It was decisive defeat; the treble clef vibrations of torrential doom, ready to swallow her whole. The world was beginning to fade quickly and her vision was becoming blurred as she began to ready herself for the end to come. Her eyes squeezed shut as her muscles tightened in reflexive embrace and hugged her skeleton like a python to its prey.
"Papa?" Andrasteia's clear voice rang out through her mind, causing Commander Sylvana Shepard to suck in a sharp breath of air and quickly regain her stoic composure.
The human shook her head to clear the fog clouding her thoughts then gazed down at her only child, who looked up at her father sire with worry swimming within her glowing cyan eyes.
"What is it, Andra?" The human asked as she shook off the last shackles of her post traumatic stress disorder.
"Are you okay? You looked really scared." The child was always startled when she felt like her father's confident and protective shell was upon the cusp of crumbling. This was her pillar of strength and sword of victory and it hurt the child to know that even her father's immortal fame as being an omnipotent commander only hid the tender mortal beneath.
"Of course, I was just thinking about what to eat tonight." Shepard said as she swiftly picked up her child and slowly walked away from the entrance to the Gifted Program for Exceptional Biotic Children.
"I got my report card today, papa." The young child's voice trailed off into uncomfortable silence as she handed a tiny data pad to Shepard.
She took it while looking quizzically at her child and scanned the contents of the device.
"I don't see anything wrong."
"I got a +++ in Fitness!" The child wailed as she threw her head onto her father's shoulder.
"What does that mean?"
"That's equivalent to a B in human educational terms!"
"...when did you learn how to use the word 'equivalent'?"
Andrasteia shook her head in frustration and took the data pad from her father.
"Mommy is going to turn me into whiskey and then have granny poo drink me when she sees this."
Shepard scrunched up her nose and shook her head.
"Well first of all, your mother will not turn you into an alcoholic beverage because going through labor with you was harder than taking down the reapers, apparently. Two, this is a progress report and you have plenty of time to bring this up." Shepard adjusted Andrasteia's weight in her arms as she kept up a steady, brisk pace.
"You promise to advocate my case to mommy?"
"...when did you learn the word 'advocate'?"
Andrasteia sighed and smiled at her father and hugged the warm human tight as she slowly shook her head.
Dr. Liara T'Soni Shepard felt another mild headache begin at the base of her temple and she winced in pain at its sudden onslaught. She had been feeling slightly under the weather for the past few days by pain that attacked her head with a hammer and her abdomen with electricity. She had taken medication to try and quell the disruptions to her health but they did little to dull the edge.
So, now she sat in the doctor's office, upon an examination table, eagerly awaiting her doctor to come to her with the results of the blood tests. Her heart was beating erratically in her chest as she sat upon the cold, metal table and stared at the blank wall before her. It felt like a slow eternity before the door opened and the familiar face of Dr. Karin Chakwas appeared into the room.
The doctor was on a temporary stay on Thessia, training curious Asari doctors in the art of human medicine, before she took her leave back to Earth to resume help with the arduous rebuilding there. Luckily, Liara found out, through her many veins of information, that her old friend happened to be on Thessia and so she decided that it wouldn't hurt to be examined by a familiar face.
"Dr. Liara T'Soni Shepard, what have you gotten yourself into now?" The older doctor mused with a soft smile as she pulled up a swiveling chair in front of Liara.
Liara placed a quivering hand against the side of her neck and took in a deep breath.
"I don't know what I could have done wrong, doctor. Perhaps I am not getting enough sleep?" Liara asked, nervously.
Dr. Chakwas sat down across from Liara and carefully looked through her notes that were held together upon a weathered clipboard.
"Your blood tests came back normal but certain hormones were slightly elevated. Tell me, have you been having some odd abdominal pain lately?"
"Yes, and some headaches as well."
Dr. Chakwas pursed her lips and nodded her head before looking up at Liara.
"Please tell me you and Shepard planned this."
Liara's eyes grew wide.
"Excuse me, doctor?"
"I hope you two are ready for another responsibility added upon Andrasteia."
"I don't understand. What does this have to do with Andrasteia."
Dr. Chakwas smiled and the lines around her eyes became more apparent.
"Congratulations, Liara. You're pregnant."
The afternoon was slowly giving way to evening and within the Shepard household, the commander and her daughter were in the kitchen while Matriarch Aethyta was lounging in the living room. Shepard and Andrasteia were keeping each other company as Shepard was diligently doing the dishes before Liara came home.
"Papa, do you think I should go into commando training first?" Andrasteia asked as she sat upon the kitchen counter, watching her stoic father sire scrubbing at a grease mottled pan.
"You can be whatever you wish, as long as it isn't an illegal trade." Papa Shepard said, keeping her ruby red eyes focused upon the task at hand.
"Granny poo thinks I should roam the world as a commando first and then settle down to my studies before I find my bond mate. If I ever want to become a good Matriarch, I should be as cultured as possible and have as many life experiences as I can for the sake of being knowledgeable." The little Asari said as she kicked her legs back and forth.
Shepard used her forearm to move a lock of hair from her face and she turned her eyes to her daughter and gave her a smile.
"If you believe that is what you need to accomplish, then I will support you in your endeavors. Your mother will support you as well but if you ever feel lost, you can always look to her for guidance."
Andrasteia smiled lovingly at her father sire and moved to give her a hug but then Matriarch Aethyta burst into the kitchen, dragging a very blushing Liara behind her. Shepard nearly jumped into the air from shock but her face eased as her attention fell upon her wife.
"You're back, Liara." Shepard said through a smile as she wiped her hands clean on a nearby towel.
Liara tried to get to her 'husband' but Aethyta refused to let go.
"WAIT, before you two kiss, you must tell her the good news!" Aethyta nearly shouted to Liara.
"What news, Liara?" Shepard asked softly.
Liara smiled and her eyes lit up like fireflies in the night.
"I'm pregnant, Shepard..." The young Asari's voice trailed off like smoke into the wind.
Shepard's face brightened considerably and she hugged her wife into a crushing embrace and they both shared a kiss as Aethyta and Andrasteia covered their eyes while blushing. Liara pulled back and smiled at the beautiful commander before her.
"I am so happy to hear that...I was wondering when we'd add more to our little family." Shepard said almost through a whisper.
"I was slightly afraid that you would be disappointed but I am glad to know that you are satisfied with knowing this." Liara's eyes were filling with glistening tears of joy.
"I am so happy to be able to have more children with a gorgeous Asari as yourself. If you don't mind, I consider myself quite lucky to have you."
Liara blushed at the compliment and squeezed her lover's hand in response.
"I get a new sister?" Andrasteia asked as she climbed off the counter.
Aethyta grabbed the young Asari and held her up to her face.
"Let's hope you get more than one sister. How about asking your mother for a sister every year!" Aethyta laughed as Liara's face blanched and Shepard giggled with mischievousness.
"If you're done teasing, father, I must make dinner for us now." Liara said as she made her way to the refrigerator to get out the ingredients for dinner.
Shepard stood in the same place with an enormous grin plastered across her face as she watched her wife. She felt so happy that she felt as if her heart would explode through her rib cage and flay itself upon the kitchen floor for all to see. Her emotions did not go unnoticed by the matriarch, who came by to stand next to the grinning commander.
"I'm glad that you're that happy about having another kid." Aethyta said as she gently eased her granddaughter back to the ground.
The two father sires watched Liara and her daughter roam about the kitchen, preparing the food together.
"I am so ecstatic to have another child with Liara. It makes me feel like the luckiest person in the world to have such a perfect woman want to have children with a nobody like me. To have little Liaras running around is just so amazing." Shepard said, dreamily.
"You're a great dad, Shepard. Don't you forget that raising a family is a two person job and you and my daughter are pretty damn good at navigating its stormy seas. As long as you don't break my daughter's heart, you'll be fine."
"What would happen if I break Liara's heart? Not that I ever would." Shepard said through a quirky smile.
"I'd tear you apart within the molecular level with my biotics, human. Don't you even think of hurting her, not even as a joke. She is the closest thing to Benezia that I have left and so I'll protect her, even if she doesn't want me to." Aethyta said with steel in her voice.
Shepard could only nod her head as she resumed watching Liara take command of the kitchen.
"Well, you need not worry about all of that. I love Liara more than anything else in this world. If it means saving Liara and watching the galaxy burn, then the galaxy can go up in flames."
Aethyta smiled at Shepard and gave her a silent nod of approval. She focused her eyes onto Liara and Andrasteia and the matriarch felt a sharp pain in her chest as her thoughts moved back to the days Benezia was a part of her life. How badly she had wanted to be a part of Benezia and Liara's life together but she could make up for it now as a father. Now, she had the opportunity to help raise and be a part of a growing family and leave her mark to be carried on into the unknown realms of tomorrow. Now, she had the opportunity to watch her offspring bring more beautiful life into this world and to help change the galaxy for the better.