Aidan hoisted his things as he walked out of the cargo ramp down to the Citadel, excited to see Kyrie. On his way, he bumped into Wrex. He hadn't talked to the Krogan much at all, but viewed him as a friend. Doubting anyone else would, he figured he'd at least ask Wrex if he had anything to do. "Big plans, Wrex?"

"No," Wrex replied shortly. He caught sight of Aidan carrying his sword, he gestured toward it. "What's with the blade?" Wrex never understood the fascination with them. Why use a blade when you could get the satisfying retort of a shotgun blowing someone to bits? Humans, he thought to himself.

Aidan looked at his swords and shrugged. "They're just a part of me I guess. I stick out like a sore thumb anyways, might as well make it even more obvious." He had given up trying to completely adapt to the current times, he doubted that he ever would. Too much was different for him, but he would try. Then again, he doubted that he ever was normal to begin with.

"Humans and batarians. I'll never understand your fascination with a piece of metal that doesn't fire bullets," Wrex replied.

"I didn't know batarians used swords," Aidan said. He honestly thought the ancient weapons extinct. Still, he doubted that his sword would even compare to the batarian's, though Ashley's upgrades might make them stand a chance.

Wrex gave a quick chuckle. "Batarians are crazy about their battle blades. They never turn down a sword fight. Ever."

"That seems... odd," Aidan replied. "Swords will always have a place, but to never turn down a fight in this era with all the technology and different ways to kill people? I don't get it."

Wrex gave an amused grin as he thought back to the times he spent hunting and tracking batarian pirates. "I've seen an entire band of batarian mercs give up a chase because two of them had a disagreement. They settled it with battle blades. It was amusing to watch."

"What happened?" Aidan asked. "To the person running away, I mean."

"I killed them," Wrex said bluntly. "It was a contract. Thought that the mercs might actually catch the poor pyjak and I'd have to kill them. Probably should have, looking back. Would have been entertaining."

Aidan shook his head, smiling. "Thanks for the advice, Wrex. Try not to get too wild, I don't think these people can hang with us."

"Bahahaha, you're probably right," Wrex laughed, highly amused. "Go get an asari to show you a good time, you won't regret it."

If only he knew, Aidan thought to himself. "Will do, Wrex. Take care." Walking away from the cargo bay, he quickened his pace to the nearest rapid transit station. He was ready to catch a glimpse at what regular life could be like.

Shepard entered the cargo bay to find Liara already occupying it, staring solemnly over her mother's casket. A knife pricked at her heart at the scene, not able to imagine what her lover was going through. She took a steady breath before joining Liara, wrapping an arm around her waist. "Hey, Li."

Liara sniffled slightly, gathering herself when she noticed Shepard there. "Hello, Zoe." Looking at the capsule containing her mother, Liara couldn't help but feel a void within her. "This is finally it, she's really gone."

"Hey, you still have time. You'll be able to say goodbye at the funeral," Shepard said, trying to support Liara.

Liara shook her head. "No, I won't."

Shepard looked at Liara, surprised. She had been sure that Liara would want to be at her mother's funeral. "What? Why aren't you going? We have a whole week!"

"It is not that simple, love," Liara said sadly. Turning to Shepard, she laced her fingers with Shepard's and pulled her closer. My mother has been labeled a traitor of the highest degree, and by helping Saren she put Thessia in danger. She will not receive any funeral. Instead, she will be unceremoniously burned until nothing remains of her."

Shepard's jaw dropped in disbelief. From what Liara had told her of their last moments together, Benezia was not acting like herself. Her mind had been controlled by Saren, just like what happened to Shiala. "This is outrageous! Her mind was being controlled! I'm getting Tevos on the line right now, I'll bury her with my own two hands if I have to."

Liara caught Shepard's arm just as she was about to storm off and pulled her back. She looked into Shepard's eyes with such love, thanking the Goddess for someone as dedicated as her. "All of that is true, my love. However, you don't need to inform them. I already have."

"What? When?" Shepard didn't remember Liara entering the comm room, not that she was upset about it. It wasn't her place to decide what Liara could or could not do in matters regarding her mother's arrangements.

"When you were sleeping, last night," Liara replied. "I explained to them everything. My mother's unusual behavior, the fight, and what happened afterward. I told them how Saren had been controlling her mind, at her own admission, and that the same thing happened to Shiala."

"What did they say?"

"They did not believe me, at first," Liara said. "After several hours of discussion, they finally relented to the possibility of it all. However, they wanted more time to independently investigate the matter, including in-depth talks with Shiala."

Well that's a surprise. Guess they aren't as stubbornly idiotic as I thought they were. "Okay, so what happens with your mother?"

Liara placed her hand gently over the capsule, slowly letting her hand glide over the smooth metallic surface. "They will burn a fake casket, officially claiming that she was turned into a traitor by Saren. They agreed to dismiss the claim that she be considered an enemy of Thessia, as to not spoil her name. Instead, they plan to spin it as an attack on Saren. He is a monster who took one of Thessia's most beloved leaders and turn her against them." Liara felt relieved and happy that her mother's good name would not be completely tainted by the monster that Saren had made her into. To lose her mother was one thing, to have her reputation tarnished permanently would be a whole other thing entirely.

"I'm happy for you, Liara. The asari government sure surprised me. I for sure thought they wouldn't have listened to your story. What happens to her body, though?" Shepard asked. I'm glad people aren't making this harder on her than it is already. She doesn't need any more tragedy right now.

"The T'Soni estate has a private cemetery, completely blocked off from the public. She will be buried there in an unmarked grave," Liara said. "If the Council and Thessia's government find what I said true, then she will receive a proper headstone and decorations."

"You sure talked them into a hell of a deal, Li," Shepard said, smiling. Her shy prothean archaeologist kept surprising her at every turn, and each time she fell deeper into love with her. She was moving in to kiss Liara when she saw a group of asari approaching out of the corner of her eye, Tevos chief amongst them. Straightening, she nodded respectfully at Tevos as she arrived.

"Hello, Commander. Liara," Tevos said, turning her attentions to Liara. "Have you said your final goodbyes?"

Liara fought back the tears and nodded, stepping away from the capsule, unable to look at it any longer now that it was being taken away. "Thank you for this, Councilor. Words cannot express what this means to me."

Tevos' face softened, and she took a step forward, brushing Liara on the cheek. "Hush now, dear. You have had it the worst in this situation, and I do not wish what you are going through on anyone. Take some time off, and enjoy your small vacation. You deserve it." She gave Liara a quick hug, then stepped back. "If you don't mind, I would like to speak to Shepard alone for a moment."

Liara looked at Shepard with concern, but was met with a soothing sensation from their bond and she knew things would be okay. Nodding her head, she wiped her eyes and grabbed the bag at her feet. "I'll meet you later," she said, not wanting to divulge their relationship in front of Tevos.

Shepard smiled and nodded, watching Liara leave the Normandy. She suddenly felt alone and withdrawn without her around, but knew that it wouldn't be for long. When she was sure that Liara was far enough away, she turned her focus to Tevos. "You wanted to speak with me?"

"Yes," Tevos replied, clasping her hands behind her as she spoke. "I wanted to thank you for helping this situation resolve much smoother than I could have ever hoped for. Your tactics were... not my favorite, but everything worked out in the end."

"If you're looking for an apology, you won't be getting one," Shepard stated firmly. She regretted nothing she had done, everything had been for Liara. She would do it again in a heartbeat.

"Nor do I expect one," Tevos countered. "I am aware of your relationship with Dr. T'Soni, and the extent to which it is developing. I am happy for you. I am just here to remind you that certain things need to be kept in secret, some for reasons you would not understand."

What the hell?! "How do you know?" Shepard said, not even trying to deny that she was in a relationship with Liara. She didn't mind people knowing, but she just wanted people to find out when she was ready for them to.

"Please, Commander. Don't insult my intelligence by asking that question again. I am older than you think, and have seen a great deal." Watching the other asari carry out the capsule containing she took a moment to remember her old friend as she was, rather than what she became. Turning back to Shepard, she gave a reassuring smile. "She will need you in these coming days. Take your time and recover, you've earned it. Let us do some digging and we'll get back to you. Just remember what I said, some things are best left unsaid."

"I agree," Shepard said. "Well, since the cat's out of the bag I should probably be going. Liara is waiting on me."

"Of course, Commander. Take care." Tevos watched as Shepard walked away, smiling at the influence Liara had on her. It reminded her of herself and the way she could temper out Aria even on her worst day. With a bittersweet smile, she exited the Normandy, content to wander the Presidium for a while.

Kyrie ran about her apartment, cleaning it frantically. Normally she was not this messy, but she had been working extremely hard the past couple of weeks and often came home exhausted with little motivation to do anything other than sleep. With Aidan coming, though, she felt as if nothing would be good enough. Billions of thoughts were whirling through her head every second, and she couldn't contain her excitement. A small yelp emerged from her when she heard the door chime, and she quikly dropped everything and rushed to the door. Taking a moment to compose herself, she opened the door to see Aidan standing handsomely in front of her.

"Hey," Aidan said with a smirk on his face.

Kyrie couldn't contain herself and lunged forward, throwing her arms around him and letting out a cry of joy. "I've missed you!" She reveled in the firmness of Aidan's body, enjoying being able to touch and see him in person after so long.

"I missed you too, Kyrie." Aidan couldn't help but grin stupidly as Kyrie showered him with affection. He certainly wasn't used to it, but it felt natural with her so he enjoyed it. Being here now made him start counting the days until he could be done with the Normandy.

Satisfied with the embrace, Kyrie took a step back and then noticed all the bags that Aidan had with him. "Why do you have all of those bags?"

Aidan gave a teasing shrug. "I thought instead of staying in a hotel or something like that, I could stay here instead. If you're okay with that, of course." He already knew the answer when he saw Kyrie's face light up.

"Really?!" Kyrie asked. "Of course you can stay! Let me help you carry some of those bags," she said, moving to pick up one of the bags on the ground. He wants to stay with me! She knew that she was getting excited like a school girl, but she couldn't help it. She felt blessed to be in the position that she was.

Stepping in the apartment, Aidan couldn't help but laugh a little bit at how clean it was. "Either you spent the entire twenty-four hours cleaning this place, or it really wasn't that dirty to begin with. It looks great."

Kyrie blushed, setting down Aidan's bag by the entrance to the bedroom and rejoined him in the living room. "I worked hard on it," she said with a beaming smile. Looking at the time, she realized that Aidan must be hungry. "How about some dinner? I bet you're starving."

"Home cooked or are we going somewhere?" Aidan asked, sitting down on the couch and relaxing into its soft cushions.

Kyrie looked around her kitchen, and saw that she had the supplies to make her favorite meal. "Home cooked. I hope that is all right with you."

"I see. Ashamed to take me out in public. I get it. Home cooked it is," Aidan teased. He had never felt this free before, this normal. It was tempting to just drop his mission and stay there and figure out what to do with himself as an average person, but his sense of duty wouldn't let him do it.

"It would be quite the embarrassment," Kyrie retorted. "Besides, now I can share my favorite meal with you. I hope you like it."

"What is it?" he asked curiously. If asari cuisine was anything like the alcohol he had when he first met Kyrie, he had a feeling that he wouldn't mind giving up human food at all.

"You'll just have to wait and find out," she replied with a wink. "Now, make yourself comfortable. This particular dish takes a while to prepare. While my vid screen isn't the best, you can feel free to watch anything you want on it. You looked a little tired as well, so if you'd rather sleep on an actual bed, you can get a preview of tonight." She took a moment and paused, then blushed madly when she realized what she had just said. "Getting a good night's sleep, I mean." Correcting herself made her blush even harder, and tried to hide herself in the kitchen to avoid embarrassing herself further.

Aidan couldn't help but laugh at Kyrie's slip up. The sound of a soft bed did sound appealing to him, though. "I think I'll take that preview, thank you," he said in a teasing groan. Another laugh escaped him when he heard a groan from Kyrie. Heading to the bedroom he took off his shoes and set them neatly to the left of the door. He looked at all the carefully placed pillows and couldn't bring himself to disturb it, not knowing how much effort Kyrie had put into arranging them. Instead, he sprawled out at the foot of the bed and relaxed into the form fitting mattress. Definitely could get used to this. Within seconds, the Normandy was a distant memory and sleep took him over quite swiftly.

Tevos's stroll around the presidium came to a halt at one of the lakes that decorated the area. She always loved to come here and simply stare into the serene blue water, often losing herself for quite some time. It reminded her of simpler times back on Thessia with her family. She did not allow herself to dwell on it too long, however, as it was a depressing topic for her to think about. Instead, she shifted focus and remembered that the Normandy crew currently had leave. That would mean Aidan would be on the Citadel, and she could finally have that face-to-face conversation she needed. Tomorrow, she thought. No doubt the two of them were together, catching up. How far their relationship had progressed, she had no idea of knowing. She trusted Kyrie to handle herself, though, so she did not concern herself too much.

Deciding that her adventuring had concluded for the day, she began the walk to her apartment, not too far from where she currently was. After a few short minutes, she arrived at the apartment towers and took the elevator up. While not the most exquisite apartments the Citadel had to offer, she found that they more that suited her tastes. As Councilor, she had her pick, but chose these due to their proximity to the presidium and the excellent security it provided. Here, she could truly be alone.

Entering her dwelling, she closed the door behind her and kicked off her shoes. She felt like a nice cup of wine and perhaps a vid to help her fall asleep, so she moved to the kitchen to grab her Thessia Red and a glass. Before she could make it there, however, she suddenly found herself encased in a stasis field. What in the name of the Goddess?! Struggling, she fought to ward off the stasis with her own biotics, but found that it was no use. Who could have gotten in here? This place has some of the highest security on the Citadel! "Who are you? Show yourself!"

No reply came, and Tevos found herself becoming more and more worried. She became aware of someone behind her, slowly walking up to her. Fear and panic started to set in. At this moment, she was completely powerless and helpless. She just prayed that she would make it out of the situation alive, cursing herself for letting someone get the drop on her. Feeling anger well up within her, she felt ready to burst. "I demand that you show yourself this instant!" Suddenly, the stasis field dissipated, leaving her free. Not wasting any time, she summoned her biotics and whirled around to face her attacker. Instead of attacking, though, her biotics completely died when she saw who was standing in front of her.

"You're so sexy when you get demanding like that," Aria said with a grin.

Tevos couldn't believe that she was standing in front of her bondmate, after all of these years. She began to worry, knowing the implications this could have. Frantically, she looked around the room for cameras that could have caught Aria in the apartment.

"Relax," Aria said soothingly. "The Matriarchy sends their regards. Not that I needed their permission to see you whenever I chose to."

"B-but I do not understand?" Tevos asked. Why would the Matriarchy send Aria to her?

"Do you really need to?" Aria replied. Taking a step forward, she grabbed Tevos's hands and brought her to her feet, then gently captured her lips with her own.

Tevos inhaled deeply, and intensified the kiss. She had missed this intimacy dearly, and now having it before her she couldn't deny herself any longer. Lighting her biotics, she shredded both of their clothing until they were bare before each other. As usual in their relationship, Tevos began taking charge. She slowly backed Aria up against the wall, eyes swirling black, unable to contain herself.

"Right here?" Aria asked longingly. Tevos was the only person that Aria felt vulnerable with, the only one she allowed her guard to be down with. While she did a good job hiding it, not having Tevos around had a negative effect on her.

Tevos responded by lighting up her biotics and picking Aria up and slamming her against the wall. She was done working for others and worrying about their concerns for the moment. It was her time to get what she wanted. "Right now," she replied hungrily, diving into the meld and completely losing herself in eternity and her bondmate.