A/N: pulled away from being so Miranda centric in some parts of this chapter just to see how things played out. Hmmm, now that I've finished it I think I enjoy being in her head more than Shepard's. Ah, well.

Despite all of Miranda's attempts at evasiveness and refusal for any true personal aid, somehow Shepard still found herself facing Henry Lawson down the barrel of a pistol. To describe Shepard as annoyed was putting it mildly; a certain someone was going to receive an earful after this mess.

"Shepard," Miranda gasped out in a ragged breath from her position on the floor.

Oh was she glad Miranda was alive, now she had the chance to kill her herself.

"Commander Shepard, excellent timing."

Shepard glared at the man over the top of her gun, moving at a slow and deliberate pace so as not to spook him. Henry Lawson held his youngest daughter tightly to himself, clearly intending to use her as a shield against any attack.

"Put the gun down." Shepard said in response. Garrus and EDI moved forward to flank her on either side, each with their weapons trained on Henry.

Watching them carefully, he took a tentative step back towards the window behind him, dragging Oriana with him roughly, "No. Oriana tried to shoot me. Miranda's poisonous influence no doubt."

Shepard smirked at the obvious disdain in his voice, proud of Miranda for having irked him so, "I'm sorry she missed." Her eyes darted quickly about the room, "Where's Kai Leng?"

"I don't know, gone." The man growled, "He took my research and left us here to die."

Having lost interest as soon as she heard the word gone, Shepard's focus soon fell on Miranda. She could only see the top of her head sticking up from behind the desk the woman was leaning against, and for that she was grateful. Shepard needed to focus, and based on the haggard breathing she could hear, that wouldn't be easy if she could properly see Miranda.

"Miranda, can you hear me?"

There was a raspy cough, "Obviously."

A smirk spreading broadly across her face, Shepard nodded, "Right, stupid question."

"I wouldn't expect anything different," Miranda's voice was pained, but laced with mirth. Out of the corner of her eye, Shepard saw her head bobbling about behind the desk as if she was trying, and failing, at rising to her feet.

Henry looked furious, "That's enough, both of you!" He seemed to hold Oriana tighter, causing her to squirm a bit under his arm in discomfort, "The Illusive Man told me all about you two, I guess I'm not surprised. You really were a failure, Miranda, in every respect," He smirked, pointing the nozzle of his pistol at his fallen daughter, "Kai Leng didn't finish the job, but I will."

Immediately, Shepard was a step closer, trigger finger itching in anticipation, "This ends here."

"On the contrary, now that the Reapers are taken care of, we have a way out." Henry spat out in false confidence, used to being able to bluff his way out of most any situation in the rare cases when money wasn't the solution.

"You've got nowhere to run to, you're surrounded," Shepard said with a shake of her head, "Let her go."

Finally, Miranda had been able to shakily rise to unsteady leg, "Shepard, don't let him take her." Her voice was so different from what the commander was used to hearing, full of anxiety and desperation.

"Shepard, please." Oriana begged from her father's grasp.

Resolve strengthened, Shepard motioned for her squad mates to move closer, "I have no problem with you. I just want Oriana and the research data."

Henry scoffed, "You want a lot."

Though she was a bit taken aback by how much of Miranda she could feel in that action, Shepard didn't let herself appear outwardly fazed, "You get your life in return. How much is that worth?"

Miranda glared at her father, swaying a bit as her brain desperately fought against unconsciousness. She had waited for so long, no matter how much pain she was in, she wouldn't miss this opportunity. Her eyes followed her father's movement closely as he spoke, probing for the right moment.

Henry dropped his arm, "Alright, take her," he conceded while pushing the young girl onto the floor in front of him, "but I want out alive, deal?"

Fists radiating with biotic energy, Miranda poured the last of her energy into one final burst, sending her father reeling through the window behind him. All four spectators stood in silent shock as they listened to the man's screams grow fainter and fainter until he met his end, "No deal."

The last reserves of her strength left her, and Miranda fell to the floor exhausted, quickly slipping into darkness.

"Shepard?" Miranda coughed out weakly as she felt herself being shoved about roughly. The pounding of her head, the fiery burning blazing her way mercilessly across her abdomen, she was sure the pain alone was going to kill her. She wanted to scream, to annihilate the one putting her through this torture, but when her eyes fluttered open, all she could see was the bottom of Shepard's chin.

And the pain dulled for a moment as an overwhelming feeling of relief washed over Miranda. She was with Shepard now, safe. It was done. Everything would be okay from then on.

Oh but why did it hurt so badly?

Shepard was trying her hardest not to look at the blood; she just focused on getting back to the shuttle as fast as possible, while attempting not to jostle Miranda too much at the same time. Garrus was leading them out with Oriana at his side, while EDI had stayed back to collect what data she could. Now, more than ever, Shepard was ready to hunt down Cerberus. She was ready to take down the Illusive Man. And more than anything, she was ready to finish off Kai Leng once and for all.

Miranda gritted her teeth, trying to focus her thoughts. There was something important she had to say now, she wasn't going to make it, she couldn't wait.

She had to tell Shepard before it was too late, "Shepard, before Kai Leng left-"

"Tell me about it later, Miranda." Shepard cut in, quickening her pace.

"Shepard…" Miranda sighed out breathlessly, knowing where this was going.

"Oh knock it off before you embarrass yourself," Shepard said with a teasing smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.

"I don't think-"

"You will."

Oriana watched from beside Miranda's bed in the med bay as Chakwas and Shepard had a hushed conversation on the other side of the room. She couldn't hear what they were saying, but their expressions were making her nervous, and so she found her gaze slipping down to the sleeping woman resting next to her.

Suddenly Miranda's face had scrunched up in pain, and she shifted a bit in the bed. Oriana leaned over her, gently brushing back her unusually messy hair.

"Miranda?" She asked softly as her sister's eyes fluttered open, "Oh Miranda I'm sorry."

Miranda's eyes seemed to be having trouble focusing on Oriana, but eventually she seemed to be able to comprehend where she was and who she was speaking to. "Shhh." Miranda breathed out, her voice barely audible, "Listen to me…"

"Miranda, you shouldn't talk, just rest," Oriana said gently as she grasped the hand that Miranda was feebly reaching over with.

"No," Miranda gasped, "I need to…Listen. I wanted you…" She paused, trying to catch her breath, "to have a normal life. Marriage. Children. Things I could never have."

"I know…" Oriana responded while trying ineffectively to hold back her tears with a sniff, "I just wanted my sister."

Miranda had a strange expression on her face, before her eyes started falling closed once more, "I love you, Ori."

"I love you, too."

Chakwas wiped her hands on the rag that had been resting on the table beside her, pleased with her effort. It wasn't bad work for an old codger like herself, especially considering it was a rush job. Add in Shepard's consistent hovering and accusing glares and she had damn well near pulled off a miracle.

Miranda was lying on the table, unconscious still, but breathing steadily. After placing a gown over the woman to protect her modesty, Chakwas motioned for Shepard to move from where she was leaning against the wall brooding and help gently carry Miranda back into a bed.

When she was settled in what they hoped was a comfortable position, Shepard attempted to move the gown aside and take a look at what she expected had been a ghastly wound along Miranda's stomach. She didn't get very far though as Chakwas immediately slapped her hand away.

"You leave that poor woman alone, she needs rest."

Shepard resisted the urge to pout as she plopped herself down on the bed next to Miranda's, "I wasn't going to touch it."

Chakwas gave her a warning glare and started to clean up, "Stay if you want, but I don't want to hear one peep out of you."

Shepard crossed her arms in defiance, but eventually nodded.

Miranda's eyelids fluttered a few times as she tried to adjust to the blinding light of the med bay. She struggled to push herself up, but her body felt heavy and mostly unresponsive.

"Hey, there."

Shepard's voice cutting through the silence of the room was startling, and Miranda winced after turning her head a bit too quickly. The commander gave her a sympathetic smile along with a small wave from where she sat on the hospital bed next to Miranda's, legs swinging childishly over the ground.

"Hi," Miranda croaked out, wincing at how rough her throat felt.

With a laugh, Shepard pointed at the table next to Miranda's bed, "We left some water over there for you."

Slowly, Miranda managed to drag her body up the pillows behind her head, getting enough height to drink comfortably. Though her throat instantly softened at the cool liquid, easing her discomfort some, the rest of her body was more than making up for it. There was a deep throbbing in every one of her limbs, pounding throughout her body in a steady rhythm.

"It's not that creepy, you know," Shepard said while scratching the back of her head self-consciously.

Miranda shot her a curious glance.

"I mean, I wasn't just sitting here the whole time, promise. Chakwas just needed some dinner so I took over the watch."

Miranda regretted the painful laugh as soon as it bubbled up out of her, "I don't even know how long I was out for."

Shepard shrugged, "A few hours. You didn't miss much."

Suddenly, Miranda shot up into a sitting position, easily ignoring the pain wrenching through her in her desperation, "Ori, where is she?"

Shepard jumped to the floor, "Woah, take it easy," She place her hands on Miranda's shoulders and gently guided her back down onto the bed, "She's fine, you saved her, Miri. She's on the Normandy, and you really need to stop moving around so much."

Miranda breathed a sigh of relief, letting Shepard direct her, "where is she now?"

"Actually," Shepard said with a smirk, "I think she may have a little crush on Liara," She hesitated, "Or at least on her computers. She's hardly come out of your old cabin at all."

"Oh!" Miranda, much to Shepard's frustration, had shot up once again.

"You've really got to stop that." She said with a groan.

"Shepard, you have to hurry. Kai Leng, I planted a trace on him. Quickly, bring me my things, we wasted enough time already."

"Yes, life-saving, so wasteful." Shepard said with a roll of her eyes, though she did as she was bid and fetched the items Chakwas had stripped off of Miranda just a few hours earlier.

Miranda rummaged through the pile of bloodstained clothing that Shepard held in front of her frantically. Finally she paused, holding up a small receiver triumphantly, "Here, see?," She waved it in Shepard's face, "Have EDI lock onto him with this. There may still be time."

"Did you get that EDI?" Shepard called into the empty room. When the AI answered in the affirmative, she grinned, "Wow, Miranda, you thought of everything."

If Shepard didn't know any better, she'd say Miranda looked almost bashful, "Not everything. Nobody's perfect."

Shepard laughed, and gave her a mock glare, "You do realize you are in an insane amount of trouble, right?"

Miranda scoffed, "You can't touch me, I'm an invalid."

And with that it was as if an enormous weight had been lifted off of Shepard's chest. Miranda was there, on her ship, one hundred percent alive. She was suddenly stricken with the notion that more than anything she wanted to be able to see Miranda everyday for the rest of her life, and so maybe, just maybe, she might find the strength in herself to go kill those Reapers after all.

"We'll see."

"This is it, stay sharp everyone."

Shepard lead EDI and Liara into the Illusive Man's room cautiously, sure there would be some sort of trap somewhere. It was odd, seeing this place from the other side, not just being a visiting hologram. She headed towards the chair in the center of the otherwise barren room, that beautiful view was wasted on a man like him.

Rushing to the chair and taking a seat, Shepard immediately starting searching through the computer, "We need to locate the Prothean VI."

EDI stepped up to assist when the Illusive Man's figure appeared behind them, "Shepard, you're in my chair."

Shepard bit back a laugh as she stood up and turned to face him, pistol drawn, "This chair is just about the only damn thing you have left. Cerberus is finished."

"On the contrary,we have achieved everything I have ever imagined." He paused to take a drag on his cigarette, " Well, almost everything."

Trying to contain her anger, Shepard let her arms fall to her side, "We all saw what you accomplished on Sanctuary. But it's not that same as controlling a Reaper."

"A significant hurdle, but thanks to the Prothean VI, I have what I need to make it a reality."

"The Catalyst."

The Illusive Man nodded, a smug smile gracing his usually blank features, "Yes."

Shepard soon realized she was looking upon the face of a man who already knew he had won.

The conversation with the Illusive Man hadn't lasted long, and they now held the knowledge of what the Catalyst was. Liara shot Shepard a meaningful look. They had the information they needed, there was only one man standing in their way. They didn't have time to spare; the Reapers were capturing the Citadel at that very moment. Now was the time to make their escape.

Except Shepard had a bone to pick.

It was impossible to determine which of the two launched the first attack, but Liara watched helplessly as Shepard and Kai Leng engaged one another with an animal like ferocity.

Shepard stood over Kai Leng's fallen body, an unreadable expression on her face, before turning back towards the computer and heading for the Illusive Man's chair.

EDI and Liara watched her as she worked to get a message out to Hackett, not noticing the assassin's stealthy movements. Though his body was battered, he managed to drag himself up to his feet, limping towards Shepard, blade drawn.

She had heard him instantly. Even still, Shepard let him make his slow approach. Waiting, until he was confident, until the tip of his blade was hovering over the top of her skull, until he had believed victory was in his grasp, she turned and sunk her omniblade deep into his abdomen, "That was for Thane you son of a bitch."

With a flick of the wrist, the blade was gone, and Kai Leng fell to his knees gasping for air. She waited for him to fall to the ground, before crouching down beside him.

"Shepard," He wheezed, "no matter what…this is pointless…you've lost…"

Shepard cocked her head to the side, "You know, Leng, I think I pity you."

His dull eyes flicked up to meet hers.

"Even with all of those enhancements you still couldn't win, and they deserted you for it. You fought to die, and now what do you have? You're lying on a metal floor, all alone."

He coughed, blood spilling out from his lungs, determined to throw just one more hit in Shepard's direction, "Just like Miranda then, huh?"

To his chagrin a wide smiled spread across her face, "Oh you poor bastard." She gripped the collar of his uniform in one hand and pulled him up until his face was mere centimeters from her own, "She is so very much alive."