Chapter Seven
Captain Leia Shepard sits next to one of the eucalyptus trees, enjoying the sunny day from the comforts of the shade. Dr. Liara T'Soni walks towards Shepard after dropping the few bags from her shopping trip off in their bungalow. Liara sits next to the human, who is leaning against the tree with her eyes closed and a smile on her face. Leia reaches out without opening her eyes and grabs Liara's hand, "Find anything while you were shopping, Liara?" Grinning at the T'Soni, Leia finally opens her eyes and looks at the beautiful asari sitting next to her.
"Yes, I found some more clothes for us to wear and you a one-piece swimming suit. I bought myself a bikini," replies Liara. She gives her love's hand a loving squeeze. Liara hopes Shepard will talk to her soon. Even though most would see a happy and content woman sitting next to the eucalyptus trees, Liara knows better.
Shepard slides down and puts her head in Liara's lap. "What do I do next, Liara? Normally, I go where I'm told, but I don't know what to do with choices." Leia moves so she can look up and see Liara's face.
T'Soni runs her fingers through Leia's hair. Even though it's shorter than normal, enough hair has grown back for Liara to play with. "What are your choices, so I can help you decide. I'll give you my input and advice, but I'm not going to make the decision for you, Leia. You've made plenty of choices. What is really bothering you?" asks Liara before she leans down and kisses Shepard's forehead then her lips.
Captain Shepard kisses Liara back then stands up and walks further within the trees. Maybe getting lost in the forest of eucalyptus trees will help Shepard think clearly. Or Shepard hopes. She can't get the choices the Catalyst forced on her out of her head. Making that decision, in a matter of seconds after the Catalyst explained them was the easy part. Causing the death of one of her friends because of it is making that choice difficult to live with.
Dr. T'Soni follows Shepard to keep an eye on her. Liara watches Leia put both hands against a tree and acts like she is going to headbutt the tree, but Shepard does is put her head against the bark. "What's going on, Leia? You need to talk to me. What happened on the Citadel?" The tone in Liara's voice is concern and a hint of frustration.
"I...I..." Leia turns to face Liara, "I killed Anderson. I killed EDI and the geth. I had choices, Liara. I'm afraid I made the wrong one." Shepard turns away from Liara before she says, "The selfish one." After her comment, Shepard walks further into the forest.
"Shepard, stop, please. What do you mean you killed Anderson?" yells Liara as she walks faster to catch up with the Captain.
Leia turns to face Liara again and starts shaking her head. "After I had Joker pick you and Garrus up. Harbinger's beam knocked me out for a moment or two. I got up, staggered to the beam. I was transported to the Citadel. I swear the inside of Citadel reminded me of the inside of the collector base. Maybe they were making a Reaper. That makes sense if they were. Anderson also made it to the Citadel and commented how the inside looked like my description of the collector base. Anderson got to the console before I did. How I made it, I don't know? I felt like death walking, Liara. Too stubborn to die, I think. I still had a job to do..."
Shepard pauses long enough for Liara to close the gap between them. She pulls the human close to her and holds her. "It's okay, Leia. I promise, it's okay."
Shepard pulls away from Liara's embrace, "No, Liara, it's not okay. I killed my friends with the choices I made. I'm afraid to make more. How many more people have to die because of the bad decisions I made? Anderson is dead because of me. Joker will never forgive me for killing EDI. I hurt the quarians when the geth died. Those deaths are because of ME, Liara, and the choices I made." Leia is now yelling, but they are deep enough in the forest where they are the only ones to hear Shepard yelling, "I was holding the pistol that shot Admiral Anderson. My superior officer, my mentor, and mostly, he was my friend. Why the Alliance is not court-marshaling me over it, I don't understand."
T'Soni steps closer which causes Shepard to step away, so Liara stops moving. "How did the gun go off if you were only holding it, Leia? Help me understand," pleads the asari. She sees the anguish in Leia's face and it's guts her to see the woman she loves be in so much mental turmoil.
Tears are flowing down Leia's cheeks, "The Illusive Man was there. Indoctrinated, I told you this. Somehow he was controlling Anderson and myself. I was holding the pistol when he comment about the power they wield and the gun fired, Liara. All I did..." Shepard collapses to the ground crying. "I didn't mean for it to go off and hit Anderson. I didn't mean to."
"You didn't kill Anderson, Leia. The Illusive Man did. Don't blame yourself for something he did," comments Liara as she sits on the ground near Shepard, but gives the human some space. "Leia, look at me, please, my love."
Shepard looks into Liara's eyes. She sees warmth, love, and caring in those blue eyes. She doesn't understand how Liara can still love her after she killed their friends? "I was holding the gun, Liara. I didn't try to let it go and drop it. I talked the Illusive Man into putting a bullet in his brain. I couldn't even shoot him. I'm responsible for Anderson's death and Hackett says I did the right thing. HOW?!" Tears continue to stream down the human's face
Reaching out with her hand, Liara touches Shepard's cheek and wipes away the tears, "Because, you didn't kill Anderson, you said it yourself, Leia, you were only holding the pistol when the Illusive Man caused it to fire. That is not your fault. That doesn't explain why your afraid to make more choices. What happened after you talked the Illusive Man into suicide?"
"I opened the Citadel arms, talked to Anderson before he died, then I passed out from the pain I was in and from the loss of blood. I'm not really sure. I woke up and what looked like the boy I watched die as we fled Earth was hovering over me telling me to wake up." Shepard looks into Liara's eyes again. They still give her warmth, love, and caring. It's making it easier for Leia to finish telling Liara what happened on the Citadel.
"You're going to think I'm crazy, Liara. The Citadel itself wasn't the Catalyst, it was an AI construct created to fix the organic/synthetic problem. Remember what I said about my talk with Leviathan. The Catalyst gave me three choices and I didn't have a lot of time to think about them. I walked over to the power conduit and started shooting it until it exploded," says Shepard. The tears have stopped, but she feels like crap.
Pulling Shepard closer, Liara rubs Leia's back, "Admiral Hackett is right, Leia. You did the right thing. The Reapers are gone and we're alive. Did the other choices do something else?"
"Yes, Liara they did. For one, the Illusive Man was correct in a sense. I could control the Reapers. He couldn't control them, but I could. I would have died, but my thoughts and memories would have lived on in a Reaper and I would have controlled them. I would have lost everything, Liara. The other choice was just as bad. I could have added my energy to the Crucible. I really didn't understand that one, but it said my essence would rework everyone's DNA to a different frame-work combining organic and synthetic life. I would have died with that option too. So, I picked the only one that gave me a sliver of hope of not breaking my promise to you and I killed innocent people because of it. They would have lived if I wasn't so damn selfish." Shepard stands up, leaving her wife on the ground as she walks back to the bungalow alone.
Liara sits on the ground dumbfounded by the events on the Citadel. She never once thought the Illusive Man was correct in saying he could control the Reapers. She doesn't like the idea of new DNA choice. Merging completely organics and synthetics seems wrong. No wonder, Shepard seems so tormented. Friends died because of the only rational choice given. Liara knows without a shadow of a doubt, Captain Shepard did the right thing. She always does the right thing. Now, to get her to believe it is another issue. The asari gets off the ground and heads back to the bungalow and to make sure her bondmate is okay.
Leia is looking at the new clothes Liara picked up during her shopping trip. She is liking everything Liara picked out. The backdoor to the bungalow opens, which tells Shepard Liara has followed her back to the bungalow. When she sees Liara standing in the door way with a very concerned look on her face, Leia tries to keep her composure and not start crying again. "I like what you bought. I'm sorry, Liara. I'm scared. I've been scared before, but not like this." The human sits on the bed and covers her face with her hands.
"Leia," comments Liara as she sits next to her bondmante and rubs Shepard's back. "You did the right thing. Please stop saying otherwise. Let me ask you this. Do you honestly feel you did the wrong thing? Not for you, me, or us as a couple, but the whole galaxy? Do you think people around the galaxy would want their DNA rewritten? Or see a Reaper even if it was helping rebuild or what ever you would have made them do? I know you would protect the galaxy with them if you had picked that ."
Shepard turns enough to look at Liara's face. "I don't know. I killed innocent people, Liara. They ended up becoming collateral damage. How am I suppose to ignore that fact? Anderson died because I was holding the pistol. EDI died because of my choice. Same with the geth. What was the point of ending their war with the quarians if all I did in the end was kill them? I could have done that on Rannoch."
Sighing to herself quietly, Liara rubs more on Shepard's back, "You keep dwelling on the choice you made and the consequences of your choice. Think about the other two you didn't pick. Would we as a galaxy be better off? I know I don't like the idea of our DNA being rewritten. Maybe I'm not understanding how that would work. Also, I wouldn't want to see husks or banshees walking around either. Maybe I am being selfish, Leia, but I think you made the right choice. Here is something you keep forgetting. The Reapers are gone and everyone else is still here. That is what is important." Liara looks into Shepard's eyes while asking, "Leia, how long have you felt this way?"
"Since I woke up or maybe before while I was still unconscious. I'm not sure. I know I was starting to feel guilt about some of the choices I made and at times felt like I couldn't finish the mission before we got back to Earth. I did what I needed to do to get us to the end, but at times I wavered. I keep fighting, keep moving forward. Seeing you and Garrus almost getting taken out by the tank falling over..." Shepard doesn't finish her thought. She leans against Liara. "I love you."
"I love you too," replies Liara as she wraps her arm around Shepard. She isn't sure if she is helping Leia or not, but it does feel good to hold the human in her arms. "Feel like lounging in the hot tub? I want to show you my new bikini." The asari kisses the human's temple.
Shepard grins at T'Soni, "Trying to cheer me up, T'Soni?"
Smiling at Shepard, Liara proudly answers, "Yes, Shepard, I am." She caresses Leia's cheek before kissing the human with all the lust and desire she feels for Shepard. Forcing Shepard backwards, Liara continues her passionate kiss.
Returning the kiss, Leia basks in comfort feeling the asari's lips against her. She breaks away from the kiss, "I do believe it is working." Leia kisses Liara again before she moves out from under Liara to move some of the clothes she is lying on. "Hackett gave me three choices, Liara. Continue to stay the Normandy's CO. It's being transferred to a newly formed Citadel fleet. The CO of the N-School is stepping down. Hackett offered me the opportunity to take over the school. Some of the politicians think I should replace Udina. Those are my options. I'm not a politician. I brought people together by my actions not words." The wavy-haired human moves on the bed enough to prop herself up with a pillow.
Liara moves the clothes off the bed on puts them on a table. She lies next to Shepard, "Where is the N-School and what is it exactly?"
Captain Shepard wraps her arms around T'Soni. "In Rio. Not far from here actually. We can go and check out the damage. I can't see it going unscathed. It's the training facility for N7 recruits, like James. I trained there." Since she started talking about her guilt and her fears, Shepard is calming down and feeling better. But for how long?
"We can do that. I'd love to see more of Earth. Too bad I didn't come before the invasion. I'm sorry. I should have visited at least once while I was on Mars. I was so focused on find a way to defeat the Reapers," replies Liara. She too has feelings of guilt.
"Don't be sorry, Liara. Without those plans, we wouldn't be here now. You did what I wanted you to do, remember? I want to see more of Thessia. I mentioned to Garrus before the final push, I was done saving the galaxy when the war ends. Now, I don't trust myself with decisions. How am I suppose to command a training facility for the toughest SOB's in the Alliance, if I can't trust I'll make the right call?" asks the Captain before she closes her eyes, trying to relax.
Liara has never seen Shepard so full of doubt, especially the self-doubt. The one thing Liara knows she has to do is to continue to support her bondmate. She doesn't want to mention retiring. Not yet anyway. Liara thinks Shepard will come to that conclusion on her own. If she's saying it to Garrus before the final push, she'll realize it soon enough, it's time to do move on. Then the assignments Hackett offered also do the same thing. They take Shepard off the front lines, except being on the Normandy. Shepard has yet to mention anything about remaining a Spectre.
Reaching up with her hand, Liara caresses Leia's cheek. She looks up to see Shepard with her eyes closed. "Don't worry about decisions right now. Are we using the hot tub or not?"
"I'm good right here. Just stay with me, Liara," replies Leia.
"I can do that, Leia." Liara moves enough to force Shepard to move to a more prone position. Neither realizes how exhausted they are from their lack of sleep mixed with Shepard's emotional outburst. It doesn't take long for them to fall asleep in each other arms.
Few Hours Later
Liara wakes before Shepard. The asari carefully trying not to wake her love as she slides out of Shepard's arms. One of the first things the Shadow Broker does when she leaves the bedroom is go into the living room to check the data pads she brought with her. Each data pad contains different intel from different portions of the galaxy. The first one she checks is the one dealing with what is going on Earth. One agent based out of the UK, and reports on all of Europe, has found what looks like a Cerberus safe-house. She passes this information to the SSV Thermopylae and Major Alenko. The next thing she checks on it news from Thessia. There still isn't much being reported from Liara's homeworld. The Shadow Broker shakes her head. The lack of communications between her and a few of her agents is frustrating her.
Liara knows the reason and understands why there is a lack of intel from certain planets. Reapers did knock out the comm buoys throughout the galaxy. In some corners of the galaxy, the population is so low, they are not fixing comm buoys but working on fixing the relays. She types out instructions for Glyph then picks up the third data pad. The first message on it is from Feron. They are safe and on Illium. The Broker sends Feron a message for him to check on the things she put in storage. Liara would very much like to get those items back. The items include her diploma, the piece of Shepard's armor, the painting of Illos, the picture of the Normandy, and the Prothean artifacts. Everything else is replaceable.
Leia yawns as she tries to wake up. She swings her legs over the side of the bed. Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, the blue-eyed woman, stretches her arms above her head then decides to hit the shower. Shepard picks out a blue dress with pale blue accents around the neck-line and cuffs. The dress length stops just below the knees. It's a better looking dress than that mess of a dress with the N7 logo on it. After her shower, Leia changes into the dress, but can't find any shoes to go with it. Talking in a loud voice, Shepard asks, "Ah, Liara. Do I have any shoes to go with this blue dress you bought? I thought maybe we could go out dancing or something in the nearby town. Or we can go to La Serena."
Dr. T'Soni has to think before she answers, "I don't know. Maybe we'll have to buy you some shoes." Liara stands in the bedroom doorway, leaning against the door jamb with her arms folded across her chest, giving Leia a sympathetic look.
"Ah ha, found them!" says Shepard as she pulls the pair of dress shoes from the bottom of the bag. Sitting on the bed, she puts her shoes on. "We going out or not?"
Pushing off the door jamb, Liara chuckles at Shepard's eagerness to do something. "Give me a few minutes to get ready. And we both know, Leia, you can't dance."
"So? Maybe you can teach me some moves then," teases Shepard as she grins at Liara.
Liara does a few dance moves before finding an outfit to wear. "Maybe, but I not sure if anyone can teach you to dance, my love. You moves are stiff. Soldier like." The asari flashes a toothy smile then heads to the shower.
"Hey!" exclaims Shepard as she follows Liara. "Maybe I've not found the right...Hmm...what's the word I'm looking for. Oh, I know. Inspiration. The little dancing we did at Flux was only the beginning. With you dancing with me, I'm sure I won't be as stiff." Shepard stands on the other side of the door talking through it. She isn't sure if Liara can hear her or not, because the only thing Leia hears is the shower running.
Opening the door, Liara teases, "Well, we'll have to see on that now won't we." Liara kisses Leia quickly then heads to the bedroom to finish getting ready. She returns wearing purple full length, short-sleeved dress, "I'm ready, my love. Dinner first?"
"Sound perfect. You look beautiful, Liara. But then when don't you look beautiful?" asks Leia as she offers her arm to Liara.
Dr. T'Soni wants to say something in response. Like she doubts she looked all that beautiful being covered in her own blood, but decides against it. Shepard spirits seem good and why say something to bring her back down. Liara takes Shepard's arm as they leave the bungalow and head the their rented shuttle. "The nearby city of Vicuña is very lovely, I think you'll like it. Small, but not much in way of damage. They have a few restaurants and night clubs."
After dinner, Leia and Liara walk hand in hand around Vicuña. It's a clear night, which is normal for this area of Chile. Many stars are shining and Luna is shining brightly in the distance. The asari/human couple find a bench to sit on. Liara continues to look up in the open sky. "I'd heard the views where clear from here, but this place is beautiful and reading about it doesn't do it justice."
Looking up at Luna, Leia says, "Nothing beats seeing things in person. Like I told Tali when in the airlock, space walking to the geth dreadnought. Rannoch looked better from the airlock than the vids. Same here. You amaze me all the time, Liara." Shepard squeezes the asari's hand.
"Hah, I'm not that amazing, Shepard. The most amazing thing about me is you," T'Soni grins at Leia.
"Maybe tomorrow night we can go to the observatory? Get a good look at Luna. See what damage the Reapers caused. I know the base comms went silent. I was in a meeting with the defense committee when we got word from the UK base about Luna," says Captain Shepard.
A local man about Shepard's age walks up to the couple. "Well, well. Who do we have here? The biggest fraud in the galaxy? How have you been, Shepard?"
Liara starts to say something when Shepard gives her a look and shakes her head at the asari and motions with her hand everything is fine. Leia responds with a playful tone, "Fraud huh? I actually finished N7 training, Araya, unlike you. What have you been up to anyway?"
Pablo Araya, former Alliance marine, offers his hand to Captain Shepard, "Trying to stay alive since the invasion. I run the "Grey Fox Cantina" here in Vicuña. Stop in and I'll buy you a drink, Shepard. You and your asari friend."
Shepard shakes Pablo's hand. "Thanks Pablo. We might take you up on that. Pablo this is Dr. Liara T'Soni, my bondmate/wife. Liara this is Pablo Araya, former Alliance. We were N7 recruits together. I graduated, he didn't."
The asari gives Pablo a warm smile while saying, "Nice to meet you, Pablo." Liara wants to ask why he called Shepard a 'fraud', but lets it go for the moment. She'll ask Leia about it later. Obviously, she knows him.
"Married huh? I never thought you would settle down, Shepard. I always thought you would marry the Alliance. I know this is probably none of my business, but how long have you two known each other? Just curious is all. Anyway, I am happy for you," says Pablo Araya.
A big smile appears on Shepard's face. Talking about Liara does make Shepard happy. Nothing or anyone has every made Shepard feel the way she does about the asari. It doesn't go unnoticed by Liara. "I'm sure you're not the only one who thought that, Araya. It seems like a lifetime since we've been together." Leia winks at T'Soni.
Pablo nods and grins at the couple. "It was good seeing you again, Shepard. Nice to meet you, Dr. T'Soni. Don't forget to stop by the cantina for that free drink. I'll be there tomorrow night. I hope to see you both." Pablo Araya nods again to the couple before walking away.
Shepard keeps an eye on the former Alliance marine. Once he is out of sight, Leia turns to Liara, "Do a search on him. He's being too nice. I know he hates my guts. He blames me for washing out of the N7 program."
"Expect me to find something on him?" asks Liara.
"Not sure, but I'd rather error on the side of caution when it comes to Pablo. I'm ready to go back to the bungalow. He was too nice and I know he's a complete asshole. He was commissioned two months before I received mine. Which meant when we were training, he was squad leader. I told him, his order was going to turn out badly. Another recruit said the same thing. We were told before the exercise, if things went bad, the squad leaders were held responsible. And if you fubared it, you were done. Which is what happened to Araya. I tried to warn him," answers Leia as she stands up.
Liara stands listening to Shepard's story. "How long ago was this?"
"About a decade ago or so. I doubt he's over it and I don't trust him," explains Leia as they walk back to their rented shuttle parked near the restaurant. It doesn't take them more than a few minutes to return to Los Villas. Shepard parks the shuttle in the parking lot. "Liara, maybe I'm being paranoid. I noticed your reaction to him calling me a fraud." Sighing, Leia finishes her thought, "Some here on Earth still have old-fashioned views when it comes to women. Pablo Araya has those views. He feels my parents pulled strings to get me in the N7 program and doesn't believe what I did during the Blitz. He feels I'm a complete fraud. It didn't bother me then and it still doesn't. I know what I have and have not done."
Leia places a soft kiss on Liara's cheek. The asari takes her bondmate's face with her hands and kisses the human's red lips. Liara opens the shuttle door to see Pablo Araya and three other humans waiting for them. Pablo says with his arms being very animated, "So that big Alliance party here last night was because of you, Shepard?"
"What's the problem, Araya? We paid the bill," retorts Captain Shepard as she steps off the shuttle and gets in Pablo's face.
Pablo Araya's three friend step closer to Shepard and T'Soni, almost surrounding them. Liara's eyes move from one human to the next trying to gauge their intent. She is on full alert, but doesn't flare her biotics. They didn't survive the war only to have some type of confrontation separate them again.
"Problem? The only problem is you, Shepard," says Araya as he points his finger in Shepard's chest.
Captain Shepard stands her ground and doesn't flinch when Araya puts his finger in her chest. "You were always an asshole, Araya. If I'm such a fraud, why bring your friends? If I didn't earn the N7, why bring your friends? If you want a piece of me, here I am. Go for it, but I doubt you have the balls. I'll give you one punch Araya. Just one." Shepard puts her index finger in the air.
Araya steps forward enough to put his nose against Shepard's. Again, she doesn't flinch. "You were always a cocky bitch, Shepard. And you're still a fraud. Mommy and daddy pulled strings. When I heard a Captain Shepard was staying here, I thought it was your mother, not you. Do yourself a favor, Shepard, leave in the morning. I'd hate for the "Hero of the Galaxy" to have some type of accident," threatens Pablo Araya and uses air quotes for emphasis.
"Duly noted, Araya." Leia doesn't move a muscle, but watches Pablo's every movement. Liara remains in a defensive stance. Both are waiting for trouble, but Pablo and his three friend return to their car and drive away.
"Are we leaving tomorrow?" asks Liara. The asari wraps her arm around Leia's waist.
Thinking about Pablo's threat, Shepard kisses Liara's cheek, "I've never ran from anything, Liara, but I'm not in the mood to deal with his bullshit." Leia kisses Liara's cheek again then walks to their bungalow.
As Shepard walks past the office, one of the owners stops her, "Ah, Captain Shepard, may I have a moment of your time?" Leia looks at him, but doesn't say anything. She does nod for him to continue. "I hate to do this to you, but we can't allow you to stay. I've already refunded your credits to your account. Pablo is the local thug and he's already threatened my business. I'm honored that you and Dr. T'Soni stayed here, but I can't afford for you to stay."
"What did he threaten to do?" asks Shepard calmly. Leia is getting very annoyed. First Pablo threatens her with an 'accident', now he is threatening the own of Los Villas because they are staying there. Her gut is telling her to go after Araya, but deep down she doesn't have the energy nor desire to deal with it. At least not at the moment.
"I'm afraid, I can't say. Just know, I'm afraid for not only my safety, but yours as well. What ever happened to Pablo during his time in the Alliance turned him angry and very violent," replies the owner. "The local police will not do anything to him and I think he pays them to look the other way."
Liara arrives in time to hear most of conversation. The asari says, "We don't want to cause problems. We'll pack our things and leave shortly." She sees the look Shepard is giving her. Softly saying to her bondmate, "Trust me."
The owner bows respectfully to the couple and apologizes again for asking them to leave. T'Soni takes Shepard's elbow with her hand and leads the human back to their bungalow to pack their things. Leia asks once they are back in the bungalow, "You sure about this, Liara? I gave him his one chance to hit me and he didn't take it"
"I know that, Leia. He also brought three others with him, so he either knows exactly what you and I are capable of or he needs them to make himself look bigger. Either way, you said it yourself. You're not in the mood for this. We can leave, head to La Serena, hang on a beach for a few days. Allow me to gather a few things about our new friend then a certain Spectre can go and have a little chat with him properly prepared," answers the Shadow Broker.
Shepard grins and pulls Liara in for an embrace. "I don't like running, Liara. I didn't like leaving Earth when the Reapers attacked and this feels the same to me. However, you are right. We do need more information on what his activities are since he left the Alliance. If I remember it correctly, he didn't last long after washing out of N-School. He was an asshole back then too." The human kisses the asari on the lips then walks into the bedroom to change into a plain dark blue t-shirt and a pair of jeans. She also puts on a black leather jacket then begins to pack their bags.
"An asshole he may be, Leia. However, he seems dangerous and the owner is afraid of him plus you haven't been out of the hospital for a week yet. Is this a battle we want or need to deal with immediately or can it wait for better intel?" asks Liara when she enters the bedroom.
"No, you're right. It can wait. I don't even want to deal with him. At least tonight. Threatening me is one thing, threatening the owners because they rented us the bungalows is another thing. I want to head back to Vancouver and the Normandy. I want to bring some gear with me. If we have to deal with him in the future, I want to make sure we are fully prepared," replies Leia. She starts packing her bag, which is getting full from all the new clothes Liara bought during her shopping trip.
Liara finishes packing her bag. She double checks every room in the bungalow. Make sure they don't leave anything behind and checks to see if Garrus or Tali left anything. She doesn't find anything in the room her friends shared. Liara grabs her data pads and puts them in the side pocket of her bag. Leia grabs the bag from T'Soni and the couple walks together to the office to turn in their keys then heads to their rented shuttle to fly back to Vancouver before going to La Serena.
Standing on top of a hill, Pablo and his three minions watch the activity around the bungalow. Araya looks through a high power scope to see the human and asari packing their bags. A smug grin appears on his face. He feels he has won. Shepard really is a fraud in his eyes. The Captain and her asari wife are leaving. He motions to his friends to head to the car. He takes another look through his scope. "That's right, Shepard, heed the warning. Leave and don't come back. If you do, this scope will have a rifle attached to it," comments Pablo Araya to himself before he turns to join his friends.
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A/N: Another Monday and another chapter for you to enjoy. I do hope you enjoyed it.
I would like to thank everyone who reviews. I really do enjoy reading them. I realized I never actually answered one question fully last week. I probably would have done one of two things if I didn't have an avenue to work with. Most likely, I would have stopped writing. Or I would have AU things and only written a few stories then stop. But they gave us the avenue and I have plenty of ideas floating around for more once this story is complete.
I already know what I am going to work on once I finish writing this story. I'm getting near the end and I am close to wrapping it up. The next story is one I started in Feb, shelved to play ME3. Now, I've played it enough, I feel it's time to go back and finish it. Shepard is going to work as a military adviser for a movie about the Reaper War. It's set a few days ofter Olivia is born.
My future work will jump all over the time line of my previous stories. I'm not done writing about Kaja, Cass, and their kids. Just a little heads up, plenty more to come in the future.
See everyone next week. We get to take back Omega in two weeks. I'm ready, are you?
