She felt the moment they docked, the ship shuddering and the persistent hum of the drive core ceasing as it powered down. Setting the datapad aside, Persephone hopped down off the crate, slipping the thin shoes on over her bare feet and heading up to the elevator. Shepard was waiting for her when she got off at the CIC, other crew members ready to take their short leave as the Normandy was restocked and resupplied.
"Ready, kiddo?" Shepard asked and she nodded. "Let's see what we can find out."
They left the ship together, Persephone hesitating as they reached the press of people outside the airlock. It was only Shepard's hand on her shoulder that kept her moving forward. They were just about to call a shuttle when her omni-tool beeped and she brought it up, looking over a message.
"Change of plans, apparently." Shepard said, "Karin has set up for you more in depth scans of your implants and a more intensive physical including blood work. They're waiting for you in Huerta Memorial. She's put me down as family and herself as your primary, so they'll share the results with us."
"Fantastic, I'm going to get poked again." She said, a sinking feeling starting in the pit of her stomach.
"I'll stay with you throughout the entire process, if you want, but there is someone in Huerta that I want to visit."
"I'll...I'll let you know." She said and Shepard called up a shuttle to the Presidium that would take them right to Huerta. She caught Shepard giving her looks from time to time out of the corner of her eye, but she kept her focus on the scenery flying by outside. When the shuttle landed, she waited until the Commander opened the door before getting out, heading into the hospital even though it was the last place she wanted to go.
Persephone stood off to the side as Shepard checked them in at the front desk and soon after, a nurse led them back to the exam rooms.
"Get undressed and change into that, Persephone, I'll be outside." The Asari nurse said delicately, gesturing to an exam gown and she left the room.
"I'll come back in when the nurse does." Shepard said, reaching out and squeezing her hand before leaving as well.
Persephone stood there for a while, staring at the examination gown as if it were going to attack her before turning her mind off, getting undressed and putting on the gown.
"Okay." She called out, sitting on the exam table and the nurse and Shepard came back in.
"Persephone, we're going to start off scanning your implants. If you could lay down, please?" The nurse said and she did, laying down on the exam table and watching as a piece of machinery with a curved arm on a track was wheeled over, pressed against the side of the table.
"Kiddo, do you want me to stay?" Shepard asked.
"If you don't want to, you don't have to." Persephone said and there was a pause.
"I'll stay." Shepard said and went around to the other side of the table, pulling a stool over and sitting down as the machine started up. During the exam, Persephone gripped the edge of the table tightly, her knuckles white and Shepard took her hand in both of her own, letting her cling to her to ground herself. Fear came off her in waves, her biotics flickering over her skin sporadically. Her fingers clenched as the nurse drew blood and a single tear gathered in the corner of her eye, falling to soak into her hair. "Okay, that's enough, she's terrified."
"I'm f-fine." Persephone stammered.
"Like hell you are. I'm stopping this."
"I can handle it."
"Persephone, look at me." Her eyes opened and fixed on her, "You don't have to do this. You have the choice now to say no that you never did before. Some come on, get dressed. There's someone I want you to meet and then we'll go, okay?" The other woman nodded, sitting up and the nurse left the room. She stood up, helping Persephone off the exam table and her heart broke a little more when she took off the exam gown, seeing the scars that decorated her body. They reminded her far too much of Jack's. When she was dressed, Shepard laced an arm around her shoulders and led her from the room. Instead of heading for the entrance, they walked deeper into the hospital to the recovery ward, stopping in front of a door.
"Who's here?" Persephone asked, still shaking slightly.
"Kaidan was injured by a Cerberus synthetic a while back and he's been recovering. I've told him about you and he wants to meet you." Shepard said and waved her hand over the sensor, the door opening.
He stood in front of the large window, looking out on the Presidium, his Alliance BDUs fitting him very well. Turning as the door opened, he gave them a warm smile.
"Maddy, hey." He said, "I was wondering if you were going to show up." His attention turned to Persephone, "And you must be Persephone, I'm Kaidan Alenko, it's nice to...meet...you...my god." His smile faded as he looked back and forth between her and Shepard and they exchanged look, giving an identical:
"What?"
"Madeline." He said as he approached them, "Maddy, she has your nose."
"What are you talking about Kaidan?" Shepard asked.
"And the shape of her ears, my god you two look like you could be sisters." Kaidan said and they exchanged another look, not seeing what he was seeing.
"I'm an only child, Kaidan, you know that." Shepard said, "Hold on a second." She moved away from them, touching a finger to her comms. "Dr. Chakwas, do you still have Persephone's DNA on file? For giggles can you run it against mine? I'll wait."
"Shepard?" Persephone asked.
"Hold on a second, kiddo." Shepard said and her face went stony. "Are you sure? Absolutely sure." She looked at them then, "Yeah, I have a pretty good idea. Thanks, Karin."
"Shepard, what's going on?" Persephone asked, that sinking feeling from before starting to form again.
"She's your clone, isn't she." Kaidan said but she shook her head.
"Not my clone." Shepard said faintly, "I must have been pregnant when the Normandy was destroyed."
"Madeline?" Kaidan asked and Shepard went to Persephone, tucking her hair behind her ear with shaking hands and she continued to look at her, her confusion growing.
"Kaidan," his name came in a sob, "She has your eyes. The shape and color, they're identical."
"Shepard, are you my mother?" Persephone asked and she nodded. "But that's not possible, I'm too old."
"No, you're not. You're only a little over a year old." Shepard said, "When I was working with Cerberus, I came across a Krogan Warlord who was able to tank bred Krogan fully grown. Project: Persephone started before that, they must have found you when they were bringing me back and saved you, put you in a kind of stasis."
"And we were together before the Normandy was destroyed." Kaidan said, "She has my eyes."
"So you're my mother, and Kaidan is my father." Persephone said, trying to put all the pieces together in her head. Looking over, she looked into hopeful eyes identical to her own and she could feel herself withdrawing, pulling away what was happening. "I can't...I can't be here right now." Pushing past her, she ignored the voices calling her name and fled from the hospital.