Liara T'Soni had never seen her lover nervous before. Impossible and/or suicidal mission? That didn't scare Jane Shepard. First sexual encounter with an alien? That definitely did not scare Jane Shepard. Defeating the Reapers and saving the galaxy? Again, no sweat.

But introducing her asari girlfriend to Captain Hannah Shepard? That apparently had Jane Shepard pacing up and down the bedroom for twenty minutes.

"Shepard," the Shadow Broker finally spoke. "Are you worried that you mother won't approve of me?"

Jane stopped dead in her tracks and turned around to face Liara. "No, that's not it at all," she reasoned, but Liara's cocked eyebrow clearly meant it wasn't convincing. Sighing, she tried again. "Look, you don't know how my mom is. She… she just wants the best for me, and she can be hard to please."

"So it's because I'm an alien," Liara surmised, nearly kicking herself for not considering the possibility. Humans were so different from asari, and sometimes she forgot this vital fact.

"No!" Jane protested. "It has nothing to do with you."

"But you just implied something about me does not measure up to your mother's standards."

"It's because I'm gay!" the human shouted in exasperation. "Because you're a girl, and I'm gay, and my mother would prefer that I date a man."

"Oh," Liara said simply.

Shepard chuckled, running a hand through her untidy blond hair. "That's probably why I enlisted the first chance I got. She probably thought I was just following in my parents footsteps. But to be honest, I couldn't stand another awkward dinner with one of her Alliance buddies."

"Are relationships between two women frowned upon in your society?" the asari inquired curiously. The humans she met on the Normandy besides Shepard had seemed generally accepting of their romance. And some, like Joker, a little too accepting.

"It's complicated," Jane explained. "Your people are mono-gendered, so it's different. The human race has different sexes, and the majority of humans seem to think we were created that way for a reason. As in, no lady-on-lady lovin'."

"How unfortunate," Liara said, a small smile edging at the corner of her lips. "Some asari might find human males exotic, but I find human females far more attractive."

"Flatterer," Jane teased, then closed the distance between them and delivered a forceful kiss to Liara's open mouth.

"You seem to have enjoyed it," Liara returned, sapphire eyes twinkling.

"Maybe," Shepard admitted and attached her lips to her girlfriend's once more, this time with a renewed fervor. Her hands circled Liara's waist, pulling her closer.

"Shepard," Liara breathed, before returning the kiss.

Commander Shepard couldn't think of anything she'd rather do than take Liara T'Soni right there on her desk, but unfortunately this plan became thwarted when both women heard a polite "ahem" coming from the doorway.

They scurried away from each other, Liara averting her eyes bashfully and Shepard merely straightening her shirt and flashing a wide smile at the older human. "So glad you could make it," Shepard said as if she hadn't just been sucking face with the embarrassed blue alien to her left. "How was the trip?"

Hannah didn't answer. Instead, she fixed her gaze on Liara, who was still doing her best attempt at turning invisible. "Aren't you going to introduce me to your friend, Janey?"

"R-right," Shepard said, and Liara witnessed yet another very un-Shepard trait. Not only was the woman nervous – she was stuttering. By the Goddess, such things had never happened before now. "Mom, this is my… girlfriend Dr. Liara T'Soni. Liara, this is my mother, Captain Hannah Shepard."

"Please, call me Hannah," Mrs. Shepard instructed Liara sweetly, ignoring the unnecessary force her daughter had placed on the word girlfriend. As if the nature of their relationship hadn't been apparent a few minutes ago. "It's a pleasure to meet you, dear."

"Likewise," Liara replied, and realized that even she was stammering. Something about Hannah Shepard was even more imposing than her daughter – if that was even possible. "Shepard has told me so much about you."

"Funny, Janey hasn't really talked about you much," Hannah said with a pointed look to Commander Shepard. "But I suppose she's been too busy saving the galaxy to drop her old mom a line."

Jane paled, and Liara tried to jump to her defense. "Shepard has been busy, and she has accomplished so much already. I'm sure you're very proud of her, Captain Shepard."

"Hannah," she corrected automatically, and then grinned. "And, yes, I'm very proud of my girl. Now only if she'd settle down with a nice – "

"So, Liara told me about this really amazing restaurant in Illium," Shepard quickly interjected. "They have food from all over the galaxy – asari dishes, drell dishes – "

Captain Shepard clearly wasn't impressed. "Do they have steak?"

"Yes, and it's not varren meat either."

"Then let's go," Hannah agreed, much to Shepard's relief. She was already dreading the shuttle ride over, not to mention dinner itself. If Liara still loved her before the night was over, she would consider it no small blessing.