Liz avoided Liara for the next few days, always making the excuse to her team that she had to finish preparations to land on Virmire soon. The only ones who saw the Spectre regularly were Ashley and Garrus, and that was because Ashley wouldn't take "no" for an answer, and Garrus was, well, Garrus.

Liara, to the same extent, hid out in her quarters behind the medbay. She would speak to Dr. Chakwas now and then, but she stayed to herself otherwise. The Asari was confused about her response to Shepard; the commander's anger frightened Liara, yet it was all she dreamed about at night. The human's hands gripped her unconsciousness, forcing her to relive humiliation, pain, and pleasure from just four days ago.

Kaiden looked at the Asari strangely any time he saw her, and Ashley sent her looks of pity. Liara knew Ashley and Liz were close, but why was Kaiden acting this way? She decided to catch Ashley alone and get more information.

"Gunnery Chief Williams, could I have a moment of your time?" Liara called from the medbay door. Ashley headed towards Liara and moved back to her quarters at the Asari's request.

"What's up, Doctor? Can I get you anything?" Ashley was curious about this visit. Liara and she were not exactly close friends.

Liara shrugged. "Oh, no. I just wanted to ask you something."

Ashley groaned internally. Great, I get to be the one to try and explain Liz's fucked up mind. "What's that?"

"Does the lieutenant have a reason to dislike me? I've been getting the feeling that there's some animosity between us."

Ashley's eyes widened. This wasn't what she expected. "Oh, um, not really, Liara. He...ah…," Ashley didn't want to tell her friend's business, but Liara had noticed, so she wanted to ease her discomfort. "He has a thing for the skipper."

"A...thing…?" Liara's brow crinkled in confusion.

"Yeah, he's been trying to get her attention since I've met them. Thing is, he's not exactly her type, if you know what I mean." Ashley hoped to God that Liara knew what she meant.

Liara's eyes widened in understanding. "Oh! She prefers the females of your species, then?"

Ashley smirked. "Well, she used to; I think her ex-girlfriend broke her of all humans. She prefers Asari, actually. Has for a while now."

The doctor nodded. "I see. At least I know there's nothing I could do to make Alenko like me. I wish he knew that there was nothing between the commander and me."

It was Ashley's turn to be confused. "Nothing between…? I don't understand." Ashley knew that Shepard had been avoiding the Asari, but nothing did not exactly describe what the commander thought they had. If anything, the two had more than Liz had ever thought they would.

Liara shrugged. "One encounter, and Liz has been avoiding me for almost a week. That's not a typical response to a relationship you want to last, is it, Williams? She tried to warn me, but I wouldn't listen. Though I'd most certainly like more...contact… with Liz, I respect her wishes. Thank you for answering my questions. I'll see you later." And with that, Ashley Williams had been dismissed.


Liz sat at her terminal as she finished up the reports for the Council and the Alliance. A knock sounded, and though she knew who she wanted to be at the door, she knew it wasn't. Ashley walked in and sat on Liz's bed.

"You need to talk to Liara, Liz."

"Ash, the last time I followed that advice, I ruined her life. No, thank you."

Liz turned in surprise at Ashley's laugh. "Ruined. Right."

"Speak freely, soldier."

Ashley stood and paced a moment. "Skipper, I just had the most enlightening conversation with our resident archaeologist. Want to hear?"

Liz nodded. "What's going on?"

Ashley told the commander just what Liara had asked her and what she had revealed about her tryst with Liz days before. Shepard sat and listened to her friend before running a hand through her hair.

"She thought Kaiden and I had something going on, even though I fucked her a few days ago?" Liz groaned. "And the part about 'more contact'? Those were her exact words?" Liz had thought her one time with the Asari was just that: one time. She had been waiting for word that Liara had decided to return to her dig sites instead of moving on with the mission.

"Yep. Apparently, she's trying to distance herself from you and just focus on the mission, but she's confused, Liz. She truly likes you, and apparently, you haven't scared her off yet. Seemed she actually liked it, to be honest."

Liz thought for a minute before sending off a message to the Asari from her omni-tool.

Liara,

We have to stop by the Citadel tomorrow for a couple of days to restock before heading to Virmire. Could we grab a bite to eat and talk somewhere?

Liz

Ashley reached over and put a hand on Liz's shoulder. "I know you've been feeling guilty this time, Skipper. Maybe you two could work something out that you both are happy with? You maybe tone it down a bit, and she might try understanding where you're coming from? Just a suggestion." The gunnery chief quietly leaves the room, stranding Liz alone with her thoughts.

A ping sounded from her wrist, indicating Liz had a message.

Of course, Commander.


Liara stared at her ceiling into the wee hours of the morning before giving up sleep completely. Standing and dressing for the day, the Asari made her way to the kitchenette to get her a cup of tea. Surprisingly, she wasn't the only one awake.

Kaiden Alenko looked up at the doctor as she put water on to boil.

"Tea, Lieutenant?"

Glancing down at his cup of coffee, he shook his head. "No, thank you, Doctor. I'm good."

Liara quietly fixed her cup, waiting as the water boiled. Soon, she took a seat not far from the human.

"Have I done something to offend you, Kaiden? I feel as if we have hard feelings between us, but I know I have no reason to feel this way toward you."

Kaiden shrugged. He'd talked to Ashley, and Shepard had even spoken to him. "No, Liara, it's nothing you've done. Just been being a bit petty, I guess." His feelings for his commander weren't exactly a secret among the crew, but he knew that the Asari scientist wasn't the most observant when it came to human emotions. "I was a bit jealous of you and Shepard; I knew the commander had eyes for you, yet I continued to push my affections at her. It was wrong on my part, and you had no idea. I'm sorry for making you feel this way."

Liara smiled softly. "Looks like we've been in the same...ship? Is that the right word?"

Kaiden laughed. "Same boat. Same idea, I guess though, huh?"

"Apparently. What's been going on between Shepard and me has been just as confusing for us, I think, so don't worry about misunderstanding." Ashamed, she admitted, "I haven't even spoken to her in almost a week."

A sigh. "Yeah, I've heard. Shepard's a tough one to read, but I know she's been hurt." Liara looked up to the human who had moved closer. "Give her time. I think those past relationships were just flings anyway. What I now see in her eyes for you...Just give her time, Doc. She'll come around."


Liz checked her outfit again; of course, it was nothing different from what she wore on the ship on a daily basis. She did have a bit of business on the Citadel before meeting Liara at the restaurant at 2.

Liara. Their last encounter was eye-opening to Shepard. Even though she hadn't deviated from her normal routine once she'd gotten Liara in her bed, the ending just wasn't as satisfactory as it should have been. Was it better than any sex she'd had in the last few years? Most definitely. Though Liara was inexperienced, the Asari had learned what Liz wanted quickly and efficiently.

No, what had sucked was seeing the tears in Liara's eyes as the humiliation threatened to overwhelm her. Liz had almost stopped at the first muffled scream, but had made herself keep going, determined to prove...what exactly? She had dragged an orgasm out of the Asari, had insisted upon it, but had allowed Liara to leave before she'd finished herself on Liara's mouth. She just couldn't follow through.

But now? Ashley was persistent that Liara had seemed to enjoy herself when she'd talked to the Asari yesterday. Liz was eager to find out.


Liara settled herself down at a table close to the Presidium to wait for Liz. A tingling of anticipation burned its way through Liara's blood, and the doctor looked around for her...date? No, it wasn't a date.

The Asari thought back to their evening together; Liara had studied the way human females worked. Liz had let her leave before she had reached satisfaction. The only explanation for that was that Liara had not been what the commander was expecting and hadn't lived up to expectation. Thinking back to that night, though, Liara didn't know what else she could have done differently.

She knew Shepard wanted control, and she had given every ounce to the commander. Her first sexual experience had found her tied to a bed with a human punishing her in ways that she had never imagined before. The scary thing about it all was that she had found her orgasm far too easily once the commander had begun.

So what did I do wrong? Was she not submissive enough? Did she not pleasure Liz to the extent she needed to be fulfilled? Lost in her thoughts, Liara didn't hear the commander stop near the table.

"Can I join you?" Liara's head jerked up, and her eyes met Liz's concerned ones. At her nod, Liz sat gently, gripping her hands tightly together. "How have you been, Doc?"

Liara shrugged a bit, ashamed that the commander had caught her woolgathering. "I've been ok. I've been working on a bit of research…"

"And avoiding me." Liz looked at the Asari shrewdly. "Just like I've been avoiding you."

Liara's eyes bulged. This woman is blunt to a fault. "What makes you think I've been avoiding you?"

"Well, after what happened between us, neither of us has sought the other out since. I'd say that's a good indication of avoidance, Doctor."

"Commander, what exactly did you want me to say?" Liara looked around, satisfied that they were in a somewhat private part of the restaurant. "You didn't exactly make me feel as if we had left on good terms."

Liz's brows furrowed. "What do you mean?"

Liara frowned. "I'm no expert in sex, especially with humans, but I know that both parties are supposed to be satisfied at the end. I failed you in that regard. That's why you sent me away. I was too ashamed to face you after that."


Liz could have slapped herself. All this time, she had thought Liara was afraid of her, that Liz had broken the Asari's trust in her somehow. To hear that Liara was ashamed of failure in the bedroom did not even register on Liz's radar.

"You...you think you did a bad job? At sex?" Liz wanted to laugh, but Liara couldn't even meet her eyes. "Liara, look at me." Liz smiled gently at the worried look in the doctor's blue eyes. "Liara, whatever failure occurred the other day was my fault. It had nothing to do with your lack of experience." Sighing, Liz stood up and held out her hand. "Come with me."

Liara stumbled. "But...but where…?"

Liz just smiled again. "Trust me?"

"To the ends of the galaxy, Shepard."

Liz pulled Liara up and kept her hand in hers. They walked quietly through the presidium, and they entered a nice hotel and approached the front desk. Liz spoke to the lady at the desk, slid her credit chit across, and pulled back a room key.

Entering the elevator, Liz looked over at Liara; she looked terrified. The commander grabbed her hand again and rubbed her thumb over the back of it, trying to ease the fear out of the beautiful Asari's eyes. Liara finally turned to look at the human before they reached their floor.

"Shepard, what are we doing here?"

"We have to take care of some issues, and the presidium isn't exactly the location best suited for this."

Walking down to their assigned room, Liz slid the card in the door and opened it. She released Liara's hand and pulled up her omni-tool to put a call in to Joker.

"Commander?"

"Joker, inform XO Pressley he has command for tonight. I'm taking a bit of a break here on the Citadel."

"Aye aye, Commander."

Looking over to her companion, Liz sat down beside her on the large bed and reached over to pull Liara's chin toward her. "Hey, Beautiful, look at me; we need to talk."

Liara looked at Shepard. "What is there to say? How was the other night your fault? You warned me...I just wasn't experienced enough to…"

Liz gripped Liara's chin tighter, just enough to cause a bit of a wince before she released it. "Sorry, Liara. Old habits and all…" Liz stood, running her hands through her hair, pacing around the room. "I need to be honest with you about everything."

Liara shook her head, "Liz, you don't owe me…"

"Oh, but I do." Liz stopped pacing and knelt in front of Liara. "I was in a relationship before Akuze. A serious relationship."

Liara nodded. Akuze. Shepard was the only surviving member of her squad after a thresher maw attack.

"After that attack, I was in the hospital for weeks; had to depend on my girlfriend, Lily, to take care of me. She did it willingly. I recovered, physically at least. However, something snapped inside my mind.

"Liara, my whole life until then had been out of my hands. I lost my parents at sixteen, was forced into foster care until I was old enough to join the Alliance. Even that wasn't necessarily a choice; I'd gotten into enough trouble before then that it was either the military or jail. I was a mess, but I wasn't stupid. I've been shuffled to this planet and that since then. I'd been in the Alliance for nine years when we were attacked on Akuze. They told me I might never be cleared for active duty.

"I proved them wrong; I determined that I would not lose that control again. It not only gave me the drive to get better, but it changed how I treated relationships. Lily left me, Liara. Not because of my injuries and her distaste for taking care of me. She left me because I hurt her; I left marks on her during sex. I became so angry when I was fucking her that she feared that I would actually cause her harm. I refused to change myself, so she left." By this time, Liz was crying. Liara reached up and wiped a tear from Liz's face.

"Liara, whatever I felt for Lily, whether you can call it young love or whatever, it is nothing to what I feel with you. People say she hurt me bad enough to turn me off of human women or something. She didn't hurt me; she made me angry. For a time, though, submissive Asari women were my preference, which, I'll admit, drew me to you initially. However, I soon realized that I couldn't hurt you like that. The feelings I developed for you scared me; I was afraid I'd hurt you.

"When you approached me the other day, I snapped. I was determined to have you, to prove to you I was bad news. I didn't finish for a lack of knowledge on your part; I couldn't let myself receive any pleasure from what I was doing to you. When you left, I felt like trash, like I had been given a precious gift, and I'd just thrown it away. I…"

However, Liara had listened long enough. She reached over and pulled Liz into a kiss, tender enough to make Liz sigh in Liara's mouth. Liz hadn't felt this peaceful in years. She felt like she was finally where she belonged.

Liara pulled back and waited for Liz to open her eyes. Once their eyes met, Liara smiled. "Liz, I had no idea all of this was warring in your head. I've been listening to everyone around me, including you, but all along I should have just listened to myself. Liz, I knew that you liked control; I somewhat even knew what was going to happen as soon as I walked in your quarters the other day. I don't mind giving you that control, if that's what you want me to do. But I have a couple of requests."

Liz nodded quickly. "Name them."

"One, talk to me; I'm pretty socially awkward most of the time, but I want to have good communication between us."

"And two?"

Liara grinned. "Trust me enough to let me take control sometimes."