A/N: I thought BioWare did a pretty good job with the Shepard/Liara romance. However after Thessia, I found myself yelling at Shepard for being such a clueless girlfriend. Liara just watched her homeworld fall and all Shepard does is place her hand on Liara's bed and then puts her to work? I get that Shepard had a lot of her mind but seriously, she needs to get her act together. I wrote this because it was needed.
Thessia, Asari homeworld and, more importantly to Commander Alexandra Shepard, homeworld of Liara T'Soni, lay burning under the brunt of the full might of a Reaper assault. Kai Leng, right hand bastard and chief assassin for the Illusive Man and Cerberus, stole the ancient Prothean VI, Vendetta, stored and guarded for so long in the archive at the Temple of Athame. For the first time, Shepard had to consider the horror of failure, and what it truly meant for the future of the galaxy. She wasn't entirely sure how Kai Leng managed to track them to the temple, but she should have been prepared for it. Cerberus had been on them from the start, always one step ahead. She had been so close, yet the thought of failure never crossed her mind. Now it felt as if she was paying the price for that hubris. If they didn't track the data on the Catalyst, then they and trillions of others would all be facing certain death at the hands of the Reapers.
Now, however, they were en route to Horizon, and her failure was no longer the only thing haunting her. As much as she, herself, just wanted to sit in her room and brood, she knew she wasn't the only one hurting. Liara, the woman she loved and was fighting for, the one person that meant more to her than life itself, had just lost her homeworld. She was amazed that Liara had made is back to the ship without breaking down.
While Shepard knew she wasn't good dealing with emotional matters, she also knew her lover shouldn't be alone right now, especially after she broke up Liara's confrontation with Javik. While Liara appeared to be in better spirits, Alex knew Liara was probably sulking in her room, blaming herself.
As she exited the elevator on the crew deck, she was approached by Ashley.
"Skipper!"
"Ash." Shepard acknowledged with a slight nod.
"How are you holding up?" asked the dark-haired Marine.
"I could be better, but we have a heads up, this time. We need a break in our favor. We'll find something on Horizon; we have to."
"You've never let us down before, Skipper. In spite of everything, we'll find what we're looking for." Ashley appeared to choose her next words carefully, "I know I've doubted you in the past, but well, just know that I've got your back."
"I know. That's all water under the bridge." Shepard sighed, "Look Ash, I need to go check on Liara. She's taking what happened on Thessia pretty hard."
Ashley nodded, "I know, I was there, remember? How is she?"
"I wish I knew."
"If it would make it easier, I can check on her. She really shouldn't be alone right now, and I know your not really at your best."
"I appreciate the offer, but it should be me." Shepard hesitated, "She's special to me Ash. I need to make sure she's okay."
Ashley smiled, "I've known that since we were all on the SR1. Neither of you were ever good at hiding it. I know I tease you both, but I just want you to know that I'm happy for the two of you. With all that's going on, it's nice to see something positive come of it."
Shepard answered with a smile of her own she placed her hand on the other woman's shoulder and gave it a light squeeze. "Thanks, Ash. I'm glad you're here; it wouldn't be the same without you." With that, she slipped past and headed to her initial destination.
When Shepard entered Liara's cabin, she found the asari sprawled out on her bed; data disks and photos spread out in front of her. Alex casually approached and perched herself gently at the edge of the bed.
Liara looked up at her with tears in her eyes, "How did this happen? Did I just assume the Asari would be ready? That the Council would protect them? Or was I so busy with the Catalyst that I ignored my own people?"
Shepard reached out and tenderly traced her thumb across her cheek, wiping away her tears, "You'd never do that, Liara." She answered gently.
"They're dying by the millions! I told those people on Thessia we'd save them. How many of those people died because I demanded their help."
Shepard couldn't take it any longer, and hurried forward, gathering the crying woman into her arms, wrapping her tightly. Liara tried to resist at first, but Shepard tightened her hold on the other woman. Liara slowly sank into the embrace, burying her head against Shepard's shoulder and neck. She held on, rocking gently in an attempt to comfort.
After a few moments, without loosening her hold she finally answered, "None."
Liara pushed back slightly and looked at Shepard as if she'd lost her mind, "Alex, you know that isn't true."
Shepard shook her head, "You've been warning your people for years Liara... We all have. There's not a damn thing you should feel guilty about."
Liara chuckled slightly, though there was no humor in her laugh. "Says the queen of guilt."
"Fair enough." She smiled sheepishly at Liara before turning serious once more, "We might have lost Thessia, but we haven't lost the Asari yet."
Liara leaned back in and kissed Shepard hard on the mouth. Shepard responded in kind, offering comfort and reassurance as best she could in the kiss. When the need for breath became an issue Liara reluctantly broke away and rested her forehead against Shepard's.
"The refugees... That's something I can do. It's something I owe them."
"I knew you'd think of something." Shepard's smile radiated confidence and pride for her lover.
"Thank you Alex. I... I don't know what I'd have done without you." Liara replied softly.
"Everyone is worried. I'm sure someone else would have come to check on you."
"I'm sure, too, but it wouldn't have been the same."
"Yeah," was Shepard's only reply.
Slowly Shepard disentangled herself from the embrace and lay flat on her back, taking Liara with her. Liara slid down alongside, half on top of Shepard with her head resting on the other woman's shoulder; content to just relax in her arms.
Neither woman was sure how long they had been there. It could have been minutes, or hours but it didn't matter. They were lost in seeking comfort in each other, Liara for the loss of her homeworld and Shepard for her failure and losses along the way.
Finally when Liara felt sleep start to take her she leaned up and brushed her lips against Shepard's, "Stay here with me tonight?"
Alex wasn't sure if it was a question or a statement, but her answer would have been the same regardless. "Of course. All you ever have to do is ask." she answered softly.
Liara gently kissed her shoulder and settled back into the embrace. Moments later she was fast asleep. Shepard lay awake for some time after her lover drifted off to sleep.
The more Shepard lay there with Liara in her arms and thought about it, the more she reassured herself that the war wasn't over yet. They hadn't lost the Catalyst, it's discovery had just been delayed. She would do anything in her power to stop the Reapers. Some things were too important to lose. With that last thought, she tightened her arms around the other woman, kissed her lightly on the temple, and followed her into sleep.