"Wait here. Someone will be here soon." Coats said as he showed us the interrogation room.

The room was small, a typical interrogation room. Two chairs on one side of a rectangular table, one chair on the other side. Pale, gray walls decorated with nothing. It was as if the room was reflecting how I was feeling.

The ride to Alliance HQ had been uneventful, save for the few times I tried to use my earpiece to contact the others, only to be responded by static. Our weapons and armor had been confiscated by Alliance officials, as well as our omni tools. In all honesty, this is not how I wanted to first encounter the Alliance.

John took a seat on one of the chairs, looking like a forty-year-old rather than the eighteen year old he was. He looked tired. Exhausted. Occasionally, I would glance at him on the way here, watching him try to contact the others to no avail, then murmuring something under his breath. I couldn't even imagine what he was thinking.

Cerberus. What an ironic name. Soon, very fucking soon, hell itself will unleash on them. They didn't have to blow up the damn place! Running a hand through my hair, trying to calm myself down, I sat next to John.

"I'm sorry."

My head jerked towards him so quickly I thought I'd broken my neck.

"What for?!" I asked incredulously.

"This," he said as he waved an arm about the room, "happened because of me. If I had-"

"Stop." I interrupted. "None of this is your fault. If any is to blame, it's Cerberus. All our lives, they've been dogging us nonstop since we crossed paths. If we ever get out of here, I will personally kill every single one of them."

John turned to face me. "It's still partially my fault. I should've known better."

"John," I say, taking his head in my hands, his eyes downcast, "look at me. You are not responsible for any of this. You did everything right. There wasn't anything else you could've done."

I closed the distance between us and pressed my lips on his. I poured understanding, anger, compassion, pain, everything I was feeling I gave into that kiss. John did the same: guilt, gratitude, pain, anguish. All of his pain was mine and all my pain was his in that one, tender kiss.

"Ahem." We jumped away from each other as we heard an intruder clear his throat. Turning to face whoever had entered, my eyes widened as I recognized who it was. Dark skin, broad shoulders, an aura that screamed out his strength.

"I'm sure you'd like me to leave, but I have to sort your case out." he said with a smirk as he took a seat across from us. "I'm Captain David Anderson, in charge of your case."

Anderson. Of all the people...Wonderful. Fantastic. Who's next? Hackett?

"Selena Davidson. Lived in New Bronx for twelve years until parents died in an accident. Moved to a foster home afterwards." Anderson read off a datapad. Yeah, some accident. Cerberus bastards. "John Shepard. Orphan. Lived in the same orphanage that Selena arrived to. That's all we got. Mind filling in the gaps?"

I turned my head to meet John's gaze. I knew him well enough to know what he wanted to say.

The truth.

And so we did. We told Anderson how we met, how we escaped that Cerberus hell-hole. Joining the Knights, and our current predicament. Everything we knew, we told. Nothing was held back.

Except one thing.

Anderson wasn't informed of my reincarnation...thing. John respected the fact that it hurt, and I trusted John he wouldn't say anything. Besides, Anderson would've thought we were crazy or something.

After what seemed forever, the interrogation was complete.

"Well, that's it. I do have one more question, though. It's obvious Cerberus gave the info on the QEC's to the Templars. But what did they want it for? Those files were nothing more than theories."

"Cerberus is more than just military. Helena wanted to expand the Knights beyond Earth." I said.

"Hmm. I'll add that to the report. As for you two, it's obvious you don't have the money to pay off your fines. Cerberus was involved in blowing the warehouse up, not you. Community service could do the trick."

Better than being locked- Wait.

"What if we joined the Alliance?" I asked.

"Is that even possible?!" John asked incredulously. "For people like us?"

"It is. Your paycheck would be used to pay off the fines. When you're done, you can stay and serve or be on your way." Anderson replied.

"I...don't know." John hesitated.

"I need to go turn this report in." Anderson said as he stood. "Meanwhile, you two can make up your minds."

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" John asked once Anderson had left the room.

"It'd be like when we joined the Knights. Without the Cerberus part. It's better than running from Cerberus and Helena, who is probably fuming we failed."

"Right. The Knights would only find the..." John didn't need to continue. We both knew what he was saying. Helena would find only the bodies of Jack, Nate, and Zeke...

"We'll do it." John said defiantly. "We'll join the Alliance. And when the day comes, we'll take down that bitch Helena."

Taking his hand in mine, I answer.

"Damn straight."

AN: Man. I'm. Exhausted. Multitasking can take quite a toll on you. Whining aside, I'd like to invite you, my dear readers, to the SS Shawson, a forum topic on the forum Aria's Afterlife. I was asked to be captain and (proudly) accepted. If you or anybody you know loves Miranda (like myself), send me a PM and I'll send you or/and them the necessary info. There's only two members, counting myself. So if anyone joins, it would most certainly make my day. (And maybe relieve this damn headache.) At any rate, hope you enjoyed this small, teeny, tiny chapter. Sorry, I'm just too damn tired.