Notes:

Anam Cara - Soul Friend/Mate (Gaelic)

Ardat - demon (Source: CDN)

Grá mo chroí - love of my heart (Gaelic)

Rebekha - guardian, protector; literally "watcher of the night" (Source: CDN)

Siame - "one who is all", a loved one cherished above all others (Thessian/Source: CDN)

Compromises

T'Soni Country Estate, Thessia, Athena Nebula – 24 Feb 2189

Since her arrival at the T'Soni estate, Gabby had spoken with the Estate Steward nearly every day, but only in passing and sometimes during meals. She rarely had occasion to speak with the Matron on a personal level; now, Gabby found herself needing to ask a huge favor.

Lyessa looked up as Gabby stepped through the office doorway to stand in front of her. "Do you have a few minutes, Matron Lyessa? I need to speak with you, if you can spare the time."

The Asari grinned at the formality of the Human's request. Gabby was an honored guest in Lady Liara's home. The idea that anyone inside these walls, especially this extremely pregnant woman, should need to ask permission to speak with her simply seemed ludicrous. "Of course, Ms Donnelly." Indicating the large chair sitting nearby, she added, "Please, have a seat. Is there anything I can bring you? A beverage, perhaps?"

"Thank you, Lyessa… but no." Pulling the empty chair a bit closer, Gabby slowly sat down, then interlaced her fingers and embraced her swollen belly.

Lyessa's lips turned downward a bit as she asked, "I hope no inappropriate action, or lack of proper service, on the part of any of our staff necessitates this visit?"

"Oh, gosh!" Gabby shook her head rather vehemently in objection. "Absolutely not! Your staff has been more kind and helpful to me than I ever could have imagined! Thank you for asking."

"So, what brings you to my office, then, Ms Donnelly? Are you feeling well? I would imagine you're ready for your little ones to make their presence known in the world outside."

Mentally rolling her eyes at the oft-repeated question, she replied, "I am… ready, that is. It will be so much more comfortable to have these wee babes lying in my arms, instead of on my organs." With a grimace caused by what felt like a tiny foot hitting her liver, she added, "According to Doctor T'Lori, we are progressing quite nicely, but the more they grow, the less peace I have. It has really been a long eight months…"

"I can relate," Lyessa chuckled… the pleasing sound relaxing Gabby even more. "You probably do not know that I delivered my own daughter in 1893." At the surprised look erupting on Gabby's face, she hastened to add, "I was 332 years of age at the time."

"My God, Lyessa! I had no idea… so you… damn! Sorry. I know you had a daughter… I just never thought about how many years ago that would have been!" Gabby felt as if her cheeks were nearly glowing from her embarrassment.

With another quiet laugh, Lyessa gave the Human woman a knowing smile. "I realize the idea of living for a millennium must seem strange… and, so you know, I'm just over 600 years old, Gabby. I know that may seem incredible to you, and I don't intend to make you feel bad, but – barring accidents – I'll probably outlive you by 400 to 450 years or so."

With a rueful grin, Gabby said, "Should I be fortunate enough to live well into my second century, I'll count myself lucky to look half as good as you do right now, Lyessa! It's easy to forget the typical Asari lifespan is measured in centuries instead of decades."

Lyessa chuckled again; Gabby felt the sound was completely magical. "As I understand Human reproduction, you are a month…" she looked meaningfully at Gabby's swollen belly, "… or maybe less… from giving birth to your children." With a sigh, she added, "I still find it amazing you are able to carry two little ones inside such a limited space."

"Some women have more… triplets, quintuplets… I can only hope this was a lucky exception… that I'm not genetically predisposed to conceiving multiple children."

"Do you desire to have more children someday, Gabby?" Lyessa's voice had taken on a hesitant tone and she cocked her head to the side, thinking about what it would be like had she lost Selina in the war; how difficult it would be to even think of having another child without her.

"I haven't really thought about it." Gabby blushed again as she admitted, "Truth is, I wouldn't be pregnant at all except for the failure of my contraceptive implant during the summer."

An expression of puzzlement colored Lyessa's expression. "I had heard Human females were unable to control their own fertility… Don't you find that rather inconvenient?"

Gabby laughed good-naturedly at the Asari's question as she replied, "Apologies, Lyessa. Yes, it is extremely inconvenient. Without some form of protection, Human females have always incurred a risk of conceiving a child when engaging in sexual intercourse, at least until their mid-life change." Gabby solemnly continued, "These days, men will generally take responsibility for their actions, but it hasn't always been the case; not so long ago, many were the women that were forced to raise their child – or children – with no help from the father."

Lyessa slowly shook her head at Gabby's admission. "Goddess. How heartbreaking it would be for a child to learn their conception was an unplanned occurrence… that their very existence was an unwelcome consequence of an act of love."

"It's not always about love, Lyessa. Sometimes, it's just simple lust. As for me and Kenneth?" She paused for a moment to draw a calming breath. Even so, with the tiniest hitch in her voice, she finally continued, "He loved me more than anything, and I loved him just as passionately…" A single tear welled up and overflowed, to slowly trickle down her cheek. As she concluded, "I still love him. It's why I haven't given any thought to having more children. Any man I may meet in the future will have a difficult time living up to my memories of Kenneth Donnelly."

Gabby fell silent for a few moments before finally screwing her courage up to the sticking point; she cleared her throat, then studied the beautiful blue face looking back at her. "If you don't mind, I have a request for you, Lyessa. Alyna has reminded me I will require the services of a birthing coach during my labor… someone to hold my hands… to help me through the process as it happens. I would consider it an honor to have you assisting me."

The Asari's smile held a hint of sadness as she responded. "You honor me with your request, Ms Donnelly." The smile grew into a huge grin as she continued, "And, I can think of no task more joyful – short of bearing another child myself – than providing you with the physical and moral support you need in order to deliver your children. I will do my best to be an able surrogate for your Kenneth."

Gabby let the breath she hadn't realized she was holding out with a whoosh. "Thank you so much, Lyessa! I was really worried you would turn me down, and I don't know who else I could ask."

"My dear child… why ever would you think I could say no? That you chose to have your babies here, within Lady Liara's and Spectre Shepard's home, honors every single person that resides here. I don't believe you could ask anything… of anyone… that would be refused. And now, I'm especially looking forward to seeing you bring your children into the world, Gabby… as is everyone!"

Gabby grinned as she struggled to her feet. "I really appreciate everything and everyone here, Lyessa." She turned to go, saying, "Now, I need to get back to my restroom. I'll see you later, and… thank you so much."

"Thank you, Gabby." The Asari grinned as the mom-to-be slowly waddled out of her office.

Gabby hadn't gone more than ten steps before a soothing, rich baritone voice spoke welcomingly behind her. "Gabby! What are you doing over on this side of the world?" Harley Creath stepped to her side, offering her an arm with a smile. "Please, allow me to escort you back to the residential wing. Pardon my saying so, but you look about ready to drop."

"Thank you… I feel like I'm ready to drop, but I'm sure you have more important things to do than to help tired and fat little me!" Gabby smiled at the young N7. "You must have come over to the service side for a reason of your own, I would think."

"I did, at that." Harley smiled back at the obviously very pregnant woman. "I came over to put in a new food requisition for the Knight Shade with Chef Leyana… but that task has been completed and I have a bit of free time." He raised his elbow again, renewing his offer of assistance. "Come on… keep me company at lunch!"

T'Soni Country Estate, Thessia, Athena Nebula – 25 Feb 2189

"Nara?" The voice of Estate Guard Captain, Lyria Tremi, startled Shepard out of her quiet contemplation.

"Shit!" Shepard took a deep breath to calm her racing heart. "Sorry… That's not directed at you, Lyria… I simply didn't hear you walk up, so you surprised me, that's all."

"That's all?" Tremi cocked a brow tattoo as she pulled out a chair and sat at the table next to her Captain. "I do not believe I have ever seen you distracted to the point where I could approach you without even trying to be stealthy, Shepard… nor have I ever seen Lady Liara so short tempered." She paused, seriously contemplating whether she should really ask a question about what was a private matter, but did so anyway. "As deeply as you two love each other, I can't believe I'm going to ask this, but… Are the two of you actually at odds with each other?"

Placing her elbows on the table, Sam groaned and put her head in her hands, mumbling, "Is it really that obvious?"

"Terribly so, it appears." Lyria chuckled lightly. "It can't be as bad as all that; tell me, please."

Given the level of trust that had developed between the Spectre and the Estate Captain, Shepard didn't hesitate to give a short synopsis of the argument that had transpired the day before. "She hasn't spoken to me since… I even slept in one of the guest rooms last night." She paused and shook her head as she amended, "Or, rather, occupied one of the guest rooms last night. I didn't honestly sleep much at all. Liara locked me out… both physically and mentally; even the link is blocked."

"By the Goddess!" Lyria's eyes flew open wide in bewilderment and she sat back in her chair, staring at her commander in shock. "You told me everything? You didn't leave anything out?"

"Nope. Not a thing… that was everything that happened, in a nutshell." Shepard let out a sad sigh. "I'm not sure how in Hell I'm going to fix it, either. I simply cannot find it within myself to ask multiple people to risk the rest of their very long lives, just so I can stay with Liara longer than what is natural for a Human… no matter how much I love her."

"Well, I can certainly understand her motives well enough, but I cannot believe that Liara would demand such a thing." Lyria paused and her eyes narrowed. "However, you did promise, and promises are sacred. Trust is extremely difficult to repair, once broken. You have to admit you are the one who created the dilemma by making such a pledge to begin with… and Liara has most definitely compounded it by actually calling you on it, when she must realize you honestly believe the very foundation of your morality hangs on your decision."

"Gods." Shepard dropped her hands and set her forehead on the table with a resounding thunk. "Tell me something I don't know, Lyria… but I honestly believe Liara wouldn't have stayed with me, otherwise; she would have walked away. She demanded that promise from me because the idea of me dying on the Collector mission scared her so much."

"You can't honestly blame her for that, Shepard… you nearly did! She loves you… and I would like to believe she would have eventually seen reason and returned to you, once you survived the mission." Lyria offered up a sincere smile. "You have to remember how young she is by Asari standards, Shepard! Yes, she may be over a hundred… which you see as going into the last third of your life… but, as an Asari, she's still quite young. And once she lost her mother…"

Lyria dropped her voice and continued, "I am going to be blunt with you, Shepard. While circumstances are to blame for the Matriarch's passing… not you… once Benezia was gone, you became the anchor in Liara's life. By now, Liara should be full into her maidenhood… experimenting with melding with a variety of partners, exploring life to its fullest and chasing dreams, but she has a bondmate instead of a mother to guide her. She sacrificed all of those experiences to be with you and help you fight the Reapers, Shepard… possibly without truly realizing the full impact that her actions would have on her life! In that regard, she is not living in the way of the Asari… she's acting like a Human."

"I realize she has largely adopted my ways… but in all fairness, we have blended our cultures and I have also adopted yours." Shepard sighed and picked her head off the table. "We truly have united as one, in so many ways. And, we are so much in love that sometimes it really hurts… like it has for the past twenty-four hours or so."

Lyria reached over to lay a hand on the woman's forearm. "And that is the reason we accepted you into her life, Shepard. It didn't take us long to realize just how deeply you love one another. That is the source of both the joy and the pain you are experiencing right now. I believe you may not truly understand the depth of the consequences of your bond with her."

"Yes, I do," Shepard replied, raising her chin so she could meet the Asari's eyes. "Aethyta explained to me about soul-sickness, while I was recovering on Earth and Liara and I were physically separated by a relay. She got me through it… and I can't even begin to imagine how Liara did it on her own."

"I guarantee you, she did not, Shepard." Lyria smiled encouragingly. "She likely had Riana assisting her. I guess my main point is that we all need help once in a while; that's what friends are for. You know, I will add that I honestly believe you are the best thing that has happened to House T'Soni…" Raising her brow marking and a hand, she looked at the Spectre and said, "No. They are my feelings and you do not have the right to debate them, Shepard. Period."

The Spectre huffed and waved a dismissive hand as she said, "Fine. Go on."

"As I was saying… you are the best thing that has happened to House T'Soni in the last century… since the birth of Liara." Lyria smiled as she continued, "There have been many sad events between then and now… but your appearance on our metaphorical doorstep changed our luck… everyone's luck! You drew Liara from her life of isolation and brought House T'Soni hope for our future… and hope, as you very well know, can be an extremely powerful force, Shepard."

At that, Shepard blushed slightly. "Yeah, hope. It made getting all the forces we needed to win that damned war soooo easy." she remarked, somewhat mockingly.

"Sarcasm will win you no points in this discussion, Captain." Taking the comment for the defensive posturing it was, Lyria took no offense and continued, "Now, knowing how highly we all respect and how much we love you, I can say that if you honestly asked me to do something for you that may cost me my life, I would do so willingly… just as you have done for us, so many times over." Shaking her head at Shepard's immediate rebuttal, she spat out, "No! You have no right to deny me my willing sacrifice, should I choose to give my life for you."

Pulling her hand away, she sat back up in her chair, a potential solution suddenly popping into her mind. "Look at your current circumstances. If either you or Liara asked, I would be willing to take on this upcoming dangerous mission to help you… without hesitation! My guess is the same is true for every single member of this household. By extension, it is not necessarily an unreasonable expectation on Liara's part to ask Roshida B'Sayle to do it."

"But that's my whole point, Lyria!" Shepard was quite vehement. "They have no idea why they are doing what they're doing, because Liara never asked them… she simply used the Brokerage to order one of the teams to do it… and that's a horrible abuse of power!" A tear rolled down Shepard's cheek as she slumped in her chair. "I agree they have the right to choose. But they need to know both the goals and the ramifications of the requested action… and, as it stands right now, they don't! They have no idea what they are giving their lives for, so, that's not a choice… it's a mandate to potentially commit suicide, and I can't… I won't… accept it!"

Undaunted by Shepard's frustrated outburst, excusing it due to Shepard being so tired, Lyria calmly replied, "So, the solution is not so difficult as it seems. Simply give them the information, Spectre." Lyria sat forward and leaned over the table. "All I can say for sure is that if you needed help, I would be more than willing to provide it. So, simply give them the data they need to make an informed decision!"

Shepard wiped the tear from her cheek and met Lyria's eyes. "Now, that's an idea… but Liara will hate it."

"Why would she hate it…? She should be thrilled to know you are no longer opposed to letting them continue the mission."

Shepard pushed back her chair and stood up, resolute in her decision. "Because, if they are going to do this for me, then Spectre Shepard is going to lead whatever missions are required…" She had a smirk on her face as she continued, "After all… the promise I gave to Liara was that I would do everything I could to stay alive. So, I will fulfill that promise, to the letter; I need the information to prolong my life, so I'm going to go get it." She smirked and added, "I'll admit, I will obviously need quite a bit of help from my friends along the way… but I won't accept said help until I explain exactly why we're doing this. Then, they can make an honest decision as to whether or not they want to come along for the ride."

"Blazes, Shepard! That's not exactly where I meant for this discussion to lead." Captain Tremi leaned back in her chair, unsure if Shepard's solution was a good one, given the state of her nanites. Realizing it was too late to take back anything she had said, nor change the conclusion to which Shepard had come, Lyria simply shook her head in reluctant acceptance. "I firmly believe you are correct in your assumption that Lady Liara is going to absolutely hate the idea… and, quite possibly, hate me for giving it to you."

"No worries there, Lyria, because you didn't. As you just stated, this is not where you meant this to go, so I'll take full responsibility for this one… Now, I just need to find a way to get Liara to talk about it."

"Take all the responsibility you want, but Liara will still know I was part of it… so I guess I simply need to be ready for her reproach." A quick shrug over the inevitable was immediately followed by, "But before you do anything, you haven't slept in over… what? Thirty-six hours?" Lyria frowned as she did the quick calculation in her head. "Have you, at the very least, eaten anything?" Shaking her head at Shepard's negative reply, she stood from her chair, saying, "Don't you dare move. Before you do anything, you need to eat, Spectre, so I'm going to the kitchen to get you a quick lunch… maybe some breakfast would be better, assuming Leyana is free to prepare you something hot."

Lyria returned relatively quickly to discover Shepard, quite literally, hadn't moved an inch. She still sat hunched over in her chair, her head in her hands. "Okay, sit up and eat, Captain." Placing the tray in front of the distraught woman, she prodded, "Go on, tuck some of that into your belly. Your nanites are already acting up, we don't need you adding either exhaustion or getting ill into the mix."

Shepard knew Liara was working but had no idea how much time had passed. She had grown tired of standing as she waited, so was now snoozing with her back against the door that led into the basement Broker Suite. When it finally opened, Liara was surprised by the Spectre, quite literally, tumbling backwards through the door at her feet.

"Goddess, Shepard! What in the blazes are you doing?" Liara scampered back a few paces, doing absolutely nothing to help the woman regain her feet. She sounded angry… or possibly frightened… as she squeaked, "With a surprise like that, you're lucky I didn't warp you right back out into the hallway!"

Rubbing the back of her head as she stood up, Samantha took a deep breath to keep from replying with a sarcastic comment. Even so, her response came out a bit stilted. "Gee, I don't know… maybe trying to get a word with my Grá mo chroí?"

"You could have tapped the entry request."

"Honestly, I didn't think that was an option, seeing as you felt the need to suspend my Broker room access." Shepard crossed her arms and raised her eyebrows. "That's a pretty good sign you didn't want me in there with you… perhaps so I couldn't read any more of the message traffic regarding our current situation?"

"That's not true!" Liara actually pouted, reticence over what she had done getting the better of her tenuous emotional control. She paused for a brief moment before making a halting, half-hearted confession. "Yesterday that may have been true… but today… I simply forgot to change the settings back to what they were."

"Uh-huh," Shepard huffed. "You forgot."

Her initial reticence forgotten, Liara became suddenly brusque from the veiled accusation. Her tone wasn't necessarily intentional, but the whole situation brought back unpleasant memories from when the returned-from-the-dead Spectre first visited her on Illium. She was frightened at the prospect of losing her siame much too soon… again. Only this time, instead of the original expectation of maybe 100 or so years – by Miranda's last 'healthy' estimate – this time it would be 800 years too soon… and that possibility made Liara defensive, even though the fear was due to the very strength of the love she held for her bondmate. "What do you need, Shepard? I'm rather busy."

"Come off it, Liara," Shepard groused. "You're not busy right now… You were getting ready to leave else the door never would have opened, seeing as you had no idea I was even out here." A quick glance at her chrono had her adding, "Were you planning to eat? I'd love to sit down and have dinner with my bondmate… whom I haven't seen in nearly 48 hours."

"And whose fault is that?"

Liara's ire over Samantha's stubbornness was returning in full force, but Shepard refused to rise to the bait. Instead, she drew in a long breath and blew it out as a heavy sigh. "Let's not relive the argument, okay?" Shepard cleared her throat to get rid of the lump forming there and tapped her temple as she continued, "I miss you, Blue. We need to talk this through… and I have an idea." She shrugged and added, "One you may not like very much, but we have to start somewhere. We can't go on like this… not the way things are right now."

Shepard stretched out her arm, offering her hand to Liara, who knew exactly what her siame was truly asking. It was nearly impossible to fully block the link if they were physically touching. Liara closed her eyes for a brief moment and focused herself. Opening them again, she shook her head lightly and replied, "No, we can't… I can't touch you, yet. I'm not nearly ready to forgive you, Shepard." She crossed her arms and stepped out the door. "But we can certainly restart our conversation over dinner – a private dinner in the study."

Shepard honestly wanted to scream, 'Forgive me? You're the one who walked out on us!' but she did not. Instead, she kept her composure and withdrew her hand, simply giving a quick nod of agreement as she replied, "It's a beginning. That's all I ask."

They loaded their trays and walked out of the dining area. Unseen by Liara, Lyria cast a knowing glance at Shepard and gave her a wink for good luck. Livos, however, saw the exchange and immediately sat down across from the Estate Captain of the Guard. Giving her a wary glance, Livos challenged, "You know what's going on and didn't tell me?"

"No, I did not," Lyria answered without hesitation. "Because it was a private conversation between Shepard and me, during one of our Captain's moments of weakness. We all know what is going on with her nanite situation… but all I will say regarding her and my discussion is perhaps you should ensure the Knight Shade is ready for departure at a moment's notice."

"The ship is always ready… and you know it." Livos sat back in her chair, surprise coloring her expression as understanding crept in. "Goddess. What you are really telling me is that she wants to join the hunt and go to the next research base… Doesn't she? Orestes Station?" She shook her head in bewilderment. "Liara is not going to be pleased with that idea… not by any stretch of the imagination." She narrowed her eyes at her Ai'a me. "Did you suggest it?"

"Maybe I did and maybe I didn't…" Lyria shrugged. "We talked about the situation and discussed possible paths forward… Whatever conclusions Shepard drew are hers alone."

"May the Goddess guide and protect your soul if Liara ever finds out you even hinted at such a thing to Shepard!"

"We merely talked to ease Shepard's distress, Liv." Lyria huffed out a laugh. "I do not believe I could ever dictate the Spectre's actions, no matter the situation. As I said, her choices are her own."

"You keep telling yourself that, Lyria… but, if I were you, I'd lay low if Liara comes storming unexpectedly into the drill area during one of our workout sessions… and be very happy you are not assigned to the Knight Shade, or you'd be taking point on every mission."

At that, Lyria's laughter erupted in full and her face held a rather mischievous grin as she said, "If you really want to know, Liv, I actually did offer to go with her… She needs to do nothing but ask and I honestly believe the whole House would go."

Shepard and Liara sat across from each another at one of the lounge tables, eating in silence for a few moments before both of them began speaking at once. They both immediately stopped, with Shepard chuckling softly as Liara blushed, with the hint of a smile tweaking the corners of her mouth. "Goddess, Shepard. We are kindred spirits, you and I… How did we come to such odds over this?" Her lips were attempting to smile, but sadness filled her eyes as she asked the question.

Shepard stared at her plate for a short second before setting her fork down and peering across the table at her Anam Cara. Rather than lay the blame at Liara's feet, Shepard answered with a sigh, "By making you a promise I knew in my heart I could never really keep, Li." She shook her head and continued, "I promised I would always come back… knowing, in truth, I don't honestly always have control over such things."

"But you have always done whatever is within your power to do so, so why has this suddenly become an issue?"

Shepard immediately realized Liara was being quite earnest and she thought about Lyria's comment about being more like a Human, instead of an Asari. She fundamentally doesn't understand why I can't ask someone else to risk their life, simply so I can live longer. How in Hell do I explain it so she can understand? Maybe I have to use her own language.

An idea suddenly jumped to mind and she began. "Because I am Nara, Liara… a bearer of others' burdens… a Rebekha, through and through." Seeing the questions remaining on Liara's face, she continued, "Every time I have asked someone to sacrifice, it has been for the greater good. This is different, because it is for my personal benefit… and this is where our opinions diverge. You believe the entire galaxy owes me for my efforts, yet that has never been the motivation for anything I have ever done."

"Why would you not expect recompense, Samantha? Surely you deserve a long and happy future for saving the entire galaxy!"

"Because I only did it because it was right… and necessary." Shepard shook her head and continued, "I'm not some mercenary, going to war for profit, Liara… If I was, I'd be no better than a pirate."

Liara's face twisted with grief. "But you gave so much of yourself! Why can you not accept a long life with me in return?"

"I can…" Shepard saw the hope blossom in Liara's expression, so quickly added the qualifier, "… but it comes with a condition; a big one for you, if I make a guess, and one I'm not sure you'll be willing to accept."

Liara bit her lip, disrupting the worried frown that was trying to form. "What kind of condition?"

Shepard explained her thoughts regarding people's right to choose their own future, ending with the big question. "What it honestly all comes down to is that I simply can't let someone else take all the risk for my personal benefit, Liara; I just can't. So… Will you accept the condition that I get to speak with B'Sayle and her crew and, assuming they are still willing, that I, along with any House T'Soni and Spectre team volunteers, lead the mission to Orestes Station?"

Liara's eyes closed and her shoulders drooped as she breathed out a heavy sigh. Reopening blue eyes filled with resignation, she asked, "If I honestly want to keep you around for more than 150 years, I don't really have a choice but to accept, do I? You have simply reversed the direction of the ultimatum with your position."

"Not true, because I'm not making an ultimatum. I'm giving people choice as to whether or not they want to risk their lives for me, Liara… Do you understand the difference? It's the one thing you didn't give them when you commanded it be done via the Brokerage. This way, they can decide on their own if they want to help me or not, rather than be assigned the job by the Shadow Broker…" Shepard half-smiled as she added, "She's not exactly someone you can generally say no to and expect to survive. I love you with all my heart, T'Soni, and always will… but, the Shadow Broker, right now, at this very moment? Not so much, because you never should have utilized the Brokerage for a personal quest to begin with."

Liara stared at her siame for a moment and realized the truth in Shepard's statement. Forming an idea of her own, she asked, "I accept your terms… but, to sate my curiosity, will you tell me what you would have done had I refused? I know you, so know you wouldn't have come to me without a back-up plan."

"Things would have gotten complicated and likely very unpleasant between us, so I'm glad you didn't." Shepard's lip twitched, almost as if she wanted to smile but refrained. "I would have gone to the Council and requested assistance in destroying the station, along with any others I know about, in order to erase the last vestiges of Cerberus and all those who want to gain Human galactic dominance by force."

"Goddess, Shepard!" Liara's face paled at the very idea. "You would eliminate any hope of ever repairing your nanites in time! Why would you even consider such a thing?"

"You already know the answer to that question, Blue." Now, Shepard did smile. "Because I know you…and you would never give up on the idea of having me around for a few extra centuries. So, in order to guarantee you wouldn't eventually send someone anyway, no matter what we agreed upon today, I'd have to eliminate the temptation."

Once more indignant, Liara asked in a belligerent tone, "Do you honestly believe I would ever do such a thing?"

"I would like to say no, Liara, but we're being candid with one another… besides which, I would like to think neither of us would ever intentionally lie to the other… but, quite honestly? I truly don't know. I never thought you'd sell me out to Cerberus… but you did. Circumstances changed and you turned my body over to Miranda, but don't get me wrong… I am extremely fortunate that you did, else we wouldn't have the opportunity to be together now."

Liara finished the thought so Shepard didn't have to. "And if I became desperate, given the choice to save you again, you are correct… I would likely break my promise and violate your trust… again." Liara stood and walked to the fireplace, staring at the flames as her blue eyes began to cloud with moisture. "Goddess, Samantha. Sometimes I think you know me better than I know myself." She turned back to her bondmate as tears began to stream down her cheeks. "What have I become, Shepard, that I can so callously sacrifice the lives of our friends? Anyone's life, for that matter, solely for personal gain? What gives me the right? By the Goddess… I'm horrible! How can you possibly still love me after this?"

Tears. Shepard immediate rose from her seat and went to her Grá mo chroí, quickly wrapping a surprisingly unresisting Liara into a loving embrace. "Because I understand you're just scared, Blue; that's all. You're just scared of losing the one thing you think you can't live without. Trust me when I say I know the feeling!"

"Being frightened is no excuse for such behavior!" Liara pulled back a bit to angrily wipe the tears from her cheeks. Shaking her head in disgust, she growled, "I don't deserve the Brokerage… Not until I learn to wield it with much better judgment and discretion!"

"And who, exactly, would you count on to do it better, Liara?"

"Miranda and Oriana! Just as they already are!"

"And did they not see the orders you posted?" Shepard placed her hands on Liara's shoulders, holding her at arms' length to look her in the eye. "Did you receive even one peep of protest?" Using her grip to gently pull Liara back into a hug, she whispered softly, "You did not, likely because they agreed with you… I can think of no other reason why Miranda, in particular, would remain silent. Can you?"

"You're right," Liara actually managed a small laugh through her remaining tears. "If she disagreed with my actions, she would have called the moment she saw them, not giving a care in the galaxy to what time it may have been here… But there has been nothing but the standard progress reports from her… or from Ori."

"Exactly." Shepard turned her head and placed a feathery kiss on Liara's cheek. Cracks in Liara's block on the link allowed a few thoughts to trickle through, encouraging Shepard to prompt, "Open back up to me, Li… No matter what transpires between us, our love will always see us through the storm. I know it… and so do you."

"I… do." Liara hesitated for only a moment before sighing and closing her eyes. She leaned in closer, shifting her head from Shepard's shoulder so their cheeks touched, skin-on-skin. The block fell away and they immediately became one; the tide of emotion threatened to drive them to their knees, exactly like what had happened on Illium, but they managed to keep their balance and remain standing. Liara changed what she had been about to say, that she was unsure they were ready for her to drop the block, instead murmuring, "I love you, Siame… and it always surprises me just how much you love me… even when I'm being a completely unforgiveable Ardat."

Shepard laughed before turning her head and kissing Liara thoroughly on the lips, eliciting a pang of desire, driven more by the emotions surging through the renewed link after a painful absence, than the kiss itself. {Did I not promise you unto eternity, Grá mo chroí? Our love is unique, Liara… You are the best thing that ever happened to me, and you're damned well worth fighting for!}

{How can you be so sure of that, Siame… particularly after the past two days?} A huge wave of love surged through the link, staggering Liara in its intensity, but Shepard's firm grip kept her upright and on her feet.

{Because I love you, Grá mo chroí… more than life itself, as if that has not made itself wholly and completely evident… and I have faith in you. You have a good heart… we just need this to be over and get you past this fear of losing me. Why does it have such a hold on you?}

{Because you are so precious to me, Samantha.} A wave of sadness threatened to ruin the moment as Liara explained. {When I was young, I had no true friends… I led such an isolated existence. I look back now and see how truly alone I was. Losing Mother was another severe blow, but we got through that… together. I cannot lose you, Siame. You truly are my happiness… my lifeline. If something should happen to you, I fear I will become a recluse… and I have to wonder how quickly the power of the Shadow Broker would corrupt me in my grief… my fear of being alone… for none will ever compare to you, Samantha Shepard. None.}

{By the Gods, Liara!} Tears ran down Samantha's face as she experienced the immense sadness through the link. {Then we'll just have to make sure that never happens… but promise me; you will always talk to me about things like this first… before you sacrifice any more lives for my benefit. Can you do that? Can you promise me we'll work it out together?}

Liara released a shuddering breath and pulled back, breaking the physical contact, answering aloud, "Yes, Samantha… I can, and I will."