In Love and War
Chapter Twenty Six – We Are Not Hanars
"What do you mean we need to walk on the outside of the Citadel?" Tali couldn't believe what she was hearing. She hated spacewalking, her enviro-suit got tight when she spacewalked and that was not a good feeling. Shepard didn't like spacewalking either, but they had to get the Citadel's turret guns working and there were two groups of them located on either side of the structural arm, and that means she had to split the team into two squads.
Shepard walked over to Wrex, "I'm giving you Garrus and Tali. You'll show them what a real krogan Battlemaster can do, right?" She gave Wrex her hand, "I'll make Saren pay for what he did on Virmire when I see him, I swear to you!"
"Not if I see him first. I'll squash him like the pyjak he is. He may know other krogan Battlemasters but he hasn't seen the blood rage from Urdnot Wrex!" He took Shepard's arm and shook it roughly.
Shepard looked at Garrus, "Garrus, you watch Tali's back when she's hacking the guns, OK buddy?"
Garrus undocked his sniper rifle, "Shepard, you leave it to me. When this is all over with, first round's on me!"
Shepard gave him a big grin and she looked at Tali, "You'll be careful Tali and let Chiktikka do her magic, you hear me?"
Tali brought up her omni-tool, "Shepard, I'm giving you this hacking program. It should unlock all the security codes on the turret controls. Even you can hack it with this."
Shepard hugged Tali, "I love you too."
After Wrex moved his team out, Shepard held her helmet in one hand and grabbed Ashley's hand with another. "You know, the best thing that happened on Eden Prime is that I get to do this with YOU." Shepard initiated the long and complex Marine handshake that made Liara dizzy just watching them, and then Shepard and Ashley both spat into their palms and locked hands for the last part.
"What was that?" Liara tilted her head and asked.
"That's our oath to fight, to bleed and to die together." Ashley explained.
Liara nodded, "Oh, that is very sweet, but a little unsanitary." Ashley laughed and walked ahead to give her friends some space.
Shepard laughed at the asari's comment and held Liara's shoulder with one hand. "Liara, this is it. You ready?" Liara let herself get lost for a moment in Shepard's big smile, and then she leaned in and kissed Shepard's lips quickly, put her helmet on and ran after Ashley. Shepard had never had her heart melted before a tough battle. The feeling was incredible.
Ashley took point and shouted through her helmet, "Where do we go?" Before she could finish, three Geth Hunters uncloaked and started shooting rockets at them. "Never mind. We will just follow these guys."
As soon as they reached the first turret, Shepard got down and started her omni-tool. Ashley shouted while shooting at three geth machines advancing on her. "How long does this take?" Liara curled her arm and then pushed out a biotic warp so strong that one of the geth troopers went straight off the rail and disappeared out of view. "Holly mother of god!" Ashley yelled, "You go, Liara!" Liara smiled inside of her helmet and shot a singularity field at the other two Geth Troopers, Ashley took care of them with her rifle while they were floating in the air. A rocket exploded around them, lifting both into the air. Ashley landed on a flat platform and she rolled several times to her feet, but Liara wasn't so lucky. Her body hit a metal wall, knocking her out. Shepard saw both of her teammates flying through the air over her head as the turret guns turned on, she quickly pulled out her sniper rifle and searched for the Geth Rocket Trooper and took it out.
Both Shepard and Ashley rushed to Liara who was struggling to sit up. Shepard dropped down to her knees, "Are you hurt, Liara?" Ashley let Shepard help Liara and kept an eye on their surroundings. Liara stood up with Shepard's help, but took a sharp breath when she put her weight on her left leg. "Easy!" Shepard put the asari's arm around her shoulders, "Is it broken?" She asked.
"I do not believe so. I will be alright." She tried to take back her arm.
"Just give it a little time, okay? Pretend we are taking a nice walk in a park on the Presidium." Shepard walked with her slowly for a few steps.
"Only if you promise me we will actually take a nice walk together on the Presidium after this is over."
Shepard yelled inside of her helmet, "T'Soni! You're blackmailing me, now? Okay, I promise!" Shepard couldn't see Liara's full smile behind her helmet, but she could see her eyes sparkle.
"I am willing to forgo the spitting in your palm part seeing you are wearing a battle helmet."
Shepard shook her head, "No, you are not!" Then she proceeded to spit in her helmet.
Ashley heard it all through her helmet's open comm, "That's disgusting, Skipper! When this is all over, you two are getting a room and you can spit all you want."
True to his word, Wrex got to Saren before Shepard's squad. He charged him as the team surrounded the rogue Spectre. After they took him out, Shepard ran to stop the code Saren had uploaded on top of the podium in the Citadel Tower.
Wrex's voice boomed down below, "He's not much to look at after you kill him." But he spoke too soon, the dead Spectre came back to live and it took the entire team's firepower to take the husk of Saren down. Shepard shouted for her team to get clear as the tower came down. Liara was in shock when she saw large pieces of the broken ship crushing down on the Council tower, but she only had a second to look before Wrex and Garrus each grabbed her and took off running.
It seemed like an eternity before the dust settled and the noise stoped. Liara and Ashley could hear voices getting closer to their location. The large metal covering them moved away and light hit their eyes as they were shaking off the dust covering their bodies. Captain Anderson came into the view "Take it easy. You are safe. Where is the Commander?"
Ashley turned to look at Liara and Liara lifted her head to look at Ashley, they both jumped up at the same time, and stared at the rubble. Liara took off running toward where Shepard was, "Shepard!" She limped but kept running. Ashley ran after her but passed her with both good legs and started to move chunks of trash out of the way, "Skipper! Talk to me! Make some sound!"
Anderson directed the rescue party to help the Normandy crew to dig out the Commander. Liara used her biotics to move large pieces while shouting Shepard's name following Ashley's lead. They finally heard the reply they were desperately seeking, and Anderson motioned the medics to come with a stretcher. Shepard was pinned down by a piece of metal, her head had a gash and a sharp metal piece had impaled her left leg. Liara dropped down where Shepard was trapped and held Shepard's hand. "Goddess!" Liara was shaking, "Goddess, Shepard!" She wanted to say something to comfort the human, but all she could do was hold the human's hand while cradling her face.
"Shhh…I'm alright, Liara. I'm okay." Shepard tried to calm Liara, but her voice was only above whisper.
Outside of the Alliance hospital's surgical wing, the Normandy's crew was sitting in the waiting room. Even Joker had left the ship to find out the Commander's status. The surgery had gone on for over two hours. Pierce was walking around the room, checking the crew for minor injuries and treating them. Captain Anderson walked into the waiting room with Hannah Shepard in tow. Liara ran over and hugged Hannah, and Anderson walked over to Ashley to get an update.
Liara had held her tears on the way to the hospital, she didn't want to cry and worry Shepard, but the thought of losing Shepard rattled her. When she had thought she might lose Shepard on Virmire, she had felt sadness and loss. But this time, it was different. She couldn't even let herself imagine her life without Shepard. To never look at Shepard's big smile again, or hear her voice or hold her in her arms, it was unimaginable. She didn't let herself think that, she told herself Shepard would be okay. In Hannah's tight embrace, Liara couldn't stop her tears. Hannah let the poor girl cry for a while, and then took her to sit down, away from the others. "Liara, tell me what's going on."
Liara wiped her face with her sleeves and told Hannah about Shepard injuries. "And these are just the ones we could see. We are all waiting for the doctors to finish with the surgery."
When the door to the surgery rooms opened, the crowd stood up and gathered around the doctor. When the doctor took off her surgical mask and hood, Ashley called out, "Dr. Chakwas! When did you get here?"
Dr. Karen Chakwas was still stripping her surgery gear as she responded. "As soon as the Normandy docked, Captain Anderson sent an emergency vehicle to fetch me. You didn't think I'd like other doctors touch my kids, did you?" She updated the group about Shepard. They fixed the Commander's head wound that miraculously didn't cause any real damage to the brain, and repaired her leg that took the longest time as it was a large puncture. The Commander also had a couple of broken ribs, a dislocated shoulder and some cuts and bruises. "The worst is over. She is resting now and should recover fully." Dr. Chakwas smiled as the crew took their turns to hug her.
Liara asked, "When can we see her?"
Dr. Chakwas arranged a large room for the Commander to rest in where the also put another small bed, a table and chairs for visitors. Hannah had to leave after checking on her daughter who was sleeping peacefully after the surgery. "Sweetheart, I have to go back to my ship, we took some damage in the battle and they need me to oversee the repairs. But I will come by as often as I can. Would you take care of her for me?" Hannah asked Liara.
"You need not even ask, Hannah. I will see to her every need and restrain her if she tries to get out of the bed too soon. I am practiced at this already." Liara tried to put Hannah more at ease. "I will call to keep you updated. But I am certain she would love to see you as often as you can manage to come by."
Shepard woke up to a bright day and saw Liara sleeping in a chair with her head next to Shepard's hand. "Liara." Shepard's voice woke up Liara immediately.
"Shepard!" She got up from her chair, and she bent down and gave Shepard a light kiss on the lips. Shepard sighed slightly and tried to move, but Liara anticipated it as she put a hand on Shepard's shoulder, "I have promised both Hannah and Dr. Chakwas to make you behave. You are not well enough to move yet. So if you need anything I will bring it to you, Commander."
"How?" Shepard asked. It was hard for her not to be able to put her arms around Liara and hug her tightly.
"How what?" Liara's face was very close to Shepard's, so that she could hear the human's weak voice.
"How are you going to make me behave?" Shepard looked into Liara's eyes. She had not idea know how long she'd been out, but she knew she missed looking into these eyes.
Liara kissed Shepard's lips again and met Shepard's forehead with her own. "I have my ways." She smiled, "If you follow Dr. Chakwas' orders, I will reward you with that you most desire."
"Dr. Chakwas would not approve if you reward me with what I desire the most right now." Shepard smiled back.
Liara chuckled, "What is your deepest desire right now?"
Shepard closed her eyes and made a purring sound, "I would like to discover more stimulus spots on your body right now. I probably only know half of them, I don't think I had enough time."
Even though Liara blushed profusely, she couldn't help but tease the human. "You have not discovered half of them. It looks like you have a lot of work to do, Commander."
That made Shepard laugh, which led to a gasp. "Don't make me laugh, Liara, it hurts! You are supposed to make me behave."
Liara laughed, "I am sorry. I will get you some water, I think that is enough discussion of desire for now."
After a week cooped up in bed, Shepard was ready to get back to duty. She had been walking around with Liara's help. She had access to a wheelchair and a crutch, but Liara refused to leave her side and insisted on being her 'asari crutch'. Shepard felt uneasy to burden Liara, but they both loved spending every minute together. They traded childhood stories; Shepard told Liara about the battle on Elysium, and Liara told Shepard about her last fight with her mother. They shared tears along with takeout food. Even though it was in the hospital, for Shepard and Liara, it was the best week they'd ever spent together. Hannah came by a couple of times to check on her daughter and she found Shepard in such good spirits even though her wounds were still serious. Liara indeed saw to every need her daughter had, and Hannah couldn't help but daydream what kind of asari baby clothes she could get her hands on.
Before Shepard checked out of the hospital, Hannah dropped off a room key to a nice hotel on the Citadel. Shepard had wanted to go back to the ship, she needed to get the repairs done and see to her crew. But Ashley refused to allow her back on the Normandy.
"Commander, I've got it covered. Tali and Adams are working with the Alliance and Council on the repairs and even some upgrades. We are giving the crew a whole week off. I've got things under the control and Garrus is taking care of Mimi T'Soni. You and Liara are not to come back until the shore leave is over. As acting captain of the Normandy, I issue you an order and put Liara in charge of your schedule. Chief Williams out!"
Shepard never thought she'd hear this from Ashley. She gave Liara a mocked defeated look, "Looks like I don't have access to my ship, my people, or even my own schedule. So Dr. T'Soni, what are your orders for me?"
Liara was packing up a bag to take all the gifts people left when they came and visited Shepard. She waved a box of chocolates, "Garrus says this is for both of us. We will open it as soon as we check into the hotel."
Shepard smiled, "He thinks he knows everything." She looked through the bag, and picked up a vid pad, "What's this?" She tapped a button, the vid title screen came on, "Vaenia". Shepard laughed, "This must be from Joker."
After they checked into the hotel, Liara put their bags down on the floor and opened the curtains while Shepard sat down on the loveseat. Her leg was still sore and her ribs were still giving her pain. Liara sat next to the human. "It is very nice of Hannah to provide us with this much privacy. I love being on the Normandy, but it is rather nice to have just you and me here." She pushed aside a strand of red hair hiding Shepard's eye.
"Believe me, my mother got the better end of the deal." Shepard smirked and reminded herself silently to thank her mother the next time she saw her.
"How so?" Liara blinked her blue eyes.
"She didn't do this just so we can relax, she did this so she can have grandchildren."
Liara blushed again. "You really believe that?" Shepard nodded with complete certainty. "Do you share her sentiment, Shepard?"
"Me? Don't you think I'm a little too young to be thinking about grandchildren?" Shepard teased. Liara punched her lightly on her arm. Shepard faked, "Ouch!"
Liara immediate held Shepard's shoulders, "Goddess, I am so sorry, Shepard! Did I hurt your ribs?"
Seeing Liara's mortified look, Shepard laughed, "I'm kidding you."
Liara huffed, "You will pay for that, Commander!" As she leaned in and started to punish the human with her lips someone knocked on the door.
Liara opened the door to a deliveryman with two large boxes. Shepard stood up from her seat and directed him to put the boxes down on the large table. Liara was more than surprised, and after the man left, she looked at the boxes and then at Shepard.
"Good! I was afraid they couldn't make it here in time before we leave." She took Liara's hand and walked to the table. She motioned Liara, "Open them." Liara opened the boxes to find two pairs of rollerblades in matching colors.
She laughed, "Shepard! You got us rollerblades? Your leg is not healed enough yet for roller derby matches."
Shepard chuckled a little, running her fingertips lightly on the shiny rollerblades. She pulled Liara closer and gave her a long kiss. "When you danced with me like we were floating in air that night, your face was as pretty as the most beautiful flower in existence. I promised myself I would take you dancing on rollerblades as often as I can because I can never get tired of that face and that smile." She pointed at the boxes, "These will ensure we can do it anytime we want."
Liara kissed Shepard back even longer.
Shepard added, "Beside, let's face it, I can't dance without the rollerblades anyway." Liara laughed, remembering Shepard's dance at Flux.
Liara insisted on getting Shepard's favorite pizza for dinner. Shepard loved the food but she hated to have Liara drive over there to pick it up. But Liara made Shepard take a nap while she explored the hotel and then picked up the pizza. When Shepard woke up from her nap, and found an excited asari returning with a large pizza box. "Shepard, you are not going to believe this!" Liara put the food box down, and came near the bed, "They have a gigantic swimming pool!" She motioned how large the pool was by spreading her arms.
Shepard laughed, "Yes, I can believe it. You like swimming, Liara?"
"Shepard, I am an asari. Of course I like swimming. It is not like in the ocean, but it is still huge!" She was so excited she started pulling Shepard's arm. "Come on, let us eat and then we can go swimming!"
It was very enchanting for Shepard to watch how much Liara loved the water. She swam like a fish and stayed under the water for so long that it had started to worry Shepard, even by asari standards. They even brought their pizza with them and hung out by the pool all evening. Luckily there were no other guests visiting the pool, so both Shepard and Liara slipped into the water without their clothes. Shepard's injured leg prevented her from swimming at full speed, but Liara wrapped her arm around the human and swam easily for the both of them.
"This is almost as good as rollerblading together." Shepard held on to Liara's shoulder.
Liara's face was shiny reflecting the water and she smiled widely. "When we swim, we open up certain parts of our bodies that are usually hidden in dry conditions. Some of these parts have the stimulus spots you referred to while you were in the hospital." With that, Liara let go of Shepard and sped away in the water. Shepard's jaw dropped and eyes widened, but before she could react to Liara's words, the asari already circled back and came up from behind the human.
"Liara, you're very bad!" Shepard turned around and searched Liara's body with her eyes. "You'd better show me, or I will be forced to tickle you!"
Liara laughed and took the human's waist and swam her to the shallow edge of the pool. "What would you do if I showed you every one of them?" She first tilted her head to reveal the side of her neck; Shepard needed no more invitation. She licked and sucked the spot until Liara arched her back in the water, holding onto the side of the pool with her hand. Shepard circled Liara's body in the water to move to the other side of her neck. As she slowly teased the spot with her lips, her warm breath made Liara's cool body vibrate a little. Liara quickly turned and met Shepard's lips with her own, and they locked onto each other for what it seemed like an eternity.
But Shepard broke the passionate kiss, "I want to discover more." She panted a little from the long kiss. "Don't you think we should retire to our room and continue our exploration?"
Before they made it back to their room, Shepard had discovered another spot on the asari while they were riding in the slow elevator. By the time they got back to their room, Liara could barely stand. They quickly stripped away each other's towels. Liara lied down in the large bed, holding the human in her arms. Shepard didn't even stop what she was doing with her mouth and her hands while moving to the bed. Liara would have chuckled at Shepard's eagerness if she weren't moaning. The sensation radiating from the bottom of her neck all the way down to between her legs was getting stronger and stronger. She wasn't sure if she should continue her "show and tell" Shepard's assault on her sensory inputs intensified, but the human was relentless. "Where is the next one?"
Liara gave in, but she bargained. "Shepard, I do not know how long I can last before…before…"
"Uh, huh." Shepard was too busy with all the new spots on the asari's body, discovering the new sounds the asari made when she did different things on the spots and how her own body reacted to even notice her injuries. "I wish I was a hanar!"
Shepard breathed out, and that made Liara laugh, "Why, Shepard?"
Shepard gave her partner a crocked grin, "I need more hands!"
Liara pulled the human up from her exploration of the asari's body, "You are doing just fine, Shepard, even when you are not a hanar."
"I'm glad you are not a hanar also." Shepard kissed Liara's lips.
"Why is that?" Liara returned her kisses.
"Because you wouldn't have so many sexy spots for me to explore." Both Shepard and Liara's bodies were shaking from laughter.
A/N: Thank you for sticking with this story. Please check out Second Life, the sequel that features Aethyta, Liara and some of the SR1 crew during the two years before Shepard's resurrection. It will continue to ME 2 timeline and include ME 2 characters as well as many OCs.