This follows immediately after the end of my ME1 story, Beginnings, and will (mostly) follow the events of ME2 but, as with Beginnings; I plan to take some liberties with the details. It is the continuing story of Shepard and Liara. Their story will be the focus but we will find time to deal with the Collectors too.

*Warning- might be a bit too much romantic angst and mush so tread carefully if you don't like that sort of thing.*

Thanks for reading and enjoy!

Bioware owns it all.

Shattered-Chapter 29

Tali waited outside the med bay for Shepard. Although she was early for their meeting, she was impatient for Shepard to arrive. She realized that she was wringing her hands and made a conscious effort to stop. She was feeling anxious and tired after a night of very little sleep. She had finally managed to drift off after several hours of lying awake, all the "what ifs" crowding her mind. Then, she woke in a panic after only two hours sleep thanks to a nightmare involving the Geth and widespread death. Despite her misgivings about activating the Geth, she was very curious to interact with one. She had spent her entire adult life learning about the Geth, recovering any part she could get her hands on for study and to send back to her father for his research. And that was the problem. She had innocently sent non-working pieces to her father who had activated them; he had risked everything and managed to get himself and the entire crew of the Alarei killed. Tali took a breath and let it out slowly. I am not my father and this is completely different. This is one geth. My father put together a dozen with the parts I sent him. Plus, there's Shepard if things go wrong. If they could activate the Geth, she could potentially learn more in a few minutes than she would in a lifetime of working with scattered parts. She had to admit, at least to herself, that she was excited for this opportunity. As the med bay doors slid open, she realized that she was not only excited but eager. She exchanged a few words with Dr. Chakwas when she entered then tried to find things to keep her interest as she waited. A few more minutes of pacing around the med bay, more from excitement now than anxiety, and Tali was rewarded with Shepard walking through the door. Shepard stopped to speak with Dr. Chakwas and Tali took the opportunity to study her friend. While she still exuded confidence and was still the most capable soldier Tali had ever met, she was different since Cerberus had brought her back. Tali knew that the change had started when Shepard first met Liara. The no nonsense Shepard had finally started to open up when they picked Liara up from Therum but still managed to maintain what the crew had called her 'Commander Attitude'. She was in charge, decisive and wasn't concerned with how her actions would be interpreted by her crew. Since she had been back, Shepard was still in charge, decisive and even more deadly in combat. But, she was also more concerned about how her decisions would impact her crew…her friends. That didn't mean she would back down when she felt something had to be done. It did mean that she would now take the time, if they had it, to explain why she felt it needed to be done. Tali was pulled from her musings when she saw Shepard finish her conversation with Dr. Chakwas and turn toward her.

"Tali, I'm glad you wanted to be here. No one knows more about the Geth than you do."

Tali wanted to seem, at the very least, indifferent about activating the Geth. She didn't want to appear too eager. "Morning, Shepard."

"Are you sure you're okay with this? I got an earful from Miranda this morning about all the reasons we should not, under any circumstances, activate the Geth; 'Shepard, that thing could hack the Normandy's computers. It could kill you. It could kill everyone aboard this ship.' She's still confined to bed, still in pain but, she found the strength to argue."

Tali, unable to keep from laughing at Shepard's very bad imitation of Miranda's accent relented and told Shepard that, after thinking about everything, she was in agreement with the decision to activate the Geth, even eager to do so. When they entered the room, Shepard asked EDI to monitor all of the Normandy's systems then erected a barrier to confine the Geth should things go wrong. In her gut, she knew that it wouldn't come to that though. This Geth, for whatever reason, was trying to help them…help her.

"Okay, Tali. Let's wake this thing up."

TTTTTTTTTT

"Hey, blue girl, mind some company?"

Liara looked up from the most recent reports she had received from her agents, surprised to see Jack standing at the table with a tray of food. She looked around the mess to find several members of the crew eating lunch. She had left their quarters soon after Shepard left to meet Tali. She wanted to be close to the med bay when Shepard and Tali activated the Geth. She ate breakfast then started reviewing the reports hoping to put more pieces of the Cerberus puzzle in place. She was shocked to find that hours had passed.

Liara looked toward the med bay then back at Jack. "Jack, yes, of course."

Jack put her tray down and slid onto the bench. Liara was still looking at the med bay doors. "Shepard's fine. She and Tali are still talking to the metal guy." At the questioning look on Liara's face, Jack told her that EDI was monitoring them and had informed Joker that all was well.

"Am I that transparent?"

Jack replied around a mouthful of food. "Yep."

"Yes, I suppose that I am."

"All hell would have broken loose if the tin man had been a threat. Besides, that Asari meld thing would let you know if she was in trouble, right."

Liara spared another quick glance at the med bay then focused her attention on Jack who looked like she was trying very hard to get her food down without actually tasting it.

"Yes, 'that Asari meld thing' would have let me know. How is Miranda doing?"

"Oh, she's doing way fucking better. And she's pissed about that whole geth thing. Shepard's lucky she can't get her ass out of bed right now."

Liara hid a smile. She doubted that Miranda and Jack would ever be friends but they were spending more time together without threatening each other. They seemed to have a grudging respect for one another. "I'm not surprised Miranda wants to turn it over to Cerberus. She is Cerberus to the core."

Jack looked up, surprised to find that she felt the need to defend Miranda. "No way, she doesn't want to turn it over to fucking Cerberus. She just wants it off the ship." At the look on Liara's face, she knew that she had just been baited. "Look, she's not so bad now that she sees what Cerberus is really doing. She's still a bitch but she's not a Cerberus bitch anymore."

"Jack, you have mellowed since we picked you up from that prison ship."

Jack seemed to look inward briefly before deciding to answer. "Yeah, it's nice to know someone has my back. You know, people who give a shit about me. It feels weird but…it's good."

"I was much like you, Jack. When I say that, I mean that I was lonely. I did not trust easily and preferred to be alone. When Shepard rescued me from Therum, the Alliance crew did not trust me. They feared I would betray them to Saren and my mother. It was very difficult for me. Shepard put her trust in me without question as did Garrus and Tali. They have become my family…as have you."

Jack, feeling at a loss for words, merely looked at Liara and nodded. The two talked about Jack's misguided adventures until Shepard and Tali, looking very animated, emerged from the med bay.

TTTTTTTTTT

"So, this Geth, who we are calling Legion, wants us to help it…him destroy a Geth station filled with Geth who support the Old Machines which are the Reapers?" Liara shifted in her chair to look at the data pad showing the location of what Legion called the Heretic Station.

"Yes."

"And these other Geth, the ones that support the Reapers, they plan to spread a virus through the Geth network which will somehow make the other Geth, the ones likes Legion, also support the Reapers?"

"Yes."

"If we do this, will Legion and those like him help us with the Collectors?"

Shepard started to answer then shook her head. "Legion will but, the others, I don't know. But, when we do this they will help us when the Reapers return. And the Reapers will be back. When we stopped Saren and Sovereign, we bought time; time the Council used to hide evidence of the Reapers when they should have been preparing for their return."

"Shepard, I know they will be back." Liara moved to the bed and sat beside Shepard. "What about the Geth on the station? How many are there? If we destroy them, then what happens? Will the others turn on us? Will Legion?"

These were all things Shepard had been thinking. She didn't have the answers to Liara's questions and that was making her irritable. "Liara, don't you think I've thought about all of this? I have no idea what will happen if we do this. I do know what will happen if we don't do it and I won't let that happen. I won't let the Collectors or the Reapers gain more allies. We should be at the station in a couple of hours. I'm taking Tali and Legion with me. Tali's tech skills will be invaluable."

Liara knew Shepard was close to the edge. She could feel the anger and uncertainty through their connection. She also felt her own fear for Shepard come surging to the surface when she heard that Shepard would be boarding the Geth station without her. "Can you trust Legion? What if it's a trap?"

Shepard stood, paced a few steps and turned to face Liara. "I think Legion can be trusted but I'm not going to count on it. I want you, Jack and Garrus to board after us." Shepard's mouth turned up in a quirky grin. "You can find us easily with your little tracking device if something goes wrong."

Liara stood and took Shepard's hand. "If something goes wrong? Commander, trouble finds you at every turn."

"Is that so?"

"I'm afraid so."

"Well, that could explain you."

Liara smiled and kissed Shepard's nose. "You have a sense of humor, Commander. You should let it out to play more often." Liara moved around the cabin grabbing things she would need for the mission before walking toward the door. "I will meet you in the CIC. Perhaps I should bring Thane and Grunt to the station as well."

Shepard felt the tension spread through her body as she watched Liara make her way to the door. Legion and the geth were a big question mark and she knew that Liara was right…things could go very bad very quickly.

TTTTTTTTTT

When Liara entered the CIC, the rest of the team was already there with the exception of Miranda who was still confined to bed. She informed them that Shepard would be there with Legion in a few minutes then took a seat beside Tali. She looked around the room at the team Shepard had assembled. They were a mismatched group to be sure. All of them would give their lives for Shepard or each other yet they would have never come together if not for Shepard. Tali was even willing to work with a Geth because Shepard thought it was the right thing to do.

"Tali, what are your impressions of Legion?"

"It or he is not what I expected. I have lived my entire life hating the Geth, thinking they are all the same. Legion makes me reconsider what every Quarian is taught from birth. Maybe, as Legion says, not all Geth want to destroy organics. We could learn so much about the Geth from Legion; things that could help us take back our homeworld without fighting."

"Are you concerned that this could be a trap…Legion, this Heretic Station, everything?"

It had crossed Tali's mind as well but, after seeing Legion interact with Shepard, she was inclined to believe that Legion was fully committed to stopping the Reapers…or at least fully committed to Shepard. "Liara, did Shepard tell you about the piece of Alliance Armor Legion is 'wearing'?"

"No, she didn't."

"When she…when the Normandy was destroyed, Legion tried to find her. That piece of armor is Shepard's, taken from the crash site. Even then, some of the Geth or maybe just Legion took an interest in Shepard, in what she had done to destroy Sovereign. They respect her or admire her. If a Geth could blush, Legion would have done so when Shepard asked about the armor piece."

Liara's two years as an information broker had trained her mind to pick out every detail, no matter how small, of reports or conversations. Her mind was now telling her that Legion may have information about Cerberus or The Illusive Man that would shed more light on their involvement in Shepard's death. "Tali, did Legion say anything else about Shepard or the Normandy?"

Before Tali could respond, Shepard walked into the CIC followed by Legion. The two of them explained what Legion referred to as the 'Heretic' Geth to the team. Legion provided them more detailed information about the station, the security and the number of Geth currently on the station. Shepard told Legion and Tali they would be accompanying her then dismissed the team. She asked Jack and Garrus to stay behind and told them that they would be boarding with Liara as back-up.

"I don't think this is necessary. I trust Legion but I won't take chances after what happened on the Collector ship. We walked right into that one with our heads up our asses. I want you to stay back and out of sight unless we need you. Once the shuttle drops us, it will come back for you."

Garrus looked to Jack who was positively smirking. "Uh, Shepard. Are you sure Liara should go with us? I mean, if she decides you need her, we won't be able to stop her."

"Then you see my problem, Garrus. I could convince her to stay but, if something goes wrong, I won't be able to keep her away. It will be much easier if she's already on the station."

Jack tried unsuccessfully to contain her laughter. "Yeah, and if you don't let her go and something happens, she will be so fucking pissed. Shepard's right; it's much better to let her wreak havoc with the Geth. At least when it's done, we can come back to a nice, peaceful Normandy."

TTTTTTTTTT

Liara, Jack and Garrus walked down yet another corridor. The others had just walked through the door at the end. They were receiving communications between Shepard, Tali and Legion but had a couple of tense moments when the Geth had jammed communications. Liara was also tracking their movements with the device in Shepard's armor. The three had stayed just behind Shepard's team, only moving forward when a room was cleared. They had encountered no Geth which was not at all pleasing to Jack who was always ready for a fight. When they reached the door, they held their position.

"Blue girl, don't you want to poke your head in there…just make sure they're okay. They've been quiet for a few minutes…fucking Geth jamming."

"No, Jack. They are fine. I will know if they need us."

"Fine. But, don't blame me when I have to start a fight with the Normandy bitch just to release all this aggression."

Liara looked to Garrus for support. "You know, Jack, you could always ask Grunt to spar with you. Somewhere on the lower decks away from the rest of us would be good. You could even…"

Their comm units suddenly crackled to life. "Liara, get in here. We need to buy Legion some time and we have a full house coming at us."

Jack was the first through the door, head whipping from side to side looking for something to shoot. Liara was next through the door. She saw Legion working at a terminal with Tali and Shepard on either side of him. Neither was firing their weapon but both were alert as they scanned the large chamber that spread out in front of them.

Liara stood beside Shepard and peered around the chamber. "Commander, there are no Geth down there."

"They're sure to show up now that you're here, T'Soni."

Jack came up behind Liara and Shepard, a scowl on her face. "I sure as hell hope so. I've wasted a perfectly good afternoon following you around and I haven't killed anything."

Tali had sent her drone to patrol the chamber. They could hear gunfire coming from the far corner. Seconds later, Geth started streaming into the chamber.

Shepard took a shot at a rocket trooper as Liara unleashed powerful biotic attacks. Tali and Garrus covered the other side of the platform. Jack, feeling the dark energy building in her, laughed with glee as she used her biotics and shotgun to decimate the incoming Geth. They fought through three chaotic waves before the Geth were destroyed. Minutes later, Legion finished at the terminal.

"Shepard-Commander, the virus is ready. Have you decided?"

Liara could sense underlying tension between Shepard and Tali. She looked to Shepard who shook her head at her before answering Legion. "Are you sure you can reprogram them?"

"The heretic Geth will be reprogrammed to think as we do. They will no longer support the Old Machines."

Shepard spared a quick glance at Tali before turning back to Legion. "Do it."

"Acknowledged." Legion hit a few more buttons and sent the virus racing through the Geth network. "Shepard-Commander, the pulse released by the virus will result in the death of all organics on the station. We have three minutes to evacuate."

"Fuck, tin man. Couldn't you have told us this sooner?"

Shepard looked furious. "Not now, Jack. Legion, get us the hell out of here."

Legion took the lead and Shepard brought up the rear. She radioed Joker for a pick up as they sped through a long corridor. A few small fire fights and two corridors later, they made it to the safety of the shielded shuttle just as a huge pulse was emitted from the station. The shuttle was bounced around as the pulse made contact but was quickly righted and on course for the Normandy.

Shepard made sure no one had serious injuries before sliding down the wall to sit beside Liara. They clasped hands and closed their eyes as the shuttle took them home.