In the End of the World
Chapter 28: A Match Made In Heaven
"Shepard, I'm glad you stopped by."
Jane looked around the room, her expression unreadable. This office had changed a lot since the last time she'd seen it. The bloodstains on the wall and floor were totally gone. All the possessions Miranda had brought on board had been chucked out of the airlock soon after her death by the gleeful, if not slightly drunk, Tali and Jane. However, the room was not empty. It had been filled with research terminals and computers that Liara could use to gather intel and continue her studies on the Protheans. Her bedroom was in the back, a small space with just enough room for a bed and a bookshelf.
"Just checking up on my favorite Asari. What's new, Liara?"
"Well, we haven't had much time to chat since you picked me up on Mars, so I haven't told you my big news yet." She was practically beaming. "I uncovered the Shadow Broker and had him killed. I am the new Shadow Broker now."
Jane's grin was only a fraction smaller than her friend's. "That's awesome! Congratulations. I know you've been working on that for a long time now."
The Asari nodded gravely. "It is a vengeance I have waited years for."
"So, now you probably know everything about everyone, right?" Jane smirked. "What color underwear am I wearing?"
"I don't know things like that," Liara shook her head. "Only the stuff that would be on the ship's logs, on your personnel files, on your arrest warrant, in - what is that look for?"
One of Jane's eyebrows had gone up as she listened. "That was a joke, Liara."
"A joke? Ah, I see. Very funny. Although, you know, I do have a little more personal intel about you, now that you mention it."
"Really? What about?"
"The ship keeps logs of where everyone is at all times. EDI brought it to my attention that a certain Turian has spent many nights in your cabin with you. Also, you missed some of the Cerberus cameras. There's a vid of you and Garrus making out on the elevator between floors."
Jane's face froze, her mouth ajar and her eyes wide in horror. "Please tell me this is your weird way of trying to be funny to get me back."
Liara shook her head. "Nope, it's all right here." She tapped the screen on her computer.
"Delete it. Make it gone." She thought about it. "Actually send it up to my cabin first. I want to see what it looks like from a different... No, no, better be safe and just delete it."
Liara clicked a few buttons on her keyboard. "Alright. It's gone." She sat back in her chair and smiled up at Jane. "So, you and Garrus, huh? When did that happen?"
"Just a couple weeks before the Collector base."
"That must have been hard for you two, when you were locked up for so long right after starting a new relationship."
"He had no idea I was locked up because the Counsil lied about it," the commander growled.
Liara shook her head sadly. "I'm surprised you didn't kill Udina on the spot at Huerta."
"I almost did," Jane confessed with a sigh. "They're too valuable right now for me to kill them. At the moment, they're funneling millions of credits into my pocket to spend on ship upgrades, new armor, shiny guns, and the salary for a new crew member whose sole purpose on this ship is to feed my goddamn fish."
The Asari gave her a strange look.
"That was another joke. Although it would be nice if my fish would just... not die."
"Still, it must have been hard to let him go."
"Yeah, it really was." Jane sighed. "Especially considering that the damn Counsil is part of the reason Garrus was so angry at me."
"Part?" Liara echoed questioningly.
"Well, yeah. Part. I didn't exactly need help on that end from the Counsil, because it turns out I'm great at pissing him off all on my own."
"What happened?"
"He wanted to talk to me right before we went into the Collector base. About our relationship. What it was, if it would still be there after the war... Those type of questions. And I have reason to believe he was going to tell me he loved me."
Liara smiled widely. "That's great!"
"Not as great as it sounds," Jane replied glumly. "I couldn't stand the thought of hearing those words before a suicide mission. What if I'd died in there after he had said those beautiful things to me? I know him, how long it takes him to finally open up to a new person. I wanted him to move on if I died. The thought of Garrus carrying my corpse out of that base or having to bury me is hard enough without him loving me. So I told him to can it. Then we went on the mission, and then I was sent to prison for half a year. I have no idea where we stand now, but I know he's mad."
Liara watched the emotions play out on Jane's face as she spoke, then thought about it for a moment before making a conclusion.
"You need to talk to him."
She stared at Liara warily. "I don't think that's a good idea. Last time I talked to him... It ended badly."
"How do you expect to fix things between you two without laying it all out on the table? Even if you go your separate ways, at least then you'll know it's over. It must be hell not knowing what he's thinking, and I'm sure the same is true for him."
"No, it's just grand. I love that nauseous anxiety I get every time I see his face and wonder if it will ever smile at me again."
"Why would that be - oh - you're being sarcastic again, aren't you?"
Jane nodded. "At least you're catching on, now."
"Well, Shepard, all I can say about it is that avoiding each other will create more problems than it will solve, and if you really care about the relationship you two had, you'll try to talk to him."
"Yeah," Jane sighed. "You're right, I guess. Thanks for the talk."
"Anytime, my friend," Liara smiled softly.
Jane headed out of Liara's office and just as she was about to step onto the elevator, Specialist Traynor commed her.
"Commander, you have an Alliance package waiting for you in the lounge. The crew just got finished setting it up for you. I think you'll rather enjoy it."
Her voice was tinted with amusement, and Jane was instantly suspicious. What would they send her that required assembly? An attack drone? No, her crew wouldn't have assembled it. A stripper pole? She balked at the idea. It would certainly embarrass her, which she was sure the Council would enjoy. And the crew would, of course, set it up before telling her it existed so she wouldn't have the chance to throw it out of the airlock. But if she knew the Counsil, and of course she did after being repeatedly fucked over by them, they didn't have the sense of humor it would take to send her a stripper pole.
"Uh, thanks for telling me."
"That's my job, Commander."
Jane approached the room cautiously, taking cover when the doors slid open. No gunshots, no movement. She peaked around the corner, and when she saw it, her face filled with awe. She'd only been joking, but the Counsil had really done it.
There, arranged neatly on the shelves by her crew, stood row after row of every kind of alcohol imaginable.
"Booze," she whispered with wide eyes. "Beautiful booze."
(A/N): So now we know how the next chapter's going to start. If you're enjoying this, head over to my oneshots: the alternate universe about Garrus entitled "Damn War" and the FemShepxGarrus sexcapade called "Release." I love all my readers and reviewers! The sheer number of follows and favorites I've received is humbling. Thanks for all the support!
