Chapter 23

Joseph had been avoiding Miranda all week as he was embarrassed at his drunken proposal. He didn't want things to be even more awkward, he was still pissed at her for doing what she did. He and John were going to meet Liara at her house to see if she got any further in the investigation. When they arrived at the apartment it was blocked off by police tape.
"What the hell happened here" Joe said loudly.
"Gentlemen I'm sorry this is a crime scene I'll ask you to back away please" one of the officer's said.
"I have a friend who lives here , can you tell me what happened" John asked.
"I'll tell you what happened" an armored asari said walking down the stairs, "about an hour ago someone took a shot at T'Soni, Tela Vasir special tactics and reconnaissance" she introduced herself.
"A SPECTRE, I'm Commander Shepard" John said.
"Honor to meet you commander I might even get you to sign my breast plate when this is all over"she joked. "And you are" she said looking at Joe.
"Joseph Shepard, bad ass, and world class fuck up of clan Shepard, pleasure to meet you" he replied looking at her suspiciously.
"Your dismissed" she said to the cops.
"This is a police investigation" one of the cops argued.
"Well now it's a SPECTRE investigation dismissed" she said walking back to Shepard.
"We should look around for clues" John suggested.
"I checked this whole apartment and didn't find a thing, but be my guest" she suggested as John began to walk around. Joe made his way over to Vasir to ask her some questions.
"What did Liara do to warrant a visit from a spectre" he asked.
"Routine check, we've been keeping an eye on her since the Benezia incident" she answered.
"So your here on behalf of Thessia" he asked.
"No, the spectres" she answered.
"Strange" he said.
"Why's that" she asked glaring at him moving her hand closer to her weapon.
"Because those things are usually handed over to the Thessian hierarchy, they choose to investigate their own people...but hey I could be wrong I'm just a criminal" he said smiling at her as John called them over to look at something.

The Prothean artifacts in Liara's apartment were triggered to react to John's touch. They found out that Liara was going to meet a Salarian contact named Sekat. They took Vasir's sky car to the building. As they were approaching bombs went off in the building.
"Liara's in there" John yelled out.
"The shadow broker must know she's on to him, this was sloppy" Vasir said "I'm gonna take the car up and see what I can find" she said as John and Joe approached the building.
They fought their way through shadow broker agents until they reached the office finding Vasir with Sekat's body.
"I was too late" she said "any sign of your friends body"
"You mean this body" Liara said gun drawn on Vasir.
"What's going on Liara" John said standing between them.
"That's the woman who tried to kill me" Liara said unwavering no intent in standing down.
"You've had a long day, so I'll let that one slide" Vasir said backing up towards the window.
"I saw you, I doubled back to my apartment after your assassination attempt, she works for the shadow broker, she killed Sekat and stole his data" Liara said as John and Joe drew their weapons on Vasir.
"I knew this purple bitch was a fraud" Joe said lining up right between Vasir's eye's.
"You used me to get to that data, you didn't know where Liara was and you needed me to find her for you" John said.
"She's helping the shadow broker she most likely still has the data on her" Liara said.
"Yeah, you were so close but you'll never get the chance you pure blood bitch" Vasir shouted as she shattered the glass sending it at them as Liara threw up a barrier blocking it.
They chased Vasir as John tackled her out the window, she biotically threw him to the ground as Liara jumped down still in hot pursuit of Vasir.
"JOHNATHAN" Joe yelled rushing down to his brother's side. He helped John up as they continued pursuit hopping into a sky car, with John driving.
"Maybe you should of let me drive Johnny" Joe said from the back seat.
"I got this, what kind of weapons does this thing have" John said while horribly driving the car.
"It's a taxi, it has a fare meter" Liara said as Joe buckled his seat belt in the back seat, there wasn't many things that scared him but John's driving did.
He weaved through cars and trucks 'scratching' a few, as he flew through the dump sight hot on Vasir's heels. They finally caused her to crash on the hotel azure. They chased her through the hotel fighting shadow broker soldiers until John noticed something.
"Uhhhh Liara, what kind of hotel is this" John asked.
"It's a gentleman's hotel, it is named after a part of the asari body" she said.
"What part" John asked.
"The lower regions, near the bottom" she answered .
"I meant on the asari body" he said.
"So did I" she replied.
"John you are so taking me here for my birthday" Joe said.
"Joe one word...Miranda" John said shaking his head at his brother.
"Got it" Joe said as they continued pursuit.
When they finally reached Vasir she was holding a human woman hostage. John tried to talk her down before signaling Joe to throw a chair at her with his biotics causing him extreme pain. Liara noticed his expression but didn't say anything as they took Vasir down recovering the data to lead them to the shadow broker. They then returned to the ship to regroup.

Joe was informed that Chakwas wanted to see him upon his return.
He went down to the crew deck staring at the door to Miranda's room before turning away walking to the med bay.
"What's up doc" he said to Chakwas walking over to her.
"Joseph sit down" she said seriously." Ok" he said sitting down.
"Joseph I was looking over the scans I took of you, your brain is deteriorating, every time you flare your biotics it gets a little worse" she said trying to find the word's.
"So what are you saying to me doctor" Joe said looking into her eye's.
"Your biotics are killing you, due to the way you were exposed, your body is beginning to reject your biotic abilities, it's too much power for the human body, you need to speak to someone trained in neuroscience. Joseph you need-" she was cut off.
"No" he said getting up "not a word of this to anybody" he said looking at her.
"Joseph if you won't let Miranda help you then I have to tell the commander" Chakwas informed him swallowing a lump in her throat, she was never good at delivering bad news.
"No doctor" Joe said forcefully walking out of the room bumping into Miranda.
"Sorry, didn't mean to get in your way" he said brushing past her as she grabbed his arm.
"Do you plan on avoiding me forever Joseph, this is silly" Miranda said staring into his eye's.
"No, just for now" he said pulling away walking towards the elevator when he was pulled back by Miranda's biotics.
"You are going to talk to me Joseph, right now" she said anger and hurt in her voice.
"Miranda put me down now" Joe said floating as the pull held strong.
"Not until you talk to me Joseph" she said.
"Miranda, NOOOOOOOO" he yelled using his biotics to break free from the hold dropping to his knees grabbing his head.
"Joseph, what's wrong" Miranda said rushing to his side.
"Ahhhhhh fuck, nothing I'm fine" he said getting up still holding his head scrambling off to the men's room to tend to his pain.
"Joseph are you ok" he heard Miranda's voice come through the door.
"Shit " he whispered under his breath "yeah I'm good you still wanna talk" he said trying to get her off the subject of his health.
"Yes, I do but not if your not ok" she said.
"I'm fine Miri, ok" he replied wiping the blood running from his nose before he walked out of the bathroom. "See, perfectly fine, come on" he said walking towards her room.

They walked into the room sitting down in the back. "So you wanted to talk, let's talk" Joe said sitting across from her.
"You don't have to sound like that Joseph" she said looking at him.
"Miranda" he said impatiently looking into her eye's.
"Alright, Joseph I'm sorry, this apology thing is new to me, I'm not use to being wrong" Miranda said looking away.
"Why did you do it" he said softly.
"What" she said not hearing the first time.
"I said why did you murder our child" he asked louder.
"Joseph I told you why, it's not a good time for a baby, there's too much going on in the galaxy, but I didn't do it to cause you any pain" she explained.
"And did dear step daddy TIM have a say in it" he asked looking directly in her eyes. She looked away not answering the question verbally but still answering it.
"That's what I thought, listen Miranda you don't have to apologize you did what you thought was right, and the more I think about it I start to agree with your decision" he said never looking away from her. "Maybe this was a sign of something that shouldn't be, we're too different, Miranda I love you with all my heart and soul, but maybe this happened too fast. Us this relationship, I can't help but feel that maybe I forced you into feeling a certain way about me that you as you said to me once before aren't built for. Your a business woman Miranda it always comes first with you, I'm a man of action I live in the moment I follow my heart and it lead me to you. Maybe that was my mistake, all I have to give is my love nothing more nothing less, one day that may not be enough for you. So maybe we should try and go back to just being friends, that way you can't hurt me anymore and I won't hurt you ever" he said shedding a single tear.
She walked over to him straddling his lap kissing the tear from his eye cradling his head as he laid on her chest holding her close.
"I love you" he said cradling her face, placing a soft kiss on her lips.
"I love you too Joseph" she said looking into his eye's.
"Ok, I have to go, give my regards to TIM, tell him mission accomplished... he got you back" he said putting her down on the sofa, kissing the top of her head, walking out of the room quickly leaving Miranda to her thoughts.

Joe went up to John's cabin to inform him that he sorted out the Miranda situation. Instead he found Liara sitting on the sofa by his bed.
"Hey Liara,where's John" he asked walking down to her.
"He went to the armory to rush Jacob with the repairs, are you ok" she said looking up at him.
"Yeah perfectly fine" he answered looking at her.
"No I mean when you threw that chair at Vasir, it hurts you to use your biotics?" She asked.
"I don't know what your talking about" he said coldly.
"I know what I saw" she said standing up biotics flaring.
"Liara what are you doing" he said backing away.
"Defend yourself Joseph, this will kill you " she said pulling back throwing a warp at him as he pulled it in harnessing her energy turning it into nothing, knocking things around John's room. He dropped, falling to his knees grabbing his head.
"I knew it" she said looking down at him, "have you spoken to Doctor Chakwas or Miranda about this" she asked.
"Chakwas knows, I've been forcing her to keep quiet and I barely use my biotics" he said standing up wiping the blood from his nose.
"Joseph, Miranda may be able to help you, you should not be able to harness my power that way" she said to him.
"No Liara, I'm fine ok" he said turning to leave when he was thrown into the elevator as Liara stepped in behind him sporting a bright blue aura.
"I will not sit back and let John watch you die" she said as they came to the crew deck. Pulling him to Miranda's office opening the door dropping him in front of her desk, as Miranda stood up biotics flaring staring at both of them.
"He is dying, help him"Liara said turning and walking out of the office as Miranda ran to Joe's side.
"What was that about Joseph" she asked holding his head in her lap.
"Maybe we should talk to Chakwas, she can explain better than I can" he said looking up at her sadly.
They stepped into the med lab, Chakwas explained to Miranda her findings as everything began to make sense to her, Jack on the collector base, the fact that he barely used his biotics anymore although it was his primary weapon, the screaming and head holding.
"Joseph why didn't you tell me" she whispered.
"I didn't want to bother you with this" he said looking at her.
"Damn you Joseph and your foolish pride, Karin alert the commander inform him that we need to return to Illium as soon as Liara's business is finished on Hagalaz" she said to Chakwas "And you, you are not to do anything stress or biotic related is that understood" she ordered to Joseph.
"Yes maam" was all he could get out not wanting to piss Miranda off further.
"Lie down...now" she said walking to sanitize her hands slipping into a lab coat. He quickly complied removing his shirt as she began running scans and blood tests. After she finished she made a call to the hospital on Illium, informing them to be ready for a patient and she would be leading the operation. He sat up looking at her putting his shirt back on.
"I'm sorry for not telling you about this Miranda" he said looking down. She walked over rubbing the back of his head the way she always did coming out of her professional mode.
"Joseph no matter how you feel about me you should know that I would always want to help you, if not for me or you, do it for your daughter and your brother and never conceal things like this again" she pleaded with him.
"I won't I promise" he said looking in her eye's "I know John wouldn't be able to handle my death, I barely handled his" he said somberly.
"Let's put it this way if you were on Virmire in Lieutenant Alenko's place, Ashley Williams would be a dead woman" she told him truthfully.
"I know, I wonder how she's doing, you know I think she was pregnant too, the attitude was a dead giveaway, I think John's gonna be a dad" Joe said smiling.
"Well good for them" Miranda said choking up.
"Hey, come here" he said pulling her into his arms. "I'm sorry Miranda".
"Me too Joseph" she said resting her head on his shoulder.
"I don't wanna lose you ever, ok" he said kissing her head.
"I know and you won't, no matter what, promise" she said looking up kissing his lips.
As the kissing got more urgent Chakwas interrupted. "Hey take that out of here I'm glad you made up but please not on the tables, other injured people have to lay there" she said smiling at them.

"What the hell do you mean he's dying" John said pacing the floors of his bedroom.
"His biotics are tearing him apart, slowly and painfully, his body cannot control the power bestowed upon him" Liara informed him.
"You think Miranda can fix this" he said sitting down.
"It is possible, but even if she can he should never use his biotic power again, it could possibly re-trigger the effects, the damage would then be irreparable in theory of course" she said.
"So your telling me this is the last time my brother can fight at my side and protect himself" John said looking down.
"Yes Shepard, if he does not get it taken care of immediately, or he possibly will die" she told him looking at her data pad.
"Ok let's deal with this fucking shadow broker so I can take care of my brother" John said putting his armor on. "You ready for this" he asked Liara
"More than you know Shepard" she said standing up.