Disclaimer: The Mass Effect Universe and everything in it belongs to BioWare.

A/N: I had never really given Miranda much thought in Mass Effect 2 until I finished my second play-through of the game. I like her now, methinks. Let's see how I make the puppets dance.

[Chapter Seven: Imperfect]

Miranda threw her body across her bed and hid her head underneath a rather fluffy pillow. Her room was always so quiet. Sometimes she kind of hated it, and this day was no exception. "Bloody hell! The ship is practically falling apart and this room is still quiet."

Kelly sat at the edge of bed and offered a sympathetic face, "Ms. Lawson maybe—"

Jack laughed from the doorframe, visor covering the smug look in her eyes. "Aww, is the Cheerleader tired of hearing the voices in her head?"

Miranda shot up from her bed into a sitting position. Her eyes narrowed, "Why are you here, Jack? And most importantly – what do you want?"

Kelly cleared her throat and pointed to the door. "I'm going to go. We'll talk later if needed, okay?"

Jack folded her arms as she moved into the room to plop down on the chair by Miranda's window, lifting her feet and placing the dirty boots on top of the operative's desk. "Chill the fuck out." She folded her arms behind her neck and rested her head back. "Deck three sucks so I wanted to slip into a quieter place." The truth was she wanted to get away from Shepard who was more than likely looking for her. She was still embarrassed about wanting to 'toss him into the scanner' and figured that this would be the best spot to hide.

Miranda widened her eyes, "Slither would be a more appropriate term, and what possibly made you consider my office? A place where you know I always am."

Jack shrugged, "Look Precious, I just didn't want to be out there with all of them. Plus, the light bulb in my room went out."

Miranda squint her eyes towards the bald woman, "The light in the cargo deck never goes out."

Jack smirked, "It does if you smash a cot against it."

"And why the hell would you—you know what nevermind."

"Look, I ain't got no problem with you. Between your shitty help on Pragia, the suicide mission, and flippin' the ol' Illusive Man off, that's enough for me to be civil."

Miranda made a small look of distaste. "This is you being civil?"

"What," Jack grinned, "Were you expecting me to bring flowers and a fuckin' cup'o tea?" she attempted to mimic the Australian.

Miranda rubbed her temples, not even trying to explain that she wasn't British. "Look Jack. I appreciate the whole trying to play nice act, but the ship is expected to dock in an hour and I'd like to nap before we land."

Jack snorted, "Yeah, that's obviously what you were doing when I got here. Unless you like napping with other girls?"

Miranda did a double take. "What?"

"Well shit, you said you wanted to nap. With Kelly practically up your ass I thought maybe that's what you were getting at."

Miranda's face turned to one of sheer disgust, "She's the ship's councilor for heaven's sake, Jack."

"So you are having issues then huh, Cheerleader."

Miranda groaned loudly, throwing herself back onto her bed. "What does it matter?"

Jack rolled her eyes, "It don't. Not saying I care, just saying you shouldn't act like there ain't nothing wrong when there clearly is."

The operative propped herself onto her elbows, eyes narrowed once more. "You should listen to your own advice more often."

Jack glared. "Fuck you."

"You're the one who said it, not me."

Jack and Miranda played staring contest until the ex-convict's curiosity got the better of her, "So what is it? More daddy issues? Younger sister getting' hitched before the older more wrinkly one?"

Miranda rolled her eyes. "No and no…and I don't have wrinkles."

Jack egged her on, "Then what the fuck?"

Miranda sighed loudly, falling back onto her bed and staring up at her ceiling. Moments passed with no words. She didn't know why her mouth opened to speak, but it did and much against her will. "I…I don't exactly know."

Jack cocked a brow. "What? Miss Perfect don't know what's wrong?"

Lawson ignored the statement, "It's not physical. I'm healthy as I can be."

"Well shit, Cheerleader, you got so many implants in you I don't doubt that one bit."

Miranda scowled. "Hey. These are real."

The bald woman cackled, "Sure keep telling yourself that, Princess."

The operative covered her face with her hands and let out what sounded to be a mix of a sigh and groan.

Jack smiled smugly at herself, twisting her chair from left to right in her own amusement. "So if it ain't daddy and if it ain't little sis'..."

"Look Jack, I already said I didn't know."

"Well shit, why don't you shut the fuck up while I think then?"

Miranda held back the urge to smash Jack's face in with a biotic punch.

"Okay. It ain't daddy. It ain't the brat. You don't like the quiet because then you're forced to hear the fucked up shit in your head and you just can't seem to point out what's wrong..."

Miranda lifted her head to observe the thinking Biotic. "…Jack?"

"Well I think its fuckin' obvious now, Cheerleader."

Lawson sat up again, holding her hands in her lap. She didn't really care to hear it, but was curious none-the less. "…And what did you determine, Doctor Freak?"

Jack snorted in an amused fashion, "There ain't nothing wrong with you. Sounds to me like you're just feeling lonely. Hell, maybe you just needa' get laid."

Miranda sighed, rolling her eyes. "Bullshit."

Jack stood from her seat and smirked. "No it ain't. You been so wrapped up in Cerberus for years, givin' them this and doin' that, bendin' over when the Illusive Man barked."

Miranda's face contorted in disgust. "Jack, stop being fowl and just go."

"Yeah I'm goin' – but answer me this: Now that all that is gone, what are doing with yourself? What's the purpose that makes the fire behind the eye sockets burn?"

Miranda froze, eyes seeming to search for an answer that she could not give the bald woman. Lawson was a woman that liked to know where she fit in the world; it had always given her meaning in how and why she was created. But now that she removed herself from that place…where did she belong? How did she fit in the grand scheme?

Jack grinned. "S'actly what I thought. Later, bitch." The biotic stretched, groaning happily in the process, "Gotta go anyways, Shepard's prolly' thinking I threw myself out an airlock. Shit. I should have just done that instead of coming here to this pity party. Ah well, whatthefuckever."

xxxxxxx

Miranda clenched the fabric of the bed before lowering her elbows to rest on her knees and placing her head in her hands. She rubbed her face with all ten digits. "Is Jack right? Am I empty? Lonely?" Miranda breathed in and out slowly, going over the words in her head. "And since when did she become a damn therapist—why am I even considering a word that psycho had to say?"

The operative exhaled then brought herself to her feet. She glanced around her empty and quiet room and felt as her face unwillingly turned to one of silent sadness.

Jack was right. Miranda, the perfect woman, was lonely and lost. It wasn't that she wasn't used to being alone, it was that in the last few months Miranda had changed drastically. Not only had she quit working for Cerberus, but she seemed to change her feelings on…well, feeling. Shepard taught her a lot about not only working with a team, but had taught her a lot about herself through their frequent conversations. She was happy of the life she was able to give to her little sister. It was one full of relationships and possibilities, full of touch and conversation, full of love, choices, and heartache. Maybe Miranda had always wanted that as well but due to duties and obligations had never given herself the chance to explore the option. But with no ties, zero feelings for her old flame Jacob, and her only friends being people she worked with – what now? Where would she start? How would she start?

Emptiness passed through Miranda's chest as she seemed to be only coming up with more questions and no answers. She frowned angrily at herself, hating when she felt weak or vulnerable. Suddenly Edi's voice echoed through the empty office, "Attention Normandy crew, we are docking at The Citadel now. Commander Shepard requests all crew and squad members to the entrance for further instruction. Thank you and be sure not to slip and break vital ligaments when unloading."

Miranda looked up at the intercom with a worried look and cocked brow.

"What the hell?" Lawson began to wonder out loud.

"Attention all Normandy Crew: That was a joke."

"I said to try and make them laugh Edi, not give them nightmares when they slee—"

Joker could be heard raging out in the background as the speaker went silent.

Lawson rubbed her eyes once more, putting on a business face then exiting her office.

[End Chapter: Imperfect]

A/N: So thaaaat's where Jack went when she left the Medical Bay.

Any-hoo! Shorter Chapter for now, changing up the pace and preparing for development in the story. Next chapter is…long.