Lia arched her back as she stood up from the computer she'd been working on for the past hour. They'd been docked at Omega for days now repairing the physical damage done by that strange ship but that wasn't the only damage. Lia had found something suspicious in the system and found the ship had somehow gotten a virus onto the Normandy.

Nobody had any clue what the virus did but then again it couldn't be good. So Lia had convinced David that there was no they could leave now. Snapping out of her thoughts she looked around and noticed David had been gone for a long time now. He'd received a message and said he had to go to his cabin quickly.

Lia couldn't help but be concerned about his absence and before she could stop herself she was in the elevator going right up to his cabin.

I should be working right now and here I am going up to the Captain's Cabin. How these Humans have changed you. Lia thought to herself with a small chuckle.

When the elevator had finally arrived she opened the door and saw the Cabin was nearly pitch black, the only illumination being the light from the tank of water to the left which was still empty. David had explained it was for fish but he never bought any for some reason.

She walked in a few more steps and saw he was sitting at his desk with his head resting in his hand.

"David?" She called out. His slowly looked up as he turned his chair to face her. She could see from the groggy look on his face he was heavily intoxicated and the almost empty whiskey bottle in his hand only confirmed it.

"Well lookey here! Ish my favourite Quarian! Come to she the shallow end of the gene pool!" He announced with his severely slurred speech. She was confused by his last sentence though.

"Shallow end of the gene pool? What're you talking about David?" He slowly got up from his chair and almost fell down but caught himself on the desk. His head hung loosely on his shoulders as he let out an overly loud laugh.

"You know exactly what! Do…Don't act like you don't know! Everybody knows it! The great Commander Shepard, Humanity's fucking saviour!" He yelled as he slowly stumbled past her and nearly falling down the stairs that led toward his bed.

"John Shepard grew up from such a 'hard life' with the Reds and grew up to become the 'butcherer of Torfan' but oh no! It's alright they were learning experiences that made him 'a better person'! Meanwhile his brother is abducted and tested on and pops up out of no where but everyone only whispers about that! About how he wasn't as good as John was! He can't do what John can!" He yelled as he staggered around on the lower area of his Cabin.

"I don't understand what you mean David." Lia quietly said but he heard it well enough. He turned faster than she would've thought.

"I'm always the second runner up! The one in his shadow! IT'S FUCKING BULLSHIT!" He screamed as he threw his bottle to the ground, which caused it to shatter immediately, beside Lia causing her to jump lightly.

"I'M THE ONE WHO SUFFERED AND I'M THE ONE WHO HAS TO TRY AND AMOUNT TO HIM! THE ONE WHO'S TRYING TO BE LIKE HIM!" He screamed as he kicked the nearby waste can and threw the nearby table on it's side.

"I DESERVED TO BE THE FIRST SPECTRE! I DESERVE…I deserve….more." His voice began to lower as he looked down at the ground. Lia had no clue what to do. She never had to deal with someone intoxicated let alone someone who was so very angry. Someone who held in their anger for so long. If anything she thought this was the best thing, to let him release it.

"John….he lived his life after Torfan to help…everyone. What does he have to show for it? He died and was brought back to help everyone again…What did he have to show for it that time? Five shots to the back and dying in the galactic core…" He muttered as he plopped down on the couch and sagged low.

"Keelah David! What happened?" Lia nearly yelled as she rushed over and sat on the couch beside him and held his left hand in her own.

"At the Collector base…he had to jump and…didn't make it. Hell I started living my life for everyone and what do I have to show? This fucking thing." He growled as he looked at his right arm.

Lia slowly reached up to his face with her free hand and gently turned it to look at her own.

"David, the galaxy may not be a good place but you and John make it better any way you can. They may not appreciate it or even know what you do for them yet still you do it. That's what you have to show for it. That you and John are good people. No other Human would've helped me with that C-Sec officer, some may have even helped the officer against me. But you saw an injustice and you fixed it." David was staring down at the floor. He looked as though he just couldn't cry at the loss of John, he had no tears left he was just…there.

"You know…before Cerberus came I saw the things John and his gang did. The things you don't hear about. The rapes, the murders, the people whose lives were destroyed by them. Yet he gets a pat on the back and commended for it." His voice was hoarse and his speech still slurred but Lia heard what he said…she didn't want to believe it though. She suspected that's what the rest of the galaxy felt and that was why they ignored it. He looked over at her with hollow eyes and a sad face.

"I won't say that 'it's all John's fault I'm an alcoholic!' or that it's his fault I smoke but I just…wanted to be like my big brother. Even back then everyone loved him! I was just…there." Lia blinked in surprise. She didn't even know he was an alcoholic, she knew he had a drink or two here and there but noting like that. But what caught her most off guard was that he was a smoker, she knew so much yet so little about David that she felt ashamed to say he was her bond mate.

"Don't be ashamed, nobody knew about it." David said shaking his head as he still stared at the floor. Lia couldn't help but smile behind her visor. If that's not proof of us bonding I don't know what is. She thought to herself as John slowly stood up and shuffled back up the stairs to the desk he was previously at.

He wasn't sober but he wasn't drunk he was just in the middle right now, but she knew he was now sober enough to be able to process his thoughts better.

When he reached his desk he dug through one of the drawers and pulled out his pack of cigarettes. He pulled out a cigarette and put it between his lips as he put the pack back and his lighter up to the cigarette.

He looked up at her before lighting it and said, "I would offer you one but…" with a smile. Lia chuckled and shook her head.

"Shush." She replied as he lit it and took a deep drag from it.

"So my dear, you know all about my there is. How about you? Any dark secrets?" He asked with a smile as he walked back over and sat on the couch.

"Oh, am I able to be around you with the smoke?" He quickly asked as he held it away from her.

"It's fine it'll get filtered, but it'll be hell cleaning them mind you! I may just make you clean them." Another smirk formed across his face as he took another drag.

"Well I do see you out of your suit then. Maybe that was my plan all along." Lia laughed and shook her head.

"Please I know you're not that smart David." He laughed as he flicked the ashes on the floor.

"Below the belt love!" He looked around his trashed Cabin and shook his head. "Hell of a mess." Lia nodded as she sat there with him, fine with just being around him. She knew her being there helped him and there was nothing else she wanted than that.

"Fuck this galaxy." He suddenly said as he stared at the fish tank which was devoid of fish. Lia looked over but he didn't notice, he was far away now.

She was concerned for him.

As Liara trailed behind the Salarian councilor she looked around her at the masses of people going through the Wards. Two sniper teams watching him at all times from the roofs, four armed guards disguised as civilians surrounding him, and I'm certain there's a whole company of C-Sec just waiting for a call. Liara smirked to herself. Here I thought this'd be hard.

Suddenly the Salarian took a sharp right turn into an alley and the armed guards didn't follow. It was perfect. That was why Liara continued walking past. Too perfect. If I remember right that alley leads right around the corner.

Sure enough when she turned the corner she immediately entered the alley. She heard the Salarian talking with some Turian, so she ducked behind some cover and listened in.

"But you're certain none of this will come back to me?" The Salarian asked as the Turian nodded. "Thank you Vyrnnus, I'm in your debt. Tell your master…what was it Necro? That I am in his debt."

Liara frowned as she listened closer.

"He will remember Councilor. He remembers all." His voice sounded as though it had a hint of a machine in it. Just like Saren had sounded. This worried Liara immensely. The rumors are true then? The Council's working with the Reapers? Shit. She was not one to swear lightly but this situation certainly called for it.

Liara heard Vyrnnus speak again, sending chills down her spine once more. "Is the Asari with us still?" The Salarian Councilor undoubtedly nodded due to the joy in Vyrnnus' voice. "Good, continue as you've been told." Suddenly she heard him walking toward her.

She held her breath and got as close to her cover as she could as Vyrnnus stepped beside her and stopped. She peeked up and saw he was looking straight ahead as he let out a snort.

She could hear from his breathing he likely had lungs implanted from his Reaper master along with a spinal chord implant which was visible due to the blue lights doting the vertebrae.

As soon as he stopped he left, off on his way. Liara's frown only deepened. She had a terrible feeling she just couldn't shake from this.