a/n: Good news. I have several chapters done. Bad news. They are on paper and need to be transposed and my handwriting is horrible. It's really tragic. Good news. I'm on vacation and have time to transpose them. Bad news. The chapters are missing dialog I have to find on youtube.

In other news. I've been wondering off with the story. Writing pieces here and there that goes in the next book or after. I need prompts though. Something I can write without needing to check the youtube or my timeline. Things you guys want to see, either from the past or the future. Message or review your ideas. I'd love to hear them.

-brittsis

She should have let it be, moved on. Two years and her death were too big of a gap to cross. Too much time stood between them now. Then there was her guilt. It crushed her beneath its weight. She lay awake at night, wondering if she'd done the right thing. Liara knew Raegan's feelings towards Cerberus. They were a corrupt organization that used the innocents Raegan held so revered. And yet, knowing that, Liara had turned the woman's body over to them.

Liara told herself that she did it for the galaxy. The reapers were coming and they had no hope without her. Raegan had been the only one to communicate with them. She was the only one that head the prothean's warning and rose to the cause. She rallied the troops and led the charge. Raegan had something, an air of sorts that pushed people to trust her. She was a leader that demanded respect and earned it whole heartedly. The upcoming war would be lost without her. And it was all a lie.

The decision had been purely selfish. It was Liara that would be lost without the woman. Their time together had been too short and Liara felt cheated. She crumbled without Raegan. She needed more and went to extreme length to get it. And now she was being punished.

When Liara learned that the Normandy was in orbit she reacted emotionally. She arranged to pay for the ships docking fees. She set an account up to have the restocking and fueling fees billed to her and cut all the red tape. Then she left a message. Liara asked for Raegan to see her. That had been hours ago.

Could Miranda have told Raegan where they got her body? Could she have told her of Liara's betrayal? Her gut twisted and Liara gripped the back of her chair. She had to prepare herself for the worst.

"Doctor, you have a visitor." Nyxeris's voice interrupted her thoughts.

Liara pushed the fear away, taking a deep breath. She sank into her chair and put her business face on. "Let them in Nyxeris and hold my calls."

The door slid open and Garrus walked in. Liara's breath caught as he walked closer. An entire side of his face was covered in bandages, his mandible severely damaged. She could only imagine to the cause and it pained her to see it. "Garrus…"

He grinned at her as he walked closer. "Liara, it's good to see you."

"Oh Garrus," She rose to her feet and walked over to him. "What trouble have you gotten yourself into now?"

Garrus gave her a brief hug before speaking. "I'm with Shepard. You know the places she takes us."

Liara felt a chill crawl over her skin at the mention of her name. "You've seen her?"

He nodded, "She's in the city, doing a quick mission for one of the crew. Come to the Normandy with me. We can wait for her to return."

Liara shook her head, turning away. Guilt settled in again and made her sick. Raegan had ignored her request, she had to know. "I can't Garrus. I have… I have obligations."

He frowned, eyes narrowing. "It's not the same without you, Liara. She's not the same without you."

She hesitated, feeling the hope blossom. "She has others now. New crew that is more than capable to assist her. Garrus, I was barely firefight qualified. I'd only be a distraction."

"That's not what I'm talking about." Garrus growled.

Liara sighed and hardened herself. She turned back to him, "I'm not needed on the Normandy. I'm needed here. I've got work, promises to keep. I can't just drop it all."

Garrus clenched his fists, considering dragging her out of the office and forcing her to come aboard. He considered taking Liara and showing her just how bad Shepard needed her. Instead he only nodded and turned to leave. He stopped at the door way for just a moment. "She's not the same. Something broke inside her and I'm trying like hell to help her. I pray to the Spirits that I can because no one else seems to want to."

Liara watched him leave, keeping her mask on just long enough. The door closed and her knees weakened. She fell to the ground and cried, mourning for the loss. Raegan didn't want her and she wasn't strong enough to face her. Pressing her fingers to her chest, Liara tried to hold it together and knew she was failing.

"Damn it!" Miranda cursed as a gunship flew by. "Eclipse mercenary gunships, they'll be dropping troops in the cargo areas."

Rae frowned as she watched the ships fly off. This mission was becoming more and more difficult as time went. Every second something else came up and she didn't like it. "Put us down in that cover behind them."

Miranda nodded, "Let's hope they really do want to take us in alive."

They flew in closer and the mercs opened fire. Rae cursed and felt her body tense. She hated this part. They were open and there was nothing she could do. Until they hit dirt, she was useless. Miranda did her best, angling so that they could see who they were shooting at. It worked as the gunfire stopped but the damage was already done. They landed hard and skidded to a stop. Rae threw her door open and jumped out, her hand going for her gun.

Miranda got out, followed by Jacob, and held her hand out. Rae nodded and let her hand fall, walking behind the woman. Miranda put her best smile on and turned to the leader. "Since you're not firing yet, I trust you know who I am."

The leader strutted over, his guard behind him. "Yeah, they said you'd be in the car. You're the bitch that kidnapped out boss' little girl."

"Kidnapped?" Miranda exclaimed. "This doesn't involve you. I suggest you take your men and go."

He frowned. "You think you got it all lined up, huh? Captain Enyala is already moving in on the kid. She knows about Niket. He won't be helping you."

Rae stepped forward and crossed her arms. "You're not getting Miranda's sister. If you push this it will go badly for you."

The man turned to her and grinned. "Captain Enyala ordered us to give you one chance to walk away. But this whole time we've been talking, my men have been lining up shoots. When I say the word, we unleash hell on your squad. So I suggest you walk away nicely, unless you want this to get ugly."

Rae sighed and dropped her arms. She looked behind him, confirming his words. But she also spotted something else. She glanced at Miranda who gave the briefest of nods. Rae grabbed the leaders head and twisted quickly, breaking his neck. Pulling out her side arm, she fired on the lift and dropped a fuel tank on the snipers. The fight didn't last long after that.

They cleaned up the remaining mercs with ease and stepped into the elevator. Miranda sighed and rubbed her head. "I'm a bit worried about what the merc said. If they got to Niket somehow, this is going to be harder than I'd planned."

"I hope your friend can be trusted." Rae replied, causing Miranda to frown.

She shook her head. "I can trust him. Niket is one of my oldest friends. I guess you can say he's my only real friend. He's the only person I didn't cut ties with when I left my father."

"Then I believe you. Let's go find Niket and Oriana."

They were in the middle of a fight when they heard the news. Niket was a mole and had turned against them. She tried to talk to Miranda but the woman wouldn't hear it. She believed in the man completely and wouldn't suffer word against him. Instead she brooded and stared at the floor indicator. The door opened and they walked out.

Niket went pale at the sight of them. "Miri?"

The Eclipse sister stood from her perch and grinned. "This should be fun."

She pulled out her shotgun and Rae followed suit. Jacob and Miranda both on shipped their weapons and flanked her. Miranda frowned, her voice dropping a few pitches in anger. "Niket, you sold me out. Why, Niket? You were my friend. You helped me get away from my father."

He held up his hands in surrender. "Yes! Because you wanted to leave. That was your choice. But if I'd known that you'd stolen a baby…"

"I didn't steal her!" Miranda interrupted. "I rescued her!"

Niket shook his head. "From a life of wealth and happiness? You weren't saving her; you were getting back at your father!"

Rae felt her eyebrow twitch at the revelation. It didn't change anything but Rae hated being lied to and having information withheld. The fact that Oriana had been a child when Miranda took her explained a lot. But there were still questions that needed answers. "How did Miranda's father turn you?"

"They told me she kidnapped her baby sister all those years ago. They said I could help get her back peacefully, lessen the trauma to the family." He explained and turned back to Miranda. "I'd told them you'd never do that. That they could go to hell. Then you finally told me what you'd done. I called them back that night."

"Why didn't you call me, Niket? We've been through a lot. You could've at least let me explain." Miranda pleaded.

Niket frowned and shook his head. "I deserved to know that you'd stolen your sister, Miri. I deserved to know you were with Cerberus. But I had to hear it from your father first."

"How much did her father pay you?" Rae asked.

"A great deal."

"Damn it, Niket! You were the only one I trusted from that life."

He nodded, "He knew you felt that way. That's why he bought me."

Miranda clenched her first as shame and despair flooded her. "So you just took his money."

Fury flashed through his face as he spat out, "Don't get holy with me, Miri. You took his money for years."

Silence reigned for a few minutes as the argument drew to a close. Rae let his words sink in before speaking up. "If Niket knows about Oriana, then you father does too. Relocating her won't work."

Niket shook his head, "Miranda's father has no information about Oriana. I knew you had spy programs in your father's system, Miri, so I kept it private. I'm the only one who knows."

"Which means that you're the only loose end," Miranda sighed. "This isn't how I wanted it to end, Niket. I'm going to miss you…"

She pulled the trigger, killing him with one shot. Miranda watched him fall before closing her eyes. "… figuratively speaking."

Enyala grinned, "I was tired of talking anyway."

Her biotics lit up but so did Miranda's. She threw a throw with a growl. "So was I."

They emerged at the docking bays. Civilians crowded the area, complaining about the delay of departures. Miranda looked around and sighed in relief. "No sign of Eclipse. It looks like we're clear."

Rae nodded as she raised her flask to her lips. "When everything's done, you and I need to talk."

"Of course, Shepard." Miranda did another sweep and her breath caught. "There she is. She's safe… with her family."

She watched her for a few moments before turning to leave. "Come on, we should go."

Rae frowned, "Don't you even want to say hello?"

Miranda shook her head. "It's not about what I want. It's about what's right for her. The less she knows about me the better. She's got a family. A life. I'll just complicate that for her."

Rae sighed and turned Miranda back around. "She doesn't need any details, but would it really be so bad for her to know she has a sister who loves her?"

"No but…"

Rae interrupted her. "Look, I lost my family. They were taken from me and I miss them. There were things that I wanted and needed to say to them but I can't. So much was left unsaid and you don't want to live with that. Go. Talk to her, we'll wait here."

"Shepard…" Miranda felt something inside her tug at the pain in the woman's eyes.

"Just go before I get mad." Rae pushed her away and took a long drink from her flask. The words had brought too much to the surface and she needed to dull it. She watched Miranda cross the room as her own heart ached.

Jacob stepped beside her and sighed. "Do you always know the right thing to say?"

"Not always, but I try."