Chapter 9: We Meet Again

The Reapers were here. The inevitable had finally happened, and Miranda felt like she had been punched in the gut. Along with Shepard, she had done everything she could to guard against this eventuality, but when planetary and galactic government is determined to deny, there was no way to properly prepare. And on top of it all, Ori was missing. Miranda was certain that her father was behind it, though at present, she had no leads. When she was with Cerberus, she had resources that she could have used to solve the mystery, but on her own and on the run, her resources were severely limited.

Shepard would help her, but he was locked up and had less in the way of resources right now than she did. Shepard. She missed him terribly. She had never fallen so deeply for anyone, and her heart ached for him. Miranda considered briefly infiltrating Alliance Command in order to gain access to the commander, and maybe break him free, but she knew that would be a bad idea. With the Reapers here, Shepard would be out soon, of that she was certain.

"Lawson, got a minute?" Zaeed's gruff voice brought her out of her reverie.

"What is it?"

"Once we get to Omega, I've got a job. I know you're lookin' for your sis, but if you got no leads, you can run with us for a bit. Flint's going, and the pay is good."

"Thanks, Zaeed," she said, trying to hold it together. "But Omega is where we part ways. I … I can't rest until I know Ori is safe. I swear, of all the times for the Reapers to attack …"

"I know," Zaeed lamented. "Life went on and all the same shit we all have to deal with aint goin' away. Never actually seen a Reaper, but I hear they're as big as goddam skyscrapers."

"I've never actually seen one either," she confessed. "But according to Shepard, they're bigger than that. Joker said that a Reaper is bigger than a Collector ship. And that's just the one we've seen. Harbinger … it may be bigger than Sovereign. Shepard said that Sovereign had warned that the Reapers were legion and would darken the skies of every planet. Then there're the indoctrinated minions, of which I'm convinced the Illusive Man is one. They'll keep us fighting each other while the Reapers harvest us." She shook her head. "It's all so bloody depressing!"

"Excuse me, Ms. Lawson," said one of the Asari commandos. "I think you'll want to see this. It's a news report about the war and about Earth."

Miranda nodded and activated her omni tool so that she could watch the broadcast. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw Khalisah al-Jilani on camera standing across from … Commander Shepard! There he was, on live video, back in an Alliance BDU … and it looked like he had already seen a lot of action, judging by the condition it was in. Fresh cuts and scars marked his face and forearms. He already looked war weary.

"He's been fighting without armor," Miranda gasped, realizing that the uniform could not get marked up like that unless Shepard had been forced to fight without any combat gear. "Oh, Shepard," she said aloud. "They'll take everything you have to give until there's nothing left, and then they'll take even more."

"Commander Shepard! Khalisah Bint Sinan al-Jilani," the newswoman said, "Isn't it true that you were on Earth when the Reapers attacked? How do you justify running away while millions on Earth die? Is this the best we can expect from the Alliance?" Khalisah asked accusingly.

"That bitch!" Miranda wanted to reach into the image and strangle al-Jilani.

"I came to get help for Earth, for everyone," Shepard countered.

"What about all the people suffering while you play politics with the Council?" Khalisah pressed, her voice now thick with emotion. "What about them?" She then turned away from Shepard, her face a mask of sadness.

"Oh my God," Miranda exclaimed, "is she going to … break down and cry on camera?"

"How can you stand her while our families die?" the newswoman continued, blinking back tears. "What are you going to do?"

"Khalisa, we're doing all we can," the Commander said reassuringly, reaching out and touching the journalist's shoulder, calming her.

"Before they cut the feeds … there were so many dead." The desperation was now plain in al-Jilani's voice.

In spite of herself, Miranda actually felt bad for the woman. She wondered if Khalisah had lost someone close.

"I'm going to stop the Reapers or die trying," Shepard assured. "But I need your help. Keep asking the hard questions. Don't let the Council forget about Earth."

"I will," she promised. "Thank you Commander." She turned and began to walk away, then she paused and turned back, her expression much softened. "I know we haven't always seen eye to eye, but I'm glad you're on our side."

The feed went back to Westerlund News' main programming, depriving Miranda of seeing her lover any longer. She clenched her fists in frustration, but then, a smile crossed her face.

"You okay, Miranda?" Stone asked.

"Yes," she said triumphantly. "I now know where I need to go."

Commander Shepard was finally free. The Reapers had arrived, just as he had predicted. He had been brought to the Alliance committee hearing to answer their insipid "What do we do?" questions, when the Reapers hit. Fifteen minutes or less of being out of his quarters, and technically still under house arrest, and the Reapers hit.

Of course, before the hearing, he had a brush with Ashley, who as it turned out, had been promoted to Lieutenant Commander at some point during his incarceration. She was shaky and demure in his presence, unsure of how to react to him. He was a touch flippant with her, but had stayed within the bounds of professional courtesy.

The Reapers hit less than ten minutes after he saw her. Then he and Anderson had to scramble to get to the Normandy, battling husks and other Reaper forces that he had never seen before along the way. Death and destruction were literally all around him. Once they reached the Normandy, Anderson reinstated Shepard and charged him with going to the Citadel to get help.

Vega, the friendly companion who had been his keeper for the past few months, was suddenly a petulant twit, questioning everything Shepard said. At one point, Shepard had told him to stow it, poking the large man in the chest with a steely index finger, and to catch a ride back to Earth from the Citadel if he didn't like Shepard's orders. Idiot, Shepard thought as he reflected on it all.

Then Hackett had sent them to the Mars Archives, where Ashley had accused of treason for about fifteen minutes straight, and the now clearly indoctrinated Illusive Man had played his hand. Now, Liara T'Soni was aboard the Normandy once again, having delivered what might be the galaxy's only hope in the form of a Prothean blueprint, Ashley was wounded, and fighting for her life at Huerta Memorial Hospital on the Citadel, the Cerberus android that had attacked her was stashed in the Normandy's AI core, and an ANN Battlespace correspondent, Diana Allers was embedded on the Normandy.

On top of all that, Vega wanted to have fistfight during conversation. Shepard had put the musclebound oaf down hard, and he just knew that Vega had blown some major mission based on the young marine's words. Great; I get a comatose ex-girlfriend as my second in command, and a fuck-up with anger issues when what I really need is Garrus Vakarian. At least I have Joker, Edi, and Liara back.

Now that he was reinstated, Hackett had made Shepard the most important part of the Alliance strategy, and had given him broad authority to do whatever he needed to in order to unite the galaxy, while feeding him additional missions along the way. They had just completed one such mission; shutting down a Cerberus lab.

The Normandy's shuttle pilot, Steve Cortez, proved to be competent, and Shepard felt an instant connection with the former CAG. Back on the Normandy, Specialist Samantha Traynor stood where Kelly Chambers had been when they flew against the Collectors. She was a bit unsure of herself, but she seemed to be a wiz at her job.

"You have messages at your private terminal," the specialist said as Shepard stepped off of the lift.

"Thanks, Traynor," he replied, opening his e-mail. He was elated to see that Miranda had sent him a message, telling him to meet her at the Citadel. His face split into a broad grin as he read her message. With a spring in his step, he strode up the ramp to survey the galaxy map. From there, he selected the Citadel and input the command to go there immediately.

Miranda had not heard back from Shepard, but she hoped that he got her message. She had gone to the Citadel, knowing that she would probably miss him initially, but also knowing that her business would keep her there long enough that they might connect. She took the chance of removing the color from her hair and going back to her normal appearance … the one that was on all of the bounty notices. It had paid off; people she needed to see, mostly ex-Cerberus, sought her out, and she had managed to get a few leads on Ori.

But now, her time on the Citadel was growing short, and she waited impatiently at docking bay D-24. The view from the big picture window was breathtaking, and she realized that it was the first time that she had ever simply took the time to appreciate the beauty of the Citadel without once thinking about the politics it represented, or that ultimately, it was a Reaper trap. She gazed longingly, hoping against hope to see the Normandy. Her omni-tool beeped, alerting her to a message, and she jumped to view it, hoping that it might be Shepard. It was not, but it was a response from one of her contacts with more information about Ori.

She was about to answer it, when a young girl who was with her parents a few feet away blurted out, "Mommy, Daddy, it's the Normandy! Commander Shepard's here!"

Miranda practically jumped out of her skin, turning around to see the SSV Normandy SR-2 taxiing into bay D-24. The Cerberus logo and colors were gone, replaced on the beautiful ship with the Alliance white, blue, and black color scheme and emblems. Just looking at the beautiful ship made her heart melt, but then she got nervous. Shepard, whom she had not seen in months, was aboard that ship. Was he to disembark? Would he even want to see her? She knew it was silly to worry, but then, people change. It would not be the first time she had been disappointed in a man, but then she had never had this level of emotional investment in a man either.

The door opened, and Shepard emerged from the docking tube. He looked harried, pressured, like the weight of the galaxy had just been dumped on his shoulders. In a way, it had. And he looked bitter. He did not see her, so she stood for a few moments just taking him in. As he was about to turn and head into the station, she called out, "Shepard, over here."

He turned at the sound of her voice, and in that moment, his expression changed from harried and pressured to elated and thankful. He walked over briskly, but not so much as to draw attention to himself. Miranda was surprised that he was not being mobbed, but she imagined that most people did not immediately recognize him on sight; his hair had grown out a bit, and his face wore a layer of stubble. He was very businesslike, prompting her to become fearful that his feelings had changed, though she hoped that he was trying to be discreet for her benefit.

"Shepard, it's so good to finally see you." She turned and began walking to the waiting area, Shepard following her.

"You too, Miranda."

"I couldn't get anywhere near you when the Alliance had you locked up."

"Relieved of duty," he said as they walked. "It was complicated." The initial embrace aside, they walked as though they were acquaintances, rather than as though they were lovers.

Miranda hoped that it was to keep from drawing undue attention to them. Have his feelings changed? "I'm sure it was," she said. "I'm surprised they didn't court martial you. The Alliance isn't known for its flexibility."

He turned away as they passed the Avina terninal, saying, "It doesn't matter now." His voice … everything was businesslike, but tinged with bitterness and anger.

"Shepard, about Earth …"

"Countless people lost their lives within minutes," he said darkly. "The Reapers are everything we feared."

"They should have listened to you a long time ago …" Miranda walked over to him to comfort him, standing behind him, she wanted to reach out and pull him close. He was so close to her, but now, she hesitated to touch him. "I'm sorry Shepard."

"What about you?" he asked, abruptly changing the subject. "What brings you here?"

"I need to talk to a few people, like you." Miranda walked on ahead, still trying to get a handle on things. "The Citadel is a good place to meet … for now. What's the Alliance's next move?"

"We have a plan," he declared. "It's a long shot."

"Not surprising." Then she turned to face him, stopping him in his tracks. She looked away for a moment, fighting the butterflies in her stomach, collecting her thoughts. Finally, Miranda faced him. "Shepard … am I still part of your plan?" She looked down, fearful of his answer. "It's been so long, I wasn't sure where we stood."

"Miranda," he said softly, taking her hands in his, and looking deeply into her eyes.

His hands were rough, calloused, and scarred … but their touch sent thrills down her spine.

"Things are never going to be easy for us," he continued, "but I'll always want you in my life."

"No second thoughts?" she asked, inexplicably unsure of herself. "This is your chance to back out."

He smiled, and the old Shepard, the John Shepard she had fallen in love with, emerged from that of the bitter, haggard warrior. "None."

Then they embraced. He held her for as long as was prudent, then to her surprise, he kissed her on the mouth, deeply and without reservation, as though he had been waiting a lifetime for the opportunity. Miranda's fears evaporated in that moment.

"It was hard to be away from you," Miranda confessed. "Surprised myself how … attached I got. I'm not good at attached."

"Just stay close from now on, alright?"

Miranda turned away, holding her hand to her face, about to cry. "I wish I could," she said, trying to hold it together. "I really do … but there's something I need to deal with."

"What is it?"

Though she was turned away from him, she could sense him take a couple of steps toward her. His presence comforted her, but the topic was as frustrating for her as the politicians were to Shepard.

"I haven't heard from my sister, Oriana, for a while." She began walking down the stairs to the lounge, Shepard's reassuring presence following her. "I'm getting worried."

"Your sister?"

"Yes," Miranda confirmed, turning back to face him. "I don't want to over react, but … well, there's a lot going on."

"I thought we made sure she was safe," Shepard countered, puzzled by the change in Ori's status.

"We did," she said quickly, not wanting to burden him any more than he already was. He has enough on his plate without me adding to it. "It's probably nothing, but … I just know my father is involved."

But Shepard would not deny Miranda the ear she so desperately needed from him. "What happened?"

"I don't know," she confessed. "Everything I had in place to make sure she was safe went dark."

"What do you need from me?" Shepard's offer came without hesitation.

Miranda knew that he would simultaneously fight a war and help her recover her sister, but Miranda could not do that to him. She could not pull him in one more direction when he was already being pulled in a thousand. "I knew you'd want to help, and I'm grateful. But you've got your hands full. If I need a door or two kicked down, I know just who to call. But for now, I'll be fine."

"Okay," he said. "I understand."

Miranda loved that about him. The offer of help was there, but he acknowledged that this was her mission, and trusted that she could handle it, and would call him if she needed him.

"I have to figure this out."

"You will," he assured. "But why do you think your father is involved in Oriana's disappearance?"

"I kept careful tabs on my sister," Miranda explained. "I knew exactly where she was. For her just to vanish … it could only be him." She shook her head. "After I hid her away, I still knew he'd stop at nothing to find her. She's all he has left." Then she added, "I have a hunch what happened, but I'll fill you in when I'm certain."

He nodded, then he switched gears. "Have you had any run ins with the Illusive Man?"

"Just once," she recalled. "He said that it had been a pleasure to work with me. But he needed to contain the situation."

"Contain the situation," Shepard repeated. "Sounds final."

"It nearly was. He doesn't take rejection well."

"No, he doesn't." Shepard then switched gears again. "Did you try to contact me while I was on Earth?"

"A visit from the former Cerberus second in command would have been disastrous," she said, trying not to laugh at the thought of being caught with Shepard while he was under house arrest. Any kind of secret communication would have looked even worse." Then she sauntered closer, a sultry look about her as she touched his arm. "I was tempted to break in and see you."

"That would have been … tough to explain." His face was now lit up as they spoke, just like it had been when they had been together aboard the Normandy.

Miranda had finally broken through the haze of sadness and death that had hung about him only minutes earlier. She smiled, adding, "Right; fun and games until they had me arrested, or just shot me on sight. I had to play it safe … for both of us."

"I understand," he agreed. Shifting back to Cerberus, he said, "If you're looking for a lead here, anyone associated with Cerberus will be hard to find."

"No question," she said, standing with her left hand on her hip, accentuating her very alluring curves. "But I'm owed a few favors. Someone here will give me a tip on Oriana."

"I've got to get back to it," Shepard said, as though he suddenly remembered reality.

"And I should get out of sight," Miranda declared.

"Be careful," he replied, pulling her close and kissing her one last time.

"No promises," Miranda said after they kissed.

A Turian C-Sec agent was looking in their direction, so they ended their conversation and went their separate ways. Miranda wished they had been able to speak for longer, but she knew that they would meet again before the war's end. She smiled as she blended in with the crowd. Shepard's feelings had never wavered, and neither had hers. And when this war is over, she thought, we'll make a life together, free of the Reapers.