Earth had been laid to waste.
Palavan had been invaded.
Thessia was burning.
The Alliance had relieved her of duty. The Council had stripped her of her Spectre title.
She stood on trial before the entire galaxy, and they all laid the blame for this war on her.
"This is your fault!" A billion voices echoed, whispering and screaming at the same time. "You were supposed to stop them!"
Memories flashed, bringing pain.
The bomb on Virmire went off while Shepard was on the other side of the facility, taking Kaiden with it.
The Shroud exploded, Mordin still inside.
Thane died after taking Kai Leng's sword in defense of the Salarian councillor.
Legion collapsed at Shepard's feet, giving himself to save the rest of the Geth.
A blast from Harbinger sent a Mako spinning through the air, hurtling toward Garrus and Liara-
That was always the point that Shepard woke up.
This time wasn't any different, and her adrenaline surged as she shot upright, a stifled scream forcing its way past her lips.
Liara was with her. The war was over. The Reapers were gone.
They were safe.
As if to prove the point, Shepard felt hands slip around her waist, and Liara pressed a kiss to her sweaty cheek. "Who was it this time?" she asked softly. Liara knew the nightmares always focused on what Shepard considered failings- those she had failed to save during the war. It was one thing to realize intellectually that it would have been impossible to save everyone… Convincing her heart of that was another thing entirely.
"Everyone," Shepard admitted, pulling her bondmate into her arms so the asari was straddling her lap. She buried her face in Liara's neck and inhaled, savoring the scent that was all Liara, and always managed to ground her after an episode like this. Liara in turn threaded her fingers into Shepard's hair, stroking it softly as the soldier willed her heartbeat to slow. "I'm sorry I woke you," she murmured, gently kissing Liara's neck just below her aural. "You need your rest."
"So do you, love," Liara admonished gently. "And we both know it's easier for you to get back to sleep if I'm awake to help you."
Shepard traced a line from Liara's neck across her cheek and to her mouth, gently capturing her lips. "I'm not the one that needs enough sleep for two people," she teased, one hand falling to the swell of Liara's belly. Her touch was reverent; she still almost couldn't believe that their child was growing inside her bondmate.
The memory of that final push at Harbinger brought another surge of emotion. Liara had made it out with a minor leg injury that had healed completely, but if that vehicle had landed another foot to the right…
Shepard swallowed back the tears that threatened to fall and stroked Liara's pregnant belly. "We almost lost this," she said hoarsely. "We almost lost everything. I almost lost you." She moved her face back to Liara's neck and wrapped her arms around the asari, pulling her in, assuring herself that this was real and not some dream.
"But you didn't," Liara assured her. "You saved the galaxy. We're both here. Our daughter will have both of her parents." She rested her head against Shepard's and gently stroked the human's back. She knew Shepard still carried some guilt about the choices she'd had to make. She admitted it to Liara during her recovery. Out of the three options she'd been offered, Shepard had chosen the only one that ended with a chance of her coming out alive… Because she'd wanted to return to Liara. She'd wanted to keep the promise she'd made before the mission to the Collector base, that she'd always find her way back to her bondmate. She'd wanted marriage, old age, and little blue children.
She'd wanted to live.
Liara reached out toward Shepard, not physically, but with the meld that they'd both learned how to fall into so easily. Shepard welcomed her in, letting their minds flow into and around one another, and finally let out the breath that she didn't realize she'd been holding.
This… This was real, Shepard knew. This was home. She let go, surrendering her fears, letting Liara soothe them away mentally and physically. Her lips found Liara's again and she pulled them both back down to the bed as they comforted each other with feelings of love and unspoken promises. When they pulled apart they were both smiling, and Shepard shifted Liara from on top of her and into place nestled against her side. She kissed her bondmate on the forehead as she flipped the blanket back over them both. "I love you, Liara," she whispered into the dark. "Always and forever."
"I love you too, Shepard," Liara whispered back, reaching to take Shepard's hand and thread her fingers through her love's. With a soft kiss to the back of her hand and one last mental caress, Liara closed her eyes and settled comfortably in against Shepard. "Now… sleep."
Shepard wasn't sure how long she laid there, listening to Liara's breathing even back out as she fell back into tranquil slumber. She felt like she was holding a miracle- no, two miracles- in her arms, and at that moment she thought she could have just laid there and watched her bondmate sleep forever and been satisfied. It was with that thought that sleep finally claimed her, and she drifted off to sleep in peace.