Pairing: FemShep/Liara

Warning: The usual, although it comes a bit later in the story, since this is a retelling of ME1. D/s, strap-ons, etc. Probably some light spanking and bondage.

AN: Thanks for being patient with me while I finished Dante, guys! =D In the coming months, I'll be publishing a lot of original fiction, but I need to return to my roots for a while and show my fanfic readers some love. This is my NaNo, so expect daily chapter updates of about 1600 words. This is a retelling of ME1 from Liara's POV, although I might introduce the sex a little bit earlier than in-game. I haven't decided yet, so let me know what you think

. . .

For Now And Always

. . .

Graduate School had not prepared her for this.

Upon her departure from Thessia several months ago, Liara T'Soni had made meticulous preparations: checking and double-checking lists of supplies, securing transportation, and - most important of all - submitting all of the correct paperwork to the University of Serrice. Since she had drifted apart from her mother and stopped accepting an allowance, her funds were running dangerously low, but she had managed to scrape together just enough for one last solo dig to validate her research. She had even managed to persuade the University of Serrice's financial office to reimburse her for some of the costs if she found anything of value. Now, more than likely, she wouldn't live to see that badly-needed payment hit her account.

Once again, Liara tried to get a proper look at her surroundings, but it was difficult. She couldn't move much more than her head, and the blue energy humming in front of her face blurred some of her view. The technology was fascinating, and if she hadn't been trapped inside it, she would have been desperate to study the strange security device. Right now, though, she just wanted to escape the mine with her life. "I never should have pressed that button," she muttered, even though she knew that talking to herself was useless. "No, I never should have taken the elevator. I never should have gone into the mine to begin with! Why is it that my first instinct when I see creepy, abandoned ruins is to explore them?" She sighed and hung her head the few inches that the security device keeping her suspended would allow. "Actually, I never should have come to Therum at all."

But she had been desperate. Despite her careful studies of the available data and her discoveries on previous digs, her colleagues had dismissed her findings as irrelevant. After decades of careful research, she was no better off than she had been upon receiving her diploma. A nobody. If she hadn't agreed to teach some of the introductory archaeology and history courses at the University during the last semester, she wouldn't even have a stipend. Therum had been her last hope, a final ditch attempt to come up with conclusive proof of her theory - that the protheans were only the first in a long line of great civilizations that had been wiped out.

Liara sighed. None of that mattered now. The krogan and his geth had managed to chase her into this trap, and it was a miracle that she had managed to stop them with the small panel she had discovered. She had enough working knowledge of prothean technology to erect the barrier curtains, although some of it had been dumb luck. Unfortunately, the suspended-in-the-air part had been an accident. Now, she was trapped in a blue bubble with no way to get out and enemies surrounding her. She couldn't see them anymore, but she could occasionally hear them moving through the dark levels of the mine, trying to discover a way to get her out. And when they did… she shuddered. She didn't want to think about it.

A flicker of movement over to one side caught her attention, and Liara turned her head as best she could, squinting to make out the strange shape moving towards her in the dark. At first, she feared that it was the krogan again, but as it drew closer, the blue light illuminated something completely unexpected.

A human.

That was only slightly less surprising than the appearance of the geth. Liara did not know much about humans, and she hadn't expected to see a friendly face on the mostly-abandoned planet. At least, she hoped the human was friendly, despite its raised gun. No, she, Liara thought. This one had long hair, and although her jaw looked strong and rather masculine, there was a slight softness to the rest of her face.

Liara decided to risk it. The human might be working with the krogan and the geth, but it wasn't like she had any better options. "Can you hear me out there?" she shouted, unsure whether her voice would even travel through the barrier curtain. "I'm trapped, I need help!"

The human stepped forward, further into the light, and Liara was relieved when the gun stayed at her side. Not a threat, then. "Are you okay?" she asked. "What happened to you?"

Liara breathed a sigh of relief. Apparently, the human could hear her. Thank the Goddess. Hopefully, she would be capable enough to follow instructions as well. "Listen, this thing I'm in is a Prothean security device. I cannot move, so I need you to get me out of it, all right? Please!"

The human seemed to consider her words for a moment, brow furrowing in thought. "Your mother is working with Saren," she said. "Whose side are you on?"

"What?" Liara's eyes widened as she tried to understand. The name 'Saren' sounded somewhat familiar, but she could not quite place it, and the mention of her mother threw her completely. They had not been in contact at all recently, partially because Benezia had never fully approved of her career choices. "I am not on anybody's side!" she insisted. "I may be Benezia's daughter, but I am nothing like her. I have not spoken to her in years! Please, just get me out of here!"

"How did you end up in there?" the human asked, turning her attention to the blue barrier.

Grateful that the human seemed to believe her, Liara's explanation came out in a tumble. "I was exploring the ruins when the geth showed up, so I hid in here. Can you believe that? Geth, beyond the veil! I activated the tower's defenses. I knew the barrier curtains would keep them out. But when I turned it on, I must have hit something I wasn't supposed to. I was trapped in here. You must get me out, please!"

"We'll find some way to help you," the human said.

"There is a control in here that should deactivate this thing," Liara explained. It was the same one she had used before foolishly trapping herself. "You'll have to find some way past the barrier curtain. That's the tricky part. The defenses cannot be shut off from the outside. I don't know how you'll get in here."

The human smiled, and Liara was surprised when the gesture actually helped to reassure her. "Don't worry," she said, putting her helmet back on her head and covering her curious red hair. "I'll figure it out."

"Be careful," Liara urged, suddenly remembering that they were not alone in the mineshaft. "There is a krogan with the geth. They've been trying different ways to get past the barrier."

The human nodded, but her face was still obscured by the helmet. "Got it. Hang tight - um… I mean… just… stay there. Yeah. I'm going to pretend I didn't say that." She trotted down the left side of the catwalk, disappearing back into the darkness. Feeling even more alone than she had before her would-be rescuer's arrival, Liara hung her head. She waited, trying not to think too much about the human trying to save her, or what would happen to her when - if - she finally escaped. It would be far too dangerous to stay on Therum, and her digsite was ruined thanks to the geth. She would have to start from scratch, assuming she even got out of here alive.

Suddenly, after what couldn't have been more than a few minutes, Liara felt the blue light around her jolt. There was a low rumble, and the barrier curtains winked out of existence. She strained, turning her head over her shoulder despite the pain in her neck, and breathed a sigh of relief. It was the human again, and she wasn't alone. There was a turian behind her, as well as another human. It had its helmet on, but based on size and the shape of the chest armor, she guessed that it was female as well.

"How did you get in here?" she asked, honestly surprised that her savior had managed to lower the barrier curtains so quickly. She had struggled with it herself, although that might have been because of the geth shooting at her. Fortunately, her biotics had been enough to fend them off. She had never been more grateful for the biotic training her mother's servant, Shiala, had forced on her. "I didn't think there was any way past the barrier."

The human ignored her question. "We have to get you out of here before more geth arrive," she said brusquely.

Liara blushed, embarrassed at how easily she had been distracted. "Yes, you're right. I've seen enough of them to last a lifetime. That button should shut down my containment field." She gestured with her head as best she could, nodding over at the control panel that she had accidentally misused.

The human turned away from her and slammed her hand into the glowing button in the middle of the screen. When Liara fell, her pride hurt worse than the ankle she nearly twisted trying to catch her weight. She stood up quickly, brushing herself off and turning to face the three aliens.

"Any idea how we get out of this place?" the turian asked before she could even utter a 'thank you'. Liara cleared her throat. There would be time for that later.

"There is an elevator back in the center of the tower. At least, I think it's an elevator… it, ah, sort of worked when I tried to use it."

"What do you mean, sort of?" the other human asked, and from her voice, Liara could tell that her first guess had been right. This one was female, too. "That doesn't sound very reassuring."

"It only fell a little," Liara insisted. "And, anyway, we don't have much of a choice. I think it's the only way to leave the mine. Come on, I'll show you." She began walking, and the first human left the panel to fall in step beside her, keeping a careful grip on her gun.