Notes:

A Grá - My Love (Gaelic)

Anam Cara - Soul Friend/Mate (Gaelic)

FTL - Faster Than Light travel

Ionúin Álainn - beautiful beloved (Gaelic)

Ru'shan - "Child of my Blood" (Krogan)

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

Rejuvenating the Soul

T'Soni Country Estate, Thessia, Athena Nebula – 31 July 2190

Shepard only had a few moments to herself before she was accosted by their next guest – quite literally – sloshing some of her beer as a huge Krogan paw clapped her on the shoulder.

"Battlemaster!" barked Grunt. "Thanks for the invite! Normally wouldn't be able to make something so short notice, but I just happened to be on Tuchanka for a long-overdue clan visit. Can't have all the little ones growing up without hearing tales of Commander Shepard and her valiant crew taking down the Reapers! That's the stuff of legends, and I intend to make sure the tale of Urdnot Shepard is top among the stories told!"

Rolling her eyes, Shepard answered, "Gee, thanks, Grunt. No, that would never do, would it?"

Missing the sarcasm, Grunt bobbed his head and punched a fist into his other palm. "No! It most definitely would not! Those little Ru'shan need to know these things!"

Chuckling over the young Krogan's enthusiasm, Shepard shook her head and held her drink out. "Beer, Grunt?"

He made a disgusted face and looked at her as if she had just offered him Pyjak piss. "What? That honey mead is disgustingly weak; it's not even beer! Our kids drink that swill like water… until they can handle the real stuff. I'm on my way to the bar for some Ryncol!"

"Ryncol?" Shepard cast a wary eye at her former groundcrew member and gently reminded him, "No Presidium style C-Sec incidents in my house… Right, Grunt? I don't want you throwing that stuff and catching any of my couches on fire. I would be a bit angry with you… and I don't believe Liara would be inclined to bail you out, either."

Somehow, which Shepard didn't think was even remotely possible, the Krogan suddenly looked… small. "Understood, Battlemaster. I'll try to remember, though it might be hard once the party really gets started."

"Grunt?" Shepard cocked her head. "The party has been going since yesterday."

"Oh." Grunt looked around at all the attendees. "But everyone is just talking." He looked back at her and shook his head. "Not much of a party, Shepard. The one on the Citadel was better. We had a chance to shoot people and blow all kinds of shit up!"

"That wasn't a party, Grunt!" Shepard's face split in a grin as she laughed. "That was an attack on the Council by Cerberus!"

"Oh." Grunt shrugged and opened his maw in a toothy grin. "Was still fun."

{I will put the on-duty commandos on alert to keep an eye on him, Shepard. Tonight is our night to relax and enjoy our friends.} Liara's face held a glowing smile for her siame, reflecting the warmth she held in her heart for the woman. Turning to her guests, Matriarchs Mozia and Marisha S'Vatyne, who had made the trip from Sanves with Zan in tow, Liara said her farewells, with a promise to touch base again before the evening was done. She then made her way over to Shepard, edging up to her side and wrapping a possessive arm around the woman's waist.

"Dance with me?"

"Shall I request a waltz, or do you want to be embarrassed by my otherwise complete inability to manage any sort of rhythm?"

"Let me." Liara pulled up her omnitool and tapped in a quick note as they moved to the dance floor. Once there, Shepard struck a pose, waiting for Liara to step up and take her hands. Instead, Liara bypassed the waiting hands and stepped into her torso, wrapping her arms lovingly around the woman's waist and laying her head on a muscular shoulder. She murmured quietly, "I requested a slow dance, Samantha."

"Oh, you little vixen." Sam smiled in response, quite willingly wrapping her arms around Liara's shoulders and giving a little squeeze before relaxing and simply swaying in time with the slow tempo. A shiver ran down Liara's spine as Shepard's lips brushed ever-so-gently across her crests, her warm breath tickling just enough to keep the kiss from being sensual.

"You are a horrible tease, Captain."

"Hey, you're the one who requested the song," Shepard whispered. "Not my fault. What, exactly, am I supposed to do when you're in my arms, pressed against me? I'm only Human, you know."

Liara chuckled as she pulled away just enough to look into Sam's emerald eyes. "You are so much more than that to me, Samantha Shepard, and you know it."

Liara felt a bit of melancholy with her lover's response, as Shepard replied, "And everyone else. I can't wait until the war is so far in the past that people will forget our role in all this… When it will simply be history that no one talks about, and we can live our daily lives like normal people."

"Sorry to disappoint, but Asari live a long time, as do their memories." Liara gave a tight squeeze before adding, "But, I do have the same hope, that it will at least be old news, no longer worth bringing up every time someone sees us." She tucked her head back against Samantha's shoulder, continuing the dance. {For now, let us simply enjoy a night amongst friends.}

As the evening wore on, more people continued to show up, while others disappeared; some for obvious reasons – like security shift changes and party supply replenishment – and others, most likely, for much more personal reasons. Liara did manage to catch up to Zan before she and Livos vanished for the evening.

"It's good to see you again, Zan," Liara said with a sincere smile. She gave her captain of the guard a quick glance before continuing, "Livos has been speaking of hardly anything else but your pending arrival since we received Matriarch Marisha's response."

Livos blushed and groaned, "I haven't been that bad, have I?"

The jubilant Zan smiled and pulled the somewhat embarrassed captain tighter to her side. "I am more than happy to be able to solicit such a response from her, Lady Liara. It tells me I truly am missed when I am not here… which is not nearly enough for the both of us, and likely too much for the purposes of trail guiding at the resort." She smiled bashfully, adding, "Matriarch Marisha has been exceedingly understanding regarding Livos and my relationship, giving us the time and freedom to explore exactly what we can be to one another."

"She likely sees what the rest of us do." Liara's face held a soft, understanding smile. "Which is two people, very much in love, who would do whatever they can to be together, so we may as well facilitate it, as trying to fight it would be a losing battle and just make everyone miserable."

"Speaking from experience, T'Soni?" asked Shepard, slipping into the group with their drink requests on a tray.

"As a matter of fact, yes." Liara executed a slow blink before adding, "Remaining on Illium while you were gallivanting about the galaxy made me feel like I was going to come apart at the seams. I so wanted to be by your side, but other responsibilities took precedence… you fighting the good fight, and me gathering the intel you needed to win those battles couldn't be ignored, no matter how much we desired differently."

"Fortunately," responded Livos, "our circumstances are not nearly so dire… at least not anymore; not like they were when we first decided to get together."

"Sometimes I think we were crazy to start a relationship when we did." Zan shook her head slightly, ending with a quiet huff. "But it all worked out in the end."

"It's more than that, though." Shepard reached over and clasped Zan's bicep, giving a little squeeze. "Our relationships give us all something to fight for, something to come home to."

Liara met her eyes. "Yes, it does." Glancing at Zan and Livos, she smiled, adding, "They do; having someone to fight for, to come home to, can make all the difference in the galaxy. That little bit of extra motivation never hurts; that is for certain." She paused a drew a deep breath, adding, "So, let us not waste any more of your time together. Go enjoy the rest of the evening."

"Thank you, Lady Liara." Zan smiled widely, her love of Livos and her appreciation of Liara recognizing and encouraging their relationship obvious in her expression. "We'll do that."

Garrus and Desis arrived late, Garrus having sent a quick note of apology when their departure from Palaven had been delayed; a shuttle crash at Cipritine's main transloading facility caused a minor diplomatic incident, which Garrus had been called upon to settle. His resultant sour mood immediately changed upon jumping the relay out of the Apien Crest and improved yet again when they finally landed on the T'Soni Estate tarmac. Looking forward to seeing Shepard and Liara again – it had been quite a while… much too long in his opinion – he couldn't get out of the small transport fast enough.

Selina T'Rori met the eager couple on the ramp with a welcoming smile. "Garrus. Dee. It is good to see you both. Please, drop your bags and make your way to the garden patio to join the party. We'll get them sorted and moved to your rooms… unless, of course, you would like to go to your rooms first to get refreshed after your journey?"

"Rooms?" questioned Garrus. "We don't need separate rooms, Sel…" His eyes flashed mischievously as he added, "We'll only be needing one for the duration of our stay."

Laughing, Selina grinned and responded, "We have a relatively short guest list for this one, Garrus, so we put you two in one of the suites. We'd never even dream of trying to separate the two of you into detached sleeping quarters!"

Desis poked Garrus in the side and flashed a grin, accompanied by an eager waggle of her mandibles. "Thank you, Sel, it's great to see you, too! I think heading directly to the party, since we are already a day behind everyone else's arrival, is an excellent idea."

"Yes, it is," agreed Garrus with a smile. "Thank you, Selina… and we'll see you at the party?"

"Oh, yes. No worry on that account; I wouldn't miss one of our parties for anything." Selina flashed a knowing smile. "They nearly always last long enough for all the commandos to rotate shifts… so everyone has a chance to attend!"

"Excellent!" Garrus turned his head, locating the lighted path that led between the commando quarters and the main house, toward the central patio. "Come on, Dee. Let's go find Shepard and Liara!"

They moved quickly down the path, Garrus' eagerness to see his best friends and comrades-in-arms quite apparent. They had paused only briefly, looking for the couple in question, when they heard Liara's happy exclamation coming from their left. "Garrus! Dee! You finally made it!"

Wrapping the Turian in a gently welcoming hug felt wonderful and Liara's heart swelled with joy. "Goddess, it's good to see you both! Everything involving the crash turn out alright?"

Garrus chuffed. "More political buffoonery than any actual logistical issues from that mess. Everyone pointing fingers at everyone else. But nobody was killed, and it resulted in only minor, but expensive, damage to the port facilities; the real question was who is going to pay for what, but that got settled pretty quickly when I started asking who was willing to have their Cipritine Port rights suspended until the damage was paid for and fixed."

"Great to see you, Garrus." Shepard stepped up and clasped arms with her friend. "Fighting different kinds of battles now, I see."

"I would have rather just shot them," Garrus chuckled. "Would have made the point a hell of a lot faster and might have gotten us here closer to on time."

"Garrus!" Liara had to laugh, no matter how inappropriate the comment. "None of that matters now. You are here for the rest of the weekend, so come on in and enjoy the party!"

"We'll do that, T'Soni," he answered, with a happy waggle of his mandible. "Looks like some time at home has done you both good." A brief pause preceded his next statement. "Primarch Victus shared the Council report with me… Dee cried with you over the loss of all those children. That had to be a horrible thing to see."

"Garrus!" Desis immediately poked him hard in the side. "There is no need to raise that ugly specter here! What are you thinking?"

"You're right, Dee. Sorry."

"Don't apologize to me… apologize to our hosts."

Liara solved the whole issue by stepping up to Garrus and giving him another loose hug, accompanied this time by a quick peck on the cheek. "It's alright, Garrus. We've been home long enough to put it all in perspective. Yet another atrocity we can lay at the feet of the Leviathan… for even thinking an unguided machine intelligence could solve all their problems."

"The Leviathan?" Garrus was surprised, but quickly regained his composure, actually nodding in agreement once he thought it through. "I suppose you're right. The Reapers wouldn't have been a menace if they were never created in the first place."

"So," started Shepard, "how are things going on Palaven?"

"Pretty good, actually. I was just remarking the other day how the endless twilight is noticeably reduced… to the point where we can honestly enjoy the sunsets again." Garrus offered up a sad smile and Dee continued where he left off.

"I can finally draw a deep breath without a rebreather and not have to worry about coughing myself to death." Her smile was much more enthusiastic as she added, "After only two years, the Shrouds are finally beginning to make a noticeable difference at clearing the air. With the Reaper heavy weapons literally vaporizing everything they touched – concrete, metal, insulation, wood, glass, furnishings…" A disgusted expression crossed her face as she added, "animals and people – we still acknowledge the SILC every single day for the construction of so many facilities. Without them, it would have taken at least two decades instead of just a couple of years to make our air breathable again. It's been a miracle for the people of Palaven."

"That is wonderful news, Dee!" Liara moved to give a Desis a hug as well. "I am so glad it's working out and the Shrouds are doing the job. I'm not quite sure how the major Thessian cities recovered so quickly… It almost makes me feel guilty to know other worlds are still struggling, when we seemed to recover within the first year."

At that, Garrus chuckled. "Seriously, T'Soni? It's because no one else wanted the 'Geth' on their planets. It was your pilot program here that got everyone interested. They saw what was happening here and on Earth with… oh, what was his name?"

Shepard nodded and answered, "You thinking of Samuel Crosby, in Beijing?"

"Yes! Exactly!" Garrus nodded enthusiastically. "… with Samuel Crosby agreeing to be the initial liaison with the first Earth SILC team to get the ball rolling there. People like him – willing to take the risk of working with the SILC – gave both Thessia and Earth the jump start. Everyone else, the Turians included, took a while to warm up to the idea so have nobody to blame but themselves for being further behind on their recovery." He gave Liara his best Turian stare as he concluded, "So, don't you think, not even for a second, that you have any reason to feel guilty. The two of you had to drag everyone's sorry asses to the fight and then still lead them to post-war recovery by their noses. As a whole, most of the galaxy is still a bunch of ingrates, completely failing to recognize exactly how much the team of the Normandy, under your leadership, did for them… before, during, and after the war."

"You couldn't have stated that any better, Garrus, so thank you." Liara's heart relaxed in her chest, a feeling of relief settling into her soul from both her Turian friend's words and the accompanying agreement from Shepard.

Her focus shifted to the woman at her side, and she smiled softly. "I don't know that we ever told anyone about it, but there was a point in the war where I was ready to give up… and Samantha reminded me how we were still in the fight." A quiet chuckle escaped the Asari at the memory. "I told her it was only because of her, that she was the one who kept all of us moving forward… then asked her how she did it."

"I never forgot her response… and I never will." Liara met Shepard's eyes, everything else around her fading to nothing by comparison. "She told me… It's all for you, of course. Every time the world's about to end, I think about how mad you'd get if I didn't stop it. I don't know if I could do this without you, Liara."

She turned back to Garrus and Dee with a smile. "It is always hard for me to fathom that I was her primary motivation… that our love could possibly be the sole motivation behind saving an entire galaxy."

Samantha slid closer and wrapped a loving arm around her waist. "Not the sole motivation… but most certainly a huge portion of it. The love I hold for all my family and friends was certainly reason enough to fight. I'd never give that up… and every one of you is worth fighting for… no matter how the rest of the beings in the galaxy may feel about it." She chuckled, adding, "Honestly? After everything they didn't willingly do for us, I could give a Pyjak's ass."

Upstairs, in Liara and Shepard's private study, an unusual pair sat in the two plush chairs in front of the fireplace. While late summer days were hot, the nighttime breeze coming in off the sea carried a damp chill with it, making a small fire a welcome accoutrement to their chat. Aethyta sat with a small tumbler of Noverian rum, taking an occasional sip as they talked.

"Good you could make it." She clinked the ice cubes against the glass as she raised the glass to take another sip. "The kids had it unexpected hard on Joab; the Suns were easy… dwelling on the death of all those kids, not so much."

"I simply can't imagine how that must have felt." Hannah released a deep sigh. "Poor Liara. Sam has seen so much death, I don't think it affects her quite the same way anymore."

"Agreed… but that's the same with anyone." Aethyta nodded sympathetically. "I think we all have our personal limits, which we never know until we find them. It seems our Little Wing has a very low one when it comes to children."

"When it comes to the death of children, I'd like to think we all have a low limit." Hannah took a sip of her Serrice Ice before adding, "At least initially. I think we grow a thicker skin against anything we see too much of. Let's talk about something else."

"Like the kid's upcoming anniversary?"

"Oooohhhh! Now there's a better topic, for sure!" Hannah's demeanor immediately shifted, a smile returning to her face. "Any idea if they're doing something special, or if we need to give them a push in the right direction?"

Aethyta shrugged. "I think they have it handled… but that doesn't mean we can't get them something else or add a feature to what they already have planned."

"Which is what, exactly?" asked Hannah, to which Aethyta laughed in response.

"I have absolutely no idea, other than we weren't invited for any type of celebration."

"Then we'll simply need to be rather blunt and ask them." Hannah grinned. "I mean, seriously? It's only a couple of weeks away, so I do believe the straight up method is the only approach."

"That's why I like you, Hannah." Aethyta raised a glass in her general direction, to which Hannah responded by reaching across the remaining gap to gently clink hers against it. "No mess, no fuss; just get the job done and move on."

"I simply want to see them happy, Thyta, after all they have been through."

Nodding in response, Aethyta agreed. "Yeah. They've been through a hell of a lot, that's for sure. More than any youngsters should have to." She paused for a moment, then raised her glass again. "So, I propose a toast… to a future dealing us no more bad surprises for which the only answer is a couple of kids still in the first part of their lives. Give them a chance to get on with lives full of joy and happiness… and kids of their own!"

Hannah smiled and raised her glass in answer. "I can most certainly drink to that!"

T'Soni Country Estate, Thessia, Athena Nebula – 13 Aug 2190

Liara and Shepard paddled up to the shore at the northwest notch of Lake Altera, pulling their boat securely up onto the beach near House T'Soni's best remote camp. They had been at this same spot last year but had all the commandos with them; this time, only a small security squad – consisting of Livos, Zan and Riana – was actually with them. As an anniversary treat, the remainder of the two teams would run perimeter security only, staying out of sight and giving Liara and Shepard as much privacy as they possibly could for their four days at camp.

Shepard, again, marveled at the layout of the best camp on the lake, immediately noticing a new little hut sitting next to the primary cabin tent. "When did that get built… and what is it? A storage shed, so they don't have to drag everything home every winter?"

A puzzled Liara looked at Samantha, then glanced in the direction she was facing. "I didn't hear anything about it… but that would be a great idea."

They walked over together and opened the door, immediately surprised – in a very good way. "What the hell?" exclaimed Shepard.

Liara laughed aloud at both what they discovered within the little building and at Shepard's reaction to it. "I think I may have some idea where that… addition… to the camp came from."

"Oh?" Shepard pulled her eyes from the cabin to look at her Ionúin Álainn. "Do tell, T'Soni."

"Your mom and my dad." Liara, still chuckling quietly, continued, "They were searching really hard for something to get us for our anniversary… talking to Livos, Riana, Lyessa..." She leaned into her bondmate and wrapped a loving arm around her waist. "I do believe this is what they came up with, once they found out why we didn't want a party… because we planned on leaving the house and coming out here for our own private celebration."

"And," began Samantha, easily seeing the chain of events. "It's not like we could keep it a secret because of the security requirements… which I, like an idiot, put in place shortly after we got together… following the incident with your crazy half-sister."

"Given the number of times people have tried to kill us, I would most definitely not consider that an idiotic move, Shepard." Liara gave her a squeeze. "Unfortunately, it proved to be a very logical – and necessary – precaution."

"More importantly, at the moment, is what are we going to do about this gift?" Shepard gave her a teasing grin and a mental push regarding her desires on the subject.

"Absolutely," answered Liara without hesitation. "Let's do it."

Shepard immediately led the way in. As soon as the door closed behind Liara, they both stripped and hung their clothes on the hooks placed conveniently on the wall directly inside the doorway. Sliding quickly into the eezo-heated waters of their newest hot tub, they groaned in pleasure at the very unexpected addition to an already idyllic camping setup.

"This is freaking amazing, Li." Shepard closed her eyes and leaned back in her seat. "Best idea for a gift… ever!" She paused, adding, "For the both of us, that is… because it's going to be really hard to top the T'Sariba bike you got me for Christmas."

"Or the archaeology kit you got for me." Liara beamed with satisfaction at the success of her gift to Shepard and added, "And, while I did get that motorcycle for you… quite honestly, it was also for both of us, since it gives me the excuse to snuggle into your back and hang on as we ride."

She knew Shepard sensed her coming, so the woman was not surprised when she felt Liara settle on her lap. Even knowing the feelings were mutual, Liara couldn't keep the blue blush from rising on her neck and cheeks as she whispered, "So, shall we break the new tub in properly?"

Feeling the growing passion in her lover, Shepard couldn't stop the pangs in her core at Liara's words. "By all means, Anam Cara. After all, that's what we came up here for, right? The privacy to do just this? To enjoy one another without all the distractions and demands of the outside world, even if just for a few days?"

{Absolutely} Liara had to send her response via the link, as her lips were suddenly very busy, making it rather impossible to speak.

T'Soni Country Estate, Thessia, Athena Nebula – 15 Aug 2190

Liara and Samantha were lying on the sailboat, anchor dropped, simply rocking on the gentle waves. They were lying ear-to-ear along the length of the deck, Shepard's feet to the bow and Liara's toward the stern. They had been that way for an extended period of time, wrapped up in a rather serious discussion. "So, it's settled, then," stated Liara.

"I suppose so," answered Samantha. "Our first one will be named Benezia, our second, Hannah, after both of our mothers."

"Yes." Liara tipped her head to the side, placing a soft kiss on Shepard's temple before giggling.

"And what's so funny?"

"Well… I was just thinking that if we are to have our own commando squad, we are going to need a couple more names, yet." As she said the words aloud, the giggle converted into a full laugh, feeling Samantha's surprise through the link.

"And you dare to label me the incorrigible one?" Samantha rolled up onto her side and peered down into startlingly bright blue eyes. Suddenly feeling a surge of almost overwhelming adoration, Shepard's eyes clouded with unshed tears. She managed to get a whisper past a throat closing with emotion. "I love you, too, Liara T'Soni."

"Goddess," Liara choked out. "How did we ever manage to get so lucky, Siame? I still find it hard to believe anyone deserves a love so perfect… much less actually discovers it and gets to enjoy it for as long as we will be able to!"

"All the more reason to ensure we make the most of it, A Grá." Shepard feathered a soft kiss across blue lips. "As we both know there is never any guarantee of a tomorrow. We can't afford to waste a single day."

Liara rolled away, giving herself room to sit up and spin around to face her bondmate. "Agreed, Sam. I love you… and I want to give us the children we both desire… be it two… or more of our own." A tender smile crept onto her lips. "We have been so lucky in love; it would only be fair to share some of that with as many children as we can. We certainly have the means to support them through their maidenhoods… and, after speaking with Desis during the harvest festival, I began to wonder…"

Samantha caught the thought through the link. "You want to adopt?"

"Yes, I do… but not a single child." Liara paused only briefly before blurting out, "I would like us to sponsor an entire orphanage… to make sure every deserving child has a decent life… and has the means to continue their education into secondary and beyond, should they desire."

"Wow." Shepard leaned back on her hands, staring at the amazing Asari before her. "I love kids, Liara… but how would we even do that? I mean, the logistics could be a nightmare."

"What do you mean? We'd sponsor an orphanage already in existence… what logistics are you speaking of?" Liara tipped her head, picking up on the details of Shepard's concerns through the link, even as the woman answered.

"If people found out what we were doing…" Samantha paused and started over. "How does the orphanage system work on Thessia? Isn't there already provisions for those kids? Tithing by the great houses to pay for exactly that kind of thing?"

"It has always been sufficient in the past… but the Reaper War changed things, everywhere." Liara sighed sadly. "There are more children to support, and the great houses are still struggling to recover their pre-war incomes, so the tithes are lower than any time in recent history. As a result, the orphanages are attempting to operate over capacity at only 80 percent of their normal operating budget. Desis says it is the same everywhere."

"Okay." Shepard took a deep breath and scrubbed her chin. "So, how do we help them without instantly becoming the target of every money-seeking cause out there?" Along with the question, she offered up a smile for the Asari, whom she was confident wouldn't have mentioned the idea without some kind of a plan already in mind.

"Of course, I have a plan." Having caught Shepard's confidence in her through the link, Liara cast her a smirk. "We have more credits than we could ever spend in our Brokerage accounts. I can't mix them with our House accounts, so can only use them in less… visible… ways. I was thinking to set up a scheduled dispersal through the Brokerage, under the guise of an anonymous donor who was reported to have grown up in one such orphanage and wanted to give back. Of course, the Broker wouldn't do this at no cost, so would take a fee from each transaction…"

"Which would also come from the funds already there, so would still be untraceable." Shepard beamed with pride, pleased that Liara had found what she believed to be an excellent use for all the ill-gotten gains the Asari so despised. "You always said you had no intention of ever profiting from the Brokerage." Reaching out to gently squeeze Liara's hands, she nodded in agreement. "I think that's a perfect way to use those credits, Liara."

"Thank you, Samantha." Liara leaned in and kissed the woman who held her heart and soul. "Even as well as I believe I understand you, I honestly didn't know if you'd agree with that one, even though I could not think of any reason you would object."

"I would only object if it somehow put us at risk, Liara… and going through the Brokerage, and using the untraceable funds you've left stashed there, is an excellent way to avoid that." She paused, giving Liara a cautious look before adding, "However, I believe there is still more to your request. Your mind isn't settled yet."

"Ha." Liara grinned. "You read me so well, Siame."

"What else do you need to ask me… or, of me… before this issue is completely resolved?" Shepard cast Liara a smirk of her own as she read the Asari's intent. "You still want to be personally involved somehow." It was definitely more a statement than question, making Liara chuckle quietly.

"Yes, I do, but on a much more limited basis." Liara's gaze locked on the sympathetic emerald-green orbs of her bondmate. "I would like House T'Soni to become a sponsor of the Armali State Orphanage… perhaps even hosting children here, at the Estate, for weekends or special activities, to give them the chance to experience a bit of somewhat normal homelife. In no way imaginable have the children of this generation seen a normal childhood. I would like… no, I would love to help them recover some of that, before the chance is lost to them forever."

"I would agree to that on two conditions." Shepard paused, then continued when Liara remained silent, simply looking at her expectantly. "First, you have to discuss it at a House meeting and satisfactorily answer all the objections anyone in the house may raise… then, assuming it passes a House vote, we need to go to the orphanage to discuss such a sponsorship with the staff. I imagine there are specific conditions we would have to meet, so we need to know what the expectations would be and if there is any type of contract we need to review, prior to agreeing to do this."

"Thank you," Liara answered as she nodded in agreement. "Neither of those is unexpected nor unreasonable, Samantha." She suddenly felt giddy as she added, "I cannot wait for the patter of so many tiny feet running around the house!"

Shepard laughed. "Well, we'll just have to hope all the staff feel the same way."

Liara felt her penetrating eyes suddenly go soft and knew what the woman was going to ask before the words ever came out of her mouth.

"With that business out of the way, care to join me for a swim… followed by a nap?"

Shepard hadn't voiced everything that was going through her mind, so Liara filled in the blank, surprising Shepard with her gregariousness. "After having yet another round of magnificent anniversary sex on the deck of the boat? Absolutely!"