Liara was still considering her options when Commander Shepard came, the best word she could come up with was "charging", into the medbay.

The commander was already yelling "Doc" when Liara's sharp intake of breath prompted Dr. Chakwas to turn, rising as she did so.

"Commander!" the doctor exclaimed. "What have you done to yourself?"

"Um, I fell?" Shepard backpedaled a bit upon seeing Liara while she tried to look both penitent and contrite at the same time.

"Off a building?" Dr. Chakwas countered.

"I'll be fine, I just need some medi-gel". Shepard favored her left side as she continued to walk more slowly toward the pair. Dr. Chakwas moved to both activate her omni-tool as well as collect some of the requested medi-gel.

Liara rose to meet Shepard halfway across the room. "Seriously, Shepard. What happened to you?" The commander was out of her armor, wearing just the short sleeve compression shirt and leggings she typically favored under her protective gear. Massive bruising covered the outsides of her left arm and leg. From the way Shepard carried herself, Liara guessed that her torso was similarly marked.

"Well, the marines took us by surprise. They were all gathered just inside the passageway to the engine room when we stormed it during the second assault."

"The marines did this to you? I thought this was supposed to be an exercise!" Liara's brow furrowed as the beginnings of a biotic glow began to arc between her fingers. She looked like she was ready to warp Kaidan through a bulkhead.

"Well, it wasn't technically the marines as much as it was my impact with them."

Liara's demeanor darkened even further. "What does that even mean Shepard?"

Shepard brightened again at the memory. "I told Wrex that he needed to clear the corridor."

"AND..."

Shepard's hand moved to the back of her neck, as it often did when she was uncomfortable. "And he picked me up and threw me."

"Shepard! He threw you at the marines?"

"Technically he threw me through the marines." Shepard's grin returned as she recalled the victory. "There weren't any left standing when I hit the bulkhead. Wrex secured the engine room, and that was the fastest round that we won all morning." As she flashed her lopsided grin at Liara, Shepard suddenly realized that maiden's silence wasn't because she was impressed, but rather was due to the fact that she was bordering on an apoplectic rage.

Liara was still compiling an appropriate response when Chakwas stepped in and saved Shepard from the maiden's wrath. The doctor carefully grabbed her patient by her right arm, and guided her to a stool next to the second bio bed. "Sit down Commander and take your shirt off. Let's take a look at those contusions."

Liara watched as Shepard's gaze turned to her and her eyes widened. The maiden shook her head in exasperation. "Shepard, I help you into and out of your armor several times a week." Now she watched as Shepard turned to Chakwas with a pleading look. "Oh fine." Liara crossed her arms as she turned her back on the pair.

.o0o.o0o.o0o.o0o.o0o.

Karin looked at Shepard appraisingly.

The doctor made a decision. "Liara, could we have the room for a minute? I promise I'll call you back in when the commander's decent."

The maiden turned and looked back at Chakwas as if her translator had ceased functioning. "What?"

"This might hurt her a little, and I don't need you getting more upset than you already are."

Liara stormed to her lab, shaking her head.

Once the hatch sealed behind the maiden Chakwas turned her attention to her patient.

"Thanks Doc."

"Don't give me 'thanks doc', Bashful. Do you want to tell me why we just confused the hell out of Snow White?"

"What do you mean? A patient's never wanted privacy with their doctor before?"

"That's not what that was, and you know it. Liara has about as much body modesty as a cat, so I'm sure she's completely baffled."

"I just wasn't in the mood for an audience."

"Oh please. How many?"

Shepard looked away. "How many what?"

"You know damn well how many what. You've never had a problem undressing for me before, no matter who was in here. I've also seen you shower with the squad on more occasions than I can count. You obviously don't have a modesty problem - heaven help you if you were a marine that did. That leads me to believe that you can't take your shirt off. Since you're moving your arms, I'm thinking we're looking at cracked ribs? Two, possibly three?" Chakwas reached for a pair of bandage scissors from the instrument tray.

"I'm just a little stiff."

"The only thing that was stiff was your decision making process this morning. I know you needed to let the crew blow off steam after Virmire, but this? At least your arm and leg seem to have taken a great deal of the impact. What if it was a head injury? You wouldn't be much of a threat to Saren then, would you? Or is your new goal to live as an invalid in Armali?"

Fire started to burn behind the commander's eyes. "That was uncalled for Doctor."

Chakwas refused to back down. "Was it? You let a Krogan throw you at a wall Shepard! That was a bad idea and you know it, or you wouldn't have been trying to hide the results of it from Liara. Next time I won't be the one to ask her to leave."

Shepard was incredulous. "After all we've been through? Threats?"

Chakwas reminded herself of her hippocratic oath as she suppressed a desire to punch the commander. "This isn't a threat Shepard, it's an observation. You don't need to behave like this. I know you're hurting from what happened on Virmire, but don't do this to yourself." 'Don't do this to her.' "You're surrounded by people who care about you. Talk to them instead." She started cutting the comannder's shirt up the middle of her back. Shepard responded with a sharp intake of breath as the material gave way. The massive bruising covered the entire left side of her torso. "Shepard! You ran three more drills like this?" The doctor started applying the medi-gel she'd brought to the bedside.

Shepard was quiet for a moment while her look softened. "Wrex sacrificed more than any of us on this mission. I needed to reinforce that he's an important part of the team, demonstrate the greater good that he gave up a potential genophage cure for. He's never going to like what he did, but I want him to know that he did the right thing. He needs to know that I trust him, that I'm proud of him."

Chakwas continued the medi-gel application while she waited for the commander to continue. When she didn't, she softly prompted "Do you really think that he cares about what anyone thinks of him?"

Shepard finally met her gaze. "I really do."

"Commander Shepard, Krogan psychiatrist."

"OK, maybe this wasn't my best decision."

"That goes without saying Shepard." The doctor ran her omni-tool over the commander, then tsk'd over the readout. "I don't know to be happy for you or not Commander. It looks like you managed to escape any actual fractures. You have subperiosteal hematomas on the sixth and seventh rib on your left side." Shepard gave her a questioning look. "Bone bruising," Chakwas said in reply.

"And that might make you happy?"

"Even with medi-gel, cracked ribs would have had you out of action for 5 to 7 days. That time might have done you some good."

Shepard's penitent demeanor evaporated. "That's not an option Doctor."

Chakwas waved her objections away. "You're injuries aren't as severe as they look. Once the medi-gel takes care of some of the subcutaneous damage I'll tape you up and inject some more medi-gel close to the bone. You'll be ready for light duty in 24 hours, and fully healed in 36 to 48."

Shepard relaxed. "That should be fine. We'll be at the Citadel in a few hours. Will I be able to meet with Udina and the Council?"

"I'll have you taped up so tightly that the only thing you'll have on your mind is taking your next breath, but yes, you'll be able to walk to the Presidium."

"Good."

.o0o.o0o.o0o.o0o.o0o.

Liara was staring at her terminal. Not at the text displayed on it, just the terminal itself. She had been waiting in her lab far longer than she had expected to when the hatch finally opened. She was still angry, and had already decided that she would decline Karin's invitation to rejoin her and the commander in the infirmary. Unexpectedly, the doctor was not who was calling on her

Shepard stood in the doorway, apparently waiting for Liara to turn. From her hesitant demeanor, it seemed she needed the reassurance of the maiden's typically welcoming look. It was a look that Liara was not currently inclined to offer the spectre. Liara had no desire to make this impending conversation easy on Shepard. She wouldn't be filling in the gaps for the commander this time. If Shepard had something to say, it would be up to her to say it.

Eventually the commander gave up on waiting for Liara to turn, and stepped far enough into the room that the hatch closed behind her. Liara remained able to make her out in the reflection from her terminal, but she still didn't turn around. Liara could see that Shepard's posture was strangely erect. She waited for the commander to speak, but nothing seemed forthcoming. Eventually she heard the commander shuffle her feet slightly, and she rolled her eyes. 'Fine.'

Liara spun her chair, and let her eyes roam over the commander. She had changed into an N7 t-shirt and a pair of those terribly unflattering cargo pants that Shepard was so fond of. Liara would never say anything though. It was an outfit that held sentimental value for the maiden, as it was what Shepard had been wearing the night of their first late dinner together. The bruising had noticeably lessened on her arm, and presumably on her leg as well. Liara closed her eyes for a moment as she noted that Sarah's hair was damp. So much for her resolution to maintain her level of annoyance. It took everything she had just to stay in her seat.

"Are you feeling better Shepard?"

Sarah finally lifted her eyes from the floor. "The doctor says it looked worse that it was. Specifically, she said I'm better than I deserve." She paused for a response. When none came she continued, "I'm sorry Liara. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings."

"You did not hurt my feelings Shepard, I just do not understand why you were embarrassed about your condition. I have seen you with far worse injuries." Terra Nova sprang unbidden to her mind. Shepard had taken a round to the abdomen near the end of the mission, but had continued on. When they had returned to the Normandy, the amount of blood that had spilled from Shepard's armor had left Liara literally shaking with fear. Yet, as the spectre was carried out of the cargo bay on a stretcher, Karin applying pressure to the wound, Sarah had made a point to reassure the maiden, even promising to show her the scar afterwards.

"I, I wasn't embarrassed. Not really." Shepard looked away again as she tried to put words to her feelings. "I was... ashamed." Her eyes turned back to Liara. "What's crazy is that I don't even know why."

Liara smiled inwardly. 'I know why. You made a decision without considering my feelings, and afterwards felt that you should have.' "So, was your victory worth the pain?" She gave Sarah a small smile that wasn't quite 'all is forgiven', but certainly let the spectre know there was hope.

When Shepard saw Liara smile, the tension she'd been holding over the last hour finally released. She breathed a heavy sigh of relief, accompanied by a relaxation of her shoulders and torso. It was precisely the worst thing she could have done, as the sharp pain in her side caused her to immediately straighten and give a brief cry of pain.

"Shepard!" Liara could pretend mild disinterest no longer. She was immediately at Shepard's side, wanting to hold her, touch her, but unwilling to hurt the commander further. "Are you all right? Do you need Dr. Chakwas?" Liara started to move towards the hatch.

Shepard reached out and grabbed Liara's wrist before she had taken more than a step. "I'm fine Liara. The doctor didn't want me on painkillers so that I could feel when my posture was incorrect." She cocked her head. "Although I'm not entirely sure this isn't her punishing me for my stunt with Wrex."

Liara had gone no further, but didn't appear entirely mollified. She turned back to the commander and looked for signs that Shepard was in worse condition than she was letting on. She saw no such indication, and was also reassured by the fact that Shepard would have had to go through the medbay on her way to see her. Chakwas would have intervened if there had been cause.

Still, Shepard was standing stiffly and was in some apparent discomfort. It wasn't rational, but Liara needed more reassurance. "May I see it now Shepard?"

"Yes, of course." The commander responded almost too quickly, as if overcome with the desire to redeem herself for her earlier reluctance. When Liara kept looking at her in expectation, Shepard finally followed up with. "You'll have to lift my shirt. I can't tighten any muscles in my abdomen right now."

Liara stepped forward, very much into the commander's personal space. "Are you certain Commander? I don't want to hurt you."

"Go ahead Liara, it's fine. The only thing that hurts is if I don't keep my back absolutely straight."

Liara took another step forward, and placed her hands on the commander's abdomen. She could feel the bandages through the fabric. She paused for a moment, and looked up into the commander's eyes, again seeking reassurance there. Shepard's nod restored her confidence, and the closed her fists, tightly gripping the fabric. She pulled upward, slowly bringing the shirt free from the commander's waistband. When Shepard remained impassive, Liara lifted the shirt far enough to expose all the bandages.

Liara was rewarded with the scent of soap and antiseptic, but there really wasn't anything to see. The tape began just below the commander's breasts and continued downward, completely covering her torso to the top of her pants. Liara ran her hands down her torso, and found Shepard's body to be almost alarmingly rigid, with no yield to her touch whatsoever.

She released the shirt, but made no effort to tuck it back in for fear of hurting the commander. The experience drew out her inquisitive nature. "The bandages are so tight! How are you even able to breathe?"

"That's the point Liara. The bandages aren't covering a wound, they're in place to limit motion. Let's say I'm learning to take very shallow breaths."

Liara indicated Shepard's still slightly damp hair. "But Dr. Chakwas let you shower first?"

"The majority of the internal healing didn't start until after she taped me up and she injected the medi-gel close to the injured areas. I won't be able to shower again until she takes them off in a couple of days. Let's just say we both thought that it would be a good idea to shower after my activities this morning."

"How did you get your clothes on?"

Shepard finally looked a little sheepish at that one. "Chakwas had to dress me. I'm pretty inflexible at the moment."

"Does that mean you won't be meeting Ambassador Udina when we get to the Citadel?"

"No, I'll definitely be seeing Udina. If anything, wearing my armor will help maintain my posture. I'm in no shape to fight, but I can attend the Council meeting." Shepard waited for Liara to ask who would be coming with her on the Citadel. When Liara didn't, she continued "I'd like you to join me."

That snapped a response from the maiden. "What? Join you Shepard?"

Shepard cocked her head. "Yes? On the Citadel? I'd like you to come with me when I go meet Udina and the Council. Garrus too."

Liara shook her head. 'Of course that was what she meant.' "I would be happy to Shepard." She paused. "Do you not think the Ambassador would rather you bring Lieutenant Alenko instead? From what I know of him, I believe Udina would prefer to reinforce the Human contribution to the mission."

"Kaidan won't mind, and Udina's opinion is exactly why I want to bring you and Garrus. Discovering the Reaper threat wasn't my success, nor humanity's. It took all of us. If I thought I could get away with bringing Wrex and Tali too I would. Hell, if anyone deserves accolades from the Council, it's you. You interpreted the Prothean beacons. I was just dumb enough to get blasted by them." Shepard gave her a grin. "If Udina gets too uppity I can always remind him that I'm not humanity's spectre."

"I do not believe Councilor Tevos would appreciate that statement. She was not pleased when I reinforced that point on Thessia."

"Well, they reap what they sow. I don't know what they expected when the Council named me to be a spectre, but this is what they got."

"They probably did not expect that you would be so successful in working with other races. It is not a known Human strength."

Sarah gave Liara a look that she had only seen once or twice before, a look that made her want to melt into a puddle. "Perhaps I've been inspired."

Liara was suddenly very aware of how closely she was standing to the commander. She reluctantly took a step back as she asked "How soon until we arrive?"

"We'll be through the relay in about an hour. So, meet in 30 minutes?"

"That soon Shepard? Was there something we needed to discuss?"

Shepard was hesitant. "I was hoping that I could impose on you to help me into my armor?" she finally asked.

"Of course Shepard. It would be no imposition."

.o0o.o0o.o0o.o0o.o0o.

Shepard, Liara, and Garrus strode through the CIC... carefully. Helping Shepard into her armor had shown Liara just how defenseless Shepard actually was, despite the spectre's reassurances. Knowing the full extent of Shepard's condition had made her anxious enough that she had pulled Garrus aside to let him know as well. The last thing she wanted was for Garrus to go running after some low level criminal from his C-Sec days, and expecting the commander to be his backup. Liara knew Shepard well. Knew she would immediately respond, with no thought to her condition nor how vulnerable it left her. As they walked, Liara continually watched Shepard for signs of discomfort. Garrus was also attentive, but in addition to monitoring Shepard, he was watching Liara's behavior as well.

When they reached the airlock and started across the accessway to the dock, Garrus smiled as the ship's computer announced Shepard's departure. "Does it have to do that every single time? It really makes you sound full of yourself."

Shepard winced as she chuckled. "This is nothing. There was a time back in the days of sail, that the boatswain's mate piped the commander aboard and ashore. We can reinstate that tradition if you want. I think you'd look great standing at attention in the airlock all day."

"It's a silly tradition."

"That it is."

The trio reached the lift to C-Sec academy. Garrus again spoke up. "So, Shepard..."

"Yes?"

"You do realize, well I hope you realize, you must realize, that you have taught a Krogan battlemaster that the most advanced ship in the Alliance fleet can be captured by a single Krogan, with one other person assisting."

Shepard's eyes twinkled. "Have I Garrus?"

"The two of you managed to defeat an entire platoon of Alliance marines on 5 different occasions, and captured the Normandy each time."

"Did we?"

Garrus regarded the commander. "Yes, you did. In fact, it didn't even seem particularly difficult for him."

"Didn't it?"

Garrus' tone changed in frustration with the flippant responses. "All right Shepard. You're obviously trying to rub my mandibles in something, but I don't see it."

The lift arrived, and Shepard gingerly stepped into it. "Liara?"

Shepard had chosen a question that she could answer, Liara having already had this same discussion earlier. "The rules of engagement."

Garrus turned to the maiden as the doors to the lift closed behind him. "What about them?"

"They existed. A true boarding party would have been resisted by any means available."

Garrus turned back to Shepard. "The marines were holding back?"

Shepard rolled her eyes. "Of course they were holding back Garrus. I'm not dead, am I?"

"I think you'd be pretty hard to take down Shepard."

"I hope you don't have to find out. Look at is this way; both sides were restricted to non lethal implements. That in and of itself favors Wrex because he can shake them off better than we can. There were only two of us, sure, but there are only 10 marines - all of whom were being careful not to injure me. The crew is armed when on duty, and none of them engaged. No one used biotics. None of the automated defense systems were used. Last but not least, no one engaged the autodestruct. We defined "capture" as being able to secure any two of the CIC, engine room, and armory. We never even tried for the CIC. The ship was never captured."

Garrus' confusion was plainly visible. "But then that means this wasn't really a drill."

"No, Garrus. It wasn't a drill."

"Then what was it?"

"This was giving everyone a chance to blow off some steam after Virmire, but mostly letting Wrex knock his commander around so he'd feel better."

"Better about what?"

"Better about me destroying a potential genophage cure."

"He had to know you wouldn't let that get out. You're a Council spectre. You couldn't allow it."

"He didn't put me in the position where I had to make that decision. He got to make it, which is as it should be. This was my way of letting him know I appreciate what he did."

"'Throw me at a wall' was your way of saying thank you for not making me kill you?" Garrus was beginning to think he would never understand his Human commander.

Shepard winced again as she laughed even harder this time. "I wasn't going to kill him Garrus, and he knew it."

"You looked pretty ready to me."

Shepard shook her head. "I did, but it was only for show. Behind me, in his line of sight, were a biotic and two sharpshooters as reinforcement. He might have taken me down, but he knew his survival chances were zero. Unless he was seriously considering suicide, it was all posturing. I gave him the respect of acknowledging it as if it were real."

Garrus' mouth nearly dropped to the floor of the lift. "I was your backup? Was someone supposed to tell me this plan? I didn't even have my rifle out. He could have blasted you and been charging halfway to the three of us before I could have lined up a shot."

"No Garrus, you weren't my backup. You were my decoy. All three of you were." She cocked her head at Liara, "She was my backup."

"WHAT?" Liara's shout was almost a squeak. "Shepard! I didn't even have my gun in my hand!"

"And where was your other hand Liara?" Shepard's voice was gentle, almost a caress.

The maiden hung her head. "Behind my back."

"Why?"

"So Wrex couldn't see the glow of my biotics." Liara lamented that she had been so predictable, but she also knew she would never have let Wrex attack the commander.

"And you were in the tent, just back of his line of sight. He never even considered you a threat. I was confident that I had at least a 50 / 50 chance of getting a barrier up if he pulled the trigger, and that you would have made certain that there wouldn't be a second shot."

Garrus looked back and forth from Liara to Shepard. "So, there were four of us supporting you against Wrex, but you didn't think it was important enough to tell any of us what to do?"

Shepard had a thoughtful look on her face, as if she didn't understand the context of the question. "I didn't have to tell you to do anything, I just needed you to be Garrus. I also needed Ashley to be Ashley, Kaidan to be Kaidan," she turned to Liara and her voice dropped again "Liara to be Liara," and now back to Garrus, "And most importantly, for Wrex to be Wrex. I never expected to need any of you to actually do anything."

Garrus was silent as the lift finally reached its destination. The doors opened, and Shepard stepped through on her way to the transit terminal. Before stepping out, Garrus turned again to Liara. "Are all Humans this cunning? It's a wonder Citadel Space even survived the Relay 314 incident."

Liara gave Garrus a small smile, even as she continued to look at Shepard in wonder. "Of course not Garrus. Our Shepard is the only one of her kind."

A/N: Assumptions here include:

FemShep/Liara (Not yet LI, but oh so close)

Later ME1 - after Feros, Noveria, Virmire and this is the 6th story of the Cari'ssi'mi series

Shepard is:

Colonist / Vanguard / War Hero

As always, feedback is welcome and desired.