Shepard had a lot to get done. Garrus had briefed her on their recommended course of action, and she had reluctantly agreed. It just burned her to have to ask the Council for help; especially when she didn't honestly believe they'd get it. She told Garrus to come up with a tactical plan on how to get onto the surface without any additional support...just in case. Yeah, right... He must have been of the same opinion, because he didn't even blink at her request.

When she had finished at the med bay, she'd stuck her head in the door of Liara's room and been somewhat surprised that the Asari was actually sleeping, so left her undisturbed. She did leave a note, telling Liara to call her when she woke. In the mean time, she had cleaned her armor and weapons, and had drafted a message to Councilor Tevos to inform her of the circumstances surrounding the death of the Matriarch and to request guidance. For Liara's sake, Shepard hoped to have Benezia's name cleared, as a victim to Saren and Sovereign, not an accomplice. She also had a huge announcement for Ashley, so headed down to the armory, hoping the news was welcome. She also poked her head into engineering to round up Adams and Tali; didn't want them to miss it. Ash was in her accustomed spot at the weapons bench when the commander and Lt Pressley walked up. She eyed them nervously. "What's up, ma'am? You, I get... Lt Pressley doesn't normally come down here, so what gives?"

Shepard laughed. "Just confirms my opinion of you, Ash. You're not just a jarhead Marine; you're a thinker, too." Shepard had been working with Admiral Hackett on something very special for Marine Gunnery Sergeant Williams, and the approval had come through. Now it was up to Ash whether she wanted to accept it or not.

The commander stood up tall, and received a folder from the Lieutenant. She glanced at the contents one more time before speaking, even though she had already reread it multiple times and practically had it memorized. "Ash, I know you love being a Marine, but I've got an offer for you, one I hope you don't refuse."

As soon as she got to the 'but' in that sentence, Ashley was already shaking her head no. "No way, Skipper. Whatever it is, I don't want it. I'll never give up being a Marine!"

Shepard smiled, "Not even if it's to accept a commission as a Lieutenant in the Alliance Navy?" At the shocked look on Ashley's face, Shepard continued. "I need a Navy second to be the Squad 2 Commander, and I'd rather have you at my back, than pick up somebody new at this point. What do ya say?" The unusual presence of Pressley had attracted additional attention, so everyone in the armory ended up watching, including the supply sergeant, Wrex, and Garrus; and every one of them heard the question.

A very surprised Ashley stared at the commander for a long moment before responding. "Jeez. I thought for sure I'd top out at Gunnery Chief...I never dreamed...Holy Shit! Yes!" The entire group erupted in cheers. About damn time we got some good news for a change! Shepard grinned and clapped Ashley on the shoulder, offering congratulations. She pointed at Pressley, and he and Ashley got together to sign the paperwork and submit the requisitions for uniforms, rank insignia, and the other bureaucratic drivel that accompanied promotions, as well as a change of service.

Feeling a little bit lighter of heart, the commander announced, "Drinks tonight in the Mess!" and returned to the main deck of the Normandy.

Shepard returned to the med bay and looked at Karin, motioning with her head toward Liara's door. Karin sadly shook her head no. Shepard walked in and took a seat near Karin as the door closed behind her. Karin calmly looked at the commander, waiting for her to speak. After a moment, Shepard sighed and started speaking. "I don't know what to do for her, Karin. I mean, I killed her mother right in front of her...How can I help her without being a constant reminder of what's probably the worst day in her life? How can she ever forgive me?"

Karin shook her head, responding not as a doctor, but as the old family friend, "I don't know, dear. How you help is something you'll have to work out together, but I know she can't possibly blame you, so there is nothing to forgive. She knew the reality of what could happen, going in. You all were placed in an impossible situation and now you have to see your way clear to make the best of it you can. Talk to her. It's all you can do." Shepard stood up and stretched, letting out a big sigh as she relaxed. Thanking Karin, She closed her eyes briefly to center herself, then opened them again and stepped quietly into the back room.

Liara was still snuggled under the covers, but opened her eyes and sat up when Samantha entered. Shepard stopped just inside the doorway and pointed at the desk chair. "May I?" Liara actually shook her head no, and patted the bed next to her, making it obvious without words that she wanted Shepard close. As soon as she sat down, Liara leaned against her shoulder and reached for Sam's hand, intertwining their fingers. Shepard swapped hands, wrapped her near arm around Liara, and kissed her on the temple, leaving her lips in place after the kiss. Liara dropped her hand and sighed, wrapping her arms around Shepard's waist, looking for solace. Shepard took her now empty hand and gently rubbed Liara's arm as she started speaking.

"Blue, I don't know what to say. I don't know how to make this better. I love you, but I can't even begin to understand how you can even look at me. I mean, I... I can't even say what I've done to you, to your family." Shepard felt the gasp and the breath hitch, even though no sound escaped the Asari.

Liara finally spoke, quiet, but steady. "Samantha, you did nothing to my family; Saren and Sovereign did. I do not blame you. I am actually glad you did it, and that I was not forced to do it myself. Even though, at one point, my mother actually tried to kill me, I am not convinced I could have...finished it. I fear I would have hesitated and gotten someone on our team killed."

Shepard disagreed, "I don't believe that for a minute, Dr T'Soni. I watched you very closely today, given the circumstances. Not once did I see you hesitate in doing what needed to be done. I believe you would have done whatever was necessary. I'm just sorry it came to it at all. I was really hoping I could have found another solution." Shepard sighed, "Forgive me? For failing you?"

Liara pulled away abruptly, making direct eye contact for the first time since the commander entered the room. Her blue eyes piercing, there was almost anger in her voice when she spoke. "Samantha Shepard! Absolutely not! I will not offer forgiveness where none is required! You will not take blame for something over which you had no control!" Her irritation spent, her eyes softened as she looked down and she continued, "Benezia brought this upon herself. She was my mother, but she was not. I prefer to remember Benezia as she used to be, before she was corrupted by Sovereign's power."

Shepard closed her eyes for a moment, then leaned forward and kissed Liara's forehead. "You know, the best of your mother lives on in you; her determination... her intelligence... her strength. She was an amazing woman, as are you, Liara. What did I ever do to deserve you?"

Liara's answer was amazingly simple. "You love me. It is all I will ever need."

Shepard shook her head. "I wish it was all as simple as that. I have to tell you... After today, I so wanted to call my mom... just because. I couldn't let myself do it, because I feel so damn responsible for taking yours away. Knowing you don't blame me doesn't let me feel any less guilty."

Liara looked reflective, then returned to her snuggle spot against Shepard's shoulder and closed her eyes. "You've never spoken of your Mother. Tell me about her."

Shepard hesitated. The request was the last thing in the world she'd expected. "Wow. Ok. I don't know where to start, so I guess I'll start with the basics. She looks a lot like me...or maybe I should say I look a lot like her, but I'm taller by a few inches...I guess I get that from my Dad. She's Alliance through and through. Been serving since before I was born. I guess that's why I joined up; it's in my blood. Didn't really see her a lot growing up. We were on the same ship, but she was always on weird shifts, because she was a junior officer then, so I'd only see her if she had time to break for a meal, if she got home before I went to bed, or if one of her down days actually fell on a weekend. She's still serving, been on just about every type of ship in the Alliance. Right now she's the XO on a dreadnought, the SSV Kilimanjaro. She was exposed to an eezo core leak just before I was born. We were the lucky ones. I guess we've got good genes, neither one of us ended up with cancer, and look at me..." Sam put a silly grin on her face and pulled her biotics to a blue glow in her finger tips for effect, "...I got biotics outta the deal!" She paused, not knowing what else to say.

Shepard suddenly had a thought. "Hey, we burned a lot of biotics today. You haven't eaten anything, have you?"

Liara shook her head, answering, "No, and I'm not hungry either."

Shepard didn't take no for an answer. "Too bad. We gotta eat. Besides, a promotion for Ash came through today, and I told everyone we'd do drinks in the Mess, so we've got to show for at least a little while, and that includes you." Much to Liara's dismay, Shepard really wouldn't let her skip dinner, and within fifteen minutes they were in the Mess with the rest of the crew. After watching Liara push her food around for a while, Shepard grabbed a glass of Thessia Red and sat next to her, handing her the glass of wine. "Here, Blue. Take this. It might take some of the edge off and help you actually get some of that in your mouth, instead of just making it do laps on your plate." The comment actually got a brief smile, and Liara focused on actually eating something. Once she got started, she realized how hungry she was, and finished off a good portion of what was on her plate.

Liara wasn't terribly surprised when Wrex plopped himself down next to her; having a similar long life span, he was a kindred soul and ever since he originally carried her to the med bay when they fetched her off Therum, he had taken it upon himself to watch out for her. He was like an ugly older brother, but Liara found him sweet and endearing, though she'd never say such a thing to his face. She was sure the reason her early days on the Normandy had been as non-confrontational as they were was because Wrex had made it known that he liked her and it wouldn't be wise for anyone to hurt one of his friends. They sat in amicable silence for bit, just having the big Krogan near providing its own sort of comfort, before Wrex gave her a sidelong glance and started speaking. "One of the reasons I left Tuchanka...main reason, really. My father was clan leader and we had a disagreement on how things should be run. He felt I was going to challenge him for leadership someday. He decided to eliminate the competition and tried to kill me, so I killed him instead, then I left Tuchanka to become a mercenary. Never wanted to be clan leader to begin with, stupid old Krogan." Wrex reached a huge hand over and patted Liara 'gently' on the back, almost knocking her over with its unexpectedness. "Hell of a thing to have to kill your own parent. Sorry, kid. I know it's tough, but if you wanna, you know...talk...you can talk to me anytime. I'll understand."

Liara was actually glad that Wrex had practically knocked her out of her chair; the surprise of it had kept her from breaking down and crying on the spot from what Wrex said to her. And his offer to talk, under other circumstances, would have been funny. Liara was sure it meant her talking and him grunting in response, merely providing her an avenue through which to vent, but his heart was in the right place and she appreciated the effort. She was pretty sure he had never made that sort of offer to anyone else on the crew. She looked at the big Krogan and laid her hand atop the huge hand that had returned to the table. She swallowed down the big lump that had formed in her throat and whispered, "Thank you, Wrex. I really do appreciate it, but I'm afraid I...I don't really know yet what I could even possibly say. I...I am sorry to hear about your father." She fell into an awkward silence and stared at their hands, her little blue hand dwarfed by the Krogan's brown one, unable to say any more.

Wrex looked down at her, and as gentle as a Krogan could be, said, "Don't worry about it, kid. When you're ready, the words will come." Suddenly the big gruff scary Krogan again, he stood up and rumbled away from the table, "I'm gonna go clean my shotgun," and wandered to the weapons bench. Before long, Liara said her farewells, congratulated Ashley, and slipped away to her room; Shepard watched her retreat but Liara hadn't so much as glanced at her so she did not follow. Shorty after that, the commander also said her goodnights and retreated to her quarters, hoping maybe she had received a response from Councilor Tevos. She was disappointed. Perhaps she's just waiting until we get there...

Somewhere close to midnight, Shepard finally finished up her backlog of paperwork. She still wasn't sleepy, so walked out to the Mess to get some hot chocolate and found Liara getting herself some tea. "Can't sleep, huh?" "No... you either?" "No. My mind won't turn off..." Next thing Shepard knew, Liara had her crushed in a hug, new tears flowing unchecked down the Asari's face. Shepard held on tight, rocking slowly, soothing, and providing what comfort she could. Grabbing the drinks, Shepard led the way back to her quarters for some privacy. Once in and settled, a cup of hot tea in her hands, Liara started to speak. "I'm sorry... I... I just can't be in that room by myself tonight. I need company. It sounds so childish when I say it out loud. All those days at remote dig sites, and now I suddenly can't stand being alone."

Shepard moved her chair over next to Liara's and overlapped the Asari hands surrounding the mug of tea. "No worries, Blue. It's nothing to be ashamed of. We had a rough day. You know I'm here for you...whatever you need. I love you." Shepard reached up and caressed a blue cheek, her thumb gently brushing across Liara's lips.

Liara's whole body trembled, and she whispered back, "Show me." Shepard looked at her beautiful and vulnerable Asari, her blue eyes pools of despair and need, and reached around to caress the back of Liara's crest and gently kissed the tears off her cheeks. In response, Liara reached up and tangled her fingers in Sam's hair, and, closing her eyes, captured Sam's lips with her own and kissed her hard, seeking a stronger connection. When the kiss broke, Liara's eyes opened, imploring. "I said, show me." Shepard was uncertain, hesitant.

"Liara... you sure? It's been a very emotional day...and this is...unexpected. I...um...it's late, we're both tired, and we've both been through an emotional wringer today and God knows what's coming tomorrow. I... I just don't think it's a good idea. Not tonight." Shepard shook her head, and issued a self-deprecating laugh. "I can't believe I'm turning down the most beautiful woman in the galaxy. I'm either the most gallant person in the known universe or the biggest idiot."

Liara sighed heavily, her breath hitching "Well, you certainly aren't an idiot, so I guess that makes you gallant by exception."

Shepard felt horrible; she could hear the sadness in Liara's voice. "I'm sorry, Blue. Come here." Shepard reached out to pull Liara close. "No, I'm pretty much being an idiot. I'm scared, I'm not sure what I'm doing, and I don't want to hurt you."

Liara cut her off with a hand placed against her lips. "Do not worry, Samantha, I'm sure you will have no difficulties..." Liara tried to make light of Sam's apprehension. "You've already proven your natural talent at finding Asari erogenous zones."

It was Shepard's turn to blush. "Yeah, I do remember that. I've been careful to avoid them since..."

Liara was perfectly serious when she very bluntly stated, "I don't want you to avoid them tonight..."

Shepard pulled away and stood up, "Liara, believe me when I say I want to make love to you, but I also want your first time to be sweet and perfect. I want us to take our time, to explore and experiment, do it right. This...just doesn't seem right to me. I...I feel like I'm taking advantage of your confused emotional state. "

"Please, Samantha...I've never been more sure of anything in my life. We will take our time, and we'll just see where it takes us. No demands, no expectations. I... I just want... I need to be with you tonight."

Shepard was unsure how to proceed, so she held her hands out, palms up in supplication. "Just tell me what you want, Liara. I want to be here for you. And at any time you need or want to stop, just say so, and I will. I promise." With that, Liara stood up, cupped Sam's face and they kissed once again, long and deep. Shepard started to unbutton her shirt and Liara got a soft smile on her face as she started to help, remembering another night that now seemed long ago. As Shepard's shirt dropped to the floor, Liara's fingers feathered softly across her chest, her eyes alight with wonder, the shy archeologist nowhere in evidence. Shepard grasped the zipper on Liara's science suit, drawing it down slowly, watching the Asari's expression for any signs of reticence. Seeing none, she leaned in and started kissing the folds on the side of Liara's neck, getting a strong scent of eezo and Thessian rose. It caused Liara to hum with pleasure, the distraction being exactly what she needed. Shepard wrapped one hand around Liara's waist while the other pushed the zipper down to Liara's hip.

When Sam ran her tongue along Liara's crest folds, the Asari gasped and her whole body shuddered with anticipation. "Goddess, Shepard! How can you possibly be so good at that?" Liara paused and peeled back her suit, baring her shoulders and Shepard helped push it down past her hips. Liara placed her hands on Shepard's shoulders for balance, and stepped out of her suit, now completely naked before the commander.

Samantha stood slowly, completely entranced by the blue goddess that stood before her. She was encouraged by the similarities in features, Liara looking very similar to a human female. Maybe this won't be so tough after all... Shepard's delay worried Liara, and a shadow crossed her face. Shepard saw it, and reached over, catching both of Liara's hands in her own, holding them out, putting Liara on display in all her nakedness. Complete adoration in her eyes, Shepard whispered, "My God, Liara... You're beautiful!" Shepard wanted to touch skin to skin, so she quickly released Liara's hands and in one smooth motion grabbed her own compression top and peeled it off over her head, tossing it to the side of the room. She stepped in, embracing Liara fully, chest to chest and kissed her way around Liara's neck, separating slowly and bending to kiss her breasts and taking a nipple gently in her mouth, suckling, and rolling the tip with her tongue. Liara gasped loudly, and she pulled herself in tight against her partner, eliciting a groan of pure desire from Samantha. Liara's hands fumbled with Samantha's waist on her pants, finally finding the clasp and getting them undone. She grabbed the waistline and pushed them all the way down to Shepard's ankles, suddenly remembering the incident in the closet after dinner. It seemed so long ago now, Liara felt like she'd known Shepard forever.

She stood, making eye contact with Samantha. Shepard's green eyes darkened with passion, and Liara wondered just how dark they could get... certainly they don't go black with the meld? I've never heard of such a thing in any other species besides Asari... Shepard studied the blue eyes in front of her, seeing the darting curiosity accompanied by a bit of nervousness, still cloudy and stressed from the day gone by. Shepard stepped in and wrapped one arm around Liara, under her arms, and scooped her quickly off her feet, kissing her the whole time, and carried her across the room. Liara wrapped her arms around Sam's shoulders, eagerly returning the kisses and breathing deep of comforting leather and musk. Shepard released Liara's legs when they got near the bed and flipped the covers back with her now free hand. She rotated and put one knee on the bed, using the arm still wrapped around Liara's torso to guide her back to sit on the bed. When Shepard leaned in hard and pushed Liara back with pressure of a kiss, the Asari started to resist, but felt the supporting presence of Shepard's arm around her back and relaxed into it, allowing Shepard to lay her out on the bed, gently easing her own weight down on top. Shepard felt Liara's heart hammering in her chest, so she slid off to the side a bit, to not put so much pressure on the young Asari. The minor tension in the Asari's body was enough to reminded Shepard that Liara had never done this and slowed her approach to be even more tender.

Samantha propped herself up on one elbow and affectionately explored Liara's body, leaning in to occasionally kiss those crest folds and run her tongue along every channel, eliciting alternating gasps and hums from her partner. She explored Liara's breasts with her hands, cupping them softly, getting a feel for their sensitivity, and gently thumbed her nipples. It all seemed very familiar, and Liara was definitely enjoying it, moaning and occasionally gasping with pleasure, moving with Shepard's coaxing administrations. Shepard gradually got bolder, used her mouth to explore, suckling and teasing the Asari nipples until they were hard. Liara was so caught up in the sensations so new to her that she gave up any attempts to explore Shepard's body; she just held on and followed her partner's movements, and that was ok by Shepard. Sam's tongue started to roam. She left one hand kneading a breast she had teased to a point, while her tongue worked its way down Liara's torso. The other hand started stroking Liara's thigh, gradually working higher and more to the inner thigh than the top. The first stroke that ran across Liara's hot, dripping core sent a shockwave through the Asari that finally caused her whole body to shudder as she whispered, "Goddess!" Shepard continued to massage an eager little blue nub with her thumb, and ran gentle circles through her delicate folds below. Liara was twisting the bed sheets up in her hands when her hips bucked off the bed; no longer in control, Liara's hands suddenly came to life, seeking Samantha's face to pull her up, eye to eye. The Asari was panting, 'By the Goddess, Samantha! I need you to meld with me! Please!"

Samantha kissed her deeply, and spoke into her lips, "Yes."

Liara was barely able to restrain herself as her eyes flashed to black, and Samantha felt the meld roar in like a freight train. It was nothing like before. There was no logical thought, no control, no preamble discussion. The meld held uncontrolled passion, and all the sensations that Liara was feeling flooded into Shepard's mind and Sam found herself instantly aroused, on the brink of orgasm, even though Liara hadn't even touched her...She realized it was not her own feelings... My God, this is what Liara is feeling!...but the overwhelming ardor quickly pushed her to an equal frenzy.

It was so far above just the physical passion... the pure intensity of the tidal wave of emotions rolling off of Liara was such that Samantha's heart exploded with love for the beautiful Asari under her touch {My God, Liara, I love you more than I ever thought possible!}

{Touch me! Please! Goddess, Samantha, finish what you started! I never knew...this could feel...}

Liara did not finish her sentence, as the direct connection via the meld made words completely insufficient to describe the true depth of the experience. Samantha's hand returned to her core and caressed the little hooded nub begging for attention. With the new addition of the meld, the Asari body was innately familiar, and Shepard had no trouble finding pleasure points. The experience was beyond anything Shepard had ever felt, and the clinical description Liara had shared so long ago didn't even come close to doing the actual union any type of justice. Shepard desperately sought out one of Liara's hands and guided it quickly down between her own thighs. As passions rose, their thoughts became entangled, {Oh, yes, there} {harder, over!} {Yes!} {Please!} {I need...} and Shepard started to have trouble identifying where hers stopped and Liara's began. They became so blurred it ceased to matter.

When Sam's fingers slid up inside Liara it was finally too much, and Liara crashed over the precipice, calling out to her lover, their hearts hammering as one. Waves of ecstasy emanating off the Asari pulled Samantha right along with her, clenching tight, not wanting to let go, two orgasms crescendo together, shockwaves of pleasure rolled over the pair for what seemed an eternity. When the aftershocks finally tapered off, Liara managed enough breath to speak aloud, in wonderment, "By the Goddess! That was incredible, Shepard!"

{You were incredible, Liara...I... I have never felt anything like that in my entire life. It was... amazing!} Shepard speaking through the meld reminded the Asari they were still linked, and Liara gradually withdrew, leaving Shepard with an unexpected...emptiness, even though she still held the Asari close and was still caressing her back. Samantha had no idea how she could miss something so much, something that such a short time ago she didn't even know existed. She pulled the sheets up and covered the two lovers, hiding them from the air that felt chill against their sweat. Liara snuggled in close and laid her head on Samantha's chest, listening to a heart still hammering with exertion and passion. Her hand drew lazy circles on Shepard's abdomen and inadvertently teased new pangs of want from her partner on the low swing of every circle.

Shepard reached down and tipped Liara's chin up, so she could capture her lips, kissing the Asari as her unquenched fire flamed anew. The loving kiss caused uncontrolled desire to quickly surge forward, and Samantha rolled to her partner, entwining their legs once more, seeking pressure to satisfy the pangs between her thighs. Shepard wrapped her arm around the Asari and placed her fingers into the folds in the hollow of Liara's lower back as she pulled them tight together for a more intense level of pressure to satisfy her throbbing core.

Liara gasped at the intimacy of the gesture and felt her hips arc off the bed as if with a mind of their own, seeking their own satisfaction. She panted, "Shepard!...Oh...Goddess!" as her eyes again went black. Plunging back into the joining, they began again...

Definitely a life-changing event...

Shepard was awake, but definitely not ready to get up yet, happily lying in bed cuddled with Liara, who was still sleeping soundly against her side. She was content to just hold her lover a bit longer, relishing in the heavenly scents of eezo and Thessian rose that rode the air with every inhale across the back of Liara's neck. She still couldn't believe the shy Asari scientist had practically demanded she make love to her last night, and really hoped Liara didn't wake up this morning feeling guilt or remorse. Either reaction could lead to serious complications in their budding romance; nothing insurmountable, but Shepard really didn't want to have to climb that mountain. They still had a few hours before they reached Citadel space, plenty of time for a leisurely morning and breakfast. Hmmmm. Breakfast. Thoughts of breakfast actually made the commander decide maybe it was time to get up after all. With Wrex on board, if they waited too long there wouldn't be anything left to eat but cold cereal or oatmeal...all the bacon, eggs and potatoes would have long since disappeared into the Krogan's stomach. She gave Liara an affectionate squeeze and snuck her arm out from underneath in an attempt to not wake the Asari, all to no avail. As soon as Shepard started to pull away, Liara's sleepy blue eyes crawled open and her face lit with a small, welcoming smile, prompting Shepard to lean in and give her a kiss on the forehead. "Morning, Blue. I'm going to go grab us some breakfast before Wrex eats it all. I'll be right back."

Liara's eyes closed again, she grabbed Shepard's pillow and mumbled, "And I'll be right here..."

As Shepard stepped out her door onto the main crew deck, she realized quickly almost everyone was there. She hesitated only briefly before realizing she didn't really have a choice and walked over to the mess counter, grabbing a tray and a plate and starting to stack it with food... an inordinately large amount of food, plus coffee, plus juice. Her silent prayer that everyone was either too tired or too hung over to notice her went unanswered as Ashley, of course, chimed in, "A little hungry today, Skipper?"

Shepard could feel the heat crawling up her neck and hoped it wasn't visible above her N7 hoodie. "Yeah. Yesterday was a tough day, and I drank last night but didn't really put very much food in my stomach. Woke up starving." She hoped that was the end of it, but she wasn't getting off so easy.

Wrex, in his most nonchalant gruff voice, was just plain blunt. "How's Liara this morning?"

If Shepard had actually been eating any of the food piled on the plate, she would have choked on the spot. Instead, she felt her blush burn hot and realized there was no way it didn't cover her entire face now. Totally embarrassed at getting caught out, she still managed to stutter a dodging response, "I, uh, don't know. I ... haven't talked to her yet this morning."

Ashley, as much as she had encouraged the relationship, was still having a grand time with Shepard's discomfort and had started to giggle, but busted out laughing out loud when Joker sealed the deal with his comment. "So she's not awake yet? She's normally out here pretty early with me at breakfast... you must of worn her out last night."

Shepard slammed the tray down on the counter and spun on the pilot, literally growling through gritted teeth before speaking in a rather menacing tone. "JOKER! Have a little couth for Gods' sake! The girl lost her mother and was looking for company! She said she couldn't stand to be alone in her room last night!" Shepard's anger bled off into sadness. "She spent half the night crying..." Ashley's laughter immediately fell silent and everyone at the table suddenly sat up a little straighter in their chairs, even Wrex.

Shepard's personal embarrassment had instantly turned the corner to a defensive anger. It became quickly obvious to the whole lot that they could make fun of her, but T'Soni was clearly off limits. The commander had a protective streak a mile wide when it came to the young archeologist. Knowing Shepard as she did, Karin Chakwas stepped into the conversation and offered herself as the sacrificial lamb, knowing Samantha would never say or do anything to the woman who was practically an aunt. "I'm sorry, Commander. I think I'm probably to blame for this debacle. I looked in the back room this morning to check on Liara and was surprised by her absence. I didn't think when I came out here and asked if anyone had seen her. I should have realized my error then, by the number of raised eyebrows."

Shepard turned her glare to Karin and it lasted all of five seconds before she just shook her head and stared down at the floor. "Guys. I know you think it's all fun and games, but Liara really is hurting right now. She feels... lost. And she's not a soldier; she hasn't been fire-hardened, she doesn't understand our crass humor. Razz me all you want, but be kind to her. Please?" Shepard looked back up at the now very solemn faces of her crew, realizing between her angry chastisement and Karin's confession calling it a debacle, the point had already been made. "Thanks guys."

Shepard turned back to the tray to find Food Specialist Tucks hard at work cleaning up the mess Shepard made when she slammed the tray down. He had swapped the tray out for a clean one with two plates, each was tailored to what they normally ate for breakfast, including Shepard's coffee and a pot of hot water and a couple of tea bags for Liara. "I know Dr T'Soni likes Earl Grey in the morning, Ma'am. She drinks juice the rest of the day, and then hot cocoa after dinner," he said with a bashful smile.

Shepard shook her head. "Thanks, Carlton. Appreciate it. Sorry about the mess." Shepard cracked a light smile. "She does like her hot chocolate at night, doesn't she?" Carlton nodded and waved her off without saying another word, getting back to work. Shepard almost laughed when she walked away and heard Tali, of all people, whispering in all earnestness at the table, "So, did they have comfort sex or not?"