All characters belong to Bioware – thanks for letting me borrow them for a bit.
Chapter 1It was very late, or very early, depending on your perspective. Shepard dressed in the semi dark, trying to preserve the quiet. She had so few of these moments; her appreciation for them had grown greatly, especially in the last year. The spectre glanced over at the sleeping asari, her face peaceful in the soft glow. Liara did not yet have that striking beauty displayed by the elder members of her species, but the beginnings were there to be seen. Shepard didn't want to disturb her, but could not leave without a parting word.
She brushed her hand down the side of the doctor's face, savoring the delicate feel. Shepard's hand continued along the silky blue skin as she softly kissed the asari awake.
"Now there is the perfect way to wake up." Liara murmured, her eyes only half open.
"Li, I have to go." The spectre apologized quietly.
"So early?" Liara sat up, now fully awake, "Surely, you have a little time..." she left the sentence unfinished; hope briefly flickered in her eyes.
"I have to get back to the Normandy, I'm not sure I should have stayed this long." The hurt clouding in the bright blue eyes was an unexpected blow.
"Li, I don't want to leave, but we both have to be ready for the Council this afternoon."
Liara nodded and started to rise, but the commander's hands gently pushed her back down, lips capturing a last passionate kiss. Regretfully breaking the contact, Shepard stood up and tenderly tucked in the covers tenderly over a breathless Liara.
They both knew that the direction given by the Council would have an impact on their future. The commander had requested a return to Ilos, to start on the trail of the Reapers. The scientist's request had gone through asari channels, also asking for a return to Ilos, but to study Vigil and the rest the Protheans left behind, hopefully unearthing clues that would aid Shepard's hunt.
"Whatever happens today, the ship won't be leaving for a few days," the spectre continued. "I'll be back tonight and we can talk."
"Just talk?" Liara asked playfully.
"We'll see." Shepard responded as she turned to leave the room.
"Shepard, wait." The asari called out, springing from under the covers and catching the spectre in a fierce embrace.
"I do not know what I will do if my request is denied," Liara said quietly as she buried her face in the commander's shoulder to hide the tears that threatened.
Gently cupping her chin, Shepard tilted the teary face upwards and looked into the eyes that had captured her soul.
"Liara, "the spectre promised, "I'd never leave you behind."
Then in an attempt to lighten the atmosphere, added, "You can always drive the Mako. Well, that is if you could get Garrus to move over."
Kissing away the tears, a smile finally emerged.
"Promise?" Liara whispered.
"Always." Shepard replied, and with a final kiss, broke away and slowly walked to the waiting elevator.
As the doors closed, the commander tried to sort out her jumbled emotions. She wanted Liara to accompany her, but feared for safety. No telling what trouble her scientific curiosity would get her into on Ilos. The spectre was also worried that there was something else that Liara wasn't telling her. The Prothean expert had spent a good amount of time on her proposal, but wouldn't let Shepard in on the details.
As she walked back to the C-Sec docking bay, she barely noticed any of her surroundings. Not that it posed a problem for her, she didn't think there would be anyone foolish enough to bother a fully armed spectre. Shepard rarely had time or the interest for introspection, but now her thoughts seemed to stray that way. She thought of her relationship with Dr. Liara T'Soni and never could have imagined it would have turned out the way it did. While some of her closer crewmembers had questioned her change in "preferences," she knew that was not the case. When she looked at members of her own kind, her eye still appreciated a broad, muscular chest and strong arms and she had no interest in the feminine members. But with her beloved asari, it was a completely different feeling, the mental connection spilling over to the emotional and physical. It was something she could never explain to anyone who had not experienced what she had.
Before she realized it, she was standing at the airlock of the Normandy, waiting for the scan to complete so she could enter. She immediately headed to her quarters, hopeful for an hour or two of sleep. As she lay on her bed, her mind would not settle down and it was a long time before sleep claimed the spectre.