As Jacob and Miranda made to leave the Comm. room, Shepard called Miranda back.

"Miranda, can I have a word?"

"Of course Commander,"

"I want to know what's going on between you and Jason."

"Nothing Commander. I respect him immensely. For both his actions in seeking out The Illusive Man, for putting a gun next to his head and telling The Illusive Man in no uncertain terms not to fuck with him and for what he did with my sister. Despite anything I may want to start, his heart is taken. And there is nothing I can do about that."

"You want to start something? You better not use him just for some….release."

"No Commander. I feel something for him. I noticed when he saved my sister. One of my-the mercenaries was about to shoot Oriana, my sister, dead. Jason shielded her with his own body, until the merc run out of ammo, and then Jason simply turned around and shot him dead. Jason took 3 shots for my sister Commander. That sort of thing tends to impress a girl."

"I understand Miranda. Thank you."

With that both Shepard and Miranda made their way to the cargo bay.

"Commander, I am Operative O'Connell and I will serve as your shuttle pilot."

"Understood. Now get us down there Operative."

The Kodiak entered the atmosphere of Freedom's Progress and jolted Miranda into Shepard's lap. Shepard merely looked at her with a half grin on his face. Miranda felt that she had to reply.

"It was just an accident Commander"

However that didn't stop the Commander from smiling.

"Stop smiling Dammit"

"Commander, O'Connell here. I'm gonna be setting us down soon. Do you want me to wait for you, or maintain an orbital overwatch?"

"Orbit the area. I assume the shuttle is armed?"

"Yes Commander, we have several small Mass Accelerator cannons mounted on retractable pylons, along with 4 Medusa Launchers that each carry 4 missiles."

"Outstanding, stay above and provide CAS if it's needed."

"Understood Commander"

With that the shuttle landed, and Shepard, Miranda and Jacob departed. Almost immediately the Kodiak took back off and started to hover above them at 255 feet, ready to provide support.

"Come on lets move out. Jacob, directions?" Commander Shepard asked, easily slipping back into the role of leader, as if the last 2 years never happened.

"Commander, the main mess is just ahead. We should see if there is anyone there." Jacob replied consulting his omnitool.

"Understood."

Commander Shepard took the lead, with Miranda in the middle and Jacob bringing up the rear. The door to the mess opened and revealed, nothing but steaming cups of coffee and plates of stew.

"Look's like everyone just got up and left, right in the middle of dinner" Jacob mused.

"Yeah it does, but where did they go?" Shepard replied.

They continued on, entering a large courtyard.

"Strange. No bodies, no structural damage. No sign's of battle." Miranda replied, concern seeping into her voice.

"Miranda, we will find out what happened. I promise you this." Shepard replied, reassuring her.

They opened a large door into another courtyard, where they heard mechanical sounds.

"Hear that? Sounds like FENRIS mechs." Jacob said.

"Lock and load. Miranda, prepare overload. Jacob, pull as many as you can into that crevasse." Shepard ordered and before waiting for a reply dropped to one knee, raised his rifle up to his shoulder aimed where the noise was coming from.

Sure enough, two LOKI mechs raised their heads and their M-6 Shuriken SMG's at Shepard and opened fire. The rounds bounced off of Shepard's shields, before Shepard returned fire with his Mattock, taking one's head off and destroying the chest of the other. Miranda had overloaded a FENRIS mech and Jacob had finished the final LOKI with a shot from his Scimitar.

"Those mech's shouldn't have been hostile. They should have recognised us as human." Jacob said.

"Someone reprogrammed them to attack on site. We're not alone here." Miranda replied.

"Agreed. Keep your eyes open. Shoot first, ask questions later" Shepard ordered, before continuing on. The team passed through a bunkhouse and encountered another LOKI and FENRIS mech before running to something that was all together different from mech's completely.

Quarians. Shepard raised his pistol and the leader of the Quarians raised his rifle. It was a standoff until another Quarian interfered.

"Prazza! You said you'd let me handle this!" before turning to Shepard.

"Wait, Shepard?" Tali asked.

"I'm not taking any chances with Cerberus operatives" Prazza said, while trying to get around Tali to get a clear shot at Shepard.

"Put those weapons down!" Tali again ordered.

"Shepard! Is that-your alive?" She asked Shepard.

"Tali, you served on my ship. I don't take threats lightly. I will kill them if they point those guns at my team again. That data…the Geth data…did it help you complete your pilgrimage?"

"Yes it did. Prazza, I mean it, weapons down. This is definitely Commander Shepard. And he will kill you."

"Dammit Tali, this is bullshit! Why would your old Commander work for Cerberus?" Prazza asked, while lowering his rifle.

"Well let's see, this colony has disappeared. As have many others. The Alliance are sat there with their fingers in their ears hoping that if they can't hear it, it will go away. I'm here to find out what the fuck's going on, whose abducting this colonist's and introduce them to why that's a bad idea." Shepard growled at Prazza.

"Wow, that answer's that question" Tali replied.

"Now my turn. Why are Quarians on a human colony?"

"One of our people was here on pilgrimage. Veetor-" Tali started.

"And you guys are to find him. Ok we'll help. He may know what happened here." Shepard replied.

Shepard took his team straight through to where the Quarians had last seen Veetor, while Tali and her team slipped round the back.

"Shepard! Watch your back. There's a squad of security mechs up ahead." Tali radioed through

"Thanks, we'll take care of them" Shepard replied.

Turning to Miranda, Shepard asked her the odd's of Prazza betraying them.

"I would say very likely Commander. We should be prepared for it" She replied.

Within minutes her prediction came true.

"Shepard! Prazza and his squad rushed on ahead! I told them to wait but they wouldn't listen. They want to find Veetor and take him away before you get here!"

"Just as well we expected this then eh, Tali? We are outside the container area. Open the door" Shepard replied.

With that the heavy door into the main loading bay opened and Shepard came face to face with the YMIR, a heavily armed and armoured tank-mech. Within moments it had killed or injured the entire Quarian force, then turned its attention to Shepard.

"That mech has heavy armour plating. Our weapons aint punching through" Jacob said as he took cover behind a concrete barrier.

"Not us, but O'Connell could. Kodiak, you there?"

"Right here Commander. I have eyes on your mech; Medusa's are loaded and ready to fire."

"Then please, be my guest"

The Kodiak fired for Medusa missiles at the mech, shattering it's armour and exposing its main CPU. Shepard took aim with his Mattock and poured every single round into it. It wasn't long before it exploded.

"Miranda, Jacob help Tali with the injured. I'll find Veetor."

Shepard took a step forward into the loading dock, where he found Veetor. After having a conversation with him, Shepard discovered who the enemy was: Collectors

"Miranda, grab Tali and come here" Shepard radioed.

Tali and Miranda arrived and Shepard filled them in. Then Tali took Veetor and Shepard and his team returned to the ship.

"Miranda you have the bridge. I'll be in my quarters." Shepard said.

In his quarters, he grabbed the picture of Liara and just looked at it, her blue skin that he longed to feel. Her lips that he longed to kiss. Before long he started talking to the picture.

"Hey Liara. You have no idea how much I miss you. I wish you were here with me. I need you. There is so much going on that I don't get. I really need you."

Just then he was interrupted by EDI.

"Commander, we can set course for Illium if you wish. We can be there in less than 3 days"

"Do it. I need her. And open a channel to my mother."

"Very well."

On the dreadnought SSV Orizaba, Captain Hannah Shepard was in the gym when the message came through.

"Captain, we are receiving a communication from a Cereberus ship. It's identifying itself as the…Normandy SR-2."

"WHAT! How DARE those terrorists name a ship after Mike's" Hannah shouted.

"There's more. Apparently, it's under command of…Commander Shepard"

"What!...Put them through.."

"Commander, the channel is established." EDI replied

"Thank you EDI. I want you to cease monitoring my cabin. That means Illusive Twat's bugs."

"Very Well."

"Hi mom."

"Mike? What-How-You died!"

"Yeah, but I got better"

When the Normandy arrived at Illium, Shepard had spent the better part of a day informing his mother what happened to him since she last saw him and Jason on the SR-1. So when Joker told him that there were coming into Illium, and they would be docking alongside the CSV St. Helens, he was already in a happy mood. The thought of seeing Liara made that happiness 10 times better.

However what he saw when he got to Liara's office made his heart stop. Liara was hugging Jason. And it didn't seem to just be a friendly hug either.

"You Bastard! You knew I was back! Why did you still the only woman I love! Why Jason?" He shouted, tears coming to his eyes.

"Because I didn't. Mike you didn't see her after you died. She nearly followed you. When I say that I would have let Ashley shoot me, if it wasn't for Liara, I mean that I was the only thing stopping her from killing herself. Purely because of our mutual misery." Jason replied calmly, walking towards with Mike with open hands.

"You-She-what?" Shepard replied, still in tears, though they weren't flowing as fast as they were before.

"Michael when you died, I felt it. We are bonded. I feel everything you do. I was dead inside when I lost you. Jason was kind enough to let me stay on his ship. One day I walked into his quarters to discuss an offer I had, to find him staring at the barrel of his pistol. It was then that I realized it wasn't just me that was suffering. I used Jason's ship to…recover your body and gave it to Cerberus" Liara said softly, though her eye's were glistening as well. Shepard grabbed Liara and pushed his lips to her, only to find that Liara pushed back just as much.

"Thank you Liara. For bringing me back. And Jason, I'm sorry" Shepard started before Jason interrupted.

"For what? Missing your future wife? Don't be. I'm pretty sure I would be the same way if…"

"Anyway Liara, there is space on the Normandy. Please come back to me." Shepard begged Liara.

"I…would love to Mike, but I can't. I have a rescue mission to plan."

"About that. I know where the base is. I'll hit it for you, and get Feron back, and you can go with Shepard and the Normandy. Hell I'm sure if you tell him, he will even come with us." Jason said.

"Yeah, but Liara please. I can't do this without you" Shepard pleaded.

"…..Ok Mike. But we have to rescue Feron. Where will I stay?"

"In my quarters of course."

"Ok then, Mike I've spoken to Liara. We are now both part of your group. SO you may want to change the paint scheme on your ship. Mine's already done." Jason said.

"My group. What do you mean?"

"Well I found out that there was a SPECTRE investigating the disappearance's of several human colonies. So I thought I would help. And Liara is more than capable of providing you with the necessary information." Jason replied.

"But what about The Illusive Twat?"

"I have forwarded his location to Admiral Hackett. He is aware that we are working for you. He is also aware about the trap at Lazarus. Because for the last two years, I have been undercover at Cerberus."

"Jason, you sneaky bastard!"

"I will NEVER work for terrorists!"

"I know. Well then, there is just one more question. Liara, will you marry me?" Shepard asked getting down on one knee.

"Yes!" Liara squealed. She run forward and threw her arms around Mike. Jason slipped back and remembered a conversation he had with Ashley, 3 days before he joined Cerberus.

"So, how do you feel about marriage" Jason asked. He had the ring in his pocket.

"Marriage? I'm a soldier, not a housewife." Ashley replied.

"I don't know. You clean that rifle pretty good." Jason asked to cover up his disappointment.

"Well yeah, comes with being a soldier. What's this about?" Ashley eyed him curiously.

"Oh me and Mike were talking about marriage. He thinks that marriage is the ultimate expression of love, and I agree with him" Jason replied pulling out the ring from his pocket

"Oh Jason, I didn't mean-" Ashley started, but Jason interrupted her.

"It's ok. You don't feel the same way I do. I'm on duty now. Get some sleep" Jason replied before leaving for the bridge of the St. Helens.

"Jason? You all there?" Mike asked.

"Huh? Oh yeah sorry. Just thinking about Ash…" Jason replied kicking off the wall.

"Jason, I am sorry about her. I heard what she did. You didn't deserve that." Shepard said.

"Maybe, maybe not. Let's get going, before you two strip each other in public."

"Oh Mike, I want our wedding to be an Asari one, overseen by a Matriarch. Is that ok?" Liara asked as the trio walked back towards the docks.

"Of course my dearest one. Anything for you" Shepard replied, capturing her lips in his, before seeing Jason clench his fists.

"Hey Jason, there are others out there. Take Miranda. She absolutely trusts you. Maybe you should try and move on."

"Maybe…maybe…"

A/N: No he's not bringing up the rear in that sense