Epilogue

Happily ever after?

Miranda and John walked through the shops on the Silversun Strip. Miranda had been a houseguest of John Shepard for about three months before returning to duty, though it took longer for them to repair the Normandy. A year after her ordeal, the Normandy was amazingly repaired and she was to resume her duties as Normandy's skipper. She was in town and on shore leave, and she was determined to spend as much of it with John as possible. As they walked hand in hand, she thought about Ashley's words. For everything that has been lost, you will be given something new. Dr. Cole and Padok Wiks had even managed to give her gene therapy to counteract the genetic damage caused by Lawson's nanides and Miranda's biotics were slowly returning. She had finally been outfitted with a new amp and amp interface. Her once beautiful dark hair, however had grown back shot through with gray as a result of her ordeal. rHer eyesight had been restored shortly after she had been discharged from the hospital, though she now needed to wear spectacles, and her physical wounds had healed up nicely. Dr. Chakwas retired, but had remained Miranda's friend, the rift between them now long mended. Only the nightmares remained, but when she was staying with John, she did not have them.

John had resumed his duties as the human councilor with Jacob Taylor being promoted to captain and given command of the Yorktown. She was surprised that John had remained in public life, but somehow, he had juggled being a single dad with his political career.

"Ever notice that when you're on shore leave, you're always at my place?"

It was a rhetorical question. Of course she had noticed. She had in fact written off other options. She only wanted one place to come home to.

"It feels like home, John."

He pulled her close as they walked. He stopped under one of the street lamps. She always was amused that replicas of gas lights were installed on the Silversun Strip, but it lent a certain charm. It was Christmas and the strip had been decorated accordingly. It amazed her how much non-human cultures liked Christmas. They all had their own religions and were not converting, but they admired the concept. The lamp had a wreath hanging on it and garland wrapped around its pole.

"Mistletoe," noted John as he looked at the wreath.

"Is it real?"

"Real enough." And with that, he leaned in and kissed her. She was surprised, but very happy. She reciprocated and for just a few moments, they were not Spectres, captains or politicians. They were two people who had just fallen in love. No, she thought. I've been in love for a long time now.

"Miranda," he said looking into her eyes. "I want my home to be your home. Always."

"Always?"

He gently slid a ring onto her finger. She could scarcely believe that it was happening.

"Always, Miranda. Will you marry me?"

"You know the answer is yes," she laughed, blushing brightly. "I could never say no to you. Does Jan know?"

"Know? She's been asking me why I haven't asked you for about a month."

"I'm still the Normandy's skipper, you know."

"And I'm still Humanity's councilor."

"I suppose that when my tour is up I'll have a lot of free time," she said. "Though I have heard that the Normandy will be decommissioned after my tour. Sad to think of it. She's been home to both of us. The thought of her going to the breakers yard just kills me."

"I promise you, she won't."

"What do you mean?"

"Remember when Garrus and I talked about getting rich off the vids?"

"Yes."

"I've had a political appointment for the past eleven years. My salary more than covers my expenses. The money from the vids? I plan to buy the Normandy. I've already made the arrangements so that when the time comes, she will not be scrapped."

"John," she gasped, "buying a frigate, even a decommissioned one, is astronomically expensive! You'll exhaust your life savings!"

"No I won't," he replied with a grin. "When I said we got rich off the vids, I wasn't kidding. I'm probably as wealthy as your father was prior to his involvement with Cerberus. Buying Normandy won't drain me. And I still won't have to work if I don't want to. Once you're tour is done, so is mine. It'll be you and I with Jan and the Normandy."

Miranda held him tightly. Ashley was right. The best really was yet to come.

"We'll have to paint 'just married' on it and hang streamers and cans off of the tail and wings," she laughed.

Shepard just kissed her. Merry Christmas, she thought, as she kissed him back.

The end.