This takes place after Shepard wakes up and after he investigates Freedom's Progress. I do not own Mass Effect 2. I'm just showing my love for Commander Shepard! ;-) I hope you enjoy. Again, my stories go fast! That is my writing way!

...w...

Cerberus. Shepard looked around his new cabin in disbelief that he was standing here. He was alive though he hadn't known he was dead. For him it was as if he had been asleep for moments. He now knew how Leah felt when she woke from her Cerberus sleep. Cerberus... he was disgusted with himself again. He stood in middle of the his cabin and looked around then he spotted a photo of him and Leah on the desk. How did they get that photo? It was lost...

"Leah." He let out a sigh but couldn't look at the photo anymore.

He walked to his bed and plopped down loudly. He was angry, at first, not wanting to work with these terrorists but then Freedom's Progress opened his eyes. He still didn't want to work with Cerberus but if he couldn't get help from the Council, he knew he had to stay with them to fight. He had to save these Colonies. Leah... Would Leah forgive him for this? If he could find her and explain she would...if she let him explain.

"Shepard," EDI's voice broke the silence.

"What?" He snapped.

"We will be at the Citadel in five minutes."

"Fine." He closed his eyes then realized the information at his disposal. "EDI, could you use the Cerberus databases to locate someone?"

"If you have a name I could run a search."

"Leahala Vail."

"I am unable to search that name due to my restrictions, Shepard."

"Restrictions? Do you have them on everyone?"

"Due to my restrictions I am unable to answer that."

"God damn Cerberus! Have we fucking landed?"

"Yes."

Shepard stood, dressed quickly and headed to the Embassies with Miranda and Jacob in tow. He liked Jacob but there was something about Miranda that he did not like. It didn't help that she lived and loved Cerberus with a passion he did not understand. He kept trying to find a way to like her because she did save his life but he couldn't at this point.

After they stepped off the elevator, Shepard stopped and stared in awe. It was strange seeing the Citadel back together again and even though he was happy to see business as usual, last time he saw it, most the Citadel was on fire.

"Shepard?" Miranda's voice set him off.

"Just give me a damn second." He snapped.

"..." She stared him down.

His interaction with EDI put him in a rotten mood and he was wanting to find Leah so badly that he was almost blind with his hate for Cerberus. They walked up to a closed door where a Turian stood and a massive scanner buzzed around them did not help his mood at all. A brief alarm sounded and Shepard looked to the Turian even more annoyed.

"Obviously security has tightened since you were last here." Miranda broke the silence.

"Shut it down." The turian spoke to someone via earpiece. "What?! Do you seriously think...yeah. Okay. Sorry for the inconvenience, sir," the Turian turned to Shepard. "...our scanners are picking up false readings. They seem to think you're ...uh... dead."

"I'm getting that everywhere. It's a pain in the ass. Who do I talk to about it?"

Shepard felt bad for being an ass but it felt liberated at the same time. The fact he was working with Cerberus made him sick to his stomach and why not take it out on everyone? The things he witnessed them do to people he cared about but he then thought about it and understood that this was necessary. Freedoms Progress was a large push onto the Cerberus boat and he had to try to help.

The C-Sec officer pointed Shepard and crew to Commander Bailey for assistance. Shepard didn't know why but in their short interaction he knew he liked the man. There was something very honest and raw about him. He could trust him.

...w...

The Council gave Shepard back his Spectre status but refused to help. He had no choice but to stay with Cerberus ...for now. The only good part about all of this was seeing Anderson again. After watching the interactions, Shepard felt bad making him the Councilor but refused to make Udina anything and Udina was apparently very unhappy about Shepard's choice.

After Udina stomped out of the office, Shepard and Anderson had a long chat about what has happened to the Normandy crew and life. They stared out at the Citadel on Anderson's balcony.

"If there is anything you need just let me know, Shepard." Anderson smiled after a moment of silence.

"There is one thing..." Shepard looked up toward Anderson.

"I don't know where she is, John." His voice went soft. "After you..." Anderson paused. "...She changed. She took dangerous contracts and gained a reputation. I asked Garrus to reach out to her but he disappeared shortly after she did. He sent word that he wasn't able to find her then nothing."

"Reputation? Garrus is missing?"

"I can send you what I have on her and yes, he is."

"No." He refused. "I don't want to read it. I want Leah to tell me herself and I'll see if I can find Garrus too."

"I'll keep my channel open for you if you need anything, Commander."

"If you hear anything..."

"You'll be the first to know."

"I appreciate you, Anderson. Thank you."

The two men shook hands and Shepard headed out to meet a new crew member Kasumi Goto.

...w...
This takes place after the Kasumi loyalty mission, Omega Archangel and Mordin Solis missions. I know. I know... my stuff goes fast!

...w...

Shepard wasn't sure what to think of his new crew member, Kasumi. Her fighting style reminded him of Leah so it was very difficult to be around her. But she was going to be a great addition with her skills, so he was willing to at least try to get to know her. Helping her retrieve her grey box from that lunatic was a huge step in the right direction. If he had to work with Cerberus he wanted to know his crew and make sure they were loyal to him and not them.

Since the trip to Horizon was going to take a few hours, Shepard decided to try to get some sleep. He hadn't been sleeping that much since waking and after sleeping for 2 years. He walked into his cabin and laid down. He fell asleep faster than he expected.

"John..." Leah moaned into his mouth as he ran his hands over her naked body.

Shepard woke up so quickly he almost threw himself to the floor. He was breathing heavily and covered in sweat. He stood from the bed and tried to shake the dream. It wasn't a bad one but dreaming of Leah was making the emptiness within him grow. He tried to lay back down and his body refused to sleep.

Frustrated and his body refusing to go back to sleep, he headed into the lounge and poured himself a very stiff drink forgetting that is where Kasumi has taken residence.

"Can't sleep?" Kasumi's disembodied voice asked making him spit blue liquid onto the bar.

"Damn it, Kasumi." He shouted looking around for her.

"Are you okay, Shep?" She asked sweetly.

"I'm..." He then stopped and took a deep breath not wanting to take his anger out on her. "I forgot you were in here. Sorry..."

"It's okay." She appeared sitting in the chair next to him.

"And no. I cannot sleep. You?"

"No. I don't sleep that much." She poured herself a shot and filled his glass.

"I wish I didn't."

"I want to thank you for helping me find Keiji's grey box. It gave me some closure even though I destroyed his memories. If you don't mind my asking, what is keeping you up?" She took her shot.

Shepard took the shot and sighed. Kasumi swiveled her chair to look at him.

"I lost someone I loved too." He poured another shot and drank it.

"She died?"

"No." He stopped and stared at the wall. "...I did."

"If you have a chance to be with the one you love, why hesitate? I lost Keiji to death...but you didn't lose your love. Go get her."

"It's been 2 years, Kasumi. She's a beautiful woman."

Shepard remembered what Leah said about the Irlan only finding love once but he couldn't help his mind from wandering.

"Wouldn't you rather know for sure? What is her name? I'm sure we can find her in a database to give you closure. You are obviously torturing yourself over this."

"Leah." He almost sighed her name. "Leahala Vail."

"Shep, I'm tired." Kasumi said before she vanished.

Shepard was used to Kasumi's odd behavior by this point. He poured himself another shot and took it. Then it hit him, she knew Leah. He threw the shot glass shattering it on the wall behind the bar.

"Kasumi, do you know her?!" He looked around. "EDI! Where is Kasumi?!"

"In the room with you." EDI stated.

"Kasumi please..." He almost begged.

"Shep," She appeared sitting on her couch. "...I worked on a job with her about 6 months ago. I have not seen her since then."

"Is...was she okay?"

"Mostly."

"Mostly? What the hell does that mean?"

"I was always wondering what drove her to such madness...such darkness."

"Madness? Darkness?"

"She rarely spoke of her feelings. She must have loved you deeply because your death did something to her. I knew her from years ago and she is a different person now."

"What do you mean?"

"She feels nothing. For anyone or anything. I do know that she did take this job helping this politician because his young daughter asked... Camp something but... That was last week. I'll see what I can dig up because you helped me."

"I..." He began then smiled. "...thank you, Kasumi. I'll leave you alone."

Shepard turned to leave and ran out of the Lounge. He was so close but so far away and hearing that his death took her to darkness, devastated him. He had to find her before he lost her. As he headed to the elevator, his mood was soured but he had a bit of hope with this lead. The doors to the elevator slid open and Shepard almost knocked Garrus over.

"There you are! I was just... Shepard?" Garrus asked. "Are you okay?"

"Not really." He slammed his fist onto the elevator wall. "I feel like me. I didn't feel dead. I wake up and I've lost two years. My crew is gone. The Alliance and the Council has turned their back on me...AGAIN." He shouted the last word. "...And I lost..." Shepard stopped.

Garrus knew why he was upset and understood his pain. After he lost contact with Leah he was just as sad.

"If I knew where she was, John."

"I know. Kasumi was with her 6 months ago. How was she, Garrus...you know..."

"Don't." Garrus said simply.

"Don't what?"

"Do this to yourself. She can take care of herself... It's just finding her."

"Kasumi gave me a lead. It's not a great one but it's something."

"What is it?"

"EDI," Shepard yelled.

"Yes, Commander?"

"Are we almost to Horizon?"

"We will be there in about 20 minutes."

"Do me a favor, find me anything about a Politician by the name of Camp. Have the info waiting for me when we get back."

"I have found 34,678 Camps in my database. 4 of which are Politicians.."

Shepard and Garrus glanced at each other. This was going to be a very long night after they finish investigating Horizon.