Hey guys. So I played through the extended cut. Don't worry, no spoilers about any specifics of it here.

So, I dunno, I appreciate what Bioware did, and I was happy to get more explanation and closure, but all the stuff that upset about the ending is still there (except for some of the more technical stuff that they explained). Especially the fact that Shepard dies. I mean seriously, doesn't Shepard deserve a happy ending? So I am still going to be doing a different ending, but I'm not as angry at Bioware :P

Anyways, feel free to PM me if you want to talk about it more. I don't want to spoil my own ending unless you want it :P They did add a scene with Tali that I liked, that I hadn't thought about doing, which I think I might use. Not in the same context, or with the same exact dialogue, but definitely similar. All of this isn't to say I'll be rushing to the ending or anything. We've still got a while to go :)

Something important: In my story, Shepard romanced Liara during the events of the first Mass Effect. I try to imply that well enough, but just in case, I thought I'd explain.

I'm also realizing this chapter's title was perfect for the little blurb about the extended cut as well. It's so multi purposeful! Enjoy!

Liara watched from across the Presidium as Shepard and Tali held each other. She had been browsing through some shops and generally enjoying her surroundings when she had seen the couple sit down at a table on the balcony opposite the market. She watched them. She knew she shouldn't, but she couldn't help herself.

Liara still had feelings for Shepard. Granted, they weren't as strong as back when they were tracking Saren, but still. They were feelings. And watching Shepard give a ring to another woman, even someone she respected (like Tali), hurt. Liara had been suppressing these particular feelings since she joined Shepard's team again, but it was getting harder and harder. Especially now, after watching the man she had those feelings for propose. She was happy for him, and for Tali, but those feelings were not nearly as strong as the wish that she was in Tali's spot.

She continued to watch the couple, oblivious to Kaidan as he looked through shops behind her. He didn't notice her either. Eventually, he turned to leave, and finally saw Liara leaning forward against the railing of the nearby balcony. He headed over to her, mainly just to say hello. "Hey, Liara," he said warmly, leaning sideways against the rail, next to her. She didn't respond. Kaidan waited a few more seconds before asking: "Um, everything alright?"

Liara gestured to Shepard and Tali across the Presidium. Kaidan turned his head and saw Shepard hand a waiter a credit chit as he and Tali walked out of Apollo's Café. "Shepard just proposed," Liara explained dryly.

Kaidan was taken aback. He did not expect that at all. "What?" he asked excitedly. "Really? That's-" He turned back to Liara, and his mood instantly changed. The moment he saw her expression, he realized what was happening. "Oh," said, cutting himself off. He just looked at her awkwardly for a moment, not sure what to say. He decided to go with the basics. "Are you ok with this?"

Liara finally wrenched her eyes away from Tali and Shepard, and met Kaidan's gaze. Her face was stoic, but Kaidan could pick up on the conflict in her expression. He had known her long enough. "Does it matter?" she asked coolly.

Kaidan placed a hand on her shoulder. "Yes," he answered simply. Liara allowed a half smile to cross her face. He was genuinely concerned about her.

She didn't have an answer right away. She turned back to look across the balcony. Shepard and Tali were sitting on a bench a short distance outside of the café. Tali's head was resting on Shepard's shoulder, and his head was slightly leaned against hers. He was holding the ring in the palms of his hands, and talking, probably explaining how he got it or why it was important to him.

Liara sighed. "I don't know yet," she admitted to Kaidan.

He took his hand off Liara's shoulder. "Want to talk about it?"

Liara hesitated, staring off into space for a few moments. "I'm not sure."

Kaidan let out a small chuckle. "Well, I'll be around if you figure it out," he assured her, patting her hand before heading to the section of the market he hadn't visited yet. Liara just stood there as Kaidan left, continuing to watch Shepard and Tali. She really didn't know what she wanted to do.

But she decided she couldn't keep staring at them. It was slowly driving her crazy. With some effort, she tore herself away from the balcony and took the long way to the elevator, around the newly engaged couple. When she reached it, she stood with her hands hovering over the button interface. She still hadn't decided what she wanted to do. Only what she didn't want to do.

Eventually, she hit the button to go down to Purgatory. Maybe a drink would do her good, or at least take her mind off of things. She could hear the music before the elevator even came to stop. She was able to tell instantly that this was not her sort of place, and she felt especially awkward going in by herself. But this was the closest place where she could get a drink, and she wasn't interested in going on a long, quiet trip with plenty of time to think to get to another bar.

Not thinking wouldn't be a problem at Purgatory. The music was intense inside. It assaulted her ears as she looked around, searching for the bar. She eventually found it on the far left side of the wide, large room. She walked along the catwalks that to the place she could get a drink.

As she approached, she noticed that Vega was standing there, talking with another Alliance soldier. Perfect. She hadn't really had a lot of time to get to know Vega. She could talk to him and learn about him, and that along with the drink would be an excellent distraction for her. She forced herself to smile as preparation while she quickened her pace.

But she stopped dead in her tracks before she even got there. She had passed a dividing wall, revealing EDI and Joker sitting together on an armless couch that was against a far wall. Liara's smile evaporated. EDI was resting her head gently on Joker's shoulder. The instant Liara saw them; she was reminded of Shepard and Tali. People pushed past her as she looked at the couple a short distance from her. They were just talking, and Liara could tell they wouldn't be going anywhere for a while. And because of that, she couldn't stay. Her gaze would just keep getting drawn to EDI and Joker, and she would constantly be reminded of what happened on the Presidium. It would defeat the whole purpose of coming down here. Liara solemnly turned around and left the club.

As she walked to the elevator, she ran though the other floors in her mind, searching for something to do. Hospital? She would just be in the way. Embassies? Same problem. Presidium? No. Refugee camps? She would feel even more out of place than at Purgatory.

All that was left was to head back to the Normandy. She could do some work, or talk to Javik.

No, not Javik. He would be able to sense that something was bothering her with his pheromones, or whatever. And he was blunt enough to bring it up, and cold enough to not exactly be comforting. Liara stepped into the elevator and hit the button to go down to the docking bay. Work it was.

When she reached the floor, she immediately took off towards the ship. But as she passed through the security checkpoint, she heard a familiar voice call her name.

"T'Soni!"

She stopped and swiveled. Garrus was standing at the counter of the checkpoint, and had just finished talking to another Turian. Probably someone he knew from his days as an officer. He was smiling, and walked over to her.

But his smile quickly faded when he was close enough to read her expression. "What's going on?" he asked casually, masking his concern. And with that, Liara gave up. There was no avoiding it: she would have to talk about what had happened. Besides, Garrus was probably the best person she could talk to. He had spent more time with Shepard than almost anybody. This was as good as she was going to get.

"Shepard just proposed to Tali," she told Garrus, slightly reluctantly.

He was confused. "Proposed what?" Garrus knew a fair bit about human culture, but he was no expert. He had never heard the word proposed stand alone before. "What do you mean?"

"They took their relationship to the next level, essentially committed their lives to each other. There's a whole process to it, and they call it a proposal," she explained. She seemed nonchalant about it, but Garrus could see the struggle she was having.

"So he proposed marriage." A light clicked on his head. Proposed marriage. Proposed. Oh.

Liara nodded glumly, looking down at her feet. Garrus didn't have time to revel in his revelation. "Do you want to talk about it?" he asked cautiously. Liara shrugged her shoulders. Garrus sighed. "Alright, come on," he said, giving her a gentle push towards a more secluded area. When they reached it, he continued. "So what exactly is your problem with it?" he asked simply, not wanting to down the wrong path.

Liara paused. She knew the issue she had with it, but hadn't really put it into words yet. It took her a few seconds. She didn't take the time to make a whole statement; she just got straight to the point. "Why does he want Tali instead of me?"

Garrus flinched slightly. He wasn't expecting her to be so direct. "Are you sure you want to know?"

Liara looked him straight in the eyes and nodded. "Well," Garrus started, scratching at his fringe. "First off, he was always interested in Tali, even back when we were after Saren. I'm not sure how strong the feelings were, though."

Liara was somewhat surprised. "I knew Tali was interested Shepard, but I didn't know the feeling was mutual," she said. "Why didn't anything happen?"

"I never got the full story," Garrus admitted. "Maybe it had something to do with Tali's pilgrimage, I'm not sure." Garrus waited for Liara to process, then shifted his weight. The next part was more uncomfortable. "Also, Tali has always been there for Shepard. You…"

Liara felt a pang of guilt. He didn't need to finish the sentence. When Shepard visited her on Illium, he had specifically searched her out and came to see her. He had asked her to join him again. She said no. At the time, she had felt like there were good reasons. But ever since she became the Shadow Broker, her obsession fulfilled, doubts had formed in her mind.

But Tali didn't rejoin him the first time they met again either. "What about before Haestrom?" she asked Garrus.

Garrus fidgeted again. He didn't enjoy putting Liara down, but she had asked for it. Maybe it was what she needed. "There's a different between 'I want to go with you, but I can't, I have commitments to my people,' and: 'I can't go with you, I'm doing my own thing.'" Garrus checked Liara's expression, making sure she wasn't offended or anything. He was safe. "Tali also said he could call if something important came up; you just left him access to your terminal." Liara sighed. "And, you didn't join after he helped you with your mission. Tali did."

Liara just stood there. She had never looked at everything from this perspective before. It was very revealing, about both herself, and Tali. She was beginning to understand why Shepard cared about Tali so much. The feeling was mutual, just like the old days.

Garrus waited patiently as Liara stared off into space, still thinking. When her eyes came back to his, he continued. "Finally," he shifted his weight again. "You basically broke his heart." Garrus checked her expression again. It was sad, but not angry. "You should have seen him when he found out where you were," Garrus told her with a small chuckle. "He was excited, to say the least." Liara thought back to the kiss they had shared when he walked into her office on Illium. He had initiated it. She never thought it would be their last, and apparently, neither had he.

She turned her attention back to Garrus. "But when you stayed behind, and doubted his intentions with Cerberus, he was crushed." Garrus rubbed the tattoos on his face uncomfortably. "He was the lowest I had seen him in a long time. I was there for him, but there wasn't really a lot I could do. Tali, on the other hand…"

Garrus trailed off, not sure how much detail Liara was after. She was thankful; she decided she was done hearing about herself. She had enough to think about in that regard. "What happened after that?" she asked.

"Shepard was there for Tali when she was accused of treason. He even managed to get it all worked out, which you probably know already. After that, they were a lot closer." Garrus fidgeted again. "And after they had their…night. Together, before we went to the Collector base, they were practically inseparable."

Liara sighed again. "So you aren't surprised by this? By Shepard proposing?"

"Can't say I didn't expect it," Garrus confessed. Liara looked down at the ground again. He placed a hand on her shoulder. "I know it's a lot to take in," he said, being as comforting as he could. "So I'll let you think. Come find me if you need anything." He rubbed the side of her arm before leaving her alone with her thoughts.

Garrus was right, Liara thought. It was a lot of information. And she realized she could make excuses for her actions all day long, but it wouldn't change anything. What was done was done, and she had missed her chance with Shepard.

Liara also realized that back then, and even now to some extent, she was only focusing on herself. She was happy for Shepard, deep down, but it was being overshadowed by thoughts of how she was feeling, what she wanted.

Liara also wished Shepard was there right now. If he were there, he would have reminded Liara about her time on the first Normandy, or that she did go with him this time. A small smile crossed her face. Just the thought of Shepard being there for her cheered her up a little. Even though she didn't necessarily believe in herself, she knew Shepard believed in her. And it was right then that Liara decided to believe in Shepard. Return the favor. She would be there for him…as a friend. He deserved that much. He had earned that much from Liara, at least.

So had Tali, who just then rounded the corner and came into Liara's view. Tali had always respected Liara, she didn't hold a grudge against her for how she treated Shepard, and she had known Liara practically as long as the Commander. Besides the fact that she probably saved Liara's life a few times.

However, Liara still wasn't exactly thinking straight. She thought about turning away, or doing something to avoid Tali as she passed.

She almost did. But Tali was moving faster than Liara expected. "Hey, Liara," Tali greeted, skidding to a halt in front of her while she was still thinking.

"Hello, Tali," she responded dryly, faking a small smile. Liara paused, not sure what to say. But she didn't want a silence to sink in, and Tali wasn't saying anything. She was starting to pick up that something was up with Liara. "How are you?" she asked quickly, stopping Tali's train of thought.

Tali was practically bouncing. "I'm great," she said enthusiastically. "I'm-" she started, but before she could finish, she noticed Liara's mood drop. She would have noticed the mood earlier, but her own excitement and Liara's stalling had slowed her down. "But how are you?" she asked, concerned, stopping herself. "Are you doing ok?"

Liara gave Tali a real smile. The Quarian was ecstatic, but she was putting her feelings off to check on Liara. Liara remembered that Tali really cared about her, and almost always had. "It's nothing," she assured Tali, trying desperately to improve her mood. "Why are you so great?" she prompted. Even though she already knew the answer.

Tali switched back to her excited tone. "Shepard just proposed," she told Liara through a giddy grin.

Liara grinned as well. She couldn't help it. Tali was so happy and enthusiastic, it was rubbing off on her. As she watched Tali, seeing how glad she was, she almost didn't want Shepard anymore. If it meant Tali wouldn't be like this. "That's fantastic," Liara said. "Is that the ring?" she asked, pointing to Tali's new necklace. Again, Liara knew fully well that it was, but she didn't want to spoil Tali's moment. This would only happen once.

Tali subconsciously started running her finger around the ring. "Yes. He said it was his mother's…oh, what was it? En…gage…ment ring? Yes, that was it. There's no way it would fit on my finger," she explained, holding up a hand and wiggling her three digits. "So he made it into a necklace. He said it was one of the only things his mother left for him when she passed away."

Liara leaned forward to get a closer look. "It's beautiful," she complimented as she inspected it.

Tali allowed Liara to look at it for a short while. "Well, I better get going," Tali said once Liara had leaned back to her original position, before a silence settled in. "I'll see you later," she added as she started to walk away.

Liara watched with a smirk as she headed to the Normandy. Both of the women were in much higher spirits after their exchange. For different reasons, of course, but still. Liara decided she wanted to talk to Shepard as well. She would congratulate him, to show him, and herself, that she was ok with this. She wanted him and Tali to be happy. "Hey, where's Shepard?" she asked Tali.

"He's talking with Garrus over by the elevator," Tali answered over her shoulder.

"Thanks, and congratulations!" Liara called back. Once Tali was a good ways away, she turned to head to the elevator.

When she reached it, she didn't see Shepard. Or Garrus. The elevator was still there, so they hadn't left that way. She circled in place, looking around for either of them. She noticed an empty parking space on a skycar rental platform. She checked the display, and found it had left a little less than five minutes ago.

Must have been them.