"Just look at those two," Shepard laughs, sipping her scotch, "You'd think they were a couple of high-school girls and not, well, them."

Across the room, Jack is attempting to grab Miranda's ass as she gets up from the couch, a move the operative skillfully avoids before heading over to join Tali at the bar.

Doctor Chakwas smiles warmly. "You have to be generous with those two. I think it may be the first time either of them has ever been in love and that can make anyone act a little silly, no matter who they are." She looks back and forth between Shepard and her wife. "After all, I can recall a few stories from when you two first became involved…"

"Oh, goddess." Beside her, Liara blushes, before questioning the doctor, "I hope I did not embarrass myself too badly when I was living behind your med-bay."

"Oh, don't worry, dear," Chakwas reassures her, "You weren't that bad, especially considering just how smitten you two were." Shepard beams at Liara, and the doctor smiles. "Just like that. Nice to see time hasn't diminished the feeling."

"I doubt it ever will," Shepard agrees, planting a warm kiss on her wife's soft lips.

"I would think not," Chakwas replies confidently. "Still, there were some amusing moments." She looks over to Liara. "Do you remember the time you asked me what her first name was?"

Shepard cocks her head in surprise. "You went to Doctor Chakwas before me? I never knew that."

Liara's blush deepens and she gesticulates in the air in the cute way she sometimes does as she tries to explain. "I just… I did not want to appear too forward, and, anyway, the doctor never gave up your secret."

"Well, I'm glad you ended up talking to me about it." Shepard pulls Liara closer and the asari nuzzles into the crook of her shoulder. It's comforting right now, remembering those days and being with the people who helped her to beat the Reapers, a reminder that they can do this as well.

Nimbly evading Jack's hand, Miranda stands up from the couch she's been sharing with her girlfriend in the Port Observation Longue. They're a day out from Ondren, and with preparations complete, the crew is trying to relax before the battle. Miranda used to hate these sorts of social occasions; back she was the ship's XO, she used to hide in her office, avoiding post-mission drinks and poker games in favor of paperwork. Now, she feels more at ease, in spite of the slightly drunk quarian currently pestering her.

"So, Miranda… about you and Jack…"

"Yes, Tali?" The whole day they've been working together, and she could tell the quarian has been dying to ask her more questions about her relationship.

"When you, you know, do it… do you keep insulting each other?" Miranda gives her a look and Tali babbles, "Well, you know… it's because I can't imagine you two being nice to each other, but…"

In the old days, Miranda's inclination would have been to either stalk away or make an unkind remark about Tali's own failed relationship with Garrus, but now, she can just take it in stride. "These days we try to save the insults for special occasions," she quips, enjoying the confusion she can detect even through Tali's helmet.

Ashley joins them at the bar, the new captain of the Normandy apparently finding it hard to take her mind off the upcoming mission. "Glad I could catch up with you two. I know the installation of the disrupter went well, but are you sure it's going to work? Because if not…"

"It will be fine," Tali assures her in the overly precise tone of voice common to drunk people trying to sound sober. "Miranda and I have run plenty of sim-u-lations…"

Miranda interjects, "Obviously, no simulation is the same as a field test, but I'm confidant. Besides, if it doesn't work properly, Jack will never let me hear the end of it."

Ashley allows herself to crack a smile. "Well, there you go. It'll definitely be fine."

"Ha," Tali laughs, "Wouldn't want to disappoint Jack. I didn't even like to go down to the cargo hold when she was there and now you go down…"

She takes another sip of her turian brandy through the "emergency induction straw" and Miranda shakes her head at the quarian's double entendre. "She really is incorrigible."

"You're telling me," Ashley shrugs. "She wouldn't stop going on about how weird it is for the two of you to be together. Still, it's not always easy for people like us. I'm happy you found each other."

"Sure she is," Tali teases, "You're not the only former Cerberus officer she's gone soft on."

"Ah yes, Michael Bennet." Tali told Miranda about that while the quarian was consulting on the disrupter project. "How is that going?"

Now it's Ashley's turn to look embarrassed. "Fine, but unlike some of you, I try to keep my personal life at least slightly personal."

"As you wish." Miranda tries to keep the smirk off of her face. "I actually knew Michael by reputation from when I was with Cerberus. A good engineer and from what I remember, he wasn't involved in the worst stuff."

"He wasn't." Ashley seems to trust that that's the truth and Miranda hopes for her sake that it is. "He defected when he found out about Sanctuary. Sabotaged the project he'd been working on and went over to the Alliance."

"Well," says Miranda, handing her a drink. "Then here's to fresh starts. And getting back to ours once this is over."

Just working with Commander Shepard has been quite a thrill for Elphi, but being here, on the Normandy, going into battle beside all of these legendary heroes... She turns to Javik. "It's like I got asked to become one of the Maidens of the Golden Sword, if you know what I mean?"

The prothean looks at her, his four eyes blinking quizzically. "I am not familiar with that reference."

"Oh geez," she laughs at her own silliness. "Of course not. You were never a 23 year old asari. They were just a bunch of heroes in some old stories who fought evil, that kind of thing. I read all of them when I was little. What about you? When you first came here, was it overwhelming?"

"Yes," he replies, a sarcastic edge in his voice. "It was indeed overwhelming to be surrounded by so many primitives who had so little chance of success." He pauses, cracking the ghost of a smile at her shocked reaction. "I have since become accustomed to the situation."

She gives him a smile back. "See, that's why I like you, Javik. You're very honest."

While her bondmate chats with a few of the new people Ashley has recruited for the Normandy, Liara joins Jack over by the window. She isn't as close with Jack as she is with Tali or Ashley, but they've gotten to know each other better through Shepard, and Liara still feels gratitude towards the people that fought by her wife's side when she could not.

"It really is quite a view," the asari says, looking at the stars go by while sipping on a human drink that Joker told her was called a pina colada.

Jack chews on her lip. "I guess so. Didn't really get to look at it much back in the day. I don't know if Shep ever told you this, but when I served here, I used to sleep down by the engine room."

"So I am informed." That information actually came to her by way of the Shadow Broker's surveillance tapes of the ship, but like so much about her old job, it sounds a bit creepy if you say it out loud. Just as well Shepard convinced her to quit. "Why there? I imagine that there were nicer places available."

"Course there were, but… I'd spent most of my life in one dark hole or another. I guess that's where I thought I belonged, at least till I met Shepard. Damned if she wasn't the first person that managed to convince me I could do better."

It always gladdens Liara's hear to see the effect that her bondmate has had on others. "She changed a great many lives." And none more than hers. From a trapped archeologist to the Shadow Broker to their life together now… it really has been quite a journey.

Jack nods. "Probably wouldn't have turned out so well for me if I hadn't met her." Perhaps uncomfortable with continuing on such a personal track, she changes the subject. "How'd you ever land her anyway?"

Liara smiles, as much to herself as at Jack. Once, that question would've flustered her since, for a long time, she had been uncertain about the answer herself. Shepard was such an amazing person, and especially when they were apart, she would worry about what the commander saw in a recluse like herself. Now, of course, her doubts are long since banished, and she can just laugh. "Why? Are you doubting my appeal?"

Big brown eyes her look up and down. "Nah, I mean, she's definitely got options, but you're pretty cute. Plus rich, which usually helps."

"Do you really think Shepard is that shallow?", Liara teases the ex-convict.

"Hey, I'm with Miranda. Genetically engineered ass and all that." She snickers. "Just kidding. Any fool can see how much Shepard loves you." She pauses, and then adds, "Plus, Miranda's got great tits too."

In spite of herself, Liara smiles at the vulgar joke, and Jack continues, "And speaking of nice tits," she cocks her head in the direction of Javik and Elphi, "How about those two?"

"I am not certain what you're talking about." And then Liara takes a second look at the two of them sitting on another sofa. The former librarian's hand is on Javik's knee, and the prothean has a relaxed look on his face. "Huh. I had not noticed." She's been so wrapped up in all of their problems that she seems to have missed this intriguing development.

"I mean, you know way him better than me, but I can't believe that pain in the ass managed to loosen up enough to meet someone."

"Well, imminent danger does have a way of bringing people together." That night before Ilos, her first time with Ashara, Liara had still been nervous about initiating her first sexual meld. Her feelings for Shepard were so powerful though, and she hadn't been willing to face the end of the galaxy without acting on them.

"Yeah, speaking of which, I think I see your wife looking on our direction." Jack smirks, "You two have a good night."

Though a younger Liara might have stuttered with embarrassment, the older model just grins and returns, "And you and Miranda have fun as well."

For the full stories of Shepard's first name and Liara's insecurities, see the prequel story, "The Other Side."