Chapter 11
Rated M for Language, Sexual Content, Adult Themes
Warning ! Quite dark, proceed with caution.
Contains FemShep/Liara
This story is about an extremely damaged woman, struggling with love, loss and eventually redemption. She is not exactly likeable, nor should she be.
Author's note: My dear readers, there are no words to express the gratitude I feel for your continued support. So I'll just leave this here, without any further comment.
She had never wanted to return to that hellhole. The moment Miranda had told her that they would be picking up two crew members on Omega a shiver had run down her spine. Almost immediately she had excused herself to go cry in one of the public showers, since her bathroom was undergoing some renovation. Ariadne had always tried to keep up a tough demeanor, no matter what life threw at her and yet now she spent most of her days sobbing her eyes out.
As she leaned against the door of the stall, she thoughtlessly turned on the water. Without even taking off her clothes she slumped on to the floor and hugged her knees to her chest.
It had been two weeks, since her resurrection she had yet to receive a single word from her former lover. Shepard had contacted anyone and everyone, who owed her a favor and not a single one had been able to give her an address or even the name of the man Liara supposedly shared a house with. Every time her terminal rang her heart would flutter and she secretly hoped that the once shy girl would nervously apologize and things would go back to normal. Or at least she could have the bloody courtesy to tell her to back off.
When more of the depressing thoughts filled her mind, her sobbing only intensified, until she was a shaking and shivering mess.
Aria T'Loak missed her protégé so much it hurt. The last few nights the feelings of loss had been more intense and had come right before her sleep and the fear of the nightmares had kept her awake. Above all the queens of Omega missed the feeling of wrapping her arms around the petite frame of the girl and being able to hug her close. Whenever that thought would cross her mind, she would grab one of her pillows and shed silent tears into it.
Miranda Lawson was the only one to catch the look of sheer terror on the commander's face, upon mentioning the space station. Of course she had heard the rumors about her rough childhood, but up until that moment, she had considered them to be unfounded. Now she wasn't so sure, especially after her violent reaction to questioning on the shuttle, when she had inquired about the woman's upbringing.
Soon after the briefing, she had followed the commander to the crew bathrooms and had patiently waited outside.
Suddenly she heard the woman's muffled cries and the Ice Queen was touched by a very human emotion.
Cursing under her breath, Miranda knew that the invincible Commander Shepard was in no shape to lead them anywhere.
Liara had spent the entire time after her conversation with the Illusive Man dedicating every resource to finding the woman she loved. It hadn't taken her long to track down the remodeled Normandy, with her newly acquired skill set. As she watched its flight path a very uneasy feeling crept through her body. The ship was en route to Omega.
'Oh Shepard, what in the name of the goddess are you doing?'
Dread filled her entire being, the moment her foot touched the ground of the criminal haven. With a very deliberate gaze, her eyes traveled all over the uniquely familiar surroundings. Shepard had only taken the Cerberus woman with her, seeing as she wasn't very fond of her other companion. Ignoring the worried look, that Miranda gave her, Shepard slowly shook her head, before starting on the path towards Afterlife. Each step brought her closer and closer to the one person she had missed other than Liara.
Death had given her a new perspective on the events and mistakes of her life and she hoped that she could finally reconcile with Aria. She hadn't forgiven her for cheating though and there would be consequences to be paid for that betrayal.
The music was the first thing that she noticed. Next came the immediately recognizable stench of the place, followed by a sense of nostalgia for a simpler time in her life. A time where her only desire had been to make her queen happy, no matter the job, be it smuggling, dealing or killing.
With almost shaky steps she entered the hallway leading to the night club, where she had grown up. Miranda sensed the unease in the woman next to her, but she held her tongue.
'Hopefully this won't turn into a complete disaster.'
Shepard gave her a shaky smile before responding.
'Don't worry; I'll do my best to keep you in one piece.'
As they descended down the walkway, the people around them gave Shepard a wide berth. A very uncommon thing happened that evening, Afterlife went quiet. The shouting turned to whispering and muttering the closer Ariadne came to Aria's den. The dancers stopped their gyrations and simply gaped open mouthed at the return of Omega's most infamous enforcer.
Aria T'Loak noticed the bizarre behavior and slowly turned her head towards the commotion.
Cobalt blue eyes met fiery red ones.
'Shepard…?' Aria mouthed breathlessly. Her heart rate picked up. She didn't trust her legs as she stumbled towards her long lost lover.
'Aria.' Shepard didn't know what came over her, but she was sprinting towards the first familiar face she'd seen in two years. Their bodies collided and it felt as though time had stopped. They were the only ones in the entire galaxy.
'Where the fuck have you been?!' Aria cried out, as tears were already forming in her eyes.
'Dead.'
The tone of her voice made Aria simply wrap her arms tighter around the frail girl, just as she had fantasized about every night, since they had parted.
Miranda had never seen a sight like this before in her entire life. She had heard so many tales of the countless atrocities committed by the so called Queen of Omega, that she had never pictured Aria actually caring for another person. And yet right in front of her the two of them were whispering in each other's ears, the way two lovers would. It was then, that Miranda realized that she didn't have a clue, as to who her Commander was. The only thing the Cerberus Loyalist longed for was someone to hold her the way Ariadne was embracing Aria.
Anyway, I don't think everyone will like where this story is headed, just rest assured that the tags are still correctly labeled, even if it may not always seem like it…. I just think Aria deserves to be happy, too.
