A/N: Originally Chapter 3 was something else entirely, and I may keep elements of it for chapter four... But I'm thinking of doing a back and forth at the moment. One chapter being Shep, the next Liara, the next after Shep, etc.

Now I am thinking... That this chapter will be involved a little with the Citadel DLC. Ok not just thinking, but it will be. So if you have not played the new Citadel DLC... and do not want spoilers.. =x well I suggest waiting cause it was an amazing DLC.. best ever for Mass Effect in my opinion. Otherwise if spoilers don't bother you, please continue lol.

Alrighty.. Onto it then shall we?

Chapter Three

Another few days had passed before Shepard was fully awake again. This time she was allowed to do some moving around. If only just to see how she felt in doing it. The injuries she suffered was a lengthy list. Her right arm was broken, she had managed to crack a few ribs, she suffered a few burns, scrapes, and bruises. She busted up her knee on her left leg, while managing minor head injuries, including a black eye. Luckily she didn't rupture anything major internally.

The doctors told her she had to endure physical therapy on top of it. But she was alive, and moving. It was a start, but not exactly what she wanted after defeating the Reapers. She wanted to see her crew in one piece... Wanted to see Liara. There was still no word from or about the Normandy. Hackett had ordered several ships to search for her ship in orbit, and around the system. He also managed to find plenty of volunteers to look planet side for any signs of the crew.

Currently Shepard sat in the make shift hospital in London. She had buried herself in casualty reports, while looking for anything that had pointed to any clues about the Normandy. She just couldn't keep from worrying over the fate of her crew... Part of her almost didn't want to know what happened, but she knew she needed the closure too. Yet she didn't want to see Liara's name scroll across a data pad of casualties either. She didn't know what she would do without the asari.

Things had changed for her before the war was over. Where once she was viewed as something of an ass hole, she had began to change into someone else entirely. She had began to consider others more often... She didn't have the temper she use to either. She began to see things in a new light, especially after Thane had died during the Cerberus coup attempt on the Citadel.

A small smile crept to her face, however, as she sat the data pad aside as she knew who was to blame for her change in attitude... Liara had done more for her than even she could imagine. Though part of her wondered if she would end up down the wrong path again if she found out Liara was killed in action.

"Commander." She quickly snapped out of her thoughts as a familiar voice called out for her. She looked towards the entrance to see Admiral Hackett standing there, still wearing his Alliance uniform.

She sighed as she nodded, allowing him to enter her private room. She was given the room to recover in. It was a luxury, given the current situation on Earth. One she had tried to refuse, but no one would let her. "I was just... reading some reports." Katelyn said quietly as she looked down at the data pad still scrolling information on it's transparent screen. She reached down with her left hand to shut it off.

Hackett took a few steps into the room. There was no real electricity, everything being ran on backup generators. The room itself was a bit dark as the only light came from a few lanterns placed in different areas. The room itself looked run down. "I was hoping you could brief me on what happened up there on the Citadel. But only if you're feeling up to it." He replied stopping a few feet from Shepard's bed, standing straight, arms behind his back.

Katelyn adjusted on her bed, trying to get comfortable. Her ribs didn't allow for much comfort, no matter how hard she tried. Medication was scarce and she had refused as much of it as she could. She didn't want to be in discomfort, but she figured she would take the bullet to allow others who needed it more to have it. "To be frank I have no idea what happened up there. I'm still not remembering much of it." She replied with a heavy sigh.

She knew she had suffered from a concussion. Whatever happened up their... well she had hit her head pretty damned hard. The last thing she could recall was bits and pieces of talking with the Illusive Man. Or maybe that was a false memory. She couldn't say for sure. "Well, maybe in time it will come back. Until then I thought I'd update you on the search for the Normandy as well." Hackett said as Katelyn looked up at him expectantly.

He looked down at her, seeing the hope in her eyes. "We haven't given up the search... but so far there is no sign that she was even in the system. It's possible the Normandy made it through the relay before it was damaged by the Crucible." He then said. His tone was even gentle about it. Katelyn had spoken with the Admiral on several occasions. He normally sounded firm, confident. Perhaps he was trying to be kind about it. She didn't know.

Katelyn looked to the makeshift table next to her bed, looking at the pile of data pads. "They're out there. I don't know how to explain it but... I can just feel it." Katelyn said quietly. The Admiral nodded his head as he began to turn away, as if to leave. Katelyn quickly stood from her bed, nearly regretting the sudden movement as pain shot from her legs all the way up to her head. "Wait." She said, barely masking the pain in her voice.

Hackett stopped as he turned around, looking to Shepard, one grey brow perked at her. She grabbed her single crutch, leaning on it for support. "I... I have an odd request." Katelyn said, her facial expression firm, as if showing she was not going to take no as an answer. Hackett stood tall again looking to her before nodding his head. "I... I want to go to the Citadel. I've seen reports that some sections weren't as badly damaged as the rest." Katelyn went on.

"Why would you want to go to the Citadel?" he questioned curiously. Katelyn adjusted on her crutch, clearing her throat some as she brought up her omni tool on her left arm. With her right arm in a sling she had to bring it close to her chest just to type on it.

"My apartment... I want to see if something is still there... If the apartment itself even is." She replied as she activated a display of the coordinates of her apartment. Hackett looked a bit skeptical at this as he activated his own omni tool sweeping it in front of Shepard's to copy the nav point.

He began to run the coordinates against reports for which sections of the Citadel had seen the least amount of damage. He knew most of it was a wreck, but salvageable still. "And what would be so important that you want to leave the hospital, where you should be resting?" He questioned with that skeptical tone.

Katelyn's brows furrowed a bit in some frustration. "It's a picture... Of the Normandy crew. I don't know if they're alive or not, I feel like they are but... If they aren't it's all I have of them." she replied with an annoyed tone. She was getting better in attitude sure, but... There were still some days. She just didn't feel like being questioned about it. "Of her..." She then added as she suddenly took on a quieter tone.

Katelyn felt her heart sink in that moment. She didn't want to give up on Liara. She just couldn't face the reality that she may never see her again. See that smile, her blue eyes. Never get to feel her in her arms. She bit back the urge to break down in that very moment. "I'll see what I can do." Hackett said quietly as he turned and left Kate to her thoughts.

Kate sat on her bed, and as Hackett left her room she suddenly threw her crutch across the room, hearing it crash against the opposite wall. She buried her face into her left hand as she fought back the sudden surge of emotions. Was it so selfish to want her crew back? To have Liara back? After everything she had done? She knew everyone had suffered a loss of some sort... or people that had someone missing... But Katelyn felt she had earned a break. Earned her piece of happiness.

She had promised Liara, in more ways than one, that they would have a life together after the war. A place of their own, away from all the fighting. Kate had promised she was done being the soldier after she had rid the galaxy of the Reapers. Had promised Liara she would come back to her... Spend every day doing whatever they wanted. She did not survive this just to lose the one person in the galaxy that mattered most.

There time together just seemed so... There wasn't enough time for them to enjoy each other like they had wanted. Between being dead once... the Collectors.. Being held up on Earth for six months.. The short stolen moments on the Normandy and one day of shore leave was all they had. They had managed to make it work as best they could, but it wasn't enough anymore. Katelyn needed more.

She couldn't fight back the tears anymore. God, she wanted to.. She had to believe Liara was out there, trying to find her way back to Earth. But she couldn't hold her emotions in check anymore, and the tears began to pour freely. And as they did so, she heard a knock on the doorless frame that lead into her room. "What?" She barked out without even looking up. She didn't want to see anyone right now, she just wanted to be left alone.

But the hesitant person at her door cleared her throat as she spoke up, "There's a.. a Matriarch Aethyta here... She claims she knows you." The nurse said. Katelyn took a deep shaken breath as she waved her left hand, as if giving a silent consent for the visitor. As the nurse wandered off she sort of regretted allowing the visitor. If the situation were different Katelyn might have found it a relief to hear Liara's father had survived... They hadn't heard from her since the coup attempt on the Citadel months ago. But now she had to tell the Matriarch that her daughter was missing.

Shepard finally looked up to see the old asari walk into her room. She nearly looked untouched by the war as she grabbed a chair and sat it in front of the bed, sitting onto it. "Aethyta..." Katelyn greeted the Matriarch silently, unable to hide the tears that were still escaping her. Seeing Liara's father just made reality sink in that much harder. How could she tell the parent of the woman she loved that... that their child was missing?

"I heard you were here... I was hoping maybe Liara would be somewhere close by." Aethyta said as she saw the silent tears freely falling from the Commander's face. Having met the Commander a few times she knew the human was a tough woman. She was usually confident, full of herself even. Hell she witnessed the human shoot a man in the foot for no apparent reason other than to prove a point. But seeing those tears... Aethyta knew the news wouldn't be good.

Kate choked on the words she knew she needed to speak. "I... I wish the news was better..." The Commander spoke, her voice cracking. Aethyta's brow furrowed, showing wrinkles in her forehead. Kate tried to keep her heart from shattering into pieces as she wondered a million things at once... Was Liara alive? If so was she trapped somewhere? Would she die there...? "Liara is missing... we haven't heard word from... from the Normandy.." Katelyn spoke slowly.

As she spoke those words she wondered if life was a cruel joke, out to take everything from her. Her parents on Mindoir, the people she met the past three years, the one being in the galaxy she had fallen in love with.

Katelyn could see the Matriarch was trying to hide... something. Anger maybe... or fear.. Perhaps both. Katelyn knew that... if she were Aethyta's place she would be more than angry. Maybe in a way she was angry... But with herself. She thought that by sending Liara back to the Normandy in London... that it would keep her safe but now she didn't know if that was really the right choice. "I see..." was all Aethyta said.

Kate's brow furrowed as she wiped the tears from her face. That's all she had to say? No yelling, or screaming, or pointing fingers? Just I see? "What's wrong with you?!" Katelyn barked suddenly. Aethyta could clearly see the pain on Shepard's face. "I tell you your daughter is missing and you aren't going to be ask me why? You aren't even going to blame me?" Katelyn continued to shout. Aethyta remained quiet however.

Katelyn grew more frustrated by the second, and just as she was about to say anything more, Aethyta held her hand up. Kate closed her mouth again, looking to the Matriarch with expectation of something. Some kind of reprimand. Would that really make her feel any better? "It isn't your fault." Aethyta simply said. The usually sarcastic, unruly Matriarch suddenly held a sense of wisdom and Katelyn didn't even know how to handle it.

So with that the room fell silent, Katelyn avoiding Aethyta's eye contact entirely, her left hand clutched in a fist, unable to bottle the emotions churning from within.

VWVWV

I normally do not see Katelyn as the sort to get emotional... However her loved one is missing, and the first run through of this fanfic I neglected how that might be an impact on her.

Also I had wondered what happened the Aethyta through out the game after the Citadel Coup. You don't even hear about her after making Liara speak with her. So I decided to add her into this.

I am tearing down the next two chapters, at least until it is appropriate to post them again. I may just re-work the original chapter 3 for chapter four, that way I can keep some of it at least, and then rework what I leave out as another chapter.

Anywho, until next time!