"The years have been hard on both of us, haven't they?" Liara whispered softly. Commander, no, John Shepard nodded in agreement, his arms wrapped around his lover's waist, his lover's head rested upon his scarred chest, memoirs from Akuze, chasing after Saren, his own death and subsequent resurrection at the hands of Cerberus, and the Suicide Mission. He wasn't Commander Shepard, the first human Spectre, not with her at least. Here, he was free to be himself without his crew or the rest of the galaxy watching him. He smiled. Although her eyes were closed, he knew that she could sense him nod in agreement due to their nervous systems still being in-tune with one another after the melding.

"Yes, they have," he told her. The melding was more than simple sex. The ecstasy was far beyond anything Shepard could describe, but their very minds were linked along with their nervous systems. Liara, her memories, her very being became a part of him as he became part of her. Shepard didn't want her to experience some of his more terrible memories: the lost of his home on Mindoir, watching his entire unit die at Akuze, and all the emotions he felt at those times. But from the first time they made love, Liara insisted that he not block her. She wanted to experience him, the good and the bad.

So it was when she visited his new Normandy and, after a long heart-to-heart conversation, he took her to bed for the first time in years. Together, they re-lived Mindoir and Akuze as well as those adrenaline-filled days chasing Saren and the stress from working with Cerberus to stop the Collectors. He had felt tears fall from her eyes as she saw their initial reunion from his point of view along with all his distress and worry.

Liara herself had terrible memories as well: the frantic search for his body, her guilt and grief as she fought tooth and nail to recover him even as Feron was taken prisoner for certain death or worse, and her obsessive hunting of the Shadow Broker. Then, as they climaxed, they relived their defeat of the Shadow Broker and the joy of finally being able to put this behind them and be together, even if they had to part ways for a little while.

Presently, he tightened his grip around her and he smiled, "The rewards are worth it, though."

She gently punched his chest and looked away and Shepard's smile grew. Liara had matured since he was gone, became a respected information broker and, now, the Shadow Broker, but he could still make her feel embarrassed.

"Yes, they are," she agreed at last with a smile of her own, "I have to admit that your adventures were interesting. I don't think a Krogan has ever named an alien his Battlemaster and you catching the attention of three completely different women is, I believe, the makings of a juvenile human male's fantasy, if my understanding of your species is correct."

Hidden behind her statement was a slight feeling of fear and jealousy, not that he could blame her. He felt the same way when she declined his offer to instead work to avenge her friend, who he now knew as Feron. He supposed some feelings transcended entire species. He chuckled.

"Believe me, it was never one of mine," he told her. With Miranda, it wasn't said and it was easy to imply he was uninterested. With Jack, it was a little disconcerting mix of her respecting him, hating him, and liking him all at once that ended with an agreement to be friends... And a certain tension in the air that suggested he go away if he didn't want to end up with a fight with her. Then there was Tali. With her, it was like letting down a kid-sister easily without making them feel bad. To tell the truth, Shepard didn't understand how he managed to attract three different women unintentionally. He didn't consider himself that good-looking.

"Yes, I could tell that when you were the first human I met to not "casually" bring up certain rumors about my species," she told him in amusement.

"Because scavengers far from civilization is the standard for every species," he noted. She laughed a little, but looked concerned for a moment, as if she was thinking about something. Through the remnants of their meld, he could feel her nervousness. He kissed her gently.

"What is it?" he asked.

"Just something you said. 'Marriage, old age, and a lot of blue children'. Do... Do you think it will be that easy? Even after the Reapers are defeated, I'll still have the Shadow Broker's network to handle and the Council will insist on parading you around to make the Galaxy feel safe and then you'll still be a Spectre and Spectres don't quit," she told him with a frown.

John only gave her a smile, the special one that he wore when he knew that he was walking into a shit-storm and daring his you to follow him, the type where he blatantly pissed off the Council, especially the Turian, and dared them to do something about it.

"I'll be the first," he told her matter-of-factly, "After saving their asses and the galaxy for the second time, they can hardly refuse. Besides, I'm still pissed that they tried to white-wash everything during my... absence."

Liara gripped Shepard involuntarily. The pain from losing him was still fresh on her mind. John placed his own hands on hers and smiled.

"I told you. I'm not going anywhere," he assured her. He frowned, giving her a worried look, "How about you? Will you be able to let go of being the Shadow Broker?"

Liara paused for a few moments, looking at her lover with an unreadable expression. She spoke, "I admit that it will be hard. All that information, it's so tempting. It would be so easy to just do it forever, but that's the problem. It holds so much temptation. I'll have to do something with the system so that it will only be used for good, while I retire."

She paused for a moment, giving him a teasing smile, "Still... I suppose settling down with the savior of the galaxy isn't that big of a step down."

"Step down, huh?" John asked her with a smirk, gently lying the asari down on the bed and crawling on top of her. He could feel his member stiffen in excitement as Liara pressed her hands against his chest, "I'm not so sure about that."

"Care to prove it, Commander?" she asked him sultrily.

"I can't exactly deny the Shadow Broker, can I?" he replied, closing the distance between them and cupping her breast.

"No, you can't," she murmured, gasping as she pressed up against him. He had to admit it. He missed the site of her eyes turning black at his touch.

A/N. Like it? Hate it? Reading is nice, but reviews are nicer.