The sun was shining bright, birds soaring through the periwinkle sky, soft clouds floating past and casting shadows over the small courtyard. Amelia was sitting on the patch of grass waving her arms around, clutching a model of the Normandy in one hand and a toy dinosaur in the other. Her delighted giggles echoed around the enclosed space and out from the balcony to the city below.
Liara, no longer contented with basking in the sun, pushed off the railing and turned to face her daughter. The gentle breeze swirled around from behind her, fluttering her dress and lifting the scattered Autumn leaves as she slowly floated forwards.
Quiet music spilled out of the open doorway that led into the kitchen dining area. She let the words wash over her as she watched the tiny asari girl repeatedly slam the Normandy into the dinosaur's gaping maw. This had been June's favourite music, outdated by more than a century, but then many things she'd liked were such. It was just one more peculiar thing that had stood out to Liara when she'd met her.
"Come, my little one", she said softly, gliding towards the door. Amelia nodded, a smile colouring her cheeks as she scrambled clumsily to her feet. She tottered along behind her, still waving her toys around enthusiastically. "Put your toys away now, its lunch time."
"Yes mama", she almost groaned.
Liara hid her smile behind her hand, turning her head away as the memories surged across her mind. Her eyes fell on the old, well worn coffee plunger sitting, half full, on the bench. She let her hands go to it, thumbing the faded handle. This had been one of the few personal items that had survived from June's childhood and it had found new life in the small, simple kitchen.
Suddenly, the door chimed and Amelia came running down the hallway, squealing in delight. Liara supressed a sigh, more than certain it was Javik, and made her way through the living room to the front door.
It slid away with a slight whir and there he was, standing proud on the threshold.
"Quickly, Liara T'Soni, the Hanar is not far behind me", he surged into the room, the door closing behind him.
She rolled her eyes and folded her arms, fixing him with a stern glare.
"Javik, Javik, Javik!" Amelia clung to one of the prothean's rather large legs, staring up at him with huge silver eyes.
"Greetings miniature primitive", he said simply, patting her gingerly on the head.
Liara cleared her throat. "If you call my daughter a primitive once more, there will be consequences", she said in her coldest voice.
"Primitive, primitive!" the child repeated, grinning wildly.
She sighed and Javik gave her a toothy smile that looked more like a sneer. "You cannot deny that it has a certain ring to it."
"I can and I will", she responded, stalking into the kitchen to start preparing food. "I suppose you plan to join us for a meal, then?"
He stared after her in mild disgust. "Are you still consuming that…questionable human food?"
"It's important that Amelia have experience and learning relevant to her heritage", she responded simply, pulling out a loaf of bread from the pantry. "If you don't want to eat, you don't have to."
He scowled. "Very well, I will partake in this midday meal…for the sake of the miniature…asari."
"Better, but she has a name", she muttered, hearing him huff in response.
Amelia tugged on the edge of his heavy coat, staring up at him. "Mishter Javik, tell me a shtory?"
He pulled a face, then locked eyes with Liara in desperation. She laughed as her daughter pleaded a second time. Finally, she spoke. "What about when you met Legion for the first time?"
He cocked his head slightly, regarding her. "Very well, tiny one", he relented, moving to sit in one of the armchairs. "I shall tell you a tale from a time during the war with the Reapers, some time before you were born…"
Liara busied herself with her preparation, keeping a keen ear to be certain Javik wasn't telling her daughter anything too inappropriate. She smiled to herself as she worked, letting his thick voice cascade over her scalp and down her spine.
"…and then I advised Commander Shepard to throw it out the airlock, to which she responded with negativity", he paused. "Interesting, it appears she was correct to trust the Legion machine."
She stretched over the bench to peer into the living room. There sat Javik, lounging in his favoured arm chair with Amelia perched on one knee, listening avidly. She leaned back, smiling to herself. For all his rough edges and rudeness, he was remarkably good with her daughter.
She listened for a few moments more as she tidied the kitchen, then called them both to the table to eat. Javik lifted Amelia onto one of the high stools and sat down beside her, making a face at Liara as she deposited the sandwich in front of him.
Amelia giggled.
He prodded the bread with distaste. "What is on it?"
Liara sat down and gave him 'the look'. "Turkey and salad. And it was very difficult to obtain, so you better not turn your nose up at it, Javik."
A smug expression settled on his face. "Then perhaps it is a good thing that I do not have a nose, as such."
Amelia giggled again.
"Eat your lunch, Amelia", she said, giving Javik a pointed glare.
They ate mostly in silence, occasionally interrupted by the little Asari asking Javik questions. Inquisitive as ever, though Liara couldn't say she was surprised, given her lineage.
When they were finished, she rose to wash the plates as Amelia rushed to retrieve her favourite toys and the unlikely duo headed out to the courtyard to 'play' in the afternoon sun. As she scrubbed away the crumbs in the steaming water, she could just hear Javik instructing her daughter with tactics on how to defeat a dinosaur with a frigate such as the Normandy.
She smiled and closed her eyes for a moment. It was in these moments that she wished June had somehow managed to return. She would have been so proud of their daughter. In her absence, Javik had become a strange sort of father figure for Amelia. He knew little more about the current state of the galaxy than the little asari did, but he would often drop by to hide from worship-crazy hanar and stay to share a story or two about his time on the Normandy. Liara tolerated his outlandish ways enough and was simply glad that her daughter hadn't asked him about his own people yet. For all the wild tales, she was glad Amelia had kept most of her innocence.
Wiping her hands on the hand towel hanging on the oven door, she poured herself a coffee from the plunger and headed back out to the courtyard. The wooden deck chair was mildly uncomfortable, but the afternoon sun was glorious. She smiled as she watched the unlikely pair at play.
The door chimed again and Liara turned just in time to see Aethyta let herself in. She sauntered through the apartment and leaned against the doorway, arms folded.
"Where's my little space monster?" she grinned as Amelia squealed in delight, abandoning her toys to run for a hug. "Long time no see, Javik. You're looking handsome, as always."
He tipped his head to the old asari. "You appear to be ravishing, Matriarch Aethyta", he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
"Oh, you're too kind", she did a strangely seductive pose, then tapped Liara on the shoulder. "What you up to, kid?"
"Oh, you know", she said. "Baby sitting these two, mostly."
Javik bristled but Aethyta roared with laughed. "Oh that's good. You've got your father's sense of humour."
The next half an hour consisted of Amelia avidly explaining the mission plan for the Normandy to save the galaxy from the dinosaur plague, Aethyta listening closely as she sat, cross legged on the floor, and Javik slouching on the other deck chair with a strangely pouty expression.
Liara smiled to herself and let a small sigh escape as she wondered if June Shepard was somewhere, watching over the galaxy she had given her life to protect.
Earth is beautiful again, June. I have so many wishes for you that will never be, but I can find happiness with what I have right here. Thankyou for all that you have done, and what you have provided us with.