Silenced Rumors.

Chapter two: Where it begun.

Shepard wasn't perfect at everything, that's just absurd. And even though she did however have her own ways of doing things and did them good didn't mean she did everything better than everyone else. Well, maybe just a little. Blake. That had been shepard's savior, now if you wanted perfect he was the man you were looking for. Blake shepard was Shepards father, her REAL father. He would do any and everything for Shepard and hannah, her mother. He would always say, "Addison. Every time you smile the world becomes a little less darker." So she did, every day she came home, she would hurry to greet her hero at the door with the biggest grin that she could possibly give without her face ripping into two. But one day, he didn't come home. She had called him over and over and over again with no answer. Of course like any eight year old would, she waited for him to come home. She would almost break her neck trying to run to the window to see if the cars coming and going were him, but it wasn't. None of them. After that hannah had become worried too, he wouldn't even pick up her calls, so she drove to his work to find out he left an hour ago. Later that night, Shepard and hannah had found out that he had been speeding home- so he could see his little girl waiting on him with that big smile. He got into a car wreck. He died on impact, the other driver was drunk and high on helix of course. Shepard was smart, she knew exactly what going on. But she had to be strong for her mom, that's what her dad would want. For them to be strong for each other, but hannah was a mess for while. After all, her parents just completely adored each other. she found out she was pregnant a month after the accident, she gave birth to a girl, tori. Shepard and tori were the only things hannah had left of Blake. At fifteen, Shepard joined a gang called the Tenth Street Reds, also being the year that hannah became a little more than friendly with some douche, named Daniel Young she meet at a nearby gym, they began to date and got married the next year, then he forced them to move to the citadel. It angered Shepard, more than anything had every had before, even when she saw the under the influence guy who murdered her father. She did some unmentionable things in that gang to provide for her mom just to get money, that still to this day she didn't say out loud…not like suck dick or something like that…but you know worst…er. And for what? For some dick to walk in her life and take over? She hated everything. That fucking steroid monkey micro dick step dad. Her mom. The world and even at one point her father, because he lied. The world never got a little brighter, not even when she smiled.

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"Bring your love baby I could bring my shame, Bring the drugs baby I could bring my pain, I got my heart right here, I got my scars right here. Bring the cups baby I could bring the drink. Bring your body baby I could bring you fame. And that's my mother fucking words too, Just let me mother fucking love you…"

Drama, singing or acting was kind of an outlet for Shepard. Of course, Daniel didn't approve because he thought drama club was for pussies. But Shepard loved it just as much as bioball or any other sport. But most of all singing and writing songs, they were always songs that related to her life, no one ever sensed that when she sung them. Except liara. Tali would always tease liara about always "stalking" Shepard while she sung in the auditorium, saying that she was, "Such a creep." But liara purely only did it for research. Or that's what she'll tell you if you ask. She would sit back stage and sway back and forth to shepard's sweet melodies. Concentrating on her words to decipher the meaning and emotion that poured out when she sung.

Liaras eyes opened at the stopping of the music. She stopped moving and stood quietly.

"Wow Shepard you never told me that you could sing!" Liara heard a girls voice say.

In shock and curiosity, liara walked over to the big velvet curtain and peeked through to the stage. Who would be watching Shepard sing? Who knew that she even did this?…except me.

"Thanks shi. I was kinda nervous, I haven't sung in front of people in a weeks." Shepard said.

Of course. It had to be shi'ara , she was always after Shepard. And of course Shepard was completely oblivious like she is with everyone else who was infatuated with her. Including me, luckily.

Shi'ara stepped a little closer, "Well. You did amazing." Her voice becoming a little more tantalizing. "And I think you deserve a reward…" she said looking up at shepard.

Shepard cocked a brow, "Well…okay? I don't know what kinda reward I could possibly get but uh…I wasn't that good."

Why is must she always diminish her talents?

"Say, how's about we go get something to eat after school? My treat." The asari offered.

Shepard rubbed the back of her neck. "Yeah…no, I have to train after school with liara. Sh-"

Shi'ara held up her hands, "Wait. Wait. Wait. Nerd liara?"

"No. Liara. You know, smart, talented, gorgeous liara." Shepard deadpanned.

She…stood up for me. Liara smiled like a fool. If only tali wasn't still angry with me, she would love to hear this! Oh, Shepard…oh goddess I really am a creep.

Shi'ara folded her arms, "From what I heard she purposely tried to kill you this morning, and now she's just trying to get on your good side so you will make her popular."

Liara felt a gasp leap out of her throat, quickly cutting it off by cupping her mouth. She stood there quietly, squinting her eyes almost shut, afraid if she blinked they would hear it and find her.

"What was that?" Shi'ara said.

Shepard looked around, "What was what?"

Shi'ara waved it away, "Never mind. The point is, she's using you!"

I am not!…who would say such a thing?

Shepard shook her head, "Nah. Liaras not like you guys, she's a real friend. Thanks for the…warning? But I'm fine. It's getting late, I should go."

Shepard began to walk away before she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Shepard wait." Shi'ara spun the blonde around. "Here's your reward." The asari grabbed shepard's neck and pulled her down for a kiss.

Liaras eyes widened. How…what?! She felt angry. Disgusted. Sad. Slightly hungry. She felt like her heart would explode. Liara couldn't take this any longer. Something had to be done. She pushed opened the curtains, shocking Shepard away from the kiss.

"Oh! Um…Shepard. I was just looking for you… am I-"

Shepard wiped her mouth, "Uh no no, shi'ara was just uh…"

Shi'ara licked her lips, "Giving out star the reward she deserves."

"Right!" Shepard yelled but then shook her head. "I mean no! Th-that's not right."

Liara nodded. "I see…"

Shi'ara flashed a devious smirk toward liara, then looking back at the dazed and confused blonde. "Talk to you later Shepard. Give me a call if you change your mind."

All Shepard could do is nod and watch shi'ara sway out the room.

Liara cleared her throat, "Well…are you ready to go?"

"Uh sure, just let me grab my kiss- keys! I Mean keys…dammit."

The car ride was kinda quiet, and a tad bit uncomfortable. Liara couldn't bring it up because she didn't want to over step her boundaries, they were friends apparently but would not being noisy and asking questions about it make it seem like they're not?

"About what happened in the auditorium…I don't know where that came from. But when you stepped in that was reallllly…awkward."

"Yes. Yes it was…I over heard shi'ara speaking badly about me. Thank you for standing up for me Shepard, I appreciate it."

"No problem, that's what friends are for liara." Shepard continued casually, "So! I haven't seen too many dogs around here, have you ever seen one before?"

Liara furrowed her brows, "What is a…dog?"

Shepard smirked at her naiveness. "Well, they're kinda like…varen but friendlier and cuter and hairier. There are many different types, but mine just so happens to be a German Shepard named wolf. They're really beautiful creatures, some of them. Usually Humans keep them as pets."

"I'm actually excited to see it, do they bite?"

"Sometimes, but mine licks. That just means he likes you, He's a softie." Shepard said.

Liara smiled, "I can see where he gets it from."

Shepard looked at liara with the biggest grin she's ever given her, "Wow. Wow. I can't believe you just called me soft."

Liara giggled, "Why, I have no idea what you are talking about."

"You just wait, my little sister will tell you just how tough her big sister is." Shepard chuckled.

Liara could hear the joy in shepard's voice when she talked about her sister, she smiled. "You have a sister?"

"Yeah." Shepard said leaning back in the driver seat with a lopsided grin. "She's nine. She thinks she knows everything, her names tori. She'll talk your head off and will play for hours, she's sweet though, she's gonna love you."

"I can't wait to meet her."

"So what about you? Do you have any siblings?" Shepard asked.

Liara sighed, "Sadly, no. I spent most of my childhood without any social interactions with anything living thing except sad enough to say, my mother."

Shepard laughed, "Wow. That made me want to cry, and I thought my childhood was rough."

Liara pushed shepard's shoulder with a little laugh, "It's not funny."

"I thought asari were suppose to be the social butterflies of the universe, you're like socially disabled…more like crippled." Shepard laughed even harder.

"Ha ha very funny Shepard." Liara smiled.

Shepard laughed inwardly, "Hm, sarcasm huh? You're catching on to humans faster than I thought."

Shepard's car came to a hault, parking in front of a two story Victorian style home. It was actually quite lovely, white with red window shutters that matched the roses place neatly in rows of two creating a walk way to the door, The huge yard covered in fresh green cut grass, it screamed perfect.

Shepard got out the car hurrying to open liaras door. "Milady." Liara thanked the blonde when she shut the door behind her.

"Oh!" Shepard jumped in front of liara. "I should probably go first."

Shepard grabbed her keys, she could already hear her barking dog rushing to greet her at the door, she unlocked the door and entered. Wolf bounced up and down at the sight of his master, but quickly stopping once seeing the mysterious person beside his best friend.

Wolf cocked his head to the side one ear up and the other down.

Liara hid behind Shepard, "What is he doing?" She whispered.

"He's just checking you out." Shepard crouched down to wolf. "This is liara. She's really pretty isn't she, boy?"

Liara blushed, "He can't understand you."

Shepard chuckled, "Watch. Wolf, liaras pretty isn't she boy? Bark once for yes bark twice for no."

Wolf stood up and walked closer to the asari, liara was so nervous but didn't want Shepard to know. So she kept her cool and took deep slow breaths. The dog sniffed liara, he looked back at Shepard with his brown eyes and barked once.

Shepard stood. "See, told you.

"Is that sissy?!" A distant voice called.

Little foot steps could be heard coming from the kitchen.

"Here she comes." Shepard warned.

A little girl with big gray almond eyes and red hair came yelling and bouncing toward Shepard. Liara smiled as she watched Shepard scoop up the little girl in her arms and spin her around, squeals of delight coming from the girl.

"Hey sunshine! How was your day at school?" Shepard smiled.

"Omg it was fabulous! First we had recess and me and my asari bestie, Sarah-" tori eyed the person behind her sister, "hold up! hold up!" She said putting her hands up.

"What? What?" Shepard chuckled.

"You! Have a asari friend too?!" Tori said looking at liara."

"Yep, her names liara. She's helping me with biotics, she's crazy good." Shepard said.

"Nice to meet you tori." Liara smiled.

"Wow sissy she's pretty! She even sounds pretty!" Tori motioned for liara to lean in, liara leaned over inches away from the little girl. "Run away as fast as you can, my sister can be a little nuts-"

"Alright!" Shepard put down her sister. "Why don't you go play outside?"

Liara laughed, "Don't worry tori. I can take her."

"The sass with you today!" Shepard said.

"Yeah, she's kinda a softie." Tori giggled before running off.

"Told you." Liara said as a matter of fact.

The awkwardness had deteriorated along with that feeling of worrying about saying the wrong thing, it's like they had known each other forever. Liara never knew Shepard had such a rounded personality, she wondered how her and Miranda had ever became so emotionally evolved in each other, Shepard was SO nice and such a great person to be around and Miranda was cold and calculating and would push everyone away. But was she really like that behind closed doors? Liara almost wanted to ask but that feeling did stick in the back of her mind.

"What is all that damn noise for?" A man yelled.

Liara heart shook from the voice and seeing Shepard tense up wasn't very soothing either.

A man, about six-four- which wasn't that much taller than the six-two blonde, one hundred and fifty-six ponds of muscle came around the corner with nothing but anger in his black eyes.

"Nothing. Daniel." Shepard said.

"Dont call me by my first name like you pay bills around here." He growled, the mans eyes darted to liara. "Who is this? Didn't I tell you not to have people in my house?"

Shepard clenched her fist, "This isn't your damn house. I wish my mum would kick your sorry ass out already!"

Liara eyes widened, this was strange. She had never seen Shepard with such rage, and even if she did get mad not this much and not this quickly.

"Shepard, I could go if that is what you want?" Liara said. Liara was raised with the utmost manners but she did not appreciate how this man was talking to her friend, she would listen and do as she was told but if there was one thing her father taught her was, "don't give respect to people who didn't return the favor, now go get me a beer."

"Yes-"

"No. It's fine, tori should be outside in the back. Could you go out and wait for me please?" Shepard said.

Liara nodded, she didn't want to leave Shepard alone. Something about that man probably her father didn't seem right. Liara could hear them yelling and cursing when she closed the sliding door completely. Liara made her way down the wooden stairs leaning to the big opened yard.

"Liara! Over here!" Tori called her strawberry hair shinning in the sun.

Liara walked over to the girl and sat down in front of her. The little girl sighed, "You know, they always fight like that. Sometimes they fight FIGHT."

"Goddess, that's terrible. How could he hurt her?" Liara said looking a little mortified.

Tori shrugged. "Well, my sister is tough. She gets beat up and sometimes he does too. She protects me and mummy, she hates him. I do too. He not our real dad anyhow."

"She certainly is…" liara said, drifting off to thoughts of just how amazing the blonde was.

"Hey?"

Liara snapped back to reality, "Yes?"

"You aren't my sisters girlfriend or anything are you?" Tori asked.

I wish. Liara felt tingling in her cheeks, "No…no. Your sister is just my friend."

"Oh…It's just she looks at you the way she use to look at Miranda." Tori smiled, "I think she might have a thing for blue eyes."

"Hey, sorry about that."

Liara turned around to Shepard waking toward them. Her hair blowing in the cool summer wind and the way her gray eyes shimmered in the sunlight, but then liaras heart stopped. "Shepard? What-"

Shepard shushed liara, "We'll talk about it later I'm fine." Shepard sat down criss-crossed. "So what are we talking about?"

Liara kept staring at the purple bruise under shepard's left eye. How dare he ruin her beauty?

"Just girl talk. None of your business." Tori laughed.

"What? I'm a girl too." Shepard smiled.

Tori raised her brows, "Since when?"

Shepard squinted her eyes, "I have a feeling we have a problem."

The red head stood up and placed her hands on her hips, "You wanna go?!"

Shepard shielded herself, "Please don't hurt me! I'll do anything!"

A smile spread across Tori's face, "You better if you know what's good for you. And since you were such a good little punk I'll pick you some flowers, because I'm just that nice." Tori ran off and began picking nearby flowers.

Shepard shook her head with a smile, turning her attention back to liara who had never stopped staring at the bruise below her eye.

"Well he hit me…" Shepard said pressing her lips together. "It's gonna swell but I'll put some ice on it and uh…"

Liara reached out and grazed the wound with her finger tips, "It looks painful. Are you sure you will be okay?"

"Oh yeah. I'm fine I always am." Shepard smiled. "No worries, I hit him just as hard, but anyways changing the subject. We should get started."

"What?"

Shepard stood helping liara up, "You know biotics?" Shepard looked down at their hands, "you can let go anytime."

Liara pulled away with a little blush, "Oh…sorry."

"What are you apologizing for? I said you could I didn't say you had to." Shepard smiled.

Liara looked down at her feet feeling that awkwardness and shyness feeling her back up, "I-I just th-"

"And she's back ladies and gentlemen! Where's that sassy sarcasm now Hm?" Shepard winked. "Oh and by the way I was going easy on you in bio today just to make that clear."

Liara crossed her arms as she activated her biotics, "If that's what you have to tell yourself."

Shepard clenched her chest with a chuckle, "Ouch! You have wounded me." She activated her biotics, "Maybe I should return the favor?"

"My house is right up here on the left."

Liara was so excited to get home, and not because she had just single handedly had the best day of her entire existence but to tell tali all about how this had been the best day of entire existence. Of course she could have gone without ripping her clothing to pieces with all the biotic training but she had spent the whole day with the girl that she never thought in a million years would speak to her! And yeah, there was still those awkward moments whenever the blonde would say something that would make liara blush and yeah, there was still boundaries that liara couldn't cross and then where liara couldn't tell if Shepard was flirting with her or just being her charming self and the asari didn't know what to say and just decided looking like an idiot. Other than that everything was amazing.

Shepard let out a low whistle, "Wow. Cool house." Shepard stopped the car and looked at liara, "I've been meaning to ask you something?"

"What?"

"Are those freckles on your face or what? Because I love them. And are your eyebrows tattooed on?" Shepard said.

Liara let out a small laugh, "Goodnight Shepard." Liara climbed out of the car closing the door behind her.

Shepard rolled down her car window, "Oh come on don't leave me in suspense!" She yelled out to the asaris back side. "Could you at least tell me if you were born with those eyebrows?! Or did they just like appear?!"

"Goodnight." Liara hollered back.

Liara rushed inside her house closing the door behind quietly, she slid down the door with a deep sigh. Shepard was beyond great. She was better than liara could ever imagine! Liara peeked out the window, the skycar had just began to ride smoothly down the citadels silent streets.

"Ahhhh!" Liara squealed. She took her a deep breath, "Calm down t'soni, you have spending too much time around tali. It was just practice with Shepard. She's a person. You are a person. These things happen."

A big giddy smile spread across liaras face. She ran up the stairs to her room like a a flash of lightning. She belly flopped on her queen sized bed and activated her omni tool.

"Call tali." She commanded.

"Calling tali…please hold."

Liara felt a little uneasy, that's right tali was mad at her. And now she wanted to talk about Shepard like her friend wanted to talk about garrus. Was that selfish? Of course it was but liara would listen to tali ramble on and on about her turian "lover" and liara used lover loosely.

"Well well well look what the varen drug in." Tali said her arms crossed, her holovid shimmering in the dark.

"Tali I called to apologize, it was foolish of me to think talking to my friend in such a way was okay." Liara said.

Tali sat there in silence. "Okay, I forgive you." Liara sighed with relief but then tali continued, "just answer me this liara, and you swear you will tell me the truth."

Liara didn't even hesitate, "Yes! Of course!"

"What in the keelah are you doing at shepard's house?!" Tali screamed.

Liara winced, "Will you be quite? I don't my mother and father to wake up! And…and how did you know?"

"The whole school is talking about!" Tali yelled in a hush tone. "So?"

Liara laid her forehead in her hand, "Goddess the entire school? This is terrible, Shepard needed some help in biotics, so her and I went to her house and trained. It was nothing I can assure you."

Tali shook her head, "Come on liara I'm your best friend. Tell me everything. I know you didn't just call me to apologize."

Liara bit her lip to hold back her smile but she couldn't, "Okay! It was voniferus! She is so nice and she is so great with her little sister. Her little sister is so precious! But…there is one thing…"

"What?"

"I should not say. It's not my right." Liara said.

"Okay. Okay. I understand, but I have some great news!" Tali smiled. probably.

"What is it?"

"Garrus and I are going to this party Saturday and Shepard, will definitely be there you should come…if you know what I mean?"

Liara shook her head, "No. I have no idea what you mean."

The door swung open and revealed an much older asari.

"There you are!" Aethyta smiled, "So little wing where have you been? It's a little late to just now be getting home."

Tali laughed, "Little wing?"

Liara blushed with annoyance, she ended the call. Looking back at her father as she sat down on the foot of the bed, "I was just caught up at the…uh library."

Aethyta nodded, "Nice try kid. Now Where were you? And don't try to lie again because you're shit at it, and don't think I didn't see that blonde human girl in that car."

Liara sighed, "Alright. Her name is Addison Shepard, she is a girl from school and I went to her home to help her with her biotics."

"Ah, I knew this day would come. My little wing was experimenting for the first time.-"

"Wait what?"

Aethyta place her hand on liaras, "It's okay liara. I remember the first time your mother and I had sex, we used biotics and boy did we wreck the fucking room, nezzie was an anima-"

"Ahhhhhh!" Liara pushed her father out the room. "Get out! Please father I do not wish to speak about…about that!" Liara pushed aethyta out the door.

"Just please tell me you at least were on top!"

"We-we didn't even do that!" Liara closed the door, "Goodnight father!"

"Doggy style then?!"