A/N Inspired by Evanescence "Bring me to Life", Salser's amazing story "Forever as One" and my own loss… Title inspired by Garbage's verse from "My Lover's Box."
Thanks to everyone who added, reviewed and fav'd. You make this worth continuing.
Unbetad, I wanna finish this. And bonus points to those who can pick out the Lady Gaga reference. Those who can, I will write a mini-smut fill of your choice, pm me. And use good judgment.
Bioware owns all, I just make them cry.
Piece by Piece
{"Hitting the DMZ relay in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1… Welcome to Earth everyone!"}
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~
The sight was astounding, despite the blackened areas of the planet, it shone in blues and greens Liara had only seen on Thessia. The last time she had seen this planet, it was nearly decimated by the Reapers as they darkened the plant's skies, as clouds of smoke and blazes of orange had covered the planet's surface.
Here they were, on their the final approach to the devastated planet, no fires or smoking pillars to be seen anywhere; a testament to the Reaper's defeat… and to Shepard's sacrifice. According to the intel she gathered, and a recent Alliance report, her bond-mate was barely clinging to life.
Goddess be damned, can this tin can move any faster…
After having been permission to land, the Normandy made her way slowly but surely to the Anguilla spaceport. The ship shook slightly as the docking clamps secured the vessel. Liara could barely contain her excitement as she pushed her way to the front of the airlock. A blinding flash of light it her eyes, followed by a sudden frenzy of blinking strobe lights. Apparently the Alliance had done a piss poor job of containing the media.
"Diana Allers, ANN News. Commander Shepard kicked me off the Normandy before I could file any story… Is it true Commander Shepard was reconstructed by Cerberus therefore possibly indoctrinated?"
"Khalisah Bint Sinan Al-Jilani, Westerlund News… Dr. T'Soni, will you encourage the commander to sway from humanity? We need our hero Doctor, what do you say to the accusations that you have been influencing her to turn her back on us?"
The Asari seethed... Shepard did this for all life in the galaxy. Keeping her composure she sauntered slowly towards the reporters.
"Emma Hodson, Terra Firma Public Relations, is it true the Commander forfeited humanity for an alien, Asari way of life? Rumours have you two "joined" since the battle of the Citadel."
Very unfortunately for her Khalisah was the reporter within reach. Time suddenly slowed… her vision blurred as she felt a surge of adrenaline… and anger. Her head was suddenly heavy, neck folding backwards. Electricity ran through her veins as she felt her head almost involuntarily snap forward… and connect.
Crack!
The sound of breaking bones whipped her back into the present. Her own forehead pulsed in pain; she wiped her brow only to find blood smeared on her hand. The reporters stood in horror, then parted like the red sea at her approach. Looking down she saw Khalisah holding her nose, blood rushing profusely. One last dirty look thrown to the bloodied reporter then she was on way to the Germanotta Hospital. Quarter Krogan? Father would be proud.
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~
"Tali Zorah vas Normandy to the Quarian fleet, come in…" The young Quarian rung her hands together in anticipation. "Repeat, Tali to the Fleet, anyone, please respond…"
Static crackled and broken voices muttered over the partially restored comm. {…fered heavy losses. Adm…. en… reporting… Zaal… Qwib… also…"}
"Edi, can you…" Damn it. For the first time since Legion's death on Rannoch she felt the loss of her commerades, and allies. I'm a Quraian, they drove us from our home world, I should be glad they're dead… but they helped us. Keelah, they're dead.
She recalibrated the Normandy's secondary internal comm relay by 1.036 zHz, and finally got a clear signal. "This is Admiral Tali Zorah vas Normandy to all ships, report."
{"A red pulse went off, the Mass relays were damaged but are still operational. All synthetics seem to have gone offline. The pulse seems to have targeted anything with reaper tech. The Geth are offline, the Citadel has been mostly destroyed and the relays, although intact, can't sustain much more space travel. I fear any further use and they may just blow up."}
"Our ship's AI… I mean EDI, has also gone 'offline'. Has anyone performed a biometric q-bit scan of any kind?"
{"No Admiral, our priority has been securing the fleet's internal biometric stabilization units."}
"And are the Fleets stable?"
{Yes Ma'am.}
"Then what are you waiting for? Keelah, run those scans now you bosh'tet!"
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~
The hospital was immaculate, untouched by the Reapers, and not a scuff to be seen.
After her less than gallant encounter with reporters the medical staff rushed to her. She ignored them walking towards the stern faced admiral just beyond her grasp. His harsh eyes softened as he watched her approach.
"Room 116."
A simple number. Her life was harboured behind a three-digit number. Liara felt her heart beat in her ears, it was deafening… the pounding excruciating. She broke into a sweat, voices became murmured as the slowly walked down the hall. 113, 114,115, 116… Goddess…
Two armed guards stood outside room 116. "There's an Asari here, what do you want us to do with her…?" Liara was amazed at how cold they could be, having watched her without twitching, so distant yet so perceptive of their environment. She was certain had she been perceived as an actual threat she'd have been shot dead 20 meters ago.
A slim, raven haired woman walked out of room 116. "Dr.T'Soni, I wish we could have met again under better circumstances."
"Is she going to be ok?" She could barely hear herself speak over her heart beat.
The ex-cerberus operative's lips seemed to put forth a yes. She closed her eyes, focused on her inner peace, memories of Shepard, slowed her breathing, and opened her mind. Blue eyes met the agent's baby blues.
"By my deductions she will make a full recovery… however, she has lost her legs. The Alliance found her pinned under rubble, a ton of it to be precise and she was bleeding out. I'm sorry Doctor, there was no choice."
The harsh reality took a few minutes to sink in. Although her bond-mate would not see the reasoning in this, her legs were a small price to pay… She was alive.
"H-has she woken… I mean does she know? Does she know where she is? Has she spoken to anyone, has-"
"No Doctor… Liara, she has been out since the Alliance found her." Miranda extends a hand and rests it on Liara's shoulder, eyes so telling. She knows full well she was assigned to this "project" by the Alliance given her Lazarus success. She can't help but feel she should have sabotaged it this time around, failed on purpose, let Shepard rest. She's given too much. But those oceanic eyes. She tells herself she did it for those eyes, to give Shepard the chance to peer into them again.
"I want to see her."
"Very well, be prepared, it isn't pretty. I mean-"
"I know Miranda, I wasn't expecting as you humans say, rainbows and sunshine… Please just take me to her."
Miranda swung the door open, holding it for the Asari to walk through. The beautiful blue drained from her face. Goddess, what was I thinking. That she'd be sitting up in bed with arms open ready to kiss me? There were machines regulating her breathing, her pulse, her life. Her face was burned, her hair singed and shaved, tubes sticking down her throat and through every other orifice. Tears welled up as she scanned her bond-mate's beaten body. So bruised, so fragile.
"Goddess, oh Goddess… maybe you should have let her go…" She could not fathom being without Shepard, but she could not stand to see her in such pain, subjected to what she deemed was torture.
"I'll ignore that…" Miranda spat; "and although she can't hear you, it has long been said that the unconscious mind can process audio stimulation. Meaning– "
"Just leave us." She regretted the words as they left her mouth. After all, she was addressing the woman who now twice brought her bond-mate back. "I..I'm sorry, how rude of me… would you please give us a moment…"
"Of course, Doctor, um… Liara." Reflecting upon the past her and the Asari's dealings had been less than pleasant. Threats. Untold promises. Mutual respect and hatred. Fear. Loathing. Death.
She approached the bed, pulled up a chair and sat down. She traced her fingers over a bandaged, burnt hand. "I love you, Goddess knows I love you. I don't know when you'll wake up. If you ever will… as long as I draw breath I won't give up… I can't let you go. It seems incredibly selfish I know… You've done everything for us, more than anyone could have hoped for. We should be able to let you go, but I… I can't."
She interlaced her hand with her broken bond-mate's burnt and bandaged fingers. Her head sunk and tears flowed freely as she once again looked upon her lover's mangled body.
A squeeze. A damaged hand tightened around hers.
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~
A/N: The end? Reviews may say otherwise…