A/N: And here it is, the conclusion of BA. I would like to take the opportunity to thank every single person whom has followed, favorited, and/or reviewed this story. It was the first I had ever written and was what got me started here on . While I have evolved as a writer since first starting this story, it will always hold a special place in my heart. Please enjoy the finale and be on the look out for the epilogue!


They located the families in the gardens beneath the Councilors' podium, where Saren had died years before. No one appeared to be physically harmed but that did not mean they were not scarred from this endeavor, Elissa knew that better than anyone. Still, she joined in the rejoicing as James eagerly embraced his uncle and cousins while Miranda wept with her brother and nieces. Elissa was quickly introduced to him and his wife and three daughters, all of whom were all too happy to thank her for her efforts in rescuing them as well as keeping Miranda safe.

"If you need anything at all, Shepard, just let me know," said Liam as they walked out of the Tower. "You've been looking after my baby sister all this time, I owe you a huge debt."

Elissa shook her head. "You don't owe me anything, Liam, I'm just glad that you and your family are safe. I don't think this galaxy could handle Miranda's wrath should something have happened to you."

Liam laughed, it was loud and boisterous but Elissa knew it was meant to mask his fear. "God save the galaxy, that's for sure."

When everyone was out of the Tower, they headed back to the Presidium where everyone else was already gathered, the moment the shuttle touched down they were mobbed by her crew and remaining family members. There was a great uproar of hugging and crying as they were all reunited, Elissa even found herself stuck between her parents as they praised and scolded her for her risks. Kolyat had rushed for her the moment he found her, he too threw his arms around her, muttering prayers of thanks as he embraced his surrogate mother. She had a feeling whatever happened during his mission had unsettled him greatly and she was not about to ask until he was ready to tell. Suddenly there was a loud noise and everyone looked up to see the Normandy coming in for a landing on the nearest stretch of land. Those who still had family on the ship, rushed over to it as the shuttle door opened and crew began running down the ramp, embracing their families.

Joker and Miya were among the last to leave and when they saw Elissa, they went over as fast as they could, both embracing her as tightly as they could.

"Let's never do that again," said Joker as he kissed Elissa several times on the nose, cheeks, and lips.

"I agree with Joker," said Miya as her tight grip around Elissa's waist increased to the point of the uncomfortable. "I really thought we weren't going to win that one, Lizzie."

Elissa smiled kindly as she extracted them a little from her body. "I had no doubts that we would win. How did your mission go? Were you able to lift the lockdown?"

Joker shrugged. "We reset it once we realized that it was reading any ship but ours as an enemy. Now any merc ship that leaves will be targeted as the enemy."

Miya giggled wickedly. "Not that that matters now."

"What are you talking about, Miya?" asked Elissa when there was an explosion up above. Everyone looked up to see debris not too far away as two familiar looking ships flew by overhead.

"Because the Council brought in the Krogan, that's why," laughed Miya as she waved.

Elissa waved too, smiling as she thought about Grunt being up there, laughing happily as he blew up various merc vessels. She looked over and saw Garrus and Jacob standing beside her, their expressions somber and she had a feeling whatever they were about to tell her was not good news.

"Kasumi's dead," said Jacob, his voice tight as he spoke. "She sacrificed herself for Brynn and Nick . . ." He began crying and Brynn rushed over, holding him as he dissolved into tears.

"Bailey's dead too," said Garrus quietly. "I had to choose between him and my family and . . . well, I couldn't . . . we couldn't . . ."

Elissa put her arms around Garrus and hugged him tightly, he returned the gesture with equal but careful strength. "I understand, Garrus. I'm sorry you had to make that choice."

"Just tell me that bitch is dead," snarled Garrus in her ear and she nodded to his relief.

"I killed her myself and watched her die," said Elissa as she pulled away. "Will you be alright?"

Garrus shrugged. "I don't have much of a choice right now, do I?"

Elissa smiled gently. "You always have a choice, Garrus. Now I suggest you go find your family and Tali and just enjoy being with them. I have some business to attend to." Garrus nodded and she went off to find James and Miranda.

She found them standing with Emilio and Liam, their children playing as the adults talked.

"James, Miranda, I need to ask you to do something for me," said Elissa sternly, causing the two to fall into line in front of her. "I want you to take EDI and Joker on the Normandy to Cronos Station. The Illusive Man has been behind everything we've encountered." She thought about suggesting the possibility of more clones but she thought better of that, knowing that for right now it could wait until they had more evidence.

"But why so few people?" asked Miranda, her gaze going to her brother for a moment.

"I have a feeling there won't be much resistance," replied Elissa as she felt a twinge in her belly. "We need this stopped and I can't go there, not like this." Suddenly a powerful pain overwhelmed her body though she was quick to maintain control. "And after all that's happened, I couldn't bear to part these families further, yours will understand but others wouldn't be as forgiving. Please do this for me."

James looked to Miranda who nodded.

"Alright, Lola, we'll do this for you," said James then he noticed her look of pain. "Lola, are you feeling well? Did you get shot or something?"

Elissa was about to answer him when she felt something trickle down her leg. "On second thought, you should take Steve, I need Joker here."

"Why?" asked Miranda.

"Because my water just broke," replied Elissa as another contraction took her breath away.


Everything was a blur as Elissa was raced to the hospital on the Citadel, her parents carrying her on either side as Joker followed behind, she was incredibly scared to say the very least. Usually when she went to the hospital or medbay, she was unconscious and had no idea what was happening or how bad the situation was, but right now she was wide awake and going through every possible scenario of how this was going to play out. Joker was giving her encouraging words and telling her that she could do this, despite the reassurance, she was unsure of whether or not she could in fact do this and the doubt scared her more.

They found a nearby rapid transit taxi and the four of them piled in, Hackett taking the driver's spot, Joker beside him while Elissa and Hannah sat in the back. A sharp contraction gripped her body just as Hackett began driving and she had to struggle against crying out, knowing that would only make the situation more nerve wracking than it already was. She tried to breathe through the pain, focusing on forcing the pain out through her feet like Chakwas had told her before but she was finding it difficult.

"You're doing beautifully, honey," said Hannah as she took her daughter's hand. "Just keep breathing, if you hold your breath the babies can't get any oxygen."

Elissa nodded and closed her eyes as she focused on her breathing, she could feel some of the pain and tension leaving her body but it was only a temporary reprieve as another contraction swiftly followed the first one just as it ended. Opening her eyes just enough she saw Joker looking at her worriedly, his expression was troubled and she tried to smile although she knew he would not believe that she was doing alright. Especially when just moments later she winced like someone had stabbed her back.

"Steven, how much further?" asked Hannah, trying to keep her voice calm as Elissa continued to grip her hand with remarkable strength.

"Maybe seven minutes," replied Hackett and as he spoke he pressed harder on the pedal beneath him and pushed the lever that would increase the speed. "Joker, see if you can radio ahead and let them know that we're on our way so they can prepare a room for Elissa."

Joker nodded and activated his omni-tool, patching into Citadel comm buoys. "Joker to Huerta, come in Huerta."

"This is Huerta," said a voice on the other end. "What assistance do you require?"

"We have a woman in active labor," replied Joker with as much calm as he could muster, glancing at Elissa as he spoke. "Her water broke just a few minutes ago and is in desperate need of a doctor."

"How far apart are her contractions?" asked the voice and Joker's very thin patience snapped.

"Who the fuck cares?!" he shouted. "My wife, Commander Shepard, is in labor and about to deliver our twins in the back of a fucking taxi! We are four minutes from you, have a stretcher and a room ready by the time we get there or there will be hell to pay." He then shut off his omni-tool and looked again at Elissa, this time finding her smiling as she shook her head.

"You could have been a little nicer to them," she said, panting a little.

Joker shrugged. "Now isn't the time for nice, Ellie, we just saved the Citadel—again—and the least they can do is provide you with a room where you can deliver our kids. Fuck, you'd think we were asking for our own planet."

"I'd love to see their reaction to that request," said Elissa through the pain, sweat breaking out on her brow. "Might be like when the Krogan asked for a new one."

"I'm surprised either of you can joke at a time like this," said Hannah, looking at her hand that was slowly turning purple. "Must mean that this isn't as terrifying as it seems."

Both Elissa and Joker shook their heads.

"This is terrifying," said Joker with a shaky grin. "And joking is the only way I've ever been able to get through situations like this. Ellie must be in desperate need of a laugh if she's actually going along with what I'm saying."

"That's true," said Elissa with a groan. "I do need a distraction but so far this isn't working like I thought it would." She then looked at her mother. "Please tell me that you were scared too."

"Petrified," replied Hannah as she wiped Elissa's brow with her sleeve. "It was all I could do not to scream and cry but I managed to do neither, focusing solely on making sure that you were doing fine and going to make it into this world safely."

Elissa smiled weakly. "I hope I can do this."

"You will," said Hannah reassuringly.

They arrived at Huerta what felt like moments later, and to their surprise there was a team of doctors and nurses waiting outside of the hospital with a stretcher waiting as per Joker's instructions, among them was Dr. Michel. When they landed the staff rushed the taxi, pulling Elissa out of it and helping her onto the stretcher, they then began running her to the entrance while some nurses began taking off her armor. Joker, Hannah, and Hackett hurried as quickly as they could behind her, hoping that they had made it in time and that everything would go smoothly. The three of them reached the nearest elevator and Hackett summoned it while Joker paced around in quick circles, waiting for it to arrive. Once it did they almost tripped over each other as they entered, Hannah pressing the button for the general ward, as the doors closed the three of them simultaneously let out a long sigh and rested against the nearest wall.

"This has to be the craziest day ever," said Joker with a short laugh. "First we have to rescue everyone on the Citadel, we lose some really wonderful people, and now my babies are about to be born. What a crazy fucking day."

Hackett chuckled despite himself. "I have to agree, I didn't see this day taking a turn like this."

"Neither did I," said Hannah, shaking her head. "Although, I have to say that I am pleased with this turn of events. We'll always remember the day they were born, that's for sure."

"No shit," snorted Joker just as the elevator doors opened.

They exited and began searching for Elissa, finding her in a back hospital room with several doctors and nurses going in and out of the room. Some of the nurses were carrying pieces of Elissa's armor plates while others were going in with various instruments, likely to try and cut her out of the organic suit she was wearing. Joker tried to calm his racing heart as he breezed past the people coming and going, seeing his wife sitting in a hospital bed with her eyes closed as she tried to manage the pain.

"Are you the father?" asked a Dr. Michel who was trying to block his path.

"Hell yes I am," replied Joker and some of the nurses giggled.

"Good, then you're just in time," said Michel and she stepped aside. "As soon as we get her out of that suit, it's very likely she'll be giving birth soon."

Joker watched as the nurses struggled to cut off the goo suit only to be met with a great deal of resistance. "It just peels off, you don't have to cut it or anything."

The nurses looked skeptical but they followed his instructions and began peeling off the under armor, finding him to be absolutely right in how to remove the suit. Elissa helped them as much as she could, pulling her arms out and shifting her body the lower they went until she was finally free, sitting now in sweat soaked undergarments. Now that she was freed, the nurses quickly helped her into a hospital gown, taking off her bra and panties in the process so she would be more comfortable. When that was finished they finally allowed Joker to be at her side.

"Where are Mom and Dad?" she asked when he materialized beside her.

"I guess they decided to wait outside," replied Joker, tucking a few strands of hair behind her ear. "Do you want me to get your mom?"

Elissa shook her head. "No, I'll be fine. I have you here."

Joker smiled before leaning down and kissing her forehead. "And I'll always be here."

"Are you worried about the Normandy?" she asked, trying to get her mind off of the pain she was feeling at the moment.

"A little," admitted Joker. "EDI's good but she isn't me, and they are going after Cerberus so god only knows what's in store for them." He thought for a moment. "Right now though, my focus and attention are all on you and the kids, so yours should be too. Don't worry about James and Miranda and EDI, they'll be just fine."

Elissa nodded before gripping the railing on her bed as a contraction tore through her, she knew Joker was right and that she needed to keep her focus on giving birth yet she still worried about her friends wishing she was there with them.


"Approaching Cerberus headquarters," announced EDI to the only three members of the crew on board, the rest having been instructed to stay at the Citadel. "Prepping shuttle for departure." She input a few codes then stood up, looking ready for battle.

James glared at the station floating in front of them, they would finally find out who was responsible for all of this death and destruction and he could not wait. It was about time they brought this nightmare to an end, permanently. "Steve, you ready to take over control of the ship?"

Steve nodded as he moved from the co-pilot's seat to the pilot's seat where EDI had previously been sitting. "Remember, don't take any unnecessary risks, I won't be able to reach you as quickly as I could in a shuttle."

"We understand," said Miranda as she Flared her biotics, preparing them for what she thought would be a difficult battle. "This is it, we finally get to bring this place down in a blaze of glory."

"I look forward to it," said EDI as she cocked her pistol. "Cerberus has gone on long enough, we need to end this."

"I couldn't agree more," said James then he motioned for them to follow him. "Steve, if we aren't back in an hour or so, come get us or at least get the shuttle."

"Yes, sir," replied Steve as he took control of the ship.

The three of them made their way down to the shuttle bay, no one saying much as they entered the shuttle, waiting for Steve to clear them before the doors opened and they flew out. EDI took the controls and guided the shuttle towards the station, Miranda and James standing behind her watching their progress, neither one was sure what to expect when they landed remembering when Elissa, Kaidan, and EDI had made this journey during the war. They knew this was probably not going to be an easy mission to accomplish but they had to do it anyway, the safety of the galaxy rested on their shoulders.

"Rosa," said James quietly, looking at her with love in his eyes. "When this is all over, how about you and I settle down? That offer from your brother probably still stands."

Miranda smirked. "Honestly, that sounds really good about now. Talk to me about it on the way back to the Citadel, alright?"

"It's a deal," said James with a grin just as EDI landed the shuttle in an open hangar. "Let's go."

"Wait," said EDI and she activated her omni-tool, she typed on it for a few moments, her visor going red then back to orange, then the hangar doors shut. "There, I now have control of the basic functions of the station. We'll be able to get through any door and I even have a map to where the Illusive Man is located."

"Good thinking, EDI," said James then he opened the shuttle doors. "Any hostiles close by?"

EDI shook her head, her blonde hair getting in her face. "No, not that I can tell. Then again they could be using a sophisticated program to mask their heat signatures."

Miranda shrugged as they exited the shuttle. "That's always possible but I think you would have seen that during your initial hack, no matter how sophisticated. I think there's something more going on here."

James nodded as he headed for a door on the other side of the room, the two women bringing up the rear, EDI held out her omni-tool and the door slid away. Silently he motioned for them to follow him as he stepped through, his assault rifle primed as he tread carefully across the floor, waiting for someone to come out of the shadows to greet them. He was stunned when nothing happened, there were no alarms or foot soldiers waiting to greet them, it was just deafening silence; and that worried him more than anything.

"EDI, what the hell is going on here?" he asked in a rough whisper as they continued down a hallway.

EDI brought up her map and some other data. "I don't know, but it would seem this place is unoccupied."

"Does that mean the Illusive Man isn't here either?" asked Miranda, irritation slipping into her voice as they proceeded. "Damn him, he always was as slippery as an eel."

"There are bio-readings here but something is interfering with them," said EDI as they approached a room. "Like someone is trying to scramble the data to prevent from being found."

James smirked as he tested the door, surprised to find it unlocked. "I have a feeling we're about to find out what happened."

The door slid open and they found themselves in a large, open room with very little light to help guide them through. What light was there, however, was enough to illuminate the carnage that had taken place what could not have been too long ago. Bodies were strewn in every corner, blood decorating the walls and pooling on the floor, it was like what happened at Sanctuary but not as clean in comparison. James approached a body and saw it was a woman wearing a lab coat, she had a few bullet holes in her torso and on in her head, which is likely the one that killed her. Taking off a glove he touched the skin of her neck and recoiled when he felt some warmth still linger in the now dead flesh.

"These people haven't been dead long," he said furiously. "I would estimate maybe two hours or less."

"Whoever ordered this seemed to have been expecting us to arrive," said Miranda as she took in the bloodshed before her. Her eyes fell on a small group that seemed to be different from the rest, as she approached she saw they too were dead but were wearing Cerberus armor, implying they had been initially responsible for the deaths of everyone in this room. "It would seem that these men were instructed to kill the scientists, researchers, and other workers before they too were killed."

"This is disgusting," spat EDI as she carefully stepped over bodies and tried to avoid slipping in blood. "I could bring up the feed from earlier but I would rather not, Miranda's theory seems sound enough to me and so does James' about the time of death. We need to find the Illusive Man now before he can escape, he has plenty of blood on his hands to justify a quick execution."

James shuddered at her words and tone. "EDI, have I ever mentioned that you scare the hell out of me sometimes?"

EDI shrugged. "I scare many people with my existence alone, I try not to keep track of the number."

"Reassuring," muttered James as they pressed onward.

They did not find anymore rooms full of blood and bodies, meaning that the one they did find contained everyone whom had been working here, which did not settle their minds as much as they had thought it would. Everyone, save for the Illusive Man, was dead and they had been unable to save them just like at Sanctuary, they were too late to save these innocents from their untimely and brutal death. Soon enough they reached the center of the station where EDI said the Illusive Man had been located last time, they stood outside the door, unsure of how to proceed.

"Do we want answers or just kill him outright?" asked Miranda as she looked at the door.

"I vote to kill him where he stands," replied EDI, scaring her two human crewmates even more.

James shook his head. "No, we'll bring him in if we can. Answers are the top priority but if we can't get any or he attacks, we'll be forced to kill him."

"Fine," said Miranda with a shaky breath. "EDI, open the door."

EDI nodded then brought her omni-tool up, waiting a few moments as the lock was hacked before it gave way and the door slid open. They entered and it was just as Miranda remembered it, the view of the star taking up most of the far wall, various screens opened at a console, and even his seat in front of the QEC was where it had always been. Her eyes widened when she saw a familiar face sitting in the chair, she thought she must be dreaming.

"Oriana?" she asked in disbelief. "You're the Illusive Man?"

Oriana chuckled as she looked at her older sister. "You sound surprised, Miri, I wonder why?"

Miranda wanted to drop her pistol but something told her that she had to keep it trained on her sister, no matter what. "How can this be? You weren't raised in this world, you had no idea about it until I told you."

"That's very true," said Oriana, her eyes darting to EDI and James who had their weapons trained on her as they flanked Miranda. "I was raised away from Cerberus and all of that, but you forget that our father had me for a while before you rescued me."

"What did he do to you?" demanded Miranda, banishing the tears from her eyes.

"He informed me of what I was supposed to do with my life," she replied with a drawl to her voice. "I might have been young but I was implanted with desires to see humanity rise above all races and succeed where the others failed. Yes, my adopted parents suppressed that in me for a while, or perhaps you knew about what he did and suppressed my prime directive yourself?" Her blue eyes glinted menacingly. "Then when Father took me to Sanctuary, those desires were reawakened but I knew it was not the right time, I had to be smart about how I went about fulfilling Father's legacy. The first thing that had to go was Father himself, and you took care of that beautifully, Miri."

"That still doesn't explain why you became the Illusive Man," snapped Miranda, not in the mood to hear a drawn out story about her failure to see how her sister had changed.

Oriana chuckled. "Miranda, you don't understand, I was always meant to become the next Illusive Man. That was what Father wanted initially for Liam and then for you and finally for me, I was just the only one that succeeded. When he broke through the barriers in my mind, Father told me how I could take over should the Illusive Man die and after the war I began implementing those plans. I was given the necessary funds through inheritance, and from there I began restarting the various facilities throughout the galaxy." She stood up gracefully, a pistol in her hand. "Then I began trying to purify the human race, to make them stronger than evolution ever could."

"You mean those barbaric experiments you were doing on Horizon?" asked EDI, her weapon trained on Oriana's head.

"I wouldn't necessarily call them 'barbaric'," said Oriana with a smirk. "They were just crude, a first step in a longer process. We were having much more success in our cloning department, thanks to the detailed notes Miranda left behind, we were even able to give them longer lifespans than most naturally born humans. Project Lazarus made that possible."

"Why attack the Citadel?" demanded James. "Why create an Ardat Yakshi army? Why make a deal with Leviathan?"

"So many questions," said Oriana as she strode over to the console. "I attacked the Citadel because I wanted you all dead, you were interfering too much in my plans and I had to make sure you were no longer around to meddle. When you blew up both Lazarus station and Sanctuary, I lost years of data, what you saw was only the fruit of my labor over the last few years. The Ardat Yakshi army was supposed to be for my clones, two unstoppable forces working together towards a common goal. I would have disposed of them sooner or later, after all humanity is my primary concern. As for Leviathan, I needed a way of making thralls. Not just to control the Ardat Yakshi but to gain control over others who resisted Cerberus; if you looked closer at those dead bodies in the main hall you would have noticed some of them had thrall fragments in their necks." She pointed at her own for emphasis. "Everything I have done has only been for the bettering of humanity and you all have blocked me at every turn."

Miranda was stunned, she had no idea that her sister was capable of such inhuman acts of cruelty. "You killed dozens of people, Oriana, most of them were innocents. How could you?"

Oriana merely shrugged. "They either failed me or outlived their usefulness, it's as simple as that."

"And the people you kidnapped to conduct your twisted experiments on?" demanded James.

"They would have lived had you not interfered," snapped Oriana. "Those deaths are on your hands, not mine."

"You were trying to create an elite race of humans, weren't you?" asked EDI, taking a step forward. "Intelligent, perfect physique and stamina as well as top notch biotics. Everything you aren't."

"What are you talking about?" asked Oriana, sounding a little shaken.

"Your sister is all of that but you aren't," continued EDI. "You were jealous of her. Yes you may look like her and share the same DNA but she became the pinnacle of human achievement and you were considered substandard at best. Your father used you to get Miranda to come back to him when he kidnapped you, he had no interest in using you but he had no choice when he realized Miranda wasn't going to come back to him the way he wanted."

Miranda looked at EDI curiously. "What are you talking about?"

"Sisters to the end it seems," said EDI with a smile. "Think about it, Miranda, your sister was created as a replacement for you except she wasn't the same as you. So she's using these experiments of hers not to further the human race but to make herself into you. Why else would she try to genetically create perfect biotics? She wants to try and make herself one without the necessary exposure to eezo. Prolonging the human lifespan? A means of herself living either as long or longer than you will. Trying to double wombs in women? A way of fixing her fertility problem so she can do something you can't. None of what she has done was meant to help humanity but it was meant to help her. Her so-called "elite race" was just a cover for her true purposes."

Oriana lifted the pistol and aimed at EDI, her hands shaking. "Y-You're lying! I did this to help people!"

"Killing innocents doesn't help anyone in the end," said EDI harshly. "You're just a narcissistic sociopath who only wants to better her life, not anyone else's."

"Shut up!" screamed Oriana and she went to pull the trigger only someone else beat her to it.

Miranda stood with her hands shaking, her gun smoking as she watched in slow motion as her sister's body dropped to the ground, a perfect head shot. Tears were pouring down her face as she saw the light leave her sister's eyes and she fell to her knees, unable to stand any longer.

"EDI," said Miranda, managing to keep the sobs out of her voice, "was what you said true? Did Ori really do all of that for herself?"

EDI shrugged as she put away her pistol. "Based on the information I analyzed from Lazarus station and Sanctuary, the things being done hardly pointed towards the betterment of humanity. She more or less confirmed it just now."

Miranda nodded feebly as James knelt beside her, putting an arm around her before pulling her against his chest.

"I'm sorry, Miranda," said James quietly as she cried against his neck. "I know you loved her very much."

"I wish I had seen this sooner," whispered Miranda through her tears. "I could have spared all these people if I had only realized sooner that she was trying to become me."

"You couldn't have known," said EDI kindly. "She kept it so well hidden until she had the power to do as she liked." She looked at Oriana's body. "She had so much promise."

Miranda smiled weakly. "She really did, and to think she squandered it like this. I don't think I'll ever understand what went through her mind or how she came to this point but I'm glad she didn't succeed. She was able to die as she was. She was my only family."

James held Miranda tightly. "You still have Liam, and your nieces. You aren't alone, Miranda, it just feels that way."

"What am I going to tell Liam?" asked Miranda helplessly. "I already introduced her to him, and now she's dead."

"You should tell him that your father altered her brain," replied EDI as she examined the console. "You don't have to tell him the truth because that sort of is, your father implanted her with certain desires but they ended up altering her mind so she would become the elite of the human race. The woman you met on Illium initially was your real sister, the one you saved at Sanctuary was the next Illusive Man, I'll bet your father used some of his indoctrination technology on her during her capture to reactivate her prime directive."

Miranda sighed heavily. "I think you may be right, EDI. That's the only way to explain her strange beliefs and behaviors." Suddenly she pulled away from James and stood up. "Regardless, it doesn't matter how or why she went insane, what matters is how she'll be remembered and I'll always remember the sweet girl who was happy to find out she had a sister."

James stood up and put his hand on her shoulder. "If that's how you want her remembered then that's how she'll be remembered. Still, we'll have to tell Lola what happened here."

"I know," said Miranda as she watched EDI at the console. "I can only hope that she's merciful to my sister's memory."

"I'm sure she will be," said James as he pulled her into his arms. "Do you want to bury her properly?"

Miranda looked at her sister's fallen body and shook her head. "No, the woman who was my sister died a long time ago. This person . . . this person should burn for what she's done."

James nodded then looked at EDI. "Have you copied the files and purged the system?"

EDI looked up, her visor bright blue and she nodded. "Yes, this time Cerberus will end. I have deactivated every single project in progress and copied the files to my systems. When we are done and Shepard is well again, we will hunt down these remaining pockets of Cerberus to ensure their defeat." She the typed something into her omni-tool. "I have set the station to explode when I type in another sequence."

"Do you still find humans disgusting, EDI?" asked James as they headed out of the room, his hand in Miranda's as they ran towards the shuttle bay.

EDI thought for a moment before she spoke. "I find certain human actions disgusting, such as the brutal ways they can harm their own kind and their selfish reasons behind their actions. But no, I do not find the human race as a whole disgusting, just a select few."

"After this, I'm inclined to agree with you," said James as they entered the room of bodies, each one being careful not to disrespect the dead as they crossed despite their haste.

Finally they reached the shuttle and hurriedly climbed in, EDI again took the controls and guided it out of there just as she typed in the code that would set the station to detonate. James and Miranda watched from the safety of the shuttle as Cronos station exploded, leaving nothing but debris behind, taking with it a shred of their souls.

"This never gets easier," said Miranda as she looked at where she used to work. "I thought for the longest time that I would take over and become the next Illusive Man, help humanity work towards bettering itself . . . yet now, I feel like that was wasted time. The only good I ever did was save my sister, Ash, and Shepard."

"That's a lot of good," said James, brushing some hair out of her face. "You can't blame yourself for what happened here, Miranda, if anything blame your father or the Illusive Man. After all it was because of them that this happened to Oriana." He paused and then frowned. "But I know you and you'll blame yourself anyway, just like Lola does whenever people die on her watch. All I ask is that when you do blame yourself, it's for the right reasons and not the impossible ones."

Miranda gave him a watery smile. "I'll do my best to remember that, James. Now, about that settling down thing you mentioned earlier, are you still up for that?"

James nodded and grinned. "Kaski's offer as head of security for the mine still stands and I'll start filling out my papers to get out of the Alliance as soon as we get back to the Citadel. I'm sure Liam will be thrilled to hear we're coming to live there."

"I'm sure too," laughed Miranda and she leaned in and kissed him deeply. She wrapped her arms around his neck as his circled her waist. This was what she needed, wanted above all else, to be with James and have her worries fade away.


"You're ready to start pushing, Commander," said Dr. Michel and she pulled away the lower half of the bed and brought out the stirrups and gently slipped Elissa's feet into them.

Joker felt a rush of adrenaline and panic, his heart pounding so hard in his chest he thought it was going to burst free and fly around the room. It was going to be over in just a few minutes, in just a matter of moments he would be holding his twin children. They were about to be a family, a true family, like he had always dreamed.

"Now there's a position I've never seen you in," whispered Joker in her ear as he helped her into the sitting position, inwardly laughing when he heard her growl in her throat.

"Alright, Shepard, on your next contraction I need you to start pushing," said Michel sternly, ready for this procedure.

Elissa nodded and held onto the railing of the hospital bed, Joker still behind her, rubbing her back and whispering encouraging words as she started pushing. Every ten seconds or so she would rest in his arms and he would use a damp sponge to wipe the sweat from her brow, raining light kisses on her cheeks and forehead as he went. She kept whispering that she loved him even though for the last few hours she had been cursing him for ever having touched her in the first place, but he knew she had not meant a word of it.

"You're doing great, Elissa, I love you so much," whispered Joker. He finally understood what Liara had meant about expressing love through pain, while he would have changed places with her in a heartbeat, he loved her even more for making this sacrifice so they could bring children into this world.

"I see the head of one of them!" exclaimed Michel happily several minutes later. "One more push, Shepard, that's all it'll take now!"

Joker chanced a look down and felt more tears spring into his eyes when he saw the head of his child, his wife's body was incredible for many reasons but this had to be the ultimate display of awesome.

Elissa gave a grunt in response and as soon as she felt her next contraction she started pushing and kept pushing until she felt something slide from between her legs. There were a few moments of silence before the wails of their child filled the room, the baby had strong lungs, that much they were certain of.

Joker held Elissa close and started kissing her wherever he could reach. "One more to go," he muttered, his voice thick with emotion.

"Do you want to know what it is?" asked Michel as she cut the umbilical cord.

"Yes, please," Elissa managed to choke out, not trusting herself to say more without completely breaking down.

"It's a girl!" squealed Michel as she placed the tiny baby in a waiting bassinet. "Are you ready for the second one, Shepard?"

Elissa nodded then she turned to Joker. "Go see our daughter, I'll still be right here."

Joker laughed before kissing her deeply. "Alright, Commander Moreau, I'll obey your orders for now."

He gently removed himself from his wife's side and walked over to the little bassinet, he looked down and felt his knees go weak, the sight of his little daughter being the most beautiful in the galaxy.

"Hey there," he whispered as he stroked her downy head with his finger, too scared to use anymore pressure than that, she squirmed under his touch and let out a soft grunt that sounded like a kitten purring. He could feel tears falling down his cheeks, but right now, he could have cared less. His little girl looked up at him with Elissa's green eyes, his breath caught in his throat, she was perfect in every way. "You're as beautiful as your mother, little girl, I hope you have her bones, too."

Another loud cry grabbed his attention, he turned his head around and saw Michel holding his second child in her arms, by now tears were pouring down everyone's face including the doctor's. He looked up and blew a kiss to Elissa, she gave him a watery smile, neither one of them had never been so happy except maybe on their wedding day.

Joker as he picked up his daughter, holding her close to his chest. He joined Elissa on the bed barely able to contain the joy that was singing in his heart at this moment, and he could tell by the look on his wife's face she was feeling the same way.

"Here's your little boy," said Michel gently as she passed Elissa her son.

"He's wonderful," said Elissa, nearly choking on the sobs she had been trying to repress since her daughter entered the world. She looked down at her son and then over at her daughter in Joker's arms, nothing could have made her happier at this moment, not even if someone rushed in and said the galaxy was at eternal peace.

Joker leaned over and kissed his wife with all of the love he felt in his heart. "You did great, Ellie," he said when they pulled away. "You brought two beautiful little people into this world and barely broke a sweat, didn't break a bone either."

Elissa laughed and leaned against her husband. "You still have both of your hands in working order, so I guess we dodged that bullet. Oh, Jeff, aren't they perfect?"

"Yep," said Joker as he gently rocked his daughter in his arms. "So, Michel, how do they look?"

"I haven't really had a chance to look them over yet, Jeff," said Michel as she cleaned up Elissa. "When I'm done tending your wife, I'll look over the twins."

Joker and Elissa nodded, looking at each other with glowing smiles. Elissa snuggled up closer to Joker and with his free arm he wrapped it around her and their son, pulling them closer so they were one big, happy family.

"I love you," she sighed closing her eyes, admittedly she was incredibly exhausted but was over the moon with joy, not even beating the Reapers had made her feel this great.

"Even though I put you through all of this?" asked Joker, not able to tear his eyes away from the wonderful scene of his wife and children.

"Yes, it was worth it," said Elissa as she admired her son and daughter.

"Alright," said Michel brightly, "Mommy's all taken care of, now to clean the babies." She came up and took their daughter away first and then came back for their son, cooing at each of them.

Joker and Elissa spent the time their children were being taken care of to bask in the wondrous event that had just taken place, neither one speaking, just enjoying each other's company. Joker nearly laughed every time Elissa tensed up whenever one of their children cried, it was amusing to him that her maternal instincts were already kicking in, though he noticed he was also jumpier than usual when he heard them cry.

About half an hour later Michel wheeled both babies over in a bassinet, both were swaddled blankets with a blue and pink hat respectively, they both seemed rather happy now that they were clean and warm.

"You have two healthy, happy children," announced Michel. "All toes and fingers accounted for, and neither has Vroliks."

"Thank God," whispered Joker, then he kissed Elissa again. While he knew before that they would not have his disease, it was nice to have that kind of official confirmation.

Michel chuckled. "Careful you two, or I'll be delivering your third before you know it."

Elissa pulled away immediately. "Don't even joke about that," she warned and Joker could not help but laugh.

"Do you have names picked out for these two precious angels?" cooed Michel, brushing back their daughter's auburn hair.

Joker nodded to Elissa and she smiled.

"Felicity Roseana and Malcolm Steven Moreau," she replied and Michel smiled.

"Both are excellent names," said Michel happily. "And I want to thank you both for allowing me to be here, I know you would have preferred Chakwas, but since she was busy tending to her family I hope I made a decent replacement."

"You were great, Michel," said Elissa somewhat exhausted. "I couldn't have asked for a better doctor to tend me."

"I appreciate the compliment," said Michel with a sweet smile. "Now, do you have any questions?"

"When do I need to feed them?" asked Elissa, reaching out and stroking Felicity's wrinkled hand, still in awe of what she and Joker had made together.

"In a little while," said Michel. "Since you have two, I would suggest pumping your milk and bottle feeding them that way, otherwise it might prove to be difficult breast feeding."

Elissa nodded and then rested against Joker. "Sounds great, can I sleep now?"

Michel chuckled. "Of course you can, I think you've earned a rest. Jeff, I think there's a crowd of people outside eager to see the latest additions." She opened the windows and low and behold there was a huge crowd of family waiting just outside, several were pacing around the mess, others were hovering close by.

"I guess I'll take them to see their adoring public," sighed Joker happily, kissing his wife's forehead before leaning her back onto the pillows, she had done enough work for a while, this was certainly the least he could do for her now.

"Don't be too long, they'll have to feed soon," said Elissa wearily and before Joker could respond she was fast asleep, her chest rising and falling steadily.

Joker resisted the urge to get into the bed with her, knowing he should probably get these babies to the mess before the crew got Garrus, Miya, and Wrex to break down the medbay doors. He laughed and then looked at his children, his heart almost bursting. "Okay, kiddies, let's go meet the rest of the family."

He moved them over to the door and waited a moment while it opened, then quickly pushed the bassinet out into the mess where the huge crowd was waiting for the news. Family all clambering to be heard and to see the little babies they had been waiting so long to see soon overwhelmed him.

"Joker! Keelah, you've been in there forever!" exclaimed Tali as she rushed forward.

"What'd you have?" squealed Ashley as she held onto Kal's hands.

"Come on, Cap, the suspense is killing us!" shouted Kaidan above the others.

"Joker, you son of a bitch, let me see the babies!" yelled Miya, pushing her way to the front of the crowd.

Joker cleared his throat loudly. "Attention everyone, allow me to introduce Felicity Roseana and Malcolm Steven Moreau!"

There was a sudden outbreak of tears, applause, and very loud cheers all for the two little infants who jumped when they heard the noises around them.

"Can I hold one of them?" asked Miya as she eyed the bassinet.

"Sure," said Joker and he picked up Malcolm, gently putting him in her waiting arms. "Remember to keep the head supported."

Miya rolled her eyes. "God, you would think I haven't held a baby before."

"Let me hold my granddaughter," said Hannah, tears running down her face as Joker handed her Felicity. "Oh god, she looks like Elissa did when she was newborn."

Hackett looked over his wife's shoulder and smiled at Felicity. "She certainly does." He then looked at Malcolm. "And he's going to be a handsome young man when he gets older."

Kolyat smiled as he gently stroked Felicity's downy hair. "She and her brother are perfect, Joker, you and Shepard must be blessed by the gods."

"I have to agree," said Hilary as she wiped her eyes. "I can't believe that I'm an aunt! It doesn't even seem real!"

"They're so small," said Garrus as he leaned over to get a better look. "I didn't realize that human babies looked so fragile."

"That's because they are," said Liara, holding Talissa so she could see the babies. "Most infants, save for Turian and Krogan, are incredibly fragile at birth and for a number of months afterwards. That's why parents are usually so protective."

Jack came forward and held Miya as she held Malcolm. "Damn Joker, you and Shepard made some great looking kids. I'm impressed."

Joker rolled his eyes. "Glad my genetics have your approval, Jack."

"I wanna see!" cried Tristan from Kaidan's arms. "I wanna see the babies."

Kaidan pushed through the crowd that had gathered around the babies and angled Tristan so he could see Malcolm and Felicity. His eyes went wide as he stared at the newborn twins, he spent a great deal of time looking at them both as if trying to understand absolutely everything about them in case they should suddenly disappear. "I like them," he declared, making the adults laugh.

The next few minutes were spent talking and laughing as the babies were passed around from one person to the next until everyone had a chance to hold at least one of them. Hannah and Hackett of course were able to hold both and so was Miya, having snatched Felicity away before she could be handed off to Liara. When things calmed down a bit, Joker was handed back both twins and he put them in the bassinet, waving at everyone before wheeling the twins back into the hospital room where Elissa was. Upon entering he found her still resting, her eyes closed and her face peaceful as she slumbered, he smiled to himself as he positioned the twins' bassinet beside the bed then crawled in next to her. She stirred only enough to throw an arm around his torso and he chuckled before putting his hat over his eyes, a smile plastered on his face.


Days later, once Elissa had recovered from delivering the twins, a press conference was held outside of the Citadel Tower. The Normandy crew was right up front behind all of the cameras and reporters as the remaining Councilors walked up to the podium where they had announced the Council-Alliance accord now they were here to address the recent events. Udina took the stand, clearing his throat before he spoke.

"We have called you here today to discuss what transpired here a few days ago," he said, his voice calm and steady. "Cerberus launched an attack against Commander Shepard and her crew, using the Citadel and their families as bait in order to kill her. Thankfully they were unsuccessful and the Commander is still with us today. As for the accord that was announced a few days ago, that will no longer be taking place, that was discovered to be the idea of a Cerberus controlled individual as a way of giving humanity a leg up over the rest of the galaxy. That being said, Shepard and her crew are no longer wanted fugitives and has been reinstated into the Alliance military along with Flight Lieutenant Moreau. She has also been given her Spectre status back. With that out of the way, I would like to welcome Commander Shepard to the stage."

Elissa nodded then stood, heading for the podium with her head held high. She looked out at the sea of reporters and people, taking a deep breath. "Ladies and gentlemen, I am here to announce that the threat of Cerberus has been permanently neutralized. My crew and I, acting on Admiral Hackett's orders, found and destroyed their main facility and in the process killed the Illusive Man. Cerberus will no longer pose a threat to the galaxy." She waited a few moments then proceeded with her next announcement. "Furthermore, the Council and I have come to a decision regarding the future of the Council. It will no longer consist of one representative of the main races but will have two representatives from every race chosen by my crew, the current Council members, the ambassadors, and myself. We have begun the selection process and should be done in a matter of days. There will of course be meetings and such with other governments but for now, we are confident in this decision.

"There is one final announcement, following the death of Commander Armando-Owen Bailey, it has been unanimously decided that the man to take his position will be my father Admiral of the Fifth Fleet Steven Hackett. This will take place again in a few days, when a new admiral can be found to take over. We are beginning anew, for a brighter future and hopefully one I can be happy to raise my children in. Thank you for your time."


Elissa stood at the docking bay window her son in her arms, looking at the newly retrofitted Normandy, now with specs to match her new status as a Spectre ship. It was made official the same day as the new Council, she and her crew would be given permission to travel throughout the galaxy, bringing down the Council's justice on those who have earned it. She smiled as she thought about how things had turned out, now instead of a fugitive and dishonorably discharged soldier, she was a Spectre once again and had been reinstated in the Alliance military but with a promotion; she was now known as Captain Moreau and Joker had been given the rank of wing commander, though he still insisted on flying the Normandy.

"She looks bigger," said Joker as he approached, Felicity in his arms. "Do you think she'll still fly right?"

"I'm sure she will," replied Elissa happily. "With you at the helm, I have no doubts."

Joker chuckled. "I'm glad that you have faith in me." He then gestured for her to turn around and she saw the crew standing there, all smiling at her.

"I guess this is it," she said, her voice thick as she looked out at her family.

Liara was the first to approach. "Elissa, I will miss you and the Normandy greatly, it was where I was given my first real chance at making a difference in the galaxy." She shifted Talissa to her other hip. "That being said, I have been given another opportunity and it's thanks to you that I don't fear it." The two women embraced, babies snugly between them. "And don't worry, I will send you an invitation to the wedding soon."

Elissa could feel tears pricking her eyes as Liara pulled away, only for Miya and Jack to be the next ones up. "Ready to kick ass Spectre style, Miya?"

"Hells yeah," laughed Miya. "You can't get rid of me that easily, Lizzie, you should know that by now."

"I know and I'm glad for that," said Elissa and with a slight salute, Miya and Jack headed for the Normandy while Liara headed for a different ship after hugging Joker. Zaeed came up to her though he made no motion towards embracing her. "Headed for that great retirement spot, Zaeed?"

Zaeed shook his head. "After all this shit, I figure the galaxy could use another pair of eyes watching out for it. I've contacted a few people, been thinking about starting a vigilante group to fight the shit going on in the more unsavory places."

Elissa shook her head but she was still smiling. "It's too bad you won't stick around, Zaeed, we could use you and your skills."

"Thanks but no thanks," said Zaeed with a grizzly smile. "I'm sure our paths will cross again though, we always seem to."

She said nothing further and the old merc headed off for parts unknown, Garrus and Tali coming up next.

"Hello, Councilors," said Elissa with a cheeky tone.

"That still sounds so weird," said Tali, shaking her head. "I still can't believe that Garrus and I were picked for the Council, it doesn't seem real."

"Well, if it makes you feel any better, I don't think my mother, Bakara, or Aethyta planned on being on the Council either," laughed Elissa as she cuddled Malcolm. "Regardless, you both will be excellent councilors and I look forward to working with you."

"Just don't hang up on us," said Garrus, flexing his mandibles in a kind smile. "And I'll be checking in from time to time to make sure that the Normandy is still calibrated correctly, wouldn't want something happening while I'm gone."

Elissa sighed. "While I'm glad you two are on the Council, I still wish you were coming with me. I've already lost James and Miranda to civilian life, not to mention Ash is now an ambassador, I don't want to lose you two either."

Garrus put a talon on her shoulder. "You'll never lose us, Shepard, we'll come running if you call. No matter where we are in the galaxy, we'll always be part of your crew."

Without another word, the three of them embraced tightly, Tali and Garrus caressing Malcolm's head gently, the baby boy looking up at them in wonder as they did. They then moved onto Joker, hugging him like they had done with Elissa, touching Felicity like they had done Malcolm.

"This sucks," sighed Joker. "Now we won't have anymore drunken Tali vids or joke-offs with Garrus. This whole responsibility thing isn't any fun."

Tali laughed. "Keelah, you sound like a teenager, Joker."

Joker grinned. "Did that just to make you laugh, Tali. But seriously, things aren't going to be the same without you, you were with us at the beginning and now you're leaving."

"Like we told Shepard, we'll come back if we're needed," said Garrus somewhat sadly.

"You're needed," said Joker seriously.

Garrus patted his shoulder gently. "Goodbye, Joker, take care of your family and we'll see each other again soon enough."

Then with that, they left. Kaidan and Tristan came up next, both looking at the ship with sadness in their eyes.

"Well, if it isn't the Admiral of the Fifth Fleet," teased Elissa. "The new uniform looks good on you."

Kaidan looked down at his uniform blushing slightly. "I'm still amazed that you turned this opportunity down, Shepard. I would have thought you'd want to carry on your father's legacy."

Elissa shrugged. "I thought about it but I knew that life wouldn't be right for me, I definitely prefer bucking the system in favor of doing things my own way."

"You're not going to make this easy for me are you?" he asked with a tight smile, trying to hide the sorrow in his expression.

"Not in the slightest," said Elissa then she looked at Tristan. "Hey, don't look so sad, Tristan."

"Can't help it," said Tristan as he looked back at her. "Don't want to stay, want to go with you. The babies need me."

Elissa softly touched his dark curls then cupped his cheek. "But your daddy needs you more, and don't worry, I'll come back to visit you when I can. This isn't goodbye forever, honey."

Tristan began crying then but he was trying to act brave. "Okay, I'll stay for Daddy. I love you, Miss Lissa."

"I love you too, Tristan," replied Elissa with a watery smile then she moved in to embrace them both, Kaidan carefully putting his arm under Malcolm as she did. "Good luck, Kaidan," she whispered.

"Same to you . . . Ella," he said in a hushed tone before they pulled away, then the pair headed away towards Kaidan's new ship.

There was no one left to say farewell to, they had already seen Hilary off to Alliance basic training Kolyat to C-Sec training a few days ago. James and Miranda had headed for Kaski Mining Facility the same day they came back to report that Oriana had been behind Cerberus' actions, something that still unnerved Elissa greatly. She had no idea that Henry Lawson had used his indoctrination technology in order to brainwash his daughter into becoming the next Illusive Man, much less that something backfired and caused her to pursue surpassing Miranda's perfection. EDI despite her promotion as Normandy second-in-command was still sorting through all of the data she pulled from Cronos station with Liara, so there was no news of possible clones. Samara had left quietly for parts unknown and they had said goodbye to her parents as well as Ash and Kal just that morning.

"I guess it's time to board," said Elissa, looking at Joker who nodded.

Together with their children they headed to the Normandy, ready to embrace whatever life their future held for them. They did know that no matter what happened, no matter how far away they were, their crew would always be there when called on because family never leaves anyone behind.