Songs: Try - Pink, Mirrors - Justin Timberlake, Life Without - Stanfour, Just Give Me a Reason - Pink
Disclaimer: Bioware owns, I just like playing with their toys.
She stared in the mirror, bright eyes taking in her once familiar face. There was a scar from her left temple all the way down to the edge of her jaw on the right. Zeera reached up a hand, running callused fingers over the rough edges of the healing wound and winced before dropping her hand and setting her jaw, frustration at her own weakness blooming hot and heavy in her heart. Giving her head a firm shake, she swiftly tied her hair up in a messy bun and turned around, looking over her shoulder at the multitude of scars there. Somewhere old, from battles long passed, but most of them were new, raw and angry looking. She'd given up so much of herself for this cause and yes, everyone now saw her as some sort of hero, but it had all come at such a high price because they'd all been too prideful and naive to listen to her when she'd first voice her concerns.
Taking a deep breath, she shrugged off those thoughts and looked down at her leg. It was brutal. Mutilated with healing wounds and scars, her right leg would never be the same again. At least she was still able to walk, some weren't as lucky as she was, but still. It was a lot to take in. Zeera leaned back against the sink and stared up at the harsh, overhead lights; cerulean eyes closed tight and wished that things could have been different.
However, that wasn't possible and she pushed off, standing tall before she limped from the bathroom and into her hospital room and over to the neatly laid out pile of clean clothes waiting for her. She reached down and unfolded each piece before pulling them on painstakingly slow. Zeera was sure she could have called someone for help, but pride made her stare at that t-shirt and jeans and try to form a plan in her head on how the hell she was going to get them on. Making a frustrated noise, she lifted up jeans and stared at them. There was no way she could do this alone. Her leg wouldn't bend right; it would be just her luck that she would rip open the wound.
"Need help?" The overly sweet voice could only belong to one person and Zeera was quick to turn her head towards the Asari and stick her tongue out.
"Maybe." She said, wrinkling her nose in distaste at having to ask someone else for help.
Liara simply laughed at her before gesturing for the Commander to sit on the bed. It took all of about ten minutes for them to shimmy her jeans on, only for the fact that Zeera wasn't very good at letting other people help her out; after all she'd lived her whole life taking care of herself.
Zeera laid there, arms over her head and let out a huffing breath, "Well that was a pain in my ass adventure." Liara sat down beside her, laughing softly, "So did you just come by to make sure I was alive or is there another reason?"
"Just making sure my friend was still alive and hadn't managed to get herself killed and to let her know that the Normandy is waiting for her, whenever she's ready to return to it," the Asari reached out and patted Zeera's shoulder, cause cerulean eyes to meet ocean ones and she smiled, a cheeky grin that said she hadn't exactly tried to stay out of trouble, but that she had managed to behave herself somewhat.
They talked for a few hours, about mindless things with no real meaning. Liara didn't ask Zeera about what happened before the Reapers died and she didn't expect her to. They were just two friends conversing about their dreams and things that had happened while Zeera was, in a manner of speaking, dead to the world.
Carefree laughter filled the room as the two women talked and it took them a moment to realize someone was watching them. As was typical of Zeera, she noticed first and her gaze landed on Javik, who was smiling in this mildly amused way at the two of them.
"Aw! It's my favorite Prothean!" Javik laughed and shook his head, moving towards them.
"I'm the only Prothean you know." He commented, causing her to wave her hand at him dismissively.
"Details, details. In all reality, I knew many other Protheans, we just called them Collectors and most of the time they were trying to kill me. Well, all of the time really." He snorted at her then, a rude noise that made her raise an eyebrow at him before he leaned against the wall and joined in their conversation.
It had been so long since she'd last laughed like this. It felt good to be with friends, free of worries and laughing to her heart's content and when Javik and Liara left, hand in hand, she knew they had an adventure ahead of them and that it was sure to be beautiful.
Still, her heart ached. Yes, she was happy for them, but she didn't have that sort of joy. The man who inspired it had been a one night stand and that was it, nothing more, nothing less, he did not want her for more. She let out a sigh as she took one last look around the room that had been her shelter for so long.
Slinging her bag of meager belonging over her shoulder, she turned and started down the hallway. Zeera was off in her own little world, when she ran into something solid.
"Whoa there." She didn't recognize the voice, but her eyes shot up to look at a man with mousey brown hair and a smile on his face. Zeera narrowed a look at him and took a step back.
"Sorry about. . ." She was cut off by the sound of a woman yelling.
"Milque!" Zeera turned her starting eyes towards the Asari who was heading there way and paled when she saw who held her hand and ran with her. At first, he didn't see her and then his eyes met hers and he released the Asari's hand and came to a stop.
"Commander." James spoke and saluted her, causing the Asari and the man, who she'd come to figure was Milque, to turn and look at her.
"At ease, Vega," She folded her hands behind her back, standing tall and looking as commanderly as she could possibly look, "Who are your friends?" She put on a fake, charming smile, trying not to be judgmental as she waited for him to answer her.
James turned to gestured first to the Asari, "This is Treeya," and then to the man she'd run into, "And this is Milque." He gave no further answer and she was sure it was because he was deeply uncomfortable, but she could have been wrong, though she was positive she wasn't, after all, Commander Zeera Artemis Shepard was never wrong.
"It's a pleasure to meet the both of you." She offered one of her hands; the other remained firmly on her bag. Both of them shook her pre-offered hand, before she tucked it back behind her, "But I should be going. Joker is expecting me back on the Normandy and I have things to do once I get there." She smiled politely at each of them, but the warm of it did not reach her frigid eyes, "I'll see you around, Vega." With that, she walked away as quickly as she possibly could and didn't look back, she couldn't bring herself to see them all together, especially not if Treeya was holding his hand again.