"Doctor? Doctor Chakwas? I think he is waking up." John heard a female voice somewhere close to him. He opened his eyes slowly to find himself in the Normandy's med-bay. He suddenly remembered the vision from the beacon and watching her die before he lost consciousness. He unsteadily sat up on the bed, still feeling a little dizzy. He rubbed his face with his palm and looked up to see that Dr. Chakwas was looking at him with a concerned expression on her face. Then he noticed another figure standing beside the Doctor – Ashley Williams was standing there, her gaze on him, with worry in her eyes.
"You had us worried there, Commander. How are you feeling?" Dr. Chakwas asked softly.
"Minor throbbing. Nothing serious. How long was I out, Doctor?" John asked her.
"About fifteen hours. Something happened down there with the beacon I think?" Chakwas enquired.
"It is my fault. I must have triggered some kind of security field when I approached it. You had to pull me out of there." Ashley said with shame in her voice, her eyes towards the floor, not looking at John.
"You had no way to know what would happen." John tried to lessen her guilt.
"Actually we don't even know if that's what set it off. Unfortunately, we will never get the chance to find out." Chakwas said.
Looking at Shepard's confused expression, Ashley explained, "The beacon exploded. A system overload maybe. The blast knocked you out cold. The Lieutenant and me, carried you here back to the ship."
"I appreciate that." John thanked her. She let out a small shy smile.
"Physically, you're fine. But I have detected some unusual brain activity, abnormal beta waves." Dr. Chakwas informed looking at the datapad in her hands. She continued, "I also noticed an increase in your rapid eye movement, signs typically associated with intense dreaming."
"I saw…. I'm not sure what I saw. Death. Destruction. Nothing's really clear and…." He stopped realizing that Ashley is still here in the med-bay listening to him. Sensing his distress, Dr. Chakwas requested Ashley, "If you don't mind Chief, I would like to talk with my patient and have another check-up privately."
"Sure. I will be in the mess hall if you need me." Ashley left with a last look at John, who was looking at the floor lost in his thoughts. Chakwas observed John for few moments carefully and at last put her hand on his shoulder which brought him back from his thoughts.
"Anything else you want to talk about, Commander?" Chakwas asked knowingly.
"I saw her again Doc. It was exactly what I saw in my dream but this time I saw her after interacting with the beacon. This…. This can't be a co-incidence. This must have meant something." John said, his face showing the fear he was feeling inside his heart.
"What do you mean?"
"I think it's a warning or something like that."
"But how is that possible. This is no science; this seems to be like a fantasy."
"I don't know Doctor… I just don't know. Don't know how much longer I can keep up if this dream doesn't stop. It haunts me all the time."
"Commander, I know it is difficult. But you should stop worrying about this dream. Maybe the vision about her, you are telling me, may be nothing. It can happen because of stress, fatigue and you constantly think about her. This… This is not healthy."
"It's not that I am thinking about her 24X7, but it's true that she is always in my mind. Maybe, you are right, Doctor. I will try follow to your advice."
Dr. Karin Chakwas have never seen a man like John Shepard before in her life. He was unlike any other man. His honesty, bravery, skills, caring for his team-mates – all these qualities are known to all. But she only has the privilege to know how good his heart is, how much pain he carries and how he always remains in fear that, he will lose the only the woman he ever loved with every fibre of his being. She knows nothing about the woman whom he cares about, more than anything else in his life or whether that woman still loves back or not but observing him and realizing the depth of his feelings for that unknown woman always makes her astonished. From what he explained to her, they had known each other for 4-5 years and after that they never met again. But he still longs for her as is she is his sanity, his world or his very soul. She wondered how he can care about her that much after all these years. It's natural that, being separated for so many years the connection between two people slowly cease to exist, no matter how strong the connection between them was. But in his case the opposite happened. This fact always confuses her because this isn't normal. She realized the man sitting in front of her is slowly losing his will to live on. For his sake he must find her quickly and if she breaks his heart, he will be destroyed for sure. Dr. Chakwas thought that her assumptions may sound pathetic but it's true. She looked at him, sitting on the bed looking at the floor, his eyes unfocused and deep in his thoughts. She decided to pull him out of his brooding and she knew exactly how to do that. John Shepard is a hero, fearless man and one of the best soldiers of the Alliance. He never gets nervous or loses his hope in combat. He completes his missions with determinations and purpose. But one thing always makes him nervous and she knew why. A woman's affection towards him always makes him nervous because if that happens he thinks that he is somehow betraying the woman he loves. This sounded ridiculous but that is John Shepard.
"It seems Chief Williams fancy you Commander." She said a little loudly.
"What?" He looked at her with disbelief in his eyes. She chuckled at the bewildered expression on his face. He frowned realizing that the Doctor was just teasing him.
"Hmmm. I better add this to my report." She murmured to herself. "And Commander….. Oh! Captain Anderson." Anderson entered the med-bay with his hands behind his back and his gaze on John.
"How's our XO doing, Doctor?" Anderson asked.
"All the readings look normal. I'd say the Commander is going to be fine." Dr. Chakwas informed.
"Good to hear it." Then Anderson looked at John and said, "Shepard, I need to speak with you… in private."
"I will come back later." Dr. Chakwas said and walked out from the med-bay giving the Captain and the Commander some privacy. Anderson turned towards John after the med-bay door closed behind the Doctor. "Sounds like that beacon hit you pretty hard, Commander. You sure you're okay?" Anderson asked.
"I am alright. But I don't like soldiers dying under my command." John said bitterly.
"Jenkin's wasn't your fault. You did a great job Shepard." Anderson said.
"So, Chief Williams part of the Normandy crew now?" John asked changing the subject. He was still pretty much upset about Jenkin's death.
"I figured we could use a soldier like her. She's been reassigned to the Normandy."
"Williams is a good soldier. She deserves it."
"Lieutenant Alenko agrees with you. That's why I added her to our crew."
"Ah… you said you needed to talk me with private, Captain?" John asked wondering what happened now.
"I won't lie to you Shepard. Things look bad. Nihlus is dead. The beacon is destroyed and the Geth are invading. The Council's going to want answers."
"I didn't do anything wrong Captain. Hopefully, the Council can see that."
"I'll stand behind you and your report Shepard. You're a damn hero in my books. That's not why I am here. It's Saren, the other turian." Anderson said with slight worry in his voice. He continued, "Saren's a Spectre, one of the best. A living legend. But if he's working with the Geth, it means he's gone rogue. A rogue Spectre is trouble. Saren is dangerous and he hate humans."
"You are telling that he only came to Eden Prime because he hates humans?"
"Not entirely. Saren has allied himself with the Geth. I don't know how. I don't know why. But it had something to do with the beacon. You were there just before it self-destructed. Did you see anything? Any clue that might tell us what Saren was after?"
"Just before I lost consciousness, I had some kind of vision."
"A vision? A vision of what?"
"I saw synthetics. Geth, maybe. Slaughtering people. Butchering them. And there were many mother ships like the one we saw in Eden Prime."
"We need to report this to the Council, Shepard." Anderson said. John rubbed his face in frustration because he knew the Council won't believe them since he has nothing to show them, the vision he saw cannot be held as an evidence.
"What are we going to tell them? I had a bad dream?" John sighed.
"We don't know what information was stored in the beacon. Lost Prothean technology? Blueprints for some ancient weapon of mass destruction? Whatever it was, Saren took it. But I know Saren. I know his reputation, his politics. He believes humans are a blight on the galaxy. The attack was an act of war. He has the secrets from the beacon. He has an army of Geth at his command and he won't stop until he wiped humanity from the face of the galaxy." Anderson explained.
"I will find some way to take him down." John said with his jaws clenched in anger. It's only because of Saren, hundreds of lives were lost on Eden Prime.
"It's not that easy. He is a Spectre. He can go anywhere, do almost anything. That's why we need the Council on our side."
"We prove Saren's gone rogue and the Council will revoke his Spectre status."
"I'll contact the ambassador and see if he can get us an audience with the Council. He will want us to see as soon as we reach the Citadel. We should be getting close. Head up to the bridge and tell Joker to bring us to the dock." Anderson ordered and left the med-bay. John followed him out after few seconds. On his way to the bridge he met Ashley, who was standing with her back leaning against the wall and arms crossed over her chest. She greeted him warmly when she saw him leaving the med-bay.
"I am glad you are okay, Commander. The crew could use some good news after what happened to Jenkins." She said.
"Jenkins was a valuable part of the crew and a friend." John told her.
"Part of me feels guilty over what happened. If Jenkins was still alive, I might not be here." She said with her head bowed.
"You're a good soldier Williams. You belong on the Normandy." John praised her. Ashley's cheeks turned red with his praise. She hoped he didn't notice. She was thankful that the red light in the mess hall is falling on her face, hiding her blush from the Commander. She quickly composed herself and replied to him, "Thanks Commander. That means a lot from you. I have never met anyone who was awarded the Star of Terra."
"There's nothing special about me Williams. I am just a soldier like others."
"Held off an entire enemy platoon? Alone? With all due respect Commander, I think you've got somebody watching over you." She said with a smile. John couldn't have agreed more with anything else. Yes, he has an angel somewhere out there, watching over him. She is his strength, spirit, his life, his will to go on and everything else. He quickly switched the subject because he didn't want to think about her although she hardly leaves his mind.
"Things were pretty rough down there. Are you okay?" John asked Ashley.
"I've seen friends die before. Comes with being a marine. But to see my whole unit wiped out... And you never get used seeing dead civilians. But things would have been a lot worse if you hadn't shown up."
"We couldn't have done it without you Williams." John said honestly.
"Thanks Commander. I have to admit; I was a little worried being assigned to the Normandy. It's nice when someone makes you feel welcome." She said and realized she was blushing again.
"I think you are going to fit in here just fine, Williams." Shepard said and headed towards the cockpit to talk with Joker.
ILLIUM ETERNITY BAR
A girl no older than seventeen was seated in a table with a bald man in front of her. She was looking anxiously looking towards the entrance waiting for someone. The man was tapping the table in front of him absent minded with his fingers. After waiting fifteen more minutes like that, the girl got irritates. Frustration was evident on her face. She looked towards the man in front of her and asked irritably,
"Have you told her that I want to meet her, here, now?"
"Yeah. I did. Why wouldn't I?"
"Then why is she so late? She is never late and by so much time. She always came before me whenever we met."
"I dunno! Maybe..." The man stopped noticing a woman entering the bar. She looked around a bit searching and when her eyes fell on them, her eyes lit up. At that time, the girl also noticed the woman. A huge smile appeared on the girl's face. She immediately stood up from her chair and embraced the woman tightly when she approached their table. The girl murmured still embracing the woman, "Randa..."
The woman also murmured embracing the girl tightly, "Ori..."
"Randa, I am glad to see you, sis! How are you?" Oriana asked her elder sister.
"I am okay Ori. Why did you want to meet me? Is everything alright? Did father..." Miranda was stopped in mid-sentence by her sister.
"Relax Randa. Everything is fine. Can't I meet my sister without any reason?" Oriana asked with a frown.
"Of course you can. I just... I love you Ori. You are the only family I have. I can't lose you too."
Sensing the change in her sister's mood she tried to assure her elder sister that she will not lose her. She will always have her. But what did Randa meant by that she can't lose her too? Who did she refer, other than her? Did she had another sister, whom she didn't know about or their mother about whom she knew nothing? Oriana thought. In the meantime, Miranda composed herself and greeted her old friend Niket.
"Niket. Is everything alright with you?" Miranda asked her old friend with a small smile.
"Yes. I hope you are doing well too, Miranda." Niket said. He continued, "Unfortunately, I have some other business to attend to. If you don't mind, then..."
"Don't worry Niket. I will take Ori to her home." Miranda said. Then Niket was gone after saying Oriana goodbye.
"So Ori, how is your school going?" Miranda asked.
"Ah. It is going pretty well actually and sis there is a man watching you since you arrived. He is sitting just behind you."
"I noticed. Don't worry about him. But you know I am getting suspicious regarding your answer." Miranda said looking at her sister carefully.
Oriana frowned. "What do you mean?"
Miranda asked softly, "Are you dating someone?"
Oriana blushed deeply. "No... Um. Not really. But I like him. His name is Adrian Gibson."
"Ori, I won't lecture you to stay away from the boys in your school. But whatever you do be careful." She stopped and said again, "But I will have to investigate about this boy first. Then if I find out that everything is okay, I may give you my permission." Miranda smirked. Oriana's eyes widened in disbelief. "You wouldn't dare." She said.
"Watch me." Miranda said simply and Oriana hid her face in her hands frustrated with her sister's overprotectiveness. After few seconds she calmed down when Miranda send her a file of a collection of Oriana's favourite music through her omni-tool. Oriana smiled happily at her sister and exclaimed, "How did you get this collection, Randa?"
"I have my ways." Miranda smiled at her sister.
"But this does not make up for what you did, Randa. Since I told you about my love life, you have to tell me about yours. You always avoided the topic whenever I asked you about it before. But this time I am not letting you get away. You have to tell me, now." Oriana demanded answer from her older sister. Miranda didn't say anything, only a pained expression appeared on her face. Oriana became immediately concerned at her sister's change of mood. She stood up from her chair and brought it beside her sister and sat down holding Miranda's hands in hers. "What's wrong Randa? Did I hurt you? If I did I am sorry."
"No Ori. You didn't hurt me. It's just that..." Miranda tried to say but her heart was breaking again after thinking about him.
"Randa from your behavior I can say that something is seriously wrong with you. I saw in all these years how many men lusted after you and some of them even genuinely cared about you. But you never reciprocated their feelings. Why Randa? Don't you believe in love?"
"I do." Miranda replied softly.
"Then? Why didn't you get in any relationships in all these time? And a few minutes earlier you said that you can't lose me too. What do you mean by that sis?"
"Ori, I have never talked about this with anyone else ever. I don't know what you will think but..."
"Tell me Randa." Oriana said after putting a hand on Miranda's shoulder showing her support.
"Let's get to my apartment. I will tell you everything there." Miranda said.
CITADEL AMBASSADOR UDINA'S OFFICE
"This is an outrage! The council would step in if the Geth attacked a turian colony!" Udina said angrily.
"The turians don't found colonies on the border of the Terminus system, Ambassador." Said the Salarian councilor.
"Humanity was well aware of the risks when you went into the Traverse." The Asari councilor added.
"What about Saren? You can't just ignore a rogue Spectre. I demand action!" Said Udina raising his voice a little.
"You don't get to make demands of the Council, Ambassador." The turian councilor replied coolly.
"Citadel security is investigating your charges against Saren. We will discuss the C-Sec findings at the hearing. Not before." The Asari councilor added.
Udina was about to argue but stopped at the sound of the door opening behind him and saw Anderson entering his office with his crew.
"Captain Anderson, I see you have brought half your crew with you." Said Udina.
"Just the ground team from Eden Prime. In case you have any questions." Anderson replied calmly.
"I have the mission reports. I assume they are accurate?"
"They are. Sounds like you convinced the Council to give us an audience." Anderson praised Udina knowingly.
"They were not happy about it. Saren is their top agent. They don't like him being accused of treason." Udina said with a frown on his face.
"Saren's a threat to every human colony out there. If they don't stop him, I will!" John said with purpose.
"Settle down Commander. You have already done more than enough to jeopardize your candidacy for the Spectres. The mission on Eden Prime was a chance to prove you could get the job done. Instead, Nihlus ended up dead and the beacon was destroyed!" Udina said with a bit of anger in his voice.
"That's Saren's fault, not his!" Anderson defended John. Udina looked at Ashley and Kaidan for confirmation. They nodded their head indicating what Anderson said is true. Udina calmed down a bit.
"Then we better hope the C-Sec investigation turns up evidence to support our accusations. Otherwise the Council might use this as an excuse to keep you out of the Spectres. Come with me captain. I want to go over a few things before the hearing. Shepard – you and the others can meet us at the Citadel Tower. Top level. I'll make sure you have clearance to get in." Udina informed them and left with Anderson.
"That's why I hate politicians." Ashley murmured.
CITADEL TOWER
"Saren's hiding something! Give me more time. Stall them." A blue armored turian said to Executor Pallin.
"Stall the Council? Don't be ridiculous! Your investigation is over Garrus." The Executor declared and left.
Garrus saw John and his team approaching. He approached them. "Commander Shepard? Garrus Vakarian. I was the officer in charge of the C-Sec investigation into Saren." Garrus said.
"You came across anything I should know about?" John asked the turian.
"Saren's a Spectre. Most of his activities are classified. I couldn't find anything solid. But I know he's up to something. Like you humans say, I feel it in my gut." Garrus said.
"I think the Council's ready for us, Commander." Kaidan interrupted.
"Good luck, Commander. Maybe they will listen to you." Garrus said and left. John watched Garrus go. He sighed. This is more complicated than he thought. He watched Anderson was waiting for them at the stairs. They moved forward towards Anderson.
"The hearing's already started. Come on." Anderson said. When they approached the Council John saw Saren was also there in a hologram.
"The geth attack is a matter of some concern. But there is nothing to indicate that Saren was involved in any way." The Asari councilor said.
"The investigation by Citadel Security turned up no evidence to support your charge of treason." The turian councilor added.
"An eyewitness saw him kill Nihlus in cold blood!" Udina argued.
"We have read the Eden Prime reports, Ambassador. The testimony of one traumatized dockworker is hardly compelling proof." The Salarian councilor said.
"I resent these accusations. Nihlus was a fellow Spectre and a friend." Saren denied the accusations on him through the hologram.
"That just let you catch him off-guard!" Anderson said.
"Captain Anderson. You always seem to be involved when humanity makes false charges against me." Saren countered. He continued, "And this must be your protégé, Commander Shepard. The one who let the beacon get destroyed."
"You are the one who destroyed the beacon and then you tried to cover it up." John said angrily.
"Shift the blame to cover your own failures, just like Captain Anderson. He's taught you well. But what can you expect from a human?" Saren said evilly.
"Saren despises humanity. That's why he attacked the Eden Prime!" John said desperately hoping the Council could see through Saren's lies.
"Your species need to learn its place, Shepard. You're not ready to join the Council. You're not even ready to join the Spectres!" Saren said sarcastically.
"He has no right to say that! That's not his decision!" Udina said outraged.
"Shepard's admission into Spectres is not the purpose of this meeting." Said the Asari Councilor.
"This meeting has no purpose. The humans are wasting your time, Councilor and mine." Saren said.
"You can't hide behind the Council forever!" John said with an angry voice.
"There is still one outstanding issue: Commander Shepard's vision. It may have been triggered by the beacon." Anderson added.
"Are we allowing dreams into evidence now? How can I defend my innocence against this kind of testimony?" Saren argued.
"I agree. Our judgement must be based on the facts and evidence, not wild imaginings and reckless speculation." The turian councilor declared. Anderson frowned and looked towards John. John gave him a look which said, I told you so.
"You have made your decision. I won't waste my breath." John said defeated.
"The council has found no evidence of any connection between Saren and the geth. Ambassador, your petition to have him disbarred from the Spectres is denied." The Asari councilor made the decision.
"I am glad to see justice was served." Saren said and his hologram picture disappeared after he directed an evil smirk towards John which gone unnoticed by the Council.
"The meeting is adjourned." Said the Asari councilor ending the hearing.
"It was a mistake bringing you into that hearing, Captain. You and Saren have too much history. It made the Council question our motives." Udina said.
"I know Saren. He's working with the geth for one reason: to exterminate the entire human race. Every colony we have is at risk. Every world we control is in danger. Even Earth isn't safe." Anderson said.
"What happened between you and Saren?" John asked curios.
"I worked with him in a mission a long time ago. Things went bad. Really bad. We shouldn't talk about this here. But I know what he's like. And he has to be stopped." Anderson answered with worry in his tone.
"So, what will be our next step?" John asked.
"As a Spectre, he's virtually untouchable. We need to find some way to expose him." Udina said tapping his chin and trying to think of some way to expose Saren to the Council.
"What about Garrus, that C-Sec investigator? We saw him arguing with the executor." Kaidan stepped in.
"That's right! He was asking for more time to finish his report. Seems like he was close to finding something on Saren." Ashley added.
"Any idea where can we find Garrus?" John asked.
"I have a contact in C-Sec who can help us track Garrus down. His name is Harkin." Udina said.
"Forget it. They suspended Harkin last month. Drinking on the job. I won't waste my time with that loser." Anderson intervened.
"You won't have to. I don't want the Council using your past history with Saren as an excuse to ignore anything we turn up. Shepard will handle this." Udina advised.
"You can't just cut Captain Anderson out of this investigation." John protested immediately.
"Wait Shepard. The ambassador's right. I need to step aside." Anderson stopped John from arguing further.
"I need to take care of some business. Captain, meet me in my office later." Udina left.
Anderson turned towards John and said, "Harkin's probably getting drunk at Chora's Den. It's a dingy little club in the lower section of the wards."
"I thought you said he was a drunken loser." John said, surprised.
"Couldn't hurt to go and talk with him. Just be careful. I wouldn't call him reliable." Anderson explained and John nodded in understanding.
"So, can you explain now, what happened in that mission with Saren?" John asked.
"Yes. I guess you must know about Saren as much as you can know about. He's dangerous." Then Anderson explained twenty years ago in the mission in the Skyllian Verge he worked with Saren to remove a terrorist threat. Saren eliminated the target but he was reckless, violent and liked killing, which resulted the death of many innocent lives. John just listened carefully about Saren but didn't say anything. From what he heard if they didn't take any step soon many more innocent lives will be lost. So he didn't waste any time.
"I should go now and look for Harkin. We need to know what Garrus found out about Saren. We need him." John said.
"Very well. I wish you luck Commander. If you need me for anything, I will be at the Ambassador's office." Anderson shook hands with John and left. John turned to his team and said, "Let's find our friend."
"Aye, Aye, Commander." Kaidan and Ashley said in unison.
"So, 'Randa tell me now, what you promised. Your childhood is a mystery to me." Oriana complained.
"Yeah…. Actually no one knows about that part of my life…. not even Niket." Miranda whispered.
"'Randa did you two… I mean you and Niket…" Oriana asked hesitantly.
"No. I have never even considered that. He is just my friend whom I can trust." Miranda answered.
"Then who was it… I mean every time I asked you about your mystery lover, you never answered me." Oriana asked.
"He wasn't my lover. Our relationship wasn't like that. We just loved each other with everything we had." Miranda said and lowered her head.
"What was his name? How was he? I mean was he good to you?" Oriana questioned.
"His name was John…. just John and he was the best thing that ever happened to me. But good things never last Ori, at least in case of me."
"How did you two met?"
Miranda then explained to her sister how she first met John and immediately a great bond of trust and friendship formed between them when she agreed to stay with him.
"So you stayed with him and he never questioned you about your identity? I mean apart from your name."
"No, he didn't. He said that he trusted me enough to believe that I will tell him once I was ready."
"Wow! Can someone be really that good and trusting?" Oriana said with surprise.
"I didn't believe that either, until I met him." There was a sad smile on Miranda's face when she talked about trust.
"But what about his biotics? You said that he kind of transformed into something else."
"No… not really transformed. He was still the same but…. I cannot explain it to you Ori because I don't know how to describe it. I studied everything I could find, but there's nothing about that kind of biotic power. His powers were incredible…."
"So, you fell in love with him at first sight?" Oriana teased.
Miranda's cheeks turned pinkish at her sister's teasing as old memories came rushing inside her mind. "I was too young to realize that. But when I grew old I realized that it was true. I really fell in love with him at first sight but I was too young to realize my feelings." She said embarrassed.
"Was he handsome?" Oriana smirked.
"More than you can imagine." Miranda smiled shyly, her cheeks were now fully red from embarrassment.
Oriana chuckled watching her sister blushing. "Stop it Ori. Or…. or I am leaving." Miranda said.
"Okay, okay… I won't laugh again. Please continue sis."
"Hmph!" Miranda said with a little annoyance.
MINDOIR COLONY
Miranda lay on her bed, her gaze towards the ceiling of the room, where she and John lived. Many thoughts were clouding her mind, so she was getting less sleep for the last two weeks. When he noticed this a few days ago, he asked her what was troubling her, but instead of answering she snapped at him and at that moment she saw hurt flicker over his face but he composed himself so she couldn't notice it. Little did he know that he couldn't hide anything from her, ever. She hated herself for hurting him, hurting the only person who cared for her and given her everything he possessed without hesitating for a moment. She couldn't help it though. For the last few days she was fighting with her own heart and she was too emotional because during nights her dreams are being haunted by her father, Henry Lawson, who was never kind to her, never spoke to her politely and never looked at her as his daughter. Hell, he didn't even acknowledge that she was a human being. He just treated her as a lab rat and always beat her up when she failed to do the tasks she was asked to do. Often during the nights, she cried alone in her bed unable to sleep because of the bruises she used to get from her father. Also her home was a prison for her, no it wasn't her home. It was her father's home. Her home is here, with John. When she realized that Henry Lawson could never be a father to her because that man is simply a monster. Now, she is almost fearful that he will find her again and after that god knows, what he will do to her and to her John. She is troubled because of her father's thoughts and there is also another reason - John.
He was the first person to ever show kindness to her, treated her as a normal human being and he is the only one who cared for her, truly and deeply. She knew that he looked towards her as his best friend and she did the same but not anymore. The problem was she is falling in love with him, deeply and hopelessly. She realized her true feelings for him two weeks ago and from that time she was restless. That handsome, innocent face, those clear blue eyes which can see through her anytime, his silly jokes to lighten her mood whenever she was depressed over something and most of all his trust and goodness.
When they first met, he asked her whether she trusted him or not and she answered yes. She meant that whole heartedly. Trust was never the factor behind her hesitation to tell him about who….. no what she is for four years. The real reason was that she was frightened that once he learned the truth about her, he won't look towards her anymore and end their friendship, forever. She won't be able to take that, not now, not ever. She loved him far too much and she is already so much dependent on him that it frightened her what she will do if she'd lose him. He gave her the space she needed and she was beyond grateful for that. But this cannot go on forever, he must know about her, what she truly is and after that if he didn't want her to stay here anymore, she will leave him, even if it destroys her because it will be better to stay away from him than he watching her with disgust in his eyes. This may sound ridiculous that a fifteen-year-old girl is thinking about love, not just any kind of attraction or affection but Miranda is much more advanced for her age. But first things first, she has to tell him now.
"John….." she murmured.
He looked up hearing his name from her lips and left whatever he was doing and came to her side at once. He stayed at the edge of the bed looking at her with questioning eyes when she didn't say anything. He looked at her misted eyes and took her small hands in his own. "What's wrong Miri?" He asked kindly looking directly at her eyes. For few moments Miranda couldn't answer him while looking at his eyes. When he let her hands go and cupped her face with his hands she finally broke from her trance. He spoke again, "Miri, tell me what you are feeling. You know, you can tell me anything. I cannot see you like this… it…it pains me to see you like this." Her eyes watered hearing how much he really cared about her and she just caused him pain.
"I am sorry, John." She said in a broken voice.
"You are sorry? But why?" He asked, confused.
"For snapping at you…. For not telling you about myself for all these years." She apologized.
"Miri, you were not in your right mind. I sensed that and you don't have to tell me anything until you are ready." He gave her a reassuring smile. But what she said next, totally surprised him.
"I am ready now. Will you listen?" She asked softly.
"Always." He said instantly.
So, Miranda started telling him about herself, how she was created by her father, how her father mistreated her. He was listening to her intently without uttering a single word but when she mentioned how her father tortured her, his face hardened and all the calmness from his face was gone in an instant. He closed his eyes and grabbed the chair so tightly in his hands that his knuckles turned white. Miranda yelped in surprise when the chair broke from his strength. Her eyes widened when he opened his eyes. She saw that his eyes were not normal anymore, it was blue and glowing inhumanly. He was shaking in fury. Strangely his anger didn't create any fear within her because she knew that whatever happens he will never hurt her, never. She cupped his face and said, "John, look at me. I am here with you and I am okay." She tried to calm him down. He looked towards her intently for few seconds and closed his eyes. His eyes were normal when he opened them again.
"I am sorry John….. I am so sorry." She sobbed. "I didn't tell you this before for only one reason – I cannot lose you. But I couldn't keep this secret from you anymore. So, if you want me to leave, I will….." Miranda stopped when John engulfed her in a tight embrace and buried his face in her hair. "Don't… don't say that Miri. There is no John without Miri."
"I won't say it again, John. I won't." She said.
"I understand why you didn't tell me about yourself earlier. And believe me, I somehow knew that something terrible happened to you which made you leave your home." He said still clutching her tightly to him.
Miranda felt safe and loved in his embrace. She hid her face at the crook of his neck and started sobbing loudly as all of her past memories came crashing back inside her mind. He let her cry and held her tightly in his arms. After few moments Miranda spoke, "How you are not watching me with disgust after hearing what I am? I am nothing…. I am just… There's nothing good about me. My looks, my intelligence all was engineered from the best genes money could buy."
"How can I ever look at you with disgust? How can anyone? It doesn't matter to me how you were born. I don't care. And I think, you are giving your father too much credit. It's true that he paid money for your gifts but it was you who used your gifts in right way and effectively. He has no credit in that. So, now look at you. You have knowledge of almost any subjects. Did you know these things when you were born?"
She shook her head negatively.
"No, you didn't. But you used your gifts to learn them and you did it without anyone's help. It's all your credit. Besides all when I look at you I look at the most beautiful girl I had ever seen, who took care of me, who showed kindness to me, supported me, stood up with me in every step of my life since she came."
"Really?" She smiled with watery eyes. "That's how you see me?"
"Yeah and more. The most beautiful part of you is not your physical beauty, it's your heart Miri. It's…. Just remember you are the most amazing person in this galaxy." Then he leaned towards her and kissed her cheeks.
Miranda was stunned because he never kissed her before even on her cheeks. Her cheeks turned red and all the dam she built around her heart to conceal her love for him broke away in a mere second. She grabbed his face and kissed him fully on his lips taking him completely by surprise. When she broke the kiss for air, she realized what she had done. She looked at him and saw that he was looking at her dumbfounded, his eyes were wide like saucers.
"I… I am sorry." She stuttered looking away from him. What had she done, she had probably ruined the friendship they had. But her thoughts froze when she felt a finger under her chin. John turned her face around towards him. The he pressed his lips on hers, lightly at first and when she started to respond by throwing her arms around his neck, they started to kiss each other passionately.
"John, I….." Miranda tried to say when she broke the kiss but she was cut off by John.
"I love you." He said without any hesitation. He said what he felt for her for the past years. He finally let it out. Miranda froze hearing his declaration. Watching her expression, John regretted it immediately. Why did he say it? What will she think?
At the same time, Miranda was thinking the same thing because she never imagined that he would return her feelings. But now hearing his declaration, she couldn't hold on to her feelings anymore. So, she kissed him again. She uttered the words she felt for him in her heart, "I love you too." Next thing she knew she was in his tight embrace with his face buried in her hair.
"I cannot…. cannot express to you how happy I am Miri. I…. God! I love you! Love you!" He murmured.
She replied, "I love you too John. More than anything else in this galaxy." She stayed in his embrace feeling happy with her head lying in his shoulders. At that moment she promised to herself that she won't ever let him get away from her.
After confessing their feelings John and Miri became more inseparable than ever. Often during the nights, when any of them had nightmares they would crawl into the others bed and sleep there embracing each other. Six months passed happily without incident…. but good things didn't last for them longer…..
"Mhm, mmmm! Miri..." John mumbled in his sleep as Miranda rained light kisses all over his face to wake him up. After few more kisses he finally opened his eyes to see that Miranda is watching him with amusement and a smile tugging at the corner of her lips.
"I loved the way you woke me up." He mumbled.
"Nice to hear that. But won't you go the shop today? It's past 9 A.M. already." She said.
"Mhm. I will, once I get my daily morning reward."
"What?" She asked puzzled.
"Where is my morning kiss?" He pouted.
She laughed out loud and shook her head watching his silly smile. "You are such a baby." She said, swatting his chest. He shrugged. Realizing that he won't get up until she kisses him, she bent down quickly and kissed his cheeks. She stood up from the bed to prepare the breakfast but he caught her wrist and pulled her down on top of him. She fell down with a shriek. Then he kissed her on her lips for a full minute and she didn't protest. She returned the kiss happily.
"You satisfied now?" She asked breaking the kiss.
"No." He replied.
"What?" She frowned.
"I can never get enough of you Miri. Being around you, I always want to kiss you." He said smiling.
"Really. So now get up and get ready. If you be a good boy, maybe you will get one more when you return." Then she pushed him inside the bathroom to get ready.
She was in the kitchen preparing breakfast when she suddenly heard people screaming outside in the streets. She walked towards the door to find out what was going on. She was about to open the door when John stopped her and started to drag her away from the door.
"John…. what are you doing? Let me see….." She said, surprised by his actions.
"No. We need to leave. Now." He cut her off abruptly.
"What? Why?" She was totally confused now.
"It's the slavers. They have come to abduct people from the colony. Come on, we don't have time to waste." He urged her to hurry. Miranda quickly gathered some necessary things and they ran towards the door. They were only a few feet away from the door when it opened and four slavers came inside. John and Miranda quickly hid themselves from their eyes. They saw from their hidden spot, the slavers searching their place for signs of them. When they couldn't found anyone, one of them produced a strange device on his hand and started to type on it rapidly, watching its readings. "We have someone hiding in here, one human. Search the place thoroughly." They immediately resumed their search.
John and Miranda watched everything. John couldn't figure out why their machine detected only one person in the house instead of two. He turned towards Miranda and saw that she was drenched from head to toe and shivering. It seems somehow the entire bowl of water that was on the table fell on top of her somehow when they hid here. Then something clicked inside his mind and he suddenly realized why the slavers couldn't detect her presence. Their scanners are useless against water. He looked towards her frightened face and made a decision, he must save her, no matter what happens to him. He knew that one of them have to make the sacrifice, otherwise they both will get caught. He felt torn inside his heart at the thought of never seeing her again but if it means that she will be safe, he will gladly do it. He turned towards her slowly and cupped her face, "Miri…. Promise me something." He whispered.
"Anything John…. anything." She replied softly watching him.
"Promise me that you won't show yourself to them, no matter what." He pleaded.
"No absolutely not. I know what you are thinking. John I… Mmph!" She was cut off by his lips on hers.
"I love you." He whispered and then he was gone from her side.
"No…. Don't do it. Please, no." She pleaded but he was already gone. She watched how he led the slavers away from her by exposing himself to them. He ran outside and the slavers followed him. Even her heart was screaming to follow him, she couldn't because that selfless ass made her promise to him that she will stay here hidden. After few minutes she heard gunfire outside in the streets and heard voices of humans. She left her hidden place and peeked outside. There were many soldiers dressed in blue armours escorting injured people to safety. She saw a middle aged female marine standing behind watching everything. She is probably the Captain, Miranda realized. She went running towards the woman. At the sound of her footsteps the elderly woman turned around to meet her.
"What happened child? Are you okay?" She asked Miranda kindly.
"They took John. They took him. Please save him. Please. I beg you." Miranda pleaded.
At the mention of John's name her eyes widened and Miranda saw fear in the elderly woman's eyes. "What did you say his name was?" She asked as if she couldn't believe her own ears.
"John. Just John. Please find him. I…."
"When did they took him?" The elderly woman's expression is now stern.
"A few minutes ago. I don't really know how. He told me to hide and I…"
"I understand child…." She murmured to herself. Miranda seems confused. She was about to speak but the Captain stopped her. "I know you may have a lot of questions. But this is not the time. I must hurry. Otherwise it will be too late to save him. You stay here, you will be safe. The whole colony is being watched upon by Alliance soldiers." And then she was gone shouting orders at the soldiers. Soon they boarded their fleet and went after the slavers vessel. Miranda watched them go. She still has some hope left that John will come back… he will come back to her. But next thing she felt a hand covering her mouth and someone pressed something under her nose and blackness engulfed her.
PRESENT TIME
"Next when I regained consciousness I found myself restrained and Henry Lawson was there in front of me." Miranda said clenching her teeth.
Oriana gasped. "So it was father's men….. But how did they kidnap you amongst all those alliance soldiers?"
"I don't know but I have an idea. It's unimportant. The thing is….. I lost him that day, Ori." Miranda said in a broken voice.
"'Randa have faith. I know the depth of your love for him, it will bring him back to you one day." Oriana tried to sooth her sister.
"You are reading too much love stories." Miranda teased still with tears in her eyes.
Oriana shrugged. Then she saw something on her sister's computer which was left open. "Wow! 'Randa, look at that." She said.
Miranda turned to look at her computer. There was a news playing on the extranet. The reporters are saying "The first human Spectre is chosen? Yes it has been done. Commander Shepard has become the first human Spectre." Then a photo of Shepard was shown on the screen.
Oriana looked dreamily at the screen. Watching her sister's stare, Miranda got curios, "What are you looking at?"
"Isn't he handsome? I mean look at him. Those broad chest and shoulders, those abs, biceps and that face. Who will be fortunate enough to have him?" Oriana said dreamily.
"He is too old for you Ori." Miranda pointed out. "But, yeah maybe he is a little handsome."
"Maybe a little handsome? Are you nuts sis? He is the most desired man in the galaxy. Even Asaris desires him."
Miranda looked away. She felt strange whenever she looked at Commander Shepard in the news or extranet. What her sister said is true. He is really the most handsome man she had ever seen but sometimes she felt that somehow she knew him and those blue eyes, they were….. just like his eyes.
"'Randa you there." Oriana said waving her hand in front of Miranda's face.
"What?" Miranda asked.
"Nothing, you seemed to be thinking about something for a while." Oriana said.
"It was nothing. I was thinking about my work because I have much work to do." Miranda lied.
"Alright, if you say so." Oriana didn't believe her sister entirely.
"It's time to take you to your home, Ori. I have to leave now." Miranda said.
"Okay. Let's…. but when will I see you again?" Oriana asked.
"Soon… Ori… soon." Miranda smiled and they both slowly left her place.
John and his team reached Chora's Den to look for Harkin. Inside the club they saw two krogans arguing. One of them was wearing red armor and had scars all over his face. From their conversation John came to know that the name of the krogan in red armor was Wrex. Then Wrex left the conversation and walked out from the club pushing John aside.
"What was that about?" Kaidan asked.
"Who knows? Let's just try not to get caught in the middle." Ashley shrugged.
After searching for few minutes the trio finally spotted Harkin, sitting at a table at the dark corner of the club. He looked up when they approached him.
"Alliance military. Hmph. I coulda been a marine you know. Instead I joined the goddamned Citadel Security. Biggest mistake of my life." Harkin babbled.
"Cut the crap out. I am not interested in your business. I am looking for a C-Sec officer. A turian named Garrus." John said irritably.
"Garrus? Ha! You must be one of Captain Anderson's crew. Poor bastard's still trying to bring Saren down, eh?" He smirked.
"None of your goddamned business." John growled. Then he grabbed Harkin by his collar and lifted him off his feet from the ground. "I don't have time for your bullshit. Tell me where to find Garrus." John said coldly.
Everyone at the club was now aware of John holding Harkin up with one hand. People whispered among themselves but watching their uniform they didn't came forward. "Isn't that Commander Shepard?"
"Yes. It's him."
"Oh god! He is strong and handsome."
"Do you think he has a girlfriend?" Whispered followed John like always mainly among female population. Kaidan almost face-palmed himself, almost. Ashley was looking annoyed.
"Alright. Alright. Just let me down." Harkin stuttered. John let him down. Harkin continued, "Garrus was sniffing around Dr. Michel's office. She runs the med clinic on the other side of the wards. Last I heard, he was going back there."
John turned towards his teammates and signalled them to follow him.
"Anderson is not who you think. He has many secrets. Do you know that he was a Spectre?" Harkin shouted behind them. John stopped and glanced at Harkin over his shoulder with a glare which made him shut up. The trio continued their walk.
"I see why this place is so popular. It's got quite the, uh, view." Kaidan said looking at the Asari dancers. Next second he let out a "Ouch!" as Ashley pinched him hard. Kaidan saw that Ashley was glaring at him.
"What it's true. I mean…. What do you say Comman…..? Where did he go?" Kaidan said as they couldn't see their Commander anywhere.
"There…." Ashley spotted him far away. He was already outside the club and walking towards the elevator. Ashley and Kaidan hurried to catch up with him. "Look at the attention the Commander got from the ladies but he never even glances at them. Dunno why." He murmured.
"Maybe he's got a girlfriend or wife." Ashley added.
"No. He neither has a girlfriend, nor a wife." Kaidan said looking at John's back who was walking at front of them but he didn't miss the expression of satisfaction that ran over Ashley's face when he mentioned that Shepard has no girlfriend. He smirked.
"Why are you so bothered? Do you have hots for him?" Kaidan chuckled.
Ashley's cheeks turned red but only for a second. She quickly composed herself and replied, "I am not bothered about his love life. It's you who was babbling about him. I just…"
"Maybe yeah I babbled about him. But you can't deny that you like him and I mean like him a lot. I saw you almost drooling when he held up Harkin with one hand. But it wasn't only you. Other women in the club were also drooling." He waggled his eyebrows with a smirk on his face.
"No. I … So, what if I like him? It's none of your business." Ashley said embarrassed.
Kaidan chuckled loudly which made John look back towards them curiously which made Ashley blush even more.
"What's the joke, Kaidan?" John asked smiling.
"No offense, Commander. But it was between me and Williams." Kaidan said.
"None taken." John shrugged and entered the elevator.
"I wonder why the Captain didn't tell us that he was a Spectre?" Ashley asked.
"Maybe it's not true. Harkin's an ass. I bet he's just messing with our heads." Kaidan replied.
"You're probably right and the Commander should have punched him. Still I'd like to hear what the Captain has to say about all this." Ashley said.
13 YEARS AGO…
"Soldiers, aboard the vessel. We have to follow the slavers. They have taken civilians with them." The Captain ordered her soldiers.
"Yes, Captain." They saluted and quickly boarded the fleet followed by their Captain.
The Alliance fleet immediately took off from Mindoir and followed the slaver's ship to the outer space. "Captain, we have got them on scanners." said one of the helmsman.
"Very well. Don't let them get away." The Captain said.
They followed the slaver's ship for some time and finally got the slaver's ship in their attack range.
"We are not here to take them out. We need to slow them down. Take out their engine and slow them down. Fire at will!" The Captain ordered. The Alliance fleet fired at her Captain's order and took out one of its engines causing it to slow down.
"All men report to battle station. Prepare to board the enemy ship. Remember, securing the civilians is priority." The Captain ordered and walked towards the gunnery to pick her weapons. The Alliance soldier finally boarded the enemy ship with their Captain in lead. Immediately they received heavy fire from the enemies forcing them to take cover. The Captain peeked out slightly. She observed two slavers on top of a catwalk has pinned down her soldiers but they were in such a position she couldn't get a clear aim at them. So, she lobbed a grenade at the catwalk's support causing it to give away and crash down with the two slavers on top of it. She pulled out her assault rifle and rained bullets on the enemies giving her soldiers covering fire to push forward. Both sides kept on fighting for a long time. Few Alliance soldiers got hurt in the battle but nothing serious. Finally, the Alliance soldiers overpowered the slavers. The remaining few slavers surrendered themselves.
"Marines, search for the civilians."
"Aye, aye Captain." The soldiers acknowledged her order and scattered around the ship, looking for civilians. They managed to rescue the civilians within few minutes.
"Corporal all civilians secured?" The Captain asked.
"We couldn't find anyone else, Captain."
"No. No. Wait. There is one more, a teenage boy, probably sixteen years old." A civilian interrupted.
"Where is he?" The Captain asked the civilian.
"I don't know. He tried to fight against them. So, they took him away from our cell."
The Captain turned towards the Corporal. "Search the ship, again."
The Corporal saluted and he disappeared with other soldiers in the ship. After few minutes the Corporal returned and saluted the Captain. "Captain, we found him. But…." The Corporal reported.
"But… what?"
"He is in severe condition Captain. They tortured him almost to death. He barely has a pulse."
"Then prepare emergency first aid and try to stable him."
"Aye Captain. I already radioed for them to prepare for emergency."
"Where is he? Take me to him."
The Corporal took her to the place where the boy is. When she reached she saw that the medics are already trying to stabilize him and treating to his wounds. The boy was badly tortured. His face was bruised and there were numerous wounds on his body which were bleeding profusely. If I had my son, he would have been exactly this boy's age. She thought sadly. Then suddenly her eyes fell on the boy and she noticed something was sticking out from the boy's pocket. Curiously she pulled it out and held it in front of her eyes to examine it. It was a picture of the boy and the girl who requested her to save this boy earlier. She sighed and watched the medics treating the wounds on his face. As they turned his head left her eyes widened as she spotted something. She rushed forward and pushed the medic aside. It was a birthmark at his neck and it was the same birthmark her son had and exactly at the same place.
"Take of his boots now." She ordered. The medics looked confused at her behaviour but they followed her order nonetheless. After they took of his boots she examined his right leg and her eyes misted and few drops of tears fell from her eyes. The medics looked at the Captain alarmed.
"Captain are you alright?" One of the medics asked her.
"I… "
"Captain are you feeling alright?" The medic asked again. But she didn't answer, instead she placed the boy's head on her lap and started sobbing. The other soldiers also got concerned at their Captain's behaviour. They worked with their Captain for years and she never acted like this after watching a tortured teenage boy.
"Captain!" The captain called out little loudly which caused her to look towards them. But she looked down again towards the boy's face caressing his face and running her hands through his hairs in a motherly way.
"Captain, do you know this poor boy?" The Corporal asked.
"Yes….. I do." She said in a trembling voice.
"Who is he?" The marine asked curiously.
"He… He is John Shepard, my son." She said in a soft voice with a sad smile. Part of her is overjoyed that she, Captain Hannah Shepard got her son back after sixteen long years and another part of her is frightened that he may not live now to know that his mother is alive. Hearing her confession all the marine's eyes widened. "How long will it take to reach the Citadel, Corporal?"
"Approximately one hour."
"Okay." Then she looked down at her son's face and whispered, "Hold on John, please hold on. For your mother."
48 Hours later at Huerta Memorial Hospital
"How is my son, Doctor?" Hannah Shepard asked the doctor.
"His vitals are all normal again and he is out of danger. He will regain consciousness very soon." The Doctor gave a reassuring smile.
"Thank you doctor, for saving my son." Hannah said.
"I am glad that I could save your son. You don't need to thank me Captain, that's my job."
"Can I see him now?"
"Ah. Yes. You can. Doctor Chakwas is looking over him at this moment."
"Thank you again Doctor."
Hannah Shepard left the doctor there and walked inside the patient ward to see her son. When she reached there, she saw Dr. Chakwas was sitting beside her son quietly.
"Karin….." Hannah whispered.
Dr. Chakwas looked towards Hannah and smiled slightly. "Your son is okay Hannah, don't worry."
"Why isn't he waking up? There are many things I would like to talk about with him." Hannah said running her left hand through John's hairs.
"Give him some time. His body needs time. It's a miracle that he survived after what he went through."
"But….." Hannah tried to say something to Karin but she stopped hearing a whisper from her son's mouth. She smiled, happy at the thought that her son finally woke up. She looked towards him and saw that his eyes were still closed, although he was murmuring something.
"What's he saying?" Hannah asked her friend Karin.
"I don't know. Let's try to hear it more carefully." Karin replied.
They both listened intently to John's faint whispers and they could understand what he is saying. He was repeating someone's name unconsciously.
"Miri….. I am sorry. Miri….. Miri…. Miri….." John mumbled unconsciously.
"I think he is looking for someone is his sleep." Karin said.
"Yeah. And I think I know who he is looking for." Hannah replied smiling towards her son's face.
"Who is it? You know that person? Then I would suggest to bring that person here. It would speed up his recovery process."
"My future daughter-in-law. My son is looking for the girl he loves." Hannah replied. She realized that her son was in love when she saw the picture of that girl in his pocket, the way he is searching for her subconsciously and the way that girl looked when she requested Hannah to save John. They both were in love, the two teenagers. Hannah was glad that her son had someone to look after him when she couldn't be there with him.
"How can you be so sure, Hannah?" Karin asked.
"I know. I have some proofs or you can call it as a mother's intuition." Hannah replied.
After an hour later, John slowly opened his eyes to realize that he is lying in a hospital bed and two women were looking down at him with smiles on their lips. One of them he realized was a doctor and the other one was an Alliance soldier and….. and her eyes…. her eyes were exactly like his.
"Where am I?" He groaned as a sharp pain shot through his head as he tried to sit up.
"Relax, son. You have been through a lot. Rest." The doctor said preventing him to sit up.
"No. You don't understand. I have to get to her. She is all alone out there. I can't just stay here. I…." John continued babbling but stopped when he felt a hand on his shoulder.
"Calm down, young man. I have sent my men to retrieve her from there. She will be here with you." The Alliance officer assured him. She watched him relaxing a little and lay down again.
"Thank you, Mam. Thanks for saving me and going after her." John said.
"John. I am Captain Hannah Shepard and this is my dearest friend Dr. Karin Chakwas." Hannah introduced herself and her friend Karin to her son. He gave them an appreciative smile. Dr. Chakwas checked him and stood up from her seat to talk with her friend.
"I will leave the two of you alone now." Karin said to her friend. Hannah nodded.
When the Doctor left she sat down beside John and looked at him intently. "I need to talk to you about something, John." Hannah said.
"Anything, mam. I am listening." He said.
"I didn't give you my full identity a moment ago. There's more to this. I am Captain Hannah Shepard and…. and…. I am also your mother, son." She confessed to him.
He froze and his eyes widened. He couldn't believe what he just heard. His mother is alive? Then why did she leave him in the orphanage? And if she had some obligations, why didn't she return to take him back later? His eyes watered and he looked down not wanting to meet his mother's eyes.
"John please look at me. Hear me out, please?" Hannah pleaded.
"What's there to hear, mother?" He snapped angrily. "All these years I thought that I had known that my parents died, so I grew up in an orphanage. But suddenly I came to know that my mother has been alive for all these years serving in military. Why you didn't ever try to find me, once?" He asked crying.
"Believe me John, I did. For so many years and I never stopped. I send you away to keep you safe, John. Believe me. Sending you away from me was the last thing I wanted." Hannah said also crying.
Shame and guilt filled him. He realized that his mother did everything she could to find him and to avenge his father. He lost his father but he cannot lose his mother too. "I…. I am sorry mother. I didn't know." He stuttered.
"It's me who should be sorry, son. Not you. If I tried harder….."
"No. I know you did your best. I don't blame you mother."
"You don't?" Hannah's face brightened.
"No. I love you, mom. I love you and I missed you." He said sitting up and hugging his mother tightly, hiding his face in his mother's chest. Hannah held her son tightly to her body as tears of happiness fell from her eyes.
"I love you too my son and I missed you too." She said kissing his forehead.
He smiled after pulling himself away from his mother's embrace. He lay down on his bed because he was still very weak.
"You know John, I am proud of you." Hannah smiled at her son.
"Why?" He looked at her curiously.
"I know about your sacrifice. Your 'Miri' told me about it. She was the one who requested me to save you."
"You two already met?"
"Yeah. But I must say you got yourself a fine young lady, who cares for you and she is quite beautiful." She said and smiled when she saw the blush creeping up on her son's face.
"Yeah. She… she is amazing." He blushed more and his mother's smile widened.
"I know that she truly cares about you, John and I can't wait to see you two get married and give me grandchildren's someday." She teased.
"Mom. Stop it." John turned bright red and Hannah chuckled. She laid a hand on his forehead and said, "Sleep John. I am here and your Miri will also be here when you wake up. Sleep."
He smiled and took his mother's hands in his and fell asleep almost instantly.
Note: Please review.
