I'll be the first to say it: "Oh my god, N.Q. Wilder, you updated! I thought you were dead! What gives?" Long story short, I am not dead. I've just been hard pressed for time due to an abundance of trial work. My sincerest apologies for the delay, but hopefully it was worth it. Anyway, a few quick words about this chapter. We are jumping ahead 10 years to see how things have changed after the Reaper War. I'm actually cutting this part of the story in half though. Don't worry, this chapter is quite lengthy to reward you for your patience, but I wanted to go ahead and post at least part of this story. Good news is: I should have substantially less trial work to do until March, so I hope to put up the other half of the story within that time.
Anyway, thanks for your patience and sticking with this story despite the wait. I hope you all enjoy this chapter.
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Ten years later...
"Commander, the council has forwarded their approval on proposals 45, 48, and 53. I just need your signature and then I will forward authorization to HQ." The young, slim drell held out a datapad to the black haired human and offered a stylus in the other hand. Her teal skin seemed vibrant against her black service uniform and big, dark eyes stared unblinking at the commander.
Taking the pad and stylus, the human flashed an appreciative smile at her ensign officer before scribbling her name quickly and handing it back. In her black dress uniform with silver relief, multitude of medals, officer's hat, and stars of rank, the woman looked suitably impressive after her visit with the council. Then again, the woman tended to look impressive even in her casual fatigues just by the virtue of being who she was. Admiral-Commander Shepard filled a room with awe by reputation alone.
Ensign Lasha took the pad with a nod of her head, stacking it atop the other datapads in her arms. She stood at the Admiral-Commander's shoulder - Shepard had invented the new title so that she could still be addressed as Commander Shepard instead of Admiral; a bit of sentimentality on her part - as the human sat at her desk in her quarters. Lasha glanced around the room curiously, although she had been there often due to her duties as Shepard's information officer. Yet, like many of the soldiers that had the privilege to work directly under the Admiral-Commander and aboard the Normandy, the young officer was often struck by the fact that she was serving aboard a piece of history.
Meanwhile, Shepard finished transferring the last of her reports to a separate datapad to give to her information officer. After this latest trip to the Citadel to meet with the councilors and attend to other military business, Shepard was keen to complete her duties and arrive back at the United Galactic Military base. Though five days was not a terribly long time, she hated being away from her family for even that long. It was probably just paranoia left over from her former Alliance days when being shipped out meant being gone for months at a time; even now she sometimes had to leave on extended patrols that lasted several weeks. Regardless of the amount of time spent away though, coming home was always a pleasure.
As she handed the datapad over to Ensign Lasha, Shepard's gaze lingered on the photograph of her, Liara, and Benezia that sat on her desk. It had been taken when Benezia was six, during an outing with family friends. In the picture Benezia sat on Shepard's shoulders, blue arms outstretched like the wings of a ship, violet eyes wide with excitement while she laughed. Shepard was running towards the camera, keeping her daughter secure on her shoulders and smiling while Liara chased after them, hands formed like a gun and pretending to shoot after them. As with every time she looked at the photo, the memory brought a smile to the commander's lips.
Leaning back in her chair while the ensign rearranged the stack in her hands and prepared to leave, Shepard asked, "Do you have any plans for your next few days off, Lasha?"
If the ensign was surprised by Shepard's informality, she didn't show it. The commander was certainly known for being relaxed with her crew whenever serving aboard the Normandy. She might be a stickler for the rules and protocol at the base, but on her own ship she preferred a close sense of community.
"Ah, well, some of the crew is going to hit the clubs during the break and I think I'll go with them." The drell's voice was higher than that of all the male drell Shepard had ever known, but still possessed a deep quality, and like the other drell she knew, Lasha was also fairly direct. At the same time she had a talent for being discreet and respectful in addition to her impeccable memory. Shepard thought Lasha would rise high in the ranks someday.
Chuckling, Shepard said, "Yes, I should have suspected as much. It's amazing that sometimes I forget precisely how I used to spend all my shore leaves when I was younger. Well, I suppose something needs to remind me of my age, huh?"
Despite being in her early forties, Shepard looked much like she did during the War of the Reapers. The cybernetics and other modifications that Cerberus had made to her body while rebuilding her resulted in slowed aging. Her hair was still completely black, her skin tight, body strong; the only real indication of her age was that her violet eyes held a quality that said she had seen things other people could only imagine, lived through so much. Her lack of aging was simultaneously a relief because it meant she would have more time to spend with her wife and daughter, but also alarming when it reminded her preciously how much of her humanity she had lost during the war. Something she never liked to be reminded of, yet she tried to ease that pain by joking about it from time to time.
Smiling in response, Lasha ventured quietly, "Um, if I may ask, Commander, do you have plans as well?"
Pointing to the picture on her desk with a grin, Shepard nodded and said, "It's my daughter's birthday tomorrow. She's at that age where she wants to have a big party with all her friends from school, and I can hardly say no to her on anything; and then we're also having some of our old friends come for a smaller party later. Maybe not as exciting as the clubs, but at least I won't have to deal with the post shore-leave hangover," she added with a warm smile.
Lasha nodded her agreement with a chuckle before slipping back into formality in order to excuse herself and finish her duties. After checking on the ETA, Shepard decided to grab her duffel bag and head down to the bridge where she found Joker at his usual station, piloting the Normandy. Like always, it had been a simple matter to convince Joker to help her build the United Galactic Military. He simply went wherever Shepard and the Normandy went - the crew understood that the ship was a much his as the Admiral-Commander's at this point.
Laying a hand on his shoulder, Shepard said, "I heard a rumor that you forced half of the crew to get drunk on the Citadel and then made them report for duty the next morning."
Glancing up at her quickly before turning his attention back to the monitors, Joker just shrugged. He was a few years younger than Shepard, but without the same cybernetics he looked older than her. He still wore his beard and signature cap, but his hair was starting to show flecks of gray. However, even if he was getting older, his spirit remained as young as always. His penchant for pranks and gossip certainly had not faded over time. "It wasn't half, more like just the youngest ones. It was for their own good. I wanted to teach them how to deal with having to work while still hung-over. A skill we all learned at some point or another, right, Shepard?"
Shaking her head, she answered, "Well, I guess I should be grateful you taught something sort of useful when you were bored rather than blast porn over the intercom like you did last time."
He gave one of his roguish grins before quipping back, "I've told you that you shouldn't bring me to the Citadel with you. I hate just sitting in the docking bay while you rub elbows with the politicians."
Shepard couldn't help rolling her eyes at that. "I would leave you behind, but you won't let anyone else pilot the Normandy. How do you suggest I get to the Citadel without my ship, Joker?"
Holding up his hands as if fending off an attack, he answered, "Look, I'm not saying it's practical. I'm just saying you shouldn't bring me. You'll just have to deal with the results of my boredom."
"Jeff currently has one hundred and twenty seven pranks planned for future visits to the citadel, Commander." EDI put in from the co-pilot seat, spouting her facts in the same calm voice she always used.
Joker leaned over as if to swat her, though he couldn't reach her from that far away. "Shut up, EDI! You aren't supposed to tell Shepard that! I can't tell you anything!"
Shepard just shook her head with a small laugh. Some things never changed. As the Normandy made its approach to the Galactic Military base on Bekenstein, Shepard spent the remainder of her time signing off on forms and making sure her crew was prepared to depart for shore leave. When forming the Galactic Military, Shepard decided to base it on Bekenstein because the planet was the closest habitable planet to the Citadel, and it proved a comfortable place to live. Since it was a prime green-house planet, it felt like home to many of the species that flocked to the planet because of the military's presence. Although Bekenstein had started as a human colony, it was now a multi-racial civilization, second only in diversity to the Citadel. The resultant boom in the urban sector and the economy centered on the military base led to the creation of suburban areas, a safe and peaceful place for Shepard and Liara to raise their daughter.
At the docking bay, Shepard saw her crew off from the portside door, wishing them all a fun shore leave. Traditionally, the captain of the ship would be the last to leave, but Joker usually took that privilege for himself, and Shepard didn't mind giving it to him, but she always remained till second to last. Slinging her duffel bag over her shoulder and waving goodbye to him, she said, "I'll see you tomorrow, right, Joker? EDI?"
"Yeah, yeah," he answered distractedly as he scrutinized the post-flight statistics. "We'll both be there."
Saying goodbye to them, Shepard stepped down the ramp and out onto the docking area. As she reached the end of the extended ramp and passed through the security checkpoints, receiving salutes from the personnel stationed there, she entered the civilian approved area of the port.
No sooner had she stepped foot into the civilian area when she heard a child's voice call out, "Momma! Momma! Momma!"
Smiling broadly, Shepard let her duffel bag fall from her shoulder and turned towards the sound of feet striking the walkway rapidly, spreading her arms in time to catch the little asari that leapt towards her. Small, blue arms encircled her neck tightly, legs wrapped around her torso as the little girl buried her face against the side of the Commander's neck. Clutching her daughter equally as tight, Shepard said, "Benny! I missed you, baby girl!"
Peering over her daughter's shoulder, Shepard saw Liara tagging behind at a walk after Benny had no doubt ripped away from her. Dressed in her lab coat and casual suit, Liara must have picked Benny up from school right after work and come to greet the commander. After retiring from being the Shadow Broker, Liara had taken up her prothean studies again, leading the department at the University of Bekenstein. She had a warm smile adorning her lovely face, and for a second Shepard felt like some lucky person in a romantic vid. Benny still pressed against the commander as if afraid she would turn around and get back on the ship any second, and Liara wrapped her arms around both of them so that Benny was between them while she kissed her wife. It bordered between chaste and passionate, lasting maybe a moment longer than it should have considering they were at Shepard's work, yet short enough to leave Shepard longing for more. But she knew that she would have time to spend with Liara alone later, and she was content to be with her family at the moment.
Leaning back far enough to look into Shepard's eyes, Benny said, "I'm gonna be ten soon, Momma." She had been saying that for the past week or so, to anyone who would listen, before Shepard even left for the Citadel. She said it with such earnestness as if worried that if she didn't remind everyone then they would forget.
Looking into those piercing violet eyes, so much like her own, and those freckles that reminded her of Liara, Shepard had to suppress the urge to hug her daughter tightly and never let go. So often she was conflicted by her desire to have Benny stay a child forever and her desire to see who her daughter would grow up to be. "I know, Benny," she said mirthfully. "I wouldn't ever forget."
Her daughter just smiled and her curiosity immediately took her to other thoughts as she reached up and took Shepard's officer's cap from her head and placed in on her own head. It was a little big for her and she had to keep pushing it up from in front of her eyes. "Can I wear your hat, Momma?"
Chuckling while she set her daughter back down and then snapping a crisp salute, Shepard said, "Of course, Admiral."
"I'll be the admiral and you can be Uncle Garrus," Benny informed her excitedly. Then turning to Liara and tugging her hand eagerly she added, "And you can be Uncle Joker, Mommy, because you drive the ship."
Liara and Shepard shared amused glances and Liara even murmured, "Why do I have to be Joker?" But Benny was already urging them to follow her out to the car, marching ahead proudly with the officer's hat continuously sliding down over her eyes.
Quickly grabbing her duffel bag Shepard followed behind with Liara at her side, fingers interlaced with her wife's hand. Leaning over to kiss Liara on the cheek, Shepard pulled back with mock surprise. "Joker, you shaved your beard!" she said with as straight a face as she could manage.
Liara rolled her eyes and nudged Shepard with her elbow. "Keep it up, Garrus, and you'll be calibrating alone tonight."
Shepard laughed and wondered what her friends would say if they ever heard about this. Benny often used the names of family friends when playing, assigning their roles to stuffed animals and any other playmate she could find. Sometimes it concerned Shepard that her and Liara's past life seemed to influence Benny so much, but she was usually consoled by the fact that she and Liara's names never came up in Benny's play. She didn't want their daughter to feel pressured to be like them, or try to assume their roles. She wanted Benny to choose her own path in life.
When they got to the car Benny immediately hopped into the backseat and Shepard took the passenger seat. She knew from past experience that Liara would never let her drive when their daughter was in the car - a safety precaution she called it. Unfortunately, Shepard could hardly disagree given her track record. Benny chatted happily about school and her friends, filling Shepard in on all that she had missed while on her trip to the Citadel. Like most children, Benny could talk practically non-stop when she had a captive audience, yet she also possessed the ability to enjoy solitude; a trait probably picked up from Liara. Like Shepard, Benny could be bold and her teachers often remarked that she was a leader amongst her peers, yet Benny was also content to play alone and pursue her own interests without guidance from her parents.
Sure enough, when they got home Benny happily rushed inside the house and went to go play with her toys. Coming in through the kitchen door, that left Liara and Shepard alone for a moment, and Shepard quickly grabbed her wife and pulled her close. Leaning against the counter, arms wrapped around Liara's waist, Shepard kissed her passionately. Heat flooded her face and her pulse quickened with desire, and she wanted nothing more than to feel every inch of Liara pressed against her. Everything about Liara, the taste, the smell, the feel, was intoxicating: a fire in her heart that could never quite be quelled and often burned out of control. Pulling away reluctantly before she lost her senses, Shepard whispered, "God, I've missed you."
Liara just grinned coyly and grabbed the collar of Shepard's dress uniform, pulling her back forcefully into another kiss that almost caused Shepard to melt on her feet. It was only with a sigh that they pulled apart again, foreheads touching and bodies as close as they could possibly be. Neither said anything for a while, content in the moment, until finally Liara sighed and said, "I hate to bring this up when you have just gotten home, but today I had a talk with Benny's teacher."
Shepard had always been known for being protective - of her crew, of Liara, of everyone - but when it came to Benny she was almost overbearing; completely devoted to her daughter's safety and well-being. News about Benny was enough to jar her out of her blissful reverie and she pulled away slightly, frowning. "Why? Is everything ok? Is Benny in trouble? Is she ok?"
Liara stroked Shepard's arm comfortingly, knowing how worked up the commander could get about Benny. "It isn't anything dire, but Benny got in trouble for using some inappropriate language during class. When I picked up Benny after school, her teacher told me that she had used language that was not appropriate for children during class. I figured that I would wait until you were home to talk to her about it."
"Do you know what she said?"
"No. Her teacher just said that it was inappropriate. I thought we could discuss it with her today."
Shepard's face set in that distinctly strict, military parent expression that she donned whenever it came to disciplining Benny. Pulling away from Liara and standing straight-backed and rigid, Shepard called out, "Benezia Shepard T'soni, front and center!" They had decided long ago to use T'soni as Benezia's last name since the last name Shepard would be too conspicuous. Their ultimate goal was always to shelter Benny from the attention of the media and anyone who might pressure her to follow her parent's footsteps.
A second later Benny came running into the kitchen, though immediately slowed once she reached her parents. She knew that hearing her full name never meant anything good, and she cautiously came to stand right before Shepard, standing up tall with her arms clasped behind her back like a soldier. Her violet eyes never wavered from Shepard's stern gaze, but she couldn't hide her worry.
"I heard you got in trouble today for using bad language, Benezia. Is this true?"
While the little asari's lip trembled slightly, her voice came out strong and even. "Yes, Ma'am."
"And what did you say?"
Her violet eyes darted from Shepard's face, to Liara's, and then to the floor before returning back to Shepard. "Miss Nala gave us a book to read over the weekend and I was mad because my birthday is this weekend and... and I said that it was a real kick to the quad."
Hearing the distinctly krogan phrase come out of Benny's ten year old mouth was so shocking and amusing at the same time that Shepard almost burst out laughing. She had to hide her smile behind a hand and couldn't help dropping her firm, military demeanor. Liara also seemed shocked, though less amused, and shot Shepard an accusatory glance. When the human caught the glance she held up her hands defensively. "Hey," she protested, "don't give me that look. She didn't learn it from me! You know I never use that kind of language around, Benny."
"It sounds like something you would say, Shepard," Liara replied, sounding unconvinced by Shepard's argument. "Or if not from you, then from Wrex. I know he's trying to turn her into a krogan."
Shepard had to admit that Wrex was a likely culprit, but she also felt sure that he knew better than to use that kind of language around a child. Still... sometimes things slipped. Shepard hadn't seen him in a while though.
Benny seemed much more relieved now that Shepard's sternness had faded and she eagerly piped up, "I learned it from Grandma."
At that Shepard couldn't hold it in any longer and let out a laugh. Liara went from dropped jaw to annoyed at Shepard for laughing in a matter of seconds. Liara's mother, Matriach Aethyta, was half krogan and much coarser than the average asari. Shepard liked her a lot as an in-law, but she was not the typical kindly grandmother type. Wiping a tear from her eye, Shepard replied, "I should have known it was your mother, Liara. She puts Wrex and me to shame with the curses she knows."
Rolling her eyes and putting her hands on her hips, Liara answered, "Yes, well, I will have to speak with her about watching her language around children. I'm glad you could find this so funny, Shepard."
Trying to hide her grin, Shepard said, "Sorry, sorry." Taking a deep breath and setting her face into a more serious expression, she turned back to Benny, though her voice had lost its hard edge. "Benezia, I never want to hear you say that again, ok? In fact, don't repeat a lot of what Grandma says."
Benny smiled with relief, no doubt glad that Shepard was no longer angry and that she was going to get off with a warning. She nodded and said, "Yes, Ma'am."
Shepard let Benny run off to go play again before turning back to Liara with a shake of her head and a smile. "That was... unexpected," she said.
Liara returned a flat stare that read "I am not amused" before a similar smile spread across her face. Raising a hand to her forehead and throwing her head back in mild exasperation she answered, "What am I going to do about that woman, Shepard? I want her to be a part of Benny's life, but she has absolutely no experience with children! You know, once when I went over to her house to pick up Benny, I found them watching an extremely violent vid together. And I swear, when I asked her about it she had no idea why I was upset."
Wrapping her arms around Liara's waist again while the asari draped her arms across Shepard's shoulders, the commander replied, "I wouldn't worry about it too much. Having a foul-mouthed, mischievous grandmother is probably a lot like having two older brothers. It just adds a little bit of spice to a childhood. I used to get into all kinds of trouble with my brothers and look how I turned out."
Raising an eyebrow in mock skepticism, Liara replied, "You want our daughter to turn into a reckless, gun-slinging soldier who constantly risks her life while befriending the most dangerous people in the galaxy?"
Shepard pulled Liara in closer so that she could kiss the side of her neck affectionately. Humming against Liara's cheek, she replied, "I see your point. Well, maybe she'll find a beautiful archaeologist to balance her out then."
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"Alright, Benny, time for bed. You've got a long day tomorrow," Shepard called to her daughter in the play room. Probably on account of her birthday party being the next day, Benny didn't argue for more time and promptly ran past Shepard to the bathroom to brush her teeth. The commander waited for her daughter in Benny's bedroom, seated on the edge of the bed. Benny's room was littered with drawings on the walls, a good number depicting their family or family friends. She saw pictures of her former teammates and of the Normandy. There were also several pictures of their family, with Benny in the center and Liara and herself holding hands with her on either side. Shepard studied the familiar caricatures of her friends with an amused grin until Benny entered the room. Her daughter immediately went to her dresser to change into her pajamas.
"Do you want to read part of a book together?" Shepard asked. Since her own mother had been a literature teacher, Shepard had grown up around books and around words. She loved reading, loved the magic of literature. She remembered reading with her mother when she was a child, every night a sacred ritual that not only expanded her mind but made her feel closer to her mother. She'd been reading to Benny long before her daughter could even understand the words. Subsequently, reading together had become an important part of their relationship.
Slipping her pajama top over her head, Benny said, "I want to listen to poetry."
Another thing Shepard intended to pass on to her daughter was her love of poetry, which she had developed from her mother as well. Often Shepard would fill downtime with poetry - if they were waiting at the doctor's office, driving in the car, or just walking around a store - she would start reciting the words she loved so deeply in hopes that Benny would come to love the words too. And over time it seemed that she had succeeded. Not only did Benezia seem to have a superior grasp on literature for her age, but she often asked Shepard to recite poetry.
Folding her arms over her chest, Shepard said, "Oh really? Any poem in particular?"
"The Fire Fetched Down!" Benny replied instantly. It was the second largest poem Shepard knew from heart and one of the most dramatic. She was sure Benny liked the drama of the poem as much as she liked the sound of it. She certainly doubted that her daughter understood the poem entirely - few adults would have been able to.
Rubbing her chin in thought, Shepard pretended to heavily consider the suggestion. "That's an awfully long poem," she said at last. "And I'm tired from my trip. I don't know if I have the energy to recall the whole thing."
Benny came scuttling over to Shepard with her best puppy-dog eyes, grabbing her mother's hands with her own little, blue ones. "Please, Momma! It's my favorite. Please!"
Looking into those violet eyes, a mirror of her own eyes, and that freckled face that looked so much like Liara's, Shepard almost felt overwhelmed by the love in her heart. She knew that nothing could ever compare to how much she cared about Benny and Liara. Sometimes she felt speechless by how blessed she was. "How about a trade?" Shepard said. "You recite a poem for me and I'll do that one for you?" Now that Benny had taken to liking poetry, Shepard was trying to get her daughter in the habit of memorizing poems so that she could carry them with her wherever she went. Not only to carry the words with her, but to carry a piece of Shepard with her forever.
Nodding gleefully, Benny said, "Ok! I'll do a happy one!" Jumping back and posing with her arms outspread wide, as if standing center-stage for an adoring audience, Benny began, "I will be the gladdest thing under the sun! I will touch a hundred flowers and not pick one."
Shepard recognized the poem immediately, "Afternoon on a Hill" by Edna St. Vincent Millay - Benny's personal favorite poet. Not a bad choice. It was easy enough for a ten year old to remember and not as dark as the poems Shepard tended to favor.
Shielding her eyes with a hand as if she were peering at a glaring sun, Benny continued, "I will look at cliffs and clouds with quiet eyes, watch the wind bow down the grass, and the grass rise." Raising her arm in a triumphant gesture and finishing by bringing down her fist in an ecstatic motion, she declared, "And when the lights begin to show up from the town, I will mark which must be mine, and then start down!"
Clapping appreciatively, Shepard said, "That was excellent, Benny! You didn't miss a single word and you performed it so well." Rising, she scooped her daughter up in her arms and placed the child in the bed, leaning down to kiss her on the forehead. As she tucked her in, Shepard added, "And remember that those words are true, Benny. You have to pick out the lights you want for yourself, what is important to you, and then go get them. If you work hard, you can get what you want."
Beaming at the praise, Benny said, "Now you do 'The Fire Fetched Down.' And don't forget to do the scary part!"
Grinning, Shepard backed up so that Benny could see her from where the child was snuggled in the bed, and began her recitation. "When they knew what he had given them, this florid colossus with the sunrise in his eyes and skin the color of perfectly ripened fruit..."
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Plopping down on the couch next to Liara, who sat reading a datapad probably containing research from her work, Shepard sighed softly. Draping her arms over the back of the couch and leaning her head back, she enjoyed the feel of being off her feet for a minute. Liara put the datapad on the coffee table and snuggled up close to Shepard, resting her head on her wife's shoulder.
"Did you get her to sleep?" she asked.
"Yup, though it took a while. She almost made me go through my entire repertoire. I was afraid I would run out of poems for a minute there."
Chuckling, Liara said, "You know she loves hearing you read or recite to her. I do it while you are away, but I can tell she prefers it when you do it. It is something that will always be for just you and her in her mind."
Shepard didn't say that it was good that Benny would always have that memory of her even after she was gone. Shepard didn't say that she tried so hard to leave those impressions on their daughter so that Benny wouldn't ever forget her. And Shepard didn't say that she hoped leaving those pieces of herself with their daughter would prevent Benny from feeling betrayed that Shepard wouldn't be there for most of her life. She didn't say these things because she didn't have to. They both knew, but some things were better communicated in silence.
Instead, Shepard said, "She's so smart, Liara. Sometimes I don't think there's any way she could possibly understand one of the poems I say to her, and she surprises me by showing a complete understanding. She's so much like you. So smart and such a quick learner."
Pressing even closer to the commander, face snuggled against the side of her neck, Liara whispered, "I think she is more like you. An artist at heart."
Shepard let out a scoff at that. "I'm not an artist, Liara. I'm a soldier. All I've ever really been good at is fighting."
"That is not true," Liara insisted. "Didn't you tell me before that many poets have been soldiers? Also you love to cook, to create. Do you remember, one of the first things you said to me was that you appreciated people with passion? Well, you have a lot of passion, Shepard. And artists are people with passion."
Wrapping her arms around Liara, Shepard said, "If I remember correctly, in that same conversation your translator gave you a different definition of passion. A kind I reserve just for you."
Lifting her chin to look up at Shepard, Liara answered, "And if I remember what you said, that kind of passion is not bad either."
Smiling down at her wife, Shepard ducked her head to press her lips against Liara's. The asari eagerly returned the kiss and as it grew more heated she shifted her position so that she straddled Shepard's lap. The commander's hands wandered across Liara's lower back, the electricity of the contact sparking at her fingertips and running up her arms. For a while they matched one another for intensity, a dance of soft caresses and playful nips at lower lips.
Yet, Shepard knew every inch of Liara's body and her hands artfully moved along her spine, lighting up ever nerve ending there. Similarly, Liara knew every inch of Shepard's body, and when she pressed her lips against the side of Shepard's neck, just under the base of her jaw, the commander gave an involuntary shudder and her fingers fumbled in her ministrations, instead digging into Liara's back. Laughing at having gotten the better of Shepard, Liara pressed her advantage and it was all Shepard could do just to wrap her arms around Liara's waist and fight to keep her senses. Her heart beat so fast that it felt as if it might burst out of her chest and the hair on the back of her neck stood at end.
Feeling that she would go mad with desire if this went on much longer, Shepard rocked forward onto her feet, pulling Liara up with her. Her arms scooped under Liara to hold her up off the ground, while Liara's arms draped around Shepard's shoulder and her legs wrapped around her waist. She giggled as Shepard carried her to the bedroom, before capturing the human's lips again passionately. Once they reached the bedroom, clothes were quickly discarded and their bodies intertwined. And in their moment of bliss they lay wrapped in each other's arms. A melding of their bodies, minds, and souls.