Warning: Contains spoilers for "Lair of the Shadow Broker" and "Mass Effect: Retribution"
The M rating is for later chapters in this fic.
The events of this fic take place between ME2 and ME3.
Players: Urania Jane Shepard and Liara

Shepard took Liara by the hand as they strolled through the shopping district of Ilium. Their fingers touched playfully. Liara placed her head on Shepard's shoulders and sighed. Shepard looked to be a million miles away.

"Shepard?"

"Shepard, Shepard, Shepard. You know I have a first name, Liara. It would be nice if my girlfriend used it once in a while."

Liara smirked. "Okay, Urania Jane. Is that better?"

"Not really. Most people just use the first two letters."

"UJ? Hmm, I like that."

"Any way, you were about to ask me a questio, Dr. T'Soni?"

"No, UJ, I was about to tell you something. I have to leave soon."

"I know. I guess that means no trip up to the cabin this time?"

"Sorry, Shepard, but I have to get back to work. "

"You do love to torture me, don't you, T'soni?"

Liara smirked again. "Should I get a whip?"

Shepard chuckled. "Hmmm. I might have to think about that."

"Shepard!" Both laughed at the thought. Then Shepard sank back into her own world.

"What's wrong, Shepard? You've been distant all evening"

"There's nothing wrong, Liara. I just have a lot on my plate. That's all."

Liara turned Shepard around. "Don't lie to me and tell me it's raining. If we're going to do this, if we're going to be together, you have to trust me." Shepard didn't respond. Something caught her eye.

"Wait! Did you see him? That was Kaidan, I swear!" Shepard ran out of Liara's reach, pointing and shouting Kaidan's name. People began to stare. "Kaidan!" The man disappeared into the crowd again.

"Liara, that was Kaidan! I know it!"

"Shepard ..." Liara paused, her arms outstretched, beckoning the Spectre to come back. "… It can't be Kaidan. He's dead. "

"I know what I saw, Liara. It was Kaidan. He's alive." A look of desperation came over Shepard's face. Now, a tiny spark of hope that her greatest failure could be undone existed. Shepard clung to that spark for all she was worth. "I don't know how, but … he's alive."

Liara shook her head in disbelief. "Okay, this is crazy, but maybe you're right. I'll see if I can dig up some information on this, but you have to promise me something."

"What?" Shepard turned around, prepared not to like what she was about to hear.

"Go to the Normandy and tell Dr. Chakwas."

Shepard pulled back in anger. "I'm not crazy, Liara!"

"I didn't say you were, but we have to explore all possible angles. Go back to the ship, and I'll hack into Ilium security. If Kaidan is here, we will find him. Go!"

Shepard reluctantly agreed with Laira. She wanted to run down every lead right then and there, but she knew Liara was right. She had to do this right to make it right. Was it possible that Kaiden was alive or was she seeing things as Liara suspected? Was this trauma catching up with her? She never saw her parents who were butchered on Mindoir. She never chased after the unit she lost on Akuze. Why Kaidan? Why now?

"Joker, I'm coming back to the ship. Tell Dr. Chakwas to meet me in the medical bay. Get Garrus and Tali ready for a search and possible rescue. EDI, I need you to bring up Lt. Kaidan Alenko's DNA profile and begin a search of Nos Astra for anything that even looks like a match."

"Shepard, the population of humans on Nos Astra will make such a search -"

"Just do it!"

Shepard picked up her stride. The heel of her left shoe stumbled. It was then she noticed that two Eclipse mercs were following her. Shepard ducked into a nearby alley; flung off her heels and whipped out the Walther PPK she had stuffed in her garter. "We just had to forgo the M-6 to look good for Liara didn't we? Idiot." Shepard hugged the wall, readied her firearm and a biotic charge just in case. The mercs were close, she could hear them talking. She took the stance. She saw the faces of all she had lost, drew upon the anger, the sorrow, the hate, the love, then forced it deep down. They were almost there. She could feel the biotic rush coming from within. She was ready.

"Shepard?"

Shepard knew that voice. A soft whisper of a voice that was as strong as it was kind. She turned around.

"Kaidan?"

There was nothing. No owner to the voice of a ghost. Was she going mad? The mercs were closing in. Only seconds had passed, but precious seconds nonetheless. She charged the mercs and toppled them off their feet, but something nicked her shoulder from behind. Without armor, she felt the full effect of the burning sting. Shepard collapsed. She reached around to feel her shoulder, expecting blood she found a small black dart instead. That was the last thing she saw before she went unconscious.