Notes:

A Grá - My Love (Gaelic)

Anam Cara - Soul Friend/Mate (Gaelic)

Ionúin Álainn - beautiful beloved (Gaelic)

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

Ynei - closest translation is "shooting star" (Krogan; Source: CDN)

Life As We Know It

Urdnot, Tuchanka, Aralakh – 25 Sep 2190

"By the Goddess, Bakara! The city is positively gorgeous!" Liara exclaimed. Seeing the rebuilt city from the air as they had arrived by shuttle had been stunning. "It's hard to believe how much you have accomplished… are still accomplishing… since the war."

"Thank you, Liara." Bakara smiled graciously, dipping her head in thanks for the wonderful compliment. "The Krogan have worked hard. It is amazing what they can do when they put their minds to something other than battle and plunder. I am proud of our males, being able to break the old stereotypes to accomplish such a feat; none of which would have been possible without your and Shepard's support and guidance. Your… belief… in our ability to change was instrumental in the reawakening of the true Krogan spirit."

"And now, apparently, you want to do the same with the Rachni." Wrex clasped arms with Shepard, his grip a tad bit more forceful than normal as he looked very pointedly into her eyes. "Are you honestly sure about this one? As much as the others, with the future of the galaxy no longer at stake and forcing us to take unusual levels of risk?"

"As sure as I can be, Wrex." Shepard set her jaw and gave a hard nod. "At the very least, I believe they deserve the chance to prove us right… no different than what I gave to you and the Krogan people. The Rachni fought for us, quite willingly, yet have received nothing in return for their efforts. Their only desire is to return to their home system."

"For now, anyway. That could change quickly, but message received, Shepard." Shaking his head, Wrex chuckled softly and dropped his hold on the one Human in the galaxy he trusted most, even when she did have crazy ideas. Ha! Sometimes her kind of crazy is fun.

Looking around at the city's progress which Liara had just commented on, he added, "I guess I really can't argue with that. You gave us a chance… and look what we've done with the place." His eyes narrowed as he returned his gaze to his company, studying the two in front of him. "And both of you are looking good; a hell of a lot more rested than when we chatted on the vid just a few days ago."

Liara detected a multitude of emotions with Wrex's observation and smiled at the big Krogan. "It's amazing what a few nights' rest, within the safety your own ship and in your own bed, can do for you. I know you worry about us, Wrex… particularly when we're within the webs of the Rachni, but they really have changed. We have a lot to tell you; so much more than what could be explained in a short conversation over the vid-con."

"We're not in that much of a hurry, you two," Bakara chided. "Lunch first, then business. Come to the house so we can eat, and you can say hello to Eve. She's been driving us absolutely crazy since she heard you were coming. She loves you, Liara, but she is absolutely ridiculous when it comes to her Ynei. Ever since we spoke, she has woken every morning at some early hour, to pounce on us before we've even gotten out of bed, asking if today was the day. Wrex even threatened her with an immediate introduction to Vaul if she persisted… which, of course, had absolutely zero effect at curbing her enthusiasm."

Shepard laughed and shook her head. "So, what you're telling me is that I'd better buff up and light with biotics when I step through the door, or I just might be bulldozed back to the landing pad when she hits me?"

Wrex roared with laughter before finally managing to say, "Yeah. Pretty much. She's not so little anymore… but still a child unaware of her size and strength relative to other species." He jokingly punched her on the shoulder, just enough to make her sidestep with the unexpected contact. Grinning ear-to-ear, he added, "She doesn't realize you're just a squishy Human."

Wrex had been spot-on in his assessment of Eve's reaction. The very moment she saw them come through the door, her toys were dropped to the floor, completely forgotten as she charged across the room with a shout. "Ynei!"

She crashed into Shepard at full velocity. Even prepared for the onslaught, the Vanguard still needed to take a couple of steps backward from the force of the collision. Liara felt Shepard's pain, muttering quietly under her breath, "Ouch. That's going to leave a bruise…"

Shepard, however, simply grunted with the impact and then chuckled, placing her hands on Eve's shoulders and taking yet one more step back to keep her at arm's length. She went down on one knee to look the pup over at eye-to-eye level. "You're at least a head taller since I last saw you, Eve! Just look at you! And, with a charge like that, you're going to grow up to be one mighty Krogan someday!" Glancing at her parents with a huge grin on her face, she added, "Just like your mamma and papa!"

"Already am mighty!" she protested, swinging a fist at Shepard's arm as she had so often seen her father do.

Shepard's hand glowed with biotics, catching the swinging hand. She then leaned in to lightly headbutt the miniature Krogan, knocking her back a step. "Not so fast, little one. You still have some growing to do before you're big enough to take me on."

Seeing the happy expression on Eve's face suddenly turn, Shepard immediately realized she had hurt the little one's feelings, so quickly pulled her back in for a big hug. "You just need to remember two things, Eve." Shepard whispered, holding up two fingers for the little Krogan to see. Shifting to one finger, she continued, "The first thing is that we are clan, and you are my favorite little clan member." She then raised the second finger back up, adding, "The second thing is because we are clan, we'll always be around to help you and make sure you grow up right! So, if you ever need me or Liara, you just call. What do you say? Deal?"

The pout immediately turned back into a grin as the little pup shouted exuberantly, "Deal!"

Shepard winked at her and gave her one, last, tight hug before rising back to her feet. "Now, we all need to sit down and have some lunch, then Liara and I have some business to take care of with mamma and papa. While we talk, you're in charge of house security, to make sure no one disturbs us until we come back out of the office. Can you do that, once your tummy is full and you're all charged up?"

Receiving a vigorous nod in answer, Shepard continued, "Excellent. Let's eat!"

Every time Liara watched Shepard interact with children, of any race, her heart simply melted. There was no stopping the wistful smile that found its way onto her lips, thinking of what their life would be like once they settled down and had their own children… after locating the Protheans, of course. She and Samantha had talked very seriously regarding both of those subjects over the course of their trip to Tuchanka. Liara had realized she was just frustrated and tired, having hunted for the Protheans for so long, only to have their potential discovery dangled so closely, yet seemingly always just out of reach.

A soft hand slipping into hers pulled her thoughts back to the present. "You coming with us to eat, Liara… or are you going to stand here staring off into space?"

Blushing, Liara squeezed the hand in hers, knowing by the look on her siame's face that Samantha already knew where her mind had wandered regarding having their own children. "Definitely coming."

Shepard had to laugh at the unintentional double entendre. Grinning, but her face also wearing a deep blush, she responded, "Hold that thought, Li. Save that for tonight, when we're back in our quarters aboard ship."

Over lunch, Liara explained to the Krogan couple how their own deal with the Rachni was already looking rather promising. The queen had committed a decent portion of their scout fleet to the search. She had requested Liara's list for the most likely places to begin their hunt, which the Asari had turned over to them without hesitation. Now, even while she and Samantha took a short hiatus from the hunt in order to assist in the building of a Krogan/Rachni relationship – they had decided that a true 'alliance' had too many political ramifications to pursue in full – the Rachni were moving forward on their offer of assistance without hesitation.

So, when Liara and Shepard had departed for Tuchanka to gain Krogan support for the Rachni's claim on Maskim Xul, eighteen Rachni scout ships had also sallied forth; six each headed for the last few planned stops of the expedition: Yangtze, Sparta, and Phoenix. Where they went from there would all depend on what, if anything, they discovered on the various planets within those three systems.

"Isn't that a bit risky, knowing how they feel about the Protheans?" Bakara asked. "You never know. If the Prothean numbers are low enough, the Rachni could take the opportunity to wipe them out, then claim they never found them."

"They could, yes," answered Liara. "But they won't. They understand how… wrong… that is. That's the whole point of their wanting a relationship with the Krogan. Two races, united in their victimization… all based in the fear of your strength and the speed with which you can reproduce. They hope to prevent such reprisals from ever happening again."

Shepard's voice was forceful as she added, "But… a huge part of that is our trust that neither the Krogan nor the Rachni will overpopulate and then seek additional worlds through conquest, to support those growing populations. No one in the galaxy wants to see either of your races expanding too quickly and taking over too many planets. That will only incite the same fears that resulted in your near destruction the first time around." She very pointedly focused on Wrex as she concluded, "That cycle cannot be allowed to repeat itself."

Wrex chuckled. "No worries on that account." He glanced at Bakara before adding, "The females will see to that. They are the ones regulating the birth rates… even now, with our population still relatively small. They don't want the males to get too used to having kids every year, else it will be expected to continue." He then frowned as he added, "And that includes the Clan Chiefs and the Overlord. We were lucky enough to have Eve right off… fertile females are highly prized because they are still so few. Males? Well, we have more than enough of us to go around; enough that there is still stiff competition to earn breeding rights."

Bakara laughed at that. "The Clan Chiefs have already proven themselves, so are guaranteed… but the rest? The females select very carefully, and not just on how many battles their potential mates have won. The new criteria revolve around how much you contribute to the rebuilding of Krogan society. You could be the best fighter we have, but if you have neither the desire nor the intelligence to help rebuild our society, then you don't get chosen to breed."

"Ouch." Shepard cringed. "That's rather… direct."

"But necessary, as the survival of our species is at risk," responded Bakara without hesitation. "We can be great warriors without the need for conquest. We now have organized tournaments with entry fees and prize money to help sate that need amongst our own, following the rather successful Armax Arena business model. We are even paying Armax a consultation fee to make sure we get it right."

"Yup," nodded Wrex, noting the looks of surprise on their guests' faces. "You probably need to be aware I may have dropped your name and my stint on the Normandy to get the rep's attention at the beginning of the conversation. Also, possibly even more important, is that we have formed a task force to control the growth of the maw population outside of Tuchanka. As much as we tend to worship Kalros and involve the thresher maws in our Rights of Passage, her kind should never have been released upon the galaxy; they are way too adaptable and unforgiving of trespass."

"You're doing what?" asked Liara, casting a worried glance at Shepard as she added, "How in the galaxy do you plan to accomplish that?"

Wrex's face split with a toothy grin. "We're taking those males whom the females refer to as the 'least desirables'… those who are too aggressive and unwilling to change… who have no chance at winning a mate… and giving them an option to earn fame and credits by joining hunt and destroy squads. Those males who simply have nothing to contribute, want nothing to do with parting from our old ways, and won't even consider stopping to help us rebuild? They are given an opportunity to continue with what they know. Their only job is to seek out and destroy thresher nests located anywhere but Tuchanka, much like what the Council hired us to do against the Rachni."

Bakara nodded. "But… if they want to get rewarded, they need to provide proof of the nest first, then get the kill sanctioned. That involves coordination with and approval from whatever race occupies or has rights on the planet. We completely understand we can't simply go in and start blowing things up on a world not our own."

"We're hoping," continued Wrex, "that once planetary governors figure out what we're doing, they'll be coming to us, instead of us having to go to them."

Liara continued, "Which is an excellent way to prove your good faith to the current primary Council members! Offering such a paid service, though the Council, could help demonstrate that you can be a cooperative and beneficial partner. If you can prove that, you will become full members, eventually. The Council cannot deny it if you cooperate with the other races, participate fully in Council activities, and continue to support the organization as you have since you joined forces to help with the Reaper War. They simply wouldn't be able to justify a continued refusal."

"Do you honestly see that in our future, Liara?" Bakara already knew Liara's answer but wanted to hear it spoken aloud. "Will the three truly agree to share power?"

"Eventually, yes. They will have to recognize your contributions." Liara shrugged. "How quickly that happens is hard to say… but I would like to think we'll see it within my maidenhood."

Wrex chuckled. "That will be pretty soon based on what I've seen with you two. There's no way you're lasting 300 years as a maiden, T'Soni. You two are like Varrens in heat."

"Wrex!" Bakara gave him a good slug on the shoulder, which he just laughed off.

"Well, it's true!" he grinned. "Bets are she and Shepard will have kids by the time she's 250. Maybe a couple by then! She is part Krogan, after all!"

Liara simply muttered, "Oh, Goddess," and dropped her face into cupped hands, trying to hide her rising, embarrassed blush.

Even Shepard was turning red, feeling the heat crawl up her neck at being called out so blatantly. "Geez, Wrex… no need to be so… blunt."

"Why not?" Wrex was still displaying a huge, tooth-filled grin. "It's the honest truth, isn't it?"

Intai'sei, Phoenix, Argos Rho – 3 Oct 2190

Given the conversation with the Krogan couple regarding the many ventures already in progress, the chat with the females was relatively short – and everyone agreed there would be no formal treaty with the Rachni. That, however, did not preclude the Krogan from being completely on board with the arachnid-like species retaking their ancestral home within Maxim Sul. The clans would support them fully, should it actually come to a vote within the Council.

Once they received the news, Jara and Sharp had started speaking with individual council members and already knew they had the Asari and Turian councilors on their side, as well as the Quarians and the SILC – who had experienced similar displacements. With things progressing so quickly, they saw no indications the Rachni would not receive the go-ahead to reoccupy their homeworld.

Even without a Krogan-Rachni compact, this was all good news, so after nearly a week spent simply visiting Wrex and Bakara, who were more than happy to drag them all over the planet to show Liara and Shepard the various projects they had been working on, the couple decided to travel on their own, simply to spend some personal time together. As they weren't expected home until the end of October, they had decided on a rather remote location– of all places, Shepard's small prefab unit on Intai'sei – simply because of its isolation. It would give them a good week to decompress without any distractions from the Council, Liara's archaeological career, or House T'Soni issues that had arisen during their long absence from Thessia.

Once decided, they had departed Tuchanka on the first day of October, followed by a 3-day hop, landing them on the hot and arid planet late evening on the third. Per instructions, Freedom remained above, in a protective geosynchronous orbit, while the Aletheia and those aboard ran perimeter defenses, to ensure the couple remained undisturbed. In the meantime, Rasha and the archaeological team had returned to Thessia aboard the Liberation, to begin sorting and cataloguing all the samples and artifacts they had been sending home.

As they stepped inside the prefab unit for the first time in a long while, Shepard dropped her bag on the floor and drew a deep breath. "Gods. I'd forgotten how small… and open… this place is."

"That's part of its charm, Siame." Liara dropped her bag as well and slipped up behind her bondmate, nestling her head between Samantha's shoulder blades and wrapping her arms around the woman's waist, pulling her close. "The view of the night sky through the window can't help but remind me of our time on the Normandy."

Shepard turned within the circle of the Asari's arms, placing a long, soft kiss on Liara's lips. "So… I guess this is our idea of getting lost in the stars, finding someplace far, far away?"

Liara's breath caught as she felt her heart skip a beat, Shepard's words reminding her – intentionally, no doubt – of their conversation before the final battle against the Reapers… on their way to Earth. Gripping Shepard tightly, she raised her chin and whispered softly into Samantha's ear. "A place where we could spend the rest of our lives in peace… and happiness?"

She felt Shepard relax into her embrace. "Just like then, there's no place in the galaxy I'd rather be, Liara. In your arms, I'm at home… no matter where that may be."

"And you know I feel the same." Liara sighed, a tinge of guilt touching her consciousness. "Sometimes, I still find it difficult to believe we're all here… that our desperate prayers for a future were somehow answered, when so many generations before us scrambled for their own survival… and were unsuccessful."

For once, Shepard didn't immediately tell her to stop thinking that way – instead, she was quiet for a long moment, then surprised the Asari with her answer. "It's how it was supposed to be. If the others had succeeded, I never would have been sent to find you. We never would have met."

"We don't know that." Liara kissed the woman passionately before continuing, a bit breathless. "Perhaps a love like ours is fated to happen, no matter the circumstances. Perhaps I would have still been on Therum when that volcano erupted… and you, still a Spectre, could have been tasked with saving me…"

The longer Liara talked, weaving the tale, the more they smiled. "How could I not fall for such a dashing commander who came so quickly to defend me? You would have wanted to drop me at the Citadel, no doubt… move on to your next mission. But I would have insisted you take me home to Thessia, if for no other reason than to have more time with you… even if just an extra day or two."

Her soul suddenly ached. "Perhaps, you may have even had the opportunity to meet my mother… without the influence of Saren, who never would have encountered a Reaper. You could have known who she really was…" She had to stop, a knot forming in her throat choking off her ability to speak.

"Hey." Shepard pulled her tight, wrapping her in a protective hug. "I do know who she was, Liara. How can I not, being in your mind like I am? She was a victim… just like so many others. But, somehow, she held it together long enough to find a way to help you… help us win the war. It took all of us working together to make that happen, but with her information and your knowledge and research abilities…"

She didn't get to finish her intended statement, Liara cutting her off and adding, "… and your combat acumen. You fight like no one else in the galaxy, Shepard, and everyone sees it but you."

Shepard had to smirk at that specific recurring topic, talked about many times, always the same arguments… and, still, neither budging from their position. "But none of that is what we're here to talk about; the war, the past." Shepard drew a quick breath and blew it out slowly. "We're here to take time for our future… though, I suppose, working through some of those things can be part of the larger picture. The bottom line, however, is that I love you, Ionúin Álainn, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you, raising a family and enjoying what we managed to save for the entire galaxy; life as we know it."

"Life as we want and hope to know it." Liara let out a heavy breath. "Agreed." She pushed back and picked up her bag, walking toward the bed and clothing stands beside it. "Shall we settle in and check the stores, see if we need to bring anything from the ship?"

"Sounds like a good place to start, Li."

The Asari dropped her bag next to the cabinet, then stretched her hands over her head before rolling her shoulders in an attempt to relax. Liara felt Shepard change her mind about halfway across the floor. When her bondmate was like this – being introspective and thinking about their future together – seeing herself through Samantha's eyes always sent her interior into a tingle, quite literally feeling how the woman saw her. The love. The passion. The emotions were honestly indescribable, paled by any words Liara could think of to define them.

Shepard absolutely adored the blue beauty before her. Watching her stretch… seeing her well-toned shoulder muscles flex under the fabric of her skin-tight gown. The woman threw her bag down at the foot of the bed and moved quickly to wrap Liara in a new embrace. "Screw that… I have a few emergency rations in my bag for later, if necessary. I'm hungry for something else at the moment."

Hearing absolutely no protest and feeling Liara's agreement as she pressed eagerly into her siame, Shepard reached around and located the pull for the zipper, giving it a gentle tug and freeing it from its clasp to begin its slide down Liara's back.

Surprisingly able to shrug off the emotion that had threatened to close her throat, Liara murmured, "By the Goddess, Shepard. I am yours."

Intai'sei, Phoenix, Argos Rho – 4 Oct 2190

Liara woke to the feeling of gentle fingers trailing across her skin. Even before she bothered to open her eyes, an indulgent smile crept onto her lips before she whispered, "I will never get enough of your caresses, Samantha. They somehow excite me as well as soothe my soul. The dichotomy is… exhilarating."

Shepard snickered as she placed her lips on Liara's awaiting ones, tickling a bit as she spoke with their lips touching. "Leave it to you to try to put into words how we feel. I gave up on that long ago… nothing seems sufficient."

After a long, gentle kiss, Liara answered with a grin, "I agree. What we have transcends language… but that will never keep me from trying."

Laughing, Shepard rolled away and sat up. "And there goes the moment." Glancing back at the Asari – still half asleep, but finally managing to open her eyes – she added, "And, if you're anything like me, after last night's activities, I'm starving! I'm going to see what we have here for breakfast."

Moving to the small refrigeration unit, she smiled in approval when she opened the door. Pulling out the carton of eggs and an ensemble of other ingredients, she side-stepped to the cooking station. "Two vegetable omelets, coming up!"

"Omelets? How in the galaxy…" Liara's eyes popped open, and she sat up in the bed. Sensing Shepard's smug satisfaction through the link, she answered her own question. "You placed a food order shortly after we decided to come here… and had the caretaker deliver it!"

Now excited over the prospect of a true breakfast, Liara rose quickly from the bed, opened the storage cabinet on her side of the bed and slipped into the light-weight silk robe that always hung there. Padding across the floor to her lover, she placed a soft kiss on Shepard's cheek. "You are a sly one, Captain. Thank you… it's a wonderful surprise. It's been ages since you've cooked for me… especially breakfast."

Shepard smiled. "Not like I have a lot of opportunity when we're out and about…" She stopped, suddenly puzzled. "Though, I don't know why. Once we hit the ground… It's not like I'm the House Captain anymore. I could stay behind and play the domestic role… clean our room, make our meals…" She started grinning, sensing Liara's mock angst over the whole idea.

"What?" Liara feigned shock. "You would leave me unprotected? With only the commandos to keep me company?"

They both laughed, Shepard commenting, "I can see Riana now… How angry she would be as a First, at the thought of her being only a 'companion' to the leader of the House. She'd have your head for even suggesting it!"

More seriously, Liara answered, "And she'd have yours, for belittling how much she values your input and skills regarding my protection and safety. Even though you don't hold the position, you do realize they still defer to you, even in your tender youth. I mean, seriously? A whopping thirty-six? They still look to you, even though you're just a babe in space!"

Shepard laughed, but Liara sensed a niggle of worry in her mind. "What is it, Siame? How does that statement cause concern for you?"

"Ah. I can keep a surprise breakfast a secret, but not so much that, huh?" Shepard's smile faltered and she shrugged. "I don't know… it's silly. Let me concentrate on cooking, so I don't burn the omelets, and we'll talk while we eat."

Wanting to comfort her bondmate, Liara reached across the small table and laid her hand supportively on Samantha's. "I don't think that's silly at all, A Grá. Humans aren't supposed to live for a thousand years… it is so outside of your normal reality it must be difficult to fathom. As such, I will most certainly not belittle your concerns." She paused, a memory flickering across her consciousness. "Do you remember our conversation in the Broker room, aboard the Normandy? When I spoke of the relatively short period of time for the Prothean defeat by the Reapers. I said, then, that even I questioned the privilege of living so long… of having to watch the cycle in its entirety, should we fail. If the Crucible had not worked, we would have been forced to witness the deaths of everyone we know."

She shook her head, tears coming to her eyes at the sudden realization of the truth of the matter. "I am so sorry, Samantha. I was so happy to know you would be with me… for the majority of my life… I failed to think of the consequences for you. That so many of your friends… your family… will pass long before you do."

Shepard had a sad smile on her face. "It's okay, Anam Cara. Some of that was going to happen anyway. Mom, Aunt Karin and Kay… They were all going to die before I did, given that I was lucky enough to not die a soldier's death, at some point in my career. The nanites simply add the Normandy crew and all my other friends to the list… like Garrus… and Tali. I realize that. But I also know that I'll have my Asari and Krogan families along for the remainder of it. All part of my second chance at life, I suppose."

"I wouldn't trade that for the world." She huffed out a small laugh. "I guess I need to follow my own advice, like what I told you regarding you and your mother. It will take time, but we'll get past it… together. I need to learn and accept the long view I always talk about with you. It just suddenly hit me, that it's going to apply to me as well." She drew a deep breath and blew it out. "To top it all off, I am only 36. We have the next 900 years together, to do whatever the hell we want. What more could I possibly ask? I mean… I'll be able to check off more items on my bucket list than most anyone else I know."

Liara watched the transformation crawl across Shepard's face – her eyes reflected a rekindled fire as the woman's laugh and smile finally reached them – and it brought unbridled joy to Liara's heart. Relief filled her soul to know Samantha would learn to deal with her new reality, just as she had been forced to do with the death of Benezia. Together, they had learned to deal with the reality of the Collectors, the Reapers, the Leviathans, the Rachni… and soon, the Protheans. Most importantly, they had the time they would need to do whatever they needed to do and still have plenty of time for themselves… to chase and fulfil their personal dreams of raising a family. As far as Liara was concerned – and Shepard agreed – that promise of a future made everything they had been through worth every second.

Liara squeezed her bondmate's hand in hers, relaying via the link her love and absolute confidence in their joint ability to handle anything that could be thrown their direction. "I am glad you feel that way, Samantha… but I have to ask. What in the Goddess' name is a bucket list?"