Shepard sat down at the table in the mess hall and noticed Liara was there eating late. Shepard moved down a few chairs to sit across from her.

"I'm sorry. Do you want to be alone?"

"No! Please sit, Commander." Liara said, perhaps just a little too fast to sound casual.

The two were quiet for a moment as Shepard began eating. Liara started talking casually about the last mission they had been on together. Shepard found herself staring at the tiny mark that was on Liara's cheek beside her mouth. She didn't know if it were a mole or a freckle or a beauty mark. All she knew is that she had a sudden desire to lean forward and kiss it. Shepard chuckled inwardly to herself. It would seem that I've developed a little attraction to the alien girl. Shepard moved her eyes from Liara's mark back to her eyes and realized that she was being asked a question.

Shepard shook her head a little. "I'm sorry. My mind wandered a little. Could you please repeat that last part?"

"I was asking you if you felt any ill effects from the beacon? Headaches?"

"Ah, no. It hurt my head as it was happening but there doesn't seem to be any permanent effects."

"That is good Commander. It is remarkable that your mind was able to withstand such an onslaught."

Shepard felt her mind wandering once again. So typical. Humans meet an alien species and their first question is: will these aliens kill me? The second question seems to be: can I mate with these aliens? Shepard thought back to the space novels she read as a child. It had been an exciting time for humanity as they took their first flights across the galaxy. In response, there was a flood of new cheap novels published to satisfy the demand for the new age of discovery.

Shepard remembered stealing the newest trashy novel, running through the crowded, loud streets and finding that spot that was quiet and safe. It was her favorite spot where she could look up at the night sky and still see a few stars through all the light pollution. Shepard remembered looking up to those stars and wondering what was out there while she read the latest tale of a daring spaceship Captain who flew all over the galaxy and saved the day. And of course, those Captains always had grand romances with the aliens who they met along the way. And by some miracle, the aliens were always attractive by human standards and were always sexually compatible with humans. Shepard decided that maybe her attraction to Liara was some kind of wish fulfilment from childhood. Shepard thought about it some more. Hell, my whole life might be some kind of childhood wish fulfilment.

"Credit for your thoughts, Commander?"

"I'm sorry?"

"Credit for your thoughts. Is that not the correct human phrase to use when someone appears deep in thought and you wish to know what they are thinking?"

"I was just thinking how weird it is how things work out."

"For example?"

Shepard smiled. Can't very well tell her what I was really thinking. "For example, I used to read these really stupid novels when I was a kid about these Space Captains who would travel all over exploring and saving the galaxy."

"And now here you are, saving the galaxy."

"No. I'm just a soldier trying to do the best that she can. The reality is much different. I don't know if the asari have these types of novels but they are really bad. You know, the 'hero' always does the right thing and single-handedly takes down ten bad guys."

Liara had not been on the ship that long but the description seemed pretty accurate to her.

"And in these scenarios, I would be the 'damsel in distress' that the brave Captain saves from certain death?"

"Again no. You are way too intelligent and capable to qualify as a proper damsel. They are usually pretty dumb. Though you are definitely beautiful enough for the role." Shepard winced internally as soon as she said it. Easy there, Shepard. This isn't a bar and while she's not Alliance, she's still a subordinate. Note to self: you need to get yourself laid at the earliest opportunity. "I'm sorry. I don't want to make you feel uncomfortable."

"I am flattered, Commander. You managed to fit three compliments into one." Maybe, just maybe I am not the only one who feels an attraction here, Liara thought. Liara realized that it was Shepard who was now uncomfortable and she didn't want her to leave so she changed the subject. "Tell me more about your childhood, Commander. Where did you grow up?"

"Well, I grew up on Earth on the East Coast of the United North American States. I grew up in a place called New York City but really one giant city pretty much sprawls up and down the entire coast." Shepard paused before continuing. No sense in not being honest. She has always been very honest with me. "I was an orphan so I mostly grew up on the streets. I survived by being a petty thief and then by joining a gang. Not very heroic, I know."

"How old were you when you lost your parents?"

"One or Two, maybe? I don't know exactly. I don't even remember my parents. I remember having foster parents and I remember being in an orphanage for a while but I escaped from that evil place."

"How old were you when you were alone on the streets?"

"Nine or so. I couldn't stand being in that orphanage or protective services anymore so I just ran away and stayed out of sight for a bit. It's pretty easy to do in a large city. The people that you run into don't really want to see the kids out there on their own because then they might start feeling guilty or even worse, they might feel compelled to act." Shepard looked up and saw what could only be described as a look of horror on Liara's face.

"Nine?! You have been on your own since you were nine? That is just a child! How can humans do that to their children?"

"It's not just humans and it doesn't happen to most human children. Most planets have children who have lost their parents and who slip through the cracks."

"It would not happen on an asari world. If a child loses her parents and does not have any other family to take care of her, she is placed in a loving proxy-parent home where she will be well taken care of."

"So there are no kids running around in the streets of the big cities on Thessia?"

"There might be some who run away but they are not alone there for long."

Note to Self: Read about Thessia and the other Asari worlds, Shepard thought. "What can I tell you, Liara? In many ways Earth has gotten its act together but in other ways, we haven't. At least we aren't trying to kill each other in nearly perpetual wars any longer."

"I am just very glad that you survived, Commander. I imagine that it was not an easy childhood." Liara shifted in her seat. She felt herself getting irrationally protective of the Young Shepard who she had never met and who no longer existed.

"It was definitely not ideal. Many of the people that I grew up with are dead or in jail. Some of the others that survived turned into cold-blooded killers. They just completely lost their humanity. There's nothing left but the rage and the hate."

Liara considered her next question carefully. "And how do you explain the fact that you escaped that fate?"

"I have no idea. Maybe I was just smart enough to realize that it was a dead-end life. Or maybe it was the bad novels." Shepard considered. "Of course, my current line of work has a low life expectancy as well. Maybe it will turn out to be a bad decision. Actually, there's not that much difference except that the pay is slightly better." Shepard let out a small laugh. "At least I get the chance to fight for something besides myself and maybe I will be able to do some good." Shepard suddenly realized that she had been talking about herself for the last half hour and that the fifteen minutes that she usually gave herself to eat had long since passed. "Well, thanks for talking with me, Liara. I hope that I didn't bore you too much going on and on about myself. I will see you later."

"Not at all, Shepard. I enjoyed it." Liara said as Shepard rose and left the table. Liara felt a little giddy. Her plan to eat later in the hopes of running into the Commander had worked perfectly. And now she had all this new information about the Commander to go over in her head for hours. Liara thought that she might try to eat late again tomorrow but then again maybe she shouldn't because she didn't want the Commander to realize that she was doing it deliberately. Liara then suddenly realized with horror that she had called her Shepard instead of Commander as she was leaving and wondered if that was too informal. I hope that she did not notice! Liara then thought that maybe it would be best if she avoided her altogether for a few days just to be on the safe side. She had enough new information to keep her busy until then.