Chapter Thirty-five
Letting go of the Shit

Omega, Sahrabarik

Karin Chakwas had long since given up being surprised by anything Shepard managed to do. This included coming back from the dead – twice. Upon seeing her former charge alive and well, she had merely remarked 'you look better than I would have expected.' Even if she had been inclined towards overexcitement, Karin doubted that she could have made any sense of the whole scenario. It suited her to simply accept that the Galaxy was once again blessed with the presence of an immensely extraordinary individual – one with the uncanny ability to shape the course of events around her.

However, as she regarded the patient perched on the edge of the bed in front of her, Karin had the distinct impression of a sulky teenager as opposed to a galactic hero. Shepard regarded her with a guarded, wary expression – one habitually worn whilst seeing her in her professional capacity. With an indulgent shake of her head, Karin turned her attention to the test results displayed on her omni-tool.

"Don't keep me waiting, Karin," Shepard broke the silence. Her voice sounded overly casual, in an obvious effort to conceal her anxiety. "What's the verdict?"

Following her reunion with Shepard, Karin had wasted little time before ascertaining the state of the young woman's health. She had gently coerced and dragged out of Shepard what had taken place during the months since the end of the Reaper War - listening patiently, interjecting sympathetically – even stifling her own outrage at times. Once fully informed, Karin had managed to make a convincing case regarding the need for a thorough check-up. Despite an aversion to medical procedures, Shepard had submitted with only a perfunctory protest. Whilst Shepard's lack of knowledge about her own biology was clearly a motivating factor, Karin also hoped it had something to do with her impeccable bedside manner.

"The last time I examined you, I barely needed to run a single test to know that you were literally falling apart. Your body was rejecting the Cerberus tech with life-threatening rapidity, compromising your physical and mental health. Now…" Karin paused. Subconsciously, she shook her head in amazement. "Now…"

"Now what?" Shepard asked, her voice tinged with alarm. "Doc?"

Karin realised that Shepard had construed her hesitation in negatively. She responded with what she hoped was a reassuring smile. "For lack of a better word, you're extraordinary, Shepard," Karin replied honestly. She met the young woman's nervous gaze with a direct, honest stare. "To say that you're perfectly healthy is a monumental understatement. Every test that I conducted, the results are flawless, better than that even….just perfect. Even without running further tests, I can conclusively say that the Catalyst has altered your body's chemical make-up…although to what extent that will impact you in the future, I cannot say…without further tests."

"No more tests." Shepard was fiercely adamant. "Please just tell me that you know enough to reassure me that I'm not going to start falling apart?"

"Then I can do that much," Karin assured her with a gentle nod. "You're not going to start falling apart, Shepard. Let me show you something."

Shepard sat with a modicum of patience as Karin summoned a holographic representation of the scans she had run earlier. A disembodied form was suspended between them, an apparent mess of lines that resembled an outline of a human form with the skin stripped away. Fine white lines dominated the image – concentrated in a nest-like fashion around Shepard's heart. Almost immediately, any remaining colour drained from Shepard's face.

"I thought you were trying to make me feel better? Is that supposed to be me…or at least my insides? The only thing that's going to do is make me lose my lunch," Shepard commented.

"It is you…and the quite marvellous technology – if one can even call it that - integrated throughout your body. It no longer seems appropriate to call the Catalyst a foreign entity introduced surgically into your body. It is, for lack of a better description, you. The integration is so complete that I can't ascertain the complete extent of its function. Basically, where it stops and you start. One of the few things I can confirm that might make you happy is that all traces of Cerberus tech are gone." When Shepard didn't add any comments, Karin continued, "The existence of these nodules throughout your body, however, cannot be explained. Superficially they resemble eezo nodules, but…while I'm not expert, they're clearly not. What exactly they are, I don't know."

Silence descended over the medbay. Colour had not returned to Shepard's face. Karin bit her lip. She had hoped that a visible demonstration might allay Shepard's fears. It appeared to have had the opposite effect. A part of her feared she had said too much too quickly.

"Great," Shepard eventually spoke up in a hoarse voice. "I'm still a fucking mess."

"On the contrary," Karin hastened to explain. "Your chemical makeup is perfectly stable. Although the unknown quantities exist, they do not pose any apparent risks to your health." Only at that point did she let a reluctant sigh escape. "There is something though…the regenerative potential of your physiology…it goes beyond merely restoring your body after the war. The preliminary data I have been able to gather cannot give any indication of senescence-"

"Senescence? You'll have to explain that for the dumb grunt, doc," Shepard interrupted.

"Ageing. The human ageing process. Shepard…I can conclusively say that your natural lifespan will be longer than that of any human – Miranda Lawson included."

Shepard blinked in disbelief. "Doc…Karin – how long exactly? What about an asari lifespan?"

"There is a possibility that you will outlive Liara," Karin said softly. "I wasn't going to mention it…but, in the interests of being completely honest, I owe it to you."

Shepard shook her head. "You don't owe me anything, you've done so much for me already. Thank you though…for all of this." Shepard waved her hand in the direction of the scan. "I guess a part of me worried that I was living on borrowed time. The other extreme isn't exactly what I wanted for myself either, but it's reassuring to know I'm not broken in the way I was. Miranda worked a miracle to bring me back, but I always knew I wasn't built to last – just long enough to get the job done. Now…there's a future."

"It is a future," Karin repeated, somewhat pleased regarding Shepard's optimistic tone. However, as she watched as Shepard pull on her jacket in preparation to leave, she felt a distinct pang of sadness. She acknowledged to herself that her reasons for informing Shepard about her biology hadn't been entirely altruistic. It had stemmed from a desperate need on her part to actually be able to deliver some good news for a change. Shepard was alive and in good health. Karin wanted her to stay that way. "What it is not, is a lifetime warranty. You are still entirely mortal. It is also likely that what the Catalyst did in the wake of London is a onetime only card – which you played. You don't need to play the hero anymore."

"I can't guarantee that, Karin," Shepard replied with a nonchalant shrug. It kind of goes with the territory…but I do promise to be as careful as possible."

Karin resisted the urge to utter a sound of disagreement. The promise wasn't convincing in the slightest. She also dwelt on the one remaining matter that had been weighing heavily on her mind. It had not been relevant to mention it during the War, or even earlier during their fight against the Collectors. Now, with the hope of an actual future, it seemed like the right time.

"One more thing," Karin ventured. "I don't presume to know how much information Miranda shared about the Lazarus project during your early days with Cerberus."

"You knew Miranda back then," Shepard said with a small smile. "She wasn't exactly forthcoming with information. There was crap everywhere when I woke up – lab reports, logs, scans. I didn't have the time or inclination to look at any of it. With sirens blaring and mechs trying to kill you, it's not exactly something you prioritise."

Karin didn't return the smile. "Your reproductive system…it's the one element of your biology that the Catalyst didn't repair."

There was only a momentary pause. Shepard shrugged. "I know I can't have kids. I haven't admitted it to myself until now but, for some reason, I've always known." Shepard knelt down to tug on her boots, but she glanced back up. "You don't have to assume the role of a shrink, Karin. In light of these results, I guess I'm kind of relieved. The last thing I would want is to outlive my own children."

Karin wasn't convinced. Shepard did a terrible job of masking the pain in her voice. However, as the ex-marine rose to her feet, Karin didn't press further. Shepard was right. She wasn't a psychologist.

"I hate to cut this short," Shepard continued.

"No you don't," Karin interjected.

Shepard grinned cheekily. "The social aspect of the visit, certainly not the medical." She then checked the chrono on her omni-tool and her expression became serious. "I'm supposed to be meeting Ash. I'm not sure if it's the right time, or if there's ever a right time, but there are a few things I need to fill her in on."

"Don't let Williams get overly worked up," Karin warned. "Her body is still recovering. Her mind…suffice to say, please keep her as calm as possible."

"I'll take care of her, Karin. I promise." Shepard nodded. "See you soon."

"I look forward to it, Shepard."

Shepard paused by the door. "Even though I'm no longer military, you're still not going to call me by my first name?"

"Old habits die hard," Karin replied.

The truth was, she couldn't think of Shepard as anything but military. Regardless of her actual circumstances, the young woman would always be a marine. Even simply walking out of the medbay, Shepard still carried herself like a marine. The same pride, the same inherent selflessness and devotion to duty.

Karin was left alone in the medbay with only the medical hologram for company. She regarded it pensively. Eventually finding herself marvelling at the form as a piece of biomedical engineering. A perfect symbiosis of human biology and…well, whatever the Catalyst was. The most exciting aspect was that Shepard's potential was almost entirely untapped. If she could just run a few more tests…

She stopped her train of thought abruptly. Karin remembered the visible pain written on Shepard's face when she briefly mentioned that the Alliance had run tests, without even going into any details. Here she was, behaving in much the same manner. Treating Shepard as a test subject as opposed to a friend. Karin stabbed a command on her omni-tool. The holographic image disappeared.

"No more tests, Evan. I promise."

Shepard couldn't help but feel a distinct sense of embarrassment as she ushered Ashley Williams into her home. As her friend seemed to stare at anything and everything, Shepard was forced to admit just how utterly plain and boring it was. Although she and Liara had called it their home for months, little had been changed from the moment they first stepped through the door. Only the general detritus of life - scattered datapads, food boxes, and laundry – suggested that anyone actually lived there.

Should've kept that painting, Shepard thought with a sigh of regret. She'd discovered the piece in Omega's markets during one of her wanderings. Something about the vivid colours had entranced her immediately and compelled her to part with fifty credits. Rather pleased with herself, Shepard had triumphantly carried it home. This pleasure had quickly soured when Liara saw it and promptly threatened to shred it to pieces in the midst of a singularity if it was displayed. The disagreement escalated into an actual argument. Shepard's main point of contention was that she had clear memories of Liara's apartment on Ilium. The prominent display of brutish Prothean artefacts had left little to be desired about her bondmate's taste in décor.

"They were priceless artefacts!" Liara had pointed out.

"I would've had nightmares if I tried living with those," Shepard argued. "They belonged in a museum, not someone's home."

Liara snorted disdainfully. "You wouldn't know culture if it slapped you in the face. Or anything remotely resembling good taste. The last time you picked a colour scheme, you ended up with red and gold armour!"

"You said I looked dashing!"

"I was just trying to make you feel better about yourself."

"Thanks! And now?"

"Now I refuse to humour you – especially if it means displaying that monstrosity in my home."

The argument had been short-lived, descending into apologetic kisses. However nothing could take away from the fact that they were both being brutally honest. Shepard had only grown to hate Prothean architecture more over the years. If that meant she had no taste, then she was perfectly content.

I liked that painting, she thought with sullen regret. She'd given it to Myke. The young asari had been absolutely ecstatic and had enlisted her help in hanging it immediately. At least it found a good home.

When Ash eventually stopped looking around and turned to face Shepard, there was no disapproval on her face. Instead, she offered up a small nod. "Love what you've done with the place, Skipper."

It required all a second for Shepard to realise that Ash was not being even slightly sarcastic. In hindsight, it was obvious. Despite their many differences, they were both career soldiers at heart – used to having to contain their lives within a single footlocker. Having so much space was a luxury. Fussing over décor was a frivolity neither of them had ever had time for. Shepard suspected that Ash's taste was just as bad as her own.

"You have to stop calling me Skipper, Ash," Shepard said as they both took a seat. "I don't have a rank anymore, let alone a ship."

"Which also means you can't order me to do shit." Ash snorted disdainfully. She stared at Shepard with a dubious expression on her face. "I suppose you want me to call you by your first name?"

Shepard shrugged. "Would it kill you to call me Evan?"

Ash winced. "It doesn't feel right. Can I stick to Shepard…for now at least?"

Shepard nodded in agreement. She was content to savour the simple pleasure of her friend's company. Despite the magnitude of their experiences and the changes in their lives, it was still almost effortless to be in Ash's company – even an Ash with purple hair and the tail end of a Thresher Maw tattoo visible beneath a rolled-up sleeve.

"Where's Liara?" Ash asked out of courtesy.

"She's still on board the Normandy," Shepard replied. "I've been on at her lately about working too much. I'm hoping she's holed up in the observation lounge with Joker and Cortez, fleecing them at Skyllian Five…although it's far more likely that she's tinkering with some element of the ship's systems."

Ash shrugged, unconcerned. "EDI certainly isn't going to stop her. The Normandy is still her home. Yours too."

"I'm not so sure about that anymore," Shepard replied. "But it is good to see her again. You too, Ash. You're looking better."

It was true up to a point. Ash's usual healthy complexion had returned. Her cheeks had lost their hollow cast. But, it was Ash's eyes that betrayed the truth. Usually unguarded in expressing her emotions, Ash was obviously hiding something. So much lay behind her gaze that Shepard was almost afraid to pry for fear of what she would uncover.

"I feel like crap," Ash offered up without any further prying. "With this hair and these damn tattoos, I feel like I'm still wearing a costume. Like I can't be me."

As tempting as it was, Shepard had resisted the urge to joke about Ash's tattoos. She was pleased she had. Instead she shifted forward, reached out and laid her hand on Ash's knee. Shepard deliberately chosen to use her left hand. It lay stark and white against the blue of Ash's fatigues.

"We've all been shaped by our experiences, Ash, but it has always been what's inside that counts," Shepard said firmly. "You're Captain Ashley Williams, Alliance Marine Corps, commander of the Normandy, and Council SpecTRe…and my friend."

Ash just shook her head in response. "They're all things that were taken away from you, Skip…Shepard. I should be asking how you are. What the hell happened to you?"

It was the perfect opportunity to spill everything. The reason she had wanted to speak to Ash in the first place. However, as Shepard felt the fear and anxiety radiating from Ash almost to the point of being tangible, she knew she couldn't launch into the whole backstory with the Alliance. Ash wasn't ready. The real trick would be steering the conversation away from any such revelations.

"You're not pulling that whole deflecting crap on me, Williams," Shepard replied, hoping her voice didn't sound as tentative as she felt. Okay, I'm diving in. "I've seen you bounce back from injury, eager to get back into action. Now, you look like you need months of R and R. There's more isn't there?"

Ash let out a derisive laugh. "Hell no, Shepard. You've done enough. You've been through enough. There's no way I'm dragging you through anymore of my shit. And besides…it's a personal matter."

"If it's a personal matter then it concerns me all the more," Shepard countered. "I'm your friend, Ash. And I distinctly remember dumping my personal shit on you when you were stuck in a hospital bed in Huerta Memorial, helpless to run away. We've both been through a hell of a lot, dragging each other through our respective shit is the only way we're going to stay sane."

"It's too late for some of us," Ash muttered.

It was only when she saw one corner of Ash's lip curl, that Shepard realised it was meant to be a joke of sorts. Her responding laugh was half-hearted at best. The remark cut too close to the truth, for both of them. She didn't offer a reply or further coaxing. Instead she remained silent, waiting.

Ash shifted, seemingly unable to simply sit back and relax. When she did settle on one posture, it was a classic soldier's pose - leaning forward, feet firmly planted, elbows resting on her knees. However, Ash's gaze wasn't alert. Her eyes were glassy as she stared at the dull, tan coloured carpet. It was the kind of carpet that really didn't warrant that much attention.

Shepard continued to wait patiently. Unlike her friend, she had very recent practice when it came to relaxing. It still didn't come naturally, but she was trying to put Ash at ease. What's going on, Ash? Shepard asked herself, willing Ash to speak, to say anything. A part of her was also afraid of what might be said. What if I can't help?

"This is going to sound stupid…" Ash finally offered. "-but do asari have special powers? I mean, some…something that makes them more attractive to other species? Some sort of chemical-" Ash stopped, scrubbed angrily at her temples. "This is stupid…please don't answer-"

"It's out there now, Williams," Shepard interrupted gently. She was confused, but joined in as best she could. "I'm no expert when it comes to asari, I mean, there have been a few-"

"Other than Liara?" Ash asked, surprise clearly evident in her voice.

"Yes," Shepard admitted effortlessly. "I had an extremely misspent youth. There was one time in the back seat of a taxi-" She stopped herself. Winced awkwardly "-that you really don't need to know about. Listen, Ash, as far as I know there's nothing mystical about being attracted to an asari. It's simply an attraction, the same as every other race." Shepard stopped herself again, studied the anguished expression on her friend's face. "Ash…did something happen?"

Ash tilted forward and clasped her head in her hands. "I fucked up, Shepard," she offered in the barest whisper. "Miranda is going to skin me alive…and then break up with me."

"There's no universe in which that would happen, Ash," Shepard attempted to reassure her. "Miranda loves you…unreservedly."

"You can't say that with such certainty, not when it comes to Miranda. You know her as well as I do. She doesn't think about things in shades of grey, it's black or white with her. I'm guilty, regardless of whatever spin you want to put on it."

"Guilty of what?" Shepard asked. "Ash, did something happen with one of the commandos?" A flicker of a memory interrupted her thoughts. The meeting in Normandy's observation lounge. Ash's hasty exit…being followed by Kurin. She'd thought it odd at the time, but had quickly forgotten about it in the face of weightier matters. Now it came back in one startlingly clear picture. "Kurin? Something happened between you and Kurin."

Ash offered up a small nod of confirmation.

Shepard did her best to stifle the resulting gasp. The shock wasn't tempered by the fact that she'd guessed. Dozens of thoughts flitted through her head, all competing for prominence. Ash had never struck her as the sort of individual who would cheat on a lover under any circumstance. Miranda isn't the forgiving type…Fuck, she is going to skin Ash alive. Shepard did not give voice to that particular thought.

"Ash…I thought you and Miranda were solid?"

"We were…we are!" Ash protested. Too agitated to remain seated, she rose to her feet and starting pacing. "I don't know what the hell happened. Something about being Calisto Callahan…that persona consumed me, turned me into someone else. When Kurin and I kissed the first time it was all part of an act…and the second…but the third time I kissed her of my own free will. It didn't go further than that, and it won't, but for a moment I wanted someone else other than Miranda."

Shepard couldn't deny that Kurin was extremely attractive, but she knew both Ash and Miranda well. They were head over heels for each other. This was just one of those things…those stupid mistakes that people sometimes made in the heat of the moment. The difficulty was that once it was made, it couldn't be undone.

"Shepard, if it was you and Liara we were talking about-" Ash continued "-would you tell her?"

In all honestly, Shepard couldn't bring herself to answer the question. The only time she had ever come remotely close to cheating on Liara, was her relationship with Miranda. Technically, that couldn't even be defined as cheating. However the real crux of the issue was that it had been with Miranda. Regardless of any definition, Shepard didn't think it was a wise topic of conversation. "Ash, if a relationship is going to work you can't keep secrets. Especially not something like this. It's clear that this is going to eat away at you. It already is."

Ash stopped pacing. She remained standing in the centre of the room. Fists clenched firmly at her side. Her shoulders moved up and down with decreasing frequency as she brought her breathing under control. Eventually she turned back to face Shepard. "You're right, as per fucking usual."

"Since when have I always been right?"

"From the moment you saved my sorry ass on Horizon, Skipper."

Shepard let the 'skipper' slide. She rose to her feet to join Ash. "Well I'm not always right, but if it's alright with you, Williams, I'm going to hug you."

The resulting embrace was awkward for a few moments, but Shepard soon felt Ash relax into her. The marine's entire body softened, as though she was finally able to let go of all the tension that she had been carrying around. Shepard squeezed firmly.

"I won't lose Miranda," Ash said, her voice a determined whisper against Shepard's shoulder.

"If I know Miranda, she'll make you work for it, but she'll forgive you eventually," Shepard added. She drew back, looked into Ash's slightly glazed eyes, and smiled. "She loves you."

"Fuck knows why," Ash said with a sniff and a shake of her head. "My only consolation is that Miranda is going to be just as pissed at you when she finds out you're alive."

Shepard winced in response to Ash's statement. Noticeably. Attentive despite the circumstances, Ash uttered a ragged sigh in response. "She already knows doesn't she?"

Any attempt at deceit died before it left Shepard's lips. Instead she merely offered a small nod in response, angry at herself for being unable to maintain a poker face.

"You know, I'm not even surprised," Ash said, seemingly unable to summon any anger in response.

Although Ash still seemed just as tired and withdrawn, Shepard was sure she could recognise a faint glimmer of hope. It wouldn't be easy, nothing ever was, but Shepard hoped that eventually the Ashley she knew would be back in business. Shepard wanted to believe that her concern had been entirely genuine, but she couldn't deny the almost callous undercurrent to her hopes. More than anything, she needed Ash back at her best. There was a storm coming that was almost as dangerous as the Reapers themselves, and even potentially more destructive.

The Reapers had brought the Galaxy together. This was threatening to tear it apart.

Shepard managed a small smile. The Galaxy wasn't in immediate danger of self-combusting. They still had time to find some semblance of normality. "Why don't you take a seat, Ash? Make yourself comfortable. I'm cooking us dinner."

Ash finally laughed. "Please don't."

"Are you trying to say something about my cooking?" Shepard asked with a raised eyebrow.

"It's not exactly one of your strong points," Ash admitted readily. "But I'll pretend to like it to say thank you."

With the remnants of her meal with Ash still littering the kitchen surfaces, Shepard stood at the sink. She simply watched as thick, dark liquid oozed out of the upended bottle she held in her hand. The act was both cathartic and painful. She had almost stopped herself twice. On one hand she remembered exactly how difficult it had been to obtain in the first place, on the other she couldn't imagine how she had ever poured the foul smelling stuff down her throat.

"It's good shit," she remembered saying once to Miranda.

"We're a few hours away from the Omega relay and you're drinking yourself into a stupor? What is this supposed to be anyway?"

"Krogan brandy – well, that's technically not its name, I just made it up. In fact, no one really knows what the hell is in it. Maw piss and battery acid from what I've heard."

Although it was a bittersweet memory, Shepard smirked. Miranda had never been easily swayed, sensibly refusing to drink. Although mere years earlier, fighting the Collectors felt like a lifetime ago. In many ways, it was. Shepard's life course had taken such a huge swerve, that it was almost unrecognisable. Back then none of them had expected to have a future. Shepard more so than the others simply by virtue of the mantle of leadership. Now she had the prospect of centuries stretching in front of her. It was almost beyond comprehension. She was still lost in thought when she was interrupted unexpectedly.

"What are you doing?"

The bottle slipped from her startled grasp. The heavy object thudded into the sink and made what was obviously the loudest noise possible. With absolutely no chance of concealing what she had been doing, Shepard could only turn to face Liara. She faced down her bondmate's unreadable stare with what she hoped was a suitably apologetic expression on her face.

"Liara…hey." She winced as Liara moved to the sink and peered down at the bottle and the remnants of Krogan brandy in the sink. "Um….I'm not going to lie, it is exactly what it looks like. The bottle was stashed under the sofa for months. I'm sorry."

"Evan, what were you thinking?" Liara demanded.

"It's not like I drank the whole bottle," Shepard protested, somewhat pitifully. "Less than half."

"No, what were you thinking pouring it down our sink?" Liara continued, she leaned forward and turned the tap to full. The water swirled, washing away all traces of the alcohol. "You have no doubt corroded the plumbing, possibly the entire Omegan sewage system."

"You've just found out that I hid a bottle of Krogan brandy from you and all you're worried about is the plumbing?" Shepard asked in disbelief. She watched as Liara's lips curved upwards into a small smile. Realisation hit her. "You're playing me?"

Liara responded with a small nod, before inviting herself into Shepard's arms. On Shepard's part the hug was somewhat reluctant as she tried to read some hidden meaning in her bondmate's reaction. She held Liara at arm's length, suspicious as to whether the disappointment that she had expected would eventuate. It did not. Shepard had to give in to Liara's charms, enfolding her in a proper embrace.

"Although I am curious as to why you chose to hide the bottle," Liara eventually commented.

With Liara's warm breath falling on her neck, Shepard found it difficult to concentrate on anything else. She murmured something that might have been words, but at the same time it was more a general endearment…and possibly an attempt to get out of an explanation.

"Or you could just explain why you chose to pour it out?" Liara asked gently.

Shepard sighed. She drew back so she could hold Liara at arm's length once again. Her bondmate had a patient expression fixed on her face, one Shepard was certain was reserved for her in moments of transgression. "I just came from speaking with Ash," Shepard explained. "Our conversation made me realise that I didn't want to conceal anything from you…even something as seemingly insignificant as a bottle of booze."

"I didn't want to probe, but it seemed as though Ashley had a lot on her mind," Liara agreed.

"Ash is…struggling with something," Shepard admitted. "I didn't even try to bring up Alberta."

"I will not press," Liara said.

Shepard knew her bondmate was one of the most observant individuals she had ever met. It was clear Liara already suspected that something had happened between the marine captain and Kurin, but had decided that it was none of her business.

"I wondered if we might offer Ash the use of your comms to get in touch with Miranda," Shepard suggested.

Liara nodded. "It should not present a problem.

"Thank you. It'll mean the world to Ash," Shepard replied.

Liara deposited a kiss on Shepard's cheek before attempting to extricate herself from the embrace. Shepard immediately recognised that Liara was heading towards work mode, seeking to escape with a minimum of fuss so she could bury herself in the world of the Shadow Broker. Ordinarily Shepard would let her go, but her check-up with Chakwas still weighed heavily on her mind. Sharing the information with Liara was not something that she wanted to be patient about. To prevent Liara escaping, Shepard gently tightened her grip. Liara stopped and turned with a frown on her face.

"I also saw Dr Chakwas this morning," Shepard admitted.

"You went for a check-up? Willingly?" Liara's expression slipped slightly. Concern radiated from her gaze. "Evan…"

"I'm fine, Li…really. I just wanted to tell you everything…but if you need to get back to your work-"

"No, it can wait," Liara assured her. She moved her grip so they were holding hands. "Nothing is more important than this…than us."

Shepard glanced over her shoulder at the mess behind her and the bottle lying in the sink. "Even doing the dishes?"

Liara smiled. "Especially doing the dishes."