Notes:

A Grá - My Love (Gaelic)

AI - Artificial Intelligence

CIC - Combat Information Center

Nara - literally "bearer"; one who shoulders another's burden, aids others (Thessian)

Siame - "one who is all", a loved one cherished above all others (Thessian)

Tá tú álainn sin - You are so beautiful (Gaelic)

Looking Forward

Normandy SR-2, Alliance Headquarters, London

Joker's mind was so focused on finding a solution for this new dilemma, he nearly choked on his tongue from the force of his sudden inhale when Edi's hands landed unexpectedly on his shoulders. "Relax, Jeff. That was a joke."

"What the fuck, Edi?" Joker launched himself from the pilot seat, yelling, "That was not in the least bit funny! You scared the livin' shit out of me!"

"Apologies, Jeff. Apparently my newly programmed humor heuristics need some adjustment." Edi released the hard-lock on the door and returned almost hesitantly to her seat, continuing to speak as she sat. "I was very precise when copying and modifying the code. I do not understand where I erred."

After multiple unsuccessful attempts to use her command override code, the entry hatch finally unlocked and opened, revealing an irate Ashley Williams standing in the doorway, arms crossed. "Joker! What the Hell is going on in here?" She gasped when Edi spun her chair around.

"Hello, Spectre Williams. It is good to see you again."

"Edi!" Ashley walked quickly forward into the cockpit, glancing back and forth between the two. "So whatever program you loaded into the back-up drive obviously worked! That's great... Welcome back!" She frowned and looked at Moreau. "So why don't you look happier about it, Joker? Did something else go wrong with the Normandy during the reboot?"

As he grudgingly admitted what Edi had done to him, Ashley found it more and more difficult to keep a straight face, finally giving up to erupt in laughter. "Oh. My. God! That is so awesome, Edi! Holy shit, I wish I had seen that!"

"So you find it entertaining... and feel my humor heuristics do not need adjustment after all?"

Edi was thoroughly confused at this point so Ashley had to explain. "Absolutely funny... for anyone not the target of the prank. But while I find it positively hysterical, Joker doesn't find it funny at all because you scared him half to death. I have to tell Shepard and Liara about this!"

"I believe you can do much better than that, Spectre Williams." Ashley would have sworn Edi grinned as the AI continued, "As soon as I regained functionality, I engaged the cockpit recorder; the entire event was recorded and the vid automatically backed-up at an off-ship location to prevent tampering."

"Edi, if you have any love for me whatsoever, you will delete that recording and its backup!" Jeff's face was amazingly red as he looked back and forth between the newly reanimated mobile platform and Ashley. Seeing no mercy on the horizon, he resorted to begging. "Please!"

"This is soooo perfect." Williams continued to chuckle as she shook her head. "I can't wait to show Shepard. Thanks, Edi; the commander can probably use a good laugh about now!"

Joker collapsed into his chair and laid his head on the control panel, mumbling to himself. "I am so ruined. Shepard will never let me live this one down!"

"Relax, Joker. You know the skipper doesn't hold grudges. Hell, if she did, she would have blasted you out an airlock two years ago to get even for Alchera." Ashley grinned yet again. "Suck it up, Flight Lieutenant, and issue the general recall; I want the crew back on board tonight finishing up the reprogramming and starting resupply in the morning. It's time to let people know the Normandy is back in business!"

Royal London Hospital, Earth, Sol

After dinner, Miranda placed a moratorium on visits so the commander could rest. The day had been exhausting, but Miri had understood Shepard's need to speak with Kahlee Sanders so, much to Sam and Liara's relief, the 'doctor' side of Miranda Lawson refrained from acting on her previous threat to restrict Shepard back to the bed if she overdid it. Both she and Karin felt a quiet evening and a good night's sleep would be sufficient to get the commander back on track and simply stated they'd reserve judgment until the following morning's check-up.

Sitting on the bed with Shepard snuggled into her side, Liara didn't mind the unexpected privacy in the slightest. It sounded positively absurd, but being able to cuddle together quietly, with no danger of a doctor, nurse or visitor walking into the room, and no threats of the galaxy's imminent destruction looming in their future, was a luxury they had never experienced together. Their hands wandered one another's exposed body parts, offering only gentle caresses and subtle gestures of affection as they simply... existed... within the bliss of the link.

It was Shepard who eventually broke the tranquil silence, whispering softly via the link. {You, know, Liara... With the relays opening up again, it's probably time to send all the Broker ships out again... not only the Rakhana for Ori's little test.}

{Yes, we probably should.} With only a light sigh to demonstrate her reluctance to give up their rare personal time to the business at hand, Liara slid her fingers through strands of silken amber hair as she gently stroked Samantha's head. {You know I've already spoken with Miranda about them taking the Aletheia to Thessia to commission a new Broker ship to replace her... I suppose it's time.}

Shepard easily picked up Liara's thoughts on having Judea return to T'Sere Shipwrights with her latest designs, assuming the company had survived the war and that Matriarch Tralis remained the Director of Guild Operations. The T'Sere family had been stalwart allies and extremely loyal partners through the last two centuries, since the inception of their business relationship in 2003. With the war now over, Liara hoped to have Judea evaluate the potential to resume the business arrangement between the two houses. A concerned smile crossed the commander's face as she responded. {And give Judea time to check in on her mother and Matriarch Tralis, yes?}

{Yes.} A light shudder passed through Liara's body, prompting Samantha to pull her a little closer in comfort. {And, being an industrial shipyard, I must admit I fear for the worst.}

{We need to make sure Miri goes with her and doesn't stay here out of some misplaced sense of duty to me. We have each other... and Karin; Judea deserves to have Miranda at her side.}

In response, Liara pushed back and turned her head, placing a chaste kiss on Shepard's lips before smiling. {So thoughtful. One of the reasons I love you, Commander.}

{I try.} Shepard smiled lovingly and returned the kiss with a bit more enthusiasm.

Knowing Samantha needed physical rest, Liara deftly ignored the unspoken request by quickly moving onto the next topic. {What of the Chiroquol? Where do you think we need them?}

{Good question.} Honestly too weary to contest Liara's subtle, but unquestionable, refusal, Shepard rolled away and stretched out flat on her back, interlacing her fingers behind her head and stretching her abdominals as she thought about the state of the galaxy. {We don't have many options yet, with Pranas being the only other relay currently open... and you've already planned to have Kas head that direction with Bau. I think we should hold the Chiroquol here in reserve until Trebia is open again; then, we can send them to find out what's happening on Palaven.}

{That's an excellent idea, Samantha.} The commander's eyes were closed, but she sensed the closeness of Liara's hand as it hovered only a short distance above her stomach, warm and aglow with biotics. Sam let out a quiet hum of contented relief as the energy from Liara's hand soothed her sore muscles and lulled her abdominals into peaceful relaxation. As the irksome, dull ache faded under the Asari's loving care, Sam drifted off to Liara's purring voice. "Rest now, Siame, and we'll continue this discussion in the morning. I love you..." Shepard fell asleep so quickly, she neither heard the end of the sentence nor felt the adoring kiss Liara placed upon her forehead.

The next morning passed quickly as Shepard and Liara finalized plans with Miranda and Karin before issuing the mission orders for both the Aletheia and the Rakhana. Oriana and her crew would depart as planned, later that morning, but Miranda needed a little bit more time to clear her schedule and make arrangements for her remaining patients. Karin agreed to pick up a few of them, but the more difficult, longer-term cases required Miranda to locate certain specialists who could take over treatment, as Karin had to remain free enough to depart whenever the Normandy was ready to go... which they all fully expected to be very soon.

They had decided the Aletheia would return to Thessia and the T'Soni Estate at the end of the month, giving Miranda just over a week to pass off her patient load. Giving consideration to Aethyta, it also gave the T'Soni VIP-1 time to complete its round-robin trip and return with the additional supplies and rations... along with the Matriarch's private berth aboard the ship. All things considered, Miranda did not object to the delay; as much as she recognized Judea's desire to depart as soon as possible, the 'agent' in Lawson hoped that over the course of the week, more relays would open and they would once more have contact with their expanded network of informants scattered throughout the galaxy. She held onto the hope she would be able to track down information on the woman who walked into the room shortly after they finished up... Angelique Warren. With little more than a polite nod, Miranda quietly took her leave as the daily therapy session began.

Normandy SR-2, Alliance Headquarters, London

The shuttle flight from Farnborough Field had been an annoying one for Major Andreas Falk – too short to make getting truly comfortable worth the effort, yet long enough for him to begin to regret not making the attempt anyway. He heard the pilot call the field controller for landing clearance; once received, he had pushed the craft into a tight, rapidly descending turn that not even the best inertial dampeners could completely mitigate. The pilot expertly chopped power to the belly thrusters the instant before the craft touched the landing pad; the slight jolt of contact was immediately followed by the hatches on both sides of the main compartment opening to reveal filtered sunshine of a new morning in London.

The major grabbed his pack and stepped out onto the concrete pad, its surface cracked and scored from the multitude of craft that had operated from here, as well as the sheer number of pitched battles between Alliance forces and the Reaper creatures Hell-bent on destroying anything and everything made by civilized man. Looking around to get his bearings, he spotted the graceful shape of a large frigate, its four engines seemingly out of proportion to the slender main hull. As he started walking towards the craft, he became aware of the number of people working around the mid-section and quickly realized they were loading supplies and equipment into the ship through what could only be a hanger bay.

Approaching the nose of the ship, Falk came upon two Marines standing guard near the port side airlock hatch; the pair snapped to attention and saluted at his approach. He returned their salute as he said, "Major Andreas Falk. I have an appointment with Lieutenant Commander Williams."

They all dropped their salutes and the senior member of the two replied, "Of course, Sir. Spectre Williams is expecting you." He opened his omnitool and scanned the man standing before him. Apparently satisfied, he made an entry and smiled, his hand moving to indicate the major could proceed. "Welcome aboard the Normandy, Sir. An ensign will meet you just inside the airlock."

"Thanks, Sergeant." Falk was increasingly impressed with the sheer size of the ship as he paused at the entry hatch; it seemed extraordinarily long for a frigate. A young woman in a crisp uniform greeted him as he passed through the entryway. "Major Falk? I'm Ensign Burke… Amber Burke... at your service, Sir. If you will follow me, the commander is in the CIC." The ensign turned and led the way through the tactical passageway, where a number of technicians sat working in front of glowing monitors. As if sensing Falk's question, Burke half turned to say, "We're completing systems maintenance… These technicians are re-entering programming for the various autonomous functions of the ship; a lot of our systems were compromised by the red wave that ended the Reapers."

As they stepped down into the CIC level of deck two, Burke moved to the starboard side of the inactive galaxy map projection-well; a specialist was standing on the platform at the rear, inputting code using a haptic interface. Ashley Williams was standing on the main level, splitting her attention between a datapad in her left hand and the interface right at the corner of the railings; she looked up before Burke was within ten paces. Using her fingers, she combed back the few strands of hair that had escaped from behind her ear as a smile erupted on her face.

Burke moved outboard as she came to a halt and announced, "Commander… Major Falk is here to see you, Ma'am."

Falk walked past his escort, extending his hand as he stopped in front of Ashley, a grin plastered on his face as well. "Commander. Pleasure to see you again."

Williams shook his hand, responding with, "Major, you're a sight for sore eyes." Logging out of the interface in front of her, she continued, "Glad you took me up on my offer... As you can see, we're rather busy returning the Normandy to flight-ready status. Excuse me for a moment." Looking over at the hard-working specialist beside her, she spoke a bit louder in order to catch the woman's attention. "Hey, Traynor. After a quick tour, I'm taking the Major ashore for some lunch... followed by a trip to the hospital to visit Commander Shepard and Dr T'Soni. Please inform Edi I'll be gone for a few hours, but I'll be on comm if something unexpected comes up."

"Aye-aye, Ma'am," came the reply.

Smiling at Falk, she said, "I promised you a tour, Major…" Indicating the hatch to the rear, she said, "Right this way."

Major Falk's tour of the Normandy had taken longer than he'd expected, not that he would have ever complained; in the company of Lieutenant Commander Ashley Williams, the tour had taken nearly an hour. The major was now keenly aware of the pride Williams held for both the ship and the Normandy's crew. As the massive door sections retreated into the bulkheads and they stepped out of the elevator onto the hanger deck, Falk was saying, "This ship is as impressive on the inside as it appears on the outside, Commander. It's hard to believe it was constructed by Cerberus just so Commander Shepard could chase down the Collectors."

Williams' voice took on a touch of sadness. "The Illusive Man poured billions of credits into the construction of this ship… and billions more into reconstructing Shepard, nearly from scratch. After all the run-ins we had with Cerberus in 2183, it hurt her terribly when I met her on Horizon and accused her of disloyalty." Ashley was silent as they dodged the occasional crate being loaded aboard while they walked to the front of the hanger bay.

"That's a lot of money to simply walk away from. Certainly she had to understand why you felt the way you did?" Falk was getting ready to say more when Ashley looked at him and smiled.

"Fortunately for me, the commander doesn't hold grudges and she eventually forgave me for that… betrayal. At the time, I just couldn't see past all the ugliness that defined Cerberus, and felt as if she had accepted them as truly caring about humanity."

"I don't blame you for not trusting Cerberus; they've been involved in some pretty extreme shit." Falk frowned as he continued, "It was big news when word of Bahak hit the streets, but the brass had to agree with why she did it... I can't believe they arrested her for it after the Collectors were destroyed. Bunch of ungrateful bastards."

"You have the advantage of Anderson's take on events... most people don't know the Reapers were already in the galaxy when that happened. And, she wasn't arrested, per se... She was forced to turn herself in to appease the damned Batarians and keep 'em off our backs while we prepared for the war. The four-eyed bastards wanted her on Khar'shan so they could put her on trial for genocide so, in reality, it was more a case of protective custody than anything else… not that we let the Batarians know that. Even so, after everything that happened, most of the Alliance brass couldn't decide what to make of her story; most were in denial... they didn't believe her until it was almost too late. She was forced to endure nearly six months of that bullshit while the defense committee…"

Refusing to speak ill of the dead, Ashley abruptly stopped talking. Falk could see the muscles in her jaw tense with effort as she clamped her mouth tightly shut for a few seconds before she shook her head in remorse and told him what she knew of the attack on Vancouver. Once the tale was finished, a pensive smile crossed her lips. "It was Admiral Anderson who returned her tags; did he ever tell you that? He threw the dog tags across the gap to Shepard, informed her she was promoted to Commander, and told her to get the Normandy the Hell away from Earth. He never hesitated... simply flat-out refused to board the only military ship leaving the planet. He remained behind solely to focus on organizing the resistance, telling us he wanted to make sure there was an Earth to come back to."

"I knew he stayed, but this is the first I've heard of how he and Shepard escaped the destruction of the headquarters." Falk shook his own head in partial disbelief as he and Williams reached the bottom of the hanger bay ramp. Looking around at all the hustle and bustle on the docks, he could almost believe that the broken buildings and roads in the distance, the smoky haze in the air, were all a mirage. "The man lived through the entire war, traveled to London, fought Reaper spawn better than any grunt I've ever seen…" Falk's grief was almost palpable as he finished, "… to die so damned close to the finish line…"

Ashley touched his elbow. "Come on, let me buy you lunch. Maybe we can exchange a few war stories that don't involve the deaths of our friends."

The major wiped his mouth as he swallowed the last bit of blackberry cobbler, after pounding down enough food to suggest he had a hollow leg. "Mmmpphhh. Can't remember the last time I had a meal that grand!" Looking across the table at Ashley, he added, "Having you for company just makes it that much better, Commander."

Ashley could feel the blush beginning to crawl up her neck; in an effort to hide her feelings of embarrassment, she picked up her glass of water and held it against her lips, pretending to sip the cold liquid as she watched him over the rim. Feeling sure of herself once again, she set the glass down and replied, "Thank you, but I sincerely believe you could have eaten all that without my presence… and probably been done and gone by now."

Falk gave her a cheeky grin, which turned into a genuine smile. "You told me about a number of your missions with Shepard after you became a Spectre, but what about before. You were on the ship during the hunt for… What was that Turian's name?… Saren?"

The expression on Ashley's face changed. It wasn't sadness, or regret – just a mix of things brought on by memories of that time. "I spent most of that campaign as a Marine Gunnery Sergeant... and I was resigned to the reality of never advancing any further in rank."

"Really? Why ever not?" Falk's brow knit in consternation.

What's that in his voice? A hint of outrage, perhaps? "Shanxi." Even so long after the event, Ashley still had to work at not spitting the word from her mouth.

"Shanxi… What's that, a colony? What does that have to…?" He trailed off as memories of that not-so-distant time came to the fore… a Human colony, besieged from orbit by the Turians. The colonists and soldiers were starving, so the garrison commander surrendered in order to save his people… a general…

Suddenly the pieces fell together in Falk's mind and he nodded in grudging understanding. "The commander was General Williams; a relative I assume. A close one?"

"Yes… My grandfather." Ashley answered him in a sad voice. "The only Human commander to ever surrender to an alien force. It ruined his career – no charges were ever brought against him but he was drummed out of the military and, unfortunately, the Williams' name was tainted as well. Until I met Anderson and Shepard, I could never get a posting in the Fleet – I was always relegated to remote ground force garrisons out in the colonies. After I was assigned to the SSV Normandy, Shepard worked her ass off to get me transferred into the Navy as a Lieutenant; I received my commission right after our mission on Noveria, where…" Ashley stopped. Swallowing hard, she continued in a much subdued voice, "Happiest day of my life occurred on one of the saddest days of Liara T'Soni's."

Falk said nothing… simply waited patiently for her to continue. When she did, she jumped to another subject altogether. "You ready to go? I still want to swing by the hospital to visit Shepard and Liara before we head back to the ship. I can't wait to introduce you to them."

It was obvious she didn't care to continue their previous discussion so, not knowing Ashley well enough yet to even think about pressing the issue, Falk simply smiled reassuringly and stood from the table. "Lead the way, Commander."

Destiny Ascension, Earth Orbit, Sol

Garrus Vakarian stepped out of the shuttle on board the Destiny Ascension and walked quickly to the main entrance that led to the interior of the massive vessel. When the door segments moved up and aside, he was met by an Asari Commando who introduced herself as his guide while on board the ship. "I'm here to meet with the Primarch and the Turian councilor. Would you be so kind as to show me to the councilor's office?"

"Of course, Agent Vakarian; they are expecting you. Please follow me."

As they set off through a maze of passageways, Garrus thought, With any luck, I'll be able to say hello to Desis while I'm here. Wish there was more time… He thought back to the first time he had seen her at work... shortly after the Cerberus coup attempt on the Citadel.

Knowing he had to spend a bit more time with the Primarch to finalize a few issues before they parted ways, Garrus had felt compelled to accompany Victus as he attended several meetings... at least until personnel were recalled to the Normandy in preparation for departure. The first appointment, with Commander Bailey, had consisted of roughly a half-hour of discussing security shortfalls revealed by the Cerberus attack, as well as finalizing arrangements to keep Donnel Udina secure for trial. Yeah, the second half of that conversation turned out to be as worthless as a sack of Pyjak shit.

The Primarch's second appointment was with Councilor Quentius; Victus had decided that pulling the Turian fighter squadron to prevent the loss of the Krogan home world to Reaper forces had left the Citadel vulnerable; his and Shepard's gamble had nearly cost them control of the station... and the lives of the Councilors. As such, he felt obligated to provide forces to backfill the deficit they had knowingly created in the Widow System in order to save Tuchanka.

When the Councilor's assistant informed Quentius of the Primarch's arrival for the scheduled meeting, her distinctive flanging sub-harmonics had immediately grabbed Garrus' full attention. He usually didn't notice Turian females while he was working, but he had reason to notice this one. After ushering the Primarch into Quentius' office, the female quickly busied herself at her desk again, simply ignoring the big Turian who remained in the room... until he walked up and laid his hand on her desk. "Desis, isn't it?"

Her head had snapped up and, for the first time since their arrival, her eyes truly focused on the Primarch's attendant. Garrus felt she was absolutely stunning. Surely, he had thought, she must have males lined up, all hoping for a chance to spend an evening in her presence. The thought of her with other males somehow made him a bit jealous. He watched as her eyes darted to the councilor's door and back again quickly.

"Garrus! I thought you worked with Commander Shepard? How is it you are now the Primarch's escort?"

Garrus remembered chuckling softly as he had answered her, seemingly a lifetime ago. "I work for both of them. I've worked with Shepard since the hunt for Sovereign and Saren... once we defeated the Collectors and she returned to Earth... Well, that's when I became General Victus' tactical advisor on the Reapers." Garrus had huffed and shook his head in amazement at all that had transpired in such a short period of time. "When Shepard showed up on Menae and we ended up on the Normandy, Victus immediately assigned me to be his chief Liaison Agent to Spectre Shepard... and to the Alliance by default."

Now, Garrus felt him and Dee being together was a sure thing... but, back then, he never thought he'd have even a chance at a second date without Shepard shoving them together... so, he had been extremely surprised by her next words. "Is the Normandy staying in port this evening? I'd love to have dinner with you... That is, if you'd be available?"

As Victus came out of the councilor's office, Garrus had taken a deep breath and gathered himself, watching the young female for her reaction as he answered, "As much as I'd like that, we have pressing business and will be leaving as soon as everyone is back aboard."

She had stood up, but kept her eyes downcast in an attempt to hide her disappointment as Victus passed. As the Primarch exited the office, the female turned her gaze once more upon the yet remaining Turian agent, as if attempting to commit his features to memory. It gave Garrus the oddest feeling and he shivered slightly at the thought as he turned to follow the Primarch to wherever the next meeting was. Her voice had been low, but he had heard her words clearly before the doorway closed behind him. "We'll meet again, Garrus Vakarian. I guarantee it."

His attention was brought back to the present when the commando who was leading him through the maze of corridors suddenly paused and opened the doorway on the starboard side of the passage. Garrus smiled and thanked her for the escort as he glanced in to see Desis sitting at the reception desk, typing away. "Thank you, very much. Doubt I would have found the place without your assistance."

The Asari bowed slightly and gave an answering smile. "It is my pleasure, Agent Vakarian. Enjoy your stay aboard the Destiny Ascension and I will be here to guide you back to your shuttle when you are ready to depart." The commando slid gracefully to the side as Garrus said his final thanks and stepped quickly into the Councilor's offices. He heard the door close softly behind him but did not look back... his eyes remaining focused completely on the female Turian now within his reach.

Royal London Hospital, Earth, Sol

A quiet knock on the door preceded Riana poking her head in to announce another pair of visitors – Spectre Williams and a major from one of the Earth-based militaries. Shepard and Liara, just finishing their lunch together, were both curious about Ashley's companion – an officer with sandy-colored hair, blue-grey eyes, square jaw, solid build – wondering how and when they had met.

As the pair stood from their seats at the table, Ashley approached them quickly and stopped beside Liara to introduce her colleague. "Liara… Shepard… This is Major Andreas Falk. Major, Commander Samantha Shepard… and Doctor Liara T'Soni." As Falk clasped hands with both, Williams noted the question in their eyes and shrugged, adding, "I couldn't sit still, so went on a few aid missions while the Normandy was down. The major is in charge of relief deliveries running through Farnborough Field."

"Please. Sit and join us." Shepard could sense Ashley was a bit smitten with him, so decided to postpone teasing her until she could see how things played out. They all sat as Shepard continued speaking. "Pleasure to meet you, Major. Being on the outskirts of London, I expect you saw quite a lot of action during the war."

"I did, Commander, but nothing like what I've heard you endured." He added, "I was in charge of the southeast resistance quadrant – part of Admiral Anderson's command, playing cat'n'mouse with Reaper spawn." With a quick look at Ashley, he said, "I understand you took a glancing blow from a Reaper's prime weapon during the final assault… I can't even begin to imagine how that must have felt."

Shepard's heart constricted in her chest at the mention of Anderson and a blue hand shifted quickly to land on her forearm in comfort. Liara's eyes darted in warning to Ashley, who quickly got the hint as she watched the commander's eyes mist over a bit. "Ah, shit." Williams shook her head and looked apologetically from Shepard over to Falk. "I should have thought to tell you the Admiral was like an uncle to her..."

Williams had given Falk the heads-up that Shepard and Liara were a couple, so the Asari's reaction, including the gesture of loving support, did not surprise him. Ashley's latest declaration, however, was an unexpected revelation so he muttered, "Damnation," under his breath and looked stricken as his gaze returned to Shepard. "Terribly sorry for your loss, Commander." At a temporary loss for words, he paused and looked down at the table for a brief moment before squaring his shoulders and meeting her eyes once more, soldier to soldier. "He was a great man and he'll be missed by everyone who knew him; he did us all proud."

"Yes, he did." Shepard took a deep breath and let it out slowly before continuing, her eyes narrowing in angry recollection. "Harbinger was indiscriminately raking the field all around the beam, simply targeting movement. It had the audacity to taunt us… 'YOU HAVE FAILED.' It's the last thing I recall before I was hit. When I regained consciousness, Harbinger and the others were gone." She growled out, "The arrogant bastards were so confident that every member of Hammer was either incapacitated or dead, they had returned to orbit to finish destroying the fleets."

Falk was impressed. "Bloody Hell! I've heard not even dreadnaughts are impervious to that thing, Ma'am!"

Shepard's chuckle was without mirth. "I'm certainly not volunteering for some squinty-eyed Alliance scientist to run experiments in an attempt to discover how I survived being hit by the damned thing. All I know is it penetrated my barriers and shields to vaporize all the weapons docked on my back, along with most of my armor plate, much of my Vanguard mesh, and the then-exposed left sleeve of my supposedly fireproof compression shirt… That it had to burn through all those layers is probably the only reason I'm still alive."

Her memories returned to the dash across the final battlefield... and the Admiral. Her free hand moved to settle atop the blue one still resting on her forearm and the commander's voice shifted to a more solemn tone as she continued, "Once we started the run across that damned kill-zone, I didn't see Anderson again until we were both at the Crucible Control station. He had apparently followed me into the beam, but we landed in different places... He made his way to the panel faster than I did."

Her eyes moved to Riana who, with a man she did not know in the room, had remained at the door to watch over them. Indicating the Asari Vanguard with a small movement of her chin, Shepard continued, "Riana followed as well, but each of us was deposited at a different spot on the Citadel. The beam must have somehow rotated drop points to keep any one intake location from getting overwhelmed by the damned harvest." Shepard's visage lightened as her mind skipped forward in time and she smiled at the First. "If it hadn't been for her, I wouldn't have made it off the Citadel; she saved my ass."

Riana blushed lightly and bowed her head reverently. "It was an honor and my privilege, Nara."

"I'll be damned." Falk's eyes were wide with wonder and his voice pitched with awe. "The entire Normandy truly is manned by a collection of heroes, isn't she?" He chuckled and shook his head. "I'm not sure I'm worthy of even standing in the same room!"

At that, Liara laughed. "Nonsense, Major. It took everyone to win the war against the Reapers... and don't feel alone; we all often wonder the exact same thing." Her eyes shifted lovingly to the woman beside her. "The commander has a talent for collecting the most unusual of crewmembers, who always seem to perform well beyond expectations under her leadership."

With the change of tone in the conversation, Shepard leaned back in her chair and relaxed, taking a deep breath that surprised her by turning into a yawn. Ashley grinned at her and, deciding it was time they departed, touched Major Falk on the elbow to get his attention as she said in a low voice, "We really should be going… I need to get back to the ship and you need to catch a flight back to Farnborough…"

Falk responded, "Yes, of course. It is getting late. Commander…" he continued as he stood and reached across the table to clasp her hand, "Please, don't get up on my account. It's been a real pleasure meeting you." Turning towards Liara, he added, "And you as well, Dr T'Soni. I wish you both well in the days ahead... with a speedy and full recovery."

Once Falk had said his farewells, Ashley stepped around the table to lean over and hug Shepard, whispering, "See you soon… Still expect your ass back on the Normandy, Skipper; sooner rather than later." Turning to Liara, she winked as her lips turned up into a light smirk. "Catch you on the flip side, T'Soni. Take good care of her for us."

As Liara smiled back and answered, "I intend to, Ashley. Thank you for stopping by," Ashley turned, hooked a hand in the crook of Falk's elbow and quickly steered him out the door.

Shepard cocked an eyebrow and looked to Liara, who was studying the departing pair with rapt attention. "You see it too, don't you?"

Liara responded distractedly as she watched until the door closed behind them, hiding Ashley and Major Falk from view. "See what, Sam?"

Shepard chuckled softly as Liara finally turned back when she had nothing left to stare at but a closed door. "Don't play coy with me, T'Soni. You know damned well what I'm talking about. There's a spark in Ashley's eyes I don't believe I've ever seen. She likes him."

"Well, I have seen that look before." Liara's lips held a mischievous grin and her eyes flashed in challenge.

"When? Where?" Shepard's brow knit as she searched her memory for any indication Ashley had ever focused on a man other than one she was preparing to kill. "With who?"

Liara leaned over and placed a teasing kiss on the commander's mouth, her tongue tracing Shepard's lower lip only once before she pulled back and focused her intense blue-eyed gaze on Shepard's eyes. "Every day. Right there... in those emerald green eyes that light up every time I enter the same room. I know the look very well, Samantha, and yes... Ashley most definitely likes Andreas Falk."

"Gods, Liara." Shepard's eyes swam with intense emotion and she swallowed the lump that formed in her throat before answering in a choked voice, "Tá tú álainn sin... How can I not look at you in amazement whenever you grace me with your presence? You're beautiful, talented... courageous." She paused and smiled as she continued, "And I'm the luckiest person in the galaxy, simply knowing you chose to fall in love with me."

"Oh, Shepard." Liara's words were whispered as she leaned forward and touched their foreheads together, letting out a happy hum. "I love you so very much and I count my blessings every day... that we survived the war and have our 'every day after' that you spoke of at the Citadel apartment."

The mention of the apartment was like having a bucket of cold water thrown on her and Shepard let out a discontented sigh and pushed back, gently caressing Liara's face one more time before dropping her hands to her lap. "I know you remember my damned journal... but do you remember telling me to write names in it after Thessia? That you'd rather have me write them down than leave them in my head to torment me?"

"Of course I remember." Liara's expression clouded. "Please do not tell me you want me to retrieve your journal from the Normandy for you?"

Shepard actually smiled as she answered, "No, Blue. I am truly done with that... but the whole mission on the Citadel? I need to get it out of my head. It's time to write that damned mission report for Hackett."

Relief and trepidation warred in Liara's mind for only a moment before she realized she didn't honestly have a choice; she needed to help Shepard write the report. "Shall we climb onto the bed and write it together? Like after Aratoht?"

"I'd like that, Blue." Shepard stood carefully and held out a hand in invitation to Liara to join her. "Nizia was right; I need you to help me. We've always been better together, as a team."

Liara rose with a quick nod of her head. "Yes, we have... and that's not going to change now."

Shepard grabbed a datapad and they slipped onto the bed, side-by-side, and started to write. Between the two of them, Shepard and Liara filled out the Citadel mission report relatively quickly. Other than a short nap followed by dinner, they worked steadily through the evening; Shepard had been correct in her assessment that it was time to get it out of her head and the words flowed freely. She had run it through her mind so many times and discussed it with enough of her friends and loved ones that the events no longer held her an emotional prisoner.

In the actual report, they withheld all of Shepard's personal feelings and thoughts of Liara that had provided the bulk of her motivation to keep moving, simply reporting on the commander's actions and the chain of events leading to, first, Admiral David Anderson's demise, second, the death of the Illusive Man at the hand of Maya Brooks, and third, the activation of the Crucible with the vital assistance of Asari Vanguard Riana Iregos. Liara occasionally took over the typing, but it mattered not whose fingers moved across the haptic interface; the words traveled freely between them via the link and made their way into the report with ease.

The task was not necessarily an enjoyable one, but the twosome found some semblance of comfort in the process, their minds syncing and enjoying a satisfying togetherness that buoyed their united spirit as they worked. Once the report was completed, they dropped the datapad on the small, side table and cuddled together on the bed - again, rather reminiscent of Aratoht - but in a much better frame of mind than either of them had been after the horrifying destruction of the entire system of Bahak. The final destruction of the Reapers was a much more satisfactory result and most definitely a cause for celebration.