"So, that's it?" Shepard frowned at Dr Chakwas.
"Indeed, Commander. Your resilience never ceases to amaze me - you have half a gigantic spacecraft fall on you, yet you emerge with only a dislocated shoulder, sprained metatarsal, a few minor cuts and bruises and a couple of broken ribs. The fairly deep cut on your backside, from where a piece of the ship embedded itself, should soon be nicely patched up by the medi-gel" The Doctor tidied away some equipment as she gave her assessment. "I'm assuming that means you went for the classic 'duck and cover' defensive position...?"
Shepard stood up and rubbed her right buttock. "Yeah... something like that"
Chakwas looked a little puzzled as she inspected the armour. "I'm just not entirely sure how you sustained that injury though." She raised her eyebrow as she turned to face the commander. "Your Colossus armour seems undamaged in that region - care to explain?"
"Erm, about that... The armour would have worked fine..." Shepard winced, knowing the Doctor wasn't going to like this.
"What exactly do you mean by 'would have,' Commander?" Dr Chakwas asked with a slightly more stern tone.
"...Look, what else was I to do but bend over and show my backside to the thing that was surely gonna kill me?" Shepard replied smugly.
Ash smirked from a bed opposite. "Wait, you mean...? You mean you mooned a piece of space debris the size of the Normandy as it hurtled towards you bringing almost certain death?" She shook her head; half in disbelief, half impressed by her commander's defiance.
"Well it was gonna get me anyway... I knew you and Liara could get much further away than I could as you'd already scrambled most of the way out of the garden. I told you to go. Looked at my own situation and realised I couldn't get out quick enough. I was trapped ... so ... I figured I'm not going out with a whimper and that was the first thing I thought of."
The doctor rolled her eyes, not especially surprised at what she was hearing. She smiled after a thought entered her head "I guess it didn't occur to you what it would've looked like if you had been killed, if we found your corpse 'debagged'?"
"Oooh... No... I didn't think of that." Shepard frowned. "Hmmm, that could've been embarrassing."
"Well at least that would explain why it took you so long to get out of the rubble." Williams laughed "That would certainly be one for the history books, Commander!"
"I was knocked out for a few minutes. I was NOT taking care of business and if that story starts to circulate I'll know who to come looking for, Chief!" Shepard warned.
"Ok, ok - 'Mooning at certain death' it is then, Skipper." Williams smiled and snapped off a sarcastic salute.
"Oh and Doc... it was only part of a gigantic spacecraft. Let's not start exaggerating elements of the story just yet, eh?" the commander corrected with a smile.
"Right. Sorry." The Doctor sighed and shook her head slightly.
"Anyway. Moving on. I'm afraid you'll have very little, if anything, to show for your epic battle!" the doctor said changing the subject with a grin.
"Damn it! You know how much I like to show off my battle scars! Ok, but tell me honestly doc, will I ever play the piano again?" Shepard said with her usual air of humour.
"Well, unless you plan to play it with your 'cheeks', I'm sure you'll bee fine." Dr Chakwas replied with a shake of her head.
"Regarding the scars, you never know, you might be lucky... The cut on your defiant backside may scar, but it's not really in a very show off-able region. Well at least not to most eyes." she cast a quick glance in Liara's direction, who's cheek colour turned a slightly darker shade of blue. The doctor smiled. "Anyway, you're free to..."
Joker's voice interrupted the dismissal "Commander, Captain Anderson called while the Doc was relocating your shoulder - said you were needed in the presidium to meet with the council as soon as you were checked over."
"Thanks, Joker" Shepard's tone was less than grateful. "Great. That sounds ominous. I bet the council want me to go clean up the mess I left in the tower." Shepard rolled her eyes and sighed. "Like I haven't seen enough of that place today!"
Sliding off the bed, Shepard said. "I'll be seeing you later." She winked at the asari lying in the next bed. "You better get that ankle fixed, Doc - I'll need her in full working order by the time I get back!" Smirked Shepard, never taking her eyes from those of her lover.
"I'm sure Dr Chakwas will be able to return me to my former state." Liara grinned, then said in a much lower, huskier tone as she grasped Shepard's hand. "Please, don't be long. I will be waiting for you." She cast Shepard 'that look' which always instantly melted the heart of her Commander, and turned her legs to jelly.
"My place or yours, baby?" A lustful smile crept across Shepard's face as she softly kissed the lips of the lover she was loath to leave.
"Oh, gimme a bucket!" Ashley Williams interrupted from the bed opposite Liara, bringing the loved-up pair crashing back to reality.
"Williams - Your scans are all clear - no internal trauma, and that arm should be fixed in about a week," The Doctor, looked at the holoscreen display which showed the information about Williams' condition. "so, you are also free to go Chief." she concluded, smirking in Ashley's direction.
"Thank god - I can't put up with any more mushy stuff. I mean, I just helped save the galaxy right? And my reward is a broken arm and nausea - the latter being nothing to do with Sovreign!"
"Stop whining soldier" Shepard smiled and playfully punched the Chief in her good arm as she passed.
Shepard took the rapid transport from C-Sec to the Embassy - fidgeting all the time due to her inconveniently placed injury. When she arrived, she found Captain Anderson and Ambassador Udina, waiting for her.
"The council wants a word with you." said Udina in his usual angry sounding tone as he walked away.
"Hmmm, I'm for it now aren't I?" she whispered to Anderson as they walked towards the bridge where the council stood. The council had made a temporary meeting area within the presidium's financial district.
Much to Shepard's surprise there was none of the usual ungrateful attitude from the three leaders. Instead the council thanked her for saving their lives and those of the entire galaxy, and said her actions, along with the selfless sacrifice of those aboard the ships of the Alliance fleet, who perished to save the council, had proven that the human race was ready to join the council. They then asked for her recommendation - of course she suggested Anderson, not only because he was the best man for the job, but because it really pissed off that detestable little man, Udina!
Shepard then explained to the council that the reapers are still out there and she had work to do, at which point she turned and marched away trying to disguise her slight limp.
After giving a quick motivational speech, Anderson chased after the Commander. "Not so fast, Shepard"
"Captain?" Shepard spun around.
"You may have got work to do, but you need to take a break. You're not invincible you know - despite evidence to the contrary. You need rest and recovery time too... a week at least. And that's an order!" He said firmly.
"But... What about the reapers?... And Ilos?" Shepard protested.
"That will wait - I need the saviour of the galaxy in top condition if she's going to have to do it again. No arguments Shepard, you and all your crew are officially on leave from tomorrow." He had that determined look in his eye that meant he would not back down.
"Yes Sir" Shepard saluted, trying to mask her glee at the prospect of getting some uninterrupted time alone with her lover.
"See you in a week, Commander." Anderson turned and headed back to the Embassy to try to smooth things over with Udina.
Shepard decided to walk back to the Normandy and let her thoughts wander freely as she sauntered through the wards. She could barely believe that the battle was over and that the human race had finally earned their place on the council. She felt a sense of pride, not for herself, but for her species. So many had fought and died for that honour. She just hoped they didn't screw it up. At least she knew that Anderson stood a better chance of not making a hash of it, than Udina would.
She thought about her crew; especially those who had stood by her, no matter the cost. She closed her eyes briefly as she thought about the ones that had perished. So many of the Normandy's crew had quickly become more than just colleagues ... they had become friends. Very good friends, who had become so very important to her. She decided that life is short when you're in this line of work. Maybe it was time to show them her gratitude on a personal level. She would give that some thought, this week. Wow, a week... a whole week... to not think about certain death and just actually enjoy a bit of normality. She thought and smiled at the prospect.
She continued to let her mind drift as she strolled, soon finding herself thinking about her asari lover and the short time they spent together less than a day ago.
Liara is perfect in every way, Shepard thought to herself. The 'young' archaeologist had an incredible mind and an amazing body to match. She had the most warm and gentle smile that not only lit up the room, but had ignited a dormant flame in her soul.
The velvety ridges of her crest were surprisingly soft to the touch. Shepard recalled the reaction she got from Liara when she first kissed and caressed them. The azure beauty writhed around and moaned uncontrollably, clearly in total ecstasy with every slight movement of her lover's fingers, lips and tongue - obviously this was a particularly sensual area on an asari. One to remember! Shepard thought as she continued her journey.
But what always captivated Shepard the most, and had her hooked from the start were Liara's incredibly blue eyes. Even on Therum when they first made eye contact after Liara was released from the bubble, there was a brief but undeniable moment where Shepard just stared into the asari's big blues before the earthquake shook her back to her mission.
Since the Union, Shepard constantly longed for her asari lover... Missed her gentle touch when they were apart. In Liara's arms, it was like she was suddenly... Complete. Argh, what a cliché! Shepard mocked herself in her thoughts.
She remembered how she'd watched her new lover sleep from her perch at her desk, almost with a sense if pride. She had memorised every contour of the asari's body, her soft curves, pert breasts, smooth azure skin, velvety crest…
However, the Commander's attraction to Liara wasn't merely physical. She constantly found herself marveling at her remarkable mind - she oozed logic and compassion with every syllable that left her soft lips, and she always had a view or perspective that came straight out without thought - she couldn't help it. It was like she had a total inability to hide what she was thinking, sometimes coming out like the words of an over-excited child. It really was just the most adorable thing when she got all awkward, and started babbling. Looking back, Shepard had wanted to kiss her ever since their first conversation in the medbay storage room as she gazed upon the asari's face. It was a face Shepard hoped she would wake up next to, every day for the rest of her life. She smiled, probably appearing quite gormless as she stood alone in the lift, mind still wandering.
Whilst they had only shared a couple of near intimate moments, and their brief Union before Ilos, it felt as if Liara had been a part of Shepard forever. In that short time she felt an unbreakable connection to her. Their Union had been something incomparable to anything Shepard had ever experienced, and yet somehow she knew it was only the tip of the iceberg. There was much more to experience - and she would love to explore the Union further, given a little more time, and without being interrupted by a certain helmsman.
Liara was the most amazing woman, um... person she had ever met. Hmmm... That's going to be a hard one to explain to Dad... Argh, I'll have to think about that later.
Wow, she thought suddenly coming to her senses this is getting serious if I'm wondering about my parents' reaction... She'd never bothered seeking their approval before. In fact she'd had never even thought about introducing anyone to them in the past. Why am I thinking about it now? After all I suppose we only had a quick 'I might die tomorrow' nookie session.
As Shepard stood there alone in the elevator, she couldn't believe how fast this had all happened - Liara had completely taken over her, and she didn't mind one bit! It just felt like one minute Commander Shepard, the newly made Spectre, was rescuing some strange blue alien from a bubble in a collapsing mine; the next she was joining her mind, body and soul with that of the asari. It had all happed so quickly it was almost just a blur, but the strangest thing was, she knew loved the asari. I do truly love Liara with every part of my being.
The thought hit her like sledge-hammer round as she stepped out of the elevator and headed for the decontamination compartment of the airlock to the ship. I... Commander Shepard, Spectre, 'saviour of the galaxy'... am totally and ridiculously head over heels in love ... with an alien ... a blue alien ... a 106 year old blue alien.
"Oh my god… I actually LOVE her..." Shepard muttered under her breath. No. That's stupid. It's way too soon. Isn't it? Should … should I tell her? She continued in her head.
Suddenly her head was spinning. As usual her logical, rational side started arguing with her impulsive, emotional side - the crazy impulsive emotional side was winning at first, but when the logical side began to agree it started to terrify her.
What if she doesn't love me? What if it was merely a one time thing to her? - no, that can't be, not after what she said in the medbay.
What if it was only lust she felt and nothing more? – well, yes, I suppose that's possible. I've seen that look, it is pure lust.
Shepard realised she didn't know the first thing about how the asari worked, relationship wise. She knew what Liara had told her, but the young asari wasn't exactly experienced in anything involving contact with others - in the form of friendship or otherwise.
Why didn't I look this stuff up, like she researched humans? - cos you're a dumbass soldier not a bookworm with a brilliant mind for forethought!
All she knew for certain was that she couldn't bare the thought of not being with Liara... Forever...
Shepard needed to know how the young asari felt about her. She needed to see her right away.
After being decontaminated and re-pressurized, Shepard marched double time down to the Medical storage room where Liara had taken up residence. She acknowledged Dr Chakwas with a nod as she passed the medic at the med bay door.
She was just about to request entrance to the storage room when she stopped, turned on her heels and leant against the wall - all those 'what if' theories started to run though her head again at FTL speeds. She was so nervous... Commander Shepard... Nervous. This is ridiculous! she mentally chastised herself. She was breaking into a sweat and her heart was pounding so hard it was like it was trying to break out of her chest past her broken ribs.
Shepard was glad that Dr Chakwas had left the room - She may have thought her commander was injured as she steadied herself on one of the beds and took a deep breath before pressing the s door's access button.
"Come in." Said a soft voice. That voice... Her words flowed like a warm breeze into Shepard's ears. The door opened and the nervous Spectre stood in the entrance.
Liara was concentrating on her research, not expecting Shepard to be back for hours yet - she knew those sort of meetings had a tendency to go on for some time. Briefly, she looked over to the entrance to see who her visitor was.
"Oh, commander". She stood immediately. "You're back earlier than I expected. What can I do for you...?" there was 'that look' in her eyes again.
Shepard stared into those libidinous eyes. She couldn't possibly respond with any of the things that started racing through her imagination... she gave herself a mental slap to shock her wandering mind back to the reason she was here.
"I, er... well... I just wanted to talk... if you aren't too busy or anything...? I can come back later..." Shepard stammered, trying to give herself an escape option. The Spectre stood staring at the floor like a lost schoolgirl.
"Of course, Commander... Go ahead." She stared into Shepard's eyes.
Commander...? Shepard thought to herself - a bit formal for lovers. Why hadn't she called her Samantha as she had during the Union?
Liara stood looking at the seemingly dazed woman in front of her. "Are you ok? I sense there is something troubling you?" looking a little puzzled, Liara tilted her head. There was an air of concern in her voice as she spoke.
Damn the asari intuition. Shepard thought. She always see's right through me.
"It's nothing really. I mean... it is something... I er...". Liara took 3 steps towards the uncharacteristically nervous woman and brushed the back of her soft hand over her cheek.
This at least gave Shepard some hope that her affection might be more than just lust.
"What is it Samantha? You know you can tell me anything...".
Samantha... There it was, she said it. The Spectre thought and let out a very deep breath that she was unaware she had been holding.
"I know ... I'm just a little ... well ... nervous." she glanced furtively at Liara. "Usually in conversations I know roughly what the outcome will be. But with you, I never do! I don't even know what I'M going to say to you, half the time!" She looked at the floor, then back into those big blue eyes and continued. "Look, about the yesterday ... before Ilos..." Shepard took in a deep breath again. "I need to know where I stand".
"You stand in my quarters..." Liara wore a puzzled look on her face.
Shepard couldn't help but smile at her lover's innocence. "No, I mean with regards to you and me" She could see by the look on Liara's face that she was still struggling to work out human speech habits. "You know, like, how you feel about things, about me. Was it only lust, or a one off thing? Did you just not want to die a virgin, in case it came to that?" Shepard blurted out wishing she had maybe kept her questions a little more subtle. But then again at least this way there was no room for confusion.
"My love, I joined with you then because it felt right. I couldn't stop thinking about you because I wanted to share every part of me with you... I wanted the union because… I love you."
At this Samantha smiled and met her lover's eyes once more.
Liara continued "I have loved you since the first time I looked into your eyes and saw through the mask you constantly hide behind. I glimpsed, even if just for a moment, the person you really are deep down in your soul. I was yours from that moment on." She smiled "I wanted you even more as I got to know you over the duration of the mission. As I said, you fascinate me... and before Ilos, well I couldn't bare the thought of us going off to fight a battle which either or both of us may never return from, having never shared myself with you and shown you how I feel about you".
Shepard looked at the ceiling, sending silent thanks to a God she didn't really believe in. "I was worried you may have regrets about what we did... That it was a rash decision or something" she explained. "I wanted to be sure it meant as much to you as it did to me. I love you, Liara… with all my heart and soul". Samantha felt such relief that she didn't just see her as a one night or 'last night' stand. Her heart was soaring.
"Samantha, I have walked in your soul. I know what it meant to you. I could feel with every touch how much you feel for me. I feel the same." she smiled and kissed Shepard's lips so tenderly she could only just feel it.
"Before we joined, I said open your mind. I know you held back slightly - you are as guarded in your mind as you are in your physical actions - you need to open up completely... If you had, you would have felt my feelings for you too." she took Samantha's hands in hers as she kissed her lover again. "Please... lower your defences and let me in. Then you will be able to feel for yourself exactly how I feel for you."
Shepard smiled at her sheepishly. "I'm sorry. I have trouble letting my guard down. I'm afraid, I guess... I just always have to be the strong one - I have to lead, command, and make decisions which are literally life or death. I have to be this person 24/7 for my crew. That's why it's so hard to let someone in so they can see what a big mushy mess I really am! - but I want you to know that I trust you, Liara. And I promise to open up totally to you."
"Ahhh, my big rough tough commander... I promise that I will never tell anyone what a big softy you really are." She mocked whilst at the same time trying to add reassurance. "You are a great mystery to me, Shepard. One I am sure I will enjoy unraveling…!" She rested her forehead on Samantha's.
"Sorry." Shepard said looking deep into her lover's eyes.
"What for?" Liara puzzled.
"For being a big idiot... I did feel how you felt about me during the joining, but looking back afterwards, I thought maybe it was just wishful thinking. Something I had made up in my own mind. The more I thought about it, the less I was certain. It became more like a dream."
"I've got an idea how to break that dream feeling. How about we go for that round 2 you mentioned... right now? - only this time with no holding back and no time restrictions." Liara gave Samantha 'that look' once more - what else could the commander do but kiss those gently smiling lips.
"Deal!" Shepard said and quickly picked up the asari, threw her over strong armored shoulder, forgetting it was ever dislocated, and carried her lover kicking and giggling back to the commander's quarters - much to the amusement of her crew, but she didn't care. So what if their commander has a weakness for blue archaeologists. The rumors had been circulating for weeks anyway - no doubt thanks to Joker's ear-wigging!
Now they wouldn't have to hide their love behind closed doors. Speaking of which; Commander Shepard poked her head round the corner to the mess hall... "Do not disturb - ok guys? - that's an order!"
"Yes ma'am!" the officers in the mess replied.
She spoke into her comm "…and joker - privacy mode on in my quarters. I want no interruptions - you hear me? Even if the whole galaxy is in peril, it can damn well wait!"
"Understood commander - loud and clear - over and out".
Samantha dimmed the lights in her quarters, turned and gazed at Liara sat on her bed.
"I think it's time to embrace eternity... don't you?" Shepard said playfully.
Liara returned the smile, ran over to her lover who swept her up into her arms. Liara wrapped her legs around Samantha's waist. "Definitely." She whispered softly in Sam's ear as her human lover started to kiss her blue neck, whilst running her fingers along the ridges of the azure crest making her writhe in the strong arms of the spectre.
Looking into Samantha's eyes, Liara said mischievously "Hey, can I see your new scar. I'd imagine it might need kissing better."
"Oh yeah…! Speaking of which, I've got quite a few areas that could use that sort of treatment." Samantha smiled back as she carried the love of her life over to the bed...