Three Little Lovebirds
Chapter 25 – Now Docking: Confusion, Hope and Love
"Citadel control this is the SSV Normandy on approach, requesting a berth. ETA, 30 minutes standard time."
"...permission granted Normandy, proceed to cradle 5 in hanger T8."
"Uh, you got anything a bit closer to the Presidium; we have a council spectre aboard."
"One second Normandy, verifying...roger that, new coordinates are cradle 2 in hanger C3, Citadel control out."
Joker killed the channel, grinning smugly.
"Seems like having a spectre onboard really clears the way for you huh. Hey commander, you mind if I name drop you in a few bars, I'm sure the chicks will just love..."
Shepard couldn't actually hit Joker for fear of crushing his brittle bones, but the menacing glower she threw in his direction had the same effect.
"Fine, fine," Joker grumbled, "Guess I'll just have to play the sympathy card instead."
"Well, it's nice to know you'll be enjoying your shore-leave. Do try not to get too pissed; the last thing I need is for you to pick a fight and break your arms." Shepard knew she was fighting a losing battle, but as the commanding officer she had to at least make a token effort to reign her crew in. Fortunately, that obligation didn't extend to herself.
"Yes mum."
"Good, now if everything's set, I think I'm going to make sure I'm all packed"
Lucy took the stroll back to her quarters at a leisurely pace, happily listening to the excited conversations of the crew. It helped re-affirm her belief that taking some time off, even if it was only for a week, was the right thing to do. The mission had everyone on edge, and without some down-time, people would get sloppy or confrontational. Such mistakes could be fatal.
As she headed for her door, she spotted Ashley, Garrus and Wrex all sat around a table in the mess-hall. Lucy always had to stifle a laugh when she saw Wrex sitting in one of the dinky seats; it was a miracle they hadn't broken yet.
"Commander," Ashley called, beckoning to an empty chair, "Me and the guys were just discussing our plans for shore-leave. Care to take a pew?"
Sliding into the empty space, Lucy accepted the cup of water offered to her, pondering her reply. She had known a situation like this would arise at some point, although she'd been hoping to have a few more days to think her answer through.. It wasn't that she was embarrassed, or uncomfortable with telling the truth (although she knew the Chief would tease her mercilessly), but she didn't really want to go spreading it around either. Not until the three of them had found their feet. It was still possible that things wouldn't work out. After all, this mini-vacation would be the first real time they were all together. Lucy had to admit, she was more than a little nervous.
Still, there was no way she could keep it a secret forever. She wouldn't volunteer the information just yet however. If she was lucky, the conversation would move on soon enough.
"Me, Tali and Liara are renting an apartment on Kithoi ward, near the Presidium. I know a few good restaurants and bars in the area."
As expected, Ashley immediately latched onto the implications. No luck for her this time it seemed.
"Really? I thought it would just be you and Tali. Won't having someone else along spoil the mood a bit? Besides, it's not really fair on Liara; you'll be keeping her up all night."
Garrus made a noise somewhat similar to a strangled bird as he tried to suppress a laugh. Shepard could feel an unwelcome redness creeping into her cheeks but she refused to be baited so easily.
"I've talked it through with them, and they're happy with the arrangement. And since it worries you so much chief, you can be rest assured that I won't lack for creature comforts."
"I'm sure you won't." Ashley had a look on her face disturbingly similar to a jackal circling a dying animal; just waiting for it to finally give in, "What is it they say in the vids?" She spread her hand in the air with a grandiose gesture, "Come to Kithoi, the most romantic holiday destination this side of the Cerulean Sea."
"Look, is there anything wrong, with a couple spending time with other people?" The spectre already knew she had lost the battle; it was now more a question of saving face as best she could.
"You're skirting around the truth Shepard," Wrex rumbled, leaning forward in his seat, "You've got that look in your eyes, like a Salarian."
Lucy wasn't sure whether to be indignant or impressed. For someone from such a supposedly thuggish race, Wrex was not only intelligent but also dangerously perceptive. Still, she did owe him for telling her about the small cache of Quarian vaccines they'd had onboard.
"Look, I can tell you're not going to give up, so I'll tell you what's going on, not that it's really any of your buisness. Just promise me you won't go gossiping as soon as I'm gone."
The three of them waited in silence, all eyes fixed expectantly on her.
"You remember when me and Tali got together, after that mission on Verdus? I seem to remember you had a few words to say on the subject Wrex."
The Krogan just chuckled to himself.
"Right...anyway, to cut a long and incredibly complicated story short, I also realised that I had...feelings for someone else as well. Someone blue if you must know. Of course things got very complicated; Liara was ill, and Tali's father shows up. It made me think long and hard about what I was doing. It made me realise that something had to change, In the end, we agreed to try and find a, uh...optimal solution, and, well, here we are."
For a few seconds, you could have heard a fly cough on the other side of the room.
"Damn Shepard; both of them!" Garrus couldn't have looked much more shocked if Lucy had downed a case of Turian ale, "I don't believe this; leave some for the rest of us won't you."
"You sly bitch," Ashley laughed, cuffing her across the shoulders "Uh, Ma'am."
"She's got a quad, I'll give her that." Wrex rumbled, "Shoulda chosen a Krogan though; Quarians and Asari are so squishy."
"Are you jealous Wrex?" Lucy said, poking him in the chest.
"Me? Nah. You're tough as hell Shepard, but I need a woman with a bit more meat on her bones."
"I'll take that as a compliment, although I'm not so sure about the quad." Lucy replied, feeling a faint stirring of pride in her chest. In truth, she hadn't expected anyone to protest; not that it would have changed anything if they had, but she considered her team close friends as well and colleagues, and it was nice to have their support.
"I still can't believe you took away the only two women on the ship compatible with Turians." Garrus sulked, "I guess it's true what you humans say; 'All the good ones are taken.'"
"Hello, I'm sitting right here." Ashley interjected, rolling her eyes before turning back to Lucy, "I think you guys will make a great couple, uh, trio. Do remind me to get a room a way away from your apartment however. Two of you would be bad enough, but all three? I'd be climbing the walls after the first sleepless night."
Lucy laughed, but her face sobered slightly.
"Listen, remember what I said about not spreading it around. This is all very new, and I'm walking on eggshells trying to avoid hurting anyone. I'm pretty thick-skinned; I don't care if people tease me or call me out on what I'm doing, but I don't want to embarrass Tali or Liara. I trust you three, so I won't make it an order, but please keep it to yourself for the moment; as a favour to me."
"Don't worry Shepard, you can count on us." Garrus may have been smiling, Lucy still couldn't really tell. The sentiment was sincere though and echoed by the other two.
"Well, I think we can safely say that when it comes to shore-leave plans, Shepard has us thoroughly beat." Ashley said, pushing herself back from the table, "I think I'm going to go make sure the rest of my gear is squared away."
She narrowed her eyes at Wrex.
"I've seen you drooling over my shotgun; I want to make sure it's still here when I get back."
"You wish human; that paltry pea-shooter was designed with your species in mind. With all the credits Shepard's been throwing around, I've got more than enough to lay my hands on some real hardware while we're here."
"Oh yeah, you sure talk big Wrex. If you're as loaded as you say, why not put your money where your mouth is."
"So it's a bet." Wrex's eyes glittered, "Very well, 1000 credits says next time I kill twice your number of those slimy Geth."
Lucy could see from the surprised look in her eyes that the Krogan had called Ashley's bluff. To her credit however, the chief quickly recovered some composure and shook the giant hand offered to her.
"You're on; may the better species win."
"I should go finish packing." Lucy said, also excusing herself as the group began to disband, "I'll see you guys when we dock. You can give me the details of where you're all staying so I know where to go when it's time to hose you down and drag you back to the ship."
For the first time in a little while, it was just her in her cabin. Liara was busy going through a similar process on the other side of the ship, and Tali was down in engineering, having already packed her small assortment of personal items. It felt so empty; the room was much too big for one person, something Lucy had only noticed when someone else had started spending their time there.
Grabbing the last of her clothes and stuffing them unceremoniously into a duffel-bag, she took a moment to survey her luggage. She had more than someone like Tali, but it was still a pretty paltry amount. She hadn't brought many knick-knacks or decorative items with her, and there hadn't been a chance to buy any since their mission began. Perhaps she'd browse the local markets and see if there was anything she fancied. Lucy wasn't much of an art person, but she knew how to appreciate a pretty sculpture or a nice holograph. Perhaps she could even get some model ships to replace the ones she'd lost all those years ago on Mindoir. Space had always fascinated her, and every birthday, toy spaceships would top her list of desired presents.
In any case she'd certainly have to do some shopping; there was no way she could go out to dinner dressed in her navy slacks. There wasn't much call for nice casual-wear on a military starship, but her wardrobe could definitely be fleshed out a bit for occasions such as these.
Lucy smiled to herself. It was nice not to have to worry about money for once. The missions they were doing paid well, as did selling on all the excess gear they recovered, but the real gravy train was the survey work. Mining corporations were willing to pay hand over fist for the locations of rare minerals, as were universities, museums and private collectors for the various artefacts they found. It was difficult to keep track of everything, but Lucy always tried to make sure the antiquities found a good home, and didn't end up in the hands of some sleazy, black-market trader. Of course, most of the Prothean stuff she turned over to Liara, who invariably poured over it for hours on end before being reluctantly forced to pack it up and ship it back to Thessia.
There were still 10 minutes until everyone would congregate for disembarking, and Lucy allowed herself a few moments just to relax and let her eyes wander aimlessly around the room. If this excursion went well, as she desperately hoped it would, she got the feeling that she'd be spending even less time alone in here. She'd need to give both Liara and Tali the access codes, not to mention having extra beds installed.
Whoa, slow down there girl. Let's take this one step at a time.
"Okay, okay..." Lucy mumbled to herself, glad that no one was around to hear her.
A rumble shuddered through the hull of the Normandy as the giant docking-clamps magnetised it into position. For several seconds, nobody could hear anyone else over the awful din of screeching metal; then, finally, the ship came to rest, securely fastened to the infinitely huger bulk of the Citadel. It was a different experience from docking with any other space station. There, like on a starship, you were aware of just how fragile your position was; how the only thing that kept you from a slow, freezing death in outer space were a few layers of hull and some fancy technology. On the Citadel however, it felt like there was actual ground beneath your feet; more like stepping onto a planet than another space-faring structure. Lucy revelled in the feeling, having spent more of her life with her feet on mud than metal.
About half the crew had left already by the time she got to the airlock, including the rest of the squad that wouldn't be staying with her. The unlucky ones who had pulled the short straws were left behind to organise maintenance schedules, coordinate with the engineering teams, and generally perform all the mundane housekeeping tasks required before the ship could be truly vacated.
Lucy browsed the crew manifest, bringing herself up to speed on where everyone would be, when she heard the sound of careful footfalls behind her.
"Shepard?" Liara's soft, dulcet tones were like a soothing balm after the last-minute frenzy of activity, "I hope I have not kept you too long. I see the others have left already."
"Not at all; we're still waiting on Tali anyway. You know what she's like with those engines." Lucy turned to the Asari, pocketing the pad she'd been reading and stepping up close to give her newest partner a warm embrace, "You all set to go?"
Liara seemed unsure of whether or not to return the hug, but after a few seconds without Lucy letting go, she dropped the bag she was carrying and let her arms encircle the spectre's torso. She was rewarded with a small sigh of contentment, and knew she'd acted correctly.
"I am." She said finally as Shepard disentangled them, "Although I don't have much in the way of belongings. There was little time to retrieve any items on Therum."
"I know what you mean, I haven't got a thing to wear. Perhaps we should have a look in the local clothes shops before doing anything else."
"I would like that." Liara said, looking sheepishly at the floor "Could you...advise me? It has been a long time since I bought any aesthetic garments; I normally find my lab coat sufficient for most situations. I do not know what would look 'good' on me."
"Liara, darling, anything would look perfect on you by virtue of the fact that you're the one wearing it." Lucy was touched by the shy smile which her words drew from the young Asari, "Of course I'll help you, but I should mention that I am by no means an expert in fashion and probably won't be of much use."
"On the contrary, your opinion is the only one that concerns me. I want to find something which you would enjoy seeing me in. I would say that you are the best one to judge what you like."
"I..." Lucy was surprised, and more than a bit touched by the statement, "I don't know what to say. I would be honoured, but don't feel like you have to get something just because I like it. You should choose clothes that you feel comfortable in."
"I see clothing as a way to enhance your appearance for those around you. Since you are the person I wish to please, wearing something that I know you like would be more than enough to satisfy me."
"Oh Liara, you say the sweetest things," Lucy mumbled, trying to swallow down a sudden and rather unwelcome lump in her throat, "You're going to make me all teary."
The Asari maiden could sense the faint waves of pleasure rolling off the spectre; a sign of the growing bond between them. The sensation was subtle, but was becoming increasingly easy to detect as her and Lucy became closer emotionally. When...if, they joined in Union, it would intensify to the point that she'd know Shepard's emotional state no matter how far they were separated. To be able to feel what Lucy felt, to know when she was most in need of comfort and love; it was as beautiful as it was daunting. Union was the most intimate experience in an Asari's lifetime, and Union with a soul-mate was said to be stronger by far.
With a quick glance to make sure no one was within easy earshot, Lucy leaned in and whispered in her partner's ear.
"I love you darling."
"I love you too." Liara's reply was heartfelt, but Lucy could sense that there was an undercurrent of something else. Something was bothering the Asari, something she hadn't picked up on before. It showed in the tightness of her shoulders, and the slight tremor when she spoke.
"Sweetheart, is everything okay?" Lucy enjoyed the look of pleased confusion that her partner adopted whenever she introduced a new nickname for her, "I haven't done anything to upset you have I?"
"No, no do not think that." Liara hurried to explain, "I am just a bit...nervous, about this trip. It is the first time the three of us will be together as partners after all. I have to confess that I have not spoken with Tali much, and not at all since you...we...well, I am unsure of what to expect."
"I know my love. I wish I could tell you, but truth be told, I'm just as apprehensive as you are. All I can say is that Tali is the sweetest, most kind-hearted person you'll ever meet and she undoubtedly wants this trip to go just as well as you do. If the three of us can't figure this out, no one can."
Lucy brushed a hand across Liara's cheek, watching her unconscious reaction to nuzzle into the offered palm. Did she have any idea how sweet she was? Probably not; and that just made it all the more endearing. There was no way Lucy could crush her now; this had to work...she'd make it work, no matter what it took.
"Commander...commander Shepard!"
Sighing with frustration, the spectre broke the momentary spell between them.
"I'll just be a sec love, I promise."
Lucy disappeared through the airlock to attend to whatever issues her crew were having, leaving Liara alone with her thoughts. Idly, the Asari brushed some motes of dust off a nearby console, not really aware of what she was doing as her mind raced with ideas, fears and the giddy, all-pervasive happiness that felt like it would never go away. Until she met Shepard, she'd never thought herself capable of experiencing so many conflicting emotions. Then again, that was just one of many new things she was learning about herself. Perhaps things weren't quite as different as she'd thought. Up until now she'd been fixated on discovering the lives of other people; now she was finally beginning to discover her own.
*Ahem*
Liara was pulled out of her daydream by a small, polite cough which sounded from behind her.
"Dr. T'Soni?" Tali's voice was very distinctive. Sucking in a steadying breath, Liara braced herself for what she expected to be a rather awkward conversation, even by her standards.
"I, uh, Tali." Oh Goddess, what am I meant to say? "How are you?"