Notes: Shmex warning! All bets are off after Liara drags Shepard to the bedroom! (Lasts until the next line break.)

Amantia - lover (Thessian)

Anam Cara - Soul Mate (Gaelic)

Grá mo chroí - love of my heart (Gaelic)

Ionúin Álainn - beautiful beloved (Gaelic)

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

Tá tú mo gach rud - You are my everything (Gaelic)

XO - Executive Officer

Separate Worlds

The Záhrada S'Vatyne Resort, Sanves, Ialessa System – 16 Aug 2188

Liara handed Samantha the two crystal snifters of Elasa and slipped down into the inviting water of the hot tub, only to reach up and take them back so Shepard could follow suit. Immediately handing one back to her bondmate, Liara closed her eyes and leaned back, relaxing into the molded seat as the gentle warmth penetrated to her very core. "By the Goddess, this feels delightful." She smiled as a hand lovingly stroked the side of her thigh, from knee to hip and back again.

"Open your eyes, Blue. The garden is beautiful under the light of the moon."

Liara did so, but temporarily passed on the garden view to observe Samantha; the expression on the face of her bondmate was the very definition of utter serenity and peacefulness, relaying a mood of tranquility to the Asari as her siame took a sip of Elasa and tipped her head back to lean against the headrest, savoring the smooth liquor. Shepard's focus was on the multitude of plants on all sides of the spa. She suddenly pointed and quietly exclaimed, "Look at that red flower, Li! The color is amazingly vibrant… like it's ready to jump off the petals!"

Shepard's observation was interrupted by a quiet giggle at her side, making her turn to look at her Ionúin Álainn. She was met by a soft, loving smile and half-closed eyelids… but neither trait engaged the Human's attention nearly as much as the sense of adoration suddenly enveloping her, its consuming intensity lifting her spirits like nothing else could. Temporarily struck speechless, Shepard could only grin happily in response to the giggle that carried such tender devotion along with it.

"You were right, Sam. It really has been a long time since I've felt free enough to do absolutely nothing… and I must admit, now that I have begun to simply let go, it feels positively amazing. Even just sitting back to watch you enjoy life – like your laugh earlier – makes me feel… I don't know… free? Comfortable? Content?" Liara blinked and opened her eyes normally as she sat up, her suddenly intense, crystal blue eyes gazing into the green orbs of the woman before her.

Leaning closer, Liara's lips softly tickled those of Samantha as she whispered, "Alive. You make me feel free to honestly live… with hope for a real future." Her words were immediately followed by an enthusiastic kiss that, with its unexpected hunger, nearly made the Captain drop her snifter into the water as the sensation of unwavering adoration swept through her mind.

"Wow," was the only thing Shepard croaked as she recovered her breath. Clearing her throat, she finally managed to utter, "I love you too, Blue. Tá tú mo gach rud."

"And you, mine, Siame." Her eyes shifted in the direction Shepard had been pointing and she was about to ask which flower, when one seemingly jumped out of the foliage surrounding it. "Goddess, you are correct... that is an amazingly brilliant red! I believe it must have a hint of bioluminescence to make it appear so bright." Liara's soul soared as a wave of pleasure swelled within her, the sensation leaving her nerve endings tingling in anticipation.

In response to the unspoken request, Shepard placed what little remained of her Elasa on the tiled patio at the edge of the tub and reached out to wrap her fingers around the back of the Asari's neck, whispering as she pulled her in. "I marvel at the sense of wonder and curiosity you have for the world around you when you lower your guard, Blue… That's the innocent archaeologist I so fell in love with when we first met." She kissed Liara softly, slowly, until their lungs began to ache for oxygen.

Parting slightly, they sat in silence with their foreheads touching, greedily drawing air together. As their oxygen-starved lungs recovered, they sank deeper into their link and the meld simply… ensued… their heartbeats and breathing slowly synchronizing until it was difficult for either to distinguish one from the other. The passage of time lost all meaning as they sat in quiet solitude, simply enjoying their intimate connection until their quiet reverie was interrupted by the cessation of the jets within the tub.

Shepard smiled and softly whispered, "I guess our time is up. Ready to go in?"

"No, but I suppose we should." Liara leaned back and picked up her glass, downing what little remained in one gulp. "Besides… I'm changing my answer to yes. I am ready to go in… to start that cuddling I was speaking of earlier."

Shepard grinned while finishing off her own Elasa before answering, "Sounds good to me."

They stood up and climbed out of the sunken spa tub, Shepard handing Liara one of the towels they had carried out with them. She then surprised her Ionúin Álainn, beginning to dry the Asari with the towel she had kept; Samantha's tender, loving care brought immense joy to Liara's heart with her gentle, soothing strokes. She then draped the extra-large, plushy towel around her bondmate and drew her in for an affectionate embrace.

As Shepard reached to take the dry towel back from the Asari, Liara smirked. "Oh, no you don't; it's my turn to repay the favor." She first squeezed the bottom edge of Samantha's hair in the towel to keep it from dripping down her back before carefully wrapping the towel around the Human's body; pulling Sam into a tight embrace, she lovingly ran her hands across the surface of the towel… effectively patting Shepard's torso dry before moving the towel to dry the woman's muscular arms and legs.

Several intermittent kisses accompanied the process and they were giggling happily at each other by the time they were dried sufficiently to leave the garden area and enter the main house. With the heat of the summer and the humidity of the indoor garden, the refreshing chill of the tiles against their feet provided wonderful cooling relief as they padded across the floor to the master suite, where they simply dropped their wet towels into the refresher on their way to the shower.

After rinsing the residue of the spa's slightly salty water from their bodies, they once again dried each other off – with many more little kisses and nibbles – before finishing their nightly routines and sliding eagerly between the silken sheets of the bed. As she spread out flat on her back, Shepard groaned, "You'll never get me out of this bed, Blue. It's way too soft and comfortable."

"Ha! You will be bored to death within ten minutes of waking and be up and about within a minute or two after that." Liara smiled and aimed a kiss at the woman's cheek, only to be met by a pair of lush, warm lips.

The kiss ended quickly as Shepard laughingly replied, "That depends largely on if you're still sleeping or if you wake with me; if you're awake, I can guarantee you that I will most definitely not be bored."

"If you wake up at your usual time of six in the morning…" Liara's right brow marking cocked in warning, knowing very well she wouldn't be awake that early unless she was purposely awakened by her bondmate. "… I can, with the utmost confidence, say you had better be bored, Samantha Shepard."

Another playful laugh preceded Shepard rolling up and over to sit astraddle Liara, pinning her to the bed beneath her. A calmness settled into her soul as she smiled lovingly down upon the face of her Ionúin Álainn, observing in appreciative silence the serenity and contentment she saw in the Asari's expression. The soft, loving devotion in the blue eyes gazing back at her silently beckoned Samantha down; without a word she fell – rather eagerly, at that – into the suddenly obsidian abyss of those same eyes. So much for being too tired to do anything this evening.

Normandy SR2, Phoenix Massing, At Large – 17 Aug 2188

It had taken Petty Officer First Class Sheldon Dubow more time than he would have liked to learn most of the ins-and-outs of the comms position on the Normandy. As Ashley Williams' chosen successor for Specialist Samantha Traynor, he knew he had some rather large shoes to fill and was doing his best to learn everything about his new position on the legendary ship while also searching for anything and everything concerning the break-away Quarian admirals, Han'Gerrel vas Neema and Daro'Xen vas Moreh, along with the combined fleets forced to accompany them.

After arriving at the Tassrah System's Mass Relay in the Phoenix Massing, the Normandy had returned to its search location in the Chomos System, nearly twenty-five hours after leaving Thessia on the 16th. Upon receiving verification from Kasumi Goto that Gurji's Promise was also safely in system, Spectre Williams tasked Specialist Dubow with passively searching for the Neema and Moreh. Even with the search capabilities of Gurji's Promise added to Normandy's efforts, Ashley knew it would likely take several days of intense searching before Dubow and Kas could confirm the locations for all the ships in the Quarian Heavy Fleet; searching for the smaller research vessels commanded by Daro'Xen might take even more time, but Williams was following her hunch that Xen's ships would not be too far from their better armed protectors.

Information from Len'Dazza's report to Spectre Shepard that the Neema and Moreh were parked on Sidacha led Ashley to begin the search there; in less than four hours, Dubow sent a comm to his captain in the War Room: "I have found both of the Quarian vessels, Ma'am; they are located fifteen klicks apart near a range of mountains at the moon's southern pole. The short-range galaxy map display has been updated with their coordinates. I suggest expanding the search parameters to include Norem and Bestia, Ma'am."

"Good job, Specialist. Proceed with your expanded search of the other moons." Williams stepped into the QEC chamber, where she sent an encrypted, voice-only message to the Gurji's Promise, providing Kas and Bau the locations of the rogue admirals' ships on Sidacha. "We're looking at the other moons. Have you located anything in the ring debris field?"

Kasumi's smile was apparent in her voice as she responded, "Transmitting the locations of nearly two dozen small-to-medium-sized vessels hiding among the larger fragments of debris closest to Bestia. Their captains have to keep engines powered in order to maneuver – a lot of the bigger chunks around the ships are constantly shifting, presenting a distinct danger to the smaller ships hiding among them – making it easier for us to track their heat emissions."

"Great work, Kas. Continue your search and, please, keep us posted with whatever you find." Ashley terminated the connection, stood back from the situation display, and rubbed her face with both hands before sending Kas and Bau's results to the galaxy map in the CIC. After receiving an acknowledging ping from the automated display, she secured her terminal and strode purposefully to the security checkpoint, only to come to a screeching halt as she arrived at the two body scanners.

She silently cursed the delay, crossing her arms and tapping her foot with impatience until the machines completed the scan cycle, the indicator flashed green, and she was finally allowed to continue on to the CIC. Making a mental note to ask Edi about disabling the annoying scanners once the Normandy's hatches were secure and they were underway, she walked quickly toward the Galaxy Map, glancing at Specialist Dubow as she passed behind him to mount the control pedestal. "I just updated the display with the most current results from Spectre Bau and Agent Goto."

Dubow waved a hand at the display as he replied, "Noted, Ma'am. I have also discovered and plotted more ships belonging to their heavy fleet. In addition to the flagship, I've located three additional cruisers, along with five other ships… either light cruisers or heavy destroyers, depending on how many cannons they have and how well armored they are… both of which are impossible to determine with only passive scanning, particularly at this distance." He paused, then asked, "I assumed you did not want to begin active scanning to answer those questions?"

"Absolutely not, Specialist," Ashley chuckled. "Good call."

He flashed her a quick smile and continued, "I've assigned color codes to each ship we've discovered, Ma'am: Red for cruisers, orange for light cruisers and yellow for what the computer believes to be destroyers. The blue dots signify lighter craft, such as frigates and corvettes."

"Those results indicate you haven't uncovered all of them. Is that an accurate assumption?" Williams turned her head and cocked an eyebrow in question.

The specialist's expression was grim as he responded, "Unknown at this time, Ma'am, but I'd venture an educated guess there are additional destroyers and frigates still to discover hidden on or around Norem… not to mention the one question nobody wants to know the answer to." He paused and drew a deep breath before asking, "Where in Hell are their carriers?"

"Damn; I was afraid you were gonna say that… and that's gonna be a problem." Ashley shook her head in disgust as she studied the preliminary results of their search. Gerrel's got a Hell of a lot of firepower here. If that fucker actually begins an attack, I certainly can't bank on the Normandy's Spectre status meaning shit... which means there's no way for us to safely engage his ships, even with our superior acceleration, maneuverability and speed.

As she watched the map display incrementally update the number of ships Gerrel had somehow managed to bring from the Quarian Heavy Fleet, Commander Williams finally accepted the inevitable – the Normandy was definitely going to need backup… and Shepard and the Knight Shade weren't going to be anywhere near enough. If too many more heavies are hidden out there, we're gonna need the whole damned Council Fleet. "Specialist," she addressed Dubow. "I'm going down to deck three for a bite to eat. Call me if you happen upon a large number of additional ships."

"Aye, Ma'am."

Etheai Mountains, Sanves, Ialessa System – 17 Aug 2188

"Don't you dare, T'Soni!" The rock beneath Shepard's right hand had crumbled away, throwing her off balance and leaving her hanging only by the strength in her left hand as she struggled – feet flailing in the empty space below – to find, at the very least, one new support point. "Not unless I actually start to fall, anyway." She panted with effort, the telltale tingle of Liara's biotics fading as Samantha continued her search, finally finding a toehold – its little bit of extra leverage enabling her to push up just enough to grab the next rock outcropping over her head. Sighing in relief, she added, "At which point you are more than welcome to catch me and save my ass again."

"I never would have believed I would find something that I was honestly better at than you!" Liara chuckled as she scrambled up yet another meter of the rockface, extending her lead over the Spectre as she climbed onto a ledge above; one with plenty of room to comfortably rest upon. Having no desire to get too far ahead, she paused and looked down over the rim to track her bondmate's progress.

Shepard finally pulled herself onto the shelf, with a small bit of assistance from Liara, and rolled over onto her back to rest for a moment as she caught her breath. "There are lots of things you're better at than me, Liara," she wheezed.

"Like what?" asked the smiling Asari, curiosity coloring her tone.

"Like your biotics." Shepard sat up and hugged her knees loosely near her chest as she looked at her bondmate. "Your natural, raw power is astonishing... and your level of control over it is something to behold." Liara opened her mouth to object but Shepard heard her counterargument before it ever crossed her blue lips, so she continued without pause. "I agree that I may utilize my abilities better on a battlefield... but that's because I have a soldier's instinct, honed over years of practice." Her eyes softened, and a troubled expression overtook her face as she added, "And that's one of the things I love about you... that you haven't assimilated my cynicism… my constant assessments of the worst-case scenario."

Shepard huffed and shook her head slightly before continuing, "Yours is more of a protective streak that only comes out when necessary, either when you're very angry or from desperation to protect those you love – you're not teetering on the brink of readiness all the time like I am. You've felt it through the link from me – I know you have. Unlike you, when I walk into a place I'm not familiar with, or see people I don't know, a little part of me – that dark persona within my mind – automatically dissects the situation… I can't keep myself from looking for the shortest pathways to the exits… from ranking all the people in the room by threat level, then deciding who I need to watch more closely so I can take 'em out of the equation first." Her eyes dropped, and she stared at the rock shelf as she whispered, "What I really want is for us to have a time of peace that endures long enough for me to push that part of me to the side… or, better yet, lose it altogether."

"Samantha..." Overtaken by a nearly overwhelming sense of hopeless longing from her siame, Liara instinctively reached down and placed her fingers under Shepard's chin, lifting the Spectre's head until their eyes met once more. "You only did such things out of necessity… and it eventually became instinct. I share your dream for the future… our future. I also wish for a galaxy where we can raise our children, without having to face any of the many horrors we were forced to experience. Is that not why we fought? Was that not our greatest motivation to keep pressing forward, even when all seemed lost?"

She smiled softly at the Human hunched before her. "Habits can be broken, my love... and this is one I will most earnestly assist you in leaving behind." She released her siame's chin and offered a hand to help the woman rise back to her feet. "Are you not the very person who, just yesterday, told me to let go of my feelings of guilt? That goes for you as well... and begins right now... while we are enjoying our honeymoon together." She grinned and concluded, "Which means completing this climb and declaring victory once we reach the summit."

"Together." Shepard finally smiled again and leaned in, giving Liara a quick kiss on the cheek. "Thanks, Li." She chuckled quietly and continued, "And that's another reason I love you – your unrelentingly optimistic view of life."

"Well, my dear Captain... I do believe that is a natural byproduct of having you in my life. How can I not be hopeful… knowing you will always be at my side?" Liara's eyes shifted to the cliff face as she spied a potential route upward. "On that note, shall we resume our climb, so I may beat you to the top... and we can arrive back at our complex in plenty of time for dinner?"

"Absolutely, Doctor… though I'm not willing to cede victory to you quite so easily." Shepard grinned and leapt into the air as she fired her jump jets, gaining an easy ten-meter head start on the Asari.

"Samantha! That's cheating!" Laughing, Liara began her climb anew, scampering quickly up the rock wall in pursuit. "You're only supposed to use those for emergencies!"

"It was an emergency, Blue," Samantha laughingly called down over her shoulder. "You were about to best your captain on this climb!"

On the crest up above, Captain Tanni and her team heard the jets fire and Livos immediately called the ground team. "Tra'ana… status!" Laughing, the lieutenant quickly responded, "Do not worry, Livos. Lady Liara is very obviously outclimbing Shepard… so, our good captain decided to give herself an advantage with her boosters. There is nothing to be concerned about."

"Particularly since Liara is quickly making up the distance." Riana grinned broadly as she continued, "I have seen her work her way through dig sites… Shepard has absolutely no chance of outclimbing our mistress unless she boosts herself all the way to the plateau upon which you currently stand!"

Liara could have easily been first to the top, catching and passing her climbing partner with ease but, once they were side-by-side again, she slowed. Looking over, she asked, "Just as you taught me tactics on the battlefield, would you like some tips and tricks so we can climb more efficiently together? Either way, I would rather climb at your side than race ahead… alone."

"Unquestionably!" Shepard cast one of her trademark, lopsided grins and nodded rather enthusiastically. "I am most certainly not accustomed to having my ass handed to me quite so easily, Doctor. I'll take any instruction you're willing to offer!"

Their progress slowed considerably after that. Instead of a race, nearly every handhold turned into a lesson on grip techniques and body leverage as they made their way slowly up the remaining face. As they neared the top, Shepard gave her a nod of surrender. "Go ahead, Liara. You deserve to crest before I do. I'll be right behind you."

Normandy SR2, Phoenix Massing, At Large – 17 Aug 2188

Ashley sighed as she grabbed a sandwich and a mug of coffee; turning, she sat down at the closest table, took a sip of her beverage and began to eat. She had to force herself to eat at a normal pace, when all she really wanted to do was wolf down her sandwich, slam down her coffee and get back to the CIC. Inwardly, she was a bit nervous about flying through a system with so many potentially unfriendly ships; council business or not, there was no other logical reason for the Normandy to be this far from the CGC, ghosting through a star system without a Mass Relay.

She had eaten half her sandwich when her XO, Lieutenant Commander Leon Rensch walked around the port elevator support and stepped up to the beverage station. After pouring himself a mug of coffee, he slid into the seat across from Ashley with a softly-voiced 'Hello, Ma'am.'

Ash looked into his cool, gray eyes as she replied, "Commander." Sensing the man had something to say, she inclined her head slightly as she asked, "What do you have for me?"

Rensch chuckled, took another sip from his mug, set it down and clasped his hands under his chin, elbows on the table. "Just thinking about what we're doing out here, Ma'am. After kicking the Hell out of the Reapers, we should be able to just sit back, put our feet up and relax a bit; instead, we're out here near the Rim, attempting to pin a location on every damned ship Xen and Gerrel managed to take along with them when they left the Migrant Fleet."

The corners of Ashley's mouth lifted slightly as she answered, "Yeah, that's part of life in the Navy, Mr Rensch… and me being a Spectre. If it wasn't the Quarians, it'd be Blue Suns over in the Terminus or leftover Batarians stirring up trouble in the Traverse. I sometimes think the galaxy thrives on chaos." Taking another bite from her sandwich, she chewed slowly as she thought about their trip so far. She downed the rest of her coffee, looked up at her XO and added, "What really concerns me is Gerrel. He's got the majority of the heavy fleet out here, and he's already shown his total disregard for the safety of anyone working for him."

Leon looked at her quizzically as he inquired, "What do you mean?"

"I presume you've looked at the names on the memorial wall facing the elevator. There's one name on that wall that wouldn't be there if it wasn't for Han'Gerrel vas Neema, Commander." Ashley rose from her seat, poured herself another mug of coffee and sat back down. With a sigh, she continued, "We were in the Perseus Veil to rescue the Quarians from the Geth. Lance Corporal Bethany Westmoreland – 'Westie', I used to call her – was on Commander Shepard's squad, aboard a Geth dreadnaught that had been pounding the Quarians senseless. When the team dropped the shields and disabled the cannon, that son-of-a-bitch Gerrel had the heavy fleet start firing on the ship, before we had a chance to get our people off the damned thing. Beth fell when a walkway literally crumbed away from beneath her feet… and a jagged shard of torn metal ripped an unrepairable, ragged gash across a suit seal at the base of her backplate as she slid down to the level below."

Ashley's voice was matter-of-fact as she relayed the story, but Leon could see the Spectre had been deeply affected by the circumstances of what happened. She finished her sandwich, took another sip of coffee and concluded with, "Shepard couldn't do a damned thing to save her, Leon…so she did the only thing she could do… she held Beth tight and talked to her as the light in her eyes went out. She died for no other reason than Gerrel's senseless need to destroy a ship that had ceased to be a threat."

Rensch finished his own coffee. After placing his empty mug in the washer, he turned back to Ashley and said, "I would guess the Commander wasn't happy when she returned to the Normandy."

Ashley looked up at the man. "All the Quarian admirals were on this ship, Leon. In all the years I've worked with her, I have never seen the skipper so angry. She lit into Gerrel… grabbed him by his throat and slammed him to the deck one-handed. If Liara hadn't made it to the War Room in time, I truly believe Shepard would've crushed Han'Gerrel's throat, and we wouldn't be out here now looking for his ships."

"She didn't get into trouble…"

"She was a Spectre, the commander of this ship… and Gerrel had committed treason by purposely firing on a ship with friendlies on board; she would have been within her rights to execute him."

The Lieutenant Commander cocked his head slightly as he quietly asked her, "If your positions had been reversed, would you have killed him, Spectre Williams?"

"No, Commander, I don't think I would have; we needed their damned fleet… desperately… to help us fight the Reapers. As it was, Shepard worked a miracle and somehow managed to get both the Quarians and the Geth to help us… but that was then. Now, while Admiral he may be to the Quarians… to the Council, the SILC are a sentient member species… so he's a war-monger… and, should he and Xen succeed, a slaver and a damned criminal. To me, both then and now, he's never been anything but a no-good, grand-standing glory-seeker. As far as I'm concerned, Bethany still deserves justice… and maybe, just maybe, his time to be on the receiving end of that justice is coming."

Rensch nodded slowly, then said, "I have to get back to it, Ma'am. Thanks for the chat." Turning, he left the way he'd come. Ashley listened for the elevator doors to retract; of some surprise, it was a full three or four minutes before she finally heard the doors swish open, and then closed. Must have been studying the memorial wall, she thought with a grim smile. Every name there has a story to tell, if anyone cares enough to stop and listen.

The Záhrada S'Vatyne Resort, Sanves, Ialessa System – 17 Aug 2188

That evening at dinner, one during which a significant volume of alcohol had been consumed by all, Shepard willingly accepted the role of the gracious loser. "I have absolutely no problem with Liara's excellence as a climber. Matter of fact, I found the day rather invigorating." She smiled and reached over to squeeze Liara's hand. "I look forward to similar forays where we can continue my lessons. I've never received formal free-climbing instruction; my experience has been limited strictly to technical climbing and boosted jumps… since most Humans don't have the advantage of biotics to help control a fall."

"I find you to be an adept student, Samantha." Liara continued, "I would love to take you out on the rocks again." All the commandos, including Livos, had either smiled knowingly or started to snicker as an image from Shepard came crashing into Liara's mind… of them, together, as Liara made love to her, bringing her to climax on some remote, hidden rock shelf. Liara felt her skin grow incredibly hot as she realized the implications of the words she had spoken aloud and buried her face in her hands. "Goddess!"

Shepard's face was also flushed but she couldn't keep herself from adding, "And I'll be happy to come with you, Liara. Anytime, anywhere!"

With that, the commandos' smiles and giggles broke into fits of raucous laughter – contagious amusement where Shepard and Liara found themselves easily joining in until Liara stunned them all by saying, "Goddess! That is positively not what I meant when I said it…" She suddenly smirked at the Spectre and continued, "… but now I find I can't stop myself from thinking about my next mountain conquest!"

"Liara!" Shepard's face turned a bright crimson, making the commandos practically howl until they could hardly breathe.

When they finally calmed back down a bit, Livos managed to choke out, rather dryly, "So, our Little Wing had to bond before she finally figured out how to be a true maiden."

Riana smiled understandingly at the blushing young Asari and quipped, "You have no reason to be embarrassed, Lady Liara. You are barely over a hundred and I imagine there are any number of potential amantias who will be greatly saddened by your late blooming… for it is far too late for them to attempt to draw your attentions now. You are, by far, too much in love to even consider such advances and Shepard is far too… monogamous… to share you!"

"To Hell with Shepard!" Livos surprised everyone with that comment until she continued and explained, "What? All I am saying is that I have too much respect for both them and their union to let any third party get close enough to even suggest such a thing. A match made by Athame herself could not have been better. Blazes! Given what had to be accomplished to get us all safely to this point in time, perhaps this union was orchestrated by the Goddess Athame herself… but, be that as it may, how it happened is no longer of any consequence!" She raised her glass and took a deep breath before continuing solemnly, "What does matter is that we are all present to celebrate the union of two positively wonderful beings, united as one unto eternity; Lady Liara and Captain Shepard!"

As soon as they had finished their drink in response to Livos' toast, Liara stood from her seat and unabashedly dragged her willing captain, who grinned happily as she offered a silent wave of goodnight to the commandos, off to their bedroom.

As expected, Shepard was the first of the pair to awaken the next morning. Carefully slipping her shoulder from beneath Liara's head and replacing it with a pillow, she climbed out of bed, emptied her bladder, got a drink of water, and slipped back between the sheets with her Anam Cara. She propped herself up on an elbow and peered down at Liara, who was in full repose, still sleeping soundly on her side – the simple rhythmic breathing of the Asari was a balm for Shepard's soul. Thinking back to Liara's comment a couple of nights prior, Samantha's lips twitched into a grin as she whispered softly, "I could never be bored with you at my side, Grá mo chroí. I can just lie here watching you and be content. Do you not know that?"

Undisturbed, Liara slept through Shepard's words; even knowing she was risking the Asari's wrath, the daring captain affectionately caressed her sleeping lover's arm, from shoulder to fingertips, before placing a gentle kiss on a soft blue shoulder. Okay… so maybe you're right after all. I can't just watch… I can't not touch you. She smiled tenderly and, honestly doubting her Ionúin Álainn would truly be as upset as she had implied, enlarged the target area for her tender caresses. She shifted her attention down to the back of Liara's knee, trailing her fingertips up the hamstrings of the Asari's upper leg, across a shapely hip and, at the end of her hand's journey, finally crept to a halt upon a blue butt cheek.

As she gave Liara's firm ass an affectionate squeeze, the Asari let out a soft hum in her sleep and stretched her leg out, rolled off her side – away from the Spectre in the process – and onto her back, placing her ample bosom in full view and making Shepard whistle quietly in appreciation.

She felt a twitch in her clit and groaned, "Damn it, Liara! You're so beautiful, I just can't help myself." Samantha leaned over her lover and nestled into the exposed side of Liara's neck, drawing a deep breath through her nose and relishing the scent of eezo and Thessian rose that seeped out from within the folds. Intimate familiarity guided her tongue as she slipped it into the sensitive crevices, seeking the source of the luscious pheromones that made it so difficult for the Human to resist the naked Asari at her side.

Both Liara's heartrate and her breathing sped up… and then her eyes cracked open the very instant Samantha's tongue found its target. Its warm, moist stroke through the delicate folds of skin along the side of her throat elicited a low groan of desire from the waking Asari before she was articulate enough to actually create speech. She realized she was trembling; Shepard had shifted, positioning herself above the Asari and the woman's body pressed to hers. The strong scents of leather and musk in her nose augmented the sensations caused by the woman's tongue caressing intimate places and had awakened more than just Liara's conscious mind. She growled the name of her bondmate, stretched out and full of yearning, "Saaamaaantha…"

Her pelvis thrust forward in desire as her hands grasped Sam's hips to keep the woman from moving away and she grunted in satisfaction when teeth closed gently on her neck in response. Liara's initial waking thoughts of pleasure were immediately eclipsed with detailed visions of passionate acts spilling in from the mind of her Human – and only one coherent word made it successfully from thought to lips as the Asari demanded, "Please!"

With both obvious hunger and approval being present, Shepard leapt purposefully into Liara's mind, showering her with love and devotion as their bodies began to writhe, moving tenaciously with a very singular goal in mind. Sensations merged as hands moved… fingers stroked, pressed, penetrated… biotics and mental images filling all the right voids where physical digits couldn't reach… eager lips pursed, kissed, encircled and sucked while wet tongues teased, tweaked and lapped up the result of their efforts.

Shepard teetered on the edge and fell first, completely losing control of her limbs as she exploded in ecstasy; Liara following immediately behind as the sensations swept through the meld and dragged her, rather enthusiastically, off the cliff along with her bondmate. Tears of joy ran down both their faces as they collapsed, finally, in each other's arms, minds backing away from the full meld and breasts heaving from the efforts of their attempts to draw much needed air into their lungs. Shepard was the first to speak. "Gods, Liara. I take it you aren't angry that I woke you early?"

All Liara could do in response was laugh, wheezily, as she continued her attempts at drawing a full, satisfying breath. She finally flopped over onto Shepard's shoulder and closed her eyes, still without a word, as she placed a possessive arm across Samantha's taut abs and a bent leg over her hips, a foot gently pressing against the inner side of the woman's calf.

Before Shepard could utter a single comment about the Asari's actions, she realized Liara's conscious mind had swiftly slipped beyond the edge of sleep. She smiled and lovingly wrapped her arm around the Asari, holding her tight as her own eyes closed, appreciating the drifting, contented emotions that wound their way from her Anam Cara through the link and found their way into her mind. Her own thoughts started to wander as she became less able to concentrate, so she simply let the soothing sensations of peace and warm comfort carry her along to a place of pleasant dreams.

It was a couple of hours later when the couple woke for the second time that morning. Reaching up to fondly caress Shepard's cheek as their still sleep-blurred eyes met, Liara whispered lovingly, "Good morning, Siame."

"Hey you." Shepard caught Liara's hand and brought it to her lips, tenderly kissing the backs of the blue fingers. "Are we ready to actually get up this time?" A grin spread across her face in response to the subtle blue blush creeping across Liara's cheeks.

"I suppose we are." The Asari paused before continuing with a coy smile on her face, "I am, certainly. My stomach is growling… and after all our early morning activity, I'm sure I need an eezo supplement along with breakfast."

"Well, then..." Laughing, Shepard released her hand and rolled away, sitting up and climbing out of bed. "I'll not have Doctor T'Lori after me like Karin always was." She glanced at her chrono before looking back at Liara with an inviting grin, continuing, "And it's way past breakfast, so I guess we'll be eating brunch!"

A/N: Likely no chapter next week… super busy week at work and I don't have much time to write. If I happen to get the next chapter finished in time, you'll know when it pops up on the site! Have a great weekend!