A/N : I'm just going to tell you guys this… Prepare yourself for a cliffhanger by the end of this chapter. Also there will be some scene that going to be playing with your feeling. Well I think that's a fair warning… So without further ado…

Chapter 3 : Heartache

Two more weeks has gone by. Two more weeks has gone by without Shepard remembering about what she felt towards Liara T'Soni. Liara slowly losing her faith and hope that Shepard will ever remember her and worst, now her daughter would never feel the love Shepard will pour her with. This is worst than having Shepard die… All dark thoughts flooded Liara mind as she sit at a restaurant near her apartment that she rented. She didn't even realize someone approaching her before sit in front of her.

"Hey, Liara." greet Shepard as she saw Liara sit alone in the restaurant on her way to someplace else.

"…Shepard." said Liara as she was surprised seeing the person in front of her.

"You're eating alone for lunch today?"

"Yes. Well… I'm not really alone."

"What do you mean?"

"I… I'm pregnant…"

"Really? Well I'm happy for you. Congratulations! Who's the lucky guy? Well you know what it's not my place to pry."

"No. It's okay. I…" before Liara could say what she wants to say, she suddenly having a headache."

"Are you okay? You don't look so good." asked Shepard worryingly.

"I feel lightheaded…"

"Come on, let's go see a doctor."

"It's okay, Shepard. I'm fine."

"No. You're not fine, Liara. Come on, I will get you home."

"But I haven't eaten yet."

"I will cook something for you at your apartment."

"But there's nothing in my apartment."

"Then I will go buy some ingredients from the grocery store. Now no more arguing, you either let me get you home willingly or I will drag you."

Liara finally give up and let Shepard send her to her apartment. Shepard then rush to the nearest grocery store to buy some ingredients and she return home 10 minutes later.

"You can just order the food from the restaurant, you know." said Liara as she watch Shepard preparing to cook.

"There's no Asari food at that restaurant." said Shepard as she starts cooking.

"You know how to cook Asari food?"

"Yes. I got this recipe from Mess Sergeant Gardner… Honestly I have no idea why I asked for Asari food recipe. I felt like there's a reason why I asked him for the recipe, maybe because it tasted good?"

"How much do you remember?"

"From what Maddison told me, I know half of everything already. I also remembered that I met you on Therum. I saved you from Prothean stasis. But that's about it."

"I see…" said Liara as a hint of disappointment could be heard from her voice.

"So what make you stay on Earth?"

"There something I need to do here."

"Yeah, like what?"

"You won't believe me if I told you."

"Try me."

"I… I can't. I'm sorry, Shepard."

"Very well then… Well if you not having anything plan for tomorrow, I could show you some sight around here."

"I would love that."

"Good then. I pick you up at 9 am?"

"That sounds good." replied Liara with a small smile.

"Well I'm all done with the food. Now I need to excuse myself or I will be late for my lunch date with Matt." said Shepard as she turn off the stove.

"A lunch date with Matt?" asked Liara as she start to feel uneasy.

"Yes. Matt thought it would be nice if we could do something normal for a change. Well I better go now. See you tomorrow?"

"Yes."

As Shepard out of the door, Aethyta who has been watching the whole scene unfold silently, stand beside Liara.

"Father. How long have you been here?" asked Liara in surprised.

"Long enough to hear you still didn't tell her about who's the father of the baby you're carrying."

"I couldn't bring myself to tell her."

"You want me to tell her?" asked Aethyta as she walks toward the stove.

"Please don't. I can't have her hate on our daughter."

"How do you know she will hate the baby?"

"Please father. It's my decision. I'm not going to tell her about the father of the baby until she remembers our love."

"If you're going to be here forever, she going to figure it out herself. And I don't think she won't think of you as a crazy person. So why don't you go back to Thessia, little wing? Give her some space."

"I would think about it, father."

"Well that kid sure knows how to cook. I never taste other species cook an Asari food this good." said Aethyta as she taste the food Shepard prepared.

After leaving Liara apartment, Shepard rushed to a meeting place she agreed to meet Matt. It's a park near the hospital Matt work at and also at a walking distance from Liara apartment.

"Hey Matt. I'm sorry for being late." said Shepard as she sits down next to Matt.

"No worry. I just got off from work anyway."

"So what are we doing here?"

"Well I planned to have a lunch slash picnic here but since I didn't have any time to prepare anything, I really have no idea what we should do."

"That's very romantic, Matt." chuckle Shepard.

"Well… I wasn't planning on being romantic but will peanut butter and jelly do for our lunch today? That's all I could find from the hospital break room."

"Who's PB&J did you rob, Matt?"

"It may or may not be, Maddison." said Matt as he trying to stifle laughter.

"Well now I know where my PB&J gone this morning."

"Now I know why it tasted so good."

"Now you just being charming." said Shepard as she push Matt jokingly.

"I couldn't help it. I'm a charming guy."

"Of course you are."

After a few minutes of quite but comfortable silent, Matt start being serious…

"Grace… I have been thinking ever since the war ended. How I truly feel. I never date anyone ever since we broke up. I couldn't love anyone else other than you. We should have tried instead of choosing our careers. I still love you, Grace." said Matt as he slowly reaches out to Shepard hand.

"Matt…"

"Just tell me that you have someone else and I will back off. If not, please. Don't shut me down."

"I… I don't know, Matt. I think I do but I don't remember."

"If that was the case, give me a chance. If you in love with someone, there's no way you won't remember who they are. That must be the first thing that you will remember but you didn't. It's a fate. We belong together, Grace."

"Matt… I…" before Shepard could finish her sentence, Matt kiss her on the lips. Instead of pushing him, Shepard ended up kissing Matt back.

After her so call lunch date with Matt, Shepard head back to her family estate. As soon as she stepped into the front yard, she could see her father looking over in the distance by the small lake they have around the estate. Shepard starts walking towards her father before she sits next to her father.

"How your lunch dated with Matt?" asked Arthur as her daughter sit next to her.

"We just talked, dad."

"Just talked… Next thing I know you two are going to get marry."

"Come on, dad. Why did you hate him so much? You seem to always find a fight with me."

"First, he's not worthy of you and second, I never find a fight with you."

"If he's not worthy of me, then who would? You always hate every guy that I dated. You always find a reason to hate them. And yes, you always find a fight with me. Remembered when you asked me to quit the Alliance and joined you with family business?"

"Someone who's worthy of you is someone who do anything to have you. Someone who will not going to choose their career over you. Someone who going to be patient with you and someone who always going to be there for you… The reason I wanted you to leave the Alliance because that job going to kill you, and it already did! If not because of what Cerberus did, I don't have a daughter anymore."

"Come on, dad. We both made the decision and I couldn't ask him to do anything."

"You don't have to ask him to do anything. If he loves you, he will do it himself. When I married your mother, I always knew that if either one of us going to have a career, it will always be your mother... You're just like your mother, you love your job too much to put it behind your personal life. When you find someone who going to put you over their career or when you find someone you willing to sacrifice your job, then you find the one. But Matt is not the one."

"…Maybe I already find someone…"

"What do you mean?"

"I found a ring among my stuff mother got from my apartment on the Citadel. If I'm willing to marry that person in the middle of the war…"

"Then you find the one. Who's the lucky person?"

"I don't know… I still can't remember anything about I'm falling in love with someone. But I feel like I know who that is but I just can't put my finger on it. It's like you seeing someone before but you couldn't place where you see them before."

"Why don't you ask Maddison?"

"That's the problem. She didn't want to say anything about it. It's so frustrating."

"Why don't you confront her about it?"

"I don't want to start a fight with her."

"It's your choice, Grace."

"Dad… Didn't you ever regret leaving the Alliance?"

"No. I joined the Alliance because your grandfather thought it will teach me discipline and leadership. Two most important things that your grandfather thought are important for me to learn before I ready to take over the family company… But it didn't mean I didn't enjoy my time with the Alliance. I met your mother and it helped me survive the war."

"Dad, do you think it's better if I didn't remember the last few years of my life?"

"After what you see and went through? I have to say yes. But would it be better of not knowing it? People are telling you left and right what you did, it better to remember it than listening to what people are telling you."

"I hate not knowing. For most part of the time, I don't even know what they were talking. But the worst part is the look of some people face when I didn't remember something. It's like I forgot something that matter so much to them…"

"You will remember, Grace. It just a matter of time." said Arthur as he give her daughter a hug.

At 9 am sharp, Shepard already waits in front of Liara apartment. She waste no time to ring the bell and a few seconds later, Liara open the front door and looking gorgeously. As Shepard saw Liara, she feel herself couldn't breathe as soon as her eyes saw Liara at the front door.

"…You look great, Liara." said Shepard after a few seconds of silent.

"Thank you."

"So… Are you ready to go?"

"Yes." said Liara as she step out from the front door and lock it.

"Where are we going?" asked Liara as she followed Shepard to a sky car park nearby.

"That a surprise. I hope you didn't eat anything heavy from breakfast."

"No. Why?"

"You will know more once we arrive."

After 30 minutes of ride on the sky car, they finally arrived.

"Wow. This place is beautiful." said Liara as she got out from the sky car.

"This is my favorite place to go whenever I'm on Earth… I found this place when I was on a hike. I never take anyone here before. You're the first person that I show this place."

Shepard took out a basket and a backpack and head out a few foot forwards from where she parked the sky car. Shepard finds a place near the waterfall but not close enough to get wet from the waterfall and she start to place the blanket from her backpack on the ground around a small stream before set down the basket and start to sit down. After looking around the place, Liara finally sit down next to Shepard.

"Thank you for bringing me here, Shepard."

"The pleasure is all mine… Honestly I have no idea why I want to bring you here. My heart has been begging me to take you here… Every time I'm around you, I feel safe, comfortable and there's nothing that worry me. I know that sound weird but it just a feeling that I had."

"No. It's not weird at all." said Liara as a small smile appears.

"I prepared some sandwiches. After we eat them I will take you on a little hike." said Shepard as she get 2 sandwiches and napkins from the basket.

After both of them done eating, Shepard took Liara on a little hike through the forest around where they picnic. After 5 minutes of hiking they are on top of the waterfall they saw from their picnic place.

"Come on, there's another great place just across this stream. The waters aren't too deep but the rocks can be very slippery. If you don't want to get wet, you better not fall."

"I never did anything like this before."

"What if you walk first and I follow you from behind to make sure you won't fall? Just take it slow and easy. And don't worry, I will catch you if you fall." reassure Shepard.

Liara slowly step into the first rock and before long Liara find no problems of crossing the stream until they are in the middle. As Liara want to hurriedly across the stream, she didn't step into one of the rock properly and as she just about to fall into the water, Shepard instinctively hug her from behind and as both of them fall into the water with Shepard taking the most of the fall.

"Are you alright, Shepard?" asked Liara worryingly as both of them still in the water.

"I think I'm fine. How about you? Wait! Your baby?" asked Shepard in panic.

"I'm fine, Shepard. You take most of the fall."

"This is such a bad idea. What was I thinking?" said Shepard as she beating herself.

"Don't beat yourself up, Shepard. I have a great time." reassure Liara as she put her hand on Shepard shoulder.

"Are you sure the baby is okay? We should go to the hospital." said Shepard as she still worry.

"I am fine, Shepard. We Asari could feel the baby inside us and she is fine."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes." said Liara as she put both of her hands on top of Shepard shoulders.

As both of them getting so close with each other, both of them look at each other eyes before they slowly lean in close. As both of their lips only a few inches apart, Shepard omni-tool beeping. Shepard instantly back down and Liara rubs her temple in disappointment.

"Shepard here." said Shepard as she answered her omni-tool.

"Hey buddy. Forgetting something?" said Maddison as holo of her appear on Shepard omni-tool.

"Like what?"

"Like your doctor appointment? The Alliance needs you to do a final medical evaluation before you're back on duty."

"Damn. I forgot."

"I figure that out… I'm not interrupting anything do I?" said Maddison apologetically as she can see Liara with Shepard.

"See you at the hospital, Maddison." said Shepard as she hang up.

"I'm sorry about that."

"You're back on duty?"

"Yes. I should start next week. That is if my medical examination didn't show any problem other than the fact I still didn't quite remember the last few years of my life"

"I see…"

"I really am sorry about all this, I promise I will make it up for you tomorrow?"

"I can't."

"What do you mean, you can't? Was it because of that almost kiss? I really am sorry about that. I don't know what got into me."

"No… It wasn't about that. I'm leaving for Thessia tomorrow."

"You leaving for Thessia?" said Shepard in disappointment.

"I've been here long enough and nothing really changes. At least not something that I have hoped."

"What didn't change?"

"It's nothing."

"Please, tell me. Maybe I can help?" asked Shepard as you could hear a desperation in her voice.

"You are."

"What that supposed to mean?"

"Please, Shepard. Just get me home." said Liara as tears threatening to spill.

45 minutes later, Shepard set down the sky car near Liara apartment. The whole ride home fills with awkward silent. As Liara got out from the sky car, Shepard could only watch her as she still puzzled on Liara reaction before. When Liara got to her apartment, the tears she's been holding start to spill as she cry on what happened. She was so closed on getting the love of her life back but she still so far away. She could sense that Shepard is in love with someone else when she was touching her. And she could feel that Shepard didn't have the same feeling she had before she forgot everything in the last few years.

A/N : First of all I am sorry for this short shorter than the last 2 chapters but I hope it still a good chapter. Secondly I want to say sorry if there are some emotions I'm not successfully deliver. Anyway to answer any question you may had, I just want to say that Shepard still didn't actually remember who Liara is even though she could feel something different when she's with Liara. I will explain or make more sense of that in future chapters. I also want to say that it's not my intention to make Shepard as a jerk or a player or whatever that pops into your head. I mean by kissing Matt back and that almost kissing part with Liara. But I couldn't help but to have that almost kissing part with Liara. Also I want to have Shepard have this conflict of interest of still in love with her ex-fiancée but also have this indescribable feeling towards Liara. But I would explain it further in future chapters. Anyway let me think what you guys think about this chapter.