians swooped into their home drawn like moths to the flame to her blue aura. Why hadn't they taught her how to use her biotics? She could have saved them, she could have protected them, they never would of even found us. "I thought we had something, I loved you and you turned your back on everything we believed in." "Shepard!" Joker screamed as she pushed the launch button for the escape shuttle. For a moment she still thought she would live. Her suit would protect her from the cold and the alliance would be here soon. That is when she felt an assault of cold hair on her. She reached to it hoping to calm herself and realize she was just paranoid. She did not find comfort, but she did find a puncture in her suit. She tried to close it with omni-gel but then there was another hole and another and suddenly, the world got blurry.

"Glad to see you are finally here, I was beginning to think you weren't going to show." Said the brunette with striking blue eyes. She sat alone at a table and motioned for Shepard to take the seat beside her. Shepard was hesitant but she eventually sat down. Garrus was there, and he was quick; if anything went wrong she knew he would stop it. "Names Elizabeth, sorry about all of the secrecy, but you are a very important woman and my information can't be placed in the wrong hands." Shepard flinched at her words. Shepard was being manipulated by the wrong hands, and this stranger knew it.

"You said that you had info on the Reapers," Shepard said dryly as the waiter brought them drinks. She wanted nothing more than to down the glass and forget her problems, but there was no way she was doing this around some stranger.

"Yes I do, I also have ... talents that I think would help you stop them." The brunette said as she threw back her drink. She was not quick enough to hide the displeasure of the drink. She had never drank it before which Shepard thought was strange, it was a pretty common drink.

"Of course," Said Shepard as she sipped at her drink "There is always a catch," Shepard said not even trying to hide the annoyance in her voice.

"No catch,I have just as much reason to save the Universe as you, as it turns out it is my home too."

"So what you want to come with me?" Shepard asked avoiding Elizabeth's eyes; there was something off about this woman and now she wanted to join her crew.

"Let me go on one mission with you. If you are not impressed by my skills and what I have to offer, then by all means kick me off of your ship. I will still give you the info about the Reapers. Like I said its my universe too."

"Well then Elizabeth," Shepard began as she raised her glass "Welcome aboard"

"Shepard" The Illusive man said as he brought the cigar to his lips, "It has come to my attention that you have brought a complete stranger on board, you do realize why that is not acceptable? You are with my ship and bringing people I can not trust on to my ship."

"And?" Shepard said with pride. If she had known this is how he would react to her bringing Elizabeth on board she would have agreed much sooner. This was fantastic. "As I recall I am the one in charge of my team. I want people I can trust on it. I didn't realize I needed a permission slip."

The Illusive man stared at her before taking another drag of his cigar. "I need information on her. I can't let someone I don't trust on my ship. I don't know if the Alliance would allow things like this but that is not how things work here..." Shepard disconnected communications. There was no way in hell he was going to talk to her like that.

Garrus, Elizabeth, Jack and Shepard piled into the shuttle headed out towards Pragia. Jack was on edge, everyone could see that. She kept wringing her hands together and would scratch at her arm. Shepard pulled Jack's arm away from her and held her hand. Out of all of the crew, Jack seemed to be the only one she was beginning to trust. It probably had to do with their mutual hatred for Cerberus. Elizabeth was also nervous, and kept trying to grab the thimble on her pinky through her armor. She had one chance to prove herself and she hoped that she was enough.

"It's the only way to undo what I've done to you." He said as he slowly and tenderly moved her hand from his and opened the door. She knew what she had to do, this is what she wanted, what they both wanted. She had never felt more pain in her life; killing the only person you ever cared about was no easy feat. She breathed in deeply and followed him to his doom.

They landed and all four of them left the shuttle without a word. Shepard effortlessly became the famous Commander instead of the woman previously holding a friend's hand like mother to a crying child.

Members of the Blood pack started attacking. Elizabeth saw a turret and pulled it in through her tear. Shepard looked shocked but said nothing as she raced to the turret and began firing on the mercs. Elizabeth then threw some thermal clips towards Garrus and he gratefully took them and reloaded his sniper. Elizabeth and Jack worked effortlessly together Jack would hit them with a singularity, and Elizabeth would act with one of her vigors. It took no time at all until all of the mercs where down. Jack and Garrus stared at Elizabeth but Shepard said nothing as she walked towards their next destination. She only turned around when she realized that no one was following.

"What the hell was that," Garrus said in awe as Jack just stared at her.

"Its uh.. well its..." Elizabeth began but Shepard had cut her off.

"Don't know if you guys noticed but it turns out we are on a mission." She then turned back around and continued without a second glance. The three of them began after her without another word.

After the mission was complete the four returned to the Normandy and parted ways Shepard set a course for Haestrom and returned to her quarters with nothing more than an angry glare at anyone that attempted to talk to her. When she finally reached her quarters the exhaustion finally began to overtake her. When was the last time she had even slept? Three days? That sounded about right. She dared not get anywhere comfortable for fear of losing to the throbbing of her head that begged for sleep. There was no way in hell she would allow herself to dream. She was startled when she heard the door to her cabin door open, it was Garrus.

"Shepard, you look like hell." He said softly his voice full of concern

"That's what human women love to hear," She turned and glanced at him, his face full of worry."I'm fine Garrus" she said as she began reading messages from her terminal.

"Bullshit, when was the last time you slept?"

"Garrus I already said I was fine,"

"Yes, you did and I already said that was bullshit, are you sleeping, Chakwas said you haven't been eating much either and I've always been told that biotics have to eat and sleep a lot more than other humans. You know if there is something bothering you, I'm here for you Shepard"

This time she finally turned to look at him but she didn't dare meet his eyes. "Garrus, I don't know if I can be helped. I can't sleep, fighting is the only thing I can do right now. The only thing that makes me feel almost human." She dropped her head as a few tears defiantly fell from her eyes. She was Commander Fucking Shepard, and here she was crying like some weak child.

"Shepard you can't keep this up. I am ordering you as a friend to eat some food and sleep for the rest of the trip to Haestrom. I will make sure no one screws anything up, I promise."

"Garrus, I don't want to sleep, thats the problem."

"Bad dreams?"

"They are just dreams to me at this point, except mine aren't scary monsters they are the just things I've done."

"I thought you would say that, which is why I talked to Chakwas before coming up here, she gave me these said they would help you have a nice, dreamless sleep."

She stared at him a long time before taking the pills and laying down in her bed. She was asleep before her head even touched the pillow.

To say that Elizabeth felt out of place on the Normandy was and understatement, she jumped head first into a culture she hardly knew anything about that couldn't be more different than her own. She had moved a cot under the stairs and her and Jack had become fast friends, both knew what it was like to be trapped for their childhood, and yet both still found comfort in the confinement.

"So, how did you do that thing with the turret?" Jack asked as she flipped through her files from Cerberus.

"They are called tears, sometimes I can see things that aren't there and bring them in, its a long story."

Jack stared at her for a moment before going back to her files "Pretty fucking rad."

"What do you think of her?" Garrus asked the pilot as he sat down beside him

"Shepard? I think she is barely holding her self together, I think she needs help but I don't think is just going to let us. I'm terrified she is going to get herself killed."

"She has been increasingly reckless on the last few missions and I think she is getting worse."

"So i guess you convinced her to go to sleep?" Garrus nodded "Good, she was really fucking cranky."

"She has a picture of him in her quarters." Garrus said as he looked out the window.

"I think they are both in a tough situation, I mean to him she has been dead for years and, well you saw how he was dealing with it." Garrus winced at the memory of a drunk Alenko with a bloody nose. "But to her I mean, she was just with him months ago and now she doesn't have much of a choice with Cerberus now does she?"

"I think she remembers dying." Garrus said as looked down at his hands.

"Yeah, I can't imagine that would be any easy thing to deal with, especially when you might die again soon."

"What about Elizabeth?" Garrus said, no longer wanting to think about his closest friend in pain.

"She's, honestly I have no idea what to think about her. Something seems off."

"I agree" Garrus said as a drowsy Shepard approached them from behind and leaned against Joker's chair.

"Feeling better?" Joker asked her. "If you need help sleeping I'm a pretty good at cuddling you know, unless you break my bones, but that doesn't mean I'll sleep with you, well maybe I haven't decided yet. I guess I wouldn't technically be breaking regs." She smiled at him, not a fake smile, but an actual smile that reached her eyes. It was a start.