A/N: Hello readers! After a long hiatus (with a big thank you to work for taking me out of the picture for so long) I have decided to come back to this story and finally finish it. It's been gnawing at the back of my consciousness for weeks now, and after pondering how to jump back in after so long, I believe I've finally stumbled upon the inspiration to kick this bad boy into gear. So, thanks for the patience to everyone returning to this story, and thank you also to the new readers coming through. I hope you all enjoy, and that I don't fail to please your imaginations.

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Priority: Horizon

Shepard's vision was suddenly tinged with red at the security footage displayed before her on the monitor.

"Miranda Lawson has arrived sooner than expected. You want me to deal with her?"

Shepard barely heard the Illusive Man's reply as she glared at the image of Kai Leng. She searched for a time stamp on the screen, grasping for hope that this footage was new and her chance to blot her adversary's life out of existence was finally at hand. Liara touched her arm and brought her back to ground. "I don't believe Miranda knows he's here. We should hurry, Shepard."

The commander nodded and rubbed her jaw absently. "I agree. Especially since she's already up against the reaper forces on her own. I trust in her abilities, but..." She thought back on all those secure vid chats on the citadel, and how Miranda had insisted on going about her business on her own. "Damnit, why does that woman have to be so stubborn? She should have called us for help as soon as she saw what was happening here."

Garrus stepped forward and nudged her. "Doesn't sound at all like anyone else I know."

Shepard's mouth turn into a dramatic frown. "Maybe so, Garrus, but this is serious. Kai Leng is dangerous." She shifted in her armor and checked the round count of her rifle before heading forward. "We need to take him out of the picture now. No more games, his story ends here, on Horizon."

Her squad mates fell into step beside her, heightening their senses and raising their weapons. "I couldn't agree with you more." Liara stated solemnly. "I feel as though there couldn't be a better place; let's leave his body with the remains of those he and Cerberus led to die. Perhaps they'll take revenge on his soul in the afterlife. If – there is an afterlife, anyway."

Garrus hummed quietly to himself. If there is an afterlife. He felt a tingle down his spine and was momentarily unnerved. The afterlife was something he never really put much thought into. Sure, they faced death on a daily basis, sometimes even multiple times in a day... but he never felt afraid. When he was with Shepard, he felt invincible, and the fact that they had survived so much together and beaten the odds over and over just made it seem like they would never die.

He tried to push the thought from his mind and as they stumbled upon more of the grotesque reaper forces ahead, he was almost successful. A part of it, however, was still biting the back of his consciousness. He watched Shepard glide through the battle with grace and ease, taking shots to protect her and Liara when necessary and grinned when they returned the favor. They were so efficient together, even the enormous, turbulent brutes didn't stand a chance. They moved with the unspoken understanding of a unit and disassembled the creatures blow by meticulous blow, shouting victorious compliments at each other when they were kicking so much ass, it hurt.

Garrus refused to acknowledge that this may not always be the case. This afterlife, this idea that their days could suddenly come to a halting end was just impossible. Shepard would always come back to him, just as he would always come back to her after the fight was over. That's how it always was and damnit, that's how it would always be. It can't end yet, they still have so much to live for.

He nodded to himself and imagined what the devil might look like, and how he'd laugh and point with long nasty claws, summoning them closer as they descended to his realm. Then he imagined Shepard flipping him the bird and putting a bullet between his eyes as they came back to the land of the living. We're gonna keep you waiting a long time, my friend. A very long time.

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Further exploration into the facility revealed the purpose of it's existence, and it only helped to bolster Shepard's resolve to bring down Kai Leng and the company he worked for. Miranda was working fast to leave behind digital trails of evidence as to the true nature of Sanctuary.

She and her squad entered what appeared to be another office, and after a quick scan with their weapons, Liara closed the door behind them before leaning forward with her hands on her knees to catch her breath. "No matter how many banshees we fight, it still doesn't make it any easier knowing that they used to be beautiful and intelligent people." She looked up at Shepard with anger glimmering in her eyes. "I hope we're almost done with this place. It's worse than the Ardat-Yakshi Monastary, and deserves the same fate."

Shepard nodded slightly and looked away in thought as Garrus stepped up to a console that appeared to be active. He tapped in a few commands and brought up Miranda's latest security feed, motioning the others to join him.

Miranda's image wavered into focus, and she appeared to be distressed. She spoke quickly, explaining that she had evidence of her father working for Cerberus and the Illusive Man. She uploaded footage of them both speaking to each other about experimenting on their home-made husks in order discover the ability to control the reapers via electrical impulse signals. Whats more, they had been successful.

Shepard's brow furrowed. "Well, that explains why the Reapers want to take this place down so badly. Apparently they don't take to kindly to the idea of being controlled and manipulated like puppets."

"If it wasn't such a horrible idea, I'd say they had it coming to them. It would be irony in it's sweetest form." Garrus's voice was low and full of malice.

Shepard looked around and found an access ladder to their destination, then found the control panel to lower it. "Liara, can you link that feed to Cerberus's location?"

"Already on it, commander."

Kai Leng was near, and now the Illusive Man was soon to be within her grasp as well. The galaxy was about to be a little emptier if she could help it, and she could warrant a guess that not many would miss the gone company. She eagerly hopped on the bottom rung of the ladder, ready to get into actio-

"Commander! There's more!"

The sound of Miranda getting hit and falling to the floor filled Shepard's ears before she could turn her gaze, and her eyes locked on the screen just in time to see Kai Leng's sulky figure walking confidently behind Miranda as she climbed to her feet and scurried away. Shepard's heart sank. "Come on, we need to hurry!"

She raced up the ladder and through the hatch, the others right behind her. This is it. This is my chance... for Thessia, for the Asari, for humanity, for my friends and family, for me... Kai Leng will end here. Right now. Her heart raced in her ears, adrenaline pumping through her veins as hard as when she had faced Saren on the Citadel, the strange human reaper after the Omega 3 relay and faced a reaper alone on Tuchanka. The three of them fought through dozens more reaper forces, pushing through with tenacity and urgency. She refused to let another friend fall to the sword of that abomination of a human being.

They rushed through a final door with weapons raised and ready for anything, panting and sweaty when a sound near the floor caught their attention. Miranda was crouched behind a desk, a look of both surprise and relief filling her features. She gestured for them to be cautious and nodded her head in the direction of where a man was holding her sister at gun point.

Shepard frowned and stepped forward while switching to her pistol, a feeling of sickness filling her stomach at how cowardly a person could possibly be by hiding behind his own daughter. "Put the gun down, now." She practically seethed through her teeth.

The man- who Shepard presumed to be Miranda's and Oriana's father- stood his ground. He defended his cause, claiming he would finish what Kai Leng did not. Seeing the fear in Oriana's eyes, Shepard took a deep breath and tried to calm the situation with words. Garrus slowly fanned out to the side, ready to take a shot if things went south.

Miranda stood and watched with desperate conviction, praying that her sister would come out of this unharmed and that her father would get the exact opposite. Her hands balled into fists at her sides as the Commander spoke gently, promising his safety in return for the girl and the research data he had created. After much deliberation, Henry Lawson pushed his daughter away from him and demanded absolute safety- which was something Miranda couldn't agree with. As soon as Oriana was out of his grasp, she called upon all the rage and hate in her body and focused it into biotic energy, hurling it at her father with a cry as he tumbled backwards, through a window and down through several stories of uninterrupted space.

"No deal." She said through gasps of breath, eyes glistening. She immediately went to her sister's side and helped her to her feet. Shepard stepped away to give them a moment, and noticed Garrus's eyes on her.

She approached him with a sullen look and patted his chest before looking at the ground. She couldn't find the words to say; she was relived that everything turned out all right, but hugely disappointed that Kai Leng was no where to be found.

"I know that look, Shepard. Stop it." He took her hand in both of his. "We'll find him. His days are numbered. For now, look at them." He nodded his head towards the Lawson sisters, who were beside themselves with relief. "You helped them, Shepard. They never have to live in the fear of their father's shadow anymore. And this nightmare factory? Shut down forever. You did a good thing here."

Her mind conjured a couple of not-so-nice responses on the reality of the situation, but when she looked up into Garrus's eyes and saw the tenderness and affection there, the only thing that came to her lips was a genuine smile of appreciation. She stood up on her toes and pressed her forehead against his in a Turian kiss. "Thank you. I guess I've been pretty hard on myself lately. I'm glad to have you here to keep me from caving in on myself."

"Heh. A little pile of rubble wouldn't be enough to take you down." He touched her cheek and kissed her forehead, in the human fashion. "Come on, let's see if we can find some more dirt on your old pals."

Feeling a bit lighter, she turned to see Liara already working a computer for information. Miranda approached her and gave the Commander a hug. "Thank you, Shepard. I didn't... I didn't expect to see you here, but I'm damn sure glad you came."

"It's nice to see you in the flesh, Miranda. I was starting to think vid-chatting was the best I'd get, that maybe you'd given up on the outdoors and settled in on a couch in your mom's basement or something."

Miranda wrinkled her nose and smiled. "Please, Shepard, I've never been the reclusive type. Father would never allow that kind of nonsense in my genes."

Garrus folded his arms and watched the Commander as he leaned against a wall near Liara. "Any luck?"

The Asari was bent forward with concentration. "Not so far. Miranda's father was very careful to destroy all traces of his research in the event of an emergency. There's nothing linked to the Illusive Man or Cerberus's whereabouts, either." She began tapping the keys harder the more frustrated she got.

"Easy now. If anyone alive could find information on anything, it would be you, Shadow Broker." He poked her arm.

Liara only rolled her eyes. "Indeed. No pressure, right?"

Garrus looked up at Shepard again, just in time to see her give Miranda a final hug and part ways. She had a look of hope on her features as she held up something small and shiny. "She really came through for us. As Kai Leng retreated, she stuck him with a tracer. With luck, he won't have noticed and will lead is straight to the Illusive Man and his hidey hole."

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The ride back the Normandy felt like the longest one yet- Shepard was bent forward with her chin on her hand, flipping the tracer device over and over with anticipation. Garrus tried a handful of times to make conversation and ease her nerves, but it was all to no avail. After the years and decades it took to get back to the ship, Cortez had barely put the craft on deck in the Shuttle Bay before Shepard hit the hatch override and jumped out, bee-lining to the War Room's computers.

By the time Garrus and Liara caught up to her, the holographic map was already on display in the center of the room. There was a thin red line weaving to and from nearby star systems, a line that had a beginning and an end. The beginning of it was somewhere near the planet the Normandy was currently in orbit around: Horizon. And the end of the line...

Shepard looked back over her shoulder. "We got him. We finally got the bastard."

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After she changed out of her armor, she felt it was more than just the heavy, protective plates that had been lifted from her shoulders. Knowing that the end was near, that Cerberus was finally going to be brought down once and for all, that was the heaviest weight lifted from her. According to Admiral Hackett, the galaxy's many fleets had rallied up everything they had and were ready to bring the fight to the reapers. They had had enough, had suffered and endured more than they were willing and wanted to bring this war to an end. The crucible was finished minus some minor touch ups, but they were ready to find out what so many generations over the eons had been buiding and what it would do.

She was ready too, oh how she was ready.

And if it backfires, or doesn't work at all? No. That won't happen. We haven't come this far for defeat. She dressed into her casual attire. And if we win? What then? How do we even begin to rebuild what we have lost? Garrus's face flashed into her mind's eye, and she smiled instantly. We'll rebuild. We'll lay our rifles down and find that place on the beach, and have those colorful little drinks with the umbrellas in them.

She pulled on her shoes and headed for the elevator. Well, maybe only temporarily lay down our rifles. There will be lots more time to prove who truly is the better shot.

She made her way around the Normandy, visiting her crew as she had done so many times before- yet this time, she didn't feel as empty and directionless. She could see in her companions faces that she was in a better mind set, her determinate glow and the belief that they were going to win this thing reflected in their countenance. When she entered the entertainment room and lounge, she was very surprised to find a very inebriated Tali at the bar, with several empty glasses scattered on the table in front of her. After sharing a drink and engaging in a very entertaining conversation with the Quarian, Shepard was struck with an idea.

She saved her favorite visit for last. The Main Battery's doors slid open and Shepard stepped through them, looping her arms around Garrus from behind. He paused and hugged her arms around himself with a smile.

"I had a thought." She started, laying her face against the back of his shoulder.

"If it involves high speed skycar chases, gunfights with ugly monsters or escaping the fires of an exploding sun... I'm in."

Shepard grinned. "What if I told you it was all three?"

Garrus pulled her arms away and turned around, looking at her with a serious look across his face. "Then I'd tell you that you really know how to get a guy going." He made a sultry expression and wiggled his eyebrow plates, moving in close to wrap her in his arms.

She laughed and smacked his arm before getting sucked into his embrace. "Actually, I was thinking of doing the exact opposite of those things."

"Damn." He pushed her away playfully and looked away, as if disinterested. "You weren't the woman I thought you were. I guess we have to break up now."

"Hah!" She grabbed his hand and kissed his fingertips, one by one. He peered over at her out of the corner of his eye as she spoke between kisses, "I was thinking of taking a little break from everything, and bring the whole crew to Admiral Anderson's condo for a party. It's right on Sunset Strip... lots of good food, drinks, entertainment..."

Garrus turned his full gaze to her again and smiled in his Turian way. "That sounds wonderful, actually. Especially with the fight we're about to get into with Cerberus. It's got a lot of nerves rattled out there, knowing we're about to officially butt heads with the reapers, directly."

"Mmhmm. I thought so too. It would give us a chance to do something someone once told me, very recently."

"And what might that be, I wonder?"

"Take time to appreciate the small things."

Garrus looked around in thought. "Hmm. Sounds like very sage advice. I'd definitely listen to anything that person tells you, he's got a good head on his shoulders."

"Uh huh." Shepard smiled.

"So, uh.. would we have a room all to ourselves in this condo you speak of?"

Shepard's smile turned into a grin. "We certainly would."

"Well then..." He sauntered in closer, holding her tightly. "I guess that means you'd get the chance to appreciate the big things, too." With that he bumped his hips forward against her, very suggestively.

She smiled and pulled his face in for a deep kiss. "You've got that right."

Garrus failed to realize that the doors to his space were wide open, but didn't much care. Seeing Shepard smile and hearing her laugh in a way he hadn't heard in what felt like forever- was completely worth it. Besides, it was late and most of the ship was alseep... the chance of someone walking by and seeing them performing adult activities on the console in front of the gun were pretty slim.

However Edi didn't think so, and took it upon herself to close the door behind them... not that they noticed, anyway.

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A/N: Alright alright, stretching it out and dusting off the cobwebs a little bit... it's always tough getting back into a story after being away for so long. Work and school have been incredibly demanding lately, so I will try to get my thoughts together when I can. Hope you enjoy... the end is approaching! D: