EARTH

Blake is a fan of the place she shares with Cooper. They are in a three level home on acreage away from the hustle and bustle of New York City while at the same time close enough to take in a show for the evening if they want. The now shoulder length brunette woman is feeling like her old self again. It was a simple cold that turned into a double ear infection. Cooper always told her she had a flare for the dramatic and he has not let her live it down this time.

"Hey beautiful," he says as he wraps his arms around her small waist from behind. She is in their master bathroom getting ready for work. It is about time she show her face in the lab.

"Morning." She smiles as she steps out of his embrace and checks her shirt in the three mirrors that hang at an angle where she can see all 360 degrees with a turn of the head.

"So not dying today after all?" He can hardly contain his smile.

"Ha Ha Coop, we both know I am dying."

"Ah yes but not today. And not tomorrow or next week or next month if I have anything to say about it." He kisses her on the cheek careful not to mess up her hair.

"Well that is the plan," says Blake, "I finished going over Oriana and Claire's data last night."

"And?"

"Seems promising."

"You going to ask them why they have not shared it with you yet?"

As part of her work on this project the setup is simple. Every piece of data that is entered at any work station in the lab is sent to her private console at home and at an offsite location for backup. The Alliance and The Asari Republic are not aware of this redundant system and they both plan on keeping it that way.

"No I am not," says Blake. She leaves the bathroom happy with how she looks for the day.

Cooper follows her, "And why not? They work for you honey. You can't let them get away without telling you."

"Patience darling." She dons her white lab coat. "All in due time."

"You certainly have changed your tune."

"What do you mean?" She heads for the kitchen.

"I thought you wanted to move on this."

She sighs as she takes a mug and pours some coffee into it. "I know I know, but you have to cut me a little slack."

"Oh?"

"I did think I was never going to get out of that bed two days ago."

He rolls his eyes.

She gives him a playful slap on the arm.

"Seriously Blake. When can I move on the Miranda thing? Seems to me we need to send a message."

"I don't want you to kill anyone."

"Who said anything about killing?"

She looks at him. She knows he is a very capable killer. "What did you have in mind?"

"Oriana cannot get away with what she has done. She signed a confidentiality agreement. She should be fired and made to pay back wages as her contract states."

"And since that is not going to happen…."

Cooper smiles.

She knows that smile all too well.

Oriana is finishing up breakfast with her family. Mark, her husband is clearing the table while she kisses her kids on each cheek.

They run up to their bedrooms to play. They are not to leave the house today until their Dad comes home. Once they understood that their parents dismissed them.

Oriana hugs Mark from behind as he is drying his hands. He leans back into her covering her hands with his own. "I sure could get used to this," he says with a sigh.

"And what is that?" she kisses his neck.

"You being here for breakfast and dinner. It has been wonderful Oriana…thank you."

She places her hands on his broad shoulders and turns him to face her. "Thank me for what?"

"For making an effort. For being here. Making our family work." He leans in and kisses her slowly at first then pulls her ever closer. It has been a while for them.

Oriana moans then shifts a little. He knows she has to get going but he doesn't want to let her go. They do finally break from the kiss.

"Wow," she says breathlessly. "Are you telling me all I have to do is be home at night and in the morning and I can expect more of that?" She kisses him again, short this time.

"And then some."

She steps out of the hug. She takes a last sip of her tea. Mark takes the cup and rinses it before placing it into the dishwasher. "Have you given any more thought to this weekend?" asks Mark.

"This weekend?"

"Yeah. The cabin up north. Where the boys and I can hunt and fish and you can cook."

She pretends not to remember.

"Oriana," he crosses his arms and taps his foot.

"I remember," she gives him a great big smile. "I think it sounds great. But I don't like the idea of our boys handling guns."

"We are not seriously going to have this conversation again are we? I was younger than Tanner when I first started hunting with my Dad."

"Well good for you. Doesn't mean they need to learn about such things."

"And what is so bad about these things?"

She grabs her purse but stops to look at him. "I just don't like the idea of them around weapons that's all. I don't think I am being unreasonable."

"Except that you are Oriana. This is part of who I am. I want to teach them to hunt and to fish like my Dad taught me."

"Can't you just teach them to fish for now and when they are older teach them to hunt?"

"No, absolutely not. Now we discussed this and you were fine with it a week ago."

"I know I know I …."

"What? What is it?" He is standing with his hands on his hips.

"I just don't want anything to happen that's all."

"Nothing is going to happen except maybe our boys will learn something new and actually find something they both enjoy and can bond over for the rest of their lives."

"Well when you put it that way," she says sarcastically. She heads for the door.

"I'm serious Ori."

She stops and turns to look at her handsome blonde husband. "I know you are."

"So?" He shrugs his shoulders.

"Okay," she says with a sigh.

"Great!" He jumps a little in excitement reminding her of their second born. "You won't regret this." He leans down and kisses her cheek. "I love you."

"I love you too."

He opens the front door for her. She sees Gary standing outside of the sky car waiting for her.

"Have a good day," he says.

"Yeah you too. Don't shoot anybody."

He laughs as he disappears into the garage for his sky car.

THESSIA

"You sure you are up for this Liara? We can always wait a few more days," says Shepard. It is morning and Liara is resting in bed.

"I am fine Elly please stop babying me. Besides we need to talk to her. The longer we wait the harder it will be."

Shepard scratches the back of her neck. "Yeah okay. You want any more breakfast?"

"No thank you."

Shepard leans down to grab the tray that is sitting over the asari's lap. She steals a kiss first. "I'll be right back."

Liara fluffs her pillows then takes a sip of tea as she waits for her bondmate and Mia to appear.

"Hi Mom." Mia looks a little worried. Her eyes flicker between parents. "You wanted to see me?"

Shepard pulls out the chair from the corner of the room and gestures to it while she sits on the edge of the bed after closing the bedroom door.

"Yes Mia, your father and I wanted to talk to you."

"What about?"

"About what happened in the part between you and Dava."

Mia looks to her father. "You told her?"

"Of course I told her honey. She is your mother."

"Mia honey, we are not upset with you we just want to know what happened. From what Elly tells me you were upset about it. Can….can you talk to us about it?"

Mia sits with a sigh. "Where do you want me to start?"

Shepard looks over her shoulder at Liara. The asari says, "Why not from the beginning?"

Mia shifts in the chair. She is looking down playing with her fingers. "Well…I guess it started a couple of months ago. I started noticing things about Dava." She looks up between them.

"What kind of things?" asks Shepard.

Mia shrugs. "I don't know. How she moves. How clothes fit her. How her eyes light up when she smiles that kind of thing." She gets quiet.

"Go on honey," says Liara.

"I don't know we hang out a lot or at least did. She…well we were supposed to meet at the pizza parlor. When I arrived she was standing outside of it crying. She asked if we could go somewhere else. I figured she wanted privacy ya know, not cry in front of strangers."

Her parents nod.

"Anyway, I suggested the park since it was pretty close. When we got there she started telling me that she was afraid her parents were going to split up. She said that they have been fighting for a long time and that her Dad is never home and when she is they fight. I mean she was really upset."

Shepard and Liara exchange a glance. They had no idea their friends were having problems.

"I tried to be there for her, to be a good friend. I hugged her and…"

"And what honey?" asks Shepard.

"I was about to step away but she kissed me. I mean it took me by surprise. I mean…I always thought I would be the one to kiss her. I didn't know she had feelings like that for me." Her eyes start to burn a little at the memory.

She shakes her head and continues. "We kiss long," she looks down embarrassed to look at her parents. "Then she…she …" she clears her throat. She looks at her mother. "I felt something." She points to her head.

Liara's eyes widened. Shepard can only guess but waits.

"She tried to meld with me."

Shepard's hands fist at her sides.

"What did you do honey?" Liara asks cautiously.

"I blocked her. I mean we have shared memories Mom, but this….this was not that."

"Did she stop?" asks her mother.

Mia looks down again.

Shepard feels the heat rising within. She wants to hit something…like right now.

"She tried again. Pushed harder…but I was able to stop her. I pushed her away."

Shepard doesn't realize her bondmate left the bed until she sees her hugging her daughter.

"Are you alright Mia?"

Shepard joins the two. She sits on the arm of the chair and places her hand on her daughter's shoulder.

"Yeah. I mean she looked just as scared as I felt," says Mia.

"What happened next?" asks Liara. Shepard still does not trust herself to say anything. She suspects her bondmate knows and is asking the questions.

"I yelled at her. Told her it wasn't okay. She kept coming toward me but I…."

"What honey?" Liara is kneeling in front of her daughter now.

"I was scared. I…I have never been scared like that…I mean for that reason. She…when she wouldn't stop the first time I…I started to panic."

Shepard and Liara exchange looks. "You did the right thing Mia," says Shepard as she squeezes the asari's shoulder. "Is that when you left?"

"Yeah. I told her I needed to go. She was so upset. I mean she was crying and everything. I know she was sorry but…"

"There are no butts here Mia," says her father, "what she did was wrong, terribly wrong. You did the right thing by getting out of the situation."

"Have you spoken to her since?" asks Liara.

Mia shakes her head. "She sent me a message when her Dad got home from the hospital. She apologized again and said she really wanted to talk to me."

"How did she explain her actions?"

"She said she didn't mean it, that she didn't know what came over her. That was about it," says Mia.

"Do you want to talk to her?" asks Liara.

If it were up to Shepard her daughter would never speak to Dava again.

"Sometimes I do. I mean I miss her. I don't think we could ever be more than friends now…but…I don't know. I don't know what to do. I haven't replied. What would you do?" she is looking at her mother.

Liara stands then sits on the edge of the bed. "I am not sure. Have you ever felt threatened by her before?"

"No never. I mean…this is Dava we are talking about. She can barely do her biotic exercises in class. I could totally take her.

"Did you feel you could take her when she was trying to invade your mind?" asks Shepard. She keeps her voice nice and even.

"Uh…I guess in that moment….if I could not have pushed her away…I don't think so."

"I think that is your answer then," says Liara.

Mia looks at her, "What do you mean?"

"If you want to see her again Mia I strongly suggest you do not do so alone. You can meet in public places, but no contact. Not until you feel you can trust her," says her mother.

"I don't like it. I don't agree," says Shepard. She can't hold her tongue any longer.

"You don't think I should see her at all?" asks Mia.

"Look," she stands from the arm of the chair and starts to pace a little. "I am not an asari. But I have learned the asari ways. When someone blocks you during a meld you stop. Did she even ask you before she tried Mia?"

"No."

"If this were a human and a human where one was getting too physical with the other and the advances were unwanted but the person kept advancing anyway, that is called attempted rape, which is a crime. So do I think you should see her again? Absolutely not. As far as I am concerned she tried to rape your mind Mia, she tried to rape you."

"But she was really sorry."

Shepard stops cold and stares at her daughter. Liara is concerned about how angry the human is. Hands fisted at her sides again Shepard takes in a deep breath and lets it out in hopes to calm down. "Let me ask you something Mia."

Mia is not sure where this is going but she is a little nervous about her Dad's tone of voice. "Okay."

"Pretend Little A is on a date with Rael."

"Okaaaayy."

"You have met Rael. He is a really nice guy right? Nice young boy."

Mia nods.

"Okay. So let's say Little A comes home from their date. She is in tears and her clothes are dirty and her shirt is ripped. Let's say Rael is super nice to your face but when he wants something he doesn't take no for an answer. Let's say he gets a little fresh with your youngest sister but she doesn't want his advances. He decides to take what he wants. So he tries to force himself on her."

Mia swallows. She feels sick to her stomach.

"Let's say a few days pass. Rael calls her. Tells her how sorry he is. And we know your sister; she has a kind heart just like the rest of you. She forgives him. He keeps telling her sorry I am so, so sorry. Let me make it up to you. Come out with me."

"Okay Dad I get it."

She doesn't stop. "So now Little A is telling you Mia, she is telling her older sister that Rael is a good guy. That he is really sorry and I mean really, really sorry. He says he deserves a second chance that it won't happen again. Do you let her go out with him?"

"No." She doesn't have to think about it before answering.

"So can you please tell me why you would even consider seeing Dava again? Why your Mother or I should let you see her again?"

"Because it's not the same."

"What?" Shepard throws her arms up flabbergasted.

"Well it's not!" says Mia standing. "Maybe she….well maybe she just got overwhelmed with the feelings. I mean I was overwhelmed."

"Did you try to meld with her?" asks Shepard trying to get through to her daughter.

"No absolutely ….." her trails off. She hangs her head with a sigh.

Liara stands and touches Shepard's arm before crossing to her daughter. "I know it is difficult when a friendship ends Mia. It is painful and you may wonder if perhaps you could have done something to prevent this from happening."

Mia looks at her mom her lower lip starts to quiver. She won't make eye contact.

Liara pulls her into a hug. "You did nothing wrong honey. I know you wanted to do all sorts of things with Dava this summer I know you did. But I must agree with your father on this. What she did was wrong. She can be sorry that is fine and you can forgive her if you want. As you know forgiving does not mean what she did was okay, it is a way for you to move on. She doesn't need to know you forgive her."

Mia is still hanging her head when Liara steps back from the hug.

"Honey?" she says as she tips her daughter's chin up. "You deserve a better friend than that. You did nothing wrong."

"Yeah then why am I being punished? I am still losing a friend." She walks toward the door of their bedroom to get a little space. "I know," she sniffles a little, "I know what she did was wrong. I know I did not send her a signal or lead her on or anything like that. I also know how scared she was. I saw it Mom. She was petrified that she did that to me."

Shepard is about to say something but she sees Liara look at her. She remains quiet.

"And the example you gave Dad is an easy one to answer. But this…this is not that easy. I don't think she meant to do it."

Shepard presses her lips together. All she can think about is that she and Liara taught their daughters better than this.

"What do you mean Mia?" asks Liara in a gentle tone.

"I mean…what if she couldn't help it?"

Shepard cannot believe her ears. Liara stands next to her. She places her hand at the small of her back. "What exactly are you saying Mia?"

"It would explain how scared she was. How horribly sorry she was and is. I mean she was near hysterical when I left. She did not mean to hurt me. Maybe…I mean if Elina was…" she looks at her parents. She doesn't want to think it let alone say it.