Liara woke from her dreams with a start, pleasant memories still clinging to her psyche. She vaguely recognized her setting in the med bay, the room was oddly dark, as if the electricity had been cut off. She squinted to see what was lighting her room, it looked very primitive… almost like… a candle? Liara would have laughed at the sight but her body was not in any condition to do such an act. She was dressed in a piece of clothing she'd never seen before, it liked like baggy combat jeans and a tight fitting shirt. She was literally wearing what looked like the love child of Jack and Miranda.
Liara rolled over, still confused by her settings. She attempted to sit up, but was stopped by a pain in her side. She gasped, accidentally knocking the breath out of herself. Where her ribs broken? Liara puzzled, her memory refusing to return to her. She touched her side, a bandage was wrapped around her, and another adorned her calf and her shoulder. Suddenly footsteps approached through the permanently open door. Miranda Lawson look oddly different, she was dressed in what looked like the top half of her jumpsuit, which was now much looser, and a pair of dirt leggings, her hair was pulled back in a lazy ponytail and dark circles dominated her eyes. When Miranda looked up to see Liara awake she seemed only slightly surprised. She walked over to Liara slowly, pulling a chair next to the bed and sitting, but she remained silent.
"Miranda?" Liara asked softly, groaning as she side tried to make her stop talking. When Liara spoke Miranda jumped in shock.
"Liara? You're… conscious?" Miranda looked her over. "I…" Miranda sighed, and made a pained face.
"Mira-" Liara coughed and Miranda hushed her.
"Don't push yourself Liara, I'm surprised you're functional in any way… you've been blacked out for almost a month."
"A month? What- I…" The asari paused to breathe, "What's going on Miranda? Where am I? Where's Shepard?"
Miranda bit her lip and looked up at Liara with eyes full of tears.
"Liara, you don't remember? We hit the Sol relay after Shepard made it to the Catalyst and crash landed."
"Sol relay? The- What?" Liara puzzled and panic arose in her stomach. "Miranda where is Shepard?"
Then it all came flooding back, the memories pouring back into Liara. Her breath was caught in her throat and her lungs heaved with effort. Her stomach knotted and darkness descended on Liara's mind.
"Oh Goddess." Liara bit back tears and brought a weary hand to her mouth. "Oh Shepard… She'd gone isn't she?"
Miranda nodded, slowly taking Liara's other hand in her own in a comforting manner.
"I'm so sorry Liara." Tears fell from Miranda's cheeks, and she looked down at the floor.
Liara tried her hardest to shake her grief, she had to be logical. That was all she had right now.
"Where are we Miranda? Why have I been out for a month with mid grade wounds? These should have been an easy fix." Liara prompted her, and the woman wiped her tears to look at Liara.
"We crash landed on a planet, it's a miracle any of us are still alive. We have no power, no access to our usual technologies. We've been trying to establish a livable environment here, and it is a true miracle that you did not die without access to our usual grade of medicine. We've been fighting all day and night for weeks to keep you breathing. A few times you've woken up but you've never been coherent before now. I can't believe you actually survived. You had so much internal bleeding from the rush on the tower, and during the crash you injured so much more we thought you have cranial damage… you are so strong Liara." Miranda let go of Liara's hand. And stood up, pacing around the med bay.
Maybe she should have died. Liara thought with a shudder. Her head went numb, and the asari found herself numb of all emotion. This new feeling scared Liara so that she felt her eyes water.
Miranda turned as if she was going to say something, and then hesitated.
"Do you want anything Liara?"
"Yes." Liara replied and looked up at the woman. "I want to know how the rest of the crew is."
"Garrus, Joker, EDI, Jack, Grunt, Kasumi, Ashley and I are all fine… We do not know where Jacob, Zaeed, or Wrex are… We're assuming that that they survived, but we have no communication so there's no way of knowing. Samara, Thane, Mordin and the shuttle driver Cortez died in the last stand against the Reapers. Javik and most of the crew who were aboard the Normandy died on impact landing, A few survived but their injuries were so great… we lost so many good people… and we almost lost you a few times too… now there is just the nine of us." Miranda looked over at Liara with sad eyes. "The first two weeks were so hard… There were so many people to bury there was hardly enough time to try and feed everyone."
Liara felt a stab of guilt, if she hadn't been wrapped up in loosing Shepard, she might have been able to help instead of being one of the people to take care of.
"Can I be alone for a moment Miranda?" Liara mumbled quietly.
"Of course Doctor, I'll be back in a half hour to check on you." Miranda walked out of the door and disappeared into the shadows of the powerless ship.
Liara set her head on the metal bed, allowing herself to cry. She cried for so long she almost allowed herself to forget what she was crying about. When she had almost been lulled to sleep by her own sadness she suddenly felt a warm, light presence enter her mind.
She knew that presence.
"Shepard?" Liara opened her eyes and look for her lover, but found on darkness. The light grew, and the spirit she was melding with entered her psyche lovingly. "Shepard!" Liara smiled, her lover was alive?
No, Liara realized with a start, Shepard was human… she could not have opened the meld with Liara even if she had wanted to. It was impossible. Liara puzzled for a few minutes. Who was in her mind? Who was the false Shepard that had started melding with her, even when she saw no one in front of her?
Liara jumped when she felt a movement coming from inside of her body. Her hand flew to her abdomen and her face dropped.
She was carrying a baby, Shepard's baby, and she had been too unconscious to understand what she had been creating. Liara already had Shepard's genetic map, and just before Shepard had left to make a final push on the Reapers, Liara had asked her for a child through a meld, and Shepard had agreed. Liara was having Shepard's daughter.
Liara touched her stomach, and allowed the child to meld with her.
The child's light filled Liara's mind. She saw in the child the traits that, Shepard, her father had given her. The baby had forest green eyes, and the courage of a full grown krogan, the strength and determination one could only dream of, and the heart of a true lover. Liara cried, not happy tears, nor sad tears.
