Ashley remains on her knees, staring at the dirt and grass beneath her.
"Mother? Mother?" Sha'li calls after her, frightened by these sudden and rapid events. "What's happening?"
Ashley doesn't hear her. A sickening feeling sits on her chest, she's not sure if she wants to vomit or not or if it would even help. She feels so stupid and is so angry with herself. She curses herself that she didn't stay with Liara. That look, that haunting, lost look that she had, she should have realised. Ashley didn't know explicitly, but Verity had suggested that Liara had reached that level of desperation in the wake of the Normandy SR-1's destruction. She could believe it, she had seen Liara fresh from the secure unit and the dark, blank stare she carried. So why didn't she see it? Ashley slowly stands. Afraid of what she will find, the walk to return to the bunker's entrance where they left Liara is at a funeral pace. Ashley takes a few shaky steps, her shoulders slumped and head dropped when another gun shot rings out.
"Liara?" Ashley looks up towards the bunker and begins to run again. "Liara!"
She calls back with a pointed finger to her young asari daughter. "Sha'li! Stay there."
"Yes, mother..." Sha'li replies timidly, her hands tight against her chest, fighting tears. It is always upsetting for children to see a parent distressed and the young asari is quite confused as to what is going on. As is the parent.
Ashley rounds the large, grassy mound which forms the bunker's entrance to see two Husks laying dead on the ground and two more floating in a singularity. She pulls her rifle from her back and strafes around to get a sight of the entrance. Now in view, Liara is standing with her pistol aimed at the floating Husks.
"You took your sweet time!" she shouts at Ashley. "Didn't you hear me?"
"What?" Ashley is overjoyed but at the same time, infuriated. "But... we don't use that any more!"
"Oh. Sorry. But I was just standing here, thinking about Verity and the old days when those Husks appeared out of nowhere. It was just sort of... instinctive." Liara says quite lackadaisically, her previous low mood dispersed by the adrenaline of the sudden attack.
"Yooouuuu... stupid. Cow!" Ashley says, quite annoyed but unable to fight a smile.
"What? What's wrong with you, Ash?"
The life now crushed from the Husks in the singularity, they fall. The dark biotic orb disperses and Liara holsters her pistol. Ashley returns her weapon to her back, and as soon as she has goes to Liara, initiating a squeezing hug.
"Oof! Steady on, old girl. I don't mean to be funny but... are getting early onset dementia or something?"
Ashley steps back out of the hug, smiles at Liara then punches her upper arm.
"Ow! What was that for?!" she says, rubbing her now dead arm.
"For being the best damn friend a girl could ask for. Now let's get out of here before any more of these things turn up. Where did they come from anyway? There's been no Reaper drops while we've been here."
"Who knows. Remnants from a previous attack? But you're right, we shouldn't hang around to find out. What? Why do you keep looking at me like that? You're weird, Whore Corps."
"Oh! The old favourites are out, eh? Arbuckle."
"Yummy Mummy."
"Fatty."
"Ashley Verner."
"Blue Angel." Ashley smiles.
"Spectre Williams." Liara curtseys.
"Miss Prothean Expert."
"Hey! Oh come on." Liara indicates that they head back to the shuttle.
They link arms and head back towards Sha'li, Ashley beaming a smile and Liara looking confused and a little concerned about her friend. Upon seeing their return, Sha'li runs to them and throws her arms around them both.
"Is everything okay?" Sha'li asks.
"What is wrong with everyone today? It was only a few Husks." Liara says.
"Yes, Li." Ashley replies. "Everything's fine. Just fine."
"Well..." Liara says. "Reapers notwithstanding. Come on, Garrus will be getting worried. You know how much of a grump he is these days."
"Garrus Grump! Garrus Grump!" Sha'li now sings as she skips back to the shuttle.
"I think she's girl squad material!" Liara jokes.
"Enough girl squad for today..."
After the Normandy had picked up Liara and Ashley from London and initially re-joined the fleet, a message had come through to them from an asari vessel. They had Sha'li on board. She was supposed to have been on her way to her new adoptive parents but this had been made impossible by the war. In the thick of battle, the child was transferred to the Normandy. Ashley had insisted and it seems so had Sha'li and the owners of the ship were happy to have her off their hands by the sound of it. She's a Williams already. Ashley had thought at the time.
Ashley is with Liara in the XO's office. They have been silent for a while, Liara working on her console, still finalising her essays and papers for her own diversion. Ashley just gazes out of a window, seemingly deep in thought. Now in her fifties, she no longer carries the sultry look she did during the Reaper War, but she is still a handsome woman. Ashley has returned to her old tied up bun hairstyle and Liara thinks she looks quite distinguished in this style with the grey hair.
"Are you alright, Ash?" Liara asks. "You've not been yourself since yesterday on Eden Prime."
Ashley is already uncomfortable with this subject.
"I..." she begins, but realising it might sound stupid. "On Eden Prime, when you shouted 'Blue Angel' and I heard the first gun shot, I thought..." she tries to think of a way of stating it.
"You thought...?" Liara begins as she turns away from the console to give her attention then it dawns on her. "Oh! You thought I'd..."
"Yea. Sorry."
"Ashley Williams, I would never do that to you. Not now. I know I've had troubles in the past but... not now. Not like this. Is that why you've been acting so odd?"
"Partly..." Ashley says, spurred on by this assertion about herself by Liara.
"What?" Liara says.
"It made me realise. I don't think I could cope without you, Liara."
"Oh come on, old girl. I think a Spectre can cope with all this without an asari archaeologist. It's not like I have a vast information network any more. And the..."
"Th-That's not what I mean." Ashley interrupts with an uncharacteristic fumble followed by a deep breath and a long whistling exhale. "I'm getting on, Liara, I don't have demanding needs or anything. It'd just be nice to know, there's someone who really cares and I can care about."
"You have Sha'li?" Liara says, bewildered and not hearing what she is actually saying.
"I don't mean like that."
"Oh. Oh!" Liara's eyes widen, Ashley thinks initially in horror at the prospect and her heart sinks.
"Sorry. I shouldn't have said anything." Ashley moves towards the door.
"Don't go, Ash. I just... I had no idea!" Liara says as she rushes to her, then takes her friend's hands.
"Neither did I until I thought I'd lost you. We've gotten even closer these last few years, Liara. You're probably the closest I've been to anyone. When I thought you'd... well, it felt like my heart emptied. I think I knew then that I had to say something. Sorry, I'm no good with this stuff."
"No, you're doing fine. I just don't know, Ash... We've been friends for so long."
Popping her head up for a look when gun fire pings around, Ashley has no problem with that. Death? That's just an occupational hazard. This? This is the most frightening thing she's ever faced. To express her new found feelings, Ashley fears that it might destroy her, or Liara for that matter, if it blows up in their faces and ruins the friendship they have. But if you can't take a risk now, she thinks, then when can you?
"I know you'll never forget Shepard and no-one could ever replace her, but I've feelings for you Liara... do you think you could ever, you know, have feelings for me?"
"Well... not just at the drop of a hat like that but..."
"Yes?" Ashley says, then feels herself warm with further embarrassment at the breathy anticipation of her reaction to the word 'but'.
"Give me time, Ash. I know that might sound a little unfair in the circumstance, to ask for time when we might have so little but... Wow. Come on. This is a shock. Going from platonic to... well, anything else. It's a big step. I've loved you as a friend for so long. For that to become... more..."
"Yea. Fair enough." Ashley concedes with a smile but not without a little sadness as her head drops a little. She didn't know what to expect from Liara, she just knew she had to say something. Yes, it would have been perfect if Liara had just thrown her arms around her and declared that she had feelings too but, that she is even considering it is more than Ashley could have asked for.
Liara smiles her lovely smile at her as she lifts Ashley's chin with a finger, then they stop and gaze at one another a moment as Liara traces a cheek. They know each other's faces, they've been friends for so long but now, there is something new there, something not seen before. The desire in Ashley stirs something in Liara and she returns the look. There is a twitch from Liara's head, followed closely by Ashley in reaction. They slowly and tentatively bring their lips together, briefly kiss then Liara pulls out but still smiling, more so from the eyes now. She didn't pull out in revulsion but that it was enough for now.
It is so long since Liara has felt warmth like this and thirty years have passed since Verity died. Liara never thought it would, but the pain has lessened slightly with the years. Frustrating to Liara as the counsellor's clichéd words ring in her head. She doesn't intend to lead Ashley on but she needed to know with a kiss if there was any chance for them. Verity and she had been quite tactile and physical in showing their love and though Ashley is getting on years, it is still something Liara would want in any relationship to at least some extent. She felt the warmth she needs from Ashley and Liara thinks this is something that could work; she already knows she loves the person, now she thinks she might be able to love the woman. It may take some time but as Ashley said, her needs are not demanding so they can take it slowly if they do indeed pursue it.
Ashley pulls Liara back to hug her deeply, strongly, squeezing her to feel the warmth of her body. When they finally release the embrace, Ashley still looks coy and embarrassed. Liara softly tweaks Ashley's nose with her fingers, causing a girlish smile on the old girl's face.
"And I thought I was the shy one." Liara gently laughs, causing further scarlet hues then Ashley's face drops.
"What?" Liara asks.
"Sha'li. What the hell would we tell her?"
"That she has two mothers now? I doubt it would make much difference to her at her age. It's not like we'd turn to her and say, 'oh by the way, we jump in the sack from time to time', is it?"
Ashley internally flinches a little at this brash assessment by Liara. She liked it but it was uncharacteristic of Liara to her and a surprise. A side she doesn't know?
"You mean...?" she dares not finish what Liara implied.
Liara eyes Ashley for a moment with mock-suspicion.
"Yes!" she finally says with an affirmative nod.
"Oh Liara!"
"Slowly though and I don't think we should tell anyone just yet. Not to hide it, I just think we should see if this will work first but... this is still... weird!"
"Just like you! And it's wonderful, just like you. This should work out just fine then." Ashley beams.
"Well then..."
"Yea!" Ashley says with a little punch in the air and more gusto than she actually meant.
There is an awkward pause.
"I got a ship to run!" Ashley finally says, trying to keep the same level of gusto as though she meant it. "I better go make sure Beefy and Estaban aren't just goofing off down there."
"Okay, old girl. See you later. Drop by when you're free. I'm sure we have plenty to talk about."
"Sure, that'd be nice. See you later, Liara."
Once her door shuts, Liara looks concerned.
"EDI?"
"Yes, Liara?"
"I don't know if you heard any of that but..."
"I did not hear a thing, Liara."
"Hm. Okay then."
"But I am pleased for you. For you both."
"Hmmm."
If she had to be truthful, Ashley was always jealous of what Liara and Shepard had. Not vindictively, just a genuine want to have someone to be that close with, to share a life with. She wasn't jealous of Liara specifically, she hadn't thought of her that way before her recent feelings stirred. It's just that the galaxy has a funny way of playing with its occupants. Verity already knows this.