Hey guys. This is my new ME story, set during the Lair of the Shadow Broker DLC although you don't need any understanding of it. It was inspired by Liara's apartment - when I looked at it with fresh eyes and actually realised what she had in that place. And how Shepard might have reacted if she wasn't playing CSI: Nos Astra at the time. This is my first attempt at writing anything M-rated, so I'm a bit on edge about it. That being said, the first few chapters are just build-up, so hopefully we can all enjoy that. Happy reading :)

"Is that it?"

Liara cocked her head to the side. "That is all the information on your two potential recruits that I am in possession of, Shepard," she said levelly. "If you need more specific details you will have to go to the locations they were last seen in."

"That's not what I meant," Shepard said, frustrated. "I meant that after two years, is that all we have to say to each other? I ask you polite questions about your work in trying to hunt down the Shadow Broker, and you give me information on my new shipmates?"

A shadow flickered across Liara's face. She smoothed down the material of her gown in an effort to keep herself calm. "I'm not sure what else there is to say. Like you said, it has been two years. And we are both very busy women with a lot of work to do."

"Don't give me that!" Shepard snapped, slapping a hand down onto Liara's desk, making her jump slightly. "Back on the Normandy we had something, we were close. I thought we were..." her voice trailed off, acutely aware that she might have been about to reveal something that was best suited for a private location. She changed tact. "I know it has been two years, but in my defence I was dead for all of that time."

Miranda and Garrus were standing awkwardly by the door, studiously trying to pretend that they couldn't hear the conversation that was taking place in front of them.

Shepard lowered her voice and leaned in closer to Liara. "I only woke up a few weeks ago, and when I did it was to discover that my whole world had been turned upside down. My ship was destroyed, my crew were spread across all corners of the galaxy and..." she swallowed thickly. "-and the woman I love took a job on a planet that is only marginally safer than Omega, and deals with people who are almost as criminal. This has been tough for me too."

Liara looked like she was wavering, but she cleared her throat and drew herself up to her full height instead. "I'm afraid I cannot help you further, Commander," she said, loud enough for Miranda and Garrus to hear. "I have given you the information you required, and I have a lot of work to be getting on with. Nyxeris will see you out." She sat back down at her desk and returned her attention to her monitor, indicating that the conversation was over.

Shepard stood there agog, trying to see how this harsh, forceful Liara was the same naïve archaeologist who helped her to stop Saren. What had she been through over the past two years?

"Commander?" Miranda prompted from the door, where Nyxeris was waiting patiently to escort them out.

"Go, I'll catch up," Shepard said, waving them away. She waited for them to exit before turning back to Liara. "Please Liara, can't we just talk?" she begged. "Not about Shadow Brokers or information or anything work-related. Can't we just talk like we did back in the old days? I haven't seen you for three weeks and my heart already feels like it's going to break. I can't imagine what it's like for you," she whispered, her voice wavering with emotion.

Liara's breath caught in her throat. She turned away from Shepard, back towards the window, gripping tightly onto the frame to stop herself collapsing. Her head felt light and her heart was racing.

She could remember what she felt like three weeks after Shepard had gone. It had been awful. The crew had been disbanded and everyone was starting to drift away. Alliance rescue ships took them all back to the Citadel, and from there everyone just faded away. Tali went back to the Migrant Fleet, Wrex went back to Tuchanka, and everyone had lost the glue that held them together.

Her whole being felt like it was going to stop from the pain of missing Shepard.

"It was awful. I didn't think I would ever recover," she mumbled. She turned her head around. "I'm not entirely sure that I have."

Shepard stepped closer to her. "Then let's just talk for a bit," she pleaded. "We can see where we stand. You can tell me how you managed to become a highly successful information broker on Illium, for starters."

Liara glanced down at the clock. "It's getting late," she mused. "I suppose you won't have time to ask around for sight of your squad-mates before the close of business." She drummed her fingers on the desk for a moment before reaching a decision. She opened up her Omni-tool and started tapping on it. "I'm sending you the address for my apartment. Give me a couple of hours to finish up here, and then you can come around." She smiled, a genuine smile, not the business smile she had used earlier, and Shepard felt her heart flutter. "I'll cook us some dinner."

"Great," Shepard said breathlessly. "I'll see you in a bit then."

She walked out of the office, feeling like she was floating past Nxyeris, who gave her a polite nod as she passed. Miranda and Garrus were waiting at the bottom of the stairs, chatting quietly. They looked up as she approached, coming down the stairs with a spring in her step. Miranda frowned and Garrus smiled.

"I take it that went well then," Garrus drawled as Shepard drew level.

"She invited me to her apartment for dinner," Shepard said gleefully. "Come on, let's get back to the Normandy. If I'm going out for dinner, I think that everyone else can do the same. Twelve hours of shore leave for the crew."

Garrus hummed happily. "I might see if Tali wants to come out and see the sights. Seeing as the Migrant Fleet aren't allowed to dock, she could be one of the few quarians to see what it is like. We could go to Eternity Bar." He glanced slyly at Shepard. "It'll be nice to visit a classy place, seeing as the last place you took us to was Afterlife."

"Don't let Aria hear you talk like that," Shepard teased as they walked back to the docks.

"Are you sure this is good idea, Shepard?" Miranda asked from behind them. "Colonists are being abducted and we're on a mission to try and work out how to navigate through the Omega 4 relay in order to stop the Collectors. You want to give everyone the night off so you can catch up with your girlfriend?"

Shepard whirled around on her so fast that Miranda took half a step backwards before she regained her composure.

"That's right," Shepard growled. "I died and my crew got spread across the galaxy. Cerberus rebuilt me and now they want me to die all over again. Our crew have signed on knowing that there is a very real chance that they won't make it back to their loved ones. It's getting late and we aren't going to be able to do much until the morning anyway." Her voice was getting progressively louder, and passing asari were starting to stare. "If I think that the crew deserve a night off before we all sacrifice ourselves to the greater good, then I will give them the night off. Is that alright with you, XO Lawson?" she snapped.

Miranda had the decency to look slightly shame-faced. "Yes, Commander," she muttered.

"Good."

Shepard turned around and started walking again. Garrus fell into step beside her. He cleared his throat. "So what are you going to wear?"