A/N: New update: As expected, I didn't get much time to write much this week because of my job. I still have a lot of ideas, however, and I'm going to try and write as much as I can on my free time. I am hoping that I'll be able to post the next chapter in a week.

I hope you will like this one, which is a it longer than the others.

Thank you for your reviews, they're always appreciated.

Please don't forget to let me know what you think!

Chapter 24

Liara watched with a smile tugging at her lips the human from a reasonable distance, lost in a crowd of faceless people. The human had a devastating grin splattered on her face and she tucked her hands in her pockets casually. Liara refused to blink not to miss a second of the magical scenery. She was drawn to her like a fly to sugar. She made sure to remain unnoticed but part of her wanted to get closer. She knew it was dangerous to, because despite the shiny white uniform she was wearing, her soul was black as a raven. If she took a step forward she would trapped in her sticky nets and there was no way she'd be able to escape. Her head felt a little fuzzy and her thoughts confused. Her eyes wandered around despite her irrepressible attraction for the human standing in the middle of the room who obviously claimed her desire for attention. All she could see was a cloud of blended colors, a blurry mess of red and blue and green, all of them twirling around the room so fast it made her dizzy. She focused back on the human, the bright star that detached itself from everything else. Liara anchored her eyes on the blue flower tucked in her front pocket. She was sure she had seen this flower before but she simply couldn't remember where or when. She felt a pressure on her arm and she pushed the person standing beside her with an annoyed huff. Her fingers met no resistance and when she turned her head she only saw a fog of a dull yellow color. Somehow, she didn't find it all that strange and went back to look at the human, drinking her image until she could get anymore.

She stared at her for what seemed to be an eternity. She took her time to detail everything, learn every little piece that made this perfect sight with the hope that she would remember enough of them to relish the memory when this moment would be over. As she tried to decompose every element of the pale face, she was suddenly struck by a jolt of electricity that burned through her limbs. Her eyes met hers. It was too late. The human had seen her. Liara froze and found herself unable to move. She simply waited for a reaction from the human, so focused on the light grey irises that she didn't even realize the tall figure dressed in white was walking towards her. All of it was so hard to process. Moments ago there were hundreds of people around her and now there was only her and that pair of eyes. Everyone else had ceased to exist and had faded away until only the room, the human and herself remained. They were all alone in this white empty room. No one to watch. No one to ruin the intimacy of the moment. No one to intrude their privacy. Also no one to protect her from the human, Liara realized. When the human came so close to her that she could almost touch her, Liara blinked and regained the control of her body. She stopped breathing when she noticed the bright smile spread on the pink lips and without really knowing why, she took the gloved hand that was offered. Charming. Monster. Liara knew she had touched the devil. She knew it would be all the more difficult to survive now that it had taken a grasp on her.

And yet Liara smiled back at the human as if she were an angel and let herself be lead to the middle of the room – despite the little left of her conscience screaming to her that she was about to surrender to the devil. The human gave her a reassuring look and put her hands on her waist. Liara felt euphoric and giggled as she crossed her arms behind the neck. Liara was terrified by her behavior but it was as if she wasn't in control of anything anymore. The human had become the master of her heart and mind. It was too late. She buried her face in the crook of her shoulder, brushing her nose against the soft material of the white jacket. She was warm and comfortable with that strong body pressed against hers and she dreaded the moment the human would decide to go. Scared by her last thought, Liara tightened her hold on the human and ran shy fingers through the blond hair before gripping them. She lifted her head a little from the shoulder and brought her mouth near the soft neck, the foreign desire to kiss and nip and lick tugging at her stomach.

Please don't go, she breathed, her lips brushing against the sweet patch of skin.

I will not go, the human whispered softly, trailing her fingers up her sides then down her spine. I will never let you go.

Liara sighed of relief and didn't protest when the human lifted her head up with a finger under her chin. She simply looked at those kind features that concealed so much more than the little it revealed. Liara knew what was under it. Anger, craze, craving. She needed to resist if she wanted to escape unscathed. She watched in silence, her fingers still intertwined in strand of rose-scented hair, as the human closed her eyes and tilted her head on the side. She watched in silence as she felt a surge of fear bubble in her stomach and happy butterflies flapping their wings in her heart. She watched in silence, both terrified and hypnotized by that beautiful face diving toward hers. Goddess how she wanted to resist and refuse the poisonous kiss the human wanted to offer. But she couldn't. She closed the distance and moaned softly when the warm and inviting lips closed around hers. It felt so good and at the same time so wrong. She wanted to run away whereas her mouth sought more of the other. She wanted to stop whereas her hands went to the pink cheeks to draw her closer. It made no sense. She was lost and yet she felt like she had finally found her place. She sighed into the kiss and let the human support her back as she laid her down gently. Soon, she was lying on the floor, the tall figure above her.

At first, Liara didn't feel the fingers groping her sides, growing more feverish as time passed. She was too focused on the kiss, too overwhelmed by the feeling of the burning the body pressed against her, too preoccupied by her desire to do it right. It was only when the human bit her lip and the fingers slid on the side of her breasts that she remembered the human's worst defect. A little light flickered in the back of her mind, reminding her that she didn't want this. It wasn't right. She broke the kiss with a fearful gasp and tried to catch the hands that wanted to touch her.

Let me, the human whispered, her dilated pupils and her ragged breath leaving no doubt on her real intentions.

I don't feel ready, Liara pleaded, horrified to find out her biotics weren't working. Please I'm not ready.

Of course you are, she insisted, biting her glove to take it off. I just want to make you feel good.

The sweet dream was turning into a nightmare. Liara tried to fight, but the human was strong. She did her best to push her away but the more she struggled, the stronger the hold of the pale fingers on her arms became. A hand came to her neck and pressed down, hard enough to keep her still, but not enough to prevent her from breathing. An index slipped in the cleavage of her dress and it rippled with blue tendrils of electricity. The fragile material was ripped to her belly and the human gave the sight a lopsided grin. A sob got caught in Liara's throat as the human, the devil, bent forward and buried her nose between her generous breasts. The human planted soft kisses on the blue skin, the tip of her fingers hovering over the sensitive flesh as if she was savoring the moment. She gave the underside of the right breast an almost bruising nip and quickly trailed her moist tongue over the area to soothe the burning she had caused.

I wouldn't want to break my toy, thehuman smiled, straddling Liara's waist. Don't worry, my sweet. I'll take good care of you.

Please, Liara said weakly as tears ran down her temples. Let me go.

Never, the human growled, clawing her sharp nails into a soft blue shoulder. You're mine. I told you I'd never let you go.

The human laughed, the kind of laugh Liara thought only existed in movies, and got back to her task, tearing what was left of the dress into tatters and inhaling a large puff of the Asari's scent. She let out a satisfied moan and slowly took off her jacket, watching with pride in her eyes the young virgin squirm uneasily under her weight. Liara sobbed in silence as she tried to send her mind wandering elsewhere, anywhere the human wouldn't be. It was hard when all she could feel were the hips rocking languidly against her pelvis and all she could hear was the song the human was humming to herself. She closed her eyes forcefully and prayed to the Goddess things would be alright. In the end, everything she knew was true. The charming human was a monster. The last things she felt were a tickling sensation on her lower belly and a chin against the juncture of her legs as teeth bit into her panties to take them off.

Liara woke up with a start and almost immediately brought a hand to her forehead. There was a loud thudding inside her head and when she looked around everything looked different. Everything was spinning and she had to grab the cover on her bed to steady herself. She spotted the empty bottle of Ryncol and groaned. She knew alcohol has a very strong effect on her and yet she had drunk the full bottle – and rather quickly judging by the time her alarm clock displayed. She massaged her sore neck with her fingers and instantly regretted her decision to straighten up against the headboard. Nausea struck her hard and she had to take a few deep breaths to calm the violent contraction her stomach was fighting against. She would need to ask doctor Chakwas for a remedy, given the mountain of things she still had to do before they would leave the Citadel for their next mission. Carefully and slowly, she sat on the edge of her bed, her foot knocking the empty bottle over. Flashes of her dream came crashing before her eyes and she suppressed a whimper when a pair of white shoes came and went from her range of vision within a fraction of second. She couldn't remember the human's face but it wasn't hard to guess who she'd been dreaming about. She buried her face into her palm and tried to forget about this nightmare but it simply was impossible. A phantom sensation from the dream was still licking at her body and she shivered deeply when she felt fingers tracing her sides and heat spread through her lower belly. Her dreams – the rare she had whenever she needed to purge strong feelings – had the particularity to be extremely vivid and she could spend months or years trying to get rid of an image that had struck her. This time, it wasn't a single image that remained printed in her conscience, but a whole scene. She couldn't quite believe she had actually dreamt of Willis raping her. It was no secret that the Admiral liked sex and that she wasn't interested in Liara for child's play, but Liara was persuaded that Willis would have never ever gone as far as this. She had no control over her dreams, of course, but she felt downright guilty for this one. Her stomach churned again as she replayed the scene in her head, replacing the faceless human with Willis.

It broke her heart that this was the only way she able to see Willis now. The first time she had seen her, she had felt pity. Then she had felt disappointment and anger. Now she felt pity once again. Was that how all the other humans saw her? A woman who would rape them without hesitation because of her obsession? Liara knew there was so much more to this but now she understood better why people felt that way towards her. They were scared of her because they all considered her as a threat. She remembered the sweet beginning of her dream and even came to tug her dry lips into a small smile. Willis smiling, Willis charming, Willis kissing. If only her dream could have ended there… It reminded her of the Willis she had met on the Citadel a few months back and it warmed her insides, just a little. She remembered how shy and unsure the Admiral had looked with her bunch in her hand. Just a woman that had lost her past splendor and looked too small for her usually perfectly fitting uniform. Just a fragile being trying to make up for her mistakes – or things she had done people considered as such. A Willis that was completely different from the human of her dream. Maybe that was the message her heart had tried to send her through her sleep. Maybe she was wrong. Maybe she should have given her a chance because she precisely wasn't the terrible human that had raided the nightmare. And there comes doubt again.

Liara shook her head and rubbed her eyes tiredly. Sometimes she wished her brilliant brain and her caring nature would just shut down for a while. It was exhausting to follow her own trail of thoughts and the hundreds of arguments that seemed to be launched into an endless battle, especially when important decisions were on the agenda. It was exhausting to never know if she should follow her instinct and all the advice her heart gave her or on the contrary listen to the cold and strict reason that always seemed to be the best solution but was always telling her the exact opposite of her feelings. She sighed heavily and stood up, trying to not trip over her feet and let herself fall into her chair. The headache was horrible but the nausea was much worse and she needed some distraction. She turned on her computer and blinked furiously until her sensitive eyes got used to the powerful light of the screen. She sipped some fresh water from a bottle and opened the extranet, fingers hovering over the keyboard as she tried to decide what to do. Working was out of the question and researching things for her personal curiosity would eventually lead her to take a few pages of notes and she wasn't in the mood either. She finally typed Interstellar Gossip into the search bar and clicked on the first link. It was a human magazine she had taken the habit to read whenever possible because it taught her a lot of human idioms and slang and also satisfied her daily need for entertainment. There was nothing interesting but it could be funny, and right now she only wanted to relax.

Liara closed her eyes with a desperate sigh when she saw the headline of the new edition. It read, in big red letter, Admiral Willis spotted with Illegitimate Child on the Presidium. The small article was accompanied with a photograph that showed the Admiral with a baby in her arms and an Asari on her side. Liara knew this kind of news rarely was trustworthy but she had to admit that if it weren't true, it was a very surprising coincidence. She couldn't build the courage to read the full article and closed her browser, leaning back on her chair as fresh tears stung her eyes. She was half-saddened by the new information and half-happy. At least she had no more reason to reject the logical conclusion that Willis truly was not the one she wanted – and needed. She was free after all. She turned everything off and stood up from her chair before heading outside her room. She wasn't much surprised to see the doctor already at work – she usually slept very little and could be found in the med bay very early in the morning when everyone else was still sleeping. Chakwas raised an eyebrow when she saw the young maiden and stopped what she had been doing.

'Liara, can I help you?' she offered gently as Liara crossed the last few feet towards her.

'Do you have something to fight hangovers?' she asked, the headache getting worse because of the harsh light and the words spoken aloud.

'I didn't know you went out last night,' she smiled as she rummaged through her many drawers.

'I didn't. I just… Never mind.'

'Here, take this,' Chakwas said as she gave her a few pills. 'I don't know if you are in the mood to talk, but Shepard is the mess hall if you want some company.'

'Thank you.'

Liara gratefully took the pills from her hand and headed to the mess. Shepard was sitting at a table, sprawled on a chair with a datapad. It was obvious that she hadn't slept much either – she had dark circles under her eyes and kept yawning loudly. Liara smiled and headed to the bar to get a glass of fresh water. She took the meds with a single gulp and prayed the effects would be quick to be felt. She sat opposite Shepard and tucked her chin in her palms, resting her elbows on the table.

'Can't sleep?' Shepard greeted her with a tired smile.

'I had a nightmare,' Liara said with a shrug. 'Rather disturbing. I'm not sure I want to talk about it.'

'Okay. Hey Liara, I, hum… I wanted to apologize for my behavior. You know, when I got angry? I shouldn't have talked to you like that.'

'It's alright Shepard,' she reassured her. 'And you were right anyways. Willis… I think she's not the one for me. I didn't want to believe you at first but… You were right. I think I've finally got over her.'

'Good,' Shepard nodded, throwing her datapad on the table. 'I never meant to forbid you to be with her, you know. But I know things about her and I was scared for you. I just meant to keep you safe. I don't think she's that bad, you see, but I just… I don't trust her with you.'

'I don't quite trust her with myself either,' Liara said with a sad smile. 'I wish she could have been the one, but I don't think I'm ready for someone like this.'

'My thoughts exactly,' Shepard agreed before gulping down what was left of her coffee. 'Don't worry, Liara. You're young, there no need to rush things. You'll know who's good for you when you see them.'

Liara nodded her agreement, although she couldn't help but feel like she had experienced just the feeling the day she had made Willis. Surely she had mistaken those feelings for something else. She tried not to dwell on it and wondered why her friend was already up – if she had slept at all. Perhaps she had been going over their conversation and couldn't find the peace to rest. She knew how Shepard worked. If the Commander deemed something needed to be done or decided she needed to do it before anything else, sleeping included. It wasn't the first time Liara bumped into her early in the morning or a night and it probably wouldn't be the last. Liara sighed and repressed a yawn when Shepard herself yawned loudly. She rubbed her eyes with the ball of her palm and slapped her cheeks in a vain attempt to fully wake up. She gave up and rested her head on her crossed arms, trying to find a comfortable position to settle in. Her stomach was still twisting disagreeably but at least the nausea was gone. The back of her head was throbbing a little but the low buzz of the ship seemed to soothe her headache quite well. She was hoping she would be able to take a nap before her day really started and let the meds do their jobs. She almost let a groan escape when Shepard broke the silence and dropped her datapad on the table rather loudly.

'Hey Liara,' the redhead started, crossing her heavy boots on the table. 'You want to go out tonight?'

Liara was immediately assailed by thoughts she wished to ignore but made her second-guess her answer. She really wanted to. Hanging out with her friend was rare, even more so when it was just for fun. Usually they went out shopping for guns and armor, but it seemed that Shepard only wanted to party – though she hoped not too hard, as the humans put it. But then, she imagined glasses of alcohol lined up on a table and it made her insides twitch and another wave of nausea struck her. Followed the thought of Willis partying in her very own way with the many Asaris of Purgatory and she wasn't sure what her reaction might be if she ever witnessed such a scene a few seats away from hers. Also, she was tired and still recovering from her intoxication and she didn't know if she'd be able to handle another night without sleeping. She looked at Shepard with her little tired eyes and saw how much the redhead wanted this – needed, even whatever the reasons.

'Come on,' Shepard tried once again. 'Two ladies going for a drink. Just have a little fun.'

'Alright, Shepard,' Liara nodded with a gentle smile. 'We'll go out tonight if you want.'

'I mean, only if you want it too,' she added, feeling a bit guilty to have insisted. 'I don't want to drag you along if you'd rather have a full night of sleep tonight. I can see you're tired.'

'I'll be fine, don't worry. I really want that, it has been quite some time since we spent some quality time together.'

'Okay, cool. You can knock at my door when you'll be ready. Does nine sound good?'

'Excellent,' Liara nodded with a smile. 'I'm looking forward to it.'

Shepard gave her a genuinely happy smile and rose to her feet before announcing that she had to go. Liara watched as her friend disappeared at a corner and decided that it would be better to get back to her room to get a little rest before her day would start. She would need the energy, especially knowing how her friend liked to spend her nights out. She waved to Chakwas and when her doors closed behind her, she realized with a groan of relief that her headache was gone and her stomach didn't hurt anymore.