A/N: As always, thanks to my beta, girlfromgraz, for showing me how to make this story better. Also, thank you readers for the reviews and favorites!

Chapter 7

Ashley—or whatever she was—was compliant enough on the trip through the Citadel, not even struggling when the C-Sec officers put her into a patrol car, locking her into the interior restraints. An asari officer followed inside, ready to restrict Ashley with another stasis field should the need arise.

In a separate car, Shepard, Vega, and Kaidan led the C-Sec vehicle through the Wards, to the docking.

As the officers were getting Ashley out of the patrol car next to the Normandy's airlock, she resumed fighting against the cuffs, throwing off the officers that tried to restrain her. Kaidan used stasis once again, giving the officers some breathing room. The asari rummaged around in a kit from the patrol car, emerging with a hypospray.

"This'll knock her out for a few hours; long enough for you to get her back under restraint," she offered.

Kaidan looked at Shepard. "Do it," she said, pressing her lips together.

Kaidan released the stasis and the officer pressed the hypospray against Ashley's arm. A moment later, she stopped struggling, going limp.

Kaidan spoke with the Normandy via his earpiece. The airlock opened, revealing a few crewmembers who saluted when they saw Shepard.

"Take her to the medical bay," Shepard ordered. "Double time, gentleman. She's not going to be out long. Make sure you restrain her, and tell Chakwas to use the good stuff." She turned to Kaidan. "Follow them, and make sure she doesn't wake up. If she does, they'll need your help to subdue her again."

Kaidan touched her arm. "Are you okay?"

She shook her head. "No, but I'll live." She managed a small smile. "I'll be in the med bay in a few minutes."

Kaidan oversaw the transport of Ashley's limp body to the medical bay via a hastily retrieved stretcher. He kept an eye on her during the de-con cycle, wondering why Shepard disbelieved the asari's words about the sedative.

The de-con cycle ended and the door to the Normandy hissed open, revealing Joker who looked like someone had slugged him in the gut. His eyes met Kaidan's then drifted to the prone body on the stretcher.

"Ash..." His voice was hoarse. He looked up at Kaidan, eyes red-rimmed. "Is it really…? How...?"

Kaidan shook his head. "We don't have any answers, I'm afraid; just a lot of questions." The crew carrying Ashley moved through the door past Joker, heading down toward the elevator. Kaidan paused beside Joker. "We'll let you know as soon as we do."

Joker nodded, eyes still on the stretcher, and Kaidan left.

Chakwas was ready for them as they emerged onto Deck 3, face paling at the sight of Ashley but her hands were steady as she snapped restraints over Ashley's limbs on the bed. And it wasn't too soon. Ashley's eyes snapped open as the last restraint clamped into place, and she began struggling against the bands holding her down.

"Dr. Chakwas!" Kaidan readied himself for a stasis.

"I know, Shepard warned me," she said, her normally calm voice strained. She produced a hypospray, pressing it against Ashley's arm. The struggling slowed, then ceased.

Kaidan dismissed the crew who'd brought her in and turned back to the doctor.

Chakwas blew out a breath that ruffled the fringe of her gray hair. She activated the privacy settings in the bay, darkening the windows as the crew filed out.

"You look tired, Kaidan," she said, coming to stand in front of him. "Not getting a migraine, I hope?"

Kaidan shook his head. "No, not yet at any rate. It's... been a long day." Even looking back, thinking that not even two hours had passed since they first saw Ashley seemed impossible. An eternity had passed.

Shepard entered the med bay, face tight as if she was bracing herself for a punch.

"I had to give her another sedative," Dr. Chakwas said in response to Shepard's questioning look. "It seems to be as you thought, but I'll have to do a more thorough scan to be certain. And you need to let me look at your face."

Kaidan looked at Shepard. "What's going on?"

Shepard rubbed her brow. "Pieces of the puzzle," she said, hissing with pain as Chakwas examined her broken nose and dabbed antiseptic on her face. "Fact 1: There's no way Ashley Williams could have survived Virmire. Fact 2: This Ashley walks up to us, revealing things about us that we know no one else could have known. Logical assumption? This is Ashley Williams."

"You think she's a... clone?" Kaidan glanced at the sedated Ashley. It would account for the sudden violence... Clones, if forced to grow faster than natural time allowed, were often mentally unstable. If a clone, this Ashley would only be around three years old. But to have Ashley's memories Cerberus would have had to possess the original body…

"No. Not a clone." Shepard shook her head. "I think... I think she's me."

"What?"

"Project Persephone. Project Lazarus… Am I wrong to see a connection there?"

Dr. Chakwas frowned thoughtfully. "Lazarus is from Judeo-Christian beliefs and Persephone was an ancient Greek goddess from Earth. That seems different to my mind."

"They're both resurrection stories," Shepard pointed out, pacing. "Lazarus was raised from the dead by Jesus Christ. Persephone retreats into the Greek Underworld every winter and arises again with the spring." She stopped and faced Kaidan and Chakwas squarely. "What if I wasn't the only test subject?" She started to pace again, running her hand through her hair in agitation. "When I first thought about this, I first assumed that if there was another... me, another 'Lazarus,' it was either concurrent with my reconstruction or after. But it makes more sense for Lazarus to be the second—you don't try science like they used on me for the first time, especially if you want to keep the original body- - me - intact. They had to have had other subjects; control groups, failures before successes—someone before me." Shepard's eyes were wide, her face showing a mixture of emotions. "It would explain her strength and her resistance to sedatives. It all fits."

"But that's... impossible!" Kaidan protested.

"Not impossible; improbable, yes," said Mordin, striding into the med bay. "Would Cerberus spend the money? Too many unknown variables to speculate with further reliability. Need more data. Came as soon as I could, Shepard. Glad you asked. Fascinating case." He went over to the bed, peering down at Ashley with his bulbous eyes.

"We won't know for certain until we can scan her," Chakwas interjected gently. "Dr. Solus, could you draw a blood sample?"

"Of course. Happy to help." Mordin went to the sanitizer as Chakwas approached Kaidan and Shepard.

"Go. Eat; get some rest. We'll take it from here."

"But..." Shepard's eyes strayed to Ashley's sedated body.

"Miss Lawson is coming to supervise and offer her opinion as the former head of Project Lazarus. Her biotics can control Chief Williams should the need arise."

Shepard nodded, looking tired and defeated. Both she and Kaidan turned and left.