Shepard didn't have time to judge the distance, only a split second to act. He lept off the edge of the cliff and realized that the ship was too far. He wasn't going to make it. His body slummed hard against the hull of the Ship just as be managed to catch himself on the edge of the doorway. The impact of the bullets against his shield had his grip slipping. No! He silently screamed his fingers slipping. Pan tore through him likes raging fire and he could find no strength to pull up. He didn't just fight his way through the galaxy to die like this. Falling to his death was not good enough for John Shepard.

"Shepard!" Miranda cried getting a lose hold on the commander as his grip slipped. The sudden eight brought her to her knees. "Grunt help!" Before I lose him, she wanted to scream fighting back tears. She would not lose. Not now. Not like this.

Grunt snatched the commander be the collar of his uniform saving both Shepard and Miranda as he began to fall. "Gotca Commander."

Panting, Shepard dropped to his hands and knees seething in pain. "For the love of god get us out of here EDI!" he barked trying to stand but his body didn't like that idea so much. That okay, he reassured himself leaning against the wall, he was fine with just passing out right here.

The ship jerked causing Miranda to brace her hands against Shepard's shoulder. She felt her eyes start to drop so she forced herself to stay conscious for a while longer. She found herself smiling down at him, her body swaying against her will. "you did it."

"We did it." Shepard corrected his heart lurching when her body went slack. Frantic, he brushed her hair away from her pale face, "Miranda. Come on damn it!" Then he felt the blood. The med gel she had hastily applied at ruptured and stated to bleed once again. Filled with a new surge of energy, he scoped her up into his arms shoving past the crew that had gathered. "Don't die on me."

Joker raced to the comm to give the med bay a heads up before he raced to the cockpit. He did his best to keep his balance as EDI sped through the debris.

Chakwas whirled from the injured crew member when the commander charged in with Miranda in his arms. After a quick assessment, she left her current patient to treat the Cerberus office. "On the table." She commanded holding the rest of the crew at bay. The room wasn't large enough for everyone, "unless you're bleeding to death you can wait outside." Silently, she ordered her medical assistant to set up shop outside.

Shepard did his best to be gentle, but no matter which way he laid her down she winced in her sleep. "I'm sorry." He murmured gently touching her pale face trying to will her to open those beautiful hazel eyes.

Chakwas ran her omni-tool over the woman trying her best to assets the extend of the damage. It was hard because of Miranda's extra Biotics. She had taken two rounds that had ripped straight through her shields and armor. One had hit her in the right shoulder and the other to the left hip. "Armor pricing rounds. She's lost a lot of blood. Shattered wrist, ribs, and a bruised shoulder." Now she cursed herself for sending her assistant out of the room. She needed to get Miranda out of her armor. Glancing at Shepard she watched the commander gaze down at the woman with his heart on his sleeve. Well she didn't' t have much of a choice, she concluded diving into her supplies. "get her armor off. Carefully."

Shepard cursed his shaking hands as he fumbled with the buckles of his armor. His mind couldn't help but go back to the night before.

She turned to greet him as he grasped her around the waist. Effortlessly, he lifted to hook her legs around his hips backing her up against the concal. There were no words, they didn't need them. Everything had been said before, now it was time for reaction. Miranda wrapped her arms around him her hands tugging at his hair to drag his head back. He brought her mouth to hers knowing that she would coming willing. What he wasn't expecting was the urgency he felt. It was intense as she pressed against him and he found himself fighting the urge to devour her entirely. She laughed, possibly for the first time that Shepard could remember, as they began to fall. Smiling, she lifted above him reaching for her buckle of her armor. Her breath hitched when Shepard's large hand caught hers to stop her.

Shepard gently peeled the fabric apart and his mouth went completely dry. Never in his life had he ever seen such a beautiful woman. He pushed the armor from her shoulders, his hands brushing the straps of her lace down. It thrilled him to feel her shutter beneath his touch. He smiled up at her. Behind that cold exterior she had she was just as much a female as any other. Even though she had on countless occasion tried to distance herself from them.

Shepard shook his head clear. He had to keep his mind focused on the present not the past, because he'd be damned if that would be all the time they had. He had discovered a whole new side of a woman he was in love with. So there would be more time together. Shepard was willing to make the deal with any devil to make sure that happened. Miranda was strong, he reminded himself biting back tears as his gaze fell to her face. She was pale to begin with so if it was possible she was three sheets whiter than normal. As he peeled back the armor streaks of red blood was a major contrast to her skin making his stomach turn.

Chakwas took a moment to place a hand on the commander's shoulder trying her best to comfort, "She's strong John." Using his first name had him looking up at her, his feelings unmasked. "She's a powerful Biotic remember. Her body will heal fast even faster when I get some Synthetic into her."

Shepard was pushed aside so Chakwas could slid the needle of the Synthetic blood into Miranda's arm. "I'm not leaving." He corrected to her demand.

"Shepard." Joker's voice broke through the com as if he knew that Chakwas needed his help. "I need you up here stat."

The hulls of the ship began to shutter as the ripples of the blast finally reached them. He braced himself against the wall before he lost his balance. "Damn it." Leaving her was the last thing he wanted to do, but he had to finish this job out. And that meant giving the Illusive man the finally screw you. Struggling with his raging emotion, Shepard kidded her clammy brow, "stay with me."

"I'll take care of her." Chakwas promised.

Due to the damage of the ship, Shepard had to dig his way through the com room. It was then did his brain finally began to register the extent of his injuries. Each time he moved it felt like he was being hit by a stream of compulsive energy. He did his best to keep a good front as stepped into the center of the room. After a moment of blackness, he was graced with a very angry Illusive man. The site had him smiling.

************************ (didn't feel like going through the entire Dialogue.)

"Joker." Struggling to hold onto consciousness, he turned his back, "lose this channel."

"With pleasure." Joker complied.

The moment the transmission ended, Shepard collapsed against the console. Everything just crashed into him. All the emotions, thoughts, and pain just came rolling into one hard wave. He had done his mission. The collectors were destroyed and the illusive man was no more. He had lost everything and including his most power ally Miranda. Part of him was proud that she had chosen him because she believe that his way of thinking was the right one. Now the Illusive man's.

So he saved the galaxy and got the girl, now all he wanted to do was sleep. To bask in what little peace he could get. Shepard let his eyes slid close as the darkness took over his mind.

"Dr. Chakwas he's coming around."

Shepard heard the muffled voice and weakly shoved the hands aside, "five more minutes." He mumbled.

"I wouldn't move, Shepard." Tali kept him in place before he could hurt himself by rolling over. It was still a wonder how Shepard had walked around the ship with a punctured spleen, broken rips, collapsed lung, and major concussion. He was lucky that he hadn't bled out before she found him.

It took a moment for his mind to clear and everything came rushing back. "Miranda." Despite his body's protest, he forced himself to sit up. There was no way to hold back to cry of anguish.

Tali forced him back down, "Chakwas released her two days ago. She's almost healed, thanks to her Biotics. She's weak but strong enough to be up and about."

Shepard ran a hand over his battered face, "two days how? How long have I been out?" He wondered.

"A good six days." Tali informed. "You're body has been through a lot Shepard. The little extra bits that Cerberus built you with helped you heal about a few days ago. I just think your mind needed a break. Even the great Commander Shepard need to stop and rest, which you haven't done in almost six months."

He grinned at her, "the Great Commander?" It was good to hear the Quarian laugh especially after all the hardships she had been through. This mission hadn't been easy on any of them. "Was everyone else okay? Did we lose anyone?"

"My suit was punctured leaving me with a little fever, but the Chakwas pumped me full of anti biotics. Everyone else has a few scraps and bruises, but other than that you got everyone through Shepard." Tali squeezed his hand smiling behind her mask, "Now I'm doing to spread the good news that you're awake."

Gathering his strength, he pushed himself out of the bunk before Chakwas could catch his escape. He needed to see Miranda was okay with his own eyes. The last image he had of her was her looking paler then death. How did this happen? He silently wondered using the wall as his support to move around the ship. He wasn't even looking for love, wasn't even sure he was capable of it. But then Miranda stirred something he was sure was dead inside him. Sure he had been with other taken the company of other women to fight the loneliness when it got too much. Miranda was the first woman to have him think of the future. Just thinking about her had his body reacting in ways that he wasn't accustomed to. How could one woman have such a hold on him without him knowing?

Miranda looked up when her door whooshed open. She jolted to her feet when Shepard limped inside, "what are you doing out of bed." She caught him when his legs gave out.

Shepard hit the button and the door shut then sealed itself. "I'm not going back there." He growled.

Taking his weight, she helped him to the edge of the bed. He caught her before she could rush to the com pulling her hard to his chest. Miranda held on for dear life as relief washed over her. She wasn't away she had been crying until Shepard flicked the tears away. "You didn't die on me." She whispered pressing her face into his shoulder. When was the last time she cried over a man? It didn't surprise her that the answer was never. John Shepard was the only man she had let past the berries of her heart.

With trembling hands, he took her face in his hands, "told you I wouldn't." he brushed her lips gently over hers.

"I love you Shepard." She spoke the words so freely and guess what, it wasn't as terrify as she imaging it. In fact it was almost liberating. For the first time in her life, she actually felt like a woman. Shepard had shown here there was more to her then the money her father had put into her to make her the ultimate biotic. Shepard gave her the courage to stand on her own. Maybe that's why she was able to push the Illusive man aside so easily. For the moment she had met that bastard he had sent her on one mission to the next and made her believe that it was the right thing to do for humanity. Looking back, she felt like she owed the Illusive man for providing refuge from her father and a way out to help her sister. But it was Shepard who had gone out of his way and risked his life to help get her sister to safety. No matter how long she lived she would never forget what Shepard had done for her.

Shepard's mouth curved into a rare full smile, "yeah. I just figured you wanted me in bed." He yelped when she nipped hard at his mouth. God this woman was enthralling, sexy, brave, and so strong willed. There was no wonder why he had fallen for her. "I love you Miranda Lawson. Wasn't looking for it, but it happened."

"This won't be easy, Shepard. Who knows if we will be alive in two weeks?"

"All the more reason not to put this aside. I think we've sacrificed enough don't you think, Miranda?"

"I think we have."

Smiling, he shifted until they were side by side on her bed. "In my entire life I've never felt like I belonged to anyone. I felt it with my crew, but with you it's different. It's never been like this with anyone so I may mess up..."

"We're in the same boat, Shepard. I think we both can catch each other when we stumble." She tugged on his shirt, "no for the love of god make love to me."

"is that an order Ms. Lawson?"

"Damn straight."

yes? no? Maybe? I don't know I just wanted to write it since there's a hate Miranda thing going on around here. I'm sad to say she was kind of hot so it was only amount of time before in one of my play throughs I romanced her. Plus i think that those she appears cold hearted, she began to open up to Shepard through out the game and so a vulnerable woman.