The next chapter is up! Yay! lol.

It is only a short chapter, but I enjoyed writing this one. :) I hope you enjoy. More to come very soon! Please read and leave a review, tell me what you think. I have gone over it a few times, but for some reason, my spell check on word has decided it wants to be Spanish...

Also, I need some feedback on my N7 build for Con this October, It is not finished, but some feedback would be welcome!

Fanfic wont let me post a link here, but just type ivysrambles on Google and it should be there!

Many Thanks!

AW

Liara rubbed her temples for what seemed like a hundredth time, blinking her eyes against the harsh white glare of her screens. She scanned the data that scrolled in front of her, searching for any information that could help her find her bond mate. Masses of data from Daral's Omni-tool told her he had travelled…a lot. Many places Liara would not like to visit. Evil, violent places that thought of crime as an ambitious and suitable career choice. She had lost track of time hours ago and her dinner lay cold on the table behind her, rehydrated pizza, Sheppard's favourite.

The young maiden suppressed a yawn, shifting her gaze to the data pad of information Miranda had left for her. Every base on Syalar that could have been holding Shepard. The human women had explained that it could not have been any other planet, Sylar offered great isolation for human experimentation, the sun was close enough to the planet to power all their solar generators and Cerberus didn't have to worry about uninvited guests when night fell.

"The place is a bloody fortress" The Australian women had said, Liara had ignored the woman's doubts, taken to data from her hand and continued working without another word. She didn't care how hard it was going to be, Shepard would not hesitate to launch a rescue mission if it were her that was taken.

So far, she had put all her resources into finding Shepard, offered substantial amounts of money for any information her agents could get her, hacked into known Cerberus com-channels, called in favours to people who owed her and broken at least thirteen galactic privacy laws doing so.

There was a knock at her door, a soft timid sound she probably would have missed if the ship had not been so dead and silent.

"Enter." She said, not taking her eyes of the screens in front of her. Her door hissed open and soft footsteps followed. The Asari glanced towards her visitor, her eyes narrowing as she spied Doctor Alex Carter standing in the doorway. The black haired woman smiled hesitantly, holding out a silver cylindrical object in her hand.

"I brought you some tea." She said quietly. "I have been working in the med bay and noticed you haven't come out of your office for a refill." Taking three tentative steps forward, she held the silver object out towards Liara. "It's called a flask…it's supposed to keep hot drinks hot…so you don't have to keep getting up to get a new drink all the time." Alex cleared her throat nervously as she placed the flask next to Liara, placing her thumbs in her back pocket and moving her gaze to the floor. Liara glanced at the flask, then to the empty cup next to her cold dinner.

"Thank you." She said suddenly, causing Alex to look up at her with large eyes. Liara smiled sweetly, grabbing the flask and unfastening the top. "That was…very kind of you."

Alex smiled with one side of her mouth, rocking on her heels as Liara poured herself a new cup of tea.

"Do you mind if I stay here. Help you with this information. You look like you could use a hand." Alex asked, Liara looked up over the rim of her cup.

"I think I will just fine on my own, Thank you." Liara answered, placing her cup back on the table. Alex sighed.

"Look, I know you don't like me. But I can't help but feel partially responsible for what's happened. "

Liara took small steps towards the human. Narrowing her eyes.

"Partially?"

Alex bit the inside of her lip.

"I didn't mean for this to happen. I just wanted to help people. I didn't mean for anyone to get hurt and I definitely didn't mean for Selena to get captured." Alex paused, trying to hold back both anger and tears. "I don't know if I could live with myself if anything happened to her."

Liara was silent as Alex spoke, sensing that her words were genuine.

"She saved my life on Mindoir, even at the age of sixteen she was the hero she is now. Always putting others before herself, running towards the danger instead of away from it. It was the reason I fell in love with her…it's the reason I am still in love with her."

To Alex's surprise, Liara's face softened as she turned to listen. Alex lips trembled.

"When we kissed, it was the best feeling in the world…but there was something missing... She loves you now." Alex's eyes brimmed with tears. "I can see it in her eyes, I can see it in the way she looks at you...the way she smiles when you speak, the way she blushes every time you enter the room or touch her hand..." Alex's gaze drifted lazily, as if daydreaming. Liara was silent as the human spoke, a hint of sadness in her tone.

"She use to look at me like that. That stupid lopsided smile of hers that just makes you feel loved and safe. It used to be reserved only for me...in another life."

Liara opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. Alex's words had left her speechless. Alex was about to say something further when a word on the screen caught her eye.

She glanced over the screens, reading the information that skimmed in front of her. She frowned, squinting her eyes as a recurring word that stood out against the mass of information and data from Daral's Omni-tool. She read the word again, and again and again.

Operation Awakening

"Could you slow this down please?"

Liara looked back at the data then moved her gaze to Alex, brought back to reality by the sudden change in the woman's expression. The tears were gone, replaced by a determined glare.

"Why?" She asked cautiously, Alex thought for a moment, trying to remember where she had heard that name before. Then it hit her.

"I vaguely remember the doctors we were working with talking about Operation Awakening. I…overheard them talking about it."

Liara frowned, but silently complied. The Asari typed commands into her console, cross-referencing the data from Dara's Omni-tool to the information Shepard had gathered from the first base on Sylar. The data slowed down, then flashed, Information on Project Awakening filling the screen. Liara skimmed the data, a worried smile tugging at her lips.

"I think we have found it." Liara whispered. Alex stared open mouthed at the mass of data on the screen. But it was all there. Location, information, previous experiments and details.

"I think we have found Shepard."

I know this is a little bit of a short chapter, but I quite enjoyed writing the little bot between Liara and Alex. Next chapter will be up soon. Hope you enjoyed, Please leave a review!