A/N: I'm taking a little artistic license on the melding process. Obviously the ability to map someone's DNA comes along after sexual maturity, but I am saying that asari can still mind-meld at very young ages, and in fact accidentally do so quite often before they learn to control it. If there is some codex or lore that specifically states that asari can't at all initiate melds before they hit sexual maturity . . . oh well. Take this for the fluff that it is. It's just my own take on the whole melding thing, and how there are different stages of development. Kind of like how humans can masturbate and orgasm before they reach sexual maturity (and yes, I speak from experience LOL! I was a very self-curious little kid), asari can mind meld before they can use the the deeper level of the mating meld.

Chapter 39

Shepard sat on the floor a few feet from Liara who was carefully encouraging Elaria and Naiala forward by nudging their little diapered bottoms. Every time she did, the two infants giggled like it was the funniest thing in the universe. They were a little over eight months old now, and their smiles had developed into a mouthful of little toothy smiles. Now that they were old enough, Shepard was practically bursting with excitement to see them crawl.

"Come on Little Ones," she cooed, holding her arms out to her girls. "You gotta come over here. Daddy's over here. I mean I know your mom is the best thing in the galaxy, but I want to hold you, too."

Liara laughed when Shepard pretended to pout. Her girls seemed to pick up on her feigned sadness because they suddenly began rather spasmodically moving their little limbs until they were slowly crawling toward her. Her entire face broke into a huge smile as they struggled to work their way across the floor. Every once in a while they'd call out with a little "Da!" or "Ma!" and the words made Shepard's chest ache with happiness.

When they at last made it to her, Shepard scooped them into her arms with an elated whoop and fell back on the floor with them on top of her.

"Oh no! I'm under attack! Call for backup! Call for backup!"

Naiala and Elaria seemed to think this was the greatest game in the world. They giggled and giggled until they started panting from the effort and happy little tears streamed from their eyes.

"I'll never surrender! You'll never take me alive!" Shepard continued, tickling them mercilessly.

Liara's wonderful laugh filled the room and she reached over and joined Shepard's onslaught. Several minutes later, the four of them collapsed to the floor, gasping for breath around all the giggling. Shepard looked over at her bondmate with nothing short of stars in her eyes.

"Our babies can crawl!" she exclaimed happily. "Sweet goddess, we better hide the peanut butter."

Shepard was about to comment further when she suddenly noticed her two little girls were glowing blue in their excitement. She raised a quizzical eyebrow and was about to ask Liara about it when she was suddenly overwhelmed by the presence of two minds. Shepard fumbled in the quiet, basic thoughts that entered her and was completely confused by a sudden craving to suck on Liara's breasts. But it was forgotten when the two little minds of her daughters burrowed deeper, searching out the light of their father's love. When they found it, they latched on and snuggled into her with soft, contented baby noises.

Shepard was so distracted she didn't even notice Liara begin to glow blue. But when she felt the familiar presence of Liara's mind she opened her mind to her wife. When Liara joined the Meld, Shepard couldn't stop a surge of happy tears from spilling down her cheeks.

'You never told me asari infants could initiate mind melds,' Shepard sent to Liara as her wife settled the Meld. She laughed a little as Liara tried to adjust to the simple emotions and thoughts being redirected to her. Their daughters immediately sent a wave of unconditional blind love to their parents, making Liara's happy tears join Shepard's.

'It's not very common,' Liara sent back. 'Generally speaking, only the most powerful asari can mind-meld so young. I suppose I should have anticipated this, in hind sight, given their genetics.'

Shepard started when she felt the overwhelming need to utilize the restroom, then burst out in a fit of laughter when she realized it was Naiala's need, not her own. The little infant proceeded take care of said need. Still laughing and grinning like an idiot, Shepard carefully closed her mind to her little girls. It was decidedly uncomfortable, feeling the echo of the mess pooling between her daughter's legs. Suddenly she was a lot more sympathetic as to why babies cried so damn hard when they messed themselves.

"Well that was an experience," Shepard said with continued chuckles. She sat up and looked down at her wiggling daughters. "You know, that explains a lot, when I think about it. I've never seen an asari child acting bratty in public. It's because their mothers share emotions through a mind meld, isn't it? I'm pretty sure if I ever felt someone else's irritation of my bad behavior, I'd shut up pretty quickly. It also explains why asari are quite a lot more mature than humans."

"It is certainly a common practice," Liara replied, using a biotic lift to bring a fresh set of diapers to her. She then took Naiala from Shepard and began changing their squirming daughter. "Benezia could usually silence me with a look when I was little, but if I was ever scared, sometimes she would initiate a mind meld to comfort me. I believe I threw a tantrum only once in my youth. She initiated a rather irritable mind meld and showed me what a brat I looked like through the meld. Needless to say . . . I didn't do that again. But her methods were much more strict than I want to be with our daughters. I don't want my daughters to be intimidated by me."

Shepard leaned over and gave her a lingering kiss before helping change Elaria. "Me too. I mean I don't want them to grow up spoiled brats or anything, but I think a nice firm 'no' would probably work better than humiliation any day."

A soft, loving smile filled Liara's face as she gently picked up a sleepy Naiala. "After we feed them, I think we should put them down for a nap so their parents can have a little 'alone time.' What do you think?"

"I think we both know there will never be a day when I say no to you, Liara," Shepard said with a crooked grin, scooping Elaria off the floor.