Talk between two perspective parents
Xandi Shepard woke with a smile on her face. It was the seventy-second consecutive day on which she had. Sometimes she wondered what she did to deserve such happiness. Then she remembered the whole saving the galaxy thing. She smiled down at her lover, no to temporary a term to describe her relationship with Liara T'Soni. Life partners, soul mates, Xandi sighed perhaps she should finally propose to her love then she would always have an accurate term. She stroked Liara's brow, then a few protrusions on her crest and the archaeologist snuggled closer to the human. This made Xandi giggle a little. After all it was only that particular one, two left from centre, that would make the asari respond in her sleep. Life was boring now and it was wonderful.
Shepard enjoyed her new job as an archaeologist assistant. Sure the lack of explosions made it a little dull but the incredible attractive boss made up for it. And Xandi smiled all the time now. Needless to say that went doubly so during the playful, wonderful, explorations of the previous evening.
"Good morning Xandi," Liara said with a yawn.
"Yes it is beautiful," Xandi replied. "Would you like to me to bring you some breakfast?"
"No stay here for awhile."
Xandi studied Liara's face and noticed a crinkle in the asari's nose and a slight squint in one of her eyes.
"What's on your mind?" Xandi asked knowing that look.
"I have some news to share," Liara said knowing there was nothing she could hide from her mate. "And I am unsure as to how you will react."
"News?" Xandi laughed. "But the slave driver of a boss on this dig always makes me sort through all the messages and delete any..."
This earned Xandi a playful slap.
"Seriously Liara as long as you say it I'll always listen," Xandi stated with conviction. With that Liara took Xandi's hand and placed it on her own taught blue body, right above were the newly conceived life had begun to grow.
"Our daughter," Liara said with a whisper. "I'm pregnant with our daughter."
Xandi scooted back and fell off the side the bed. Liara leaned over to see Xandi rubbing the back off her head.
"Are you okay Xandi Sue?" she asked using the human's middle name was something she only did when concerned, angry or aroused. Right now was a bizarre combination of the former two.
"I'm fine," Xandi said. "Umm when did you find out?"
"Silly," Liara said. "I only conceived her last night."
"When I asked you to join our minds when..." Xandi's voice trailed off distracted by the memories.
"No it was after," Liara said. "When we were just talking and holding each other."
"And our minds and hearts were still joined," Xandi said.
"It was the first time you opened up all yourself to me," Liara said. "Every thought, every emotion and every memory."
"You know I never wanted to keep anything from you, it's just..."
"Shhh, I know," Liara said stroking Xandi's hair. "I know why you protect those parts of yourself."
Liara kept touching and holding her mate until the human settled.
"When you joked about whether Shepard was an appropriate name for Asari linage and I realised you were only half joking," Liara continued. "I saw your hopes for the future and it was only natural that the process began."
"Some kind of glorious unconscious consent," Xandi snorted. "Are you sure that you're pregnant?"
"Don't be that way please?" Liara pleaded. "And yes I am sure. Mother always told me would know when I was with child. But still we should schedule a visit to the doctor when we go to the citadel next week."
Xandi nodded remembering that the joint exercises between citadel militaries in the system would keep her current home safe from pirates and looters.
"This news troubles you though," Liara said.
"Yes."
"Please tell me why?" Liara pleaded. "I can feel you want to be happy about this despite your earlier sarcasm."
"What do I know about being a mother? I mean a father?" Xandi lamented. "I mean whatever."
"Why do you think you will fail?" Liara asked. "I think you'll succeed as wonderfully as you have in everything else."
"You know I never had a family," Xandi cried quietly. "No mother, no father to serve as examples. How could they when they abandoned me?"
"You will never abandon our daughter," Liara reassured. "And besides you are being stupid my love."
"How so?"
"You have a family," Liara said. "Captain Anderson was always more than a mentor to you, Samarra and others have taught you what it means to be a mother and you've always treated Ash and Tali like sisters."
"You think so?"
"I still have a video file of your fine defence of Tali'Zorah vaas Normandy."
"Sometimes I forget you know and see everything oh wisest dearest one."
"Of course that sense of family extends to the various crews of the ships called Normandy," Liara continued. "I have also seen in your mind your fondness for dear old uncle Wrex."
"Next you'll be saying I'm the godmother of the rachni."
"Well I was reading an interesting article on the extranet the other day," Liara chuckled. "But my point stands you will never fail our daughter, just as you have never failed me, because you know how to be a parent."
"But what about," Xandi said scratching her scars. "I'm not exactly the best role model. What do we say if the little one asks about where I got my scars and why she will be able to make them disappear?"
"The truth," Liara said. "She deserves to know about our lives before she came along and why I find myself having to biotics on certain reporters around whenever we go anywhere."
Xandi laid back and thought for a bit while Liara snaked her arms around and kissed the human's cheek. Eventually Xandi untangled herself from the love of her life and stood up.
"I'll make breakfast," she said. "A double stack of pancakes with banana slices and that Illium nectar syrup you like, unless you can't have that now? What do you have to avoid know that you're eating for two?"
"We'll find that out next week," Liara said. "Along with anything that might arise from how young I am."
"I can see the tabloid headlines now 'respected former spectre spoils asari maidens virtue'."
"Like you were ever respected, go make me delicious pancakes please Xandi," Liara begged.
"Okay don't over exert yourself," Xandi said. "You and the little one just take it easy."
Liara smiled as she watched her mate walk out the bedroom door.
"If you see that lazy assistant of mine tell her she has got the day off," she called. "Tell her to spend it with that asari she is always talking about."
"I love you to Liara," Xandi called from half way to the kitchen. "I love you as well little one."
"Hear that," Liara said to the new life growing within her. "She loves us, now all you have to do is decide whether she's mama or dame. Maybe it should be dame because she only knows how to cook pancakes and barbeque."