Author's Disclaimer: I don't own anyone belonging to "Mass Effect 3." They all belong to BioWare.

Author's notes: Well this turned out another chapter, in a vignette style for the title. Takes place during the "last night" before final battle love scene (or second to final mission in ME3 case, it all goes on a downward slide to the end by that point), and the last dream about the child. Whoever you romance calms Shepard down before the second to last mission, but not her dreams. Whoever you romance, I hope it was a good one. I always choose Liara by end of Me3. If you enjoy Garrus, Tali or Kaiden/Ashley, I hope it's a good scene. And I read a lot of Rae d Magdon and Revan's Mask as it shows in the love scene I wrote.

"A moment, please"

Chapter two "Last Moment"

Shepard yawned, drowsiness tugging her eyelids closed. Her body lay languid in the tangled sheets and she barely registered as Liara cuddled closer. Shepard's limbs lay limp and heavy as she yawned, her lover tucked under her arm, bare skin pressing closely as they began to doze off.

It had all started rather innocently. Liara coming to her cabin "to check up" on her. They both knew it was the last time they'd have a moment alone before the last battles and they truly took the opportunity to heart. After talking to Admiral Hackett via vidcom in the war room and placing the coordinates for Joker to take them straight to the Illusive Man's found base, they had but a few hours. And everyone knew it.

As Shepard had sat alone in her cabin, staring at her battle helmet clasped between her palms, she could only hope those that had found partners on the ship had found a moment to themselves.

And then Liara had shown up, beautiful as always and smiling for her. Morose doubts had threatened to plague her mind but Liara picked her back up and set her where she wanted to be. She had lain beside her on the bed, their fingers intertwining as they whispered, half serious, about taking a single transport far away and finding a safe place in the stars.

But they weren't serious, and both knew it. They were on their way to the end, whatever came of assaulting the Illusive Man's base of operations. The Reapers would have found them eventually even if they had deserted. And neither of them was dishonest enough to do so. So as Liara had jokingly talked about stealing a transport for them, Shepard had kissed her cheek. The kisses turned hotter and Shepard was glad when desire coiled in her belly as she pressed Liara onto the bed. Their clothes fell in bits and articles over the side of the mattress.

They hadn't needed to talk about their desires; Liara had merely reached into the bedside table and pulled out her cock. The asari teased her with deliberate sucks and licks around her clit before easing the appendage in. Shepard had never been so glad to pin her lover down and slide between her thighs. The loud gasp she pulled from Liara after sheathing herself told her everything was okay. It felt like home and they moved together like the old lovers they were.

A few times later, they had collapsed on the mattress. Liara had been on top the last time and buried her face against Shepard's neck, panting and trying to capture her breath. Shepard's legs tightened as she stretched her limbs, then let them go limp. Her hands cradled her lover's face and she kissed her, trying to hold onto the fraying edges of the meld. They had been so close they had been one and Shepard didn't want to fall out of that. Not when that perfect moment kept every problem of the galaxy away. Not when it was good. Not when it was Liara.

Liara's eyes faded from pitch black to their usual blue, but their connection lingered as long as it could through their closeness. Touching bare skin kept the mating meld going as long as it could and Shepard refused to give it up, the meld dissipating finally after several caresses and kisses keeping them close. Shepard yelped when Liara pulled back, her cock dragging along inside her azure before falling out as she shifted off and beside her. Liara had teased her, tugging the cock out and setting it in a washcloth and away. They had barely been able to make it to the washroom and Shepard knew she wasn't the only one whose leg muscles were still trembling.

And now…. Shepard turned, curling against Liara's back, one arm tucked across her waist. She didn't want to think about anything but the asari in her arms, the moments they had shared, the desire and love she had felt reciprocated across the meld. Shepard fell to darkness before she could even fathom it.

And the black shape clouds were back, drifting under the green trees of that nameless park. She was running, running after the child that eluded her, battle armor weighing her steps as it never did in real life. Shepard had a brief flash of lucidity that told her this was a dream. But she was still running, cringing as she ran through some of the dark shapes plaguing her steps.

And as they parted like so much fine smoke through her weighted steps, Shepard knew they were spirits.

"Someone else might have gotten it wrong…."

"Shepard…."

"Shepard…."

"It's the right choice, and you know it, Ash….."

"Commander…."

"Shepard-Commander…."

Shepard winced as she ran as fast as she could. The leaves were falling in slow motion and as she stared, she couldn't seem to gain any traction on the child. And the dark cloud shapes were following her, flanking her on either side. Tears spilled from her eyes as she tried to hurry.

"Kalahira…..goddess of inscrutable depths….guide this one…."

Mordin….Kaiden….Legion, even. Well, his shape told her he did have a soul after all. And now Thane…. God, make it stop!

The trees parted and Shepard came to a sudden stop, limbs flailing in the sudden motion. The shapes parted, whispering as she saw the child stopping before an adult. Short red hair, Alliance uniform, shirt sleeves rolled up…. And then the woman's face lifted, and Shepard was astonished to see she was staring at herself.

Shepard gasped, eyes opening as cold sweat dampened her skin. There was still patches of warmth. She blinked and craned her head to peer over her shoulder behind her. They had moved sometime during their sleep and Liara was the one holding her now. Her face was relaxed as she slept, cheek tucked against her.

Tears still pricked her eyes. Shepard tried to keep a sob of confusion back. Herself. She had been chasing the child through the ghosts of her fallen comrades, and then faced herself. What did that even mean? She didn't need a psych evaluation to know she was deeply troubled. The galaxy was falling to pieces around them in a seemingly unwinnable war. No shit she was troubled.

But herself…. Shepard had heard tales of doppelgangers, mirror images people encountered before dying. It went further than twins, as far as past soldiers in her old Akuze unit had said. She had served there with a pair who claimed they knew what would happen to the other. Well they had been partially right as both had died when thresher maws wiped out the unit. No, this went further than that.

Doppelgangers glimpsed meant death was near….. A shiver ran through Shepard and she kept her hand over Liara's arm. Was she going to die? Danger went with every mission, and she always had the possibility of dying. In theory, Shepard had always been ready to, or could be. Or at least, again. She had technically already died once.

She turned and faced Liara, tracing her fingers along her cheek. She did not want to die again, not when the camaraderie of her friends, and her love for Liara kept her going. It was as she'd told Javik. Without her friends and without her lover, there was no point to living. She needed their affection. Without it, there was just too much death.

Liara felt her shift and her eyes opened. "You can't sleep?"

Shepard sat up, the dark thoughts suddenly crowding again. She covered her brow with one hand. Her back rose and fell. She felt Liara press against her, a breast leaning into her side. She heaved a sigh. "There will be casualties. I wonder how many…"

Liara kissed her shoulder, hands soothing over her skin. Shepard took a lighter breath. "You don't have to worry about that. You rallied who you could. This time, the galaxy follows our lead."

Shepard inhaled again, her heart lighter. Her mind amply clearer, she turned to kiss Liara. Soft hands ran through her tousled red hair.

"Thanks, Liara."

"My pleasure…"

As she climbed off the bed to stagger to the washroom, Liara moved up behind her to join her. Shepard gave her a wry smile as she turned the shower on.

"I think you mean your pleasure too…."

Liara gave her a smug smile. "Well, that is a given."

"C'mere…" Shepard tugged her wrist and pulled Liara into her arms under the warm spray. In the warmth and the enclosed space, she could almost believe danger was far from them. Doppelganger dream or not, she couldn't….

"Don't worry, Shepard. We've faced worse. You killed a Reaper face to face, after all," Liara murmured. Her teasing tone was eclipsing to worry. Shepard made herself chuckle. She found she didn't have to fake the kiss she gave her. They clung to each other and finally got around to washing. Just as they were finishing up, the comm by her desk pinged.

"That's Joker now," Shepard murmured. She stepped into her slacks and tugged them up. Liara looked for her clothing and dressed beside her.

"Bet he wished he wasn't flying the ship the whole way. EDI said she wanted to take us through the base herself," Liara mused. Shepard gave her a wry smile as she buttoned her uniform shirt.

"Everyone that could steal a moment hopefully did. They know this is getting to the end."

At her words, Liara did make her stop. They kissed and Shepard clung to her tightly.

"We'll get through this, Shepard. We will…."

"I know." This time, Shepard felt her confidence lock into place. She hadn't failed many battles and she wasn't going to start now. Everybody was depending on them.

"Commander? Finish up your sexy times and pick up already." Joker's tone was half teasing, half business as usual.

Shepard snickered as Liara blushed. She pressed the comm button beside her monitor. "Go ahead. And we were done."

"I bet everyone knows that," Joker said sarcastically. "We're through and there's heavy firefighting around the base already. So, you may want to, ya know, get dressed."

"We're on the way down," Shepard said. She held onto Liara's hand as they entered the elevator, uniform in place and presentable. Liara closed her lab coat with one hand. Their fingers tightened.

As the doors slid open onto level two, Shepard and Liara stepped out onto the CIC. Traynor was hard at work, hands flying over her keyboard. Alliance soldiers and engineers ran quickly to their tasks. A few snapped to salutes as Shepard made her way to the cockpit.

Joker's hands were flying as he swiped through several navigation screens. He spared one glance to the side for her. "We're here, and Hackett's lighting it up! I can get you close, but Cortez will have to brave the rest of the way to get you to a landing pad..."

"Got it. We're suiting up," Shepard said, making her way from the cockpit. Liara ran quickly beside her and they spared a glance between them.

"Bring my girlfriend back in one piece!" Joker groused behind them. EDI hurried behind them, silver body gleaming under the fluorescent lighting.

"Shepard, I am ready," the robot AI said. Shepard met Liara's eyes. The three filed into the elevator, heading down to the armory. Cortez was half in and out of the Kodiak, fussing and calling for them to suit up. Vega was already in his armor, strapping two rifles to his back.

"You'll help Cortez. EDI and Liara will back me once we land," Shepard commanded him. Vega nodded, eyes gleaming.

"You got it, Commander."

As everyone piled into the shuttle, Cortez sealed the door and slid into the pilot's chair.

"Heading for the LZ!" he called. Everyone grabbed a ring overhead and held on as they swayed with the shuttle's movements. Liara's soft blue eyes met hers and Shepard entered her calm. She needed it before the battle they were facing.

The End

End notes: If this title continues it will be more vignette style moments to go through. Enjoy it, drop a line or two. And I had to put Cortez and Vega in even for a minute. They always back the team up.

Pen 3/9/19