Little Things
It had all started with something so simple. A single press of a button, but that was all it took. For that was what had allowed Liara T'soni to survive long enough to meet Jane Daria Shepard. Once they were safely returned to the Spectre's vessel Liara was surprised at how easily the human had allowed their minds to be joined. She was further surprised when the spectre had visited the small storeroom that was to become her living space during the journey merely to check on how the Asari was feeling.
For Shepard it to had started with the press of a button. In her case the button that had started up the mining laser she had used to free the trapped scientist. Once they were back on the Normandy it was Liara's smile when she was able to learn more about the eventually fate of the protheans. Just something about it made her want to learn more about the archaeologist.
"Here Liara," Shepard said as she walked into the storeroom a few days later. She almost reverentially handed over a prothean data discs. Liara took the ancient device from the human with great care.
"Thank you Shepard," Liara said. "But I fear I lack the facilities to even attempt reading it."
"Nether the less I think you should hold on it," the commander intoned. "Even if all you can do is look at it, it might inspire something."
So Liara set the disk right next to her terminal.
"Good morning Doctor Chakwas," Liara said as she exited the storeroom to the medbay proper.
"Ah Good Morning Doctor T'soni," the human doctor replied. Liara was always surprised how the doctor could seem like a matron or even a matriarch. Humanity was the most interesting thing to happen in the galaxy in a long while.
"Any idea when we will reach Noveria?" the Asari asked.
"Not for another day," Chakwas replied. "The commander picked up a distress signal last night but she's having trouble tracking it down."
"You mean she's been awake all this time?" Liara asked as they both entered the common area that served as the mess hall and recreation area.
"Yes," was the doctor's answer. "I was just about take some breakfast up to her."
"Please allow me," Liara said.
"Are you sure?"
"Honestly it will give me something to do," the Asari explained. "I can't help on the engines like Tali, or on the weapons and armour like Wrex and Garrus."
So Dr. Chakwas helped gather the food that should give the Commander enough energy for a rescue mission hand them on a tray to Liara and went back to her medbay. The Asari carefully negotiated the stairs to the CIC, giving a soft sigh of relief once she was through the doorway. A worn looking Shepard was hunched over the holographic map as if she could pinpoint wherever the distress call was coming from just by staring at it.
"Excuse me Commander but…" Liara began.
The commander turned and the human's frown was replaced by a smile.
"Good morning Liara," she said. "Is that food for me?"
Liara just nodded.
"There's a ship running on minimum power within a few hundred kilometres commander," navigator Pressley informed. "I think we've found it."
Shepard gave him a nod then turned to Liara.
"Thanks for bringing this up," she said as she took the orange juice from the tray.
The Normandy and her crew had been caught up in Noverian corporate intrigue for several days. Chief Williams had set up weapons drills in the cargo area. Liara decided to participate because it had been sometime since she had held a weapon. It was frustrating, as her aim always seemed to be just a bit off. Her biotics could potentially negate the need to be armed but she didn't know of anyone who could use them continuously. But no matter how hard she tried she just couldn't get the shot to impact where she aimed. The elevator opened up revealing Shepard, Kaiden Alenko and Wrex, the last of which was lugging a large crate of upgrades.
"Well Ash we've finally got permission to go to peek 15," the commander said.
"I'm sensing a but skipper," the other human replied.
"The head administrator has been biting the hand the feeds him," Shepard explained. "I figure an extra hour before we head out could help ease our future dealings here."
"Aye skipper burning the red tape."
Another shot of Liara's went wide. Shepard noticed, the spectre opened the upgrades that Wrex had placed near the weapons lockers. Once she found an item she walked over to Liara.
"This may help," the human said as she handed over a stabilizer. Liara carefully added the technology to the pistol she was using. Once she had performed the necessary checks to ensure the weapon wouldn't do anything untoward she took aim and fired at the target. Almost but not quite was the result.
"Hmmm," the spectre said. "If you would allow me?"
Liara nodded her consent. The human stepped close and subtly altered the Asari's stance. Liara flushed at the almost intimate contact. Not pulling away Shepard spoke to her.
"Try it now Dr. T'soni."
Liara fired and it hit exactly were she was aiming for.
"Why didn't it do that before?" Liara asked.
"Maybe it's just the way humans manufacture weapons," Shepard shrugged.
"Are you still sure you want me with you when we confront Matriarch Benezia?" Liara asked.
"You deserve to ask your mother why she endangered your life on Theruim," Shepard replied. "I trust you Liara and you deserve to know a great many reasons why from Benezia."
The Normandy was on it's way back to the citadel to resupply after a the confrontation with Benezia. Shepard was sitting with Liara, just being there for her. The conversation they had, that had banished the silence, had been bittersweet. For although they found out more about each other, many painful memories had surfaced for them both. Liara not knowing her other parent and not having being in contact with her mother for years and of course the feeling that other Asari were calling her derogatory things. For Shepard it was Akuze and the loss of Jenkins at the start of this mess.
"I'm sorry again Shepard," Liara said looking at the floor ashamed. "I should not have gone behind your back to find out about what happened on Akuze."
"It's okay Liara," the spectre assured her. "But you know you can ask me anything. I don't know talking with you about it makes it hurt less."
"I feel the same way," Liara replied. "I feel the past several days would have been much more difficult if it weren't for you Shepard."
"I'm glad I could be here for you."
"Does it ever stop hurting Jane Daria?" Liara asked.
"Uh?" was the human's only reply.
"I'm sorry, I've over stepped the boundaries in this again," Liara said. "You see why I prefer the company of long dead Protheans."
"No that's not it Liara!" Shepard hastily blurted out. "It's just you're the first to ever get the entirety of my given name right. So many people insisting they only needed to say Jane."
"Jane Daria is the way it is written on you personnel file," Liara said. "I assume there is a story behind having two instead of one first given name."
"Well one day I'll tell you about my two great Aunts that lived around the 2000's on earth's Common Era calendar," the spectre elaborated a little. "You can call me that any time it's appropriate."
"I will keep that in mind Jane Daria," Liara replied gratefully. "Thank you."
"Back to your question," Shepard went back to the original topic.
About a week later Admiral Hackett had instructed the Normandy and it's commanding spectre to return to the local cluster. Shepard had cringed when Liara and Garrus had heard the name. It didn't make humans look imaginative in her opinion. In any case they had been instructed to deactivate a training VI that had apparently gone rogue at one of the Luna military instillations. She had caught flak in the briefing from Williams then for not just calling it the moon. Shepard was forced to admit her love of old science fiction later while they were suiting up. The mission itself went well and Liara proved herself more than capable. Ash remarked at how easy it was to shoot stuff when it was all pulled into the same biotic singularity. The spectre was pleased that they were working so well together as it allowed her to focus on the shields that had began popping up in ever doorway. After they had finally disabled it for good, through their suits received a strange message. Shepard shrugged deciding to give it to the computer techs once they got back aboard the Normandy, which wouldn't be for sometime.
"Take the driver's seat Liara," Shepard said.
"Why?" the Asari asked.
"Because here there is almost no danger," Shepard said. "The perfect place to give you basic instructions on driving the Mako."
Liara looked nervous as Williams entered first and slid into the gunnery station.
"You'll do fine Liara," Shepard reassured her. With that the Asari gained enough courage to enter the machine herself and slide into the drivers seat. Once Shepard had slid in and the hatch was closed it was time to begin the lesson. A quick run down of the controls and soon they were rolling gentle down the side of the lunar mountain the base was built upon. Once down in the flat plane region Shepard checked something on the scanner.
"Please adjust our heading to these co-ordinates," Shepard requested.
Liara nodded and moved the steering column to the left. The journey took sometime because both Williams and Shepard had suggested the Asari only go as fast as she felt comfortable with. Fifty metres out the Mako came to a stop. After locking down all systems the three left the vehicle.
"After you Doctor T'soni," Shepard stated. Intrigued Liara took the lead. Embedded in the lunar dust was some kind of probe. Primitively constructed was an apt description in fact Liara swore she could see obvious welds. Slow she wiped the dust away from a portion of it revealing the letters CCCP.
"What is this thing?" Ahs asked.
"An old probe from the start of human space exploration," Shepard said. "I think the letters indicate it came from a collection of countries that was called the Soviet Union."
"Shepard I believe I could use your assistance," Liara interjected before the gunnery chief could ask more. Shepard knelt down beside her and examined the panel that the archaeologist had already opened.
"I believe we can actually recover the data stored in this probe," Liara explained. "But I need you electronic expertise."
"I don't know Liara," Shepard replied. "I mean this is more down Tali's alley then mine."
"Come on Skipper," Williams said. "It's probably less advance then the last enemy locker you stole weapons from."
"Still not going to let me live that down are you Ash?" Shepard asked.
"Aye Commander."
Shepard sighed and got to work. With in five minutes the relic began transmitting, the data was easily recovered by all three hard suits and transmitted to data storage aboard the Normandy.
"Congratulations Dr. T'soni," Shepard said. "You've just recovered a space probe thought lost for several centuries."
" I wonder how many more are out there?" Williams wondered.
"So many," Shepard said. "Ever heard of the Mars Metric curse?"
Liara paid them no heed she was busy looking upwards.
"Earth is so beautiful from here Jane Daria,"
Virmire, it was so strange that such a beautiful place was now associated with sorrow for all the crew. A wake was held for Kaiden Alenko once Captain Kirrhare and his crew were retrieved. Commander Shepard had disappeared into the Elevator after saying a few words. Liara followed her after using the only word appropriate for a man like Kaiden, which of course was hero. After an elevator ride that seemed to take forever Liara found her Spectre. She was just standing there staring at the terminal Kaiden tended to use.
"Why couldn't I save them both?" Shepard asked the air not realising Liara was there.
Liara couldn't answer. Instead she made her presence know by standing next to Jane Daria.
"I always wondered what he did here," Liara stated. "One night about a month ago I was working on some older papers I wanted to get published, I lost track of time so I came out here to get something to eat."
Shepard had shifted so that she was looking at the screen.
"I caught him playing that human game," Liara continued. "What was it called, Solitaire?"
This elicited a small giggle from Jane Daria. She herself had caught him playing it once or twice when she came to him for his opinions on the choices she made during the mission. He had a tremendous strength of character and the advice he offered had made everyone aboard a better person.
"I lost a friend," Jane Daria said. "Not just a solider under my command."
"I know," Liara replied as she embraced Jane Daria. The Spectre's tears followed freely as it finally felt safe to cry.
In the end it was all these little things that cemented the love between Liara T'soni and Jane Daria Shepard. While most of the Normandy crew would say the night Liara had spent in the commander's quarters as they rushed to Ilos as when it became official the truth was slightly different. While stuck at the Citadel, due to the political motivations of Ambassador Udina, a frustrated Shepard once again found herself talking to Liara in that storage room. Soon conversation turned to the matters of their relationship and once again the matter of perhaps consummating it came up.
"I'm just not ready yet," Liara explained. "Goddess though some nights…"
"I understand Liara," Shepard said as she took blue hands in her pale ones.
"I just need some time," Liara explained. "You understand in my culture I'm still considered quite young and well there has never been anyone else."
"I would wait forever for just one kiss from you," Jane Daria said as she looked deeply into her love's eyes. Liara saw nothing but the truth.
"The kiss I can do," Liara said as she inched closer. Soon Jane Daria's lips met hers. It was quick and neither of their mouths parted to allow tongues to explore. Yet it was as magically as any first kiss should be. Strange though how it was such a small thing.