"Admiral Hackett," Miranda raised her voice in protest "We have to go look for Commander Shepard!"
"We don't know where he is, or if he is even alive." Hackett reminded the ex-operative.
"If we don't look for him, he will be dead for sure." Miranda retorted.
"Ms. Lawson I can't allow personal emotions to cloud my judgments. The Shuttles are needed to rescue the people we know will survive."
"So that's it?" Miranda said with an icy tone.
"Yes," Hackett replied.
Miranda turned to leave until Hackett's old gruff voice caught her attention.
"However Ms. Lawson, if a shuttle was to go missing… well I wouldn't have enough people to go looking for said shuttle." Hackett said as he gave Miranda a knowing smile.
Miranda reflected the smile before she turned around and headed out the doors. Lawson walked down the hallways with a new vigor, she had a mission and she was going to complete it.
Miranda walked into the hangar cautiously, scanning the area with her eyes. There were a few guards and pilots standing around preparing to fly out.
"I need a distraction" Miranda thought silently "There is no way that I can take off with..."
The power suddenly went out, stopping Miranda's train of thought. The guards seemed to panic for a couple of seconds, confused by the sudden darkness. Lawson could hear a woman's voice yelling at the idle soldiers, causing them to scramble. "That's bizarre, well at least I have my distraction."
Miranda ran silently to a nearby shuttle and used her Omni-tool to hack the passenger door open. Once the door opened Miranda was greeted by a familiar face. "Ms. Lawson?" The woman sitting in the driver seat greeted with inquisitive voice. "Ms. Williams." Miranda greeted back emotionlessly.
"What are you doing here?" Ashley asked, disdain leeching into her voice.
"I could ask you the same thing." Miranda retorted with an icy tone.
"I work here. You're as ex-Cerberus operative, why are you here?"
"Why did you turn off the lights and order the hangar personal away?" Miranda asked innocently. "Seems like the type of thing a traitor would do."
The hangar's lights turned back on, signaling that the personal would be back soon.
"I don't have to explain myself to you." Ashley Whispered angrily, as she went to close the door.
"If you leave me here he will die!" Miranda yelled out urgently.
Ashley stopped and waited for Lawson to explain herself.
"You may have medical training but you don't know Shepard's body like I do, I bloody rebuilt the man." Miranda spoke rapidly
"If I'm not there…" Miranda drifter off mid-sentence, as if finishing the very words could kill the man she spoke of.
The sounds of people talking in the distance kissed the ears of the bickering women.
"Just, get in already." Ashley sighed.
Miranda got into the passenger seat silently.
"I'm keeping my eyes on you Lawson."
Miranda ignored Ashley as they started up the shuttle and left the hangar.
Shepard lied uncomfortably on a pile of rubble, staring into the clear sky. The Shepard felt so tired; it had been such a long time since he had nothing to worry about, no immediate threat to face.
Shepard coughed causing a metallic taste to form in his mouth. He could feel it within him; this is how he would die. The commander would finally join all of those he lost to the vicissitudes of fate, the team on Akuze, Kaidan, Anderson, Mordin, and lastly his mother.
John smiled to himself, his mom would be so proud of him. From a gangster living in Vancouver to a galactic hero, Shepard had come a long way, only to fall down so far.
"Had to be me, someone else might have gotten it wrong." Shepard thought back to Mordin's last words. Maybe this was how it was supposed to end. Shepard was not cut out for a civilian life, he struggled and fought all his life, weather it was another gang or the reapers. It was a fool's idea for him to settle down with Miranda, but he didn't care. Shepard still wanted the life that he and Miranda were going to have together, whatever that would be like. Would they have children? What civilian jobs were they going to have? They both wanted a normal life, but would they have been able to pull it off?
"Probably not, but I don't care, I still wanted to try." Shepard thought as he spat out blood that had accumulated in his mouth.
"Forgive the insubordination, but this old friend has an order for you. Go out there and give them hell. You were born to do this." Shepard chuckled, remembering Garrus's "orders".
"I gave them more then hell, I killed every single fucking one of them." Shepard mused to himself.
Maybe he was born to do this, born to die saving the galaxy. The somber thought was the only thing that kept him calm. As the war with the reapers slowly started to fall apart into despair, so did Shepard's plans. The commander as ways felt like he was going to die in this war, but it was still not part of his plan.
"Shepard, am I still part of your plan? It's been so long, I wasn't sure where we stood." Miranda had asked Shepard when they were reunited on the citadel.
From the moment they found each other, she had become part of his plan. Before Miranda was in his life Shepard never had a plan, he was going to serve in the alliance until the day he died. But now he wanted more, he wanted a "normal" life with the woman he loved.
"No space heroes or super-spies?" Miranda's voice rang in the commander's head.
"No, no more space heroes or super-spies." Shepard thought out loud, a smile creeping onto his face.
"No second thoughts? This is your chance to back out." Shepard heard Miranda's voice again.
"None." The dying man said out loud. Shepard was delusional and he knew it, but he didn't care.
The commander looked around as much as he could. The sky was a soft and clear blue; the colour soothed him and took his mind off of the rubble around him.
"I wish I was there, with you." Shepard could hear Miranda once again.
He ignored the voice this time. Shepard was glad that she was not here. It gave him hope; hope that his beautiful girlfriend would live out her life in freedom, doing what she wanted to do.
Shepard's eyes started to feel heavier and heavier.
"Not sure if Turian heaven is the same as yours, but if this thing goes sideways and we both end up there... meet me at the bar." Shepard could hear Garrus's voice. The commander never believed in god but he still promised that he would be there.
"I guess I will be waiting for you there." Shepard joked out loud before his eye slowly closed.
"What do you expect to gain from this Lawson?" Ashley spoke out loud as the shuttle landed at Shepard's last known location.
"A living Shepard." Miranda answered coldly, hiding her inner emotions. She was freaking out but she would never show that on the surface.
"You know that's not what I meant." Ashley said, vexed at her smart-assed company.
"It's what you asked."
Ashley chuckled as she got out of the shuttle. "You think he is going to stay with you."
"You know about us, so much for personal privacy." Miranda deadpanned, she knew Shepard loved her; she did not need to prove that to Williams.
Ashley started to laugh. "I used to think he loved you because of how "perfect" you are." Ashley said in lighter tone than normal. "You have the body, the face, a sassy attitude, and you are a very strong woman." Ashley continued. "Then I found out, that you are broken," Ashley's voice darkened before chuckling a little. "The Illusive man leak the information that you, Ms. Perfect, are infertile" Ashley smiled lightly.
Miranda was shocked. "How did the Illusive man learn about that? I used a private account, how the bloody hell did he find out?" Miranda raved inside her head.
"At least I didn't leave him when he was at a low point in his life." Miranda shot back with an icy tone.
"What the fuck is that supposed to mean!" Ashley raised her voice.
"What, did you already forget about the damage you did on freedom's progress?"
"We moved past that." Ashley said quietly.
"Is that what you call getting kicked off the Normandy?" Miranda smiled as the question cut the lieutenant like a knife.
"The only reason he is loyal to you is because you opened your legs for him, there is no way he would fall for Cerberus whore." Ashley hissed.
"This is pointless, we have to find Shepard!" Miranda was growing tired of Ashley's childish jealousy.
"I agree, but knowing what you did to him he is probably fine." Ashley said in a snarky tone.
"What does that mean?" Miranda asked in a venomous tone.
"How much of Shepard is actually human?" Ashley questioned
A rapid banging noise caught the attention of both women; Miranda sprang into action and ran towards the noise, calling out to Shepard.
The commander breathed in deeply, tasting blood as the air entered his lungs. The calm he felt before started to extinguish like a fire. Shepard was angry, he warned everyone so many fucking times about the reapers and they ignored him, and now he was dying in a pool of his own blood.
"All the fucking evidence and warnings and I still end up being the one that pays for their ignorance." Shepard raved to himself, only to be met with silence.
"They don't even send someone to find me." Shepard chuckled to himself. "Maybe no one needs me anymore."
"I do. So don't die! You promise me, Damn it!" Miranda's voice rang in his head.
That was the only thing he was truly going regret, breaking Miranda's heart.
"Then Finish this, Shepard, and find me." The Australian voice said, almost as if she was here and knew what he was feeling.
"I'm sorry, but I don't think I will be able …" Shepard stopped talking when he heard faint voices in the distance.
Shepard tried desperately to yell out to the distant people but he couldn't, he was too out of breath.
"No, no, no, no! You will not give up now, you own her that." Shepard thought to himself.
Shepard writhed in a futile attempt to slip out from the bolder. The commander would not give up now, Shepard tried to use his free hand to roll the bolder off of him, but it would not budge.
"Fuck!" Shepard cursed mentally, all he had managed to do was cause even more bleeding.
The commander rolled his head to the side, he was sick of looking at that fucking sky; it was filled with hope that was forbidden to him.
Shepard's blood lost was sever, he was reaching his breaking point, but he did not care, because on the pavement beside him was Miranda. Shepard knew she was a hallucination but he could not care any less. Miranda was beautiful, peaceful and happy looking like the day they woke up together in the apartment on the Citadel.
Shepard reached out to touch her but she disappeared as his hand went through her, and touched a cold metal pole.
Shepard smiled at the metal rod. "I'm coming Miranda." Shepard mused to himself as he smashed the rod onto the bricks beside him.
Miranda and Ashley ran through the ruble of the buildings towards the banging. Even with all of Ashley's training she found it hard to keep up to the ex-Cerberus operative.
"How the hell is she doing this in heels?" Ashley thought quietly as she tried to keep up with Miranda.
Miranda ran as fast as possible towards the sound, she had to find him. Lawson jumped over a pile of rocks as she got closer and closer to the banging sound. Miranda ran towards the sound until she was almost right on top of it, and saw the bloodied man.
"John!" Miranda yelled as she ran to Shepard's side.
Miranda used her biotics to remove the three large boulders that were pining Shepard down.
"Miranda?" Shepard's weak voice was like music to her ears, he was alive.
Ashley finally caught up to Miranda and saw Shepard covered in his own blood. Ashley suspected that the commander would be roughened up a little bit, but she was not ready for this.
"Williams call a medic, now!" Miranda yelled at the Idle Woman. Ashley backed away as she began to call for help.
Shepard chuckled lightly, gaining Miranda attention.
"I'm… sorry. I kind of… destroyed you work. " Shepard's weak voice barley kissed Miranda's ears.
Miranda gave Shepard a sad smile as she scanned Shepard's body with her omni-tool. "I think I can forgive you, if you don't die on me."
"A punctured lung and half of his cybernetics are shutting down, damn it." Miranda thought as she looked at the scans. "I need to get his armor off."
"I got the First Aid kit from the shuttle." Ashley hollered as she ran toward Miranda.
"Good," Miranda replied "Come help me talk of his armor."
Ashley and Miranda began to unbuckle the ablative ceramic plates of Shepard's body armor.
"Miranda…"The commander spoke out weakly.
"Shepard, please just try to rest." Miranda interrupted in a soft and kind voice.
"Miri," Miranda froze slightly at the sound of her childhood nick name. "If I don't make it…"
"John, don't talk like that damn it!" Miranda scolded.
"We have to cut off the under suit." Ashley interjected as she pulled out a combat knife. Miranda nodded in response.
"Miranda," Shepard spoke out again, he had to tell her.
"Shepard…" Miranda tried to interrupt.
Shepard pressed a bloodied and glove finger to her lips. He had to tell her, it was the only way he could die peacefully.
"Miranda, I love you."
Miranda's eyes started to tear up. She always thought of saying those three words to him, but she could never say them out loud. Miranda and Shepard knew that they cared deeply for each other, but neither of them had said those magical words.
Tears started to fall from Miranda's light blue eyes, as she stared deeply into Shepard's loving blue eyes. John was the only man who ever told her that they loved her, even when he found the real her. And now he was dying in her arms.
Miranda knew she loved Shepard ever since he went back to the alliance, those where the hardest two months she ever experienced. During those two months Miranda learned how much she truly loved Shepard; she missed his touch, his lips, his smile, his eyes, she missed everything about him. Yet she never told him how much he matter to her.
Miranda spent years building walls around herself in order to protect herself and Oriana, and with three words Shepard destroyed those walls. Miranda no longer cared who or what was watching her.
"I love you too. So don't die! You promise me, Damn it!" Miranda said with a smile, tears dripping from her eyes.
"Lawson," Ashley interrupted the couple's moment. "I made it through the suit, it doesn't… look good."
Miranda's eyes immediately turned towards Shepard's exposed chest. "Shit." Miranda muttered to herself.
Shepard had a large gash that ran diagonally across the left side of his chest. The cut bubbled with every breath Shepard took.
"Williams, get medi gel, gaze, and tape STAT!" Miranda shouted with a certain sense of hast that made Ashley obey her orders.
Miranda grabbed the medi gel and gaze from Ashley, leaving the tape in Williams idle hands. Miranda smeared a layer of medi gel onto the gaze and press in to Shepard's laceration.
"Williams, pass me the tape." Miranda order the lieutenant, Ashley complied immediately.
Ashley was still stunned, she was unable to believe the state the great commander Shepard was in. Williams always saw Shepard as an invincible force, yet the very man was lying in a pool of his own blood, right in front of her.
Miranda taped the gaze tightly to Shepard's chest, stopping the air from escaping his chest cavity.
"Lawson! Shepard is unconscious." Ashley yelled, forcing Miranda's eyes off of Shepard's chest wound and on to his pale face.
"Give him a shot of adrenalin." Miranda replied as urgency and stress blocked out the sounds of a shuttle landing nearby.
Ashley rammed the needle in to Shepard's exposed skin, causing Shepard to cry out in pain.
"Shepard, please stay with me… I need you." Miranda spoke silently as fresh tears rolled down her cheeks.
Shepard didn't say a word as he ripped his dog tags off of his neck and handed them to Miranda.
"Lawson, we have to go!" Ashley shouted gaining the operative's attention.
Miranda looked around and noticed that she was surrounded by alliance medics, which were desperately trying to pull her away from Shepard. Lawson quickly leaned down and kissed Shepard's bloodied lips before she let the medics take him away.
The medical team and Williams yelled to each about directions or something, Miranda couldn't tell nor did she care, all she could focus on was Shepard being lifted into the back of a medical shuttle.