A/N: So... I do love Lair of The Shadow Broker, and I felt so bad for Miranda because she couldn't have kids. This came into my mind around the same time as the last one, so it was probably included in a chapter at one point also. Please do review! I worked very hard, and I love reading them! Great thing to wake up to. Anyways, enjoy!

As Miranda made her way to Mordin's lab she couldn't help but notice to looks the crew gave her. Most of the crew looked at her with humor in their eyes, but she had no idea what was causing it. She ignored it, and entered the Tech Lab.

"Ah. Miss Lawson. Nice to see you. I forwarded the information about recreational use of biotic fields to your and Shepard's terminal. Hope you get some use out of it."

Miranda's face turned to confusion, "I… I think I'm missing something here. Recreational use of biotic fields?"

"Oh, Shepard mustn't have informed you. I told her about it. She asked that it be forwarded."

Miranda was suddenly interested, "What… kind of recreational uses?"

"Most is affiliated with intercourse. They have many uses like-"

She cut the salarian off, she was not having this conversation in a tech lab, "I… I don't need to know the details," her face turned pink, "And no offense Mordin, but I do not want to have this conversation with you."

"Typical. Intercourse among humans is usually a taboo subject. Usually causes symptoms of a red hue of face and immediate change of subject. All of which you are showing." The salarian just seemed to be making a regular diagnosis of a patient but Miranda had no interest in it.

"No wonder I was getting so many weird looks this morning, " She whispered, but was still in earshot of Mordin as she left.

"Crew is naturally interested in affiliations of their commanding officer. Human nature. Completely normal."

"Thanks, Mordin," she grunted angrily as she entered the elevator.

"EDI, where's Shepard?"

"Scans reveal that the Commander is on the lower deck, along with Jack and Ms. Goto. As well as Mr. Vakarian."

"Figures." Miranda sighed.

As she exited the elevator she saw the rowdy crowd in the large expanse of the lower deck. Whatever Garrus and Shepard were up to, Kasumi and Jack were sure urging them on.

"Shepard!"

Jack laughed, "Looks like the pet's master is mad."

As Miranda approached she shot Jack a glare, one which Jack returned. "What the hell is going on, Shepard?" Miranda asked angrily.

Kasumi spoke up, "Garrus and Shepard are having a sharpshooting tournament. Whoever gets to the target with their sniper doesn't have to take a shot."

Jack slapped her leg , "And so far, Garrus is wasted off his ass. Really screws him in the long run."

Shepard finally acknowledged her, "What's up, Miranda?"

Miranda was fuming, "You know very well what is 'up'!" Her voice faltered to a whisper, "How could you tell Mordin?"

Jack walked over, "It's not like the whole ship doesn't know that you're boning the Commander anyways." In a fit of anger, Miranda slapped Jack. The subject's hands began to burn blue, "Oh you're going to pay for that bitch!"

Shepard pushed Jack away, "Not now, Miranda's just leaving."

"But Shepard-"

She interrupted the Operative, "You we're just leaving. We'll talk later."

After having resolved their argument, Miranda sat on Shepard's bed, watching her hang all her model ships in her cabin. She stood on the table, her head not even threatening to hit the ceiling. She also swung around on the railing like some kind of monkey trying to hang her ships in just the right place. It reminded her that despite her new hair, she was the same Shepard as always.

"So… Shepard, what did you do before the Alliance?"

Shepard shot her a glare, "You have secrets, I got em too. You don't need to know. Plus I don't like talking about it." Miranda sighed, she always hit a brick wall on the subject. Just as Shepard finished hanging a model of Sovereign, a ping alerted her of a new message at her terminal.

"I've got it, Commander." Miranda walked over, hitting a few keys on the computer before looking up at Shepard.

"What is it, Miranda?"

"Cerberus has information on the Shadow Broker's location. If you want… we can deliver it to Liara."

Shepard's eyes became wide, "Joker?"

"Yeah, Shep?"

"Set course for Illium, I've got a little present for Liara."

"Setting course, Commander."

Shepard leapt out of the way as the Shadow Broker lurched through his death, smashing to pieces. She only caught a glance of Miranda as she was thrown to the side, under a piece of debris.

"Miranda!" Shepard screaming, charging at the Broker, her hand lit with a wealth of biotic power. She slammed it into the yagh. The force sent him tumbling back, but he got to his feet and slammed his shield into Shepard. The Commander struggled, pushing him back, but soon enough she was slung to the side.

"Shepard, if you can get his shield back up, I have an idea." Liara added as Shepard got to her feet, launching a rocket into his midsection. "I'm on it."

After launching more rockets, the yagh reenacted his kinetic barriers. Shepard quickly dropped the rocket, running at the Broker, slamming her fist into him. He reacted by pulling his shield back up, which Shepard was already expecting. She pushed back on the shield,"Liara, now!"

Liara sent a biotic pulse into the light above them that rained down lightning, exploding on impact. The force blew them back, but managed to kill the yagh.

Shepard lied on her back as she felt her vision go dark.

When her eyes fluttered open, she saw Miranda staring over her.

"She's alright!"

Shepard looked around; she was lying in a bed being watched by Liara and Miranda.

"Thank the Goddess."

"Where… Where am I?"

"Shepard…" Miranda started, "We're at the Shadow Broker's base. You passed out after your fight with him. We took off your armor and Liara managed to find a nearby room with a bed. She… She's the new Shadow Broker."

"What?" Shepard started to get up, but grunted in pain.

Miranda pushed her back down, "There will be plenty of time to talk. You're just in a state of shock, you should be fine after a full night's sleep. I informed Joker we will be staying overnight. He's docked the Normandy. Now go to sleep, you can talk to Liara later."

Shepard nodded, rolling over on her side, falling into sleep. Liara motioned they should leave, and Miranda followed. The two emerged back to where the 'Shadow Broker' had just been defeated. Liara clicked around on the endless information from the sources of the Shadow Broker.

"Liara… can we, talk?" Miranda asked.

"Of course, Miranda." Liara turned to look at her as Miranda leaned on a pillar behind her.

"Do you really have information on… everyone? Even Shepard?"

Liara smiled, "Shepard has one of the biggest files here… Why? You would've learned all you needed from the Lazarus Project."

Miranda twiddled her thumbs, "The dossier was lacking in… well a few things I've always wondered about."

The new Shadow Broker looked at the screen then back at her as she pulled up Shepard's file, "What is it that you want to know?"

"What did she do before the Alliance? I know she was a street rat on Earth, but not much else."

Liara sighed, "Shepard spent her life in the slums of England, mostly in London. It says here that at age eleven she began her work as a thief. She continued this through age… eighteen it seems, before she joined up with the Alliance." She turned back to Miranda, "Is there… anything else, Miss Lawson?"

Miranda adverted her eyes, there was something else, but she didn't want to ask. On the other hand though, this may be her only chance.

"Is there any information on Shepard and a Lt. Kaidan Alenko?"

Liara looked at her, "They were lovers, Miranda."

"You… You didn't even look at the screen."

Liara gave her a sad look, "I didn't need to. I served on the first Normandy, I was Shepard's best friend. She was my only friend. I had a bit of a crush on her for a while, just a result of what your people call 'teenage hormones'. She came and told me that she loved Kaidan, and had for a long time. As you know, Kaidan was killed in action on Virmire."

Miranda nodded, "Is… is there anything else in the database?"

The asari felt a bit of pity as she looked at the database, scanning the records, "Chat interceptions, records, receipts, and a snapshot of them from Illium. Apparently they shared an apartment on leave when she was young."

"Can I see?"

Liara moved aside as Miranda looked through the archives, coming across one of their chats. Obviously from their early Normandy days.

Chat Interception

Febuary 13th, 5176

KA: Sid, are we still on for tomorrow night? I really don't want to show up to a restaurant again to find my date is a no show.

SS: I was not your date that night! And I told you I wasn't going to be there, you were too wrapped up in looking at some new shipment of armor instead of paying attention to me. Not that that's unusual tough.

KA: …I suppose you have a point. But tomorrow, are we still on?

SS: Yes, Kaidan. You can stop worrying your pretty little head over it, alright? I'll be there.

KA: Good. Are we doing presents or no?

SS: Well, I already bought you something, so you better go get something from Citadel Souvenirs, bucko.

KA: Good to know, because I already bought you a model of an Alliance Warship.

SS: Way to ruin the surprise! But you know what they say, the way to a woman's heart is through atomically correct models of Alliance Warships.

KA: I… don't think that's what they say, Shepard.

SS: It's what I say. Ha. Therefore I win. Look, I've got to go. I'm supposed to be doing some work… but I've always got time for you… if you're up for it.

KA: You sure you're too busy with "work" which I know all that you're doing is putting together more models. Liar.

SS: Okay. So I'm not doing work, but the offer stands, Kaidan… I'll see you later.

KA: How do you know I'm coming?

SS: Please.

[DISCONNECT]

Miranda smiled a bit, Shepard was just the same as she always was back then. She hadn't been lying when she said Kaidan was a lucky man. She came across another chat bit, but it was much smaller, and older.

Chat Intercepted

October 4th, 2188

SS: Kaidan… I just… I wanted to tell you that your special to me. Liara is just a friend, you should've known that much. I've been beside you for ten years now. If you don't know that now, I don't know how I can ever show you. Dammit, I love you Kaidan. I just… I don't know. I have to go talk to Liara now. She seemed upset.

KA: Shepard. Meet me in the observation deck tonight. Don't ask questions just do it.

[DISCONNECT]

"That was the night Kaidan proposed to Shepard." Liara said from behind Miranda, "I stood outside of the door. I was curious. Human mating patterns are much different from the Asari."

Miranda nodded, feeling the ring under her glove. The same ring Kaidan had given her. As she scanned the data, her eyes were drawn to the snapshot of the two from Illium. Shepard looked so… young. They were walking around, her arm hooked around his. They both were smiling, laughing at something Shepard had probably said.

"He really did make her happy." Miranda finally spoke as she shut down the file.

Liara nodded as the officer turned around, "He did. The night after Virmire… oh she was a mess. Ashley tried to talk to her, but she refused. She finally let me in, but she didn't do much talking. Mostly crying."

Miranda felt guilty as she looked down at her feet. She couldn't believe she was jealous, jealous of him.

The asari spoke up again, "I sense… that there's something I'm missing here. Are you and the Commander…" Her voice trailed off.

The operative looked up, nodding, "It's… still in its earlier stages. I'm by no means a replacement for Kaidan. But I'm trying. It's the best I can offer her."

Liara put her hand on the woman's shoulder, "Ever since you two came to me on Illium, I've had sneaking suspicions, I just didn't want to jump to conclusions with you. Look… I can tell Shepard cares about you, a lot. You've broken down a lot of walls to convince her that you're there for her. Don't make her regret it. I don't think Shepard or I could handle her going through something like another Virmire."

Miranda nodded, "I… thank you. I promise that I will stay with her. It's not like I want to do anything else. But… I do have another question, did you read my file?"

Liara nodded, "Yes, I did. I also did some research on you back on Illium… I just, didn't want Shepard getting in too deep with someone bad. You weren't bad. I can tell."

Miranda nodded, beginning to walk away when Liara spoke up, "You… You can conceive children, can you?"

The woman turned around, she had no idea that'd be in the database, "I… no. I can't. I… tried to, for a while. I wanted a daughter. I promised that I wouldn't treat her like my father did me."

"I can understand, from what I know, your father wasn't very caring… Does… Shepard know?"

Miranda gave a sullen look, "I was going to tell her… but then she started talking about children, and I don't know, I didn't have the heart to tell her."

Liara nodded, "Yes… Shepard had always looked forward to starting a family with Kaidan. But you know, Shepard can have children. It's still possible. And there's surely some way that some of your genetics can be inserted as well. I'll, I'll look into that for you two. You know, for after the Reapers."

"Sometimes I'm not sure we can even stop them."

The asari gave her a smile, "This is Shepard we're talking about."

Miranda smiled as she returned to Shepard's room.

Again, Liara's curiosity got the best of her as she clicked through surveillance to Shepard's room. On the fuzzy screen she saw Miranda come in and take off her boots. Shepard leaned up and kissed her. It was like watching her and Kaidan all over again. Miranda climbed into the bed, and Shepard quickly buried herself in Miranda's hair, drifting back off to sleep. Just as she shut off the surveillance, she thought she saw Shepard smile.