'Sweet thing...'

A husky voice, dripping sensuality,

A pale blue expanse of flesh, pushing her to the bed, forcing her down.

She knew it was wrong, but she loved it, wanted more, and when the touch came she arced back, just as Liara did under her, wanting more, until it began to hurt, until -

'Morinth!'

Faith awoke with a start, scrambling up the bed, soaked in a cold sweat that had the thin white sheet stuck to her body.

Liara was there instantly, with a gentle caress across her cheek.

'Calm, Faith,' her dark eyes blinked, clearing the haze of sleep, and saw Liara looking at her, concern filling her gaze. She took a deep breath, willing her heart to cease pounding into her ribs as the asari crawled up to sit alongside her, leaning against the pillows across the headboard.

'W... were you already awake?' she mumbled, before reaching for the flask of water she kept by the bed to clear her mouth and throat.

'You were thrashing in your sleep, but I could not wake you.' Liara looked down as Faith took a sip. 'I am sorry, it seemed -'

'Don't.' she cut off Liara's words, before handing her the flask. She was alert now, and saw on the chrono by her bed that they had only been asleep for a couple of hours. Her body was relaxed now, but her mind still felt exhausted. 'Please Liara... don't apologise.'

'What do you mean?' Liara asked, trailing one hand through Faith's rather ragged hair as the other took the water.

She is too good...

Faith tilted her head slightly, away from Liara's touch, a touch she felt unworthy of. 'Do you want to know what woke me up?'

Liara predictably nodded, wide eyes never leaving her own even as she took a sip of water.

'Morinth. That... thing... pushing me down, then...' she shook her head, still not able to vocalise what happened, and looked away from Liara, unable to keep the gaze that showed only understanding, love.

'A... and... I liked it.' She shuddered. 'It was wrong, sick, but I wanted...'

Wanted more...

Wanted release...

'You know the rest.' She whispered. Liara knew it all. She had shown Liara everything through the union: the overwhelming lust, the shame, and, somehow, felt only sympathy and love in response.

'And now... God... how the hell was that-' she took a deep breath. She had to say this, to understand, 'any different to what I did to you?'

She finally looked again to the asari, who had put down the flask and drawn the sheets up around herself. Liara looked thoughtful for a moment, before locking her gaze. 'Because I know you care for me. Because you were suffering, because I was aware-'

'Stop that!' Why couldn't Liara just be angry with her? 'Don't pretend it didn't bother you! I of all people should have known... shouldn't have...'

I can't even say it... coward.

Liara's eyes finally flashed with anger. 'What do you want me to say? Yes, you startled me. You should not have done it.'

Despite wanting to hear the words, she felt a cold fear grip her.

Liara shook her head harshly. 'But no, it does not change anything: how I feel about you, how you feel about me.' Her voice cooled. 'I know you Faith. I have seen everything that you are, and I know it can be terrifying and imperfect.'

The words burned her, shamed her. She had, for so long, kept herself private, put on a mask of professionalism and coldness, buried her emotions for fear of people seeing just how just how unstable they were. But now Liara knew it all, and she wished she was a better person, the hero many saw her as, for her.

Liara's soft hand gently turned her head, so they were looking into each others eyes once again. 'And I love you. Do not ever doubt that. If I wanted an idealised version of you, I would not be here, now, I would be on my ship, imagining things that are not real. If I truly wanted you to stop last night, I would stopped you myself, but you did when I grew uncomfortable, and you knew it right away.'

Why does she have to be so good...

Liara leaned over and planted a chaste kiss on her cheek. 'I am here for you, however you need.'

Faith rolled to sit, legs hanging off the bed, still uncomfortably damp after the nightmare. Liara was instantly behind her, draped over her body. 'You're too good to me, Liara,' she whispered.

She did not deserve somebody like this.

'And I know you said you wouldn't hear it... but I am sorry.'

Liara let out a soft hum, the noise vibrating pleasantly through her. 'Then I forgive you. And I never want to hear of it again.'

Faith let out a small smile, and took Liara's hands, drawing them around herself. 'Thank you.' she whispered, knowing the asari could hear. Perhaps things were not perfect... but she was at peace.

She gasped as Liara gently tugged her backwards. 'Now come back to bed.'


Kelly was terrified.

When she had joined Cerberus, she had done so with something of a rose-tinted view of the organisation. She accepted that their methods could be harsh, and their past was something she could not comfortably overlook.

But they did a lot of good, most of it going unnoticed. She had realised at school that somebody had taken an interest: teachers were treating her slightly differently, hesitantly, but pouring a lot of effort into ensuring she worked at her best. Her parents, whispering quietly about how their money worries had ended, stopping when she entered the room.

But she had thought it was the Alliance. They were always on the lookout for new talent, and she knew from an early age that she was more perceptive than anybody else around her. She had a natural talent for judging people's moods and emotions, matched with a thirst for knowledge that led her to keep extensive records on her teachers, her classmates, to see how people acted around each other, under certain stimuli, when some people were present or not.

She was fascinated by people.

It was not the Alliance who eventually got in touch with her. At age seventeen, she had been headhunted by a company who sponsored her university studies, a company she worked for for two years afterwards before learning their status as a Cerberus front.

A bit of digging about the organisation showed their... mixed... credentials. Colonies funded. Terror attacks. Deprived areas on Earth, reformed. Anti-alien sentiments that occasionally crossed the line into active hate.

But she was interested. There was a lot of good to be done with them, more than the Alliance at least who had better intentions, but a worse track record of getting things done. As soon as she showed that interest, they had paid for Kelly to receive the very best post-graduate education, offering her training on the side that formal education could not provide: from small arms to basic ship mechanics.

Cerberus spared no expense when it came to their most valued resource.

After several years on other Cerberus teams, finding a valued place for herself as somebody who could make a team of volatile personalities work together with just tiny nudges, discreet conversations and the occasional recommendation to superior officers, she had been offered a place on Shepard's crew.

A dream job.

Working with humanity's best, under the supervision of Cerberus' most decorated officer, on a mission whose importance dwarfed the others she had been involved in.

The substantial paycheck and benefits package certainly did not hurt either.

But things had changed. Shepard had become more open with the Normandy crew, and they had all, herself included, drifted away from thinking of themselves as Cerberus employees. They were Shepard's people. The organisation had lost its shine, and when she had received a message, personally, from the Illusive Man, requesting that she send over a full psych report on Shepard after they returned through the Relay, she had deleted it.

The Relay...

She could barely remember what happened after that filthy, slimy creature had grabbed her, tore away the pistol she had been shakily firing at it, and stuffed her into a capsule as if she were a piece of meat.

She could barely remember the nightmare that had woken her with a scream a few hours ago, after she finally collapsed with exhaustion after so much horror and death. She had called her remaining family to let them know she loved them, that she missed them, that she would do anything for them. It would probably worry them, but she had been terrible at keeping in touch as they raced across the galaxy prior to the attack.

But... Shepard had asked her to come up to her cabin. With her scissors. She had taken on the role as the ship's hairdresser: she found that people often talked a lot about what was truly on their minds in such a scenario, but Shepard, wanting a haircut now, just seemed...

She giggled nervously, at the absurdity, at the thought that the Commander could be thinking of something so normal after so many had been killed.

Maybe... that was how she coped with it.

Kelly had never seen anybody she know die before they had passed through the Relay.

Perhaps... perhaps just doing something so mindless would help. She nervously activated Shepard's door alarm.


The datapad in my hands sits forgotten as I watch Kelly cut Faith's hair. It is absolutely fascinating, and each time the sharp slice sounds I wince a little, still unable to see bits of a person just... cut off... as though it is nothing.

But I am slightly ashamed that that is not the real reason for my interest.

Miss Chambers looked ready to faint as she walked through the door, and it was clear she was not expecting to see anybody else in the room. Her eyes had widened at Faith's casual dress, wearing just baggy "jeans" and a dark top leaving her shoulders bare, her surprise so clear that she had failed to notice me for several seconds, at which point she had immediately become rather skittish.

But as she sat behind Faith and got to work, the girl relaxed considerably, first happy to be offered a continued place on the ship if she so desired, then as she continued to talk to Faith her body language had also relaxed, and she was speaking almost endlessly, her sweet voice telling stories of her own life, asking questions to both of us that seem innocent enough, but I see in her eyes that she is carefully judging our answers.

It is a... strange, feeling. Neither Faith nor I are particularly talkative, enjoying silence together as much as conversation, but Kelly seems completely oblivious to the fact as her hands drag through Faith's hair, deftly slicing away sections, leaving the remainder short, close to her head.

Does Faith like the questioning, the talking? The sensation of Kelly doing what she is doing with her hair?

An insane, unfounded jealousy; I detected absolutely no attraction to, well, anybody other than myself during our union, but I cannot help but wonder, cannot help but clench my teeth, resist flaring my biotics, every time she runs her slender fingers through Faith's ever shorter hair, every time she asks a personal question, every time Faith answers honestly-

'So, I didn't know you were gay.'

I catch Faith's head jerking up so suddenly that I worry Kelly will cut her ear off, before my mouthful of tea decorates the datapad I am holding.

Goddess... did she just...

'W... w...' Faith managed to stutter something more coherent than myself, as I try to vacate the tea working its way into my lungs, eyes stinging.

'I know it's not technically gay to fancy asari, I mean I've taken a few to bed myself but I'm quite happy to describe myself as bisexual, or maybe even omni-sexual if you count that turian, I'm just saying there was nothing about it in my psych reports on you, and even I didn't notice during our talks or in your behaviour.'

'Wha... Ke...'

I finally cough the last of the fluid from my throat, and see Faith sitting, frozen, eyes wide as saucers, mouth hanging slightly open while Kelly continues her diatribe as if she were discussing the weather, somehow oblivious to the effect her words were having.

'Well, not that I was especially looking for that in you, but I do notice, usually when people try to check me out which you never did, but there's also some other things like-'

'Kelly!' Faith somehow chokes out, my own throat startled into silence.

I am well aware of the concept of "gay" and "straight", seeing as every other species has gender, and that most females are exclusively attracted to males, but I was under the impression that it was mostly a private matter: humans are somewhat more liberal-minded than several other species but still not nearly as open as asari, doubly so Faith who is a private person... surely Kelly knows this?!

She stops her actions for a moment, cocking her head slightly. 'Yes, Shepard?'

'Erm... what are you talking about?!' I almost burst out laughing at how purely outraged she sounds, not angry or insulted, just... startled, as if she never imagined being questioned in such a way, that it was somehow offending a deeply held sensibility.

Which, I suppose, it is.

'Oh... well it's rather obvious that you and your friend are sleeping together, Shepard,' Kelly looks at me and smiles openly.

Goddess... I am so used to being around humans for my casual interactions that Kelly's asari-like openness is startling.

'I think it's adorable, by the way, I've had to turn your head back a dozen times because you keep looking at her,'

Oh! I feel such a flush rising to my cheeks... I was so focused on Kelly that I did not notice Faith looking at me!

'And definitely good for you, I hope Doctor T'Soni is as creative as the asari I've slept with, there's nothing quite like it!'

Surely she cannot be asking Faith for her opinion on my sexual prowess... in my company!

'I can see you care for each other deeply,' Goddess... did she just wink at me? 'so that kind of thing is important, you know? If you want Shepard, I think I've still got some of my old notes on how best to pleasure -'

'God, no!' Faith choked out, blushing bright red. I still remember when I first saw her blush, when I had mistakenly thought she asked me to sleep with her, when in reality she was offering me her bed after a mission... and I thought she was sick! Humans have such a range of colours, it was difficult to keep track of at first.

'Why not?' Kelly sounds truly baffled.

'I just...' Faith looks helplessly at me. I decide to step in, feeling rather bad for her.

'Our sex life is perfectly satisfactory, Miss Chambers, and none of your business.'

'Satisfactory? I should hope not...' She shook her head, 'but I can't help it, you two are so adorably in love!'

Goddess... how can she just... know that? Are we so obvious?

I feel a strangely pleased flush at the thought. Perhaps she is right, and we are obvious... would that be so terrible?

And to have an outside party somehow "validate" us is oddly satisfying, despite the horrifically awkward way she is going about it.

'I honestly don't know how I didn't notice it last time you were on board, Doctor T'Soni! And since the crew's mental health is my primary concern, Shepard's included, I just thought-'

'Please, Kelly... don't...' Faith pleaded, looking longingly at me.

The young redhead sighs dramatically, and begins to frisk Faith's shoulders, catching rogue hairs in a bowl she had procured. 'Fine. Well,' she looks again in my direction, eyes dancing wickedly. 'I'm trusting you, Doctor T'Soni, to take good care of her... mental health. I think I'm just about done here, and I'm sure I can help somehow with the cleanup crews, if you need me you know where I am!' She stands up and practically skips to the door, which I judge a good move considering her topics of conversation and Faith's shyness.

The bulkhead slams shut behind her, and I finally catch Faith's eyes, noticing she looks as mortified as I feel.

'I... erm...' she brings a hand up, running it through her now radically shorter hair. 'H... how does it look?'

'Erm... good!' It does look good, slightly longer than Kaidan's hair was, the strands laying across her head in a somewhat... dramatic... manner, which I decide I like, but I imagine her question was almost as absent minded as my response.

What just happened?

'Liara?' I look up, and see Faith standing before me.

'Yes?'

'Can I have a hug?'


Kelly got into the elevator, very pleased with herself. Shepard and Liara were clearly very close, and though normally she would have been happy just to see such love in horrible times like they were in, she could not resist but to push them even closer together. Shepard's constant attempts to look at the asari, disturbing her haircut, were absolutely adorable in how she did not even notice she was doing it, and Liara's rather obvious jealousy at how she was playing with Shepard's hair had simply sealed the deal.

So what if she decided to embarrass them a bit?

It would bring them closer together, learning to draw on each others strength as they obviously had during the exchange.

She sighed happily, and leaned back against the rail in the elevator. The thing was so slow... and small... and -

Trapped.

Suffocating.

It's oozing into every pore!

Faint sobs... mine?... echoing...

She shook her head, brushing aside the tears forming in her eyes, swallowing back the fear rising at the unwelcome memories.

Shepard was happy. She would live on, with Liara's help, and defeat the Reapers.

In the end, that was all that was important to her.


A/N: So people liked the first person sections! I will continue to write Liara in this style, hopefully learning along the way!

Thank you Jay8008 and Tayg for the help with this one!