Twenty very boredom filled minutes had passed. Shepard was browsing the extranet on her omnitool but flicked it off again when there was nothing of interest, just adverts for the new Blasto film.

"Are you enjoying working with Shepard?" Liara asked Miranda who was a few tables across from her and Shepard's head snapped up.

"She's completely impossible." Miranda responded drily and Shepard rolled her eyes.

"Yes, well, be grateful that she never sent your through a mass relay in a mako." Liara joked.

"There's still time..." Shepard muttered.

"Living on a ship has taken some getting used to." Miranda conceded.

"Yes, and I'm sure Joker has been a great help in making you feel comfortable." Liara replied knowingly.

"He's too scared of me to say anything." Miranda smirked.

"Good tactic." Liara praised. "He used to bug me about my tentacles and what products I used on them until I put him in a singularity. He's been remarkably pleasant ever since."

They both laughed and Shepard let out a bored and loud sigh of exasperation. Liara turned round with eyes narrowed for the briefest moment before turning back to Miranda.

"How is Garrus settling in?" Liara asked.

"He keeps hiding from Kelly saying that he's doing-"

"calibrations." Liara chimed in and they both laughed again.

"Here's me thinking that you two were focussed when we worked together and were above such things as gossip." Shepard sighed.

Liara turned to her again.

"What is your problem today?" Liara asked disdainfully.

"Nothing." Shepard shrugged but Liara continued to stare.

"Still?" She asked, astonished.

"Nope." Shepard said, laughing sarcastically.

"You really need to grow up, Shepard." Liara snapped, turning back around.

Miranda who had been listening intently decided to contribute.

"What's the problem?" She asked curiously.

"Nothing." Shepard snapped.

"I stayed with Feron the other night and Shepard thinks we slept together." Liara explained to Miranda as Shepard seethed: she did not want Miranda to be hearing this. "He has an apartment on the Citadel. I stayed on the sofa."

"Yeah, right." Shepard smirked.

"We're friends which is more than we will be if you keep this up." Liara warned.

Shepard got up, agitated and went to sit on the right of Liara while Miranda stayed across at them both from T'soni's left.

"You two are really close..."

"He didn't want to be alone after everything he'd been through." Liara explained, clearly running out of patience.

"I'm sure you were a real comfort." Shepard replied sarcastically.

"There is nothing going on!" Liara snapped finally.

"You desperately hunted for him for two years, you've just gotten him back and you're telling me nothing happened?" Shepard questioned.

"Miranda stayed in my quarters the other night and nothing happened." Jacob interjected casually, looking up from his desk.

Shepard merely stared at Liara as though she were suspended in time and she felt quite deflated.

"You're probably more upset at that than me staying with Feron." Liara replied fairly.

Miranda and Shepard both asked "what?" at the same time, although Shepard's was far more defensive.

"Shepard's stuck on you." Liara said to Miranda but Shepard got up and climbed up quickly to her original seat.

Miranda's eyes followed her but Shepard didn't dare look into them.

Shepard went back onto her omnitool and kept browsing the extranet even after she knew Miranda had turned back around in her seat. She didn't even want to begin to know what Miranda thought about her now. She cursed Liara for saying anything.

"How is Feron?" Thane asked after a moment of quiet.

"He's good." Liara replied. "It's taking him time to get used to being free again."

"I can imagine." Thane responded. "He'll be able to recall everything they ever did to him in perfect detail. His future depends on his ability to keep those memories at bay."

There was an uncomfortable silence while they contemplated just what that meant for Feron which was broken by the receptionist from downstairs who entered.

"I'm sorry that you're all still waiting. We've just heard from the professor and he's running late. His shuttle has broken down in the bad weather but he's trying to get here as soon as possible and wants to thank you for waiting." She said this kindly and then shut the door behind her leaving them trapped together once more.