New chapter! Thanks for the feedback!

Sorry for the lack of updates, been super crazy at work!

EDEN PRIME ORBIT: ABOARD THE NORMANDY

Tally slowly opened her eyes, then immediately closed them. Everything hurt. She could hear the distinct sounds of beeping, and what sounded like people talking but nothing made since.

Dr. Karin Chakwas was beyond exhausted, she looked down at Tally; it had been touch and go since she had been brought aboard and that had been almost three days ago. "Child, can you hear me?"

Liara stood with Shepard behind the doctor as they looked on helplessly. Neither had left the med bay. Shepard was still in her armor refusing to leave her daughters side for a moment.

Dr. Chakwas, once again used her Omni-tool to scan the younger Shepard.

Taking a deep breath, Tally finally managed to get her eyes to stay open, focusing on Dr. Chakwas; she couldn't remember where she had been, she knew she had been with someone… "S..te..ve?" Her voice was broken as she tried to ask about her friend.

A smile crossed the old doctor's face. "He's fine. It's you I'm worried about. Can you sit up?"

Looking past the doctor Tally let a small grin cross her face when she spotted her moms. Forcing herself to sit up she winced when the pain hit her. Putting a brave face back on, she turned her attention to her moms.

Liara was the first to walk to the bed after getting the nod from the doctor. Wrapping her arms gently around Tally she said a silent prayer for the child being awake again. "Honey, we were so worried about you."

Tally hollowly hugged her momma back. Nothing felt real. As Shepard leaned in for a hug as well, Tally realized her mom was in armor. "I know you hate the med bay but really I think Dr. Chakwas is old enough you can take her mom."

Shepard smiled as she pulled away, glancing over at the doctor they both shrugged. "Good to see you awake again kido'o."

Feeling a little overwhelmed Tally asked. "What happened?"

Shepard and Liara shared a look of concern before looking at the doctor.

Dr. Chakwas answered. "Tally, do you remember anything?"

Tally shook her head, regretting that as the room started spinning she rubbed her temples. "No not really…" then all at once it hit her. The screams, gunfire, Sara… Tears bubbled over in her blue eyes. "Oh my god; It wasn't a dream." Looking into her mom's eyes the words that left Tally's mouth broke Shepard's heart. "I couldn't save them!"

Stepping closer to the bio-bed Shepard rubbed her daughters back. "Honey, don't think about that now…."

Liara looked into Shepard's eyes, hoping she had some magic words to help Tally. Hugging her now hysterical daughter she realized neither her nor Shepard had never felt more helpless. "Shhh…Momma's here…"

###

EDEN PRIME

Tally sat beside the lake on Eden Prime. Looking over the vast blue she felt numb inside. It had been three weeks since she was let out of the hospital, she and Steve had been given the rank of First Lieutenant for what had happened Tally still didn't like it. Steve was able to go on and join with a cruiser but she was stuck in rehab, her leg would take at least another month to heal.

Looking down at her left arm, she ran her fingers over the now back to normal skin. The doctors hadn't been able to figure out what the robot had put in her veins all they knew was it wouldn't show up on scans. Tally hoped whatever it was hadn't been properly inserted, shaking her head she had no idea what she was thinking about. She was by no way the smart one.

"I thought I might find you out here."

Tally turned to face her momma Liara. Her face void of emotion she monotonely stated. "I'm not really that hard to find."

Liara sat beside of her eldest daughter, pain swept through her body at the sound of Tally's empty words. "None the less, I'm glad to see you."

"How was class?" Tally refused to look at her momma only staring over the lake.

"Class was okay. How did rehab go today?"

"Fine."

Staring at her daughter, she couldn't seem to find the right words to make the young Shepard feel better. She and Liz had tried for the last few weeks as best they could to lift her sprits but she just wouldn't have it. "You know your mom wants to help you."

Tally let a dry laugh escape her mouth. "Really, and how can she do that?"

"She's been were you have been honey."

"Yeah and she didn't fail. I failed." Tally threw the rock into the water that she had been playing with. Something else had been bothering her since she came to in the med bay. Something the robot had said. Finally looking at Liara she asked the question she had kept quite about her whole life. "Who is my father?"

"What brought this on?" Liara had to choke back tears, as she knew the answers would destroy even further the daughter she loved.

"Why can't you just answer the question?"

"Because your mom should be here for this."

"Why?"

Shepard walked up behind the duo, "Because it's a hard story to tell."

Tally jerked around upon hearing her mom's voice. She had always been envious at the sneaking abilities her mom had.

Shepard took a seat on the ground beside of Liara, holding her hand in the process. Liara's eyes met Shepard's as they both searched the depths of their minds to proper explain how their precious daughter was brought into the world.

Tally dryly asked "is it that horrible? Is that why I'm a screw up?"

"NO!" Shepard was firmer with her tone then she had anticipated. Softening her voice she started her story. "No, Tally, you are the best thing that ever happened to your momma and me. I wanted to shield you from this, but it looks as if the past won't stay buried." Shepard took in a deep breath before she started talking once more. "You know that before the Reaper war Cerberus and I worked together to stop the collectors." Shepard paused again till she received a nod from her daughter. "When they rebuilt my body, The Illusive Man… he did something to my body that I had no idea about for years." Looking over at Liara Shepard sought strength from her lover, once finding it she continued. "He implanted an embryo and when I was on the Citadel before it exploded he sent a electronic pulse throughout my body, I didn't know at the time but it activated the dormant embryo… When I was thrown off the Citadel, and left for dead after it exploded I had no idea what had happened to me. It wasn't until about two months later that I realized I was pregnant." Shepard had tears forming in her eyes. "I had no control over what happened to my body, the only thing Liara and I had control over was how we could love you. Aunt Miranda did testing and realized that the DNA from the embryo…from you, matched…The Illusive Man…" Shepard let out the breath she had been holding as Liara took over.

"We both decided it was best not toe tell you Tally…I am your momma, and Shepard is the one who carried you, but that man, he is no part of you." Liara didn't have the words to take the hurt out of Tally's eyes.

"No part of me? My DNA says other wise!" Tally stood up to quickly putting to much pressure on her wounded leg, as her parents stood beside of her Liara reached to steady her as Tally brushed her momma's hands roughly away. "I'm fine…Leave me alone…just leave me alone." Tally hobbled away from the duo.

Liara started to follow, but Shepard reached and grabbed her arm. "Let her go."

"Liz, she needs us!"

"Liara, she has us, but right now she needs to process."

Liara turned into Liz's embrace and held on tightly to her bondmate. "Do you think they are coming after her?"

"I don't know.." Shepard looked distraught as she held tightly to Liara. "But I'm sure as hell going to find out."