Chapter 2

Shepard slept for two days straight after waking up from her coma. She woke up for a few minutes a couple of times, but her body, it would seem, was mad at her for putting it through the ringer aka meat-grinder. Every time she woke up, Liara was there, showering her with love and support. It encouraged her to wake up at all. She kind of just wanted to sleep until all of her considerable, annoying injuries were healed.

On day three, her quiet time ended. Liara had stepped out to argue with one of the salarian doctors about relocating Shepard (at this point, Shepard lacked the energy to argue with anyone about anything, so she didn't even try to stop Liara from going to bat for her), leaving her alone with her thoughts for a moment. Since waking up, she found out she would have to learn how to walk again and that vision in her left eye would be permanently fuzzy without more synthetic implants. She had been avoiding asking Liara about the expenses racking up on her hospital bill. She was afraid to know the answer. She could always sell her apartment . . .

The door suddenly hissed open and in came a familiar tattooed person.

"Shit, Shepard, you look like you went for a swim in a wood-chipper."

"Nice to see you too," Shepard retorted.

"So listen," Jack said, all business. Shepard was glad, she actually was not much of a small-talk person either. She had really talked to Jack all those times to break that goddamn cold exterior of hers to find a person underneath. "I got you something. Don't go all sentimental on me or I'll kick your ass. I figure you could just use something to help you while you're getting better."

Jack held out a small bundle which turned out to be a varren pup. It was pitch black with blood-red stripes running down its spiked back and giant green eyes. A very fond smile curved Shepard's lips.

"Why Jack. I didn't know you cared."

"Don't make me punch you. I'll do it. You can't play the sympathy card with me."

Jack walked to Shepard's bedside and handed over the small growling bundle of varren joy. As soon as Shepard took it, the little ruffian began gnawing on her hand. Fortunately it didn't have its full teeth yet.

"I'd ask how you got this little guy through customs, but then I'd probably have to arrest you or something."

"Ha! I'd like to see you try!" Jack retorted.

"Give me some omni-gel and red sand and I'll be back in business and ready to fight."

Jack laughed. "I'd be happy to, but I don't want to have to argue with your girlfriend. Anyone who stays in a hospital for three weeks nonstop for a girlfriend in a coma has got to be fucking crazy. And I've had my fill of dealing with crazy."

"I think I'll name him Legion," Shepard said, giving the pup an affectionate swat to make him stop biting her. "Did you get him from your varren rescue on Tuchanka?"

"Yeah, Urz fathered some pups. Probably why he's so tame."

Shepard looked up from the varren pup. "Thanks Jack. For everything."

"Yeah, yeah. Get your ass better soon, okay? I want to have some versus battles at Armax, and you're pretty much the only person that can keep up with me."

"And Miranda." Shepard couldn't help herself. She knew something was going on between those two.

Jack actually turned about five hundred shades of scarlet.

"I knew it!" Shepard exclaimed. "I'm never going to let this down. Ever."

"I gotta go," she said quickly. "Just remembered I have a thing."

"Uh huh. Have fun."

Jack was B-lining for the door when it hissed open and none other than Miranda walked in followed by a very happy looking Grunt. As Jack passed Miranda, Shepard didn't miss the "I am going to fuck you so hard later" look that passed between them. She also didn't miss Jack trying to pretend it didn't happen. She rolled her eyes and smiled.

"Battlemaster!" Grunt bellowed enthusiastically. He looked like he'd just experienced Christmas for the first time. "Ha! I told those salarian shit-for-brains doctors that if anyone could kick your injuries in the balls and survive, it was you. Those dumb morons tried giving up at some point, but I threatened them with violent death. Works every time."

"It's true, you know," Miranda added. "Three of the most skilled doctors here almost declared you dead. That is, until Grunt threatened to tear them in half by their head extension things. Does anyone even know what those are actually called?"

Shepard could hardly believe the look of complete adoration on Grunt's face. She would have thought her injuries would make the krogan lose all respect for her, but the complete opposite was true. He was gazing at her as if she were still his invincible, unstoppable Battlemaster. Apparently she still had a lot to learn about krogan.

"Stupid salarians," Grunt continued. "Shows you how well they know Shepard. Ha! You can throw Shepard into a meat-grinder and she still keeps on going!"

Shepard laughed followed immediately by a grimace of pain. "Shit, don't make me laugh, Grunt. I don't have six-hundred redundant systems. When I break five ribs, it hurts like a bitch."

"Oh yeah. I brought you something," he said in his adorable awkward way. "It's not much, but it just seemed like it should have been saved." He held out a piece of armor with an N7 insignia on it. "It's all I could salvage of your armor after the battle."

"And you're . . . giving it to me?" she asked, trying to sound enthused.

"No, Shepard, keep up!" he said indignantly. "When a krogan offers his Battlemaster a piece of their armor, he's asking for the right to wear it. Normally I'd have to defeat you in a battle, which is why I'm asking your permission instead. I want to weld it into my armor, just there." He pointed to the armor on his left shoulder.

"Oh," Shepard said, relieved. And oddly touched. "Then of course you can have it!"

Her new varren pup barked happily.

"Thanks, Shepard. Whatchya gonna name it?" Grunt nodded toward the pup.

"I think I'm going with Legion."

"Oh. Damn. Can't compete with the dead," he said, sounding crestfallen.

Shepard grinned. "But you know, I'll probably have to get another one to keep this little guy busy, so I promise the next one I get will be named Grunt Junior."

This seemed to considerably lift Grunt's spirits. He trundled out holding the piece of armor like it was a medal of honor. Shepard shook her head. She didn't fully understand the ways of the krogan, but she certainly knew a thing or two about respecting the traditions of another species. She was dating an asari for goddess' sake. Dating. The word sounded strange in her head. Like it should be more. Much more. She looked down at her body. She didn't exactly have a lot to offer Liara at the moment. Both her legs had been broken and she had spinal damage that would have made her a full-blown paraplegic if it weren't for her Reaper implants. She was scheduled to start physical therapy in two weeks to learn to walk again. And they were going to have a baby. Granted, that was ten months from happening (as asari had a longer pregnancy period than humans), but still. All she wanted to do was ask Liara to be hers forever, but not like this. She wanted all the galaxy to know that she belonged to Liara and that Liara was hers, but it all felt so far away.

"You look troubled, Shepard," Miranda observed, checking over Shepard's vitals and various machines. "Something on your mind?"

"Just trying not to think about my hospital bill after all this is done."

"Are you serious? Liara didn't tell you yet?" Miranda asked with a look of disbelief.

"I've been in a coma for three weeks. We haven't exactly had a lot of time to talk."

"Oh, well then allow me," Miranda said. "When the galaxy heard you survived, the Council immediately set up a donation fund to help pay for your medical expenses. It will probably take you ten years just to go through the fan-mail attached to all the money continually flooding in. Right now there's a competition among four species to see who can donate the most money."

"Really? Who?"

"The asari, the salarians, the krogan, and of course humans."

"Who's winning?"

"The krogan are doing their damndest but humans are winning, followed closely by the asari. They approve of your relationship to one of their own."

"How . . . how much has been donated?"

"Let me put it this way. You can probably buy your own planet at this point."

Shepard fell silent. After all that had happened, after all she'd lost, after all she'd sacrificed just to win this damn war, it had all been worth it. And the galaxy actually noticed. What could she say to that?

"Oh, you should probably know I informed the team that you're out of your coma, so you can expect a lot of visits."

"I was wondering why Jack and Grunt got here so fast. Speaking of Grunt, is what he said true? Did the doctors almost declare me dead?"

"Oh you know doctors. Always willing to proclaim someone dead if they figure the work to keep them alive is too much trouble. They got motivated pretty fast between Grunt and Liara. I've never seen Liara looking so terrifying. Her eyes were red and everything."

Shepard felt another pang of guilt. On cue, the door hissed open and in strode Liara. She was holding about six data pads and a large mug of coffee.

"Speak of the devil," Miranda said. "I'll leave you two alone. I imagine you have a bit of catching up to do. Oh, and I'll find you a litter box for your new pup."

"Thank you, Miranda," Liara said with a small smile.

"Thanks, Miranda," Shepard added.

"How are you feeling?" Liara asked, setting down her stack of data pads and gave Shepard a soft kiss.

"Better now that you're here," Shepard said with a flirty smile. It probably failed considering she had a huge bandage all over her face.

But to her surprise, Liara reciprocated with a playful grin of her own. "Someone is in a good mood today."

"Like I said, it's because you're here," Shepard said and pulled her in for another kiss.

"Well I have something that will make you even happier. The doctors said I can take off the bandages on your face."

"So I can finally see you with both eyes? Is it my birthday?" Shepard's grin widened.

"Shameless flirt," Liara said, rewarding Shepard's efforts with a shy smile.

"You just bring out the best in me," Shepard replied.

Liara kissed her again then gently ran her fingertips along the bandage on Shepard's face. "Ready?"

"Definitely," Shepard said, closing her good eye in preparation.

She felt Liara's gentle hands begin unraveling the bandages, then to her surprise felt soft lips on her own. The tender moment lingered until the bandages were completely removed. Shepard slowly opened her eyes, blinking back a bit of blurriness until Liara came into full view. A lovely warmth filled Shepard as she gazed with starry eyes at her lover. How did she get so damn lucky? This had to be the stuff of fairy tales. It was all she could do not to propose right then and there.

"So be honest," Shepard said to take her mind off her current line of thought, "the varren pup looks better than me now, huh?"

She held up the dozing Legion who growled in protestation. Liara burst into a fit of giggles. "Oh, Commander. You will always be my Commander, no matter what you look like."

"Oh thank the goddess," Shepard said with a teasing roll of her eyes. "For a minute I thought you just loved me for my crazy good looks."

Liara leaned forward with a look made entirely of seduction. "Mine," she whispered, then planted a kiss on Shepard's lips. "And I . . . what's that human expression? I 'dig scars'?"

Shepard laughed. "Yeah, that's the one." Then she grimaced again as pain shot through her ribs.

Liara placed a hand on Shepard's stomach in concern. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be. It was worth it," Shepard replied with a weak smile. "And for the record, I can't wait to peel you out of my hoodie."

Liara blushed.