Chapter 14

Early morning

Shepard walked quietly into Liara's private office and sat down in a large armchair in front of one of the floor to ceiling windows. Liara was on a conference vid call with three other Asari.

Their daughter nestled in one of her lover's arms was burbling contentedly. When Liara looked over, her breath caught a little at the blazing smile and nod of welcome she received.

Liara returned her attention to her meeting and Shepard let the peace of belonging wash through her as images from their night of love making brushed her mind. Her bondmate above her, head thrown back in ecstasy riding fingers buried deep within her core.

They had made love for hours only stopped to check on their son after his surgery and to feed their daughter.

She had worshiped every inch of Liara's body, mind and soul. Had given herself completely offering her vulnerability as a gift through their bond. Their soul's connecting through their bodies. Each needing to take strength from the other, each finding their way home to each other, finding their way through the darkness to the light.

"What is it my love," Liara had moved to stand in front of her; she hadn't noticed the call had ended.

She held her arms open and Liara sat in her lap still cradling their daughter.

"I was just feeling into the space that you've carved out inside me. I love you Lee I never want to lose you," to her surprise she felt tears mist her eyes as she spoke.

Liara put her free hand to the back of her head and leaned in for a gentle kiss.

"We will never lose each other… whatever happens you are a part of my soul as I am yours. There is nothing we can not face if we face it together."

She pressed her face into her lover's chest and breathed in the scent of her, the essence of her and as their minds touched lightly she knew that this was where she lived and this is what she would die to protect.

At that moment their daughter burbled into the silence and her face transformed into a huge smile.

"We really do need to decide on a name you know," pulling back she looked into warm blue eyes.

"Yes, I fear if you continue to call her baby blue for much longer it will stick," Liara laughed and kissed her on the head before standing and returning to her desk.

"Do you mind if I just sit here while you work, I won't disturb you?"

"Of course, I only have one more meeting and then you can tell me about your orders to return to the Normandy," Liara spoke gently but she could hear the edge of a quaver in her bondmates voice.

For a moment she wondered how Liara knew about the call she had received from Anderson and hour ago but realised she could keep very little these day from her. It might also have something to do with her bondmate being the Shadow Broker that thought brought another smile to her lips.

"Yeah that would be good."

For the next couple of hours, she let the nearness of her soul mate; her daughter and the beauty of the Asari language soothe her.

Midday

Shepard and Liara had decided to hold their meeting with the ex-Cerberus agent Miranda Lawson in the secure conference room set within the small underground complex that housed Liara's information network.

They were both seated at one end of the table when Miranda was shown in.

"That was quite the cryptic summons Shepard. But as you can see you whistle and I come running," the beautiful black-haired women settled into a chair opposite with all the grace and danger of a mountain lion.

Shepard always had a sense of unease around Miranda particularly when Liara was in the same space. Her love and commitment to her bondmate was unbreakable and unassailable, yet she had to accept that there was something between her and Miranda that she couldn't explain.

When she had first woken up in the Cerberus facility where Miranda had rebuilt her shattered and broken body and she believed that Liara was no longer hers she was so broken that they had nearly become lovers.

That closeness had intensified when she had found out the voluptuous beauty was carrying her child. And again, in her darkness and despair she almost gave into the pull of release that she knew she would find in the other woman's arms.

She knew also that the feeling had been more than reciprocated; and had no doubt that it still was.

Liara knew there had been something, was something that connected them. Not the relationship that the Broker had tried to imply and taunt Liara with before he had tried to kill her. But where that connection came from she didn't know and she had never wanted to hurt Liara by discussing it.

She shook herself from her reflections realising that both women were waiting for her to respond.

"Ah, yes…," she gathered her thoughts sensing Liara's impatience and anger, "now this meeting could go one of two ways…"

Before she could continue Liara cut across her.

"How many more did you make," the edge to Liara's voice was ice cold and her hands were fisted where they lay on the table in front of her.

They had discussed how much Miranda may have known about the clone. Liara was convinced it had been another of her little side projects, like the creation of their son. But she wasn't so sure, understanding how Harper operated with small cells all carrying out parts of a greater plan it was entirely feasible that Miranda had no idea about the group that had created her clone.

"You're the one with mind reading capabilities Liara so I'm afraid you'll have to give me a clue as to what the bloody hell you're talking about."

She saw the energy flash between the two women and for a brief moment regretted her assumption that they had reached some kind of truce. Before she could speak Liara stood so forcefully her chair skittered away behind her.

"Do not play games with me Lawson, my son has been used as an experiment by your people and now we find out you created a clone of Shepard," Liara leaned over the table the feint flash of blue haze around her hands, "were you hoping that a copy would do for you what the real one would not."

Miranda jumped to her feet and she felt the situation sliding sideways but was struggling to identify a course of action that wouldn't leave her the focus of both women's fury.

"Why on earth would you think I needed a copy to satisfy me when I had access to the real thing…?" Miranda's body shimmered as Liara's hands lit up with biotic energy.

She jumped to her feet still not quite sure what she was going to do when a voice from the door echoed in the silence.

"Well, you know, there's more than enough of us to go around now so why don't you both settle down before something gets broken," Vega moved forward and took a place at the table between Liara and Miranda.

She watched the doctor intensely for her reaction and she knew Liara was doing the same. Miranda's body lost its battle ready glow as she sat heavily in her seat looking stunned.

Looking back and forth from her to Vega confusion marring the women's usually imperturbable features she asked, "She's a clone… of you… what about her mind, her memories."

When everyone was seated, she answered, "Seems to be, and yes intact memories, personality, DNA exact match all that stuff…"

"What we don't know is how," Vega spoke quietly and leaned towards Miranda, "I've checked all the available records inside Cerberus and none of their human engineering, messing with reaper tech or other clone programs are anywhere near this level of mind… personality… brain transfer, or whatever this is," Vega paused then asked the question everyone else in the room wanted to know, "did you do this… make me?"

"Your mind isn't a copy," Miranda said the words almost reverently and it wasn't a question, "it has to be the saved version," the woman sounded awe struck as her eyes roamed over Vega's face, "the body, yes, I created that but it was meant to have been destroyed when we succeeded in waking you and everything worked," the scientist addressed her last remarks at Shepard.

"What do you mean save, Shepard is not a program, not some kind of machine," Liara's tone still held an edge of anger but confusion and perhaps a trace of fear was winning out.

She reached across and took one of Liara's hands in hers not sure who it was meant to comfort more, "can we start at the beginning and for the benefit of the people in the room who are not scientific geniuses can you make it as simple as possible." Noticing the smile tracing Vega's lips, she was again reminded that they were essentially the same person.

Two hours and four rounds of coffee later she was waiting in the more comfortable surroundings of their private sitting room with Liara and Vega. They were waiting for Miranda to return with the results of the two brain scans and a range of other tests that she had carried out on her and Vega. She had a tension headache that was rivalling anything she'd had with one of her many concussions.

Despite a lot of argument, and some painful threats of what she would do to Miranda's mind from Liara, the scientist didn't want to explain until she had carried out all her tests and would be able to bring them definitive conclusions.

The door opened and she sat up straighter as all eyes in the room focused on Miranda who remained standing and began to speak into the awaiting silence.

"Do you remember the strange nanites that created the protection field around your brain," Miranda checked for everyone's acquiescence.

Vega leaned forward and asked, "You really couldn't identify them or where they came from."

"No, they could have been some form of advance Prothean tech but I seriously doubt it. They were hard to study because they just melted away when I tried to remove a sample from… anyway the point is that I still don't know how they worked or how they managed to not only protect your brain but how it restored it to full function when your body was ready." She paused and sat in a chair before continuing.

"It seems the nanites had one other function and that was to create an imprint of the brain, the mind really as the nanites permeated the brain and embedded themselves within the pathways. That's what I mean when I said a save," she looked directly at Liara.

"But how did it work… if you didn't even know how the process worked?" She heard her own voice ask the question but she felt very distanced from the conversation once again reminded that she ought to have died when the Normandy was attacked. That no one should be able to survive falling from space onto the surface of a moon even with all the mitigating factors in her favour.

Miranda's voice brought her back from her dark musings, "It took months of study and research before I realised what I could extract or rather that I could use the interface the tech had created to upload the imprint. I had no idea if it would work, what had been captured… but for a time it was a talisman for me… in case."

Liara made a huffing sound and looked as if she was about to launch into another rant about Miranda's motives so she cut across quickly, "But in the end you didn't need it, or the clone body you grew," she winced inwardly at her words and pointedly did not look at Vega, "so how did they both end up in the hands of another Cerberus cell?"

"I was careful Shepard, almost paranoid about how much… I kept hidden from Harper about my work. But I obviously wasn't careful enough. I set everything in the lab to self-destruct as soon as you were awake and had spoken to him, the day we left."

'The day I found out I had lost more than two years; I'd lost everything that mattered to me'. The moment she had realised Liara was lost to her broke her in a way that nothing in her life to that point had.

Even the memory of the pain threatened to take her breath away until she felt the soft brush of Liara's mind. Turning towards Liara their eyes locked for a few moments and as she felt calm settle through her.

"So how many other versions are out there," Vega's voice was quiet but it held a charge.

Miranda only took a moment to answer, "None, it was a one use only, the brain imprint. The body would be impossible without my knowledge and skill. They might have you're DNA, Shepard, but they can't do anything more with it than run tests and perhaps grow you a new organ."

Silence settled on the room and she leaned back into the sofa relaxing a little.

"So, no army of Shepard clones wearing Cerberus armour," Vega said in a cheerful tone as she moved to the sideboard," can I get anyone a drink."

Once everyone had settled back down with a drink it was Liara who broke the renewed silence.

"They are more like twins then," Liara looked at Miranda.

"In body yes but Vega is cloned, so that's not really…"

Liara cut her off, "I am not interested in scientific or biological definitions as I am certain this… situation," Liara raised looked around the room, "has not happened before and is not likely to happen again. I am seeking a way to understand their relationship."

"Vega is family, a sister, twin works for me," she said forcefully not wishing to continue the conversation, "we may share the same memories up to a point but since then we are separate individuals… I hope you feel the same way," she looked at Vega and gave her a small smile.

"I… that is generous of you," Vega said very quietly not catching anyone's eyes.

"That is settled then," Liara said and she stood; "now I think it is time to have some dinner and for us to speak of the future and not of the past which is fraught with pain for us all."

Early evening

Vega tried relaxing the tension in her shoulders and enjoy a moment of peace sitting in the garden next to Shepard who was feeding her daughter.

"I do understand how hard this must be for you," Shepard said softly, "I know how devastated I was when I woke up on the Cerberus research station and Lee seemed lost to me."

She turned to look at Shepard who continued, "I don't have a fix for that, I just hope it gets easier."

"Yeah, not really any point in trying to lie to you… about as pointless as lying to myself," she reached out and stroked the soft blue skin of the baby's cheek and smiled, "she's beautiful, takes after her mother."

"Take her," Shepard offered to pass the baby across, "seems we're pretty good at this kid thing."

Nestling the small body in her arms she stared down at Liara's daughter, Shepard and Liara's daughter. A part of her and yet not, that duality again, but this time she didn't dwell on the pain but revelled in the love and the joy that she felt.

"What are you going to call her?"

"I have no idea, I'll leave that the Lee…" there was a pause and she turned slightly to look at Shepard, "we're going to leave her here, in Thrassica, in a safe strong hold."

She nodded in understanding. Liara would not sit back and let Shepard face the Reapers alone; they would be together facing whatever came. Her fight was with Cerberus but she'd also fight wherever she was needed.

"Aren't you worried they're at each other's throats," she tilted her head to indicate the house behind them.

At the end of the meeting Liara and the Lawson woman had left to discuss some project that the scientist had been working on. It had seemed like an odd end to a very surreal afternoon.

"No, not much anyway… they seem to get on better when I'm not in the room," Shepard smiled then turned to face her, "do you feel anything for Miranda, I mean any connection?"

"Um… no," she said a little confused.

"She's attractive though, I mean if not for Lee…" Shepard turned away to look back out across the grounds, "there's no sense of any kind of connection for you."

"What's this about?"

The woman next to her leaned forward resting her arms on her knees, head bowed. "I feel something for her… I think… or maybe it's more like there's a connection between us."

"Well she did spend a lot of time in that lab with you for two years… and she did bring you back to life, that's got to leave a mark."

"You could be right, and it was a pretty traumatic roller coaster once I woke up." Shepard stood pushing her hands deep in the pockets of her trousers.

"Does Liara know?" She asked quietly not only because the baby was asleep but because she didn't know if it was ok to ask that kind of question.

Shepard sighed heavily, "Yeah, she knows there's something, if that makes any sense. I think that's part of what fuels her anger towards Miranda."

"So where did they rush off to in such a hurry?"

"Well here's the thing…" Shepard turned around and held her eyes as she continued, "my original plan was for you to join the Andromeda Initiative and take Lee and our children with you…"

"Liara would never leave you," she cut across Shepard feeling the heat of anger and to her shame a small thrill at the thought of being with the woman she loved.

"Why do you call her Liara… its recent because you called her Lee when we first met?" Shepard sat back down and laid a hand on her forearm.

She forced herself to look at the woman sitting next to her, the rightful owner of Liara's heart and soul, "because she's not mine, she never was. You can't have believed she would leave your side?"

The green eyes looking back at her were soft and a slight smile etched Shepard's lips, "yeah the suggestion didn't go well. In my defence I've been dealing with a lot," the smile broadened and she felt her own in response.

"Since your original plan crashed and burned under a certain Asari's wrath," this time she allowed herself a small chuckle, "what's the new one? And what is this Initiative I've only seen some old adverts offering travel and adventure."

"To the public the Andromeda Initiative is an adaptation of the plans to explore parts of our own galaxy that aren't accessible using the gate system. At least the gates we've found and have activated."

The baby began to grizzle and Shepard reached to take her offering the bottle as she continued, "but it seems the Asari have known for a very long time the Reapers may be coming back and have been working on their continuity of civilisation plan for what looks like at least the last thousand years."

She heard the cold edge in Shepard's voice and understood what level of betrayal that knowledge must have brought. The Asari knew about the Reapers but did nothing to prepare the Galaxy, their allies, themselves to confront them. Instead making sure their civilisation would survive at whatever cost.

"I'm guessing that knowledge wasn't widely shared. How did Liara take it?"

"The Matriarchs and some of the heads of the first one hundred families have been part of what they call the inner circle," Shepard's voice grew softer, "but Benezia knew… so yeah Lee feels pretty burned and conflicted about her Governments motives and decisions."

They remained in silence for a while and she watched the sun move closer to the horizon. Mid-Summer in this region of Thessia had long days with still very warm evenings and it struck her again that the home planet of the Asari really was a jewel.

Shepard's voice brought her out of her reverie, "so, the plan."

She turned and looked at her twin, "I'm beginning to think I might not like this plan any better than Liara did."

"First I need to explain John's diagnosis and the treatment he'll need." Shepard looked out across the gardens to the horizon as she spoke, "the experiments those bastards in Cerberus carried out affected his ability to meld. It was quite a shock to find out that he had inherited not only Lee's biotic capabilities but also the Asari ability to join minds."

She understood now how she could sense the little boy's distress, "that's quite some genetic hack Doctor Lawson carried out… let's hope Harper can't reproduce it."

"Yeah, but Miranda has assured me that part of her work was never stored anywhere except in her head."

"Doesn't mean she can't reproduce it then," that thought worried at her for a moment but she turned her attention back to Shepard.

"Luckily for us the Asari have encountered this kind of injury, for want of a better term, before. Under rare circumstances the ability to meld can be damaged, usually due to brain damage. In extreme cases, like Liselle, they can lose that ability completely.

"Because John is still a very young child the damage is catastrophic, or could be. So the medics have put him into stasis and injected him with nanites specifically programmed to heal and rebuild the neural networks around the damaged parts. Effectively removing that ability, it's a long slow process so he'll need to be under for at least a couple of years, monitored and the nanites adjusted through the process."

"Are you going to send him to the stronghold with," she indicated the contented baby now burbling on Shepard's lap, "you guys really need to give her name," she finished with a slight smile.

"That we do, don't we baby girl. No we can't use the stronghold, we've no idea if it will avoid detection, and if they need a quick evac his treatment will be disrupted. He needs a safe and secure environment. The other issue is that he'll also lose most of his memories but he's likely to still have some connection to you."

Shepard turned to look at her as she continued, "before they put him under he was so distressed, frightened and he kept calling for you. He soothed for a moment when I approached him but he knew I wasn't you."

"That must have been hard for you and Liara. I'm sorry."

"You have nothing to be sorry for," Shepard reached out and placed a hand on her shoulder, "you got him back and made him feel safe and that's what I, we need you to do now."

She began to see how the plan was working out, "So you want me to take him on this Initiative mission while he's healing? Then bring him back?"

"Yes and no. By the time you're two or more years out there will be no coming back. And we could be in the middle, or at the end," Shepard's face showed the weight of that knowledge, "of the invasion. It's a one way trip."

The reality settled on her like a heavy pack, a pack filled with rocks, in heavy gravity. "I'll never pass whatever security they have, my DNA isn't twin it's exactly the same as yours… and I'd have no idea how to manage his treatment… what if something went wrong," she stood up feeling panic rise in her chest.

"Hey… hey," Shepard stood and pulled her into a one arm hug, "breathe… what's going on?"

"Leaving everything… the responsibility for Liara's son, your son… not being here to help…" she turned and looked into Shepard's eyes, "to protect her, and you, when its starts."

Shepard nodded her head slowly, "He's as much your son as mine and who else would we trust… and you'll have to trust me to be with Lee and protect her to the end."

That statement hung between them in the gathering dusk. They both knew the odds of winning against the Reapers were negligible at best.

"Lady Nara has handpicked one of her best healers and Lee and I both approve her choice. She's also an ex Thrassican Commando as we have no idea what you'll be facing when you get the other end the muscle might come in handy," Shepard smiled, "and she's pretty easy on the eye as well."

"I thought the expedition had left already? And how are you going to get us in at this late stage."

"The individual Arc's left last month the main ship, the Nexus, is leaving in a few days. And if you think the Shadow Broker also known as my bondmate can't create a laser proof identity for you complete with DNA matches that will work in a different Galaxy you seriously understand the women we both love. And as the head of one of the one hundred families she has a pretty hefty amount of pull with the Matriarchs."

She took a deep steadying breath, "I guess it's a done deal then."

Shepard moved to stand in front of her and looked her steadily in the eyes, "not without you willingly agreeing. I don't own you Vega, you are your own person, and you don't owe me or Lee anything for that matter. If you don't want to go and would rather stay here and fight then that's fine with both of us.

"Sending John away is the hardest thing we've both had to do, it's not going to be easy sending this little one away either but at least there's a chance we'll find her again, after. We'll never see our boy again and to know he had you raising him, protecting him would make it just a little easier."

What could she say; Shepard was right, this was more important than vengeance or revenge. Protecting Liara's son was a gift, a precious gift that she would honour with her life if needed.

She smiled, "so just how cute is my Asari companion?"

Shepard and Liara's bedroom very late evening

She felt the cool night air on her forearms as they rested on the balcony railing. Her eyes were watching the stars twinkle as they only did from below atmosphere. Her mind was visualising the solar systems she had visited as she picked out one particular star after another.

It was soothing her mind as she waited for Liara to finish up some last minute arrangements. Tomorrow, in all too few hours, she would leave with their son and Vega. And after seeing them safely on their way to another Galaxy she would re-join the Normandy. She knew how hard Liara was taking the loss of her son so Shepard had to keep a hold on her own emotions so she could properly support her bondmate.

The soft click of a door from the room inside told her Liara had finally arrived. She turned and leaned her back against the railing searching into the softly lit room and as always when she caught sight of her lover her breath hitched slightly.

The soft white lined culottes and vee necked blouse that was sheer enough to tease a view of the beautiful body also made her heart race just a little. She never tired of just looking at her strong, sensitive Asari, but knowing that looking was not all she was able to do almost drove the sadness of this night from her mind, almost.

"Hey you," she opened her arms to Liara as the other women stepped out onto the balcony.

Their bodies fit together perfectly as Liara put her arms around Shepard's neck and looked up. She saw the grief and pain in her lover's eyes and gently kissed those familiar soft blue lips.

"Do you remember the day you brought him home to me," Liara rested her head against her chest as she spoke.

"Of course, it was one of the happiest days of my life. You were so… you accepted him despite how he'd come into the world… even before we knew he was as much yours as he was mine you took him into your heart."

Liara held her tighter and spoke almost in a whisper, "why would I not, he is part of you."

"Are you sure you can't come to the station to see them onto the ship?"

"I fear it would draw too much attention and I… I am not sure I could pretend that my heart was not breaking."

Liara's breathing changed and she knew her lover was crying.

She held her lover tight stroking her back as the sobs intensified at a loss as to how to comfort the women in her arms. Then suddenly Liara stepped back out of her arms and she felt the unmistakable brush of a meld at the edge of her mind.

"I will be losing you both tomorrow… I am afraid I will never see you again…"

The sense of panic and fear flowed through the meld and she knew Liara was becoming overwhelmed so she did the one thing she knew would ground them both.

Stepping forward she pulled Liara's shirt off and picked her up kissing her deeply at the same time. Liara's legs wrapped around her waist and she walked them into the bedroom and laid them both none too gently onto the bed.

"You will see me… you'll be with me soon… I won't leave you ever again…" her words were spoken and interspersed with the attention she was lavishing on her lover's breasts as she continued to undress her.

Liara's hands were also restlessly trying to strip her clothes off and within a minute they were naked, the tell-tale blue glow of energy wrapped around them as they fell deeper into the meld and their lovemaking.

The next morning

Shepard moved gently and slowly sideways on the bed and out from under Liara's leg and arm that were both thrown possessively across her body.

She threw on some sweats and picking up a tumbler of water on the way moved out onto the now bright and sunny balcony.

Downing the tumbler almost in one she did some stretches attempting to ease tired muscles. They had made love, or is she was being honest it was more like had sex, all night, Liara only falling into exhausted sleep a little while ago.

Liara was insatiable, their lovemaking was very physical, and she knew from the bond that this was an echo of how Liara had coped with emotional pain after Shepherd herself had apparently died.

She wondered just how many scratches she had on her back, feeling the fabric of her shirt irritate them and reached to her neck where she knew she had at least one bite mark. This wasn't something that never happened and to be fair when Liara got into a more adventurous and physical mood it turned Shepard the hell on.

What was unusual was for it to be the only way they made love for hours on end, and for Liara to struggle to find the comfort and release they shared, and needing another and another orgasm to chase away the desperation and echoes of emptiness from her breakdown.

Not for the first time she wondered if that way of coping, the sex, was something that Liara found herself or if she had been manipulated into by Shiala. She was surprised by the swift explosion of jealousy and rage and the need to kill a woman that was already dead.

The other emotion that rose to the surface and equally ignoble was that she wanted to be better at fucking Liara out of her misery that Shiala had been. For that thought she gave herself a hard mental punch.

Checking the time she realised she couldn't really leave Liara sleeping. The shuttle needed to leave to rendezvous with their ride to the station in less than two hours. And her bondmate would certainly want to spend time with their son even if he was in a stasis chamber.

Before she could decide what to do a voice drifted to her from the bedroom, "Shepard… are you here?"

She moved quickly back into the room and sat on the bed drawing a half asleep Liara into her arms, "I'm here sweetheart… how are you feeling."

"A little embarrassed, last night I was…"

"Last night you were hurting and upset," she pulled back a little so she could hold Liara's eyes, "and with everything so raw it's no surprise you spun out a little."

"It is not how I want to deal with my emotions when they start to overwhelm me."

"You're still healing Lee… we both have deep wounds we're trying to live with, heal through… we both have our coping mechanisms, "she smiled as she continued, "you need mind blowing, raunchy, no holds barred sex and I need to destroy our enemies with my bare hands and kill anyone who gets in my way."

Liara laughed a little and gave her a wan smile, "we certainly are a pair are we not."

"Yes we are," Shepard stood, "I'm going to order you some breakfast then we'll shower and face this hard day together."

Liara nodded and settled back on the pillows and she was pleased to see her bondmate had lost the distraught tension of the night before.

Late morning, T'Soni estate, front lawn

The small group gathered at the bottom of the steps to the entrance of the house. She was holding her daughter and watched Liara intently as her bondmate stood next to the medi bed that carried their son holding one small hand in her own. Its stasis field not engaged to give them both a chance to say a proper goodbye to their son.

A tall Asari maiden stood on the other side of the med bed ready to work its controls. Lady Nara and Matriarch T'Joan stood just a little way off and Vega was waiting quietly at next to her.

"Hey say goodbye to your niece," she said with a smile and handed the happy gurgling baby over, "Lee and I decided on her name this morning… meet Asha Jijivisha Shepard T'Soni"

While Vega cooed over her daughter she moved closer to Liara and held her reaching out to hold her son's other small delicate hand.

They stood there for what seemed like an eternity the moment broken eventually by Lady Nara, "you must be on your way Shepard if you are to reach your destination in time."

She felt Liara stiffen as they both released their son's hands and once clear Kalia initiated the stasis field and with a nod began moving the medi bed towards the waiting shuttle.

Liara turned in her arms and held her tight, with one last kiss they parted.

"Would you take Asha for me please," Liara asked of Matriarch T'Joan, "I want to say a proper goodbye to Vega."

Good as her word Shepard watched as Liara pulled Vega into a hug and spoke quietly, kissing her lightly on the lips before stepping away.

"I will protect him with my life, thank you for trusting me," Vega said and turned quickly to follow her Asari medic companion to the shuttle.

She felt rather than saw the other two Asari move back to the door of the house leaving her and Liara alone.

"How much longer before you feel you can leave and join me on the Normandy?"

Liara sighed heavily as she leaned into Shepard's body, "planning for Thrassica and the estate should only be another couple of months but I am worried that our Government, the Matriarchs, are still not willing to join fully in our joint efforts to prepare for the Reapers."

"If they refused to see that as the best course of action over the last thousand years you're not going to persuade them now."

"No but I can continue to rally the individual Republics to our cause… but I don't want to be parted from you for any longer than I have to," Liara looked up and their eyes locked.

"You'll know when you've done all you can…," she leaned in a kissed her bondmate with all the love and longing she felt and the light meld between them brought immediate comfort and a sense of peace.

"You should go," Liara said a smile tracing her lips as she stepped away.

"I'll call you as soon as I can," she said walking backwards before turning and trotting to the shuttle whose engines were throttling up.

She raised a hand in farewell which Liara returned as the shuttle door slid shut.