THESSIA

It is mid-morning and Dara is trying to act normal but she feels like running far away from her daughter Dava. Dava had a nightmare which woke Dara to horrific screams that she has never heard before. When she burst into the room Dava was huddled in the corner hugging her knees to her chest mumbling something. It took almost an hour for Dava to finally realize she was not trapped in a dream, that she was having a nightmare that her mother was there to try to offer comfort. Dava calmed down enough to crawl back into bed shaking and shivering. When Dara asked her what she dreamt about Dava said she could not remember. Dara doesn't believe her. She was looking her daughter in the eyes when Dava answered and Dara does not believe her.

Dava is still sleeping and Dara is trying to keep herself busy. She has cleaned the kitchen twice now and has already eaten through a bag of her favorite chips. She has left multiple messages for her bondmate Valya but she has not returned any of them. Dara knows once Dava wakes up her daughter will have questions about why they are in a house outside of Armali. Dara has no idea what to say and she never thought for a second that she would someday be afraid of her own daughter. But she is afraid she very afraid.

Dara won't ever tell Dava what she heard when her daughter was mumbling. It was hard to understand her but two words came out loud and clear to Dara and the asari can't stop thinking about it. She has to get out of the house; she has to get away from her daughter. Part of her says leave while she is sleeping but the other side says no, she is your daughter and she needs you. Hopefully she won't hurt you. But when the two words must kill kept being repeated over and over and over by her daughter huddled in the corner, Dara feels something is going to happen and soon.

"Hi."

Dara jumps at the voice. She looks up to see who it is.

"Mom? You okay?"

Dara feels the quickness of her heartbeat. She can hear it in her ears. She doesn't want her daughter to know that she is scared of her.

"What are you doing?"

"Uh..well um…I am just doing a bit of cleaning." Dara returns to wiping the kitchen counter.

"Are you okay Mom? What's the matter?"

"Nothing," Dara answers very quickly. She can't stop her hands from shaking. She sees her daughter looking at her, assessing her as if she were prey.

"Is there any food?"

"Food?" Dara was not expecting the question. Her daughter looks normal not tormented as she did hours ago. "Ah yes food, of course we have food. What would you like?"

"I can make it," Dava starts to approach.

Dara throws her hands out hoping it will stop her, "No no!" She doesn't mean to sound so desperate so obviously scared. "I can make you something." Dara takes in a deep breath and lets it out. "I would be happy to make you something. How about some pancakes? I picked up the ingredients last night."

"Sure."

Dara backs up again when Dava steps closer. She can see the hurt in her daughter's eyes when Dava realizes that her mother is afraid of her. "I will be over there." Dava moves to the small family room and turns on the vid screen.

Relief washes over Dara. She quickly starts the task of making pancakes hoping beyond hope that her bondmate Valya shows up soon.


Valya slowly wakes up. As she blinks her eyes to adjust to the light coming in through the window she realizes that her arm is under someone. It's Akira. She also notices that she no longer has a headache. Valya rolls on her side. She slowly extracts her arm from under Akira's head.

Valya gently leaves the bed so as not to wake the medical examiner. She heads into the bathroom to clean up. Last night was rough. Valya has never seen Akira so upset. The medical examiner took over an hour to finally stop crying and calm down. As soon as her head hit the pillow she was out. Valya was not far behind. She didn't have the energy to move into another room. She decided to just hold Akira and fall asleep. Before succumbing to slumber, Akira said thank you. Valya could not leave her after that.

With her shower done Valya wraps the towel around her to find some clothes. Coming out of the bathroom she looks around the room. She sees her duffle bag in the corner. She grabs some clothes out of it. When she sees Akira still sleeping Valya doesn't bother going back into the bathroom. She quickly dresses. Valya moves to the kitchen now and starts looking for something to make for breakfast. She finds her omni-tool on the kitchen table. She takes it and checks for messages. There are over ten messages from Dara and she doesn't sound like herself. She sounds panicked. She sounds scared. "I need you, I need you right now." Is all Dara kept saying.

The detective quickly enters the bedroom. She touches Akira's shoulder. "Akira? Akira you need to wake up."

"Wh-What? What's going on?"

"Dara needs me. Where is the address?"

Akira sits up. "Has something happened?"

"She left me a lot of messages. She sounds scared Akira. I need to get to her. Where is she?"

Akira flings the bed sheet aside and gets up.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm going with you."

"What is the address?"

"My omni is in my office. Give me five minutes." Akira quickly moves into the bathroom.

Valya finds the omni tool and syncs the address. She dials Dara. She paces back and forth while waiting for her bondmate to answer. "Come on come on come on." Valya hangs up and dials again, still no answer. Valya enters the bedroom. She shouts through the bathroom door, "Hurry up Ak…" she stops shouting when the door opens.

"I'm here, I'm ready."

Valya doesn't remember a time where Akira looked so beautiful.

"You okay?"

Valya looks at the medical examiner's hand on her arm. Their eyes meet. "Dara is not answering. We need to go. Now."

They quickly leave Akira's house and head toward the safe house.


TUCHANKA

The drive back to base felt like it took days. Shepard is exhausted and is barely able to keep her eyes open. She has not let go of Liara's hand since sitting in the Tomkah. Liara cannot help but worry about Wrex. To look at him is to know something is wrong with the Krogan. Liara wants to talk about it but she knows now is not the time. She just got her bondmate back and Wrex is sleeping with Bakara at his side.

There are a half dozen Tomkahs heading back to base while Eli and his Krogan check the city. Liara told Eli that Miranda and Arelia led the merc ships on the attack of the city. So Eli is meeting up with the couple to get a status and see for himself what is going on. Liara hopes that Jurdon Gran is either captured or dead.

"Elly?" Liara kisses her cheek. "We are here, wake up Elly."

Slowly Shepard opens her eyes. "Where did everybody go?"

"It took a little bit to wake you. They left the vehicle a few minutes ago."

Shepard rubs her face with her hands. She slowly stands. "Sorry about that."

Liara stands next to her. The asari grabs her helmet. "No need to apologize. You are exhausted."

"You got that right." Shepard takes Liara's hand and leads her to her sleeping quarters.

"This is quite the base," says Liara as she is led through the twists and turns.

"It is."

"Do you know where you are going Shepard?"

The human laughs a little. "I may be tired but I know where I am going. Here we are." Shepard gestures to an archway. Inside is a small fire in the corner of the room and one bed.

"No door?" asks Liara.

"I am the only one back here. The others have rooms closer to the entrance. Wrex made we hang back every chance he got. He said if anything happened to me he would be haunted in the afterlife by you."

Shepard's smile fades when she sees Liara looking at her. Sees the tears form in her blue beauty's eyes. "Hey, hey..is it something I said?" The human pulls her into a hug.

"I'm fine, I just…well seeing him like that and you and the digging." Liara holds tight.

"What do you mean me and the digging?" Shepard leans back from the hug to look Liara in the eye.

"It was like before. Digging for you, trying to find you. Hoping beyond hope that you were alive. I…" Liara turns out of the hug and walks toward the fire. "I thought you were dead."

Shepard quickly takes off her breastplate. The weight of it is dragging her exhausted body down and she wants to feel Liara next to her. She hugs Liara from behind. "I'm okay."

Liara shakes her head. Shepard hears her sniffling.

"Hey?" The human turns Liara so the asari is facing her. "I'm okay Liara, thanks you to. You saved my ass. You saved all of us." Shepard kisses each of her cheeks. "Don't you know that?" She kisses her forehead. "God I missed you." She kisses her lips, her supple beautiful lips. Her body feels alive. She feels Liara resist at first but then the asari melts under her touch.

Shepard tries to get the rest of her armor off. She curses under her breath when she can't quite get the latch. Liara breaks from the kiss and helps her.

"You're filthy," says Liara.

"I was hoping you wouldn't notice." Shepard goes for another kiss when Liara steps back.

"Off."

"What?"

"Get those things off. You need a bath."

"They don't really have baths here Liara."

"There must be water or something."

"Yeah just sit tight." Shepard points to the bed. "I'll be back soon."

Liara sits on the not so comfortable bed. She wonders how Elly managed to sleep at all on the hard surface.

After about twenty minutes Shepard emerges from the dark hallway. "How's this?"

Liara is already on the bed. She props up on her elbows. "Better."

Shepard takes off her clothes and runs her hands through her still wet hair.

"I thought you were tired Elly."

"Not too tired for you." Shepard starts at Liara's pants. She slowly unbuckles each snap. Gently she pulls down Liara's pants. The asari lifts her hips at the right moment. Shepard trails butterfly kisses along the inside of each thigh.

"Oh Goddess Elly."

Through her panties Shepard cups Liara. She trails her tongue just below her belly button. Shepard slowly pulls the panties down. "You are so beautiful Liara." Shepard kisses her delicate mound and her sensitive bud. She feels Liara shudder under her. She hears Liara's breath quicken.

Shepard's tongue writes little circles along Liara's sensitive spot. The asari wriggles and gasps which encourages Shepard more. Her tongue dances to the sounds Liara makes. Shepard can feel Liara reaching out to her with her mind. Shepard reaches up and takes her hand as the meld begins.

It doesn't take long for Liara to climax. The rush of feelings from the asari is intense. Shepard feels her worry, her longing, her fear. The human focuses on feelings of love and comfort and safety. She sees the images from Liara. How Liara dug for her after the reapers fell. The hours and hours that Liara looked for her and how the fear of today brought it all back to her blue beauty.

When the meld finally finished both were naked in each other's arms crying. Shepard had no idea the turmoil she put Liara through. Not just after the reaper war but throughout their time together. "I love you so much Liara. I'm sorry for…."

Liara stops her with her lips. "None of that Elly. I wouldn't change a thing."

Shepard looks into her oceanic eyes and sees the truth there. She kisses Liara deeply.

As they hold each other Shepard cannot help but wonder how Liara did what she did. "So how did you know Liara?"

"Your last message said you needed the military. I did what I could."

"Did you get any of my other messages?"

"I did not. I suspect you did not receive any messages from me either?"

"No. So how did you do it? I mean whose ships are those?" Shepard looks at Liara, "Did you buy a fleet honey?"

Liara smiles and playfully slaps her shoulder.

"Ouch!" Shepard moves away from Liara holding her hurt shoulder.

"Oh Goddess Elly I am so sorry. I forgot about your shoulder." Liara quickly gets out of bed and looks through her bag she brought with her.

"It's okay. Hey what are you doing?"

Liara gets back into bed and sits cross legged in front of the retired captain. Shepard does the same thing so she is facing the asari.

"I have medigel. This will help with the soreness." Carefully Liara rubs the gel into Shepard's shoulder. The coolness of the gel already feels good. "How is that?"

Shepard is staring at the Liara's beautiful body. The light from the fire lights up all the right things.

"Is that all you think about Elly?" Liara pushes on the human's knee.

"Not always." Shepard leans forward quickly and kisses her on the lips. "So the ships?"

"They are from Aria."

Shepard looks at her. Did she hear right? "Excuse me?"

"I needed merc ships and I knew they could be ready in the timeframe I required."

"Is that so?" Shepard flashes her sly grin.

"You are not mad?"

"Mad? Why would I be mad? If it weren't for you Liara I would never have gotten off this rock. No I'm not mad. But I do have one question."

"And what is that?"

"How did you get Aria to agree to help you?"

Liara smiles. "I have my ways Elly."

Shepard waits for more. There isn't more. Liara is not saying anything more. "What? That's it? You aren't going to tell me?" Shepard sounds a little like a whiny child.

"I am not." Liara gets up off the bed and puts away the medigel in her bag then climbs back into bed. "We should get some sleep."

Shepard narrows her eyes at her bondmate. She scoots down and spoons Liara. "Are you really not going to tell me?"

"Perhaps one day."

"Did you use the kiss?" asks Shepard as she kisses the back of Liara's neck.

Liara turns to face her. "The kiss?"

"You know. I told you about it."

"Oh. You mean when you helped her take back Omega?"

"Yeah."

"No."

"What?"

Liara kisses her cheek. "You need your rest."

Liara turns again so her back is against Shepard's chest.

"What am I going to do with you T'Soni?"

"Hopefully more of what you did earlier when we get home."

Shepard pulls her close and kisses her neck and shoulder. "Anything for you Liara, anything for you."


THESSIA

"How much longer?" Valya cannot stop the constant jackhammering of her leg. She does not like how Dara sounded in her messages.

"About five minutes."

"We need to hurry Akira. I think something is wrong."

Akira flies as fast as she can. "Should you call for back up?"

"Over what a hunch? Where is this place?"

"There." Akira points.

Valya looks and sees a small shuttle taking off. "Goddess! Who is that?"

Akira looks to where Valya is looking. "No idea."

Valya opens her door.

"What are you doing?"

"Call for backup and do NOT lose that shuttle!" Valya jumps out of the flying sky car.

"Valya!"

The sky car tips left then right. Akira straightens it out then turns to follow the shuttle.

Valya free falls then uses her biotics to form a bubble. She has not done this type of jump since being with the commandos but her muscle memory has not forgotten. She drops and rolls when her feet meet the ground. Her heart stops when she sees the sight before her. The house. The house looks like a bomb went off.

Valya runs toward the entrance. The front door is no longer there but rather a large hole. It looks as if someone took the door and ripped it away bringing the wall and everything with it. Running over debris Valya enters the house that only has half a roof. "Dara! Dava! Can you hear me!"

Looking left and right all Valya sees is piles of detritus. Watching where she steps the former commando tries to keep her cool as best she can. Do not jump to conclusions, do not jump to conclusions. Walking down an intact hallway Valya looks into a bedroom. Half of the wall is gone. Valya steps around the overturned bed. Valya is about to leave the bedroom when she looks through the hole in the wall and sees a form on the ground. A body.

Her world suddenly slows. Does she want the body to belong to her bondmate or to her daughter? What an impossible choice. She doesn't want to know. She doesn't want to know.

Valya carefully steps through the hole in the wall. The tears are already forming, her throat is already constricting. The body is turned away from her. It is under some debris. It looks as if the body was thrown from the house.

Valya swallows, her throat is so dry. She feels like she is walking through molasses. Valya slowly walks around to see who it is. How do you prepare yourself for something like this? The face is covered. Valya kneels down in front of the covered face. She lifts the covering and sets it aside while keeping her eyes closed. "Goddess please, oh Goddess please don't do this to me." Taking a few deep breaths Valya opens her eyes. She doesn't want to know, she doesn't want to see.

"Nooooooo!" Suddenly Valya is on her feet clearing the body of all of the debris. "No no no no no." The tears are falling now. Her knees are shaking, her hands are trembling.

Once all of the debris is clear Valya collapses onto her knees resting her forehead on her bondmate's lifeless shoulder. "I'm sorry Dara, I'm so so sorry," she cries as if Dara can hear her. "I should have been here for you, I should have….." Looking up to the sky Valya yells at the top of her lungs I'M SORRY!"

"No no no, this can't be happening, this can't be happening." Valya kisses Dara's forehead, then her cheek, her shoulder. She lies down facing Dara. She grabs Dara's limp arm and grabs her hand between her own. She lies there looking at her dead bondmate staring into nothingness. Kissing her lips Valya says for the last time, "I love you, I love you so much."