Chapter 47

"Do they have to go to school? They're still so very young." Shepard worried her lower lip and glanced at Liara. She of course knew they would excel given their genetics, but truth be told she wasn't ready for them to leave. She adored having them around, waking up with them, playing with them, and teaching them. It was Liara who had eventually convinced Shepard not to home school them, though not without much protest on the human's part.

"Shepard, love, they're eight years old," Liara replied with a playfully teasing glint in her eyes.

Shepard sighed. "I know. I just . . . I'll just miss them. I like teaching them new things, and now they're going to be learning things without me."

Liara's lips curled into an incredibly pleased smile. She leaned in and kissed the human's cheek, letting her lips linger for several moments. "I love you so much."

Isis wiggled and smiled at all the passing asari children from her perch in Shepard's baby carrier. Shepard slipped her two index fingers in Isis's little hands and grinned when the infant grabbed on. With a toothless smile she began waving her arms excitedly.

"I suppose I have this little one for another seven years to keep me occupied since our twins are all grown up."

Elaria and Naiala, who had just tuned into the conversation, both giggled. "We're not all grown up, Daddy," Elaria scolded. "I'm not even four feet tall yet!"

Shepard grinned. For some reason it amused her that her daughters knew the old Standard system of measurement from back on Earth. "Okay. Just don't grow up too fast on me now, you hear?" She bent down and kissed both of them on the cheek then whispered so Liara couldn't hear, "Give 'em hell, okay?"

They both burst into a fit of giggles and Liara looked on with concern. But she kissed them on their little crests regardless then ushered them into the newly built school. When the doors closed and the hustle of parents died down, Shepard leaned against their skycar and sighed heavily. Unlike humans, asari started the kindergarten equivalent a few years later, and their grade level progressed differently as well. Shepard still didn't quite understand all the finer points of asari school. Because of their long life spans and growth rate, their school system was significantly different than what Shepard was familiar with.

"Am I going to have to start leaving you home when I drop the girls off?" Liara teased, gently stroking Shepard's cheek with the back of her fingers.

Shepard was startled to realize Liara was brushing away tears. "Shit. I'm a mess, aren't I?"

Liara's smile widened. "I adore how much you love our daughters. So you won't hear me complaining if you get a little emotional when we send them off to school. Will I Isis?" She leaned down and nuzzled her nose against the infant's, causing her to giggle and touch Liara's face with both her pudgy hands.

Shepard bent her head and kissed Isis's little crest. "At least I still have this little one. You haven't even learned your first word yet! Still so much to teach you and show you!"

Isis waved her arms and excitedly exclaimed, "Da!"

Or at least something very close to "Da." Shepard still hadn't mastered the art of baby talk. Liara lovingly stroked Isis's chubby little cheek.

"Well it's a perfect hot day for a swim in our pool. Would that cheer you up, love?" Liara asked. "Isis already loves the water, and you love teaching our daughters new things. So how about her first swim lesson? I was thinking we could record it and start a vid diary to give to her when she grows up. Vids to embarrass her in front of future partners."

Shepard grimaced. "I am all kinds of not ready to think of our daughters with future partners. How are asari so calm about that topic?"

"Because before we met males of other species, we asari didn't have to worry about our daughters ending up with boys who didn't respect women. Now that I think about it . . . I don't particularly like the idea of any of our daughters falling in love with a male of another species."

Shepard couldn't help but chuckle at the irony of that statement. "That is very probably true. And now that I think about it . . . I think I much prefer the idea of our daughters falling for another asari. How did I become racist against my own race?! I blame you."

Liara's eyes widened in shock. "What?"

Shepard kissed her cheek with a smile. "You've ruined me, Liara. I can never love another human."

Liara's eyes narrowed. "You had better not fall for another asari either, Ambassador Nicole Shepard. You're my human."

Shepard's smile widened. "I think we've pretty well established that your territory is marked."

Liara nibbled Shepard's lower lip before climbing into the driver's side of their skycar. "And don't you forget it."

One Month Later . . .

"Mama! Daddy! We learned so much today at school!" Naiala exclaimed as they piled into the skycar.

Isis wiggled and giggled and smiled toothlessly from her seat on Liara's lap when she saw her sisters.

"Hello Isis!" Elaria said, leaning forward to kiss her little sister's crest. "How my favorite little sister in the whole galaxy?"

"Da! Da!" Isis replied excitedly.

"So girls, what did you learn today?" Liara asked, tenderly stroking Shepard's face. "Your Daddy's dying to know."

"We had our first biotics game today!" Elaria exclaimed. "It was called Paint Toss. We got to scoop up globs of paint with our biotics and throw it at a big wall and it was so fun! And we threw so much paint on the wall it looked like rainbow poop!"

Liara snorted back a laugh and rolled her eyes. "I see Daddy's been teaching you silly expressions again."

Shepard put the skycar in drive and sped off toward their home, pretending she hadn't heard Liara.

"Daddy, can we play paint toss with you? Can we can we can we?" Niala chimed in.

"Well I don't see why we shouldn't be able to make an even bigger mess out of the family room," Shepard replied with a chuckle. "And I'm sure when Uncle Wrex comes, he'll want to show off all his amazing biotic skills. We may end up with a chair plastered on our walls, but ah well."

"Uncle Wrex is coming?" Naiala asked, bouncing up and down on her seat and leaning forward. "When is he coming when is he coming when can we see him when is he coming Mama?"

Liara laughed lightly and kissed Naiala''s cheek. "In a couple of weeks, sweetie. He wants to meet Isis and to see his favorite nieces in the whole galaxy!"

"Yay! Uncle Wrex is coming, Uncle Wrex is coming!" Naiala and Elaria chanted.

Isis waved her little arms and giggled, "Ma! Ma!"

"Oh, Isis said Mama, love," Shepard said, pulling the skycar into the garage.

Liara kissed Isis's crest until the little one giggled herself silly. "She did, and I love her so much." Liara continued to massage little Isis's crest as they all climbed out of the skycar. Isis almost immediately fell asleep and began snoring softly.

"Mama can I have a crest massage after Isis?" Elaria asked, bouncing excitedly on her heels.

"And can I after Elaria? Can I can I?" Naiala asked, bouncing after them to the house.

"Of course, little ones," Liara said with a grin. They both smiled brightly and dashed off to the kitchen to raid the fridge. When they were out of sight, Liara's knees nearly went weak when Shepard's lips sealed around one of her crest extension in a tender kiss.

"How about after we get Isis down for her nap and you've massaged their crests, I give you a 'crest massage' of my own?" Shepard said in that deep seductive voice that never failed to turn Liara on. Shepard's lips traveled to the back of Liara's neck. "I'm sure our girls can play for a couple of hours so Daddy can take care of Mama's 'massage' needs."

Liara giggled. "'Massage needs?' Shepard I think we're getting a little too comfortable in married life. You're beginning to lose your touch."

"Ouch," Shepard said with a dry smile.

Liara carefully laid Isis down in her crib. then turned back to Shepard. "Fortunately for you," Liara said, wrapping her arms around Shepard's neck, "I've always loved your moves. And it's been two weeks. Let's not go that long ever again. It seems to mess up your suave 'moves.'"

Shepard snickered. "Yes dear."'