Author's Notes:

Treasured Memories is set at the end of Kasumi's loyalty mission.

Treasured Memories

"Is there any way we can just destroy the information?" Shepard questioned Kasumi as the Kodiak speed towards the awaiting Normandy.

"No." The master thief shook her head sadly. "Keiji's a master at encrypting files. He laced the information into his memories. You can't get one without experiencing the other."

Shepard paused, Keiji's word's ringing in his ears as he contemplated the choices at hand. His soldiers' instincts were telling him that they should destroy the data, that there was no place for sentiment when it came to intrigue. And if it fell into the wrong hands, the results could be catastrophic. But the rest of him...

Like the master thief, all he had left of his time with his significant other were his memories.

And while he may not have lost the beautiful Asari maiden to the Grim Reaper like Kasumi had with Keiji, Liara was a different woman. The past two years had changed her, her relentless hunt for the Shadow Broker had burnt away the shy naivety that he had once so adored, and had hardened her into someone he barely recognised.

Someone who had had no hesitation in using him to further position in the search for her enemy when he had gone to see her on Illium a month ago.

Though it had stung to be treated so by the woman he loved, he had done what she had asked of him, before he had recruited Thane and Samara for his crew, aided Miranda in relocating her sister, and then he had left Nos Astra, and an unknowingly broken-hearted Liara, behind him to continue his fight against the Collectors.

"If it's that important to you, Kasumi, then keep it," the human Spectre told his team-mate, the words leaving his mouth before he had realised that he'd made his decision, as the shuttle touched down in the Hanger. "Just make sure you're ready to live with the consequences should someone come a-knocking."

"I am. I'll stay off the grid. No one will know I exist," she told him as she stepped out of the Kodiak, turning back to look at him. "Thanks, Shepard."

Shepard nodded his head and then the thief was gone, her HUD appearing over her eyes once more as she entered the elevator.

"Helluva night, huh, Commander?" Jacob questioned as he stepped out of the shuttle.

Shepard turned to look at him. "You can say that again, Jacob. Thanks for the speedy pick-up."

"Not a problem."

With a final nod to the Cerberus soldier, Shepard departed, heading towards the elevator himself, sending the car on its way up to his quarters, where a hot shower was waiting for him and then he would spend the remainder of night wrapped up in his own memories of times gone by.

Fin.