A/N: Special thanks to Lazy leviathan who commented in the reviews for chapter 30, saying that they'd like to see my A/N2 for that chap come to light. This isn't exactly that, but your encouragement is motivating me to post this ^^

Another special thanks to SHEPARISM whose review today(?) made me want to attempt to post another chapter tonight :)

FINALLY! Thank you thank you everyone who continues to feed me encouragement via reviews, PMs, faves, and follows! It's a shot in the arm against writer's block ^^

Context: ME3, post Citadel DLC; also harkens back to Thane's loyalty mission for ME2

"Liara what are we doing here?" Shepard asked in exasperation. She'd wanted to spend the day with her favorite soul in the galaxy, not with a bunch of 'fans'. She winced at the thought of the thousands of people that seemed to root for her steady aim. If they had to pull the trigger as often as she did, would they still cheer? And as fun as it was to play at the arena, she didn't exactly relish the thought of going against Liara. In fact, the very idea made her angry. Deciding she'd better leave before showing Liara how very much she detested how their day was turning out, she made a brief apology and began to leave. Liara stopped her at the wrist. The Commander frowned. "Liara?"

"My love," Liara began, her voice soft and soothing.
Everything else in the universe collapsed in the background when Shepard heard those words from her bondmate.
"Sweetheart," Liara crooned, "they're a special sort of fans."

Shepard frowned once more. "How so? And why do we have to go against each other for them?"

"We don't, my love. We can be on the same team if you'd prefer. In fact, I think our audience would prefer it that way. I certainly would."

"Oh!" Shepard brightened. "Wait, what do you mean they're a special sort of fans?"

Liara smiled sweetly at her and joined their hands. "Do you remember when you forwarded that information to me while you were helping Thane find his son? The information you gave me about Mouse?"

Shepard tilted her head in curiosity then nodded for Liara to continue.

"I followed through with your suggestion. An orphanage dedicated to the lost among the ducts was founded with the funds you sent and some of my own."

Liara's smile was growing infectious, but Shepard still didn't gather the whole gist. "So…?"

"So," Liara grinned. "Those children are waiting to cheer on their benefactor. I took the liberty of inviting Miranda and Jack to play against us. They said they'd 'let us win' for the orphans' sake. Care to show them that won't be necessary?"

Shepard had a grin plastered to her face now. She scooped Liara into her arms and twirled them once before kissing her soundly, still smiling on her lips. "Why didn't you tell me all of this?"

"That would be, well, telling," Liara smirked, still pressed against her bondmate. "It was meant to be a surprise."

Shepard sighed happily, resting her forehead on her bondmate's and stroking her sides. She was far beyond the luckiest woman in the galaxy. "I'm so happy you were able to do something for those kids, Liara. All I did was send the idea and credits, Love. I hope you haven't let me take all the credit."

"Well," Liara pondered aloud. "I wanted the orphanage to be called 'Shepard's Refuge' or something of the like, but when I sent in the payment with our information, the agency I worked with named it the "Shepard-T'Soni Refuge" without asking me. I didn't bother to correct them. Truth be told, I rather like seeing our names linked…" her voice trailed off a bit wistfully.

Shepard leaned against Liara who in turn leaned against a wall. The Commander shook her head in happy disbelief. "Liara T'Soni…" she breathed her bondmate's name, enjoying the feel of it caressing her tongue on its way out. Some teenage fool who couldn't comprehend the meaning of what it was to be 'starcross'd lovers' compared to she and Liara had once asked 'what's in a name?' Everything, Shepard decided right then and there, when that name was Liara T'Soni.
She wanted to say more, but any words that followed the two she'd just uttered would fail miserably. How could words tell Liara how ridiculously happy she made her? How free? Loved? She opted for a kiss instead, one hand on her bondmate's hip and the other on the wall behind her—she wasn't planning on letting the asari before her escape any time within the next few millennia.

The kiss was savoring and delicate. Everything else in their lives was chaos, some sort of desperate scramble. But this…this was solid and firm. This bond they shared was certain. It had survived and transcended death and that was something to be treasured, not rushed. Something clicked in Shepard's mind as she kissed her bondmate. She'd always known it, but in this moment, for whatever reason, realization grasped hold of her. She was bonded to Liara eternally. Vaguely recollecting something from a strand of Liara's thoughts during a joining, she knew all it would take for their bond to be permanent in asari culture was a special meld. In it, pieces of one another permanently took residence in the other; they'd be bonded.

At long last, the Commander found the only words she could fathom at this point. "Liara, Goddess, bond eternally with me."

"Shepard," the asari breathed heavily. Her eyes searched the other's. She seemed to suffer from Shepard's previous predicament, settling for a kiss to convey her love when words failed.

Liara parted them at last and laughed lightly in bliss, finally answering her bondmate. "Only if you promise me something."

Shepard furrowed her brows. "Anything," she said and meant it.

Liara grinned on her lips. "Help me kick Miranda and Jack's collective ass out there?"

Shepard fell against Liara as she laughed, unbelieving. "You've been hanging out with Aethyta haven't you?"

Liara smiled into Shepard's shoulder and turned to kiss her neck. "You, actually, my love."

Shepard chuckled. "So let me get this straight—I help you beat Miranda and Jack out there and you'll commit to an eternal bond with me?"

Liara grinned and nodded in answer.

Shepard returned the nod with one of approval. "I get it. I have to earn it. It's not like stopping the Reapers from invading, coming back from the dead, stopping the Collectors, and curing the genophage (to name just a few things) come anywhere near the gallant feats that could earn your hand."

Liara quirked a brow.

Shepard laughed. "Just joking, Li. I'm assuming you want to kick their collective ass for the bragging rights?"

Laughing with her, Liara said "No, I want to kick their collective ass because we'll never live it down if they win. If we are to spend our lives together, I'd like it to be a pleasant experience."

Shepard chuckled with her. "To tell the truth, we've got our work cut out for us. Jack's crazy and Miranda's almost as stubborn as I am." The Commander tried wrapping her head around the so-called psychotic biotic and the ex-Cerberus operative teaming up. Of course…they were both orphans in a way. They had that in common with each other and the audience.

Liara smirked, but covered it when she saw Miranda and Jack approaching.

"Blue's turned purple," Jack remarked, smirking back. "What'd you do to her Shepard?" she turned to the Commander.

"Three guesses," Miranda rolled her eyes. "Hello, Shepard."

Shepard smiled fondly, but returned her gaze to Liara as she greeted her former XO. "Miri."

"Miri?" Jack repeated incredulously. "Ha!"

Shepard, on some level, heard a smack followed by "What the fuck, Cheerleader!" She brushed Liara's cheek reverently and kissed the other. Both had indeed taken on her favorite shade of lilac. She felt Liara snake her hand to the nape of her neck, trailing fingers through the Commander's hair, making her all but purr. When Liara's blue eyes darted to Shepard's lips, the Commander didn't hesitate to comply with the silent request. Amidst the kiss, the arena's doors swooshed open, allowing them to enter.

"You comin', Girl Scout?" Jack asked the Commander. "I'd hate to disappoint a bunch a kids and win because you didn't have the balls to even show up to the fight."

Shepard broke the kiss only to kiss the tip of Liara's nose affectionately and nuzzle it briefly with a grin. "Oh, I'm coming. Liara's set on kicking your ass and I wouldn't miss it." She dipped to kiss her bondmate once more when Liara blushed further.

She pulled away, letting their lips pull apart softly so that she could form the words "I love you."

Liara's eyes had darkened to a navy blue and were fogged. She gazed up at Shepard with unyielding affection and contentment. "Love you back."

A corner of Shepard's lips pulled up in a soft half smile. "Shall we?"

Blinking several times, allowing Shepard to appreciate the way her lashes fluttered, Liara pushed off the wall and dusted herself off more to compose herself than anything else, it would seem. When she responded, Shepard knew it was to answer a previous, infinitely more important question. "Yes."