Their first two days together weren't all that remarkable. Liara wasn't sure what she'd been expecting, but reality had turned out to be rather boring. It had only taken her a matter of hours to convert the upstairs loft area into an open office of sorts, with monitors and datapads galore scattered across every available surface. Shepard didn't seem to mind; in fact she hadn't been upstairs more than once. That had been on their first day together. After Garrus had left, the two made a quick survey of the posh apartment and Shepard immediately decided that the smaller of the two downstairs bedrooms was hers. When asked why, the human had merely pointed to the punching bag and asked, "I'm sorry, are you into kickboxing?" Liara might have been offended by the disbelief in Shepard's tone but when she realized that the human was serious and very seriously worried that she may have just insulted the asari, Liara had merely turned away to hide the giggle that slipped.

The two didn't bother to ask why the apartment had come furnished, content not to wonder how Saren had come into possession of such an extravagant base on such short notice. From the very human piano on the first level, both were pretty sure that the steely-eyed Spectre hadn't done the decorating himself. And Spectres were allowed to commandeer any resources they felt necessary...

Since then Liara had barely seen the girl, which was odd considering the open floor plan of the apartment. She suspected that Shepard was trying to avoid one-on-one contact as much as possible until she was more comfortable, not just for her own sake but for Liara's as well. In the few instances on the first day in which the two had been within touching distance, Shepard would tense up and then immediately wince apologetically. The human could tell it was a blow to Liara's self-confidence every time she flinched away from her, so rather than make them both uncomfortable Shepard had taken to just staying put in her room. If Liara ever saw her it was either in the kitchen or from afar, when she was making good use of the punching bag. Or the pull-up bar installed in the doorway between the closet and bedroom. Liara wasn't sure which one was more distracting, but she supposed it didn't matter so long as she wasn't caught staring… from all the way over in the living area.

With regards to the kitchen, Shepard spent most of her time there attempting to use asari ingredients to make human meals. It had taken less than twenty minutes for Liara to find an asari grocer nearby, but then Liara had spent two hours trying and failing to find a shop that supplied human food. The human population on the Citadel was still very sparse in most places, and what with the Tiberius Towers being a living complex for the rich and well-connected...

Suffice it to say that Shepard was on a pseudo-asari diet for the time being. And unfortunately for her, human cooking techniques were not translating well to the ingredients provided. Liara felt horrible about it, but she couldn't deny that it was both fascinating to watch Shepard cook and amusing to see (or hear from upstairs, which was the usual case) the results of the human's failed experiments.

Her favorite moment had actually occurred earlier that morning, when Shepard had been sitting cross-legged on the living room couch with a bowl of sliced vegetables for breakfast. When Liara had sincerely asked if vegetables were a common human breakfast food Shepard had practically whined like an infant that no, vegetables were not at all a typical breakfast, but they were "the only goddamn thing I've tried that hasn't ended up tasting like fish."

Liara knew that Shepard was getting restless though; all throughout the previous night Liara had woken to hear Shepard pacing or muttering to herself. The asari should have been unsettled, but in the five or so minutes it would take for Liara to fall back asleep she merely wondered what the human was saying.

As Liara finished up her own breakfast in the kitchen, she ran through her schedule for the day. Today would be her first time seeing the artifacts in person, and talking to Saren alone. She was excited for one of those things, nervous for the other. While she was doing that, Garrus would be coming by to set Shepard up with her new omni-tool and the two would start their police work. Hopefully Shepard would be fine on her own for a while, because once Liara got her hands on the tablets there was no telling how long she'd spend staring at them. She'd need to have them scanned so she could have a holo-model set up at the apartment for her and Shepard to use for the time being. Hopefully one day soon Shepard would earn the right to accompany her to the office where the tablets were held, but that would take quite a bit of success on Garrus' part and even more convincing on her part. Saren would probably always see a criminal when he looked at Shepard, and even if he could learn to look past that he would still just see another war-mongering human. She'd have to make it worth his while if she wanted to help Shepard get her freedom back.

I also have to pick her up some clothes… Liara remembered. She's been wearing the same shirt and pants for the past three days, and I do know that humans sweat.

"Shepard?" Liara called out.

"What?" She heard the answering call come from the living area. Liara placed her dishes in the sink and walked out to see Shepard sitting upside down on the couch, feet sticking straight up in the air and with her head hanging off the seat. Bright blue eyes blinked in confusion. Shepard's only response to her silent question was, "My boredom manifests itself in weird ways."

She wasn't quite sure what to make of that explanation. Liara thought about sitting down but thought better of it; Shepard looked bizarrely comfortable and she didn't want to ruin that, especially since Liara was about to leave anyway. "Today's the day. I'll be going to the Embassies to speak with Saren."

"Holo-Saren, you mean."

"Yes, of course. I'm not sure how long I'll be gone… will you be alright here by yourself? Garrus will be coming by to begin working with you and once you have your new omni-tool you'll be able to reach me if you need anything. Today though, I'm afraid you'll be on your own."

Shepard merely shrugged. "Won't be the first time."

Liara's brow furrowed. Well that was a rather depressing sentiment. Shepard must have noticed her frown because she flashed Liara an upside down grin. "Ah, don't look at me like that. You're a scientist after all, I can't imagine the lab's much of a place for socializing."

Liara had to concede her point. "Actually, I normally operate on remote dig sites, alone. So, yes, I suppose I have to agree. Still, I just wanted to make sure you won't be… " Lonely? Scared? Liara wasn't quite sure what she wanted to say or how to say it, and with Shepard staring at her with one eyebrow raised she decided to just change the subject and say her farewells before things got awkward. Well, more awkward. "Well. I suppose I'll be on my way."

Shepard raised one hand in a half-hearted wave. Her tattoo stood out starkly from the pale skin of her right forearm. "Have fun with Sergeant Spectre."

Liara wasn't quite sure how to respond to that so she ran her hands down the front of her lab coat instead, smoothing it out before giving a shy wave of her own. She left the apartment then, failing to resist the urge to look back. When the door shut behind her she let out a deep breath before starting on her journey. Before leaving the building she nodded and gave a pleasant greeting to the two asari working the lobby. She got an odd look here and there from the people walking past, but that was mainly because the only people up this early on the strip where hungover bar patrons that were just now making it back home. A bright-eyed, sober asari in work clothes was not a common sight on the strip unless it was lunchtime and the white collar business folk were out on about on social calls.

Liara ignored the looks but did take note of the fact that she might want to invest in some more appropriate attire for her new living situation. Everyone she passed was dressed in a manner that suggested they threw away money as a hobby. She still wasn't entirely sure why Saren had insisted they live where they did, it wasn't like there was a shortage of safe and efficient residency on the Citadel. The Tiberius Towers were only a short distance away from the Silversun Strip, which was a catwalk of casinos and clubs for the rich and influential. The Towers may have also been close to the Embassies, yes, but honestly it was relatively easy to get anywhere on the Citadel. There were skycar stands at every intersection. Proximity couldn't have been the reason.

She hailed one of those skycar once she'd finished convincing a disgruntled, drunken turian that she was in fact not his bondmate and was on her way in no time at all. She probably could have walked to the Embassies if she wanted to, but figured she'd save that for when Shepard was allowed out of the house. She could take the human on a tour of the strip, and they could have a nice meal somewhere.

The thought made her smile.

The only other hiccup she faced on the way to the private office where she'd be working was the large krogan mercenary that was clearly not enjoying being questioned by the turian officer she needed to talk to. His armor was as red as blood and when he finally stormed off (practically barreling into her when he swung around to stomp away) Liara's eyes widened at the sight of the jagged scars marring his grizzled face.

"Move it, asari," the krogan had rumbled as he stormed past her.

The turian had apologized for the krogan, looking irritated but slightly shaken. Not that Liara could blame him. After checking in and confirming that she had the proper clearances she was on the elevator and up on her way to the office. As the elevator climbed up floor after floor, her excitement grew and grew. The Prothean artifacts were waiting for her, waiting to be translated, and waiting to spill their secrets. Her excitement was doubled with the knowledge that Shepard would make the translation process so much faster, and then once the initial translation itself was completed she could begin to test the depths of Shepard's skill. She wasn't quite sure that Prothean writing had an alphabet, from what most scientists had already discovered most of their text worked in a system of pictures much like the ancient human cultures of Egypt... but perhaps with Shepard's help the two could produce the galaxy's first ever Prothean dictionary of sorts. And, if Shepard could get a handle on her seemingly inherent knowledge, then there was a possibility that she could even learn to teach it to others. Teach Liara.

The prospects were thrilling.

By the time she stepped off the elevator, she had a huge smile on her face.

Her gait on the way to the office was a tad bit too fast to be called walking, and once she'd reached the sliding doors she tapped her foot impatiently while her biometrics were being scanned. Once the doors started to open she breezed through them way before the automated voice had even finished greeting her.

The tablets were more beautiful than she'd imagined, massive and imposing like most of the Prothean artifacts she'd both studied and uncovered. They were incredible. The visible carvings had perfect edges, almost laser-cut in their clarity… but the tablets themselves looked like they'd been put through a war. Pieces of them were completely blown away, other sections were cracked, and in some places they even looked like they'd been burned. They were also bigger than she'd been anticipating. Easily as wide as she was tall, and possibly taller than the Krogan she'd almost been trampled by minutes earlier.

When she first laid eyes on them her first instinct told her that she was looking at two separate tablets, but in the next moment she was within arm's reach and upon closer inspection she realized that it was in fact one massive tablet, split into two pieces. It was unlike anything she'd ever worked on before.

The halves were mounted on a table in the center of the room, and behind them was the vidcomm. Top-quality systems, the best of the best for the Council's own personal task force. She'd gotten to the office early on purpose so she'd have time to study the tablets before she had to speak with Saren, but she couldn't have been in the office for more than a minute before the blinking green light signaled an incoming call.

"Dr. T'Soni, a pleasure to see you again. As punctual as I expected."

Liara immediately shrank upon seeing the Spectre's image projected before her. She could feel the unarguable power he possessed crawling across her skin, oppressive even though Saren was probably light-years away from the Citadel by now. Her enthusiasm for her work was momentarily shelved for a quick bow of her head. She almost felt the need to curtsy, his presence was so authoritative. "Of course," she began with a shaky voice. "I was eager to get started."

"As am I," he responded, tilting his head ever so slightly and eyeing her the way a bird of prey eyes a sparrow. Not stock from their typical sources of food, but easily introduced to the category. "I trust the human has not been difficult?"

"No, not at all!" Liara raised her hands defensively, feeling the need to protect Shepard despite the two obvious facts that she'd never hear what Saren might say about her and of course the fact that Saren couldn't actually care less about the well-being of a human.

Practically everyone in the galaxy knew that Saren Arterius had never been the same after his brother was killed in the First Contact War. It was all a very hush-hush affair. Turians were suspicious during the best of times and rarely broadcasted their problems to other races, but Liara knew that humans had somehow been responsible for Desolas Arterius' death. No one outside the Hierarchy aside from Saren himself knew what had really happened; the rest of the world knew only that Desolas had been taken captive by human mercenaries, which made him a disgrace in the eyes of many of the other turian generals, and that Saren had been there when Desolas met his end at their hands. He'd been ruthless before then but when the humans, (in his mind) such a feeble, opportunistic race took something precious from him he came to despise everything about them. And the way the Council allowed them to force their way into galactic acceptance.

Liara supposed that she couldn't blame Saren for his prejudice; the loss of a loved one was nearly always a traumatic experience. It would be easy for anyone to lay blame to a scapegoat, let alone a cold, calculating, aggressor like Saren.

"She's behaved perfectly well." Liara continued. "Officer Vakarian is starting his investigation today, and I'm sure she'll be nothing less than cooperative."

"Of course. If she does cause you any trouble let me know. I wouldn't have minded letting her stay in prison, but when the Executor challenged my authority so blatantly I had to make a point. We'll let him have his consolation prize, and no more. I trust that if she's managed to cling to life this long, she'll be resourceful enough to accomplish the meager task set out for her." Liara winced at the lack of care in Saren's tone. So, he had been furious with the Executor. And now he was using Shepard's freedom to make a point about his standing as Spectre. Oh, Goddess, what had she gotten herself into? "Now, tell me doctor..." Suddenly his voice was less dismissive and Liara straightened up. "In your professional opinion, why exactly is that creature able to understand Prothean?"

A valid question. She fought the urge to cringe at his word choice, and tried to answer as best she could. "I'm afraid I have no idea. Something like this, a person being able to understand Prothean, has never been recorded before. Most of what researchers in the field have accepted as translated is more akin to theory than an actual reading."

"So you have absolutely no idea how this is possible?"

Liara couldn't tell by his tone if he was surprised or disappointed, but she was instantly uncomfortable. Was he questioning her knowledge? She'd thought that he trusted her expertise, or at least that he trusted her mother's faith in her expertise. He'd said as much, earlier. But now he was looking at her like she was supposed to have an answer for him, like it was expected of her... like he was going to be disappointed if there was none.

That's hardly fair, Liara thought to herself. I haven't even gotten to run a single test yet, on Shepard or the tablets!

"With all due respect, sir, I haven't exactly had the time to-"

"Of course, of course," he cut her off with a wave of his hand. "Run some tests, put her to work. You can tell me when you've reached some possible conclusions. For now, I'll leave you to the tablets. As you know the two were found on Eden Prime, and from what my ground team initially observed they seem to be related to the Prothean extinction. They were the only things found at the site still intact; among them were the ruins of what my scientists suspect was a bunker of some kind."

Liara nodded, mind already filing the information away for when she was alone and could really focus on her work. "It's a large piece, the largest I've ever worked with. I agree about the extinction; before I even came into contact with Shepard I was able to recognize the symbol for 'vigil,' which is generally believed to be related to death."

"It?" Saren questioned, eyes narrowing. "There were two tablets recovered, doctor. Not one."

"I disagree." Liara's confidence was returning, now that for once she was the superior authority in the room. Prothean knowledge and study were her strengths, and despite Saren's intimidating aura she knew that she knew exactly what she was talking about. "The two pieces come from the same tablet; the only reason it is not immediately distinguishable is the crack down the center. It's irregular, which indicates that there is third piece that your team was not able to find."

Saren was taking her seriously now, she could tell. His eyes were focused on her they seemed impressed. "You know this for sure?"

"Yes. If you look here…" Liara returned her attention to the tablet and indicated the lower thirds of the pieces. Though charred and cracked and ragged, it was easy to tell that the two edges did indeed line up. At least to a point. "It's a clear fit despite the damage. The etchings on both pieces are also remarkably similar; if they were cut at different times the etchings on one piece would show signs of age, of which there are none. I'm fairly confident, even without translation, that they are two parts of one whole."

Saren regarded her silently for a moment before giving her the turian version of a crocodile grin. "I suppose I'll have to tell my team to look harder on their second trip." Liara fought the urge to preen under the indirect praise. Saren stood tall, folding his arms behind his back and nodding to her respectfully. "I expect weekly updates via the vidcomm here and daily updates via the secure connection we have via omni-tool. The tablets don't leave this room. I understand that this process will take time, so don't rush yourself trying to win my favor. I have matters of my own to attend to, so I expect we'll both be busy. It's perfectly acceptable if your updates are short. Any questions?" His tone suggested that anything less than such would be an annoyance at his expense.

Liara squared her shoulders and stood tall. She did have a few questions, any scientific mind would, but there was only one on her mind right now. "Why the Tiberius Towers? Being so close to the Silversun Strip, it's not exactly inconspicuous."

Saren's response was professional and immediate. "Hiding in plain sight, doctor. It's exactly because the Strip is so well-known and so popular among the entitled that it makes for a perfect cover. That does remind me, I want to make sure that we're on the same page. While you're here, you're not to breathe a word of this operation to anyone not directly involved. If anyone asks, firstly, tell me immediately. And secondly, your cover story has been provided by your mother: you're enjoying the Citadel's hospitality on behalf of Matriarch Benezia to take note of the way the asari are... presenting themselves to the rest of the galaxy."

Liara rolled her eyes. Somehow, she wasn't surprised that her oh so official cover story was to play babysitter to her own species. Make sure they weren't embarrassing anybody back home. The asari were far too caught up on appearances, in her opinion. It was one of the many reasons she left home. "One more question, if I may?" Saren did not verbally respond, he merely continued to stare and raised a clawed hand, gesturing for her to get on with it. "What relevance do the Protheans have to you?" Liara asked.

Saren's answer sharp. "That is above your pay grade, doctor." Liara flinched at his angry tone, dropping her gaze to avoid his steely eyes. There was quiet in the room for a moment, the only noise being the gentle hum of the comm relay, before Saren's voice grew thoughtful. "For now. If you impress me, we'll see."

He tipped his head in a farewell gesture. When his image flickered out and Liara was left alone in the office, she let out a huge sigh of relief. The oppressive energy in the room was gone, and she was finally alone with the artifact. Saren was as aloof as she'd imagined, and his mysterious farewell was going to bother her for at least the rest of the day. With a shake of her head she tried to forget the implications of not just his abrupt departure. Something about the Spectre made her crest tingle, and not at all in a good way. Not in the way they did when Shepard-

Stop that train of thought at once.


Garrus was already at the apartment by the time Liara made it back. He was focused on his omni-tool, and when Liara looked to Shepard she realized that the human was doing the same. The two were seated almost a comfortable, friendly distance apart and Liara couldn't stop the dull sting of jealousy that rose in her chest. Of course, she didn't fully identify it as jealousy at first, merely confusion.

No offense to Garrus, but I'd like to think the asari are a tad more… familiar-looking than turians. At least our sclera is white! She thought to herself, mildly indignant.

But in the next instant the whir of the sliding doors closing caught both Shepard and Garrus' attention and the two looked up. When Shepard grinned, the ache in Liara's chest was replaced with a fluttering warmth and she couldn't help but return the gesture.

"Hey, Doc!" Shepard's voice was colored with more energy than it had been during the past two days collectively, and when she shot up from the couch Liara immediately understood why. "OG finally got me set up with an omni-tool!"

"…OG?" Liara questioned with amusement clear in her tone.

Shepard didn't bother to look up from her interface before responding, and Liara couldn't help but admire the way the bright orange light played off of the warm tones of the human's skin. "Officer Garrus. OG. Earth pun," she said as if Liara was just supposed to understand that it was something she wouldn't understand even if Shepard took the time to explain. Before she had time to question Shepard further, the human was moving towards her and Liara fought the urge to back away. Not out of a desire to distance herself from Shepard, because that certainly wasn't what she wanted, but because why was Shepard coming so close- "Wanna be number two on my speed-dial?"

Shepard wasn't that close, not really. If Liara was being honest with herself Shepard was a perfectly respectable distance away, but that was still the closest Shepard had gotten to her yet. She was within arm's reach, close enough for Liara to reach out and run a hand through the innumerable strands of hair that framed Shepard's face. Yet another thing Liara wanted to touch. "Speed-dial?" she asked instead.

"My way of asking for your contact info so I can annoy you at all hours of the day from the comfort of my room." Shepard was grinning again.

"Oh!" Now Liara understood. She shyly returned Shepard's smile and brought up her own interface. She sent out a request to connect with the closest omni-tool in the room, Shepard's she assumed, and was delighted to catch the pleased glint in the human's eyes once the connection was set. "So, how goes the police work?"

"Pretty good so far," Garrus finally spoke, answering for her. "Shepard and I have been mocking up some holograms of the two Reds that got away, her oh-so-charming comrades. What were their names again, kid?"

"Finch is the ugly one and Adams is also the ugly one."

Garrus snorted and typed away at his interface. "Helpful."

Liara smothered a giggle and politely brushed past Shepard to get herself something to drink. When she looked in the fridge and saw a box of unfamiliar cans she frowned. "…Shepard? Where did these cans come from?" She pulled one out of the box and inspected it, sure that it was some kind of liquid but absolutely clueless as to what kind. The design of the can itself was also foreign. She wasn't quite sure how she was supposed to open it.

"Oh, Garrus brought me those!" Shepard called from the living area, now once again seated next to Garrus. The officer in question nodded and explained that, if Shepard was anything like him, she'd need some kind of distraction to combat the stir-crazy that was sure to come during the next two weeks. Since target practice was out of the question, he figured alcohol was the next best thing.

"You'd be shocked by how many human kids think that just because they're in space they don't have to be of age to buy alcohol. If I brought you even half of the beer we confiscate from duct rats you'd have a full fridge. You're just lucky we can't drink the stuff, otherwise it'd all be right at home in our break room."

"What are duct rats again? I mean, the human drinking age is universally eighteen now, so how young do those kids have to be?" Shepard questioned, unfamiliar with Citadel terms.

While Garrus explained, Liara turned her attention back to the can. She wasn't much of a drinker, if she was anything in relation to alcohol she was a lightweight. She did know however that there was a basic rule to alcohol that went something like: the stronger the drink, the larger and or fancier the bottle. This can was relatively small, so surely this so-called "beer" couldn't have been too strong?

There's no harm in trying it… she mused.

After struggling with the tiny metal tab and having a mild bout of panic when the liquid inside started to fizz once the can was open, Liara held the can up to her nose for a quick sniff and immediately winced.

Well that smells rather unpleasant. I wonder if it tastes as bad as it…

The moment the amber liquid touched her tongue Liara's eyes widened and she spat it out. Shepard and Garrus both immediately snapped their heads in her direction, surely concerned by the disgusted noise she made. Garrus continued to look concerned but Shepard immediately understood what had happened and immediately started to laugh.

"Not a fan of the beer there, Doc? Not fancy enough for you?"

"Fancy?" Liara gasped, mildly outraged by both the insinuation that she was fancy and the aftertaste still lingering on her tongue. "It tastes like, like urine!"

Shepard rolled her eyes and stood up, and as she moved to the kitchen Garrus chuckled and turned back to his omni-tool. I'm guessing the Good Doctor doesn't drink, he thought to himself. That'll be a good tidbit to make use of later.

"Don't you dare waste that beer, Doc." Shepard quipped. She then snatched the can from Liara's hand, which was extended out as far as it would go to keep the offending liquid as far from the asari's person as possible. Liara then watched in horror as Shepard tilted her head back and took a long swig from the can that surely would've made Liara gag. The satisfied sigh the human released afterwards had Liara shaking her head in disbelief. "What?" Shepard questioned.

"I truly don't mean to offend you, Shepard-"

"You say that about a lot of thing and I've yet to be offended, Doc." Shepard cocked a brow in her direction, amused by the lingering disgust on Liara's face.

"Well then let me be frank: that was disgusting."

Shepard's shoulders shook with laughter once more and she took a less exaggerated sip from the can. Liara turned to retrieve a proper drink from the fridge. "It's an acquired taste, even for certain humans." Shepard offered kindly.

"You can't tell me you honestly enjoy that, that…"

"I honestly enjoy that swill, yes. Reminds me of home: poor and hardy."

Why would you drink something that reminds you of how poor you are? Liara thought to herself. It seemed a rather self-deprecating practice. Rather than begin a conversation that could quickly become uncomfortable however, Liara sought instead to address another thing that had been slightly bothering her. "Yes well, I wanted to tell you that I really would prefer it if you used my name."

"…if this is some roundabout attempt at earning permission to use my first name it's not gonna work. As sweet as you are, my first name's off-limits."

Liara's brow furrowed. And why is that, I wonder? What did she say it was again…? Jane? Who exactly is allowed to use that name? Before Liara could wander any further down that train of thought, Shepard's other comment finally reached her. She thinks I'm sweet? She couldn't prevent the smile that grew on her face as she regarded Shepard's playfully suspicious gaze. "No, that's not what this is about. I would just prefer hearing my name as opposed to some generic nickname."

"…fine then. Liara." Shepard tested out the word and Liara fought the pleasant shiver that wandered down her spine at the sound of it. Shepard's voice was rather appealing, husky but warm.

She of course had no idea that Shepard felt the exact same way about Liara's voice, minus the husky but with an added helping of velvety. The human could listen to Liara ramble on about Prothean whosits and whatsits for hours, and was actually looking forward to Garrus' departure so she could question Liara about her morning's adventure beyond the apartment.

"Yes, Shepard?"

The two stared each other down for a moment, a new measure of understanding between them… an added level of warmth.

Shepard ruined the moment however when she abruptly turned around and headed back into the living area. "You're distracting me from my police work." Her tone was sarcastic and Liara just shook her head, content to let the human go without more playful protest. Secretly she was just glad that Shepard seemed to finally be easing up around her and Garrus both. It probably had to do with the brand-new omni-tool and her new "job," helping Garrus track down her former partners.

Liara could only wonder how she must have felt about that. Was she feeling conflicted? Was she focusing more on the fact that doing so would keep her out of prison? Or was she actually thrilled that the police were going to be legally exacting her revenge for her? Maybe, once I know we're at ease with each other, I'll ask her.

She followed Shepard back out into the living area, curious to see what exactly Garrus was doing. He seemed to be finalizing the holograms of Finch and Adams, and from what she could see the two men were mean-looking and nowhere near as appealing as Shepard was. Speaking of Shepard, rather than reclaiming her previous seat she'd taken up residence on the other couch, sipping at her foul beer. Liara took in how much room there was available, and debated for only a moment if she dared to test the levels of their familiarity.

She dared.

She gingerly sat herself down next to Shepard, a more than respectable distance away, and took a forcefully-casual sip of her own drink and waited for Shepard's reaction.

She'd anticipated the tensing of muscles, and was saddened to see the minute reaction in Shepard's shoulders. But what was new however, was the way Shepard raised her arms, stretching them out and then resting the arm that was not holding her beer along the back of the couch. It was a forced attempt to relax herself, not even remotely natural or casual, but the added slouch to her posture did in fact help to release the uncomfortable stiffness Liara's proximity had caused.

Any other asari might have been insulted, but Liara knew that unfamiliarity was not cured overnight. She knew that Shepard was trying. She also knew that she was content to wait for as long as Shepard needed to feel comfortable around her… maybe even enjoy being close to her.


It was early in the morning, so early it still felt like the night before. Garrus had left hours ago, promising that he'd be back again the next day to plan his first operation. According to his plans, Finch and Adams would be caught by the end of the week, and by that time he'd already have enough intel to catch the required number of dealers and then some. From what Liara had observed, Shepard made up for not dealing in Red Sand by knowing a lot about the people that did deal it. It was almost alarming.

Once he'd gone, Shepard had asked Liara about her meeting with Saren. She hadn't been interested in Saren of course, she was moreso interested in the tablets and if they'd "lived up to expectations." Which they of course had. Then Shepard had tried to ask about what kind of tests Liara wanted to perform on her, making several dissection-themed test subject jokes at Liara's expense. It had all been in good fun, but Liara had been mortified all the same. Then Liara had managed the astounding feat of terrifying herself when she'd attempted to "reassure" Shepard that she wasn't a test subject but a "promising specimen for an in-depth study." The only upside to the entire conversation was the fact that Shepard had spent enough time laughing to truly and finally relax around the asari.

It had been such a full day of exciting new prospects… the beginning of what she was sure was going to be an epic chapter of her life, and she was utterly unable to sleep. She tossed and turned in the silk sheets of the king-sized bed she still wasn't used to sleeping in. Rest just would not come to her. She'd already had a glass of water, already completed at least an hour of meditation, and still sleep eluded her. It was the frustrating form of insomnia that held sleep just out of reach. She may have been excited for the future, but not so excited that she was immune to her own drowsiness. She would linger just at the edge of blissful peace, almost at the brink of slumber, but then the slightest noise or shadow would stir her back to wakefulness.

One such shadow was especially distracting; it wouldn't stop moving and wasn't going away.

Groggy but curious, Liara rose from her bed and walked out onto the second-floor balcony, overlooking the first floor. The shadow was cast against the far wall, meaning that the light source must have been coming from within the apartment. The only windows that outside light might shine through were covered for the night. Liara's drowsiness slowed her thought process, but eventually she reached the conclusion that Shepard's omni-tool might be the cause. That would make sense: Shepard had been playing with the device on and off all day, and if the light was shining from her open room then the shadow cast on the far wall would have been weak but huge just as this one was.

She listened, waiting to hear a sign that Shepard was indeed the cause. What she heard woke her up in an instant.

"…like I said, Boss: I'm alright but I'm not going anywhere, C-Sec's got a tracer on me the size of… yeah. Five. Finch and Adams really fucked me when they used me as bait the second they saw the officer coming. They deserve it. Grim? I thought he was one of your best earners?"

Liara listened, straining to catch the faint words.

"Oh, fuck… seriously? Jackass. What? …no, they don't know yet. Haven't had a reason to show them."

Know what? Liara thought, bewildered. This didn't make sense! Shepard had sworn she was done with gang life, why would she be talking to… and that was another thing! How was Shepard talking to someone, anyone, when she was using a C-Sec grade omni-tool with just two contacts?

"Yeah, I know the protocol. Why do you think I fucking called you? Exactly. Yeah, they've got me rooming with an asari. Can't tell you why."

Part of Liara was relieved that Shepard wasn't sharing the details of her research with this mysterious and surely criminal contact. A larger part of her was desperate to hear whatever else the human was going to say about her.

"Hah hah, very funny. No, she's not a dancer. She's a scientist, really sweet. Cute, too. I didn't know asari had freckles."

Liara brought a hand to her face, touching her cheek self-consciously at the mention of her birthmarks. What had Shepard called them? Freckles? She finds me appealing… oh, I'd be thrilled right now if she wasn't doing something she's not supposed to!

"Yeah? Well fuck you too. Look, I'm trying to be nice here. I never even wanted to leave Earth in the first place! You know that! If you have any other ideas then by all means, share. No? I didn't fucking think so. Shepard, out."

The shadow on the wall disappeared as Shepard ended the connection, and Liara was left stunned. She'd never expected this, for Shepard to somehow still be in communication with someone who was very clearly from the 10th Street Reds. What was she thinking! Liara wasn't sure if she should feel betrayed or angry; didn't Shepard see that she was only creating more opportunity to get herself into trouble? Didn't she realize that if she got caught, she'd most assuredly go to jail? And what was Liara supposed to do about this? She couldn't tell Saren, no. And what about Garrus? What would he do if he found out? Could she live with a secret like this? Could she fake a smile and interact with Garrus knowing that Shepard was still somewhat-in-league with her old gang?

And what was this secret Shepard was hiding? This… thing she hadn't yet shown? It couldn't have been her knowledge of Prothean, she'd already shown Liara that. There were so many questions, so many things to think about, and if Liara had trouble falling asleep before there was absolutely no chance of it coming now.

But just then, a long, bone-weary sigh came from the first floor.

Shepard…. what am I going to do with you?

Liara frowned and let out a sigh of her own, unsure what to make of both Shepard and the position she now found herself in.


Liara is sweet, Saren is surprisingly fun to wrte. Next time on CotC: who was Shepard talking to? What is her secret?

Find out next time.

-Cel