Title: Reunion

Author: KalenCaelli
Rating: T

Disclaimer: Mass Effect, Mass Effect 2, and its associated characters belong to Bioware. My version of Shepard belongs to me. This contains some love scenes between females and if that bothers you, then don't read it.

Special thanks to DoubleMMia for her advice and input on these edits. For those of you who are interested, this is a Shepard/Liara fic. Unfortunately, it may be one of the last ones I write (until ME3 comes out) because I've turned into a Shepard/Miranda shipper (damn you Bioware for taking that option away from me). Seriously, I have been playing through the game with the intent on pulling out scenes for my longer story and all my brain has been able to do is pull out Miranda/Shepard stories. I'd like to blame ElmJuniper and DoubleMMia for my conversion (damn you both ;) ), but really, it was the ass. And the legs. And those eyes. And everything in between.

At any rate, I hope the Shepard/Liara bug bites me again. Until then, I'll continue working on the next installment for Lost Scrolls (unfortunately, word decided to glitch and delete much of what I'd written (damn Microsoft), so I'm having to reconstruct much of it from memory (which wasn't very good at 3 a.m.). I'll also be working on my longer Shepard/Miranda story.

Oh, and one more thing. This is absolutely pure and unmitigated fluff. None of that angsty goodness I love so much. Okay well maybe a little – but not enough, damn it.

"Shepard!"

Liara shouldn't have been so surprised to see her standing in the doorway. After all, she had been tracking the soldier's progress for some time — every step, every breath, every word – carefully recorded, examined, analyzed. At this point, she could safely say she knew Shepard better than she knew herself.

Still, all of the knowledge in the world couldn't have prepared Liara for the sensation of seeing her there, perched against the frame, toned arms crossed over her chest, and a wry, almost sensual smile drifting lazily across those alluring lips. Her eyes...eyes the color of an uncut jade, examining her, boring into her with an intensity that was so characteristically...

...alive.

She had known Shepard had survived, of course. Liara had been glued to her monitors each agonizing minute of the Normandy's trip through the Omega-4 Relay. Her obsession had nearly driven Feron mad. But she couldn't help it, not really. She had seen Shepard die once and those nightmares would not soon fade.

So of course she had known the exact moment the Normandy had returned, had seen the message addressed for her eyes alone.

I'm coming home.

Three simple words that had nearly brought her to her knees. And now she was here, living and breathing and...

Liara raced across the room, flinging herself into the outstretched arms, losing herself in that wonderful embrace and the press of familiar body against her own...

She was alive.

"Hey now," the lips pressed themselves into the folds of her neck, the soothing contralto a balm for her racing pulse. "I told you I'd return, didn't I?"

She was back. She really was...

...oh goddess.

Hastily extracting herself from her lover's embrace, Liara spun around and paced away, a surge of panic suddenly coursing through her veins. She had not expected… No, how was she supposed to explain? What would Shepard say?

"Liara?" Confusion, now. The asari buried her face in her hands. Goddess, what was she supposed to say? How could she?

"What's wrong?" One cautious footstep, then another, approached her, and those arms slipped around her waist once more. "Liara?"

She had to say something, but she couldn't...

So she fled, racing up the narrow walkway and down a small corridor that led to her quarters.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x

The green eyes traced the path of blue, watching as Liara ran away, the unexpected reaction leaving more questions than answers.

Not the least of which was 'what the hell is going on?'

Those eyes darted to Feron now, who'd been roused from his office by the simple commotion. The drell merely shrugged, his nonchalance indicating that he certainly wasn't privy to such details.

She's your girlfriend. It was a silent challenge, a reminder, one that drew a smile to the corners of her mouth.

Tristan Shepard shook her head, her feet already guiding her along the asari's path. Old insecurities led her to hesitate outside the door. Should she go in and see what was bothering Liara? Did she need space?

Frowning, Shepard stepped inside the room, eyes immediately narrowing on her target. Knees drawn up, head buried, arms wrapped around those long limbs, Liara was the very picture of distress. Tristan chewed on her lower lip for just a moment before making her decision.

With long, easy strides she crossed the room, gingerly taking a seat beside the distraught asari, listening to the bed creak and groan as it settled beneath them. One hand she placed on the middle of a back, the other slowly guiding the other woman into a gentle hug.

"Liara, please talk to me."

She heard the low hiss, felt the muscles tighten underneath her fingers. This was not the reception she expected (that one involved a fair bit more sex), but if the asari needed to talk, then she would do her best to listen.

And take a cold, cold shower later.

Tristan waited, patiently at first, wishing to give Liara the space to formulate her thoughts. One minute, then two, then ten – and still no word from the asari. She had nearly given up when the voice, impossibly small, broke the silence.

"Shepard..."

"Tristan..." came the correction, albeit gently. Old habits were hard, very hard, to break.

A pause, then, "Tristan, you have to understand... I wasn't expecting... I mean, I had hoped, but I wasn't sure..."

"Hey there," Tristan pressed her lips against the asari's shoulder. "Relax. Take a deep breath."

The blue head dropped. "Shep...Tristan, I should have asked for permission, I know. Well, I don't know but..." Liara released a sharp, shuddering sigh. "I couldn't lose you...not again."

"Liara," a hand stretched out, two fingers finding their way underneath the asari's chin, exerting the slightest pressure, forcing the cobalt eyes to meet hers. "Please talk to me."

Those bright blue eyes welled with unshed tears.

"Tristan, I'm pregnant."

x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Whatever reaction she had been expecting, it surely hadn't been this.

Complete and utter silence.

Shepard stared at her, mouth slightly agape, her facial muscles twitching with something akin to...no, not horror. Actually, come to think of it, she had never seen this particular look on Shepard's face.

Ever-so-slowly that mouth closed, those eyelids fluttered shut, and the soldier swallowed.

"You are sure?"

It was a rhetorical question. After all, it was virtually impossible for an Asari to have an accidental pregnancy, given that the exchange of genetic information could only occur within the context of a meld — though it was usually considered polite to at least ask the other individual for their permission. Liara could only nod, her cheeks darkening in shame.

"When?"

She told her.

Shepard nearly stopped breathing. Her mouth opened and closed wordlessly, struggling the process that new piece of information.

"Before the Omega-4 relay?"

Liara could only nod...

x-x-x-x-x-x-x

The door hissed open, and Tristan turned, her breath quickening immediately at the sight of the asari. Liara was wearing a gown of deep purple and rich red that accented the cerulean blue of her skin.

She was carrying a small frame in her right hand, looking around the room, taking it all in. When her gaze fell upon Tristan's model ship collection, Liara smiled, shaking her head slightly in amusement. Her robe billowed as she glided across the floor, pausing for the briefest moment in front of the fish tank, watching the tiny creatures dart in and out of the coral.

"My quarters are a bit nicer since the last time you came in here."

"I can see that," a small smile crossed over Liara's features. "I enjoyed the tour…it was good to see the others again, even Joker." Her blue cheeks took on a slightly darker hue, and Tristan wondered exactly what the pilot had said to elicit that type of reaction from Liara.

She made a mental note to speak with him very, very soon about shipboard decorum.

Liara began to pace towards the small office, her eyes flickering over the small picture frame on the desk. "I can't believe you still have that picture." She shot an exasperated look over her shoulder.

"She's the prettiest girl aboard the Normandy," Tristan slipped up behind Liara, wrapping her arms around the asari's middle and resting a chin on her shoulder. Those muscles tensed underneath her touch, but Liara indulged the affections for a moment before pulling away.

"I brought you something," she held out the small frame to Tristan. The soldier let out a low hiss of recognition. "It took some digging, but…"

"My tags," a lone finger trailed along the metal's cool surface, green eyes filling with tears that were quickly blinked away. "How…" A pause, and she shook her head. It didn't really matter how she had found them.

She had kept them.

Tristan turned, holding the tags in her hands, staring at the inscription for the longest time. "I never…I never thought I'd get these back."

"Sometimes," a hand came to rest on her shoulder, "you can't get back everything you lose. But sometimes you get lucky."

Tristan smiled, nodding briefly. The silence lingered for a few moments as she gathered her composure, setting the frame on the table. "Yeah…" The corners of her lips quirked into a mischievous smile. "That was the plan."

"Oh…" Liara's blush deepened as Tristan leaned against her desk, head canted to the side, arms crossing lazily over her chest. Liara's eyes met hers for a brief moment, and then she turned, crossing her own arms over her chest, closing the short distance between them and the fish tank and resting her body against the cool glass. "How are you really doing, Tristan? I mean, really? Not what you tell your squad to keep morale up."

Tristan reached up, pinching the bridge of her nose with her fingers. Worried? Yes, she was worried. The lives of everyone depended on her. Depended on her crew. If she failed…that was it. There wasn't anyone else doing a thing to fight the Reapers. They would arrive and destroy everything. Everyone.

"I have no idea how we're going to do this," she pushed off her desk, turning and resting her weight on her palms. "I'm tired. Tired of Cerberus … tired of the Council not believing me…" her fingertips dug into the countertop. "Tired of my friends hating me…"

A moment of silence, and then those footsteps grew closer. Liara reached out and tentatively rested a hand on Shepard's shoulder. "I heard about what Ashley said on Horizon. Tristan, she was wrong."

"Is she?" Tristan shook her head angrily. "I don't know. Maybe Ashley was right."

Her chin dropped, eyes squeezing tightly shut. "Maybe I am a traitor."

"No," her hand reached out, gently cupping Tristan's chin, forcing the soldier to meet her gentle gaze. "Tristan – she took your death very hard – nearly as hard as I did. She may be angry, and upset, but she doesn't hate you."

"Liara…" A finger pressed against her lips, silencing her protests.

"Tristan," those blue eyes met hers in an intense stare. "Don't let their shortsightedness negate all of the good you have done. You saved Horizon, Shepard. No one else could have kept the Collectors from capturing the entire colony. That was you. You and your team destroyed the Collectors and walked out alive."

"Harbinger is out there…"

"And you'll get him." Liara's forehead pressed against her own. "I know you will."

Tristan closed her eyes, relishing in the simple contact. She had missed this most of all – the touch of the asari's skin against her own, the feel of those arms around her waist.

"Tristan, I need to know. If this all ends tomorrow…what happens to us?" Those blue eyes were filled with uncertainty. Tristan reached up, tracing a thumb across the gentle curve of a cheek bone.

"I don't know." The soldier replied honestly. "Marriage, old age, a lot of little blue children running around?" She had not dared to hope for something like that – had long resigned herself to the fact that she would never live a normal life. But now, when the possibility was so close, Tristan had begun to hope that maybe, just maybe, there could be a happily ever after. For both of them.

Liara drew away, her shock quickly covered by a stoic mask. "You just say these things," she nudged Tristan playfully. Tristan's pained smile quickly gave way to concern as the asari turned, walking over to her small writing desk, resting her weight on her palms.

"Goddess…" Liara whispered, her breath hitching in her throat.

"Liara…"

"You were dead, Tristan. For two years…" The asari's eyes filled with unshed tears.

"I got better." And she had. She had never been faster, stronger, more able to take on whatever threats fate threw her way. She slipped up behind the asari at the same time Liara turned around, her heart fluttering at the pained expression.

"But you're going to leave again. When the Reapers finally arrive, you'll jump into the fray." She looked away, but Tristan frowned, reaching out and lifting Liara's chin with two fingers.

"Tristan, if we are going to do this, you have to promise me you'll come back." Liara swallowed. "Promise me."

"Done." Tristan lowered her head, pressing her lips against the folds of Liara's neck, her fingers slipping along the ribs around the slender waist, drawing enticingly along a spine. "I will always return to you."

"Always." More than a promise, an oath, as those fingers exerted pressure in just the right spot. Liara gasped, her head arching back as a jolt of pleasure shot up her spine, and then Tristan's lips were upon her, capturing her mouth in that familiar and most intimate gesture.

Blue eyes melted into black.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Goddess, she had been so stupid... but she had been so afraid of losing her again. For two years she had gone through the motions, never allowing herself to think or feel, never allowing anyone to see past her carefully constructed defenses. Two years...

Suddenly, those arms were around her body, enveloping her within that fierce embrace. Those very lips that had been frozen in shock stretched into an impossibly wide grin, those green eyes softening in what could only be absolute adoration.

"A baby..." Tristan's voice was filled with gentle wonder. Liara could only nod as the hands that had been splayed across her lower back slid around her sides, resting on her still-flat stomach.

Her breath caught in her throat at the Spectre's raw emotion. She had almost forgotten how powerful the concept of a family could be, especially given that Tristan had lost her own to the slavers over a decade ago...

Liara blushed as those long fingers slid up her body, trailing a path over her breasts and pausing just at the base of her neck, hovering enticingly over the hidden zipper. Those eyes darted up, silently seeking permission.

The asari swallowed and nodded, shivering as the zipper was pulled down and fabric parted from flesh. She gasped at the rush of cool air over her sensitive skin, her heart rate picking up speed as Tristan's fingers trailed along flesh, tugging the garments down.

She wasn't showing yet, it was still far too early for that, but one might have never known it the way those fingers trailed gently across her stomach, those soft green eyes filled with emotion.

"May I?" At Liara's muted nod, Tristan pressed a gentle kiss to the asari's midsection, resting her cheek on the fluttering abdominals.

"Hey little one." Liara's breath caught in her throat at the tenderness in the soldier's voice. "It's me...your other mother." A pause, as Shepard struggled to gather her thoughts. The silence dragged on so long Liara feared that Tristan had fallen asleep.

"I just..." Tristan began, her voice thick with emotion. How do you translate all your deepest dreams and desires into words? Her own family was killed when she was still a young girl... How can you promise you will always be there with a threat like the Reapers hanging over your head?

She couldn't...wouldn't...make that promise.

"I want you to know..." Shepard's voice was muffled against the smooth skin of Liara's belly. "I need you to know that I am going to do everything in my power to make this galaxy a safe one for you, and for your other momma. And..." Another pause, as Liara blinked tears rapidly from her eyes. "I promise to love you and your momma with all that I am for as long as I live."

Liara clamped a hand over her mouth, stifling a sob, the tears streaming down her cheeks. Tristan's gaze lingered over her body for a few moments before lifting shyly, her own green eyes suspiciously bright. The former Spectre slid up the asari's body, resting her weight tentatively on her elbows as she dipped her head, capturing those inviting lips in a passionate, though still tender, kiss. A kiss that Liara gladly welcomed, slipping a hand behind Tristan's neck, fingertips winding through the auburn tendrils as she canted her head, deepening the intimate gesture.

Shepard's pulse quickened, her tongue brushing across the asari's lower lip, then slipping inside as they parted with a moan. Goddess, she had forgotten just how amazing this felt. Too often Asari (well other Asari, at least, as she had never known anything otherwise) initiated the bond without any concern for the physical aspect or the joining. It was not really necessary for procreation, so what was the point?

But this... This was so much more. What she and Shepard shared was so much greater than a mere mental link. It was a true union — a joining of souls. It was a connection that few asari formed until their matron years, if at all.

Liara was also fairly certain it was responsible for her ability to become pregnant with Shepard's child in the first place.

Not that the bond was without its consequences. She had felt every agonizing minute of Shepard's death, living the experience as if her own suit had torn... It had nearly killed her, and it had been weeks before she was able to function in even a basic manner. She didn't leave her apartment for months...not until Ashley Williams had showed up on her doorstep and had literally forced her out of bed.

She had never understood that — Ashley, or Ash, as Tristan liked to call her, had made no secret of her animosity for Liara from the moment the Asari had first set foot on the original Normandy. Her status as Benezia's daughter hadn't helped...and it had really only been after Benezia's death that Ashley had come around.

Until the day Shepard had died. Once the escape pods had been recovered, Ashley had all but accused the asari of murdering Tristan. Logically, she'd understood. Shepard had been Ashley's hero...one of her best (and only) friends. And after Liara, she was the crewmember Shepard had been closest to.

Which is probably why Liara had seemed surprised to see her standing by her bedside after Tristan's death. At first, the asari had thought the Alliance soldier was going to kill her, something that she had secretly welcomed, if for no other reason than to end the terrible emptiness in her heart. But then Ashley had sat on the edge of the bed and hugged her and all of the pain, the grief had come rushing to the surface.

She had cried for what seemed like an eternity, her and Ashley both, despite the soldier's best attempts to mask her grief. Afterwards, Ashley had carefully pulled away, slipping easily into the soldier role she knew so well, and offered her condolences and an apology to Liara for her earlier outburst. They weren't friends...not by a long shot. But they were definitely not enemies. Not anymore.

Liara had often wondered if Ashley had harbored her own feelings for the deceased Normandy commander... but had given up trying to dwell on it too much. Still, the visit had energized her; and after a few days she had found a new purpose...

To see Shepard's body one last time.

And now she was here, and she was not just seeing her, she was holding her, kissing her, feeling the warmth and the passion seeping through every pore of the soldier's body.

"Tristan..." she pulled away, suddenly feeling very guilty for her earlier deceit. Those softened eyes withdrew, searching her own briefly before an index finger pressed lightly against her lips.

"I'm not upset, Liara. A little surprised. A little scared. But not upset at you. Never at you."

Her tears threatened to return, and Liara sniffed conspicuously as she swiped at the tears that threatened to overflow. Goddess, she was so tired of tears.

"I just." A pause. "I missed you so much."

"I know," came the sad reply.

"I..." those green eyes glanced away briefly. "Liara, I can't promise you I'll never die again. But this, I do promise," Tristan slid to the asari's side, taking both hands into her own. Those serious eyes sought her own, regarding her with an intensity that left her feeling like she had been stripped bare. "I swear to you that I will do everything I can to come home. I won't let them take me without a fight. Never again."

Liara closed her eyes. It was not really fair of her to try to extract a promise like that from Tristan. The galaxy was in a very dangerous place, especially now, and there was a very real possibility that one or both of them would die in the upcoming battle against the Reapers.

Still, she had no intention of losing Shepard ever again.

"I am coming with you." A blue hand clamped over the soldier's mouth just as a protest began to leave her lips. "Listen to me, Tristan." those green eyes flashed in indignation. "I know you would rather me stay here, but soon not even this area can be safe. Nowhere is safe, not anymore."

"Mmmph!" Shepard tried to pull away, but Liara shook her head, pressing a bit harder.

"Tristan, our relationship is hardly a secret. It wasn't from Cerberus, and it certainly wasn't from the Collectors. The Reapers know."

Those green eyes narrowed a bit in protest, but Liara could see the wheels beginning to turn. After a minute, she withdrew her hand. Shepard chewed on her lower lip thoughtfully, clearly contemplating the argument.

"What about your job?"

A grim smile. "Feron is capable of handling most of the day-to-day operations." It was true. As much as she liked her role as the Shadow Broker, there was no way it would last forever.

Not if she was going to remain with Shepard.

"It will not be that difficult to upgrade the Normandy with a few simple modifications and I should be easily able to keep an eye on the day to day operations." Plus she could keep a closer eye on Tristan.

Shepard dipped her head, conceding the point. She was silent for a long, thoughtful moment, before she felt the courage to speak again.

"There's one more thing then..." a small smile curled the corner of Tristan's lips. She reached into the pocket of her trousers, fumbling around...

After a small eternity, Shepard withdrew the small trinket, holding it up to the light.

Liara gasped, her hand clamping immediately over her mouth as the artificial lighting glinted off of the finely tooled piece. How did she manage to get a hold of this? When had she? How had she known?

Goddess.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Tristan watched those bright blue eyes fill with tears, her heart skipping painfully at the image.

She had been back at Illium when the idea had first come to her. She had immediately gone to Serrice technologies, trying to see where she could go about acquiring one. It had taken several weeks, but finally...

x-x-x-x-x-x-x

The asari's eyes narrowed, suspicion drawing over her tightly controlled features as she regarded the human.

"I...see." The smile tightened. "You do realize that will cost a substantial sum..."

Tristan nodded. "I want it to be original. No duplicates. No cheap knock-offs."

"Even more difficult, they are even more difficult to acquire off of Thessia. Only a priestess can create..."

Shepard held out a datapad. The asari's eyes nearly bugged out when she saw the amount of credits displayed on the screen.

"That's half of what I'm willing to pay. One week."

The asari could only nod. Shepard smiled.

"One more thing..."

x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Acquiring an asari bonding necklace had not been easy. But the second it had touched her hands, Tristan had known it would be perfect.

She lifted her gaze, warm green eyes focusing on the trembling woman in front of her, kissing away the welling tears that had formed at the corner of her eyes.

"Liara, would you do me the honor of marrying me?"

Those hands could only press further over her mouth and nose as she nodded, dipping her head as the Tristan placed the necklace around her neck. She captured the asari's hands with her own, pressing her lips against those soft fingertips.

Those hands cupped Tristan's cheeks, drawing the Spectre into a passionate kiss. Shepard's breath caught in her throat, moaning as the asari nibbled on her lower lip, her warm tongue brushed against the inviting flesh, then into her mouth.

She lost herself in the delectable sensations, the easy familiarity with which Liara explored her mouth, the way her fingertips dug into her back, the way her breath quickened when she was aroused.

Liara drew back, resting her forehead against Tristan's, her chest heaving. After a deep, shuddering sigh, those brilliant blue eyes opened, dark blue irises fading to an inky black.

"Embrace eternity."