Nighty Night

Data Log Entry: # 21840303/04

- 2100 hours

It's getting late and I will have to pull an all-nighter tonight. I need to make sure I have all the Alliance files on Saren in order in case I need to present them to the Citadel Council. I've invited Liara to stay the night in my quarters. She still hasn't been sleeping well since we melded after I got the cipher. She hesitated at first but when I asked her, "Wouldn't it be nice to sleep on something bigger than a cot for a change?" She jumped at opportunity.

- 2220 hours

Liara showed up precisely at 2200 hours as she said she would. I told her I was going to go brush my teeth and when I got back she was already in bed with her back turned to me. It wasn't until a few minutes later that I was settled on the couch with my boots kicked off and my data pad in my hand that I whispered, "Good night then."

To my great surprise, no matter how quiet I had been, I heard her answer back, "Good night Shepard." For some reason that sent a chill up my spine. For about the first hour and a half Liara didn't move at all. I know I never slept that still. Made me think was she used to sleeping so curled on motionless from the small cot in the back of Chakwas' medical bay.

Around 2330 she finally rolled over. She looks pretty out of it now. She is laying half on her back and half on her side. Her breathing is much slower than it was earlier. She appears to be sleeping well. Which is much better than she has been sleeping.

Looking at her now, I don't see what the big fuss is about asari. They look and act just like humans. Her chest rises and falls just like ours when they sleep. Her face looks angelic when she's sleeping peacefully. I can imagine she must have looked very similar when she was a baby.

I really can't see why humans make such a big deal about getting to know an asari. I mean I am looking at her sleep and she is just as beautiful as any other sleeping person. Her hands are delicately cradled against her body and her legs lye under the sheets just like us. Her lips look as full and plump as anyone else. She looks just as innocent and vulnerable as anyone else. I could watch her all night.

Back to the reports.

- 0307 hours

I must have dosed off a little. Liara has started rustling under the sheets. I will have to keep an eye on her.

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Data Log Entry: # 21840303

- 0730 hours

Liara started trembling in her sleep not long after my last entry. She was clearly having a horrible nightmare. She was sweating pretty bad and started moaning in an unusual manner. I almost didn't make it in time as her body had just begun to start glowing blue. I had to shake her pretty hard to wake her up and when she came to she almost didn't recognize me. One of her hands was a flamed with iridescent light about to strike. Good thing I caught it first.

Once she regained full coconsciousness, she collapsed in my arms, nearly sobbing. She held me pretty tight saying my name over and over. "Shepard, Shepard. Thank the Goddess it's you." After calming down, the poor thing was shaking to death, she told me about a night mare she was having. Liara said that she finally recognized the images from Shiala's cipher.

She said that they were of Ilos and we had to get there immediately. I asked her where was Ilos. She informed me it was a distant uncharted planet. One many asari believed to be a myth. It was deep within the Terminus Systems. The professor was pretty convinced that is where the conduit was. She said if we were to stop Saren, we had to stop him there.

It took her several hours to fall back asleep. It wasn't until I laid down next to her, on top of the sheets, I might add professionally, that she started to drift off again. It's a quarter til 0800 now but after the rough night she had, hell we both had, I'm going to let her sleep as long as possible.

- 0815

I just returned from the head and low and behold, the young doctor is gone. My sheets were made and everything. It doesn't even look like she was here. If I hadn't had to search the bed for my flash drive I dropped last night, I would not have smelt a faint scent of her on my pillow. It was only where her head was and I know I smelt it a bit longer than normal, but it was just so intoxicating. I'm ashamed to admit this, but I have a feeling I will be thinking about that smell all day.