A/N Inspired by Evanescence "Bring me to Life", Salser's amazing story "Forever as One" and my own loss… Title inspired by Garbage's verse from "My Lover's Box."

Thanks to everyone who added, reviewed and fav'd. You make this worth continuing. Sorry for the evilest of EVIL cliffhangers, was like a poke to make sure you all are still paying attention. You asked for more, so onward :D

Goldenpath and Hunhund won the GaGa challenge. Love fellow Monsters, we made it to FF. It was Germanotta Hospital.

Bioware owns all, I just make them cry.

Piece by Piece

A squeeze. A damaged hand tightening around hers.

Her eyes buldge and shoot open… She can barely contain her excitement. "Shepard, I'm here." A lone tear streams down her face as she clutches her broken lover's hand.

"Don't get you hopes up, chances are that was a neurological reflex, the same way a person twitches in their sleep." Miranda states very coolly. "Although most of her wounds are physical, the implants Cerberus graphed into her during Lazarus… I graphed into her, shut down. I'm assuming this has something to do with the Crucible's blast. From what we can tell all synthetics ceased functioning."

Liara stared at the former Cerberus operative with a murderous glare. "What are the chances of her surviving with out the implants?"

"None. They regulated her brainwaves, heart rate, oxygen intake and even primary bodily functions such as breathing, walking, and digestion."

"Goddess Miranda, please help her… I can't… I… please…" Liara holds her head in her hands and sobs while looking over her bond-mate.

"The Alliance wants their hero, they've given me unlimited resources. And on a personal note, I want the only true friend I've ever had back."

Liara is taken a back by Miranda's honesty. It's shocking to say the least.

"Is it just me or are you always this fucking bitchy."

Miranda scowls. "We have a job to do, either we talk about it or we do it." She sees Shepard shoot her another dirty glare… I'm not here to make friends, I should have implanted that chip.

"Cerberus isn't as evil as most people think, we want the best for humanity." She calmly states. Shepard tilts her head back and laughs… How dare she… We had good reason to perform those experiments. They saved lives.

She sips on her glass of Thessia red and ponders: She had no reason to help me. She doesn't know me… Yet she helped me. Ori is safe thanks to her. I owe her everything. Father, you failed.

Jack, the creepers, husks… what am I doing? What the bloody hell is the Illusive Man up to? I'll send him my report, failure isn't an option but I'll be sure to have a talk with him later. Could I have been blinded by my own hatred for my father?

"Hand me the detonator, we're blowing this place sky high." A beep on her omni-tool buzzes relentlessly. God it's him.

"Yes… I can't do that… This place is an abomination… You're sick for wanting to keep this place intact… Consider this my resignation." I don't think she ever expected me to utter those words… I don't think I've ever seen her so happy, save the time T'Soni "visited".

"Dr. Lawson, Miranda, what her odds of survival?"

Blue eyes meet crystal blue. "Very good given we can stabilize her implants. As I said before, they are regulating most of her core bodily functions."

Liara clenches her fists and unknowingly flashes her biotics. "What about her legs? Will she be able to walk again?"

Miranda almost wants to laugh. The ridiculousness of the question from such an intelligent Asari is almost mind-boggling. She is hurting and not thinking rationally. She takes a step towards Liara and places a hand on the distraught Asari's shoulder. "Dr. T'Soni, not to be rude, but I brought back a burnt slab of bones, everyone deemed it impossible. But I did it, didn't I? As resources are limited at the moment it could take a while."

Flash: I'll kill you with my mind.

Liara still didn't know the ex-Cerberus woman well but Shepard trusted her, and called her a best friend. She silently prayed to the Goddess she had properly placed her faith in the right hands as Miranda left the room.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

A stern, scarred and older man approached the guards posted outside Shepard's room. A quick salute: "Admiral," said in unison as he held the door open. Karin Chakwas sauntered through making her way to the medical charts.

Hearing activity in the room Liara's sleepy eyes open, seeing the older man to her left. "Admiral Hackett… sir… have... what-"

"Dr. T'Soni, you were part of Hammer's final push, we want to know exactly what happened." Blue eyes stared into blue.

"Javik was with us, have you not "interrogated" him?" She spat.

Hackett looks uneasy as he shifts from side to side. "As soon as the Normandy landed we… lost him." He reluctantly admits.

Liara is completely dumbfounded. I don't know whether to laugh or cry. "So what you're telling me, is the Alliance and Council, in all it's infinite wisdom "lost" the last of a species, a one of a kind and utterly unique individual, and now with him gone you are asking me, very discretely of course… what in the Goddess happened?" No wonder Shepard was in a murderous rage half the time.

"Given you helped us with the Crucible I'll answer frankly. Yes, it's something like that, although I can not officially say it." He knew the Alliance dropped the ball on this and was willing to take his lumps for it.

"So answer me this frankly, where was Anderson found… What happened to him? Goddess we had word of his death before leaving the Sol system." She stood up and clenched her fists as biotic energy enveloped her.

There was a hitch in the machinery. A bleep, the air regulator pumped in more oxygen, the BPM elevated as if reacting to the conversation. She leaned over and pressed a light kiss on her lover's forehead. "I'll be right back."

The Asari and Admiral stepped outside the room and out of hearing range of the desperately injured patient.

"Anderson was found at the base of the conduit, along with 34 other men. Harbinger shot everything in sight. The Normandy would have never gotten off the ground if it weren't for the Hammer battalion's personal sacrifices. It's not like that reaper would have stopped shooting long enough to get her squad out, including you. We're eternally grateful to her, and you."

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Tali was still in the war room, fuming over the latest logistical fleet data on the Geth. She had yet to set foot off the Normandy but absolutely wanted to solve the mystery behind the Geth, and more importantly, EDI's shutdown.

As the numbers and data streamed before her eyes she became more determined to find the solution. Shepard would want this. Peace. "Xen, pin point the anomaly in the frequency sub-harmonic 1764.98758, and amplify by 2.034536%..." As she scanned the data an unexplained mathematical fraction presented itself. A variable of 0.000000012% of quantum q-bit memory entanglements were still active.

Keelah, could this mean? With renewed determination, Tali orders the admirals to send an electronic pulse from the fleet's mass effect cores at her found frequency… Nothing happens.

{We can not afford to waste energy! We don't know how long we will be stuck here! Xen out.}

Tali paces the war room as she takes more readings. "Adjust the sub-harmonic pulse to 1764.98759 fHz, and amplify by 2.0344599%. Do it now."

The ship's system's black out. Tali floats to the ceiling as the gravity is sucked from under them.

{What the fuck? I'm gonna break a bone here!} Joker slowly lifts off his seat…

"Send another pulse, same frequency, adjust it by .00000025%. Keelah, now!"

A brilliant blue pulse emanates from the fleet. The Normandy rocks, and shakes momentarily but eventually comes to a halt as Tali crashes down to the ground. She clutches her elbow in pain, it's likely broken…

"Tali Zorah vas Normandy, I have registered you have a junction joint injury, please report to the medical bay."

That voice… "EDI?"

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

A/N: Reviews = a longer, continued, thought out story. So do what you must to keep this going.