Rannoch

"Do you think she'll come?" Varicia asked as she sat on the bench in the park in the Capital city of Raaya.

Khalisah, her arms folded, sighed openly, then answered, "I hope so. I feel like a sore thumb enough already. Considering I'm probably the only other human on Rannoch, having everyone stare at me doesn't fill me with confidence."

"Varicia S'Tonu? Khalisah al-Jilani?" a new voice asked from behind them both. They turned to see Liara T'Soni, accompanied by Tali'zorah approaching them casually.

"Yes. We are," Khalisah answered.

"I was told you were searching for Shepard," she said as she gave Tali a nod, who then left them abruptly.

"You heard right," Khalisah spoke evenly, hoping that Liara T'Soni, infamous as she was in certain circles, would respond favorably.

Liara gave them both a knowing smile as she continued, "I know what you are trying to do, Khalisah al-Jilani. I've been watching your progress for some time and I was impressed at how you've been able to reach this far on your own."

Varicia leaned into Khalisah and whispered, "don't try and be funny. The T'Soni are not a family that should be taken lightly. There's a reason why her mother was revered as she was."

Khalisah had taken her lover's advice to heart, however, she wasn't going to slink away when she was so close to her objective.

"If you have been watching, why didn't you just contact me? It would have saved us a lot of headache," Khalisah asked wearily.

Liara remained unfazed as she replied, "Because, as you remember, there were... 'special interest' groups that desired Shepard dead. Thanks to you, and the fact that they were following you to get to us, I've been able to properly deal with those elements that would wish her ill. As such, I should thank you."

"So..." Khalisah probed, "does that mean you'll let me see Nora Shepard?"

Liara shook her head. "In due time. For now, would you both take a walk with me? I'm sure learning that Shepard's and my relationship has raised questions. I shall answer what I can, but I won't answer everything."

Khalisah and Varicia looked to each other, aware that it was better than an outright refusal. So, they agreed and Liara led them around the park.

"So, what would you like to know?" Liara asked pleasantly as they moved through a flow of Quarians, some unmasked, some still masked, and others a mix of both to take a seat at another juncture where they would often get a single look before they would go about their business.

"Well," Khalisah stammered, trying not to look at the quarians, especially the little ones, that were staring at her. "I suppose that since you and Shepard are an item, I may as well ask how you both first met."

Liara winced, then leveled her lips. She knew this was going to come up. "I supposed you would have heard about this anyway," she took a deep breath of resignation and continued, "I had been on Therum for a few months at that point. When the dig site had been attacked, I was left trapped in a Prothean Barrier Curtain."

"Oh! Hello," Liara said as she hovered helplessly in the glowing blue sphere.

"Dr. Liara T'soni? I'm Commander Nora Shepard. Special Tactics and Recon sent me," Nora answered trying to figure out how the asari had gotten herself trapped in the sphere, but decided not to ask that particular questions.

"A Spectre? And a human Spectre at that!" Liara began to chuckle as her head waved this way and that.

"Dr. T'Soni?" Nora asked as she approached the force field to get closer.

"Oh, no, don't mind me, oh hallucination of mine," Liara shot back, half sharp, half hilarious. "I'll just keep staying here, suspended until I pass out and perish from... oh goddess, now I'm talking to myself."

"We're here to help. And I assure you, I'm real," Shepard pressed, trying to maintain her professionalism.

"Of course you are," Liara said with a half-leveled eyes that were hard to tell if they were licentious or sarcastic, "if anything, you could be projections by the Krogan and his Geth slaves!"

"What?"

"~Oh, help!~" she began to sing, "~I need somebody! Help!~ Not entirely offkey. "~Not just anybody! Help!~" And she appeared to be at least enjoying herself, "~You know I need someone! HELP!~"

Both Ashley and Wrex didn't know what to make of the singing asari in front of them, but then cocked their eyebrows when Shepard bent over and started to laugh. Their confusion was compounded when Shepard leaned against the rock as Liara continued to sing. Beneath Liara's singing, Nora's laughter could be heard through the cavern,

Liara stopped singing and then frowned at Nora. "And now my own hallucinations deride me. Oh, goddess, I must truly have gone mad at this point."

Shepard calmed herself down long enough to collect her wits and then answer quickly, "No... no, we're not hallucinations, but that was pretty funny."

"That's a way to gain her confidence, Skipper; laugh when a girl wants to sing," Ashley grumbled audibly, not entirely sure how the situation was going to resolve itself.

"The Beatles?" Varicia noted with a bit of confusion.

Liara leveled her eyes in annoyance. "I was tired, dehydrated, and starving. I normally do not suffer from delirium, but those were unique circumstances."

"Well," Khalisah noted as she put in the last few details into her omni-tool, "that's certainly someone's ideal romantic first meeting."

When Liara glared at her, Khalisah knew it was time to be quiet as she continued.

Liara T'soni pouted as she typed angrily on the computer terminal in her little lab behind the infirmary. Why did humans have to be so brutish? So what if she had been trapped as long as she had?

That gave the Commander no true reason to laugh at her as she sang her favorite human song. She pouted harder as her hands typed furiously over the keys, threatening to break the unit itself. A knock at the door broke her out of her tantrum. She turned and spouted louder than she would have liked, "Hello?"

"Doctor T'Soni?" the unmistakable voice of Commander Shepard said on the other side. It didn't have the usual bite it did from earlier. However, Liara was still angry.

"Yes, Commander?" she replied curtly.

"May I come in?" she asked. That was odd. Since she was the head of the ship, Liara found it strange for her to ask permission.

Regardless, she acquiesced. "You may."

When the door opened, the Commander entered with a lopsided smile on her face. She was both amused and slightly embarrassed despite towering over her.

"Yes, commander?" Liara said with her arms behind her back as she stood to meet her face to face.

"I wanted to apologize for earlier. It was a long time before I was able to listen to the Beatles and I was surprised to find you were a fan," she said as she attempted to hide something behind her own back.

Liara's pout was still out and strong, despite her anger diminishing somewhat and being replaced by curiosity. "Apology accepted, Commander. Was there anything else you wished to speak about?"

"Yes, actually," the commander's smile grew; she walked forward, and with her free hand, took one of Liara's hands and placed a small disc in it.

Liara blinked as she looked at the article Shepard had given her.

"Hard Day's Night. Thought you'd appreciate it," she said with a small grin.

Liara blinked once, then twice, and then looked up to the commander. Her pout vanished and a genuine smile appeared in its place as she held the disc in both hands gingerly. "Thank you."

Nora, as imposing as she was, nodded in response, then turned around and took her leave.

When Liara was sure the Commander was out of hearing range, she quickly returned to her desk, put the disc in the computer and quickly fast forward the image to one of her favorite scenes.

"Ladies and Gentlemen," Ed Sullivan began, "The Beatles!" The curtains parted and one of humanity's greatest exports to the galaxy began to play.*

She threw her hands up and screamed, quietly, when the band began to play 'All My Loving'. Paul was the cute one!

Both Khalisah and Varicia paused when Liara tittered about those last few details that, frankly, were pretty much unnecessary, but didn't dare say anything.

L: We both decided that if we were to engage in a relationship, it would be best if we did it on our terms. There would be forces, both societal and personal that would have objected at the time.

K: And it's no problem that people know about this now?

L: Yes. What elements that would have frowned about Shepard's and my relationship faded away during the war. In addition, we have decided to hold off on children for now. We have considered adoption, as there are many asari children that lost their families during the war, however, for now, we would not want to inflict the trials we have endured upon any that we would bring into this world. Not yet.

K: Understandable, considering you're still a Maiden.

"We don't have to, you know," Nora said as she took Liara's hands in her own, "Also, I don't know what kind of parent I would be."

Liara smiled that same, embarrassed and awkward smile she had when they first met. "Nor I. I am still one-hundred and eight years old, you realize."

Shepard chuckled. "Not to mention the potential complications of you having children so young. I could, but not now. Not with the Reapers threatening everything we know and love. It also makes me realize that I still need to get you some gifts for the two birthdays I missed."

She brought Nora's hand up to her cheek and let the calloused hands caress her tenderly. "You need not do that, Shepard. Besides, it is difficult to get me something when I, more or less, could have anything I want with my new... career."

Shepard nodded, aware of Liara's new position and aware of the need for even more secrecy and discretion. A part of her hated it, since so much of her life was a secret.

"If we survive this, what would you like to do, Nora?" Liara asked as she gently took Shepard's hands into both of hers.

"Well, I was considering putting in my resignation with the Alliance and becoming a Spectre full-time. Sure, there's a lot of people in the Alliance that wouldn't like it much, but, the Alliance seems to want me more as a figurehead than an actual soldier. It was a nightmare trying to convince Tela Vasir to fake her death so the Shadow Broker wouldn't go after her. There's so much more I could do for-"

She was interrupted when Liara had tiptoed up to the towering human and pecked her on the lips. She took a step back and asked, "No, Shepard, I am asking what do *you* want to do? What is the life that you wish to live?"

The smile Nora had on her lips slowly faded. She looked to the ceiling for a moment before her gaze returned to Liara and said, "I really don't know. A part of me just wants to go back to New Mexico with my tribe, another wants to go back to Hawaii, another wants to stay with you and your work, another wants to serve the Council, I... I just don't know."

Aware of Nora's indecision, Liara nodded. "We will cross that bridge when we come to it."

Shepard smiled. "That sounds like a plan I can live with."

K: Considering the amount of help and coordination you provided during the war, I want to thank you for your help, Dr. T'Soni.

L: You're welcome. I am a bit ashamed to admit that due to Shepard's timely rescue on Therum, it'll probably be years before I have a chance to get back to archaeology, however, Shepard's influence was been a greater boon for myself, if I am allowed to be selfish for a moment. She inspired us to action. I'll always be grateful for her.

K: Thank you for your time, Dr. T'Soni.

*It's a scientific fact that aliens species love the Beatles. Star Trek says so. :P