If Joker sounded nervous when he hit the intercom and called for Jane, it paled in comparison to how he felt. "Commander, we're ready to make the jump through the relay, but we have a problem."

Narrowing her eyes at the floor, Jane continued to get dressed. "You just know how I love to hear that Joker. What is it now?" Her voice was clipped but not angry thought Joker, not yet.

"Well, Anderson is on the line for you." He paused, waiting for it.

"What the hell did I tell all of you?" She definitely sounded angry now, and he wasn't even to the bad part yet.

"Yes, well I figured it would be better if you took his call, rather than having him open fire on us."

"What?"

"Yeah, he's practically on top of us. I could run but," his sentence died as he heard Jane sigh.

"Fine, I'll be right there." Jane clinched her jaw and left the room without a word; Garrus sighed and pulled on the rest of his armour. It looked like it was going to be a long day.

Crossing her arms, Jane stared at the image of Anderson, glancing only once out her window to see his ship. She felt like telling him to go to hell, but kept her mouth firmly shut; she even managed a salute, reminding herself that you salute the rank, not the man. She may be a traitor and deserter, but she was still military to the core.

"Commander Shepard, we need to talk."

"First off Captain Anderson, you can start by not calling me Shepard."

"We've had that discussion before Jane, you're Shepard and until further notice you're still Commander Shepard."

She paused at that keeping her face calm; expressionless even through her jaw ached from clenching to keep it that way.

"Until further notice you say? When is that going to be, if I may ask? Because if you think you're going to arrest me today, you'd be mistaken."

He was quiet for a moment, watching her face; she looked bloody tired. Finally he shook his head, "No, not today Shepard."

Biting down on her lower lip Jane made a quick gut decision. "Alright Captain, if you plan to wait here until we're back, well hell, if, we come back. I'll make you a deal. I'll turn myself in, the ship all of it, as long as you let everyone else go, they had no part in what I did, I take full responsibility for it. They all responded to a direct order and cannot be held accountable." She took a deep breath.

"I would also like it stated for the record Captain, that Major John Hackett turned me and the ship in. Only under those circumstances will I come quietly."

Anderson looked like he didn't want to considered this, the white lie about John and the trade of the ship and Shepard, for everyone else, but he nodded.

"Alright, you get the proof we need and make it back here alive, you have yourself a deal."

"Thank you," she paused before adding, "Sir." He nodded, and the feed went dead.

Joker spun in his chair as Jane walked on to the bridge and shot her a look that said what she was thinking. 'What the hell did you just do?' But he didn't say it; instead he rolled his eyes and turned back towards his console.

"I can't believe you're just going to hand everything over to them, and that bullshit about the Major turning you in? What is that about? I thought," Clearing her throat Jane cut him off.

"I just got to thinking, that John on the outside, when I'm in the brig, is a better option than him being stuck in there with me."

"Yeah well, after your last conversation I'm not so sure him on the outside is going to help you any."

"You know Flight Lieutenant, listening in on conversations is a very bad habit."

He laughed and muttered, "Yeah so is flying stolen Alliance ships, but that hasn't stopped me yet."

~~OOoOO~~

Pausing outside of John's door, Jane ran a hand over her forehead, she was still angry, no more upset with John, for everything, it started with her memory loss and continued right up to him not coming forward about his chat with the Admiral until asked directly about it. Still she figured he was her blood as Thane had put it and someone had to stay back in case they didn't make it back. Hell even if they did make it back, she needed him on her side if she had any hope of getting out of the brig.

She tapped on the door and it opened, she stepped aside as Liara stepped out into the hall.

"I was hoping you'd come Jane, John is, well he's not taking any of this well. He thinks you're going to put him in an escape pod and jettison him into space. I told him you were just upset, and that it would pass." She gave Jane a hopeful smile before continuing down the hall. Sticking her head into John's room Jane noted that it was dark, and as she scanned the room she found him sitting on the edge of his bed, head in his hands. She knew that look; it was one she got when she felt like the entire galaxy was crashing down around her, which had been quite often in her life.

Clearing her voice she started into the room, slowly, as one would approach an angry Krogan.

"Look, John, we need to talk."

He looked up quickly, the shock was clear on his face and Jane smiled, was that hint of fear she saw?

"Relax; I'm not here to jettison you into space." The tension eased from his shoulders if only slightly.

"Then are you here to yell at me again? I'm really not in the mood."

She sighed deeply and sank down next to him on the bed. "No, I'm not in the mood to yell, yeah rare, I know. Actually I'm here to put all this crap behind us. It's not that I'm not upset with you anymore, but the point is, we have much bigger problems than our daddy issues. I've told Anderson that I would come in quietly after our run through the Relay."

Jane noticed he was jiggling his knee, was that a nervous habit she wondered, and when he didn't respond she laid a hand on his knee griping slightly to stop the nervous twitch.

"I've only agreed to this under a few conditions, first being that the rest of the crew will not be held accountable for my actions." Her eyes found his and she stared hard into them. "That includes you John. I wanted it known that you turned me in."

His brows furrowed and she almost giggled as his mouth dropped open, "Why Jane?"

She shrugged and bumped her shoulder against his.

"Well besides the fact that I figure you would have pissed me of way more than this if we had grown up together, I decided I need someone on the outside of prison that might be able to keep this shit on track. Honestly, they are going to make this all about me and what I've done. Not about the real issue of the Reapers. I need you to keep them in perspective."

"Well not to look a gift horse in the mouth, but you're keeping me out of prison to use me? Are you sure you didn't pick up some of the Hackett," She punched him in the shoulder before he could even finish the sentence.

"Don't you dare," the words were clipped but she had a smile on her face.

"Yeah, that doesn't solve all the problems though. He still wants me to get rid of Liara, I can't do that Jane I love her."

"Yeah, I really don't see the problem, lie." She answered with a little shrug of her shoulders.

His face screwed up again, as if it had never crossed his mind to lie to the Admiral.

"Don't look like that, honestly John, what the hell has he done for you, to earn your honesty."

"Nothing, but if I lie to him, I'll feel no better than him. Wouldn't be better for us both to take a stand, tell him to go to hell and deal with the repercussions after?"

She didn't answer right away, just stared at the far wall and it was John's turn to laugh.

"Come on; don't say you haven't thought of it. Maybe it would be better if they could see both of his children don't agree with him. Maybe it's time for a full on frontal assault."

"Some frontal assault that's going to be, with us both in the brig," John laid his hand on top of hers and squeezed.

"Some assaults don't need us to rush head long in guns blazing. Anderson seems like a good man; maybe we can convince everyone else that the Admiral isn't what he appears to be?"

"Yeah, well it's your ass sitting next to me in prison, so I'll leave it up to you to tell Anderson, when and if we make it out of whatever we find."

He nodded, "Yeah, alright and as for me staying back from this mission, well I'm sorry that isn't going to happen sis, I'm pulling rank and as a Major, I'm fucking going."

"Language Major," She laughed as her jaw fully relaxed and she smiled. "You know what, fuck it. Joker, I know you're listening, let's get this shit over with. Make the Jump and have everyone report for briefing."

"Touching by the way Commander," Joker snickered. "Are you sure you fully got that stick back? Right shutting up, let's do this."

~~ooOoo~~

Jane stood before her small crew, "Garrus, John, Liara, Thane, Dad, Tali, there are no words for what each and every one of you means to me. We've been through hell and back together, and this is no different." Her mind drifted to Powell and she could almost hear his accent in her mind as she said, "We are gathered here today to do battle. Regrettable isn't it? I didn't want to be here myself, but my dad told me that I better make a good show out of it. So here it goes." She smiled at the looks given her and shrugged. "Just remember, if it moves, kill it." She locked and loaded; they all followed and waited for Joker to make the jump.

Jane couldn't believe her eyes, thousands of humans, in tubes, it looked like the collectors were melting them down, and hell they were too late, most of them were already dead, the ones that weren't were too far gone, and Jane was sure she would never get the sound of their screams out of her mind.

They followed the tubes and what they found, replaced every nightmare she had ever had.

A human reaper, Spirits, could this get any worse?

Her dad stopped dead behind her, his taloned hand rested on her shoulder, "I get it now Red."

"What is there to get dad?"

"They copy and use the genetic material from the beings they conquer. I couldn't understand why they were collecting humans; they need them to do this. They need us, all of us and they won't just stop at the humans, they'll do this to all of us."

"That's really messed up dad."

He shrugged and removed his hand from her.

"Well, let's make sure this one never makes it out of here shall we?"

She nodded and they all readied their weapons and she looked for a way to blow this base to hell, as they rained bullets down upon the monster before them.

As Jane readied the explosives the voice of the Illusive man echoed around her.

"Jane, I would really prefer it if you would leave the base intact. We could really use this tech to complete our research."

"Fuck you, I'm not leaving this here, for you or them to use. You must think I'm stupid." She couldn't keep the scoff from her voice as she spit the words back at him.

"Jane, think about what you're doing, that tech is the only reason you're even standing. If we can research that base we can understand more about what we've made. Save others, use the Reapers own tech against them."

"Are you insane? Look what they have done, none of this should exist and if you think it could help anyone you're sick."

"It helped you Jane, it helped your mother."

Jane froze and John spun towards her. "What the hell did he just say?" He was at Jane's side before she could say anything and he was the one yelling. "What the hell did you say? My father said he watched my mother die."

"I didn't say she didn't die."

"Fuck you, I'm not going to listen to your bullshit anymore. Jane, blow this shit and let's get the hell out of here."

John ripped out the transmitter and turned towards a very still Jane.

"Don't listen to him Jane; he's just trying to get us to do what he wants."

"At this point John, I've learned the more impossible it sounds and the more likely it would hurt either you, me or both of us, the higher chance its true."

"No way, not possible, they couldn't have kept her hidden from me." Jane noted his voice shook and he sounded unsure.

"Yeah, sure, keep telling yourself that John, let me know when you're convinced."

Thane glanced to Garrus, he shrugged and Tali shook her head as if to say she wasn't going to ask, with a sigh and a slight cough Thane kneeled next to the explosive.

"Siha, what do you want us to do?"

Staring towards the human reaper she narrowed her eyes as she spun away from them getting ready to head back towards the ship. "Blow it; let someone else sort it out." She almost snorted as she thought of the look she would have gotten back at N7 training for that one.

Garrus caught up and fell in stride with Jane, "What if he wasn't lying?"

"At this point, I could care less, so what if my mother is alive? What should that mean to me, I have a dad, I don't need her, she obviously doesn't give a care about John or me, so why should I?"

"I can't argue with you about that one, but what if she knows about, well what if she's Cerberus and would tell you about what they did."

"Nope, still don't care. Honestly the only family I have is right here with me. As for the others, well a mother I don't know, but as for the other, he's going to find my pistol at his temple before this is over, and I'm not going to think twice as I pull the trigger."

Garrus frowned and wanted to say something, but knew better than to argue with her when she was in this mood, so he let the silence fall as they double timed it out of the base and back on to the ship. Joker laughed over the intercom as Jane jumped to the ship and he took off. "Good to see you made it back, how was hell?"

"Not even worth writing home about." Jane, Joker and John laughed at the inside joke and it seemed to ease their tension.

"Take us back Joker, we have a date with Captain Anderson."

"Roger that Commander."

"You had better stop calling me that Joker; I'm just going to be plain Jane from now on."

"From all of us on your crew Commander, they may take your tags, your rank, but you'll always be our Commander."

She laughed and Garrus could have sworn he saw a bit of moisture at the corner of her eye, but as he pulled her into her arms she shouted back.

"Are you going all mushy on me Flight Lieutenant? How about you pilot the damn ship and get us out of the core."

"Aye, Commander, getting the hell out of the core."

~~ooOoo~~

Jane and John stood before the image of Anderson, both of them at attention even though there was no need for it now.

"So, you're both turning yourselves in? Major Hackett I have orders that if you are to turn Jane in and renounce her actions you are not to be taken into custody, am I understanding correctly that you're waiving that?"

"That's correct Captain, I stand with Commander Vakarian and her actions."

Jane broke into a very undisciplined smile at Johns answer and nodded at Anderson.

"The rest of my request stands, we will follow you directly to earth and turn ourselves over as long as the rest of the crew is released and allowed to keep their rank and positions, and our non-Alliance crew is allowed safe passage off earth."

"As I stated it will be allowed, you have my word." He changed his tone at that point to one of authority.

"Jane Shepard, John Hackett. I am placing you under arrest, charged with treason and going absent without leave, as well as theft of Military property; you are both hereby stripped of your rank and title and placed in holding until a court-martial can be convened to decide your fate." He frowned as if to almost say he was sorry, before he continued. "Joker, this ship is to be docked in Vancouver immediately. Do you understand?"

"Aye Captain, heard, understood, acknowledged."

And with that they set a course for Earth.

~~ooOoo~~

Garrus held Jane in his arms until they docked. "Jane, if nothing else I'll come for the baby, they can't keep me from my child." She nodded as the MP's entered and pulled her from his arms, cuffing her.

"I'll try Garrus, if they'll let me send word, I will. Until then, do what you can for Palaven, and tell my dad everything is going to be okay, take care of him for me."

"I will sweetheart, I love you."

"I love you too, I'll see you soon."

The MP's with her cast a look towards him that bordered on disgust, before leading her away from him and he whispered. "Spirits let me see her again."

As Jane and John stepped off the Normandy into the damp air of Vancouver, Jane shivered and had a flashback to the last time she had made this trip. Very different this time, as she found herself cuffed and being lead towards the Military compound, what hadn't changed was how wet and chilly it was here. She glanced towards where she and Kaidan had stayed, his father's apartments overlooking the bay and she frowned.

"Forgot how much I hated it here."

John shrugged and looked towards the bay as he was forced towards the building. "I always thought it was pretty."

"Yeah so did I, once upon a time. But life isn't story book bullshit, and this place reminds me of that."

They were both told to shut up as they were led into the building and ushered none too gently into an office, and shoved into chairs in front of a very imposing oak desk.

Anderson entered and sat behind the desk, he didn't speak right away so Jane piped up.

"Really are these necessary?" She held up her hands.

"Yes Jane, they are. The Admiral insisted that you not be treated any differently than any other prisoner."

"Oh sure, but you might want to tell him that these wouldn't stop John or I if we wanted to escape. N7 remember?" She quirked an eyebrow at him and a small chuckled started that turned into a full-blown laugh. Anderson stared at her like she had lost her mind; he had never seen her act like this, not the girl raised by Turians. Had she finally cracked? He turned his confused look at John and he shrugged.

"It must be the hormones, she's normally not so, giddy."

That didn't ease the confusion, "Hormones?"

"Jane here is pregnant Captain," the answer came from the doorway. Hackett paused for what seemed an eternity and John rolled his eyes.

Anderson stood, staring dumbfounded at Hackett. "Admiral, you knew?"

"Yes, just recently actually, it doesn't change anything though. Jane and John are to be treated just as we discussed. Jane will submit to any and all tests we have for her, we can't be too careful, what with Cerberus being the ones that put her back together. We need to understand what they did to her."

She laughed again at that, her eyes not moving from the Admirals. "Like you don't know, Sir," the words were laced with spite and she practically spit them at him.

"I have a few questions myself Admiral, first off how about you tell the Captain here, how you know about my being pregnant, how about you tell him that you worked with Cerberus to find me, hell while you're at it, how about you tell us all where our mother is?"

Admiral Hackett's face didn't move as he watched Jane, "Well as for how I knew you were pregnant, I had eyes on your ship the whole time." His gaze drifted over John and then turned back to her, let her wonder if she really could trust her brother.

"As for your other ludicrous accusations, Captain Anderson is aware of what happened to your mother. He was there when she died, and as for dealing with Cerberus, that would be impossible. Our transmissions are monitored for such actions.

The look on Anderson's face told Jane that the Captain wasn't so sure anymore, in fact he looked like he didn't trust the situation any more than she did, and it gave her hope.

"Now, if you think I'm so awful to my own children, I have made a slight adjustment to your housing situation. You will be kept here, in secured rooms, there are very spacious and you will be housed together. If either of you try anything, I've given the order for you to be shot. You will be guarded around the clock. You'll meet your guards soon, and trust me; they will not hesitate to follow my orders. I've made sure of that."

Jane did not like the tone in his voice, nor the smug little smirk he wore, and she longed to wipe it from his face, permanently.

They were hefted from their chairs yet again and shoved towards the door, and down the hall. As they came to a large pair of doors they were shoved inside and their cuffs removed. Jane resisted the urge to rub her wrists and instead fell to parade rest as Hackett stepped into the room, John followed her motions. It was easier to temper your emotions when at attention. It was something she could control and it seemed John felt the same way.

Hackett stood to the side as a very large marine entered the room and saluted. "This is Lieutenant James Vega, he will be one of your guards, and I believe you know the commander of our little guard operation here."

Jane had to stifle a groan as Kaidan entered the room.

"Oh, sure I know Staff Lieutenant Alenko oh so well, or I thought I did."

Kaidan turned cold eyes on her, and it almost made her smile, seeing his anger.

"That's Major now Shepard."

She had the urge to laugh again. The bastard had been given a promotion.

"I see you fared pretty well, after I shot you into space."

He quirked his head to the side, soaking up the spite in her words, but his eyes didn't soften and Hackett looked pleased as he turned back to the door, stopping once to look back at the group.

"Well, I'll leave you to it Major, if you'll have Jane ready at o-six-hundred tomorrow morning. And Jane," His eyes latched on hers and he gave her a smile that made her skin crawl. "Don't worry, your pregnancy will be taken into account, once we figure out a few things, and might I add that you shouldn't fight my tests, or it won't go well for you."

With that warning, the door slid shut and Kaidan spun back to her, his eyes burned with something between anger, worry and, oh shit, that was love, it was still there and she cursed inwardly as he whispered.

"Jane, you're pregnant?"

She sighed and rolled her eyes. "Great, just what I needed, another trip to hell."