A/N; Just a heads up for the next few chapters. I didn't want to just jump right into everything so there's not too much going on just setting up for what's to come a little later...thanks again for all the support : )

The Bravery

"Believe"

The faces all around me they don't smile they just crack

Waiting for our ship to come but our ships not coming back

We do our time like pennies in a jar

What are we saving for

There's a smell of stale fear that's reeking from our skins.

The drinking never stops because the drinks absolve our sins

We sit and grow our roots into the floor... But what are we waiting for?

So give me something to believe

Cause I am living just to breathe

And I need something more

To keep on breathing for... So give me something to believe

Something's always coming you can hear it in the ground

It swells into the air With the rising Rising sound And never comes but shakes the boards and rattles all the doors

What are we waiting for

I am hiding from some beast But the beast was always here

Watching without eyes Because the beast is just my fear

That I am just nothing Now its just what I've become

What am I waiting for Its already done

Oh

So give me something to believe

Cause I am living just to breathe

And I need something more

To keep on breathing for... So give me something to believe

It was hard to get the image out of her head. Try as she may it continues to haunt her every moment. To know that she was the one who harmed two people she came to care about had been eating away at her since Liara told her about the specialists condition. Shepard knew the Asari was holding back certain things when the commander finally asked how everyone was doing. Initially Liara told her all the good things, things the Asari knew would ease her loves pain and push down any of the guilt Kerry was carrying. The human was relieved that Garus and Tali were both alright and trying to make it work as a couple. She could only shake her head and smile at the news of Ashley and Hackett's assistant dating so to speak as Shepard never thought her friend would even consider trying to have a personal life. Hearing EDI had been brought back online gave her a warm feeling as she felt horrible after Miranda had told her all synthetics had gone off-line. She knew what it meant, knew that Joker was crushed. When she saw everyone in the hospital she noticed he was tentative when she tried to hug him so hearing the news that EDI was operational once more relieved some of the guilt from the choices she made.

Liara knew this conversation would happen and feared the commander would regress and allow the guilt to eat away at her. Initially it seemed that was the direction everything was headed with how Kerry reacted to the specialists paralysis. Yet after a few calming breaths and some more discussion all the tension seemed to drain away after some processing by Shepard. Unbeknownst to the Asari, Shepard was trying to do what her mother or the vision of her mother had said, 'let go of the guilt' and thats exactly what her lover needed to do but it wasn't easy.

"So, besides Javik, everyone survived from the crew after the beam went off...except Adams and James."

"Yes, apparently Vega succumbed to his injuries that were caused by the fire while trying to rescue everyone at the house and ...Adams died protecting Traynor...we do not know Zaeeds whereabouts." Liara tells her bondmate. Expecting her lover to fall deeper into despair at the news that seemed to get worse as the Asari spoke. What Liara did see though surprised her a little. Shepard's lips had curved into a slight smile confusing the Asari momentarily.

"What is it love?" Liara asks.

"Nothing... I was just thinking how even though I'm sorry Vega is gone...he went out a hero...Adams too... Saving friends of ours...trying to help us. Vega was a good friend and had a bright future but..." Her voice trailing off a little as she starts to think of their conversation on Vega joining the N7 program. He would have been a great candidate and his last act of heroism just proved that fact all the more.

"He was a good man and quite fond of you commander." Liara says trying to lighten the mood. "Well maybe not just you...I think the thought of us being together caused his thoughts to wander a little." She finishes with as her own lips curl up into a smile, thinking back to the conversation they all had before arriving on Earth, about their kiss on Mars the commander shared with her love.

"Oh yeah I can only imagine what was going through his head on Mars. Thought his brain turned into mush." Shepard says laughing a little. "He'll be missed though...as far as Zaeed, he's a hard bastard to kill so I'm sure we will see him again and Javik...I'll keep my comments to myself." Shepard says thinking of how much she did not like the Prothean. Mainly for his treatment of Liara but also with his smugness and arrogance, thinking everyone should revel in his greatness, that his people were still the dominant power. He was a great warrior and died how he wanted to, killing Reapers but the galaxy was better off without him. Shepard didn't want to speak ill of the dead yet found herself believing as did Liara that he'd never fully acclimate to this new world, generations after his people had died.

Moving past her current thoughts she continues to ask some questions she herself may not want the answers too. "I guess the one question I've been wanting to ask since being awake is... What happened to the Leviathans?"

"The only information I was given about them was that they too were affected by the beam. After it went off it was reported that they stopped moving...we still don't know why though." Liara answers knowing the reasoning behind this current question. She had felt the Commanders concerns about the subject of the ancient race in almost every meld they had after finding them. The answer seemed to lessen the burden Kerry had been carrying with her.

Relief flooded through her. She knew she had made a deal with the devil when she found the ancient creatures and somehow convinced them to help against the Reapers. Creatures they were responsible for and initially Shepard had thought gaining there help was just that, as time went on she began to regret the fact she even found them. It scared her that after everything was over, after the Reapers were destroyed, that a new enemy would surface and try to control those left that survived the war. The words spoke by her lover calmed her nerves that had begun to build while asking the question. But as one problem seemed to disappear another one took its place.

"Li...if the Geth and EDI were all brought back online then... What's to say someone can't do the same thing to the Reapers. I know it's my usual paranoia, just thinking the worst possible scenario but..."

"Love listen to me. They are gone and you destroyed them. That was the first thing Hackett and the council did after the war ended. All the remains of the Reapers have been or are in the process of being dismantled. Yes there is always a chance that someone can get there hands on one but the council for once, is actually taking the steps to make sure that doesn't happen ... Please do not worry about it... You've burdened yourself so much with guilt over everything...please don't let this drag you down. Your not..." Tears start to form in the Asari's eyes as she desperately wants her love to move forward, so they can move forward. Her words were interrupted by a gentle kiss from her human as the Commander seemed to be able to sense the Asari's thoughts.

"This is why I love you so much...You want nothing more than for me to not be burdened by this. Thank you...for everything you've done... But I was told to let go of the guilt and move on. At first I didn't see how I could but the more the words sank in the more I realized what I have in front of me..." Shepard says smiling towards the one person who could in fact make her forget all the horrors she had endured over the course of her short life. All the pain and anguish were lessened by the Asari in front of her. It would always be a part of her, what she went through and the people she cared for that she lost but with Liara in her life it made it easier.

"Shepard, who told you that?...To let go of the guilt...You never told me."

Laughing at herself and how ridiculous the answer would be she looks down at the bracelet adorning her lovers wrist. She beamed each time she saw it and the meaning behind it. She'd found someone to spend the rest of her days with, who loved her back asking for nothing in return. Looking up, green eyes meeting blue and all the love and acceptance in the woman in front of her made her heart melt a little. Want Liara that much more, if that was even possible.

"Back on the crucible I had said to make sure I didn't end up in anymore hospitals...and you saw why in the meld we did but I didn't show you everything. I don't know why but...seeing them again...my parents and then you..."

Seeing the conflict in her lovers expression, Liara touches Shepard's cheek and slowly enters the commanders mind. The human was having a hard time putting everything into words that had happened and knew the easiest way for Kerry to tell her, was to show her.

"Show me everything...please." Receiving a nod the Asari fully enters her mind and is met with every emotion the commander had. Fear, hurt, anger yet there was love above all else. The memory started to replay with Shepard walking down the hall, seeing all her fallen friends until she reaches the last door. Liara had seen all this before but it was just as traumatizing as the first time, knowing the guilt and anguish her beloved had to relive. The Asari was shown visions of Rebecca and how happy the younger woman seemed to be but there was always a sadness in her eyes and when she took her own life Liara could feel the helplessness Shepard felt. This woman wanted to help her, did help her and in the end needed her own assistance yet no one saw it. Not even her friends knew exactly what Finch was going through but Shepard wished she could have at least been there for her more.

Liara had sent all the love and support she could. Seeing this vision only brought back memories of Virmire and Kaiden, Benezia and even her own parents. Not being able to do anything but watch, knowing someone had died because she was to slow to react. As much as none of it was true Shepard allowed it to consume her and eat away at her confidence in herself as a commander but Liara had been there for her just as much as Shepard was there for the Asari after her mother died. With Rebecca though, they had only known each other for a short time but they became close.

Comforting her bondmate as much as she is able to she encourages Shepard to show her what's on the other side of the last door. Watching as the commander hesitantly walks to the middle of the room then to hear a voice she hadn't heard in years. Turning to see her family, Liara can feel all the conflicting emotions going through the commander. Relief that the vision of her family isn't disfigured like the others. Fear of what the reasoning is behind her mind showing her them and pain at the loss she felt, how alone she was when they passed away.

Seeing them for the first time, Liara tries to push her own thoughts down. The thought of never knowing them, of them never knowing her or their grandchild. The reasoning behind their unborn childs name, to honor their family. The Asari can feel the truth behind the words her parents spoke to her. Her mom telling her to let go of the guilt and her father making a joke, saying he approved of Liara while looking at the picture of her. She knew it was all in the commanders mind but a part of what they were witnessing was an actual representation of how her family was. Kind, caring and loving of one another and the Asari actually felt an acceptance into the humans family. Even though it wasn't Kerry's real parents speaking the Asari surmised that what she had witnessed wasn't too far off from the truth of who her parents really were. Seeing the little girl next to Hannah, Shepards sister, an almost exact image of her love made the Asari begin to tear up. To see someone so young and innocent have their life taken away before she had a chance to become someone special made Liara's heart ache. Wishing she could know her loves family was one thing but seeing them in the vision and knowing they'd never be around made the Asari feel for her love that much more.

Feeling the hesitation from Shepard as the memory moves forward, wanting nothing more than to stop whats to come.

'Do not pull away...let me be there for you... We will get through this together.'

'That's just it Li, you've always been there for me...more so than I have ever been...'

'Why would you think that?.. How can you say that?..you were there for me through it all... everything. Even though I pushed you away you still kept trying to find ways to help me, be by my side. Still to this day I can not imagine all that you went through but you did and saying you made it through it all because of me shows just how much you love me, how much you've sacrificed and how much you've been there for me'

Feeling the commanders tension ease a bit the Asari knew she finally reached her human, made her understand how much she was loved and appreciated through all that had happened and knew no matter what they'd be there for each other for the rest of their days. Feeling the commanders playful nature come back a little she had a feeling as to what Shepard was going to say next.

'Well I have had a crush on you since the first day we met and I do love the color blue. Plus your hot so...'

'Goddess there will be two children I'll have to watch over soon.'

'Hey I resent that I ...yeah your right. Li I just want to stop living in the past...live for the now, for us and our baby...not dwell on all the negative anymore. The only thing good it brought me was you.'

Shaking her head at her loves poor attempt at humor the Asari brings the conversation back to the topic at hand.

'Let me see, let us both move on from the past together.'

X

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"Admiral Hackett, Khalisah Bint Sinan al-Jilani, Westerlund News, why are we being told the commanders whereabouts are classified? The people have a right to know where she is. Doesn't she feel the need to answer to the accusations that were brought forth against her? That she is a race traitor, doesn't she know that all the secrecy and the hiding is only giving merit to them, causing people to believe that she has truly turned her back on us?" The condescending reporter ask. "Are we to believe that she ran away while we humans are suffering still? It sure seems that way while we are forced to leave our home world. A true hero..."

"Shepard is a true hero. Something you no nothing about. You stand there and demand answers for what exactly?..answers to accusations brought against her by the likes of a mad man... Who only wanted to take over the galaxy and control everything? Is that what the people want to hear? If it is then I will say this, the only reason any of you are even standing here asking me these ridiculous questions is because of her and what her crew did. That is the only answer you will get... If there's nothing else I have a planet to evacuate." The Admiral finishes much to his relief. A press conference had been called in order to let the people of Earth know what was happening as far as the continued relief support and when the evacuation was actually taking place as well as any other information the public needed to know. The conference started out with Hackett giving out contact information to anyone who needed it and fielding any questions related to it but quickly turned into a smear campaign against Shepard with al-Jilani at the front of it.

He had grown tired of her ramblings and constant accusatory statements directed towards the commander. He knew he should have handled it better but had been growing weary of it all and needed the focus to be brought back to the problem at hand, leaving before Earth was too unstable.

He desperately wanted the reports from all the scientists to be wrong but with all the data that he was shown, he knew it was only a matter of time before the planet needed to be vacated. The next problem was where would they all go and how to get there? With the war decimating much of the galaxies population there were an abundant amount of planets to choose from but how many could sustain the amount of humans that needed to be relocated?

Moving the humans was made a little easier by the Quarians. With the majority of their ships repaired and most of their people being on Ranoch rebuilding or building their new homes. Tali and the other Quarian Admirals offered any and all ships to Hackett for as long as they needed them and Hackett knew with the sheer size of each of the Quarian ships made available then the evacuation process would be shorter then expected.

Walking down off of the podium as the crowd of reporters were slowly leaving he is met by his assistant Chief Harris. Harris had always been a good man and he was to be missed as he made a request for a transfer to aboard the Normandy. Hackett had a feeling there was an underlying reason as to why but didn't care even though protocol dictated otherwise. It was no different than what happened with the last commanding officer and a subordinate and truthfully he was happy for the both of them. Williams had always been a great soldier and sacrificed a lot to get where she is today. It took Shepard finding her on Eden Prime to show the Alliance what kind of soldier she was and the Admiral is just happy to be able to utilize the second human spectre. Now he just has to find another assistant as capable as his predecessor.

"Admiral, that went well." He says sarcastically with a heavy sigh. He knew once he made all the preparations and invited the news reporters to the conference it eventually would turn to the topic of the commander. He knew that the fall out from what Cerberus had said needed to be taken care of swiftly but never imagined the rumors and false accusations would be taken seriously against her and he could not fathom how the public had been influenced so easily. One thing he did know and was an advocate for was the destruction of the crucible. After seeing all the trouble went to by Cerberus in order to kidnap the commander and the two Asari in order to try and take over everything, he knew it wouldn't be long before someone else followed suit and tried it again. And with the information leaked by doctor Schneider about how Shepard was the only one able to use the super weapon he feared for her safety. Harris knew that was the main reson for the Asari to take her and go into seclusion and he agreed with her wholeheartedly, but all it would take is one nut with an agenda and superiority complex to try and repeat what Cerberus failed to do.

With everything going on his focus now was on getting a proper replacement for the Admiral and going back to life on a ship. Before he answered directly to the Admiral he had been out among the stars and loved every moment of it. Not having a family of his own made it easier to volunteer for any mission that came up and when it came down to it and Hackett needed to make the decision to replace his former chief who had retired, it was easy. With his service record unblemished and the attention to detail he put forth over his entire career, Harris was an easy choice. Now though, as hard as it will be to leave the side of the Admiral he knew he was going back to his roots. Going back to where he belonged, space. Having a spectre as a girlfriend and the commander of his new assignment made it an easy choice as to where he would serve. They knew the rules but also knew they'd be professional when the time came. He never thought he'd meet anyone like Williams and could only smile each time he thought about her. Harris knew that if two seasoned Marines could come together after all that had happened and as long as each of them were focused on only their careers, that taking the time out for each other would be new but wanted.

Turning his attention to the Admiral he notices how much stress he is under, can see it in the features on his tired face. Shaking his head at the entire situation he says to Hackett.

"Sir I know my transfer isn't coming at the best of times but I hope you understand why I'm doing it."

"Chief you don't have to explain anything. It's important that I have the best available soldiers out there helping. You're needed elsewhere not by my side so take care of yourself especially with the new commander of the Normandy. I hear she gives a lot of shit to anyone new coming on her ship."

"Yeah I heard about that but I don't think I have anything to worry about... You know, since I'm not a blue alien." He says jokingly with a smile. He always enjoyed his private talks with the Admiral. It's the only time either of them were able to be themselves.

"No you're not a blue alien but you are an ass."

"Ah yes that may be true but I'm an ass who made you the best coffee ever and don't you forget it." Holding out his hand shaking the Admirals, he quickly snaps to attention and salutes his friend. "It's been an honor sir."

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Laying in each other's arms as the both try to process what they saw. Having to relive the memory of Liara getting hurt again brought the same gut wrenching feeling back as it did before. This time was different as Liara had been by her side the entire way but was shocked at the amount of blood, her blood that was covering Shepard's armor and face. It had been difficult to watch as the commander begged anyone who would listen for them to switch places and for Liara to be alright. The vision ended and the two were left to their thoughts on it all. Yet one thing remained out of everything that they witnessed. One thing they knew would be a constant, each other. They needed something to believe in, something good had to come out of all the misery they had to endure. Their bond was the focus for both of them and their future together.

Feeling her love run her blue fingers through her hair had a cathargic effect on the human and could sit there for hours as the Asari had her fun. Shepard was still waiting for the day when she'd look in the mirror and scream as she knew her Asari wanted nothing more than to shave her head. It was never verbalized but once Liara found out it didn't hurt to cut her golden blonde locks she kept eying the razor Shepard had laying around the tub.

Picking her head up to look her Asari in the eyes she smiles again, then leans her head in, wanting to feel more contact, closing her eyes at the feel of her loves finger nails scratching her scalp. Shepard was tempted to start moving her leg like a dog but figured the Asari would not understand and think she was weirder. Opening her eyes again she can see all the love her bondmate has for her and as much as she's enjoying the moment she wants to know Liara was alright with everything she witnessed.

"You sure you are okay with what you saw? I know it was a lot to process but now you see why we can't watch scary movies."

"Yes I am fine and it was a lot to think about but it's over." The Asari's smile growing at the double meaning behind her words. It was all done finally not just reliving the vision, all the fighting was over and done with and their future can finally be concentrated on. "And as far as the vids, I do believe it was your idea to watch them in the first place and I also have it on good authority as to why."

"Oh do you now? From who...who has spread the lies about me? Surely you don't believe them." Kerry says back in a playful tone.

"Why Tali of course and Ashely... Garus, doctor Chakwas, Wrex, eventually Miranda, as well as Aethyta. Adams, Donnelly, oh and we can't forget about Joker...now he told me all about how vids like that were supposed make me...what did he say? Oh yes...jump into your lap." A mischievous grin comes across Liara's face as she slightly shakes her head at her lovers antics.

"Ok so what your saying is the entire god damn ship sold me out...that's just great."

"Yes but did you think I didn't no what you were doing?..That Karin did not inform me that you wanted to watch a scary vid...hoping i'd want to get closer to you?" Sarcasm oozed out of Liara's mouth with the next sentence. "So the great and powerful Commander Kerry Shepard could protect me from all the horrible monsters."

"Alright! I get it...Ladies and gentlemen it is my pleasure to introduce a woman of many talents ...doctor Liara T'Soni, archeologist, shadow broker, reaper slayer and her new career... Comedian." Shepard says with a look of mild annoyance. A smile cracks as she hears Liara giggle a little.

"Commander did you really think you needed to do anything to get me closer to you?"

Becoming shy suddenly the Commander begins to blush, nodding her head yes. "I was never any good at that stuff...wanted to make sure you were interested...guess looking back it was stupid cause you were."

A smoldering look comes across the Asari's features as she rolls over on top of her human. Leaning in for a kiss she enters Shelard's mind and shows the commander how interested she was. Flooded with images of what the Asari's plans were for her, Shepard can only close her eyes and pray shes able to walk in the morning.