Liara awoke to the sound of Shepard's heartbeat monitor. She sat up, rubbing her eyes and stretching her arms out. The rest had done her a ton of good, unlike other nights she felt well rested. She looked around the room to see that some of the other crew was there.
Tali made her way over the Liara. "How are you feeling?" She held a plate of food out for her. "It's not anything special, but we thought we could give you a breakfast in bed."
Liara smiled and took the food. I've never been so hungry.She inhaled the food and looked up. "Thank you, but having breakfast in bed is not a high priority of mine."
"We have been through a lot Liara; sometimes we need a little luxury to keep us going." Tali took back the plate. "And it's the end run isn't it?"
Liara nodded. "I can feel it."
Liara climbed out of Shepard's hospital bed and stretched her legs out. She looked back at Shepard for a moment.
"Where's everyone else?" She asked.
"The doctors are discussing what to do with Shepard; we thought we should let you know. They're in a room down the hall." Garrus mentioned. "And the rest of the crew is either on the Normandy or just heading down now."
"I'm going to listen to the doctors, want to tag along?"
She turned and beckoned them to follow her. She couldn't help but notice that they were holding hands again. Do this right Liara and you will be doing that soon enough.She quickened her pace and walked into the room.
Dr. Morrow sat at the head of a large table. Dr. Chakwas was also seated, as well as several other doctors that she did not recognize. Shiala sat near the door as well. Chakwas turned to greet them from her chair.
"Liara, Tali, Garrus, pleasure to see you. Sit down."
The three of them sat down and listened to the doctors' debate a little bit to get their bearings of where the conversation was.
"I would have to disagree, Dr. Steinman. This is purely a mental ailment right now. There is nothing biological about it." Dr. Morrow stated defiantly to the other doctor.
"Everything ties into biology!"
"Then explain somatic disorders! The mind is separate and makes the body sick!"
The other doctor threw up his arms. "Then what do you suppose we do, Dr. Morrow?" The doctor added, adding a childish tone to his voice. He sat back in his chair, almost looking ready to throw a temper tantrum.
"Well, we have to help him mentally."
"HE'S IN A COMA, Dr. Morrow." Steinman shouted, a victorious smile on his face.
Dr. Morrow quit looking at him and looked over at Liara. "If I'm not mistaken, Shepard has an asari bondmate. She can meld with him and help him, isn't that right Liara?"
"I don't see any other way Dr. Morrow." Liara answered. Dr. Steinman slouched back in his chair in defeat.
Liara found herself leading the group back into Shepard's ICU room. She moved onto the bed and stared at Shepard. The others gathered around.
"Embrace eternity!" Liara shouted, her eyes going dark. She made contact with Shepard, but nothing happened. No dark void, and no Shepard. She pulled back and her eyes went back to her normal state. What happened?She looked at the doctors. "Nothing happened." She reported.
The doctors in the group nodded their heads and muttered amongst each other. Liara felt like the doctors had never seen an asari mind meld before. Liara then remarked that she really had never seen one either, even when she did one her attention was focused... elsewhere. At least this shows that they don't watch fornax. But it's still a little creepy.
"Maybe we need to give you privacy." Dr. Morrow suggested. "It must be uncomfortable for us to be watching you like this."
He shepherded everyone out and shut the door behind him. Liara turned her focus back to Shepard. Alright let's get to business.She lay with Shepard.
"Embrace eternity!" She commanded to the unresponsive Shepard.
Again her eyes went dark, but nothing happened. What is wrong? She sat back up in defeat. Maybe I need to get my hormone levels up or something. She brought her lips to Shepard's and held it. She wrapped her arms around him for a short while. Come on Shepard, help me.She sat up and tried again.
"Embrace eternity!" She commanded, but this time with less certainty. Again she was met with the same failure.
She left the bed and opened the door. The group had expanded in size, with more of Normandy's crew coming to see their commander in a coma. They all looked at her in hopeful anticipation. But seeing Liara's face their hopes dampened.
"Did it work?" Dr. Morrow asked, still hopeful.
Liara shook her head. "I don't know why but I couldn't get in."
Shiala took a step forward. "Maybe I can help in some way?"
Samara stepped forward as well. "As another asari I would gladly offer my services as well."
Liara let them in and shut the door behind her.
"It's worked plenty of times before, but now I can't meld with Shepard."
Samara walked the perimeter of Shepard's bed. "Child, when an asari melds with another, there must be a mutual consensus between the two partners to meld." She stopped walking and turned to Liara. "Maybe even in this coma the renegade Shepard is still in control and refuses to mind meld with you." Liara did not want to believe it, but she knew that it could be true. She knew that such a strong will could even block a forced meld. She also didn't like what she knew was the next step from that. "Maybe we should have Shiala try to meld with him."
Shiala blushed and looked over at Liara. Her eyes told Liara that she wanted her permission before she did anything with Shepard. Liara nodded but turned away as Shiala mounted the bed.
"Embrace eternity!" Shiala commanded. Liara heard a little moan of passion come from the asari, but nothing afterwards.
"It didn't work." Shiala stated.
I wonder if I moan like that every time I meld... hopefully I didn't do it in front of the doctors...Liara thought. She turned back to face Shiala, who was just climbing out of the bed.
"Then what do we do?"
Samara looked at Liara. "Either we find a way or we have to cut our losses." Liara fought to hold it together.
"We are not giving up after this." Liara stated as she walked back to the door to report her findings to the doctors.
Liara rubbed the sleep from her eyes as she looked at Shepard, still in the coma. They had tried everything that they could think of: they tried to electrically stimulate Shepard's brain into responding to a mind meld, they attempted to make Javik work his own Prothean touch, they even debated what consciousness was on a fundamental level to see if there was any other way of reaching Shepard. Nothing they tried worked, and Liara was starting to doubt that they could cure Shepard. She made her way back to the doctors. She didn't fully listen but they were debating if tampering with his nanite upgraded synthetics could hold the key. Liara didn't even remember what she really said, but she vehemently objected to the offer.
Before she knew it, she was being dragged off by a nurse and Garrus. They threw her onto a bed.
"Sleep." Garrus commanded.
Liara was too tired to object, and the needle that the nurse stuck into her made sure she had no will to object anyway.
Liara opened her eyes and sat up in her bed. This one did not have Shepard in it, and her night's sleep reflected that.
"So you're up."
Shiala sat in a chair off to the side of Liara's bed.
"You kinda went renegade on us last night. First you freaked out when they wanted to tamper with his synthetics, and then when they said they had no more ideas you flipped." She took a sigh. "Like with biotics."
Liara groaned and shook her head. How come I don't really remember that?Shiala saw Liara's confusion.
"They sedated you before you actually did anything bad though."
That's why I don't remember.
"I just want to cure Shepard, but I don't want to kill him doing it." Liara muttered. She began to cry. "Why is this so hard?"
Shiala walked up and sat with Liara. She put a friendly arm around her. "The important things, the things we do for those we love are never easy. Just think of what Shepard went through with the Reapers."
Liara nodded. "So while I was out was there any progress?"
Shiala looked away. "No there wasn't. In fact people are theorizing now that's he's a vegetable. Which would explain why we couldn't meld with him."
"NO!" Liara stood up violently. "We can't just give up like this! There must be another way to reach Shepard's mind... It's not like Garrus shot him in the head!" She marched out of the room and worked her way to Shepard's room.
When she got there she burst through the door and marched in. There the rest of the Normandy crew was gathered around Shepard with solemn looks upon their faces.
"This is not over!" She told them, desperate for them to get their senses back. "We just need another way!"
Ashley walked up to Liara. "Liara, there's nothing else we can do." Ashley embraced Liara. "I'm sorry." Liara began to sob.
"NO!" She biotically charged herself and threw Ashley away. "WE HAVEN'T DONE EVERYTHING! I JUST KNOW IT." She hovered a little in the air.
"LIARA CALM DOWN!" Garrus yelled. Liara saw Chakwas call a nurse. If they put me out again, Shepard is done for.
Liara broke down, having her biotics gently bring her down on the floor. The door opened to a nurse, but they shooed him away. But the door didn't close as she'd expect it to. Shiala stood in the doorway. She had a smile on her face.
"Liara, before you left your room, you said something to me... That there must be a different way to access his mind. And I think that there is."
Liara wheeled around and moved closer. The look of desperation in her eyes was apparent to all. "What is it?"
Shiala pointed to herself. "When the other Feros colonists, who had thorian spores within them, were alive I could feel their thoughts... we were connected. And later as we learned more about our connection, we were able to influence each other by selectively giving them thoughts of ours."
Liara picked herself up off the floor, wiping away her tears. "So if we somehow give Shepard these spores, you can make him accept my meld?"
"Well at least in theory..." Shiala stated.
"Then we need to go to Feros right now." Liara began to make her way around Shiala out the door. Shiala blocked her way and Liara looked back at the crew for help. Chakwas took a step towards Liara.
"Or we can synthesize the spores from Shiala's bloodstream. That would save you the trip Liara." Chakwas thought.
Liara turned to Shiala. "Would you do that?"
She nodded. "He's the father of my child Liara. Of course I will help."
Liara shuddered. "Then let's get to work!"
The extraction of the spores from Shiala's bloodstream was simple. They were so prevalent in her bloodstream that they only need a small sample of blood. Then they began the process of synthesizing it. Had Mordin been alive, he could have completed it in one day. The mixed species team of salarian, human, and asari doctors however tried to make up for that. Their estimated time: one week.
Liara could not sit around that long, but now there was hope for Shepard. She put all her resources and supplies into synthesizing the thorian spores. They managed to wittle it down to four days. Once they finished the process, they injected it into Shepard and hoped for the best.
Liara could not sleep at all on that night, instead choosing to sit and watch Shepard in his bed. Shiala slept in another bed, wheeled into the room. It was decided that keeping them close could help their connection, at least initially. As she sat watching them sleep she had a lot of time to think to herself. What if the connection is too strong and Shepard falls for Shiala? She could not bear to think what that would mean. What should we do with the baby? Obviously now Shepard is going to know about it. Why does it have to be Shiala that has the solution? Why don't I matter?Liara silently cursed fate. She looked back onto the green asari, deep in sleep. Over the course of their time together trying to find Shepard, Liara had grown close to the asari. She couldn't bring herself to hate her for her baby, or for anything else. Shiala had her own problems, and Liara tried hard to be happy for her and the baby.
Liara sighed and looked back to Shepard. His neutral face had changed into something different, something discomforted. Liara stood up and looked over to Shiala. Shiala had just started tossing and turning. I think it's happened. The spores must have taken hold.Liara ran over and shook Shiala awake.
Shiala tore open her eyes, panting loudly. "Liara..." Her face twisted in pain. "So... many... thoughts..." Again her face displayed much pain. "So... much... pain." She let out a loud painful yell.
"I'll get a doctor!" Liara panicked, hitting the nurse button on Shepard's bed. She was about to leave, but Shiala let out a gasp and raised her hand.
"Don't… leave… I don't want to be alone."
"Shiala!" Liara gasped.
She began to shake uncontrollably, but she regained herself.
Shiala looked up at Liara. "I... I opened him for you." She doubled over in pain, but regained herself. "Get in, I have to keep it open for as long as you are in." She let out a painful yell. "So please... hurry." She weakly managed to whisper.
Liara ran to Shepard on the bed. She went on the bed and straddled his body.
"Embrace eternity!" She yelled, her eyes going dark.
The room then began to peel away until there was nothing but a dark void.
Liara was all alone in the dark void. A green haze was present, and Liara could make out the muffled voice of Shiala's coming from the haze. Liara looked around to search for Shepard. We did successfully meld, so he's got to be here somewhere.
"Shepard!" She yelled.
THUD!
The sound was distant, and Liara looked in the direction of the sound. Off in the distance she made out two figures. One stood over the other and seemed to be yelling something to the other. Liara ran to them as fast as she could.
As she approached the two, she began to make out the details. One of the figures was indeniably Shepard, covered in bruises and cowering in fear. The second figure was larger than Shepard and stood over him. As she came closer, Liara realized that it was the boy that she had seen from his dreams. Having matured, the now resembled a mix of the boy and Shepard. He towered over him, now resembling more of a giant than a boy. Liara saw him kick Shepard and send him flying. The boy then turned to Liara as she ran up.
"Oh, it's you." His voice thundered. "Come to set things right?" He laughed maniacally. He used his hands as little puppets. "Oh, I'm the little asari that has laid claim to Shepard. He can't do anything that I don't approve of." Then the other hand spoke. "And I'm miss green haze that will not make me notice the little asari's entrance so I can't block it!" He mocked. "Well NEWS FLASH! Shepard is different now and stronger too!" Liara noticed the haze begin to fade. "I'll bet miss haze likes the trouble I'm giving her." He walked up to Liara and brought his face to her level. "And we don't need you." He flicked her away some distance.
The real Shepard watched in horror. "NO! LIARA!" He stood up and curled his hand into a fist.
The boy laughed. "And what will happen if you kill me, like you so want to do?" He boy approached Shepard. "Even though you think it to be righteous, killing a part of yourself is a renegade action. If the paragon side of someone did that, then they are obviously NOT paragon." He kicked Shepard away as well. "You would just become corrupted, and become the very thing that you hate!" He opened his arms. "So kill me! It will actually work in my favor."
Liara got up and rushed to Shepard's aid. He looked up at her in pain.
"I... I can't beat him. No matter what, if I kill him, I will become corrupted and there will be nothing that can cure me then."
"We have to think of something Shepard, we have to hurry; Shiala is in incredible pain keeping me in this meld with you."
"But there's nothing that I can do." He sighed.
"Shepard, you have to face him somehow."
"I… I don't know."
"HOW TOUCHING, YOU WHORE!" Both dived away as the boy smashed the spot they had been just seconds before.
What do we do? Liara was desperate. She looked to see Shepard dodging the boy's attacks. If Shepard kills the boy, the renegade action will corrupt Shepard. But there is no other way to get rid of the boy unless he dies… But what if I did it? I wouldn't be killing a part of myself.
Liara ran up to Shepard. "What if I did it?"
Shepard watched her hand curl up into a fist. "Don't do it Liara! Don't corrupt yourself!"
Liara looked back at Shepard. "A significant other must do not what is best for themselves, but what is best for their spouse. I do this for you because I love you. There is nothing more paragon than that."
She ran at the boy with a yell. The boy was ready for her and threw a punch. Liara jumped, flying over the punch. To keep herself from flying past the boy, she grabbed his head, her hands finding his eye sockets.
The boy screamed and tried desperately to throw her off. The boy grabbed Liara, but something worse brought the hands away from Liara. The boy thrashed, and Liara caught a glimpse of Shepard kicking the boy's crotch and weaving away from his hands. Shepard can't kill the boy, but at least he can help. Liara began to lay punch after punch into the boy's head. The boy began to shrink with each punch. Liara noticed that the haze had faded a lot. If the haze disappears, that means that Shiala is out... and so am I.Liara kept up her punching with a new ferocity. Liara wished that biotics worked in the consciousness, as she would have made short work of them boy. The boy had shrunk to about his former size finally. He still displayed signs of life, and Liara kept punching. The boy began to cry, but Liara would not fall for that trick. She kept punching the boy, wherever she could. If he blocked his face, she went for the chest, and vice versa.
Finally, the boy went limp. His face had been smashed in, and his bones were a paste. Liara got up, covered in the boy's blood. She turned to face Shepard, who also had a sizable amount of blood on his body.
"You must really love me if you can justify that." He motioned to the heap of flesh lying behind her.
Liara smiled. Both bodies flew to each other in a passionate embrace. And then the haze disappeared.
It happened just like in the storybooks. Liara came to, finding the love of her life eyeing her with open eyes. Liara slapped him and smiled, but then immediately they embraced and kissed, caring nothing for the Normandy crew that was present inside the room. Both began to cry and laugh at the amazing turn of events.
The couple sat up and looked around at the rest of the crew. Everyone was smiling at them. We did it.Liara thought. Tali was the first to go in and hug both of them, and soon the rest of the Normandy came together in one big mass of hugging bodies.
One big family.