A/N : First of all I like to say my sorry for 'neglecting' this story for a moment. I seriously have problem writing this story mostly because I don't want to have Liara give birth to the twin yet. I finally came up of an idea to write a chapter where Elaina starts to feeling like a big sister. Also this is my gift to all my readers who has been reading Forever After and What If. It will be all about fluff since What If is going to be playing with your heart and I think it's nice to have this fluff here. Enjoy…

Chapter 25 : Big Sister

With Liara is expect to give birth to their twin in 2 month, Shepard has decided to take one week vacation on Earth with Elaina school is also on break to give them some last family moment together before the arrival of their twin. It has been raining for the first 2 days they are on Earth much to Elaina disappointment. On the third day, the rains finally stop and Shepard has proposed a picnic outside at the park near their house.

"This really is a nice idea, Shepard." said Liara as she lay next to Shepard on the grass.

"Easy for you to say because you're not the one chasing Elaina around… I'm too old for this."

"Wait until the twin are born."

"I will leave them to you then. You can use your biotics to strain them or something."

"I wouldn't do such a thing."

"Daddy!" yell Elaina as she run towards her parents.

"Save me." whisper Shepard to Liara as she gets up to look at her daughter.

"Daddy let's play another round of chasing me." beg Elaina

"Your daddy is tired, Elaina. Why don't you play a game that everyone can play too?" said Liara to Shepard rescue.

"I don't know any game that you can play along, mommy."

"Well I have some board games at the house but the weather is so nice right now. Thankfully I brought along some crayons and sketch book. You can draw something, Elaina." said Shepard as she pull out crayons and sketch book from her old school bag that she brought along to the picnic.

"Cool." said Elaina as she grab few crayons and sketch book from Shepard.

An hour later Elaina finished her drawing and immediately shows her parents what she drew.

"Look what I draw mommy, daddy!" said Elaina excitedly as she shows her parents the sketch book.

"This is you two holding each other hand and this is me looking over my little sisters when we are out here in this park for a picnic!" explain Elaina.

"This is beautiful, Elaina." said Liara as she plant her daughter a kiss on the cheek.

"Wow. I'm touch looking at this drawing and I can't believe how beautiful this drawing is." said Shepard in disbelieve at how beautiful her daughter drawing is.

"I love art class at school. When I grow up, I want to be an artist!"

"You can be anyone you want, my light." said Shepard as she gives her daughter a hug.

After arriving home from their picnic at the park a few hours ago, Shepard and Elaina are busy preparing dinner as Liara reading a book in the living room as the father and daughter insist on making a special dinner for Liara.

"So what are we going to cook for mommy?" asked Shepard as she looks over a cookbook.

"This look tasty, daddy." said Elaina as she's point at one of the recipe on the cookbook.

"You want to make lasagna?"

"Yes, please?"

"Well sure. But we have two problems. First we don't have all the ingredients to cook it and second I never make lasagna before."

"We can go to the store to get all the ingredients!"

"What about the fact I never make this before?"

"You will do fine, daddy. You're the best chef in the entire galaxy!"

"Okay then. Let's go to the grocery store." said Shepard as she pick Elaina up from the kitchen table and put her down.

"Liara, we have to go to the grocery store to buy some ingredients. Is there something you want?" asked Shepard as she grabs her jacket from the living room.

"Can you get me some chips and chocolate chip cookies?" answered Liara.

"Sure. Come on Elaina, wear your jacket." said Shepard as she help her daughter put her jacket on.

After a few minutes of walking, they arrived at a grocery store near the house. As Shepard picking ingredients needed to make lasagna, Elaina walk around the store to find some chips and chocolate chip cookies. But she end up walking back to Shepard with more than chips and chocolate chip cookies.

"What all of those?" asked Shepard as she's point at other snacks on Elaina basket.

"Can I have all of this, please?" said Elaina as she giving her father a puppy look.

"Fine. I'm not going to argue with you but you're the one who going to answer your mother when she sees all of these snacks."

"Thanks, daddy!"

After paying for all the ingredients and the snacks, Shepard and Elaina walk home.

"What are those?" asked Liara as soon as they arrived home as she saw all the snacks that Elaina carries.

"Ask your daughter." said Shepard as she rushes to the kitchen.

"Elaina?" said Liara as she looks at her daughter.

"I… Umm… Daddy let me buy this." answered Elaina.

"Shepard!" yell Liara to Shepard in the kitchen.

"Hey, your daughter gave me those puppy look. And I'm not about to argue with her that she can't have all this snacks." said Shepard as she come out from the kitchen.

"You can at least make her buy only a few. It's unhealthy, Shepard." argue Liara.

"Oh, please. I ate this all the time when I was a kid. Just let Elaina enjoy it for once, at least when we are in vacation."

"I promise I will eat all my vegetables from now on if you let me eat all this snacks." plead Elaina.

"Fine. If you promise to eat all your vegetables." said Liara as she gives in.

"With the exception of broccoli, please?"

"All of your vegetables."

"Oh, come on mommy! Even daddy didn't eat her broccoli."

"I never like it and I'm not going to change now." said Shepard.

"Fine. But you will eat it eventually. Deal?"

"Deal!" said Elaina excitedly.

After over 3 hours of making lasagna, the lasagna is finally ready to be serves. As Elaina help out Shepard preparing the dinner table, Liara sit down at one of the chairs around the dinner table before she join by Shepard who's sitting next to her and Elaina sitting in front of them.

"Are you sure this is the first time you make lasagna?" asked Liara after she took a bite of the lasagna.

"Yes. Well what can I say, I'm the best chef in the galaxy." answered Shepard as she give Elaina a wink.

"Who said that?"

"I did!" answered Elaina excitedly.

"Well I'm sure it because of your help that this lasagna taste great." said Shepard.

"Thanks, daddy!"

After dinner they head to the living room and play a board game, Monopoly.

"You have to pay up, daddy!" said Elaina as Shepard last move ended up in Elaina property.

"But… I didn't have enough money."

"Then you lose, daddy."

"Look at that. Someone who never loses to anyone in any game finally lost to her daughter." said Liara with a smile.

"Well… I'm not going to pay up. You're going to make me." said Shepard as she start to run.

"I'm going to catch you daddy!" yell Elaina as she starts to run after her father.

Liara only watch with a smile from the living room as Shepard ran from her daughter around the house.

After a good 5 minutes of running around, both Shepard and Elaina lay down on the floor in the living room, tired. Half an hour later Liara asked Elaina to brush her teeth and Shepard promise she will tuck her in.

"Daddy… Can I ask you a question?" asked Elaina as Shepard finished reading her a bedtime story.

"What is it?"

"Were you scared of having me?"

"What do you mean?"

"You know before I was born?"

"When your mother told me that she's pregnant with you, I couldn't be any happier. But I was scared that I'm going to lose you before you were born and if I'm going to hurt you when you are born. I was so nervous the first time I hold you but as soon as you gave me those little sweet smile and wrap your hand around my finger, I knew it right there and then that you didn't care if I'm scared or nervous. All that matter is that I love you. Why you asked?"

"I'm scared that I'm going to hurt my little sisters when they are born and if they won't like me."

"I know that you love them and you won't hurt them. Your little sisters going to have the best big sister in the galaxy and they are going to love you as much as we do."

"Thanks daddy."

"Now go to sleep. We have somewhere to go tomorrow." said Shepard as she kisses her daughter forehead.

After leaving her daughter room, Shepard heads towards her bedroom where Liara already waiting in bed.

"What took you so long?" asked Liara.

"I think Elaina is ready to be a big sister now." answered Shepard as she get into bed.

"How do you know?"

"She just told me that she scared if she going to hurt her little sisters when they are born and if they won't like her."

"Really?"

"Yes. Our little girl has grown up."

"She will always be our little girl."

After breakfast, Shepard immediately asked Liara and Elaina to get on sky car that she rented for the day. She didn't say where their destination are but she just knew she have to go there. After 30 minutes of ride, they finally arrived at a cemetery where Shepard park their sky car and got out holding a bouquet of flowers with her.

"Are we in the cemetery?" asked Liara as she get out of the sky car.

"Yes. This is where Maddison was buried." answered Shepard as she lead Liara and Elaina somewhere in the cemetery.

"What flower is it in your hand, daddy?" asked Elaina.

"It's tulips. Your aunt Maddison always loved tulips so I thought it appropriate if I bring her a bouquet of tulips." said Shepard as she came to a stop at a grave.

"A loyal friend until the end." said Liara as she read the engraving on the tombstone with Maddison name.

"I thought this going to get easier…" said Shepard as she set down the flowers.

"Losing someone is never easy, Shepard. You know that better than anyone."

Without saying anything to what Liara just told her, Shepard keep on walking to other grave in the cemetery while getting out a rose from her jacket before she come into a stop. Shepard kneeled down and put down the rose before she rose up and gave a sharp salute.

"Whose tombstone is this?" asked Elaina as she stood beside Shepard.

"… Lieutenant Kaidan Alenko..."

"Shepard… You know that you made the right choice." said Liara as she saw the uneasiness in Shepard eyes.

"I know… But sometimes I asked myself why I chose Ashley instead of Kaidan. Kaidan has been a part of my crew since day one but Ashley is just a soldier that we saved in Eden Prime. Why did I choose her instead of him? Because he told me he has feeling for me?"

"You know that's not true. Ashley was with Major Kirrahe and you saved lots of life by choosing Ashley instead of Kaidan… But if you were not given the choices to pick either one of them, you would have saved both of them." reassure Liara as she grab Shepard left hand and squeeze it lovingly.

"Well enough sadness for one day, let's go do something that will make you happy." said Shepard as she point at Elaina.

"Yay! Are we going to the zoo?" said Elaina excitedly.

"No. But this is better than the zoo."

After 45 minutes of ride, they finally arrived at the destination.

"What is this place, daddy?" asked Elaina as they got out of the sky car.

"It's an animal shelter. It's a shelter for lost pets or homeless pets. I asked around so you can go pet the cats and dogs here." answered Shepard.

"They let you do that?" asked Liara.

"Oh please. Ever since I save the galaxy, anywhere I go I can just ask for anything and I will get it instantly."

"I thought you don't like to play 'I saved the galaxy' card?"

"If it will make you and Elaina happy, I will use it with pleasure." said Shepard as she gave Liara a kiss.

After spending a week vacation on Earth, Shepard and her family finally back on the Citadel. With Elaina school still on break, she will be with Liara at home while Shepard goes back to work. While walking towards her office, the desk where Traynor usually sit at is empty. Thinking that Traynor probably out running some errand, Shepard continue walking to her office.

"Oh, Admiral." said Traynor as soon as Shepard open the door to her office.

"Traynor. I thought you were out running some errand. What are you doing here?" asked Shepard as she walks towards her desk.

"I'm here to put this file on your desk. Councilor Shepard asked me to give this to you." answered Traynor as she shows Shepard the file.

"Hmm… It's nothing important. Anything else I should know about?"

"No, Admiral. Things are slow here lately. Not much happen that required your attention."

"If that the case why don't we sit down and play a chess game?"

"You think you can beat me, Admiral?"

"I heard that Elaina beat you a few weeks ago so I thought I give it a try."

"That is one smart girl, Admiral."

"Don't I know it." said Shepard as she sat down on the couch in the office.

"You know Admiral, I never know where you get this chess board?" asked Traynor as she sit down in front Shepard.

"Remember when I was at the Citadel and I suddenly out of reach?"

"Oh yeah. It scared the hell out of me, Admiral."

"Well I was helping Aria get Omega back and the Cerberus General who seized Omega has this chess board. Aria said she didn't need this so she gave it to me."

"I heard that Aria gave the Cerberus General to the Alliance. I heard a lot about Aria T'Loak reputation and I'm surprised she didn't kill him."

"Apparently I rub off on her... You know what Traynor, I never understand why you never call me Shepard?"

"I just don't think I can call you by your last name, Admiral."

"Why's that? Every one of my crew called me Shepard instead of my rank for the most part. Why don't you?"

"I just don't feel like we are close enough for me to call you, Shepard."

"You know I don't let just anyone up on my cabin or used my shower, but you did. You beat me in chess and how is that not close enough?"

"Back then I was…" Traynor couldn't finish her sentence as she remembered the real reason she was up in Shepard cabin.

"Because you were trying to flirt your Commanding Officer?"

"I… Guilty as charged. How did you know? I thought you didn't get my hint back then."

"Oh I know what you were hinting, Traynor. But I'm with Liara."

"I didn't know about that, back then. You two act so normal with each other that it's hard to say you two are together."

"Say that to my crew aboard Normandy SR-1. Apparently our relationship is all over the ship even before we are together."

"That sound like a good story, Admiral."

"It came to my attention that apparently Liara have a feeling for me when Ashley told me on our usual conversations after a mission. Apparently we are already together if the gossip is true. Next thing I know, Lieutenant Alenko was asking me if I'm seeing her."

"But you're not?"

"No. I didn't even know that she has a feeling for me or if I have a feeling for her."

"So how did you two end up together?"

"I was checking on her after a mission when she mentioned that she has a feeling for me. I asked her if she interested in me or actually the visions I got from the Prothean beacon. She told me that at first it was the visions but it grew past that but she didn't know if she should act on it because she was worry I already with someone."

"Were you?"

"No. I know that Lieutenant Alenko have a feeling for me but the Alliance regulations are against fraternization… I asked her why she has a feeling for me despite we are both female's. And then she gave me this lecture about it doesn't have a meaning for Asari."

"Is that when you two decided to get together?" asked Traynor excitedly.

"Ha. Not really. She asked me I feel a connection with her and I was. Then she start thinking like a scientist on how we don't have much in common, we are from different species and so on. We finally decided to put our feelings beside until we beat Saren."

"So you two weren't together?"

"At first? No. We feel a connection with each other but there so much at stake and we decided to put it beside us first. That is until all hell breaks loose. Before Illos… that's when we got together."

"How did Liara deal with you being dead for two years?"

"Well for me, it doesn't feel like 2 years. It was rough for her and me. When we first met after Cerberus rebuilt me at Illium, she wasn't the same Liara I felt in love with."

"What do you mean?"

"She'd different. She was cold and she didn't want to talk about us at all despite she kiss me the first time we met after 2 years."

"It must hurt you, Admiral."

"It was. When I thought she died in explosion, I felt like my heart break into pieces. But I didn't know what worst that feeling or what I felt when I asked her about our relationship afterward."

"What did she told you?"

"She told me that I can't just come back and 2 years of mourning vanish…"

"Was Liara seeing anyone at that time?"

"That was the first thing that came into my mind… I thought she was seeing Feron, the drell that helped her recovered my body."

"Was she?"

"No. She told me that as human say it, she's taken."

"So how did you get her back?"

"It was after we beat the Shadow Broker and I managed to pursue her to come aboard the Normandy before I resume my mission… She asked me one thing if we want to continue the relationship."

"What is it?"

"She wanted me to promise her that I'm coming back."

"Because you were about to go through the Omega 4 relay?"

"Yes. But I promised her that I'm always coming back."

"And you did."

"Yeah, but that was before I cheated death on the Collector base for more than I can count."

"That's a great story, Admiral. You two went through a lot together and you two deserve all the happiness."

"Thank you, Traynor."

"But I don't get it. You two clearly love each other but how did you two stay professional for most of the time?"

"I guess because I always put mission first. I'm lucky that she understand why I have to put mission first before her. But we always spend little time we have together as best as we can. Even on mission we have to trust each other to have each other back. Although sometimes, our worry and our love for each other takeover in the middle of a fight."

"Like what?"

"How Liara just run in between two brute to get to me after I met the Leviathan or the fact I push Liara when the Shadow Broker throw his desk at us despite Garrus was with us too."

"I hope one day I can have what you have, Admiral."

"You won't find that person without looking or hiding behind your hints, Traynor."

"So if I'm being honest with you, I already have you to myself?"

"Ha. That would be a no, Traynor. Even if I'm not seeing anyone… you know there are regulations about fraternization."

"But it didn't make you report Kenneth and Gabby."

"No… I grew up in military and the first thing my mom told me when I got my order was never fall in love with officers or the enlisted if it can affect the chain of command. For Kenneth and Gabby, I didn't see much problem regarding their relationship so I just turn a blind eye."

"Even if the Alliance can punish you for not reporting it?"

"It's my job to make sure the Alliance won't know what happen."

"Well there I was so scared of you the first time I met you." chuckle Traynor.

"Why's that?"

"Your records were astonishing and everyone that worked with you has nothing but a good thing to say about you. I was thinking they were too scared to say anything bad about you. But I guess I was wrong. You really care about your crew and you protect them with your life."

"That is my job as the Commanding Officer."

"It was more than that, Admiral. I never have been station aboard any other ships but from what I'm seeing from my time aboard the Normandy, you weren't making it formal aboard the Normandy. The crew didn't need to salute you unless it's necessary and we could just hang out with you like equal rank. There was no rank hinder you from you crew. I admire that about you, Admiral."

"If that was the case, why are you still calling me by my rank? There's no need to call me Admiral if it's not necessary, Traynor."

"Very well. But with one condition, you have to call me Samantha or Sam."

"Okay then, Samantha."

"One more thing, do you know anyone that you can hook me up with?"

"I know someone but I don't think it's your type."

"And how do you know my type, Shepard?"

"Because he a guy."

"Point taken."

"Now are we going to play chess or not?"

"Bring it on, Shepard."

A/N : I know that I start this chapter with Shepard, Liara and Elaina fluff but I got an idea to write a scene between Shepard and Traynor. I always have a soft spot for Traynor and the whole having her on your cabin and letting her using the shower and pretending not knowing what she's was hinted was too funny. Traynor was definitely more subtle about her feeling towards Shepard than Kelly was. I also want us to have a little moment of remembering Kaidan. Anyway I hope you guys love it and now I'm going to focus on What If. So I'm going to abandon this story for a while. But don't worry, I will continue it. Because I still not planning of ending this story.