1. Chapter 1 (1/2)

shepard didn't have time to judge the distance, only a split second to act. he lept off the edge of the cliff and realized that the ship was too far. he wasn't going to make it. his body slummed hard against the hull of the ship just as be managed to catch himself on the edge of the doorway. the impact of the bullets against his shield had his grip slipping. no! he silently screamed his fingers slipping. pan tore through him likes raging fire and he could find no strength to pull up. he didn't just fight his way through the galaxy to die like this. falling to his death was not good enough for john shepard.

"shepard!" miranda cried getting a lose hold on the commander as his grip slipped. the sudden eight

ought her to her knees. "grunt help!" before i lose him, she wanted to scream fighting back tears. she would not lose. not now. not like this.

grunt snatched the commander be the collar of his uniform saving both shepard and miranda as he began to fall. "gotca commander."

panting, shepard dropped to his hands and knees seething in pain. "for the love of god get us out of here edi!" he barked trying to stand but his body didn't like that idea so much. that okay, he reassured himself leaning against the wall, he was fine with just passing out right here.

the ship jerked causing miranda to

ace her hands against shepard's shoulder. she felt her eyes start to drop so she forced herself to stay conscious for a while longer. she found herself smiling down at him, her body swaying against her will. "you did it."

"we did it." shepard corrected his heart lurching when her body went slack. frantic, he

ushed her hair away from her pale face, "miranda. come on damn it!" then he felt the blood. the med gel she had hastily applied at ruptured and stated to bleed once again. filled with a new surge of energy, he scoped her up into his arms shoving past the crew that had gathered. "don't die on me."

joker raced to the comm to give the med bay a heads up before he raced to the cockpit. he did his best to keep his balance as edi sped through the de

is.

chakwas whirled from the injured crew member when the commander charged in with miranda in his arms. after a quick assessment, she left her current patient to treat the cerberus office. "on the table." she commanded holding the rest of the crew at bay. the room wasn't large enough for everyone, "unless you're bleeding to death you can wait outside." silently, she ordered her medical assistant to set up shop outside.

shepard did his best to be gentle, but no matter which way he laid her down she winced in her sleep. "i'm sorry." he murmured gently touching her pale face trying to will her to open those beautiful hazel eyes.

chakwas ran her omni-tool over the woman trying her best to assets the extend of the damage. it was hard because of miranda's extra biotics. she had taken two rounds that had ripped straight through her shields and armor. one had hit her in the right shoulder and the other to the left hip. "armor pricing rounds. she's lost a lot of blood. shattered wrist, ribs, and a

uised shoulder." now she cursed herself for sending her assistant out of the room. she needed to get miranda out of her armor. glancing at shepard she watched the commander gaze down at the woman with his heart on his sleeve. well she didn't' t have much of a choice, she concluded diving into her supplies. "get her armor off. carefully."

shepard cursed his shaking hands as he fumbled with the buckles of his armor. his mind couldn't help but go back to the night before.

she turned to greet him as he grasped her around the waist. effortlessly, he lifted to hook her legs around his hips backing her up against the concal. there were no words, they didn't need them. everything had been said before, now it was time for reaction. miranda wrapped her arms around him her hands tugging at his hair to drag his head back. he

ought her mouth to hers knowing that she would coming willing. what he wasn't expecting was the urgency he felt. it was intense as she pressed against him and he found himself fighting the urge to devour her entirely. she laughed, possibly for the first time that shepard could remember, as they began to fall. smiling, she lifted above him reaching for her buckle of her armor. her

eath hitched when shepard's large hand caught hers to stop her.

shepard gently peeled the fa

ic apart and his mouth went completely dry. never in his life had he ever seen such a beautiful woman. he pushed the armor from her shoulders, his hands

ushing the straps of her lace down. it thrilled him to feel her shutter beneath his touch. he smiled up at her. behind that cold exterior she had she was just as much a female as any other. even though she had on countless occasion tried to distance herself from them.

shepard shook his head clear. he had to keep his mind focused on the present not the past, because he'd be damned if that would be all the time they had. he had discovered a whole new side of a woman he was in love with. so there would be more time together. shepard was willing to make the deal with any devil to make sure that happened. miranda was strong, he reminded himself biting back tears as his gaze fell to her face. she was pale to begin with so if it was possible she was three sheets whiter than normal. as he peeled back the armor streaks of red blood was a major contrast to her skin making his stomach turn.

chakwas took a moment to place a hand on the commander's shoulder trying her best to comfort, "she's strong john." using his first name had him looking up at her, his feelings unmasked. "she's a powerful biotic remember. her body will heal fast even faster when i get some synthetic into her."

shepard was pushed aside so chakwas could slid the needle of the synthetic blood into miranda's arm. "i'm not leaving." he corrected to her demand.

"shepard." joker's voice

oke through the com as if he knew that chakwas needed his help. "i need you up here stat."

the hulls of the ship began to shutter as the ripples of the blast finally reached them. he

aced himself against the wall before he lost his balance. "damn it." leaving her was the last thing he wanted to do, but he had to finish this job out. and that meant giving the illusive man the finally screw you. struggling with his raging emotion, shepard kidded her clammy

ow, "stay with me."

"i'll take care of her." chakwas promised.

due to the damage of the ship, shepard had to dig his way through the com room. it was then did his

ain finally began to register the extent of his injuries. each time he moved it felt like he was being hit by a stream of compulsive energy. he did his best to keep a good front as stepped into the center of the room. after a moment of blackness, he was graced with a very angry illusive man. the site had him smiling.

************************ (didn't feel like going through the entire dialogue.)