Epilogue: Salvation

The entire crew of the Normandy awoke back on the ship.

It soon became clear to all that no one could remember just what had happened, only that everyone had apparently lost consciousness and upon waking had a vague sense of having experienced something unpleasant, but also relief that said thing had passed. A quick check-up by Chakwas and Mordin did not reveal anything obviously wrong, and no one had any physical injuries to be had. But as to what had caused the entire ship to black out, none could say.

And there was one other unanswered question on everyone's minds.

"Shepard?"

"Where the hell is Shepard?"

"Has anyone seen the commander?"

These same questions were echoed throughout the Normandy, but no one could find any trace of their noble leader. The ship was searched and then searched again, but still no Shepard.

"What the hell is going on!?" Zaeed demanded. "Man just straight up disappeared."

"But that's ridiculous." Tali protested. "People don't just disappear like that."

Alone in her quarters, Miranda Lawson looked out at the window with a sad, longing look on her face. Even though the man she wanted was right behind her...sort of.

"Can I trust you to tell them?" The Redeemer asked.

"Why did you do it? Erase everyone's memories but mine?"

"I wanted to spare them. I let you keep yours because I trust you above all. And I trust you to tell them all the truth as best you can, when the time is right."

"They'll never believe me."

"They will. I made sure of it. When you tell them what happened, they will know deep down that it was true. They won't know how they know, but they will know."

Miranda turned to look at him, tears in her eyes. "It doesn't have to be like this..."

"I'm afraid it does." The Redeemer said sadly. Though his eyes still shined brightly, with no iris or sclera visible, they still had a regretful look in them. "I am no longer exactly who you knew. Besides that, I have new duties now. Where I must go, you cannot follow. Not yet. Your time has not come yet, Miranda. And believe me, I want you to live as long a life as you can get."

"I don't want to live without you!" Miranda protested, the tears she had been struggling to keep back at last coming out. The Redeemer embraced her. "I know, Miranda. But you must. You must live. This crew needs a new leader, and you were always my second-in-command for a reason."

"They'll never listen to me. Half of them don't even like me."

"You have earned their trust and respect. And the coming threat of the Reapers will ensure that you will all stay united. You will have no choice."

"And you? Will you turn your back on that fight?"

"Of course not. But there are other evils in existence besides the Reapers. I will return to you all when the time is right and when I am needed most. But I will not be able to do everything for you. You must to some degree, learn to fight this war without me. I will be there for you, but not always. I'm sorry, Miranda."

"I...I can't..."

The Redeemer lifted her chin. "Yes, you can."

The two kissed, and as they did, Miranda realized she felt...different, inside. As though some wounded part of her had been healed. Suddenly, a deep-seated intuition kicked in. The Redeemer smiled. "I gave you back that which was taken from you." More tears came out of Miranda's eyes as she realized what the Redeemer meant. "Thank you..."

The two kissed again. What followed was a bittersweet moment to say the least. But it was also a fitting paradise for Miranda after her battles through the Inferno. When it was done, the Redeemer's armor reformed over his body, and he looked at Miranda sadly. "Good-bye, Miranda. I'll always love you."

"And I will always love you, Shepard. Finish whatever you need to. And then come find me and our child."

"I will. I promise."

And in a flash of holy light, the Redeemer was gone.

Miranda did indeed tell the crew of the Normandy what had happened to Shepard, and they did indeed believe it as he had said they would. Their natural skepticism protested somewhat, but in the end none could shake the feeling that what Miranda said was in fact true. It was some days later that the Normandy answered a summons from Alliance Admiral Steven Hackett. Something serious had happened during the group's time in Hell, and Hackett was not happy with the end result.

"And where is Shepard in all of this!?" Hackett demanded.

"That is a long story, Admiral." Miranda Lawson said evenly. "Suffice to say that the Commander is no longer a part of this ship."

"Dead?"

"Not exactly."

"What is that supposed to mean? Did you maroon him or something?"

"No."

"Then what!?" Hackett sighed and rubbed his eyes, shaking his head before saying: "All I know is I sent in that request a week ago and now a mass relay is gone and a Batarian homeworld along with it" Hackett said unamused. "And clearly you and your crew were nowhere to be found. Where were you?"

Miranda and the rest of Shepard's crew all exchanged uneasy glances before Miranda turned to Hackett and said: "With all due respect, Admiral, I think that if we told you you might not believe us."

Hackett frowned. "Try me."

Eight months later

Their ends came with astonishing suddenness.

The Illusive Man, Henry Lawson, Kai Leng, and all the others who had given themselves to the Reapers in the pursuit of power all plummeted through a fiery void following their respective deaths, crashing into the murky waters below where a large boat with the breast and head of a man built into it's front waited to take them to the reptilian judge who decreed their fate. And for all of them it was the same, for they had all committed the same sin against their own species and the galaxy at large:

Treachery.

Left there to freeze in the ice of Hell's lowest circle, there seemed to be nothing left to say for any of these men. But where most would have seen only the final chapter in their stories of cruelty, someone else saw potential.

"Gentlemen..." Lucifer said as he reassumed his "fair" form and greeted his newest "cellmates" with open arms. "...have I got a deal for you."

Author's Note: And that's that. Glad to have been able to finish this old fan-fiction after all. Not really sure what else to say about it, to be honest. Not my best work here, but I'm still happy I finished it, and am mostly content with how it ended. I hadn't planned on making Shepard and Miranda's romance such a big focus, but what can I say? They're Mass Effect's OTP for me. Hope you all enjoyed it.