Disclaimer - I do not own the Mass Effect series or its characters. They are owned by BioWare. I'm just happily playing around in their massive backyard~ ;3

Author's Note - I always love reading stories where Liara and Aethyta have really great moments together. And I also always wondered what it would be like if Liara had actually had her father around, watching out for her during those first 100 years of her life. What would Liara's life have been like? What kind of person would she have become, if she not only had Benezia her mother around, but also her father Aethyta? Thus this story was born~ =p

Hope you all enjoy~ =D

~Mass Effect Minis: The T'Sonis~

"Higher Da, higher!" eight-year-old Liara exclaimed with a happy giggle.

"Higher huh, munchkin? Alright, don't say your old man never did anything for ya!" Matriarch Aethyta said with a grin, as she hoisted her giggling child higher into the air, and made her dive-bomb toward the ground like the soaring, native birds of Thessia.

"'Theyta darling, I know we've nicknamed our precious little one Little Wing but honestly...must you actually treat her as if she actually has wings?" a softly-amused voice spoke up from behind the playing pair, causing Aethyta to quickly swing around with a wide unrepentant grin, to look upon the vision that was her bondmate.

"Aw, now don't go getting your civvies all in a bunch, Nezzy. Little Wing here is going to soar through the universe someday, and she won't need either of us to lift her up to do it. You're going to be a shining star all on your own, aren't ya kiddo," Aethyta said to her daughter, as she pulled her squirming child back down into her arms, and gently nuzzled her crest.

"Right, Da!" Liara answered with a bright, happy grin as she wrapped her tiny arms around her father's neck, and squeezed tightly. She absolutely loved doing anything that made her father happy and proud of her, and if her Da said it would be so, then someday she would become the brightest shining star in the whole universe!

Matriarch Benezia allowed an indulgent and amused smile to cross her lips, before she gracefully held out her hand at waist-level.

Liara immediately began to squirm about in her father's arms, causing Aethyta to let out a low chuckle, before gently placing her daughter back down onto the ground. With a small cry of pleasure at being able to reconnect with her other parent, Liara immediately ran over to her mother, and happily took Benezia's proffered hand.

"It's that time already, huh," Aethyta commented as she moved in closer to her small family, and placed herself so close to her bondmate, that Benezia felt a slight shiver of barely-suppressed pleasure race down her spine.

"Yes, it's time for Liara's bath, and then on to bed. She's had a full day already between her studies, and then the 'playtime' you insisted she also indulge in," Benezia said with that same indulgent smile on her face, as she looked with gentle affection down at her daughter, who was now desperately trying to hide a yawn.

"Hey, the kid's gotta have some fun too! Can't be all work and no play. Isn't that right, kiddo?" Aethyta said with a quick grin down at her now-fully yawning daughter. She then bent down to Liara's level, and gently stroked her drowsy child's soft crest.

Liara sleepily nodded yes as she leaned into her father's loving touch.

"We'll have even more fun when I get back, 'kay Li. I've got to go away for a little while to handle some...business...on Tuchanka, but you'll have plenty of fun here with your mother, alright Little One," Aethyta said softly, as she watched bright tears begin to fill her daughter's crystal-blue eyes. Liara quickly pulled away from her mother's light grasp, and threw herself back into her father's arms.

"Don't go, Da...Mama and I'll miss you..." Liara hiccuped tears into her father's neck, which caused Aethyta to feel like an iron-clad fist had just wrapped itself around her heart. She raised softly-pleading eyes up to her bondmate to please help her, because by the Goddess she hated making her little one cry.

Benezia just gave her bondmate a slight smile, tinged with just a hint of sadness, as she said in reply, "Liara is right, my love. We'll both miss you terribly while you're gone."

Aethyta let out a low, noisy breath and just kept from cursing as she didn't want to expose her daughter to that just yet. There would be plenty of time to teach Liara the joyous wonders of cursing up a blue streak, and calling some pyjak an anthropocentric bag of dicks!

"Okay listen up little one, I'll only be on Tuchanka for a few days, then your old man will be right back to steal you away from all your mother's studies, so we can have some proper fun again! Headbutt promise," Aethyta said with a soft smile as she leaned her head forward, and lightly tapped it against her daughter's forehead. Liara let out a light giggle despite her tears, and pressed her little forehead back against her father's as hard as she could.

"Headbutt promise," Liara replied with a soft, teary smile.

"Alright ya little munchkin, bath and bed time for you now! Off you go," Aethyta said quickly as she swiftly rose to her feet, and gently moved her daughter back over to her mother. Benezia and Aethyta then shared a long, silent moment between each other that Liara just knew actual words were somehow being passed between her parents, without them being in a meld or touching one another. She just hadn't quite figured out how they were doing it yet. But one day she would! Nothing could keep her from figuring something out once she decided to pursue it. Her mother always just gave her this little smile, and called her 'precocious' whenever she started 'investigating' something. Her father always just laughed, and said that she was a "true krogan's kid", always charging off into some adventure or other, and getting into places she really shouldn't. Her mother always replied to that with, "that isn't how that works", which always made her father laugh even harder.

Liara let out a soft, contented sigh as she nuzzled against her mother's leg, and watched as her parents finally leaned in fully towards each other and shared a soft, tender kiss.

"Take care of yourself, 'Thyta. Don't go headbutting every krogan who looks at you the wrong way," Benezia said with a knowing smile, as she tenderly stroked the fingers of one hand down the side of her bondmate's face.

Aethyta allowed herself the luxury of soaking up all the love and affection translated to her through her bondmate's touch, before she leaned back and let a cocky grin cross her face.

"Where's the fun in not headbutting every young, hotheaded pyjak who thinks he can take on this old battle axe of a half-krogan!" Aethyta exclaimed with a loud laugh.

Benezia just grinned with affectionate amusement, as she replied, "you're incorrigible, 'Thyta."

Aethyta gave her bondmate a saucy grin and wink, before she stepped forward to begin making her way back towards the garden entrance, that led back into the T'Soni estate.

"That's why you love me, babes. That's why you love me," Aethyta called back over her shoulder with a quick grin.

"That it is, Thyta...that it is," Benezia said softly as she watched her bondmate walk away, then smiled down at Liara who was frantically waving at her father's back.

"See you later, Da! Come back soon! I love you!" Liara called out as loudly as she could, as she watched her father disappear back into their home.

"Love you too, Little Wing. Love you too," floated gently back on the wind to Liara's hearing which caused a small, happy smile to cross her face. She then turned towards her mother, and tightly wrapped her tiny arms around her mother's knee.

Benezia looked down at her precious child with all the love a mother could possibly have for her daughter, then gracefully bent down to Liara's level to be able to speak face-to-face with her.

"Why don't you and I hold off on the bath and bedtime for a little while longer, and head into the kitchen to enjoy some tasty fruit and cream together?" Benezia asked as she gathered Liara up in her arms, and turned to head back towards their home.

"Oh yes, please!" Liara answered with a bright grin, as she happily flung her little arms around her mother's neck, and leaned her head down onto her shoulder.

Benezia let a gentle, loving smile cross her lips as she headed inside with her child...the result of the beautiful Union between herself and Aethyta...her precious, darling Little Wing...Liara T'Soni.

AN - This is just a short story idea that came to me, and I'm unsure whether or not to let it remain a one-shot, or to try to continue it. If there's any interest in reading a bit more, please let me know =3