OK, i'll be honest... I wasn't expecting this many follows and reviews. If anything, I was thinking this would get no/little interest. Thank you so much, guys. Answers to the reviews will be at the end of the chapter. Enjoy!

As the lift carried Miranda down to the hospital next morning, her heart was once again pounding in her chest. Hackett had rung her on her omni-tool just after six in the morning, informing her that Shepard had been out of surgery for a couple of hours and was now in a private room. He had waited so long to inform her as he wanted to be sure of Shepard's condition before he let her know.

"And what is his condition?" Miranda had asked. She almost didn't want to know the answer. The pause on the other end of the line lasted for a good ten seconds.

"I think you should come and see for yourself." Had been the response he had finally given. A response she really had not liked. "I'm about to leave, to go and report to the Council and then I will be returning to Earth. Doctor Michel will be awaiting you, however, she was amongst the team working on Shepard overnight."

"Alright, i'll head over shortly. Thank you for letting me know, Admiral."

"Let me know of any progress he makes after I am gone. I'm going to contact the Normandy via the Q.E.C and see what the situation is with them in the meantime."

"I hope they're alright."

"With any luck, they'll be with you in a few days at Shepard's bedside. Good luck, Miss Lawson."

"You too, Admiral."

Now, here she was. There was a curious mix of nervousness and excitement in her stomach. Scenes from her dreams seemed to be playing again in her mind. As the lift doors opened, she tried to shake them away.

"Miss Lawson?" A female voice spoke as Miranda stepped out of the lift. A woman dressed in a doctor's garb was stood there, clearly awaiting her. Miranda nodded. "Doctor Michel. I have been monitoring Commander Shepard. Admiral Hackett asked me to let you know what was happening."

"Yes, he told me." They shook hands, then Miranda hesitated. "How... is he?" She wanted to skip the preliminaries. This was why she was here, both of them knew it.

"If you would follow me, please." Doctor Michel led her out of the lounge area, through to the rooms used for patients. Once they were out of the main room, and away from prying ears, the doctor began to speak.

"The Commander is stable now. We are keeping him sedated for now, to give his body a chance to heal without interference. When he arrived, there were extensive cuts and burns to his body, but also trauma internally. Surgeons and doctors here have managed to heal much of the internal damage, but..."

"But?"

"His recovery will be slow, i'm afraid. Medi-gel and healing can only do so much of the work. There are fractures and wounds that will need time to heal. Afterwards, he will need time to regain his strength and the full use of his body again. It will not be easy but then..." The doctor paused, then gave a slight smile. "The Commander never does things the easy way."

Miranda smiled in return. Didn't she know that was the truth?

"You speak as though you know him."

"He and Garrus Vakarian saved me a few years ago now, from mercenaries storming my clinic. Shepard burst in and... cleaned house. They would have I am glad to finally be able to return the favour, even if it is a few years too late."

Relief was sweeping through Miranda now, as the news finally sank in. He was going to be alright...

"You're sure he will recover?"

"I'm sure that he has a very good chance of mending. There is something else..." Again, the doctor paused, as if unsure what to say. They had now paused outside a patient room, and Miranda was certain this was Shepard's. She wanted to be in there, but also wanted to hear what the doctor had to say.

"Yes?" Miranda prompted.

"We have been monitoring his mental activity, whilst he has been unconscious and then sedated. At first, the activity we were seeing was very strong. Strong beta waves, frequent eye flickering and twitching of the body and face. As though he were reacting strongly to a dream or nightmare. Then, about two hours into our work, all of the symptoms died down. He slipped into... what I can only describe as a coma. We have administered the sedative merely as a precautionary measure."

"You... think he was dreaming? Perhaps about what happened before the Reapers were defeated?"

The Doctor looked uncomfortable.

"That is merely guess work on my part. Shepard has been through many traumas and hardships, Miss Lawson. Events that would have broken many weaker men. Is it so difficult to imagine they would affect his dreams?"

No... it wasn't difficult to imagine at all. But then, there was no way to find out the true cause until Shepard woke up.

"Can I go in to see him now?" She asked after a few seconds silence.

"Of course. I'll leave you alone. Just notify us when when you're done, or if you need anything. This is a closed room, for Shepard's security."

"I will. Doctor?" Michel, who had turned to walk away, paused and looked back. "Thank you."

The doctor merely gave a smile and a nod. Then she swept off up the corridor, while Miranda turned to open the door.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

It looked like an ordinary hospital room, by Citadel standards at least. White, clinical, a nice view through the window. She didn't know why this had surprised her, what was she expecting, a gold plated bed? It just seemed so... plain, so dull considering what Shepard had just done.

When her eyes fell upon Shepard, however, all thoughts about the room slipped from her mind.

He looked so much better then when she had last seen him, though clearly still injured. His face and chest were still covered with bruises and cuts, of course, but the blood and dirt that had covered him was gone, and the cuts visible were cleaned and healing. There were bandages around a section of his chest, supporting his ribcage she guessed, and a cast of some sort on his arm.

He looked... well... not normal, but better. And that eased a weight in Miranda's chest. She took a seat in the chair beside the bed and looked down at him for a moment.

"Hi, John." She said quietly. She immediately felt silly, talking when he was sedated, but... perhaps he could hear? She hoped so. "I wanted to come and visit. You gave me quite a scare back there, along with a lot of others."

She hesitated, then stretched her hand out and squeezed his gently. It was comforting to be able to touch him, to feel the warmth of his skin.

"I wish you could see what's happening now. People of all species are banding together, helping each other in their hour of need. All the fighters down on Earth are helping to rebuild. They're proclaiming you a hero." She gave a slight laugh. "Again, I should say."

She paused again.

"You need to get through this, John. All those people want to be able to welcome home their hero, to thank him for all he has done. And... I want to be able to be there with you when you take a break from all of this madness. We've both earned it, don't you think?"

She stayed for a little while longer, mainly just holding his hand, watching his even breathing, listening to the faint beeping sounds the monitors made. She knew there wasn't much point staying when he wasn't awake and wouldn't be for some time, but leaving was going to be hard. Finally, she made herself let go of his hand and stood up, pausing only to plant a soft kiss on his forehead.

"I love you." She whispered. "Wake up soon." Then, before the tears she felt coming could spill, she left the room.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

It was only later, when she had been to a store on the Citadel and brought some proper food, then headed back to the apartment, that Miranda remembered that she still hadn't called Oriana. When she checked her omni-tool, she found an email from her younger sister, asking anxiously if she was alright. Miranda immediately felt guilty for not contacting sooner. She pressed the 'call' option, and was pleased when the sound of the ringing tone came in her ear. The Mass Relays must be operating better. She got to Oriana's voicemail.

Miranda rushed out a quick message, apologising for the delay in calling, and letting Oriana know that she was alive and well. She mentioned that she was currently on the Citadel, but didn't mention why. She was unsure whether Shepard being on the Citadel was public knowledge as yet. She would tell her though. If she knew her sister, Oriana would be just as concerned about Shepard as she was. He had, after all, helped Miranda save her twice. In fact, it was thanks to him that the two of them had built this relationship at all...

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Two days ago, Miranda had only known her sister from afar. Through contacts and reports, she had watched her grow from the baby she had rescued, to the beautiful young woman she was now... but she had never talked to her, never even seen her face to face. Now, they had met face to face on Illium, and were talking together tonight as though they had always known each other.

In many ways, the two sisters were very alike. They were, after all, genetically identical. They had the same tastes in music and literature, and both had great intellect. They were also both talented, although Oriana's skills were more in creativity and the arts, while Miranda had more of a science and theory approach.

There were slight differences, of course. Oriana had a great sense of wit and humour, one she gave her adoptive father credit for. This was one trait Miranda did not share. These little differences were, in her mind, a blessing. If they had been practically identical and perfect in every way, talking together might have become tedious.

"So, you're working with Commander Shepard?" Oriana's unexpected question completely disarmed Miranda, and thus she wasn't as quick at coming out with a viable response as she might normally have been.

"... what makes you say that?" She had finally managed. Expertly done, Miranda...

"You're not the only one able to do some research, big sis. Not to mention the fact that I recognised him when you walked into the lift together." There was a smile in Oriana's voice. There wasn't a lot of point lying now, Miranda supposed.

"Yes, i'm working with him. What we're doing, though, I can't..." She paused, but Oriana didn't need her to finish her sentence.

"That's alright. I expected as much. Whatever you're doing must be important."

"It is. Very important." Miranda allowed.

"You and he will get it done. Shepard seems like a good sort. He's persuasive, good at what he does, strong... good looks never hurt either." She gave a giggle.

"Very true." Miranda said, without thinking. Her cheeks immediately flushed when she realised what she'd said.

"Oh! You've noticed that too, then?"

"It's hard not to when you're in such close proximity so often." Miranda answered. "Not that it matters. We're working together."

"Doesn't mean you can't mix a little business with pleasure." Oriana said, with another giggle. Then, when Miranda didn't answer. "Oh come on, i'm just teasing. You can't tell me you haven't thought about it though. You're only human, Miri, you've got to live a little."

Those words had stayed with Miranda. For so long now, she'd stayed purely professional. Wanting to succeed in all the Illusive Man set her to do, wanting to prove herself... and also, deep down, scared of ending up hurt. She had kept others away for so long, abandoned almost all her old ties, and yet her father had still managed to get to her. He had turned Niket, her closest and oldest friend, against her. Who was to say it wouldn't happen again, if she got close to another?

… but Shepard wasn't like Niket. Or like anyone else she had met. She had had her doubts about his real motives, had watched him closely for any signs he was going to trick them. There had been nothing. In fact, instead of shunning the Cerberus members of his crew, he had made a point of meeting them all and getting acquainted. When on missions, he was calm, methodical, and steady. He had gone out of his way to help a young quarian on the Citadel accused of stealing, and then had squared up to the C-Sec guard and volus who had accused her when they had continued to be pigheaded.

And then there were his actions when it came to her sister. When Miranda had first heard the rumours she had been nervous, not least because she knew she could not handle this alone. She had honestly been unsure that Shepard would agree, not with so much at stake. But he had, almost immediately. He had allowed her to dictate where they went, the course of action. Had turned to her for advice on the battleground. Had stepped in when she was about to kill Niket, and potentially make a huge mistake. He had trusted her, guided her. And now, she trusted him. More then that... she greatly liked him.

Later that night, when Shepard came to talk to her, all of these thoughts were still in her mind. So, when Shepard talked about not being able to admire her body or her mind, and that being a shame, she reacted on impulse.

"Oh, thank you..." She paused a moment, then turned to face him. "Perhaps I wouldn't mind if you admired my body."

She had seen a flicker of surprise in his eyes. Perhaps this turn of events had been something he hadn't expected. Then he'd given a slight smile, stepped closer.

"You wouldn't, huh?"

She laughed slightly.

"I think I could live with it." Understatement.

"Well it's only fair. You've had two years to look at me, and I was wearing far less then you are."

He was close now, intimately close, and somewhere deep within, her body reacted to that, wanted him this closer, closer still. That unnerved her slightly.

"Shepard." She put a hand on his chest, held him back. "Wait. We shouldn't do this."

To her mingled relief and disappointment, he took a step up.

"Scared, Miss Lawson?"

She raised her eyebrows slightly at him, and saw a flicker of amusement on his face in response.

"Cautious, Commander Shepard." She corrected him. "But... interested. Very interested."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Before going back to the hospital next morning, Miranda took a walk on the Presidium. It was quiet as she walked down the steps towards the Apollo Cafe. Many of the stores and booths set up here were closed, or didn't have assistants there to ask questions. She guessed these people were at home with their families, or helping to repair the damaged areas of the Citadel. Not just from the Crucible, but from Cerberus' attack as well.

It was hard to imagine, in the peace and calm of this place, that mere days ago a whole portion of the structure had been destroyed by the Crucible's beam. That lives had been taken that day. That below this place, in the wards and the makeshift refugee camp, people were suffering and in grief. It was as though the Presidium was this little bubble of calm and solitude. But even here, there were signs of attack, places where grenades and bullets had clearly left their marks. The bubble was bursting.

Suddenly, Miranda really felt like she needed a drink. A strong one. She went and sat at a table in the Apollo cafe and ordered without really seeing the display on the menu pad. Her mind was on Cerberus, and how they had attacked the Citadel without seemingly giving a damn about the lives on board. How assassins and ex-colleagues had come after her without a qualm when the Illusive Man ordered them too. How her father, in league with Cerberus, had tried to take her sister and kill her. She knew there was no sense in dwelling in the past anymore. Cerberus was finished, and the Illusive Man dead, if the reports about the body found close to the body of David Anderson were correct. But Cerberus had been part of her life for so long... it was hard to simply get past that.

She could guess what Shepard would say to her, were she to voice this. Your past isn't what defines you, your actions are. He would see the fact that she had left Cerberus, worked against them in the end, as her making up for before. And her feelings of guilt over thoughts she had had in the past? Particularly about planting a control chip in Shepard's brain? Well, she already knew his thoughts on that. Didn't make it any easier to think about...

As she started heading back towards the lift, intending to make another stop at the hospital before going to the embassy or the C-Sec offices, a human man appeared at the top of the stairs.

"Hey, hey lady. Want to be red sand? It'll take the edge off all your worries today." His voice was a whisper, despite the lack of people around. Miranda glanced towards the C-Sec outpost, a short distance away.

"I'm not interested." She stated, before moving past him. He followed.

"Oh, don't be like that sugar. Tell you what, you let me have some of your services, i'll give you a discount." There was a leering note in the man's voice. It was quite clear what 'services' he thought she provided. Miranda turned on him at once.

"I'm not a hooker!"

"Yeah right, you're in that outfit and expect me to believe that?" He made a grab for her waist, but she pushed him back at . "Oh come on honey, don't be such a-"

"Hey!" This was a new voice. One Miranda recognised. It came from behind her. "Back off asshole, or you'll have both of us to deal with."

"What lady, you her pimp or something? Maybe if you play your cards right, both of you can have a little fun."

"Ugh. I don't have the patience for this!" Miranda burst out. She sent a blast of biotic energy at the junkie at the exact moment a shockwave came from behind her, missing her by inches. The man was catapulted backwards and fell, screaming, to a lower level of the Presidium. When Miranda looked over the edge, she saw him limping as quickly as he could away from the general area. She looked round at the woman behind her, shock on her face.

"Shit, Cheerleader, I told you that outfit made you look like a whore." Jack scoffed.

Oh, how I like cliffhangers. OK, answers time!

Guest (wish I knew your name to thank you): Thanks for the advice. I decided to take it and switch to default John, that'll be in effect once this is up.

Patient131071: Oh, did it come across in that way? Sorry, that wasn't my intent at all. In my mind, Miranda was the Project's director. She'd have knowledge, and be involved with what happens to Shepard, but Wilson as the head tech would need to brief her on what's happening when she's not around. Thank you for the review!

Gammer: Thanks. I want to show that this isn't just going to be 'Oh hey, Shepard's alive, everybody party!' There's suffering on all sides.

Nutt Man 117: Thank you very much :)

welsh12: Ooh... That's quite a compliment to me, thank you.

CADGuy: Totally agree with you. OK, the different 'interpretations' of a scene can be interesting, but beyond that it's just the same events again and again. Of course, key scenes matter to the story arc, so i'll keep them, but originality is needed too.