Counsel: Liara
"How did you know that things were over between you and Mother?"
Aethyta eyes her daughter suspiciously, as though she suspects an ulterior motive. Liara does her best to keep her face neutral. This is just another question about her parents. It is not an attempt to ask for advice. She would never ask her father for romantic advice. She would never recover from asking her father for romantic advice.
"Well," the older asari says slowly, "that's pretty easy. I woke up one morning and she was gone. She did leave a note though. Nezzy was always polite." Her voice is bitter. Clearly, she would have preferred a face-to-face explanation, a confrontation. The appeal of a note is understandable to Liara. If a decision has been made, there is no point in yelling about it.
"That was the first sign you had that she was unhappy?"
"We'd been arguing a lot," Aethyta admits. "But we were always arguing. I liked arguing with her. Even if I always lost, I liked hearing her explain herself. Not just because her voice was sexy, or because after we'd argue she was always horny…."
Liara is certain that her father trails off on purpose, knowing that the idea of her parents together is embarrassing.
"Look at you blush, kid. I swear, if I didn't know better, sometimes I'd think your father was a salarian!" Yes, that was certainly intentional.
"Why the hell are you asking about this, anyway?"
"Scientific curiosity," she replies lightly.
"Bullshit," her father spits. "You've never asked me anything because of 'scientific curiosity.' You don't have the time to waste. Something's up. What is it? Worried because you had a fight with Shepard? Don't be. The only thing better than angry sex is makeup sex.
"I know, I know," she waves a hand mockingly, "you two are 'just friends.'" An eye roll accompanies that comment. "Like there aren't enough sparks flying between you two to power the whole goddess-damn Citadel."
"Why?" Liara snaps. "Why do you always have to make such jokes? I—not everyone finds them amusing!"
"Don't you take that tone with me! Like I keep saying, I'm old, not blind. Let me tell you, after a thousand years, you get pretty good at telling when people are just friends, and when they're using all of their willpower to keep from screwing their brains out in the middle of the Presidium gardens.
"Poor Shepard. You should have seen her face when she tried to tell you that she wanted to be more than friends and you started laughing at her." She grins at Liara's shocked expression. "That's right, kid, your old dad has eyes everywhere."
"You are a spy, and nothing more." Liara hates how quickly her father can reduce her to sounding like a sullen child. Her mother was the same way. Perhaps it is a trait all parents share? She wonders if Shepard's mother—No she doesn't.
"Oh c'mon, don't tell me she just left it at that," Aethyta says. "Did she? Shit, I can't decide if you two are so oblivious it's adorable or so oblivious that the Council should pass a law just to make sure neither one of you ever has kids." This thought seems to strike the matriarch, who actually stops wiping down the counter to consider it. "That would be a really cute baby," she muses, "dumb as a rock, probably, but cute enough—"
"Father, I am begging you; please stop!" Liara does not want to think about Shepard, or children, or Shepard's children, or having children with Shepard, or Shepard. Especially Shepard.
"You're right," the older asari says. "You're too young for kids." She points a finger at her daughter. "Don't let Shepard knock you up—"
"By the goddess, would you please just shut up?" Liara is not going to cry. "Shepard and I are not—We are never going to—She does not—I—She—" Liara is not crying. The Citadel's artificial sunlight is unnaturally bright today; that is all.
"Shit." She has no idea how her father ended up on this side of the bar, but Liara abruptly realizes that she is being crushed in the protective, overly tight embrace of a concerned parent. She had not even realized that she missed it. She leans against her father, thinks of her mother, thinks of Shepard, and stops pretending that she is too tough to need to cry all over Aethyta.
As her tears slowly subside, the Shadow Broker becomes aware that her father is speaking. Why does everyone think it is such a good idea to talk to Liara when she is trying to let her feelings leak out through her eyes?
"—is, and I'll go kill her. I'm not a commando, but I know how to fight dirty, kid. And it's not like I didn't warn her. I told her I'd kill her if she hurt you. Maybe not in those exact words, but it was implied. Doesn't matter if she is the goddess-damn galactic messiah, she should have thought about her responsibilities before she went and messed with my girl."
"What are you t-talking about?" Liara asks, blotting her face on her sleeve like a child.
"Is Shepard on her ship? She'd better not be out at some bar while you're here—"
"She is on the Normandy. Recovering. She was stabbed during her last mission."
"Bet she didn't even bring you along for that," the matriarch mutters resentfully. "Can you help me get aboard, or do you want plausible deniability on this?"
"Are you seriously considering killing Commander Shepard?" Why couldn't her father be half-elcor, or half-anything less violent than a krogan? Half-keeper, maybe.
"She's the reason you're crying, isn't she?"
"If I say yes, is your solution going to be to murder her?"
"Of course it sounds bad when you say it like that! Just wait until your daughter starts sobbing over some primate with an ego problem. You'll agree with me then!" There is a brief silence. "I won't kill her if you really don't want me to," Aethyta adds reluctantly.
Liara is speechless. Partly because she cannot believe her father could so casually propose the extermination of the only woman capable of defeating the Reapers. Partly because she is irrationally touched that her father would kill Shepard just for upsetting her.
"Wanna talk about it?"
The younger asari shakes her head 'no,' but an explanation tumbles out of her mouth anyways. How she has been in love with Shepard for years. How she accepted that Shepard would never see her in that way. How Shepard suddenly did see her that way! How she has been trying so hard to respect Shepard's desire to move slowly. How they have been progressing so well. How they have not actually been progressing so well. How Shepard was suddenly so afraid of Liara's mental touch that she forced the asari from her mind. How Shepard lied about her fear. How they have not spoken since.
"The more I think about it…the last asari to touch Shepard's mind was an Ardat-Yakshi. A true Ardat-Yakshi, Dad. Shepard was helping a justicar—it is a long story. I have been thinking that perhaps when we—"
"You think that idiot is confusing my baby girl with a mind-vampire?" Aethyta looks furious at the very thought. "You can do better, kid. One of my regulars is a nice turian, ex-military…."
Liara frowns. She does not want better. She wants Shepard.
"Ugh," the expression on her face seems to be upsetting her father. "I'm glad I'm not young anymore. Well, I don't know if beating some sense into her or manipulating her with sex is more your style, but good luck either way."
"I do not understand what you are suggesting," Liara says. "Shouldn't I talk to her? If we do not discuss whatever was bothering her, how will we resolve this?"
"She's talking about using words to finish an argument," Aethyta laments, looking up as though she is praying. The tone of her voice implies that Liara has suggested that the asari would benefit from adopting the sterile reproductive customs of the salarians. "I know she didn't get that from Benezia. And I've never used words to finish an argument in my life. So… she has to be adopted. Except that she looks just like her mother, so she can't possibly be adopted."
The matriarch gives an exaggerated sigh before pretending to have a burst of inspiration. "She must be indoctrinated!"
"That isn't funny!" Liara snaps.
"Agree to disagree."
"Maybe I was adopted," the younger asari muses.
"I can't believe I have a daughter who won't punch or fuck her way out of a relationship problem."
"Your language leaves so much to be desired."
"I've got a century of uptight Armali tutors to counteract. Cut a matriarch some slack. Well," Aethyta places two glasses on the counter and produces a bottle full of dark liquor, "I'm not as smart as Nezzy was, so I don't have any advice for you, kid. But," she fills each glass and pushes one towards Liara, "I can help you get drunk enough to make an honest decision."
They tap their glasses together, and drain them. Liara ignores the instincts that tell her this is a bad idea.
"Remember kid," her father adds as she pours refills, "If you end up deciding you want Shepard dead, I'll help you get rid of the body."
…
At first, she thinks Shepard's room is empty. Since only the particularly stupid parts of her brain are still functioning, she concludes that the human must be dead. Again. She leans against the empty fish tank where the commander pastes holos of everyone she's lost, in case it looks like she might accidentally have a happy moment. Liara is torn between the impulse to add Shepard's holo to the tank and have another good cry, and the impulse to locate Miranda Lawson's contact information. Not that she could compose a coherent email in this state.
She hasn't made a decision when the door to Shepard's bathroom slides open. A bleary-eyed, disheveled soldier walks into the main room with slow, careful steps.
"You aren't dead!" Liara points out happily.
Shepard jumps and grabs at her chest. "Oh shit!" Fear, again. "Goddess of oceans, what is wrong with you? You almost gave me a heart attack."
"That is an exaggeration."
"I'm allowed to exaggerate when people suddenly show up in my cabin at oh-three-fucking-hundred." Shepard keeps making her way back to bed. Watching her walk down the stairs is painful.
"I am not an Ardat-Yakshi, Shepard." It is important to establish this.
"I know?" Despite her assertion, the commander sounds confused. "Is that what you're here to tell me?" She collapses onto her bed with a sigh. Liara wonders how much pain she is in. She could dull the human's nerves if Shepard wasn't afraid to let anyone get close to her.
Liara sits on the end of the bed and does not look at Shepard. "Yes?"
"Okay then." Shepard grimaces and leans back against her pillows. "Um…we should talk tomorrow."
"No," the asari says. "We should talk now."
"I'm asleep, Liara."
"You are not." She crawls over the bed until she can prop herself up against the headboard. It is disgraceful that someone with the number of advanced degrees Dr. T'Soni has currently considers scaling a human bed without vomiting a considerable triumph.
"Oh my God, you smell like a batarian brewery."
"Because of course you know what a batarian brewery smells like." Why is Shepard always like this?
"I do, actually. The refugees have a still set up—"
"I love you!" Liara interrupts, irritably. She does not want to discuss alcohol. And this was the other thing it was important to establish.
Shepard's voice is low and tight, like she is angry. "You're drunk. You love everyone right now."
"No." Oh, goddess. Shaking her head was a mistake. "Not everyone. I only love you. Even if you are afraid of me."
"I am not—"
"Please shut up," the asari puts a hand over the human's mouth. "Just because I love you doesn't mean I have to let you lie to me."
The commander pulls herself away. "Stop saying that." She climbs painfully out of bed, and Liara tries very hard not to notice the way the bed jostles. "I'm going to grab you some water. And a painkiller. Then you're leaving."
"I am fine."
"What conversation are you listening to? You are wasted."
"I know what I am saying."
Shepard doesn't reply. She makes her slow way to the end of the bed. It occurs to Liara that Shepard is not supposed to be leaving her bed. Shepard is disobeying Dr. Chakwas because of Liara.
"Wait. You should not be up. Go back to bed."
"You're not the boss of me."
"Please, Shepard? I'm sorry."
That gets the human to stop walking. "What for?"
"I don't know," Liara admits. "Everything? I should go."
"Good idea," Shepard sits wearily on the bed. Her shoulders slump. The soldier is so tired she doesn't object when Liara helps her slide up the bed and get under the blankets. The lack of protests make Liara confident enough to kiss Shepard's forehead. Although the woman instantly rolls onto her stomach, she gives a small, contented sigh.
"Promise me you'll drink some water before you go, okay?" Her eyes are closed.
"I promise," Liara says. "Because I love you." It's oddly freeing to say the words aloud. Even if Shepard thinks they are insincere.
Before she moves away, the asari catches a final, faint whisper from Shepard.
"Why?"
Author's Note: Rapid updates! Maybe because I felt bad about how we left things last chapter? I will try to keep things moving along (probably not quite this quickly though). My assessment has finally come and gone, so now all I have to do is wait for the results and write fanfic.
As always, thanks to all of you for reviewing and/or reading! I'm really humbled by some of the things you guys have said, and I'm glad you seem as fond of this sad, stupid pair as I am!
Finally, can we get some props for the mater & pater ex machinas?
