I'm trying to impress upon you

We're not the same…

My own individuality is so unique,

I'm one impressive motherfucker,

Now, wouldn't you say?

- Disturbed, Divide

Pistol still trained on Hannah, the first Shepard snorted, rolling her eyes, "You're fucking insane."

The second Shepard regarded her doppelganger for a moment before she shrugged, and said, "Well… maybe… probably… Now that you mention it…"

Garrus was unsure of what to make of the situation. He never saw this coming… another clone? It was preposterous… and yet… It did explain why Shepard #1 had been acting out of sorts these last few days. But the other woman, the one from the medbay, also claiming to be Shepard… How was she even still alive? Her injuries were so extension, regardless of who she was, she shouldn't have been walking around…

He stood there, in the middle of the CIC dumbfounded, as Admiral Shepard frowned, lowering her arms from her defensive position, and saying, "Wait. What?"

Hackett opened and closed his mouth a number of times, clearly as bewildered and perplexed as the rest of them, while Joker could be seen from the cockpit, attempting to stand on his brittle legs to get a better view of what was going on.

A flash of fear and uncertainty flitted across the first Shepard's face, though, in the next instant it was gone, replaced by a look full of wrath.

"Look at you… No one is going to believe that you're the savior of the fucking galaxy," she hissed violently. "No… you're barely a shadow of Commander Shepard… a shade on Death's doorstep."

Hackett inhaled sharply, still clutching his gunshot wound, streams of bright red blood trickling through his pale fingers.

"Will one of you please just tell us what the hell is going on?" he gasped painfully.

Shepard #2 pressed her pistol harder into her double's skull, angrily, and stated, "Just another Cerberus clone wanting… wishing to be me… Nothing unusual or out of the ordinary here."

"You have no proof…," Shepard #1 said.

"Proof? You all want proof that I'm me? That I'm really who I say I am? Alright…," #2 said, taking her eyes off her target for just an instant and looking towards Garrus.

"Garrus," she said in a soft, tender voice, one that he instantly recognized as belonging to his Shepard. "I know you're doubting me… doubting this whole situation… Hell, I would be too if it hadn't happened once already… But ask me anything… something only the real Commander Shepard would know."

He was taken aback by her statement. Was he really that transparent to her? Of course he was suspicious and distrustful of the events occurring around them at the moment. Who wouldn't be? It could be just another ruse to confound them all and trick them into submission. Admiral Shepard and Hackett were just as unconvinced as he was, especially when it came to dealing with Cerberus. His thoughts lingered for a moment before he looked up and met her eyes.

But there was a sense of familiarity there… comfort… compassion… and something else… something dark, hidden just beyond his grasp, that he couldn't quite explain. But shaking away his reservations for just a moment, Garrus realized in an instant that he was peering at the woman he had fallen in love with, trusting her before he even finished asking, "The inside of our omni-tools match one another… What do they say?"

Shepard's blue eyes twinkled at him, a brief smile creeping across her scarred face as she recalled their private conversation in her quarters, shortly after their shore leave, all those months ago.

"The same thing I said to you in London… 'There's no Shepard without Vakarian…," she whispered.

Garrus felt as if a weight had been lifted from his shoulders as she spoke. He flicked his mandibles at her, relieved that it really was her. And he knew that everything would eventually work out, despite the unusual circumstances they found themselves currently in.

"Well, well, isn't that just sweet…," the clone mocked. "This doesn't change anything though… In fact…" She glanced down at her omni-tool, continuing to chide them, "Reinforcements should be arriving just… about…,"

And at that very moment, the airlock slid open once more, with at least a dozen Alliance soldiers striding through, weapons readied. Garrus felt himself let out a sigh of relief; this would be all over soon enough. His reprieve was short lived, however.

The soldier in front, bearing a lieutenant's insignia glanced around the CIC and acknowledged the clone, "Everything alright, Commander?"

"Get this bitch off of me," she scathed, nodding at Shepard. "Please relieve Mr. Moreau of his station. Lock them and every other crew member in the cargo bay, and should anyone disobey…," she glanced at Garrus, a twisted grin looming upon her darkened features. "Shoot the turian."

Two of the soldiers hauled a protesting Admiral Hackett to his feet.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" he shouted at them. "You're Alliance soldiers, for God's sake! You pledged an oath!"

"We never swore anything…," the lieutenant replied flatly.

"That's where you're wrong, Hackett," the double said, laughing ever so slightly. "They're Cerberus troops… sleeper agents, if you will… They've been stationed in the Alliance for nearly a year… since before the war, in fact, waiting... for this… But they answer to me… to Cerberus… We knew this day was coming."

One of the Cerberus troops aimed his rifle at Garrus' temple, signaling him to proceed towards the elevator. Garrus knew he could take this fool out in one swift move, but Shepard shook her head, the look in her eyes telling him not to do anything rash… not yet, at least.

"Oh... Before I forget...," the clone said, almost lazily. "I did want to mention that we had a... Hmm? How should I put this? A bit of help..." She signaled at her lieutenant, who disappeared back through the airlock, to Hackett's ship.

He returned, not more than a minute later, with someone, kicking and screaming, thrown across one of his broad shoulders.

"Let me go, you son of a bitch!" the dark haired, young woman, shouted at him. Tiny hands were balled up into tiny fists, as she pounded her captor's back as hard as she could manage, the lieutenant barely flinching at the blows.

Almost as if on cue, the elevator door slid open once more, and much to Garrus' surprise, Miranda Lawson sprinted toward the lieutenant and his assailant, demanding that he put her down.

"Ori! Are you alright?" Miranda said, kneeling beside her sister. "Did they hurt you?"

Garrus watched as Shepard's eyes widened to the size of saucers, burning with rage and treachery. She made a rush for the raven haired woman, but halfway to Lawson, a Cerberus commando grabbed her forcefully around the waist in an effort to hold her back. Shepard winced in pain as he did so, her blood dripping to the floor, a sign that she had torn open at least one of her injuries.

"Miranda!" she barked, hurt and betrayal written all over her visage. "What have you done?"

Lawson turned away from her sister to face Shepard, tears streaming down her face, staining her pale cheeks with black mascara.

"I'm sorry, Shepard… I'm so sorry… What was I supposed to do?" she whispered, hugging Orianna tightly. "They had kidnapped Ori again... I didn't have a choice…"

After everything they had been through, after spending two years bringing Shepard back from the dead to take down the Collectors and sabotage their base, after deserting Cerberus to fight the Reapers together and to killing Henry Lawson, this is how it was going to end? Miranda betrayed one of her closest friends to the enemy she had vowed to leave behind, and there was nothing Garrus or Shepard could do about it.

Distress overwhelmed Shepard as she slumped in defeat against the commando's arm, and it pained Garrus to see her this way.

"You always have a choice, Miranda…," Shepard muttered, head hanging. Miranda looked away, unable to meet Shepard's gaze. She lifted her sister to her feet, and turned to the clone.

"Can we please leave?" she asked desperately. The double nodded, gesturing towards the airlock.

"Miss Lawson," she said as Miranda led the way to the exit. "Cerberus thanks you for your cooperation. It's good to have you back on our side."

The Cerberus operative did not reply, ushering Orianna onto the other ship.

"Miranda…," Shepard said in a deadly whisper, her face devoid of any emotion, feelings masked once more. "If I ever set eyes on you again… I promise… You'll regret the day you brought me back… because I will kill you."

And without a response or a second glance, Miranda turned on heel and followed her sister off the Normandy.

Updated 6/7/14