-Liara-

Lightning kissed the dark sky and a moment later, thunder rumbled from some far away corner of the island. The noise died down, and the mansion returned to its state of dark, quiet, sleep. The volus were nowhere to be found-as they were every night-and the rest of the house inhabitants had retired to their varying bedrooms. Only Liara was awake and alert... and on the move.

The mansion's side door opened without a sound, and Liara wrapped her cloak tighter to her body as she took a step outside and into the chilly night. A cool breeze was in the air, and a light drizzle was falling from the black and cloudy sky above. The asari glanced up at it, wrapped her arms around her chest, and hurried off across the garden; a shadow moving in the night.

She found her prisoner right where she'd left her: suspended upside down in the Shepard's tool shed. Liara removed the wrapped bundle she carried from within her cloak, pulled a simple white candle and brass holster out, and set it on the work bench. She fumbled within the bundle for the pack of matches she'd brought along, found them, and lit the top of the candle. It took three strikes, but then the flame came alive and the inside of the shed was aglow. Shepard's obsession with vintage, archaic, technology like 'candles' was nearly as bad as her obsession with bondage.

Jack was hanging in the center of the shed, swaying ever so slightly. Her eyes were closed and saliva was dripping from the corners of her ballgagged mouth. Liara smiled; the sight of the tattooed little bitch like that never ceased to delight her. She walked beside her prisoner, crouched before her, and lifted two hands to pinch at her bare breast's nipples. Jack snapped awake, groaning into the ballgag and blinking her way out of sleep. It took a moment to orient herself, but then she was glaring at Liara with that familiar rage burning in the pits of her eyes.

"I would lift my head if I were you," Liara said. "Unless you want to break your neck."

She stood, went to the wheel mechanism that held the rope suspending Jack and wrapped her hands around it. Jack's eye widened with realization and she folded her body in half just as Liara released her. The woman crashed to the dirt floor of the shed and grunted painfully into the gag. She began a string of muffled shouts, but Liara simply moved to her cuffed and bound body and gave her a kick in the side; not hard enough to do any damage, but hard enough to let her know who was in charge. Again, Jack's eye filled with hate as she glared up at Liara, nostrils flaring.

"I've had you locked up in here for over a day now, and before that you were missing for a day. That means you haven't eaten in at least two days, and likely more. You must be starving," Liara said, pulling a sealed container from her bundle. "I can fix that. If you keep your mouth shut and do as you're told, that is." She could see Jack's mood change almost immediately; the woman's eyes flicking from her own to the food in rapid, eager, succession. Liara smiled: she liked that. "Realize I'm not doing this out of any sort of sympathy for you. I'm doing it to keep you alive, because I want you alive... for now. However, any act of disobedience and I may just let you starve out here. Understood?" She could see Jack visibly swallowing her pride. She nodded. "Good. Now start crawling up against that wall."

When she had her captive propped up against the wall of the shed, seated on her rear with her cuffed wrists safely behind her, Liara knelt next to her and opened the container. The smell of bread and cheese and fruit drifted up to her nose. She looked over and could see Jack was smelling it too. "Funny how wonderful things can become when we really want them, isn't it?" Jack looked up to her and kept her poker-face on. "I regretfully have to remove that muzzle of yours.. don't make me regret it." She reached over, wrapped her arms around Jack's head, and fiddled with the ballgag straps until she popped the buckle. She pulled it away from her captive's mouth, and was pleasantly satisfied to see Jack's jaw stiff and uncomfortable-looking as the ball popped out from her lips.

Liara lifted a bottle of water from her bundle and gestured to it. Jack swallowed, gave an eager nod of her head, but otherwise remained silent. Liara opened it, pushed it to her lips, and tilted it back. The woman's throat moved up and down greedily as she chugged down the water within until it was gone. Liara took it away, set it back in the bundle, and pulled out a freshly baked loaf of bread. Jack licked her lips. "You are hungry, aren't you?"

She kept quiet; she nodded.

"Oh, I like this," Liara said with a giggle. "Too scared to speak... it's a good fit for you."

Jack only stared at the bread.

Liara lifted it to her mouth-

-but just as Jack tried closing her teeth down around it, she pulled it away.

Jack's face darkened, her lips started to form the beginning of what Liara was sure-to-be a very nasty word, but she stopped herself, took a breath, and lowered her eyes.

Liara laughed. "You're learning," she said, and then shoved the bread forward. It parted Jack's lips for her, and then Liara crammed half of the whole thing into her mouth until she gagged on it. Liara let go and sat back, giggling, as Jack glared at her with half a loaf of bread hanging out of her mouth. "Go on, then. Eat."

It didn't take long for the woman to put her pride aside once again. She bit down, sending the outer half dropping to the dirt floor. Liara picked it up and brushed it off as Jack chewed and swallowed what she had. Finished, Liara offered the other half, which was only a little dirty. Jack closed her eyes, sighed, but nodded. The bread was held to her mouth, and she took it.

"I guess filthy whores will eat just about anything, hm?" Liara taunted as her captive ate. She removed an apple from her bundle and tossed it from hand to hand. "I picked out an apple for you specifically. It sort of looks like your ballgag doesn't it? Big and round and red... I hope you have the courage to open up and take a bite..." Liara said, unable to stop another giggle as it slipped through her lips.

Jack swallowed the last of the bread, eyes the apple, and nodded. Liara offered it forward, and her prisoner leaned in and took a large bite; apple juice streaming down her chin as she closed her eyes and savored it. It didn't take her long to finish the whole thing as Liara used her fingers to twirl it.

When her meal was finally over after a cut of a cheese wedge and another half bottle of water, Liara knelt before her captive, smiling. "Was that as good for you as it was for me?" A giggle. "Seeing a dirty little human reduced to such a subservient little dog... I like that. I like that very much."

"How long are you going to do this shit to me..." Jack asked, finding the courage to speak apparently now that was her stomach was full.

"As long as I like."

The tattooed woman's eyes flicked up at hers with fury burning in them. "I'm going to get out this... and I'm going to fucking kill you."

Liara shrugged, reached into her bundle, and removed the final item she'd brought with her: a brown bottle of chloroform and a rag to soak in it. She watched with delight as Jack's eyes widened apprehensively.

"No!" Jack protested. "What the fuck, no! You can't do this shit to me!"

Liara soaked the rag. "Be quiet. Things have changed in that mansion. Lots of things. People are looking for you, and it's not going to take them long to look in here. My options are to drown you out in the ocean and let the water take you away... or move you. Be thankful I chose the latter."

"You don't have to fucking knock me out! I won't put up a fight or anything..."

Liara ignored her. "Other things have changed, too," she said with a grin as she replaced the brown bottle's cap. "Like the fact that your girlfriend, Miranda, is sleeping with Shepard's little pet Sam..."

Jack stared at her, a look of hurt darkening her face. "...you're lying."

"No," Liara said, enjoying the fact that she actually wasn't. "It's true. Miranda and myself have been freed... how do you think I'm able to come and go here with such ease? You're girlfriend is a free women... and she's choosing to use that freedom to sleep with Samantha."

"Bullshit," Jack snapped.

"Maybe you'll get a chance to see," Liara said, crawling forward with the rag in her hand. "I'm bringing you inside."

"No! Don't!" Jack yelled, but then the rag was over her mouth and nose, reducing her shouts to muffled, quiet, noises. She tried snapping her hips, jerking her head back, kicking with her bound feet, but Liara kept the rag in place, and in a few seconds, Jack's eyes rolled back, then closed, and her body went limp.

Liara rested back on her calves and caught her breath, staring at her unconscious captive with satisfaction.

"You're pretty mean."

Liara yelped, lost her balance, and dropped to an elbow on the dirt floor. That was it; she'd been caught. It was over. She was in big trouble. "Shepard, I can explain!" She pleaded, snapping her head back towards the shed door and putting on her best 'helpless little asari' act. Only when she looked at the door - no one was there. In fact, it was closed tightly.

"Over here."

The voice was in the shed! Liara's breath caught in her chest as she spun around, dropped to both elbows, and scurried back to the near wall, desperate to escape that haunting voice. Of course it wasn't Shepard's, it was... strange sounding. Foreign. Distorted. Her eyes scanned the shed. Nothing was there. It was a small room with nowhere to hide; what she was hearing was an impossibility! "Have I lost it? Hello!? Who's there!?"

Then she saw it. Movement at the rear wall of the shed. It wasn't a figure though, but a collection of reflected light and a mirror-like shine from the candle glowed at certain angles and corners of it. It was what assassin's and high-grade militant personnel used. It was a cloaking device. "Now you see me."

The voice was masked beneath some sort of sound-distortion. It scared Liara. "Y-Yes... Yes I see... who are you."

The reflections moved every-so-slightly, but stayed at the rear of the barn. "Someone under contract."

Liara's breath was coming in jagged, short, gasps. She felt her elbows wobble beneath her weight. "W-... what do you want?"

"To fulfill my contract."

Catching her breath and steadying her nerves, Liara was able to concentrate better on the voice. The distorter was good, but her asari ears were good too. The voice beneath sounded feminine... almost playful. "Alright..." she said, swallowing and squinting at the back of the barn, trying to pinpoint the reflective material's central point. "What is your contract?"

"To steal something of very high value to someone."

Liara's mind scanned over the dozens upon dozens of things of value in Shepard's mansion. There were almost too many to count. "Alright," she said. There was only one thing left to ask. "What do you want from me?"

"Help."

Liara nodded. "If you harm me, I won't be able to help you..."

A quiet, melodic, noise drifted from the distorter that might have been laughter. "I understand this." The figure moved slightly, the candlelight flickering off their cloak at a different angle. "I'm here to steal a person. A girl. Her name is Samantha Traynor, and I need her alive and unharmed."

Liara's mouth fell agape. She flashed back to lying strapped down to Shepard's bed as Sam fucked her with a strap-on repeatedly. "I know who you speak of."

"I was not informed anyone other then Commander Shepard, twelve volus, and the girl would be on this planet. I was... surprised, to say the least, when I found Jack here hanging around, bound and gagged, in this shed. Apparently... at your hands."

Liara swallowed. This... thief or whatever the cloaked figure was knew Jack by name. That likely wasn't a good thing.

"What other surprises can I expect. Who else is in that mansion?"

"An Alliance woman, Ashley Williams," Liara said. "And a Cerberus Agent named Miranda Lawson."

"Miranda..."

Strike two. The thief knew both the little whores.

"Who else?"

"That's all."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

The figure was silent for a moment then. Outside the shed, the wind blew and another roar of thunder sounded in the skies, closer this time.

"Why are you doing what you're doing to Jack?"

Liara said the only word that came to her, the only word that made sense. "Punishment."

Another long silence from the figure, then - "Can you get the girl, Samantha, out here without any fuss, without any... unwanted attention?"

"Yes," Liara said immediately. She'd hit the little bitch over the head with a rock and drag her out if it meant she was going to be taken away and sold off like some common whore.

"When?"

"As soon as... tomorrow?"

Silence, then "Alright. I've taken video footage of you're encounter with Jack. I uploaded it to my ship as we sat here. I wouldn't cross me if you don't want you're dirty secrets spread throughout the galaxy."

Liara swallowed, uncomfortable with the idea that footage even existed of what she'd done let alone the possibility of other people seeing it. "...alright."

"Deliver Samantha Traynor to this shed tomorrow night, or things go bad for you. Understood?"

"Yes."

"And I'm taking Jack with me."

"No." The word was out of her mouth so quickly, so instinctively, she couldn't stop it. Liara stared at the figure, swallowed, and shook her head. "I mean... why? She can't tell you anything I haven't already told you."

"I will see about that myself."

Liara's eyes flicked back and forth from Jack to the thief's figure. "Please... her... her punishment has not been completed..."

"I wasn't asking your permission. Go back inside now. Be thankful I've offered you the generous deal you've received."

She glanced once more to her unconscious captive, imagining all the things she still wanted to do to her. Anger boiled up in her stomach at the realization that she would not get to do any of them. "...fine."

"Tomorrow night. Samantha Traynor. Deliver her to this shed unharmed. Don't make me regret my generosity. Now go."

Liara stood, folded down the wrinkles in her suit, and left the shed with her head held as high as her damaged ego would allow. She'd been bested by the thief-clean and fair-and she didn't like it.

She didn't like it one bit.

-Shepard-

The Normandy S3-Noodle Edition cut a path through the scolding hot lava-world of 'Souptopia'. It maneuvered around a cluster of steaming chicken, narrowly avoided a rogue pea, and then was caught and lifted by an enormous, metal, piercing-device. The noodle ship was carried helplessly up off the lava-surface and then shoved inside a gaping, black hole.

Shepard pulled the fork from her mouth and swallowed. Chicken noodle soup was her favorite soup, and Normandy Soup-Escape was her favorite game - well, after all the bondage games, of course.

The commander sat in the dimly lit kitchen of her mansion, bunched up on the head chair of the table, garnished in her panties, an oversized pink T-shirt she liked to wear to bed, and nothing else. Her bare legs and feet were pulled up close to her chest, one arm hugging her knees, the other helping her hand play Soup-Escape. The sound of the side door opening and closing, a chilly breeze accompanying it, made her stop the game and stare over at the shadowy hall leading into the kitchen. "Hello?"

A moment's hesitation, then Liara T'Soni's voice came back, "Commander?"

"In the kitchen, Liara," Shepard said, sticking another bite of soup in her mouth.

Liara walked in, damp from rain, and stared at her, confused. "You're awake?"

"So are you," Shepard replied, pointing her now-empty fork at the asari. "What were you doing outside?"

"Oh... well, I... you know, some night I just can't sleep, Commander. This, unfortunately, is one of them. I thought some fresh air might do me some good."

"I can't sleep either," Shepard admitted. She'd tossed and turned for the last hour in her bed, but couldn't find a comfortable position. When the sheets started getting sweaty, she knew it was kitchen time; it was Normandy Soup-Escape time. "Sit down with me."

"Yes, Commander," Liara said, crossed the kitchen to the table and took the seat closest to her.

"You can't call me that anymore, I guess," Shepard said, biting her lip. "Ashley says if everyone keeps calling me that it's only going to contribute to my 'delusions'."

"Delusions?" Liara repeated, settling in to the chair and scooting it a bit closer to Shepard. "What delusions would those be, Shepard?"

Shepard looked down into her soup, bit her lip, and shrugged. "I guess, like... thinking I can control everybody and stuff... thinking I'm above everyone." She was still struggling with the idea, but Ashley kept assuring her it was for the best. She took a deep breath and looked up at Liara. "You look... a little on edge, Liara. You alright?"

"Oh, yes, Shepard. Fine," the asari said, offering a wide smile. "But... are you is the question? You know... ever since Chief Williams started you on this 'recovery' program... you've seemed less happy than I've ever seen you."

"The night is always darkest before the dawn," Shepard said, taking another bite of soup. "That's the quote Ashley kept saying. She found it in some old book and seems to have taken a liking to it. I don't really care for it. If the night is long and miserable... the next day is going to be just as shitty."

Liara laughed. "Yes, I suppose you're right." Her eyes flicked across Shepard's body. "And I agree, Shepard. If you aren't happy with this... change of management, so-to-speak, you shouldn't force it on yourself."

Shepard stared down at her feet. Her toes hung from the edge of the chair, and she moved them up and down as she bit at her lip. "I'm doing it for Ashley. I want her... to be happy."

"Even if that means your own happiness?" Liara said, pulling Shepard's gaze back up to her. "That seems awfully selfish of Chief Williams if that's true." The asari scooted the chair a bit closer and laid a hand on Shepard's bare knee. "You know, Shepard, I myself have a doctorate. While it may not be in the medicinal field, I was required to study all sorts of medical issues on Thessia. Including mental problems..."

"So you think I have mental problems too then..."

"I can't be sure, Shepard. We'd have to test you."

"Test? What do you mean?"

Liara put a second hand on Shepard's knee and squeezed. Shepard liked the way it felt, but Ashley's face immediately popped into her head. Ashley wouldn't like Liara's hand on her leg. However... she didn't remove it. "I think if you really want to know what might be wrong with you, Shepard... you'd have to give up your control..."

"I did!" Shepard protested with a nod of her head. Giving up the prisoners she'd worked so hard to capture was one of the hardest things she'd ever done. Especially before she'd truly had her way with them.

"You partially did, I suppose," Liara pressed on, her fingers sliding back and forth along Shepard's knees. "But, come on Shepard, let's face facts here. You still have a squadron of volus at your beck and call. You still run this ship, even if Ashley if the one making decisions. You could strip her of that power at any time, couldn't you?"

Shepard thought about it. "Yeah... I guess I could..."

"If you want to move past this 'God complex' or whatever you may potentially have, you need to truly relinquish control," Liara went on. "Preferably to someone you trust... someone who's known you for a long time. Someone who's been on missions with you. Saved the citadel with you. Someone with a doctorate, perhaps?"

As convincing as Liara's words were, Ashley's face, disapproving, kept popping into Shepard's mind. If Ashley wasn't happy... none of it was worth it. "I can't, Liara. I thank you for offering to help me, I really do, but... Ashley-"

"Shhhh," Liara shushed her, one of her blue hands reaching up and placing a finger across her lips vertically. Shepard frowned, but did not attempt to move it. "Shepard... if all of your decisions are in servitude of Ashley William's will... doesn't that make this a slave/master relationship anyway? Hasn't Ashley lured you into the very thing you're trying to move past? You can't live your life like that! That's not better than kidnapping people and holding them against their will! Now your the captive and Ashley... I'm sorry, Shepard, but it sounds like Ashley might be your captor."

"No," Shepard said, shaking her head and pulling Liara's finger from her lips. "Ashley isn't like that. She's sweet and pure and good-hearted and selfless... she doesn't care about control."

"Maybe all those things are true..." Liara said. "And maybe they're not. But how would you ever know? She came her, unwillingly, and wound up your prisoner. You allowed her to talk her way out of it and reverse the roles on you... But would she have done that if she'd hadn't already been your prisoner? If she'd known you were in trouble, would she really have dropped everything in her strict little Alliance life to come and 'rescue' you?"

Thoughts raced through Shepard's mind at a dozen different speeds and a dozen different angles. Mostly, she thought of Ashley missing from her life, and it left a sad empty feeling in her chest. "I... I don't know..."

"No, you don't," Liara went on. "But you can find out, can't you? By relinquishing full control of the mansion to me, Shepard. I'll offer Chief Williams her freedom... I'll take control and find out if she actually cares about you... or if she's only been trying to save her own skin this whole time."

Shepard stared at her toes, thinking over Liara's words. "I don't know, Liara... I just don't know..."

"Shepard," Liara said, leaning closer and dipping her head so their eyes met. "If you're happy in life... why are you sitting in your kitchen, alone, in the middle of the night...?"

And just like that, Shepard felt tears rushing up to the surface of her face. She sniffed, trying to hold them back, but she could feel the corners of her eyes watering. How did this happen to her? Just a few days ago she thought she had her whole life figured out, but now? Now Ashley Williams had gone and turned it all upside down.

Liara got off her chair, dropped to her knees beside Shepard, and wrapped her arms around her shoulders. "Oh, Shepard... come here..." the asari said softly, pulling her closer. Shepard allowed herself to be pulled in as a tear rolled down her cheek. Liara's lips pressed against the tear and kissed. "I'm here for you..." She kissed again. "Right here." Another kiss.

Shepard swiped her eyes with the back of her hand. "Thank you... Liara..." She whispered. "I wanted Ashley to be happy, and... I want her to love me."

"I want that too," Liara's voice came. "And if you give me control... I promise I will do everything I can to make that happen..."

Another kiss, warm, pressed against her cheek. "Okay, Liara... I'll do it. I'll tell everyone tomorrow morning."

Liara straightened her back, pressed her body to Shepard's, and squeezed tightly. "Thank you, Shepard..."

"Thank you so much."