Chapter 10

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Best laid plans.

With the room as dim as it was the two of them were not about to wake up on their own. Matt would have remembered to set his Omni to wake him up had he not been distracted like he usually did before going to sleep. This time was a bit of a special circumstance. His 'morning' started with the rack of knuckles against the med bay storage bay's door.

"Anyone there?" a voice Matt barely made out as his sisters while his eyes fought to battle back sleep with blinks.

"Uh…." Matt managed taking a pause to remember exactly where he was and why he couldn't move around away.

Sometime during the night the good doctor had gone from her place leaned back against his chest to a more comfortable position stretched out across the whole of the cot with her head using his thigh like a pillow. Liara looked so calm and comfortable he dreaded having to wake her.

Did he really have to?

Carefully with light fingers he lifted her head just enough to get out from under her, worried she might wake when halfway through she murmured something in her sleep. Inwardly he swore. Shirt...shit...Shepard stumbled over something left cast aside in the room on his way to the desk on the far side to fetch his shirt. Quickly pulling it over his head the sleeve caught on his arm and he swore louder this time in frustration.

"Son of a…"

"Trouble Matthew?"

His Asari counterpart was awake, for how long he could not know. Hopefully not for the part where he stumbled trying to cross the room. Instead of responding right away he finished getting on his shirt without reducing it to a useless rag in his haste then looked back her way.

On her side she had her head propped up on an elbow watching him move with those calculating cerulean eyes of hers. Like a scientist admiring a good subject. Since she was evidently awake now Matt did not have to keep the light down in the room so with a drum of fingers on the desk light flooded the room.

"My sister just knocked looking for you I think," Matt offered in explanation for his rushed state.

She might have been covered mostly by the grey blanket that had come along with the cot, but it did nothing to keep hidden the sudden rush of color to her face at the notion. It was not like they had anything to hide.

"Matt I should," Liara started only to stop when Matt crossed and set a hand on her side having seen her move to get up.

"Take your time getting up, I can take care of my sister," he said with a smile that did nothing to stoke his own confidence.

Unsure Liara narrowed her eyes then asked slinking back down under her cover, "You are certain…?"

To help put to rest the woman's nerves Matt set one hand on the side of the cot while leaning down over Liara. Lips found each other, a gentle greeting and nothing more.

"Positive," Matt said with a smile stretching back up while trying to fix his messy hair with a hand," Good morning by the way."

Like last night Matt crossed the room and hit the unlock on the door console, but this time the Asari had not noticed it. In fact from the last look over Matt's shoulder it looked like she had rolled back over to try and get a bit more sleep when it was offered or maybe even a strategic retreat.

The door slid open and there was simply no one there. After stepping out into the medbay letting the door close behind him Matt sighed releasing his held breath. Then effectively choked on said breath.

"Morning Matt," Jane said from her place leaned back against the med bay wall a few feet away watching her little brother with a look of amusement and a smirk that was not at all trying to be hidden, " Sleep alright?"

Slowly, very slowly, Matt turned until he saw his sister, dressed perfectly in her Alliance best which did surprise him, but there was a pressing matter. His eyes darted over the many metals that did adorn the front of her uniform though momentarily.

"Bit of a crick in my neck from being pressed up against a bulkhead, but I think I got enough," Matt said dareing his sister to go there. In fact this was the perfect time to get that all out in the open.

With a glance back towards the medbay storage door Matt considered just how he wanted to put this.

"Liara and I…," the biotic said looking back at his sister, meeting her eyes and not for a second looking away as to prove his determination of a fact, "I care something for her."

His sister the Paragon of Alliance regulation let her smirk crack out into full fledged smile, "Well of course you do," she said with a slight incline of her chin," Does she…" Jane questioned while moving away from the wall to come and stand beside her brother so that there was only feet between them, "Know about your mother?"

"Yeah I told her last time we were on the citadel."

"Hmm…" Jane said circling around the younger Shepard so that she could head towards the main medbay door, "interesting."

For some reason that made him want to growl, what did she mean by that?

"If you got something to say Jane just say it," he said after turning to face her back.

If it was a barbed statement his sister did not show reaction. Instead she set a hand against the door and spoke back to him.

"Nothing like that Matt, hell I think this might be good for you. When was the last time you told that story to anyone?"

The bay seemed much smaller after that. Growing up after he lost his 'mother' Matt lived side by side Jane and the subject of where he came from was always a touchy one. Their parents when asked by his older sister would always say that he was simply adopted or that Matt would tell her when he was ready. Only the problem was it looked like he was never going to. That is until their N7 graduation night. Everyone was celebrating their new assignments, including Jane, the squad they were in was tasked with hitting a Batarian merc camp. Matt had not celebrated the appointment and when pushed as to why he finally told his sister the story, or what he remembered of it.

Since that day Jane of course still loved her adopted brother, but there was something else to it now. A reality that there was always going to be a part of him that she never understood. When they hit that merc compound she had expected Matt to take the opportunity to enact some sort of revenge, but he was restrained and he listened to every order. After debriefing Matt had told her that he had been afraid, to afraid to really act anymore than the mechanical need driven by orders. Jane just tossed an arm around him and told him that the next time would be different.

"I hope you are right," Matt said with a warmth to his voice, but with an unsteady tone like it might end up being something else.

The red headed sister turned and flashed him her knowing smile, "As long as you do not do something to screw it up little brother."

Matt shook his head with a grin and headed for the door Jane had just opened.

The next time the two of them faced Batarians was The Blitz and her brother had made the race carve his name into their generational memory after that.

Several hours later.

Of the places on the Citadel one could waste away some time Matt had been to worse. Flux was a popular club on the wards that was available to all races, something that not many were. When Ashley suggested it as a place to spend time while they waited for Jane to finish with her meeting the biotic had been shocked. It was no secret that the Gunnery Chief had something against aliens, but she simply stated that the drinks were cheap and the music was good. One could not be picky.

Beside the large dance floor the packed club sported a full bar as well as many tables for patrons to enjoy themselves. That was not all though, the place was a double level club with a casino up above. One that Joker had stated, or rather probably overstated, his luck with.

"Sure is taking a while."

Idle fingers thumbed a pair of plaything cards considering a bet, "What's that?" Matt answered while pushing a few chips out into the middle of the table.

"The meeting with the council I mean," Garrus responded from his spot across the poker table. From the looks of it he was still trying to grasp the finer points of the game based on his smaller stack of chips.

"Thought you were from around here Garrus? Figure you would know what politicians are like," Matt responded watching the Krogan out of the corner of his eye.

Wrex let out a hearty laugh and downed yet another glass of a liquid Matt did not know the name of, "Useless pijacks all of them. Thats why you need one person in charge," he said with a grin that really showed off his teeth.

Cards stacked one over the other Garrus did what Matt guessed passed as a frown then shook his head, "And I assume you think a Krogan would do a better job managing things Wrex?"

The smallest of the lot, and the one that was usually the quietest chose that time to flash her vocal processor, "At least the red tape would have a reason for the color."

Matt figured that Tali had not been expecting the clap on her back from their biggest squadmate at the chirp, not with how she nearly came out of her chair knocking her carefully placed chip stacks all over the table.

"Damn right!," Wrex nearly roared, his voice easily heard over the low beat of the rhythmic club music, "I think I like you Quarian."

She shifted until she was comfortable on the chair once again then mumbled a, "Thank you," before whispering to the Turian beside her. Is that a good thing?

Garrus just shrugged too busy with the prospect of his cards to really listen to the poor girl.

"So remind me...the ones with the faces are the good cards right?"

A chorus of groans rounded the table followed by each person's pair of cards when they folded. Like he had not understood what he said the ex-Csec officer looked amongst the table in confusion.

"Yes Garrus, the face cards are good," Matt said while reaching for the same whiskey glass he had been nursing since they came into the club. He had been told by his sister to enjoy himself since they were at least in dock for the night, but he did not want to overdo it if they were going to turn around in the morning.

Most of the ground team was here at the club. Only Liara and Jane had needed to go to the meeting with the council. Since T'Soni had been the only one to see the whole picture from the beacons Jane had wanted her along to help explain what a threat the Reapers were.

What a threat they were. While he thought of that Matt swirled the ice around in his glass. The vision, or rather the memory, Liara had showed him that had come from his own mind was both unsettling and calming. On one hand it all but validated the feeling he had been tossing around about the woman for the past weeks. There exchanged confessions on top of it. On the other the depiction of what the Reapers were capable was frightening.

The idea that a force, any force, even the Turians arguably the strongest military in the galaxy getting close enough to Earth to cause the sort of destruction he had seen was frightening. Matts eyes left his glass just long enough to see Tali fumble with the fifty-two cards attempting to shuffle. No one knew synthetics better than the Quarians. They had created the monsters that now lived on their rightful homeworld. A race that knew everything they possibly could about their enemy had been so easily beaten. It did not instil confidence.

"Shepard?"

After letting out a held breath he did not realise he had Matt forced a steady smile across to said Quarian and spoke up, "Yeah Tali?"

"Since you are not Alliance anymore what are you planning on doing after Jane catches Saren?"

She was so nonchalant about the question Matt knew she really meant nothing more than that. A couple of the crew aboard the ship had asked him similar questions over the past couple weeks and he had always said that he was thinking about it.

"Hmm...Good question," he said with a truthful smile this time. Matt watched those illuminated eyes under Tali's visor keep his gaze. She really had started to come out of her shell since she came aboard that first day, "Maybe I will go into private military?"

Garrus fumed...was that a fume? Turian facial expressions are hard to read, "Somehow I can not see you as a merc Matty."

"Yeah well I am sure something will present itself," Matt said hopeful that none of the three caught up on his connotation. There was going to be plenty to do.

Something behind Matt's chair must of caught his friends attention because the three of them turned to look at something. Something that had the three of them silent as if waiting.

"We are grounded."

That made Matt snap his head around so fast he was going to need a muscle relaxant in the was there, still in her dress blues arms crossed over her chest looking her darkest possible. The meeting with the council must have gone terrible.

"Grounded? You must be joking," Matt said pushing his way up out of the comfortable chair he had been in for the past two hours enjoying their little card game.

Jane looked far more unhappy than Matt expected and he had expected her to be rightly pissed off at something like this, "Something about this no longer being my problem. The council is going to handle Saren on their own with the new information."

On the other side of the table Garrus scrapped his chair against the textured floor making an uncomfortable sound.

"Thats unacceptable! We know where he is going to be! The Council has to let us go after him!" somehow Garrus seemed the most upset at the table.

Tali was unreadable as ever, but at least Wrex had growled at the initial news. it was an action Matt found himself wishing he could mimic comfortably.

"Out of my hands Vakarian, they locked out the Normandy systems, "Jane said narrowing her eyes, "Could not leave if we wanted to….that yours?" Matt's sister said motioning to the drink he had been enjoying. Her brother just lifted it from the table and pushed it into her hands, "Thanks...could have used one of these before I went into the meeting if I knew it was going to be like that."

"So what now?" Matt asked the question everyone else at the table wanted most answered.

The Commander Jane Shepard, First Human Spectre shrugged her shoulders and stole the chair her brother had been sitting in with a grumbling sound.

"Anderson said he would meet us here. Wanted to talk about some sort of an idea," Jane said finishing off the glass she had been offered then checked her omni, "right around this time."

Matt frowned and took the glass from his sister's fingers, she never drank and seeing her do just that worried him. There was no telling what had actually been said during this meeting, but something told him dropping a nuke on a planet like Vermire was not something that would just go in the footnotes of a mission debriefing.

Finally Garrus must have run out of the steam that came with his frustration because the Turian took his seat once again. When the waitress came by he got them another round to drink, Matt shook his head to indicate that he did not want anything as well as a motion at his sister that it would not be a good idea to keep feeding her anything as well. Lucky something of body language filtered across races because Garrus got Jane a coffee to improve her mood.

"Shouldnt you be dancing Matthew?" Jane asked once her fingers were wrapped around a warm mug of joe.

This caused her brother to scowl, "You know I don't dance Jane."

"Really?" she said with a smirk he couldn't see with how she was facing towards the table sitting in his chair, "Might want to reconsider that stance."

It was actually the tilt of the head by Tali in the direction of the dance floor behind him that got Matt the message to turn around. Their table was on the second level, up above the real 'club' level of Flux. Since they came in Ashley had disappeared onto the dance floor only coming up stairs to join them for a drink or two the whole time they had been there.

Matt had to turn and face the railing near the table to see down onto the floor level. Hands stuffed into the pockets of his N7 hoodie those hazel eyes of his narrowed trying to see what the two women had been hinting at.

Without much surprise he actually spotted Ashley first, he knew what she was wearing after all so it stuck out of the crowd. It was not until he watched the mixture of bodies for a bit longer that he spotted the reason for his sister's question.

"We still got a few minutes before Anderson gets here right?" Matt asked turning back to the table while working the zipper on his hoodie in a hurried manner. So much so that Wrex lifted his eyes away from yet another glass of something Humans had no business being around.

Helpfully his sister claimed the soon discarded fabric of clothing her brother was trying to get off with a restrained smile plastered across her features, " We can start without you if he gets here before you get back."

"Appreciate it."

When he headed down the stairs into the lower level of the club he reminded to thank himself later for not having anymore to drink than that one glass. Matt was certain he was about to make a fool of himself, why exacerbate the situation.

The music was so loud that the biotic could not hear his own thoughts. Everyone on the floor lost in their own little worlds. So much so that when Matt stepped up onto the raised dancefloor no one seemed to mind him passing by. After some gentle brushes and more urgent nudges Matt found her.

Liara must have had some time before the meeting to find something more suitable for an audience with the council because the Asari was clad in a dress he had never seen. It was a dark red color with a high neck in the typical style her kind frequently wore at more formal occasions. Snug cloth covered the whole of the upper body only to loosen just past the waist all the way to where it swayed now near the floor. To match a pair of white gloves completed the outfit that reached all the way up to near the shoulders. Only bit of her blue skin there between the dress and the gloves was exposed. Matt somehow felt that this look, not the sundress he had seen her in before better showcased her allure.

"May I have a dance miss?" Matt said just loud enough for the swaying Asari to hear him, as well as the Gunnery Chief Williams just past her.

"Really now Shepard?" Liara said never stopping her small movements, but she did meet his eye with a tilt of her head, "Ashley here was just telling me how she has never seen you dance, but she has heard the stories."

If you listened closely you could hear Ashley laughing behind her smile at the same time as trying to slink off to another spot on the floor.

"Can't promise I will stay off your feet," Matt said slowly trying to ignore the slinking Alliance officer.

As if the sarcastic answer had been the one she was waiting for Liara turned, on a skilled rotation of her hips to face the object of her affections. Matt just wondered if all Asari were born with this sort of ability. He was pretty certain he had never seen one unable to dance with some hint of talent.

That smile of her's melted his thoughts away though. That and the feel of her heated form stepping up so that she could wrap her hands around the back of his neck. Those sorts of things tended to help.

"I believe the human saying is two left feet?" those eyes watched him closely for any hint that she had been correct her in assumption. Day one when she came aboard Liara had grilled Dr. Chawkwas about human interactions as well as read many texts. Matt understood why.

"Uh...yeah…," Matt struggled with his response more confused with something else at the time, "Where should I…"

He meant his hands. Damnit it was not like he grew up in some normal family. Not many chances for a school dance when you are homeschooled aboard a starship. Liara looked like she was dealing with a similar issue with the way her eyes darted between the two of them almost expectantly.

"I am afraid I do not have much experience in this either," she actually blushed under his gaze at this probably relieved to know that with how busy the floor was no one was really going to see her foolish fumbling, "Not many chances to do something like this under a Matriarchs teaching or when I was digging through a ruin."

In the end Matt just set his hands around her waist in a way that was comfortable and was going to leave some breathing room between the two of them, but the Asari culture or the mixture of Liara's feelings caused her to tighten her grip on Matt closing that distance.

"The meeting did not go well," she spoke softly while swaying much like she had before he had interrupted to the music, " The Council does not think the Reapers are a real or credible threat. I believe the Turian councilor does not think they ever existed or do they now."

Matt tried to move in time with her body, doing his damndest to just not step on her toes while they enjoyed each others company, "Jane already told us. Grounded. They are idiots, the lot of them. My sister goes running around the galaxy at the drop of a hat for them and they do not even listen to her when it comes to something like this...they are going to come to regret it."

She was quiet, even though he could not see her face now that Liara had moved it to rest against his chest he was certain that she was thinking about the same thing he was. The images shared between the two.

"If we cannot tell Jane yet what we know we certainly can not hope that the council would move on such stories," Liara said with a resolved tone to her voice that had Matthew nodding in response, "What are we going to do about the memory Matt?"

"We are going to do whatever we have to Liara. We are never going to experience it, "Matt did not have to think about the answer. It was the one had had come to while he was away from her since that morning. Nothing else mattered.

Laughter, Liara actually laughed at him and clutched the front of his regulation Alliance blue off duty shirt after dropping her left hand down to his chest beside her face, "You just say things like that. Say them like they will happen. No question. How do you do it?"

Strong toned arms held the Asari that much closer and he brought the both of them to a standstill while the loud music of the club pounded against their senses, "Once I make a choice thats it. Its the only option. Why worry about something that can not be changed? Besides I have some...extra...motivation."

Blue eyes met his after Liara pulled her head back enough to look up at him with a half knowing smile, "And that is?"

"Well I am sure the galaxy will appreciate it don't you?"

Deadpan humor was always a Matthew staple. Luckily his smile gave away that he was indeed joking. It looked like the Asari had been on ship long enough to spot a human joke now when she saw one though by the way she gave him a like wrap of her knuckles against his chest. Joker was in trouble it this was the case.

Lips pursed in mock frustration then she caught something past him in her gaze, "Yes I am sure they will Shepard."

A pinging notification on his omni coming to life was all he needed to know. Anderson was here.

The two of them exchange a knowing glance and not a word wasspoken. Instead Matt led the way off of the dance floor, then at the base of the stairs that led up to the second level where the groups table was Liara took a grasp of his arm. Hooked together and close like that he could not keep his attention solely on anything else. Maybe that was actually a good thing in the case.

Anderson did not look much different. He wore the same sort of off duty clothes that Matt had on, but with an insignia befitting his rank. The Ex-Marine of course had no such mark on his clothing after handing over his dog tags at their last meeting. If anything he looked better, a little refreshed from his down time, while still appearing to be in better shape than they had last seen him. One thing never changed though, when Anderson noticed Matt near the table he stood with a smile hand outstretched in greeting.

"Good to see you son. Keeping this lot out of trouble I hear?" he joked at the expense of the ground team circled around the table looking on obviously waiting to see what he had to say. Practiced assessment oriented eyes shifted from him to T'Soni impossible to miss standing so close to Matthew, not to mention their interlaced arm.

As if on cue, from idle prompting Matt took the offered handshake greeting then cracked a smile of his own, "I think you know as well as I do that I am not the right man if the job is to keep people out of trouble." After getting the subtle message Andersons old subordinate turned just enough so that he could quickly glance once to Liara, "This is Liara T'Soni," he said without holding back the warmth he wished to portray in stating her name, "Liara this is Captain Anderson. My old CO when I was still Alliance."

The old military dog Anderson was allowed him to read a bit more into people then one might expect. When he noticed the hesitant look in the Asari's eyes at the statement that Matt was no longer Alliance Anderson could have sworn he caught a note of disappointment. Not a look showing displeasure, but one that she understood he had recently given up something very important to him. It was obvious after that to him that she honestly cared for Matt, not some shipboard trist after combat. No doubt Jane had noticed the same truth in the matter.

Like Matt had Liara tried the human gesture of a handshake offering out her free arm and hand in greeting, "A pleasure to meet you Captain. The crew of the Normandy has told me so much about you. As I understand it your parting was not on the best of terms. I am truly sorry and hope that you are doing better as of late?"

"Yes well once you get used to the soft beds and warm meals it does get better," Anderson said keeping his attention to the beautiful woman, " The honor is mine Miss T'Soni. Anyone the Shepard's trust is an ally in my book."

The old Captain made obvious use of the addition to Jane to his statement when he really only meant to poke a bit of fun at Matt. This just had the biotic Marine shifting his weight slightly wondering why this felt like he was introducing a girlfriend to family.

"You said something about a plan?" Jane asked from her place still in Matt's chair at the table.

It looked like the cards had been set aside while Matt was gone along with the drinks they had been having once Anderson arrived. Tali was poking at her Omni a bit, but for the most part everyone just looked ready to do something, anything to move forward.

Anderson moved and set a hand on the tabletop taking his time to take in the face of everyone that was gathered. Such a mix of races was not something a Alliance military member was used to seeing, but with Jane now a spectre things were surely changing in the area of specialist.

"Right now the Normandy systems are locked out by order of the Human ambassador. The ship is not going anywhere without that changing," he stated plainly enough while tapping his finger on the tabletop, "The way I see it we only really have three options. One the Council digs their head out of the sand and sends you on the trail Jane. Sorry, but truly unlikely at this point. Two Someone, namely me, goes out to the restricted section of the docks and unlocks the Normandy systems from the computer there."

Garrus had to cut in here, he knew the practice's of the cities police the best of the lot, "Thats an extremely protected section of the Citadel. if you are caught they would shoot you on sight if you were lucky."

Jane did not appear to be terribly happy with the idea either so she leaned forward in her chair and eyed her Commander, " What was option three?"

This drew a small laugh from their old 'family', "Three is to revert the lock out from the source. Go into the ambassador's office and reverse the computer lock out with a couple keystrokes like it never existed."

The suited Quarian set up a bit pushing aside the playing cards she had been idly thumbing through, "Forgive me...I do not know much about human laws, but to break into the office of an ambassador sounds like it would be a serious crime."

"Yeah Tali, talking treason," Matt said with a grumbling breath adding words to the thoughts of everyone around the table, "Still probably the safest bet. You only have to put up with a politician initially not the C-sec forces."

They wanted to get off the station, to get after Saren, but the two options they had to choose from were terrible. One was the chance to end up dead quickly and the other was to end up dead later after a trial.

"The office is our best bet. Get your crew back to the Normandy and wait for the unlock."

"Absolutely not," Jane shot back unable to control her need to protect her old captain, "we can not ask you to do something like that."

Anderson used his hand set on the table to reach out across and snag the whiskey glass Jane had given up on. When he went to raise it from the table though Matt snatched his wrist.

"Thats my drink," his voice was hard, but respectful so that when their met eyes there would be no confusion, "With respect Sir I will head to his office. You are far too valuable an asset to be sitting in a cell somewhere."

Beside him Matt could both hear and feel the catch in Liara's breath at the statement and he waited for her to say something. When she did not at the prospect of him committing treason he knew why. It did not fit the narrative they had experienced. The fingers that grasp his arm softly up until that point in the evening tightened to a respectable grip though and for some reason that gave him the urge to go on.

Anderson did not hesitate, the soldier he had groomed up until this point had never come back and change his mind later. The glass exchanged hands and he gave a small nod in acknowledgement.

Matt grinned and pressed the glass to his lips, there was still a sizable amount of the potent liquid left, but he downed it just the same. Sighing after the exercise he shrugged his shoulders and stated, "besides something tells me you would have an easier time on the outside trying to get me out of trouble like this then I would you Anderson."

The old CO shook his head that textbook restrained expression worn, but he agreed just the same, "To true."

At the table Jane set aside her coffee and got up the red flare of her hair framing her grey blue eyes perfectly in the moment, "Alright, you heard everyone back to the ship we are getting off this station," Matt's sister gave him a pat on the shoulder for encouragement. She knew he was not going to do anything stupid enough to get himself killed, they could figure out the rest after they got back from taking down Saren. Spoken in a hushed tone though she had to make sure, "Matt you are certain you want to do this?"

That grip returned to his arm, blue textured pads on fingers under white gloves dug into his bicep and he did nothing to ignore it. Instead he used it like a rock for him to hold onto in resilience. Of course he wanted to get on the ship and go with them. Head to Ilos and take down Saren the Turian they had been hunting from the start, but in the end this was his part to play. Something only he was fit to do. Jane could finish the game. The two of them had gotten the team to the one yard line. The Soldier his sister had become was more than capable of punching it across to stand under the shower of confetti in victory.

Everyone started to move from the table, everyone save for Jane, Matt, and Liara that still held on tightly.

"You best get going now Jane, its going to take a while just to drag Ashley off of the dance floor I would imagine," Matt grinned and took his hoodie back attempting playing off the whole thing in his usual way, " I have an ambassador to see. Maybe I will file a complaint?"

Jane huffed and moved passed him, but Matt saw that look of amusement he always managed to draw out of her in serious situations.

"So," started a soft voice from his side. Liara the last remaining member of the Normandy crew left behind and the most hesitant to go, "Seems we are already splitting up."

Matt looked back from watching his sister disappear down the stairs, making sure she was lost in the crowd and truly on her way hopeful that his actions would not weigh heavily on her on Illos. The Asari beside him reluctantly gave up her grip on his arm, but only after he had raised a bare hand to cup her cheek so that she could cover it.

"Only for a little while Liara…," Matt said with that usual wide smile he would later come to find out he only used around her, " Besides Illos is a Prothean homeworld or something. If you missed this you would really regret it. They need you. I am sure they will run into something that only you can help them with Doc."

The worried lines that had formed on her forehead softened somewhat after the use of his pet name for her. Illos was supposed to be something of a last outpost for the Protheans. There was no telling what they would find there. What they would learn about the long dead race. Most importantly what she might be able to learn to help change their future. She had to go, she knew it, she just did not have to like it.

"Matthew I am coming back for you," Liara said while turning her head against the palm of his hand so that she could brush her lips softly against the Humans skin, "It would be much easier if you were in one piece when I return."

Ha, Matthew cracked that smile into a laugh, but nodded in response. A nod that ended with the two pressed together at the forehead eyes closed enjoying a last moment. Neither knew when the other would get to see the other. Was this the original timeline? Had they already changed it enough to drastically change what they had seen. It was a dangerous grey area to be in.

The Human tilted just enough so that his lips teased the blue skinned beauties and he sighed, "Bring me back a souvenir will you?"

Breathlessly Liara tried to answer, but Matt kissed her tenderly silencing whatever the answer to his request might have been. It was only a tease anyway. With the busy music of the club beating down on them and the mass of people moving about the Human Asari pair was left unnoticed. Just another Human male satisfying a rumor about the promiscuous race he had heard of to any onlooker. To the two embraced it was already so much more than even they yet realised.

"You better be going, I have an appointment," Matt offered not really wanting to see her go, but they both knew it was time Jane would be back to the ship soon and Liara needed to be there as well.

The two separated once more Liara gave him a long lingering look, like she might be trying to remember the lines of his face for while he was away then she was gone. Down the stairs into the depths of the club then out into the streets of the Citadel leaving Matt alone to get them back on their quest.