NB1: All relevant stuff owned by Bioware; only the OC's and Shepard's personality are "owned" by me!

NB2: Set about two years before the start of the story; the start of Shepard's and Raven's friendship. Not going into much detail yet I'm afraid. And yes, eagle-eyed readers, the drink later is inspired by a similar one in the Dark Energy series! Also, I don't feel that I'm very good at writing "fluff", so some of this might be a bit... awkward. Also, the next "main" chapter is actually about 75% edited; all being well, i should be able to post it this weekend.

Interlude One

Shepard was tired. Bone tired.

The debriefing had taken five sodding hours!

Still, she'd had a decent enough chair to perch on; so her arse wasn't too numb.

Now though, she wanted to go drown her sorrows in the nearest bar; which might happen as she was with Raven – who was her "unofficial" monitor. The asari was there, partly because they'd both just gotten out of hospital and partly because they weren't meant to leave each others side for at least 24 hours. Due to them being "on call" – in case the council needed anything else from them. Stuck on the Citadel with a beautiful asari; she could think of worse fates.

"Hey Commander, are you still with me?" Said asari waved her hand in front of hr eyes with a smile. Of course, Raven wasn't her real name; it was her call-sign. What her real name was she didn't know.

"Sorry, I was miles away."

This got a confused look, Raven's deep blue eyes narrowing. "I… what?"

"Oh, it's a human idiom; means that I wasn't paying attention."

Raven shook her head with a laugh. "Goddess, you humans have enough says to choke a varren!"

"Ha! That is very true!" Shepard laughs as well, rubbing the back of her neck. "So, err… what were you saying?"

"Well, I was wondering if… Did you want to join me for a drink?"

"Gods, I could do with one. That debriefing was hell and I still ache from the sedatives." She gestured at her hair. "I look like I haven't slept in weeks!'

Her asari companion smiled, tilting her head and crossing her arms. "I think you look fine; tired yes, but that odd – hair, wasn't is it? I think it looks kind of cute; all wild and tangled."

Shepard felt a burn on her cheeks. "Cute?"

"That's not offensive is it? I confess I don't know much about humans."

"No, not offensive; more faltering…" She rubs her neck again. "You know about human genders right?"

"Yes, I believe you are female; correct?" Raven looked slightly confused.

"Yeah, I'm female. Oh, this is slightly awkward…" She swallowed. "You know that most human females are not attracted to the same sex, err, gender?"

"I'm aware of this… oh, Goddess! You like males don't you? Calling you cute is not, socially anyway, the right thing to do." Shock on the asari's face was clear; she felt she'd committed a large social faux-pas.

"Actually, I'm gay." The look of shock changed to utter confusion. "Shit; I'm a lesbian." No change. "I don't fancy men; I fancy women – does that help?"

"Right, I understand that!" Raven looked embarrassed. "The other terms; gay and lesbian don't translate to anything that I follow…"

"Don't worry; I should have guessed that you might not follow. Asari are mono-gendered; I should've realised that such things might not mean much to you." Shepard smiled broadly; which was returned. "To me, I just complimented by a beautiful asari, who – visually anyway – are the same as human females. Well, mostly, you know… the blue skin and no hair… I'll stop talking now." She was getting flustered; which didn't go unnoticed.

"Oh dear, I have an admirer!" Raven's tone was playful. "Should I be worried?"

"No! I mean… I think you're out of my league." Another look of confusion appeared on Raven's face. "Shit, I'm not doing so well on this am I? I mean you're too attractive to be interested in a scarred human like me. Fuck, no I've made you sound like you've a huge ego…"

"It's okay Commander; I'm knew what you meant. I was more confused as to why you think I would be out of your league?" Raven put an arm around her. "You think your scar would put people off?"

"I know it does." She looked at the floor. "My past doesn't help either."

"What does your past have to do with things?"

"People call me 'The Butcher of Torfan'." Shepard sniffed. "I lost my family and friends to slavers. People tend to avoid me or treat me like I'm going to break."

Raven tightened the grip on her arm hand around the human's shoulders. "Now, that is just plain wrong. I know a bit about you Commander and to find out that you've been treated like this; it makes me want to biotic-punch your officers in the face!"

"As much as I would like to see that; I'll take the drink instead!"

Shepard followed Raven, still in their dress uniforms, into a bar no that far from where the descended into the Presidium ring from the citadel tower. It was a fairly upscale place, judging by the elegant designs of the dresses being worn by the – entirely – asari clientele. The bar, the name of which she didn't see, was oval in shape; with the bar itself following the curve of an entire wall. It was decorated on deep blues and purples, with black highlights around the lighting sconces. It was dark but not oppressive; more obscure jazz-bar.

Seeing the look of surprise at being the only human, Raven seized her arm and practically dragged her up to right-hand corner of the bar. One hand signalled for two drinks, the other swung her at a seat.

Before she could speak, Raven put a finger to her lips; her other hand placed firmly on her lap as was "forced" to sit down. "No words; we're here to have fun and get to know each other!"

Two drinks clinked onto the bar. They were a bright green, almost luminous. Raven scooped them up and handed one to Shepard. The smell was odd but not strong, not like human liquors at all; the closest thing she could think of was cinnamon with strong hint of something she had no idea what.

"What is this?" She asked, eyeing it with suspicion.

"This is a lovely tipple called 'Rilus Ithalla'. The best translation would something like 'fruit of the Ithalla'. The Ithalla is a native to Thessia, cultivated for its… well, its excretions." Raven flinched at the end.

"This is something's piss?"

"Afraid so… is this going to be a problem?" Raven looked embarrassed again.

"Is there a chance I could be allergic to it?" Shepard asked, still eyeing the green liquid.

"Not at all; if there was I would've got something else."

She looked at Raven and shrugged. "Well, I guess then I'll just have to try it and see…"

She threw it back – which Raven quickly mirrored – and was surprised. It tasted fine… then the burn kicked in.

"Holy shit, this has a serious kick!"

Raven laughed and coughed at the same time. "Goddess that feels good!"

"For something's piss – this is awesome!" Shepard joined in the laughter.

"Another?"

"Hell yes!"

Somehow – neither of them were sure how – they managed to drink an even dozen shots each of Rilus Ithalla. Both of them were quite drunk; though Shepard was worse off, not being used to the kick of the alien drink.

Thankfully for her, Raven noticed this and helped her out of the bar – after paying – hauling her towards somewhere.

"Where-ish we goin'?" Shepard tried to form words but it wasn't happening very well.

"My apartment isn't far; we need to sober up."

"Yo-hic mean I ne'd to 'ober downs… hic… up." She giggled at herself. "I'm shit-face!"

"I don't know what that means but I assume you mean you're extremely drunk."

"Yep…"

"Goddess…"

Shepard didn't recall entering an apartment complex, or the elevator ride up for that matter. To her, she was suddenly in Raven's apartment, slumped on the sofa.

Confused and worried about the time, and still feeling quite drunk – though better than before. Looking around it was a very nice place – if a little blurry – flowing lines and soft blues and greens. It was too dark to see the place properly. The only light source was a faint glow from another room.

Shifting to look at her omni-tool, she found that she couldn't move; finally registering a weight on one side of her.

Raven was asleep on her.

One blue limb was wrapped around her arm, the other laid across her chest. The asari's crests were resting lightly on her shoulder. In the glow she could tell that Raven had stripped off her own "dress uniform" – which was more of a figure-hugging set of a leather-like material – and was now wearing, what appeared to be (it was hard to tell due to the lack of light) and dress.

Looking down, it appeared that her dress uniform seemed to be partly removed.

Her movement must have nudged Raven, who stirred, murmuring. "Commander; are you alright?"

"Yes, just woke up." Raven didn't move, not that she could without Shepard letting her; as her arms were intertwined with Raven's. "How did I get here?"

"I had to drag you here!" A small chuckle shook her slightly. "I tried to undress you a bit… but you freaked out slightly. I had to hold you tightly before you would calm down."

"Oh shit… I'm sorry. I tend to only drink by myself. I guess I'm not used to being around people when drunk." She felt Raven tighten the grip across her chest as she pushed upright; turning to face her.

"It's okay Commander; you told me – whilst out of it – some of your past." Raven smiled and wrapped her arms around Shepard's neck. "You don't have to apologise to me."

"I… thank you." Shepard placed her right hand on Raven's hip. "Please, call me Liz. My name is Elizabeth. Elizabeth Ann Shepard."

"Raven might be my call-sign but I prefer it to my real name." Raven scowled. "Leni Tevos."

"Tevos? As in Councillor Tevos?"

"We are related, yes…"

"Crikey… I didn't know." Shepard tensed, which was felt; Raven leaned in putting her forehead to hers.

"It's not that close; the human term would be cousin. My mother kept the Tevos name out of ego." Raven sighed, rubbing Shepard's scalp with one hand, fingers messing with her hair. "Please call my by my call-sign."

"For you Raven, anything." Shepard felt herself relaxing into Raven's arms and felt she had to say something; anything. "Raven… I… Your touch; for humans that's quite an intimate thing to do."

"I know. I mean to be quite intimate." Raven whispered into Shepard's ear; lips, then teeth, lightly nibbling on her ear-lobe.

"God… Raven; are you sure about this?" She might want this herself but wanted Raven to be sure.

"Goddess, I do. The things that we've been through… I don't want to lose you." Raven was breathing heavily now; Shepard was matching her, her hands had started roaming over the asari's back.

"I… god, I…" Shepard was cut off by azure lips meeting hers.

The kiss was electric.

It felt like all her nerve endings were lighting up.

They only broke the kiss when they needed air.

Raven pulled back, standing; arm reaching out to Shepard.

"Goddess… I think we need the bed." A cocky grin, which to the human was – for some reason – incredibly erotic given the moment, could only let her form be pulled upright.

Right into yet another, even more intense, kiss.