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. More reviews = more chapters.
Sorry for the ridiculously long wait for an update. My mind was screaming to write, but sick body had me stuck in bed sipping tea and feeling sorry for myself… Just ask Tayg :D
Bioware owns all, I just make them cry.
Piece by Piece
5 minutes later they were both asleep, together, as it should be.
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~
Her omni-tool flashes and buzzes much to her annoyance. She checks it quickly and sees the sender is the Alliance's Medical Division. Finally, they got off their collective asses. She reads the rest of the message: AMD has finally completed the construction of Commander Shepard's new legs as per her specifications.
Shepard. She closes her omni-tool, peels off her clothes and steps into a much needed hot shower. As the jets of water soak her long, black hair and back she begins to relax. Shepard. You had a singular purpose, and yet you were… are so much more.
"Is it just me, or are you just naturally this fucking bitchy?" Shepard says with a clear scowl across her face.
"We can either talk about the mission, or do it. I prefer to complete the task on hand. God forbid another colony gets taken because the great Commander Shepard wants to chit-chat." She crosses her arms over her chest and fixes a glare on the newly resurrected commander.
"Cerberus isn't as evil as you think, Commander. We only want to advance and preserve human interests within the galactic community."
"So turning humans into husks, enslaving rachni and thorian creepers was all in the name of advancing humanity? Lawson, you're smarter and better than this and them. What about Jack and the other biotic kids? You've said it yourself, Cerberus cells operate secretly. You have no idea what they've done." Shepard spits, her eyes piercing Miranda's essence, not even faltering for a second. Never has Miranda questioned her loyalty to Cerberus before now.
"I… Thank you for helping me with my sister. I never thought you would. The Illusive Man would have not approved of this distraction… I… thank you, Shepard. She's now safe again, I could have never done it without your help."
The Collector base, what an abomination. The Illusive Man wants it intact. He'd kill humanity's hero for it too, after everything she has done. She is a tool with a singular purpose, it wasn't to rescue colonists, it was to secure Reaper tech for Cerberus.
"Stop her Lawson, I gave you a god-damned order!" He fumed over the holo-com.
"I know. And I won't follow it, or anything else you have to say. Consider this my resignation." Never had she felt so liberated as when she handed Shepard the bomb.
Miranda wasn't sure how much time had passed as she ran her hands over her soapy body again. Thinking of Cerberus and her old life made her feel dirty. For someone built for perfection, why could she not see the flaws in the organization she immersed herself in? Why did she follow them so blindly? Why did she run for so long from her father? Why had she needed others to keep Ori safe? Shepard. Yes, everything changed when she met Shepard. After more than 30 years she finally became her true self, and who she was really meant to be.
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~
Liara is comfortably wrapped around her bond-mate, a smile on her lips even in slumber. She feels Shepard fidgeting and moving about as she slowly wakes up. Smiling, she looks to her lover and is instantly distressed by the quiet mumbling and worry plastered over Shepard's face. Shepard has not been "re-awakened" long and she starts to worry that maybe her mind is bombarding her with memories she isn't yet aware she has.
"Shepard, please wake up… you're dreaming." She kisses her shoulder softly, making her way up to her neck. No response. Liara becomes more frantic and begins to shake her bond-mate. "Shepard! Goddess, please wake up, I love you, please!"
Shepard suddenly breaks into a light coat of sweat as her muscles tighten. Her muttering is still incomprehensible, as her eyes, while still closed, rapidly move left to right as though scoping out the enemy.
"Shepard, wake up!" Glancing around the room she realizes they are still alone. Shepard then starts convulsing, shouting and foaming at the mouth. Liara darts out of the bed and slams the emergency button requesting immediate assistance. She paces for a few seconds, what to her feels like a goddess-damned eternity. She's panicked and initiates the one thing she knows can sooth her lover. Goddess, forgive me, Shepard. But I don't know how else to help you.
"Embrace eternity!"
As she pushes her way through Shepard's mind she comes upon an eerie forest. The grass is dry, the sky is grey and the trees are dead. Out of no where ghostly black forms appear and whisper incoherently. The few words she can understand are 'show me', 'it had to be me', 'I must go to them', and a repeated 'Shepard'.
She screams out for her lover. "Shepard!" Only she cannot hear herself. A cold passes through her sending shivers up her spine. "SHEPARD!" Silence. Realizing this is an exercise in futility she decides to look for her bond-mate and takes a step forward. Her body feels like it is cemented down, yet it feels like it is in zero gravity.
She is over-whelmed as she looks around. She sees her lover materialize... She spots Shepard scanning around for something… 'Goddess she is looking at me!' Liara lifts her arms in an attempt to catch Shepard's attention, but they feel like they have 1 ton weights on them. Her lover stares right though her and also in a much reduced speed, "runs" off.
By the time Liara closes in on Shepard she feels as if she has run a marathon, yet it has been only about 50 meters, and her lover still cannot hear her. Liara wonders if this is because Shepard didn't invite her into a meld, but she reflects back to the time where she was aroused and through a meld coaxed her bond-mate to wake up and make love to her… Despite the fact Shepard was riding a Hanar gliding over a rainbow towards a parade of Ewoks all waving the latest S3K strap on. 'Goddess, no wonder she woke up'.
Liara quickly dismisses the childish memory and concentrates on the task at hand. Reaching her bond-mate feels like it has taken an eternity. She sees Shepard leaning into a blur, as if to help someone up. The blur runs off, unhindered by the weight she, and now apparently Shepard carry.
A sudden flash of light hits her eyes. As she focuses after being temporarily blinded she sees world burning. She can hear screams, orders been shouted to fall back, regroup. She blinks and is back in this dreaded forest.
She runs towards Shepard, who is following the blur. The horn of a Reaper blasts and the forest is bathed in a red hue.
"Their sacrifices will be recorded in the coming empire". Another Reaper horn. Bodies burn. The smell of dead flesh hits her nose as she pales. A city falls.
She is back in the forest and approaches the blur. She can make out a color. Blue. The voices still whisper, yet are so loud they sound like they are shouting. Shepard reaches for the blur. Liara moves closer, the blue blur revealing itself to be a small Asari child. Fear overwhelms her, she reaches out for Shepard and the child but is frozen. The dreadful horn sounds again, this time accompanied by the deadly laser steadily heading their way. The red beam hits her and she is catapulted…
Her back bones ached. She was cold and sore. She wanted to open her eyes, but they were not last time she felt this way was after having been warped by a Banshee. Sudden terror hit her and she primed her biotics. Goddess, no…. Those used to be Asari!
"…date her now! I've got Shepard! Restrain T'Soni!" Medical alarms sounded though the room. Although she couldn't see what was happening she felt a fury of panicked emotions fill the room.
"Shepard!" Liara felt a prick on her neck as warm arms lifted off the ground. Her fight to stay awake lasted all of 5 seconds before darkness found her.
A/N: Again sorry for the long delay. I hope to have another up this weekend if I'm not feeling like total shit. Gonna lay off Traynor too. Think she learned her lesson. Reviews and thoughts are always welcomed. Also, I know I have a lot of reading to catch up on. :D