So much for my idea of doing a collection of short vignettes. Each scene ended up going longer than I expected and I covered things I hadn't planned to cover. For those of you who were disappointed that I skipped over the marriage and conception of their kid, well, you can thank Karmen Sandiego for convincing me to reconsider. I only did a small piece from the marriage scene, but both were especially challenging for me since they are pretty far out of my comfort zone. But I learned a lot about just forcing yourself to put material down on the page. Anyway, the lesson we should all take away from this is not that N.Q. Wilder does requests (unless someone wants to start paying me haha), but if you have a suggestion then feel free to pitch it. Even things that I purposefully avoided before, I might reconsider given enough time.

In this chapter we're backing up 11 years and taking glimpses at some small moments in-between that time and the last chapter. I also randomly came up with an idea for a fun little side story at Grissom Academy that I plan to continue in the next chapter. Hopefully I won't struggle as much with that as I did with this.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.

Glimpses in Time

11 years earlier...

The wedding would be a small affair. No press, no entourage, no extensive families. All they had was each other and the friends that had seen them through the darkest years the galaxy had ever seen. They had everything that they wanted.

Shepard straightened her officer's uniform for the twentieth time that day, tugging at imagined creases and her fingers nervously aligning the medals pinned to her left breast. All the while she stared at the dozen statues that stared right back, though four in particular drew her attention more than the others. The statues belonged to the Reaper War memorial located in London where the final battle had taken place. The city looked good considering it had faced near annihilation. Already half of the city had been rebuilt and several memorials put up to honor those who had made the ultimate sacrifice in the fight against the Reapers. This memorial was the most important, however, and stood in the center of the city, where the battle had been at its worst.

Not only did the location hold significance for Shepard, but the statues bore the mark of her influence as well. The twelve statues represented each race that had helped in the battle against the Reapers, ranging from the major players like humans and turians all the way to geth and elcor. Even batarians were represented, after Shepard had insisted on it - a surprise to everyone, including the commander.

She had ended up having a large say in the artwork after officials had contacted her, asking to use her image for the representation of humanity. She had declined that offer obviously, but suggested an alternative: Admiral David Anderson. Looking at his likeness now, wrought in metal so that he stood with hand frozen in a salute and looking off into the distance as if looking towards the future, Shepard had to admit that they had done a good job.

Taking in a deep breath and smiling, Shepard snapped a crisp salute back at him, whispering, "Thank you, Sir. For everything."

Then she let her eyes wander to three other statues that stood side by side in similar poses. Approaching them, she placed a hand on two of their shoulders, but let her gaze sweep over all three. Looking into the faces of Mordin, Legion, and Thane, she wondered if there was an afterlife and if they knew that they had won. She wondered if they knew their sacrifices had saved the galaxy. She hoped so. She hoped they had finally found their peace.

"I can't believe you had control over this memorial and you didn't suggest using me as the turian model."

Shepard turned to see Garrus walking towards her from the back of the room, walking down the aisle created between a handful of chairs set up for the ceremony. He was dressed in traditional turian formal wear, the nicest Shepard had ever seen him wear, all dark greens, blues, and purples. Although Shepard wasn't entirely sure of turian beauty standards, she thought that he made a handsome figure.

When he reached her, he added, "All you had to say was, 'I know this turian that gave half his face fighting the Reapers. I real nice guy. You should make a statue of him.'"

Shepard laughed. "Would you really have wanted them to make a statue of you when you're still alive, Garrus?"

He thought about it for a moment, then said, "I suppose not. Too many people would come up to me and say 'Haven't I seen you somewhere before?'"

Shepard rolled her eyes. "You're right. That'd be the worst part of having a statue of yourself out there."

Garrus' eyes swept over the statues, lingering briefly on the familiar faces, before he focused his attention on Shepard again. "Are you ready for this?"

Shrugging, she said, "Surprisingly, I think so. I'm not as nervous as I thought I'd be."

"This is a big step though."

"It is," she agreed. "But I already gave Liara my heart a long time ago. When you really think about it, all I'm doing now is saying a few words and signing a few papers. The scary part is already over."

"Ah, I see you're quite the romantic," Garrus joked. "Liara will really like the part about signing papers. Nothing gets a girl's heart going faster than legal matters."

Laughing, Shepard punched him lightly. "Don't be an ass."

Before long the other guests began arriving, filing into the room, greeting the commander, and wishing her the best. She'd invited all the remaining squadmates from over the years. James came wearing his uniform, the new red, black, and white striped metal on his chest proclaiming him an N7 graduate. Shepard congratulated him on making it through the program and welcomed him as a brother in their elite group. Jacob came with Dr. Brynn and their new baby, a beautiful, little girl. Then Joker and EDI arrived, with Joker making the expected jokes about Shepard putting on the ball and chain. All of her friends filled the rows of seats: Miranda, Samara, Traynor, Ken and Gabby, Adams, Chakwas, Kasumi, Grunt, Wrex, Cortez, Hackett, and even Zaeed and Jack. The last to arrive were Tali and Ashley who walked down the aisle to where Shepard stood near the front of the room.

"Is Liara ready?" Shepard asked. They had been helping her fiancé get ready and their appearance meant that the ceremony would begin soon.

"Ready to go, Skipper," Ashley answered. The marine held out her hand, and Shepard gripped it with a smile.

"Thanks, Ash."

Ashley suddenly frowned. "Ah, crap. I was gonna say those lines from Paradise Lost that everyone always says at weddings, but I forgot it already. It's bone of my bone, flesh of my flesh thou art... something something, right?"

With a grin, Shepard replied, "Flesh of flesh, bone of my bone thou art, and from thy state mine never shall be parted, bliss or woe." Then she added, "I think that means I won the game today."

Ash rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah, fine. Well, you should keep that bit of poetry in mind while you're getting married."

"I will."

As Ash went to take her seat, Tali took both of Shepard's hands in hers. "I am so happy for you. For the both of you. After everything that's happened you deserve this happiness."

Pulling the quarian into a hug, Shepard said, "Thank you, Tali. For everything."

Just as everyone settled into place, Liara appeared at the back of the room. She wore a traditional asari dress, a deep blue to match her eyes and floor-length. Not nearly as elaborate as a human wedding dress, the cut was simple and tasteful with few adornments. At the sight of her wife-to-be, Shepard's heart went into overdrive and she had to remind herself to breathe. Liara had always been beautiful, but in that moment she looked radiant, and all Shepard could think was that in a matter of minutes she would be married to the woman of her dreams.

Liara smiled at the commander as she made her way down the aisle, and Shepard smiled back. In the back of her head she could hear the echoes of the past - of all the words she had thought or said when it came to her love of Liara.

All things pass, love and mankind are grass.

I was so afraid I lost you.

I love you sub specie aeternitatis.

I promise to always come back to you.

When Liara reached her and Shepard took her hands in her own, the commander mentally added another phrase.

Flesh of flesh, bone of my bone thou art, and from thy state mine never shall be parted, bliss or woe.

~.~.~.~.~

Shepard wasn't sure why there were butterflies in her stomach. Well, no, that wasn't quite true. She knew exactly why she felt so nervous. She just wished that her body could agree on what she should be feeling at the moment. Her stomach seemed to be practicing to become a contortionist, while her hands couldn't stop exploring Liara's body. Her lips were locked in an intricate dance with the asari's, her back pressed hard against the wall of their bedroom, Liara warm and vivacious against her, and all the while her brain was shouting Oh my God, this is happening! This is really happening!

Liara's intensity was almost overwhelming. Shepard briefly wondered if she'd have a bruise from when her wife had slammed her against the wall. A prickling ache tingled between her shoulder blades, but she quickly forgot it. Liara ripped off the commander's black jacket, tossing it to the floor, and immediately started in on the buttons of her blouse. It was all Shepard could do to keep up with the ferociousness of Liara's kisses; she felt as meek as a mouse while pinned against the wall, her stomach fluttering and her brain bouncing from thought to thought.

Determined to reassert herself, Shepard pushed off the wall and steered Liara back towards the bed at the other end of the room. Liara allowed herself to be guided, not hesitating for a second as she undid the last button on Shepard's shirt. When the back of her knees hit the edge of the bed, Shepard shoved her back so that she landed sprawled and then the commander was on her, legs straddling the asari's waist and hands pinning her blue wrists to the mattress. She could feel the proposal bracelet that she had made for Liara pressing against the palm of her left hand, making her especially conscious of the wedding band on her own finger. A savage grin spread across the human's lips as she stared down at Liara, who made only a weak attempt to free her arms from Shepard's grip. The commander had always been physically stronger than the doctor, provided Liara did not use her biotics, and she had no trouble overpowering her lover. With her weight pressing down on Liara's middle and the asari's wrists under control, Shepard would have an undeniable advantage.

But like a crack of lightning, Shepard suddenly thought better of it and loosed her hold on her wife's wrists. Her hands slid gingerly up to interlace her fingers with Liara's, and she shifted her weight so that little of it actually pressed down on her lover. Her muscles, which had been tense and full of power moments before, relaxed. Even her grin softened into an expression of tender concern.

At the sudden shift in the commander's demeanor, Liara blinked rapidly and then began to laugh. "You do not have to worry about being gentle with me, Shepard. I am not pregnant yet."

Blushing a little, Shepard smiled sheepishly at having her mind practically read. "I know. I'm sorry. I just - I guess I haven't fully wrapped my head around the fact that we're actually doing this."

Liara's eyes widened and her voice came out as a whisper. "You are not... not having second thoughts...?"

"No," Shepard replied quickly. "I was just... just a little nervous I guess. I don't know what I'm doing."

"You do not have to do anything," Liara assured her. "I told you before, we do not even need to actually meld again for me to start the process. But we said we wanted to make this special."

"I know," Shepard told her. "I'm sorry. I was just being stupid. I know I don't have to be gentle with you or anything. My brain is just a little all over the place since I know this is such a big step."

"Mine too," Liara admitted. "I am sorry if I hurt you when I pushed you. I was trying to forget my own nervousness."

Shepard knew that they had asked themselves this question a thousand times already, but she had to ask it again. Just one more time. "Do you think we are ready for this, Liara?"

Her wife surprised her by flashing a confident smile. "I know we are, Shepard. I can see in everything you do how much this means to you. I can see how much you care." With their hands still linked, Liara guided Shepard's right hand to her face and pressed the human's palm against her blue cheek. "And I know that I want you. All of you. With you I could face anything. With you I want to experience everything." She gingerly directed Shepard's hand down the length of her body to rest over her stomach, her hand resting over the commander's. "I want to have a child with you, Shepard."

There was only one appropriate response to that, so Shepard kissed her wife again. As they shed the rest of their clothes, Liara's eyes changed from a brilliant blue to a solid black; Shepard felt the embrace of her lover's mind as firmly as she felt the asari's real body pressed against her own. The feeling was familiar, yet excitingly new at the same time. As their nervous systems synced so too did their heartbeats and breathing, creating a steady rhythm that was uniquely the sound of their love. It felt like gaining another sense, another way of experiencing the world. In addition to everything she felt with her own body, Shepard could feel an echo of what Liara felt. A ghost of the hand pressed against Liara's lower back lingered on her own skin and when a shiver of pleasure rippled through her body she felt Liara do the same. It was a strange sensation, one that had taken some getting used to, but one with which she was now intimately familiar.

In addition to physical touch being reflected back at her, Shepard also felt the echoes of her emotions in conjunction with Liara's. But separating which emotions were hers and which were her wife's was not easily done. A medley of thoughts, feelings, hopes, and desires melded together to form a fusion that was them: Liara and Shepard. What defined one defined the other. What one experienced the other shared. Whatever parts of them remained distinct were eventually drawn into the meld, rippling across their shared consciousness as a thought or feeling before receding into the collective.

Shepard craved that connectedness more than anything else. She could still feel the physical world, of course, still enjoyed the pleasure of Liara's touch, but she willingly lost herself in their shared identity. Everything of herself she pushed aside to embrace the furnace of their love that burned so brightly between them. All she could fathom in her mind was how much she loved Liara and how much Liara loved her. Nothing else existed.

When the meld finally faded, the connection between them receding until it existed only as a faint echo of what it had been, Shepard hugged Liara close. They held each other as if the other person was the only thing keeping them from drowning in some cold abyss. Liara's breath was hot and labored in Shepard's ear, as she was sure her own was too, and her wife felt almost limp in her arms. As the active partner in the melding, Liara expended more energy maintaining the connection than Shepard who played a more submissive role. She snuggled close to the commander as if for protection, letting out a sigh of contentment as Shepard stroked her back softly.

After being one with Liara, it was hard not to feel slightly lonely after the meld. Everything else felt less real by comparison: the sheets tangled up around their legs, the pillow against Shepard's head, even the sweat beaded on her own body. The feeling would pass, it always did, but until then Shepard could only hold Liara close.

They lay together in silence for a while until Shepard finally whispered, "Are - are we...?"

Liara just nodded, kissing Shepard's collarbone before pressing her face into the crook of the human's neck. For a minute Shepard just stared off into space, stunned by the significance of the moment. Liara was pregnant. They would have a child. A family. It felt unreal. She felt exactly the same, and yet completely different. Her amazement slowly turned into a tremulous joy, filling her heart as she thought about the life she and Liara would bring into the world. She squeezed Liara's shoulders as she tilted her lover's face to place several kisses on her nose, cheeks, forehead, and lips.

Liara giggled as Shepard repositioned herself to rest her head on Liara's stomach, pressing her cheek against the smooth blue skin. The commander's heart beat wildly in her chest, creating a drumbeat that her thoughts kept time with, repeating over and over: our child, our child, our child...

Wrapping her fingers in the human's black hair, Liara gently stroked Shepard's head. Smiling at her wife, Liara's tone was light as she asked, "So how long can you wait until you start calling up all our friends to tell them the good news?"

Propping herself up on her elbows and grinning, Shepard replied, "Oh, maybe five minutes or so. I didn't want to ruin the moment."

Liara chuckled in response. "Promise me you will not start every conversation with 'We are going to have a part-krogan baby!'"

Crawling back over to Liara so that she could plant a kiss on her wife's lips, Shepard said, "Sorry, you know I can't promise that."

~.~.~.~.~

Leaning her elbows on the desk and rubbing her eyes, which stung from staring at the console for so long, Shepard let out a heavy sigh. It was late and she should have gone to bed two hours ago, but she had made the mistake of trying to get some work done. She hated checking her messages; it seemed like all she ever received were pleas for help. Countless people asking something of her, each reaching out to tear off a piece of Commander Shepard. With the rebuilding process practically done from the Reaper War, the various species were back to squabbling with one another over resources, territory, and the like. For every victory that Shepard achieved, such as getting the council to agree to offer seats to all other species, she ran into another wall. The council was stalling on opening the council until the next appointment cycle, still a few months away. It was the best way to transition into such a change, they assured her, smiling to her face while they fought her behind her back. Meanwhile the Alliance was pressuring her to make a formal return to their ranks and accept the rank of admiral. She'd ignored their requests for a while since she was still exploring her idea of creating a galactic military.

She was sick of people trying to take from her. Sick of all the eyes looking to her for leadership. Head in her hands, sitting at the desk in her and Liara's apartment on the Citadel, Shepard tried to collect her thoughts. But she looked up again when she felt a warm hand on her back to see Liara standing by her chair. Her wife wore some of Shepard's clothes, a loose shirt and shorts courtesy of the Alliance, that did nothing to hide the bulge of her pregnancy.

Liara rubbed her eyes, probably just waking up and finding Shepard missing, and said, "You are still up?"

Swiveling in her chair so that she could face the asari, Shepard answered, "Yeah, I was just replying to some messages."

Looking from Shepard to the console, Liara replied, "When I came in you looked like you were upset. Is everything ok?"

Shepard tried hard not to stress Liara out with her worries - that was not something she needed to add to her pregnancy - but undoubtedly her wife still sensed some of her anxiety. Liara knew that the council, along with officials from every race, hounded Shepard for her help. Whether it was advice or support they were asking for, everyone wanted something. "I'm just tired," she said.

Holding out her hand, Liara said, "Come to bed."

Taking Liara's hand and rising to her feet, Shepard wrapped her arms around her wife and drew her close. Her swollen belly pressed against the commander's own stomach as Shepard placed a tender kiss on her lips. As if in response, Shepard could feel a faint kick from the baby. She smiled, thinking how funny it was that she had felt the kick against her own stomach just as Liara had. Without another word she left the messages behind and followed her wife to the bedroom.

~.~.~.~.~

Liara had always liked the feel of Shepard's hands. They had never been soft, like her own had been when they had first met, but she liked them all the same. After months of battle, firing guns and scrambling over debris, Liara's hands had become as rough as the other soldiers aboard the Normandy. She'd formed calluses and hard palms and toughened her slender fingers, but still, there had always been something special about Shepard's hands.

She could remember when a crescent scar had snaked its way around Shepard's middle-right finger, before the Lazarus Project had removed such markings from the commander's body. Now a pale scar ran down the Shepard's left palm just below the thumb from a piece of shrapnel from the final battle with the Reapers. But despite the toughness of the commander's hands, Liara loved how gentle they could be.

She loved when Shepard cupped her face in her hands, stroking Liara's freckled cheeks with the pads of her thumbs. She loved the feel of Shepard's hands lifting her up, strong and sure. And recently she had come to love the feel of her wife's hands on her swollen belly. The worn and well-worked hands sliding tenderly over the taut, smoothness of her pregnant stomach. The way Shepard would press her cheek against the bump and laugh if she felt the baby kick. With Shepard's hands on her she felt protected, loved.

And that was what she had always loved, feeling safe in Shepard's hands.

~.~.~.~.~

Liara awoke with a start, her head foggy and overcome with confusion. She reached out next to herself for Shepard, expecting to feel the warmth of the commander's body, but instead finding the spot next to her cold. Sitting up in bed, she raised a hand to her forehead and tried to dispel her confusion. She felt so tired, both mentally and physically, that sorting through her thoughts was like dragging her feet through mud. It all came back to her slowly, a trickle of memories emptying into the ocean of her mind. The reason she was so tired was because Benezia, only two months old, repeatedly refused to sleep through the entire night. That coupled with the fact that they were packing for their move to Bekenstein had left both her and Shepard exhausted.

Separating this night from the past few restless nights was difficult, but Liara concluded that Benny must have started crying and Shepard had gone to answer the call. How long had Shepard been gone? Tossing the covers aside, Liara got up and tiptoed to the room adjacent to their own. The light was on when she arrived and she stood in the doorway. Shepard sat in a cushioned rocking chair, dressed in a robe with their daughter cradled in the crooked of her left arm. Benny was sound asleep, snuggled close to her mother who was also asleep, her head tilted back, mouth slightly parted as she breathed deeply. Shepard's right arm hung down the side of the rocking chair and a book lay face down on the floor where the commander had dropped it. One of her poetry books, no doubt.

Liara smiled at the scene. Shepard had faced just about every enemy the galaxy had to offer: geth, thresher maws, Reapers; but a new born baby had the ability to leave the commander completely drained. Making sure not to create any noise, Liara went in search of the camera.

~.~.~.~.~

The tip had been good. Hugh Ferrier allowed himself a small smile and immediately grabbed the duffel bag of gear out of his rental car. Trying to look casual, he made his way to an empty picnic table on the edge of the playground and claimed a seat with a good view of his target. Unzipping the bag, he retrieve a half completed model ship and set it on the table, positioning it so that the stern faced away from him. Then he set up the array of parts, glue, and other tools to complete the illusion. As he pretended to work, Hugh stole another glance towards the park and the various people present. Families of all species played with their children on the playground equipment, the shouts of the kids punctuating the air. But one family in particular held his attention.

An asari mother was lifting her three year old child from a stroller while her human bondmate put their things on a nearby bench. The human had night black hair hanging down past her shoulders, dressed in long, dark blue pants and a white shirt beneath a leather jacket. A pretty woman, but not terribly remarkable at first glance unless a person knew what to look for: a distinct scar cutting through her left eyebrow, a predatory way of moving that spoke of someone ready for an attack, and a pair of unmistakable violet eyes. Hugh Ferrier knew for certain who she was. Commander Shepard.

Which made the asari with her, Dr. Liara T'soni, and the child their daughter Benezia. Little was known about the family as Shepard had taken a firm stance on preventing media coverage of them. Originally reporters had been eager at the news of Shepard's child being born, many thinking that obtaining pictures of the famous family would be a simple matter. That notion had proved surprisingly false. Shepard had always had a reputation of being good with the press. In years past she had never struck a reporter or given so much as a rude word. While this resulted in a lack of sensationalism, it did create a sense of comfort for reporters, who never had to fear angering the legendary soldier. That had all changed once Benezia was born.

The commander had set up the boundaries quickly and effectively. While she presented nothing other than professionalism when it came to press confronting her one-on-one or during her excursions to the Citadel to meet with the council, coming anywhere near her in a personal setting carried a risk to property and person. Being caught with recording devices near her daughter resulted in a loss of valuable equipment. Foolishly pursuing the commander after that resulted in sparking her temper and inviting a trip to the emergency room. And with her spectre status Commander Shepard was free to do as she pleased. She'd even had the gall to arrest one reporter after she had given him a black eye.

So Hugh Ferrier knew the risks when he surreptitiously flicked a switch on the underside of the ship model, turning on a small hidden camera within. But he knew the possible reward too. A video or picture of the family was worth a fortune to the right media outlets, even if the subject was as mundane as a day at the park. He watched Shepard out of his peripheral vision as he pretended to work on the ship model.

Benezia sat on Shepard's shoulders, reaching for the monkey bars with Liara's help. When the little girl had a grip on the bars, Shepard ducked down so that her daughter could hang freely, kicking and giggling. The commander hovered nearby, ready to catch the asari if she should fall. This is the woman who saved the galaxy? Hugh wondered. He'd heard the stories about her, about how she forged alliances in the face of impossible odds, how she had led charge after charge into heated firefights, and how she had laughed in the face of death countless times. The woman before him now was not the same woman who had shot a human councilor without blinking or destroyed an entire system to buy time against the Reapers. She was the doting parent, the loving wife, a person you might like to grab a cup of coffee with. Had parenthood really changed her so much? Had she really lost her claws after all these years?

It wasn't until after Shepard had caught her daughter at the bottom of a slide and suddenly looked in his direction that Hugh realized that he had been staring. He hastily lowered his gaze, pretending to be engrossed in his ship model. He waited a few seconds before raising his eyes enough to see that Shepard had looked away again and was walking her daughter back over to Liara. Had she seen him staring? She didn't appear alarmed as Liara began pushing Benezia on the swing set. Shepard casually leaned against one of the poles and checked her omni-tool, which didn't seem strange since many of the other parents were doing the same as their children played.

Hugh was ready to conclude that he was in the clear when suddenly the hidden camera began making a strange clicking noise. Cursing under his breath, Hugh hit the power switch, abruptly ending the sound as the machine powered off. But when he went to switch it back on the light that told him it was working wouldn't come on. He tried flicking the switch a few more times but the camera refused to reboot. A cold sweat broke out on the back of his neck as he looked up and realized that Shepard had vanished. Liara stilled pushed Benezia on the swing, but the commander had slipped away while he was distracted.

He didn't have long to wonder where she had gone as she suddenly slid into the seat across from him. Her face was all hard lines and anger, violet eyes full of a fire that had not been there moments before. The pale white scar cutting up vertically through her left eyebrow seemed more terrifying now, a reminder that the woman before him had fought Reapers. Fought and killed them. The aura of Commander Shepard was one of danger. A threat. A promise. How had he made the mistake of thinking that she had lost her claws?

Without a word she reached out and picked up the fake model ship, turning it over in her hands. Hugh didn't dare stop her. He'd been caught, he knew. She quickly located the hidden camera, ripping it out of the model and crushing it in a biotically wreathed fist. Hugh's stomach did a few flips as he imagined that tiny machine as his heart instead.

"I swear, it's like you all forget that I spent time with some of the greatest engineers in the galaxy," she grumbled. "Hell, I lived on a ship full of hidden cameras."

It seemed obvious now. Why had he ever thought that following Commander Shepard would be that easy? How had he ever thought that he might be the first to try using a hidden camera on her? Now he just hoped she'd let him walk away unscathed.

"Please," he said. "I'm sorry. I won't-"

"Try this again?" she interrupted. "For your sake, I hope you don't try it again." Leaning across the table she lowered her voice to a dangerous tone and added, "I remember faces, and I will remember yours. If I ever see you again, well... I'll make sure that it is the last time I see your face. Do you understand?"

Hugh couldn't seem to find his voice so he just nodded instead.

"Good. Now leave."

She watched him hastily throw the broken equipment back into the bag and scuttle away back to his car. He started the engine and tore off without so much as looking back. He had no idea if she'd make good on her threat if she saw him again, but he had no intention of finding out.

~.~.~.~.~

Shepard watched Benny throw a snowball, striking Kaidan square in the face. Ashley's oldest son fell back, landing on his butt in the snow while his younger brother, John, laughed. Benny, only eight years old but already a shrewd little fighter, took the opportunity to catch John on the ear with another frozen projectile. As her daughter ran from her two new enemies, Shepard turned her attention back to the mug of coffee in front of her. Inside the house, sitting at a round table dragged near the window so that they could keep an eye on the children, Ashley, Liara, and Shepard were sheltered against the cold. Yet Liara, who had little experience with snow since it never snowed on Thessia, watched the kids anxiously. The asari didn't like the cold - she hated it almost as much as Garrus - and she had never learned to like the snow that came every winter. Shepard couldn't exactly blame her considering Noveria had been Liara's first experience with such extreme cold and Noveria was not a place of fond memories.

"Are you sure it is safe for them to be hitting each other like that?" Liara asked, her mouth pulled down into a concerned frown. Of all the snow activities Shepard had introduced her wife to over the years, the only one that Liara seemed to like was building snowmen and snow forts. She distrusted sleds and she winced every time a snowball hit Benny.

Glancing outside again, Shepard just chuckled and said, "When I was a kid, my brothers and I would beat the crap out of each other with sticks all the time. Trust me, a snowball is nothing compared to that."

Ashley grinned. "Yeah, count your blessings that I have two boys instead of girls. Girls are a thousand times more vicious. I know; I grew up with three sisters."

Liara looked unconvinced. Leaning over to place her hand over her wife's, Shepard said, "Don't worry, Liara. It's normal for kids to roughhouse. Just look how much fun they are having."

Liara watched the children running and laughing and finally nodded, some of the tension leaving her shoulders. Turning her attention back to Ashley, Shepard changed the topic. "So, do you know if it's a boy or girl yet?"

Ashley took a sip of her decaffeinated coffee, laying a hand over her pregnant belly and said, "Another boy." Grinning, she added, "How ironic is it that I grew up in a household of girls and now I'm living in a household of boys?"

"If anyone could raise three boys though, it'd probably be you."

"I suppose you're off duty right now then?" Liara asked.

"Active duty, yeah," Ashley replied. "I'm doing paperwork now." She pinched her face into a disgusted expression. "I'm not saying I'm not glad to have the Williams family curse lifted, but the desk work that comes with this higher rank is awful." Then, changing to a lighter tone she added, "Speaking of paperwork, I heard you were given some big prothean award, Liara."

Blushing, Liara said, "Oh, well, it is not really an award. The administrators of the Mars Archive are opening one of their oldest vaults of prothean artifacts and they have invited me to oversee the first few weeks of research."

Raising an eyebrow Ashley asked, "Wait, does that mean you're going to be gone on business for a while?"

"Sort of. I will spend about two weeks on Mars overseeing and then bring back some of the more interesting artifacts to study here at the university. They wanted me to stay longer, but I did not want to be away from Benny for so long."

"Yeah, I can understand that," Ashley said, her tone suddenly more pensive as she tapped her fingers against the side of her mug. "That reminds me, I had a favor I wanted to ask you both. The last time I took Kaidan to the doctor they told me that he had biotic potential."

Shepard smiled. "Wow, he really is taking after his namesake."

"Tell me about it. Biotics don't exactly run in the family. John has also been tested, but he has as much biotic potential as me: zero. Anyway, the doctor recommended enrolling him at Grissom Academy... apparently they have the best human biotic training program now."

"You can thank Jack for that, probably."

"Jack?" Ashley asked. "Who is that?"

"An old friend," Shepard explained. "A teacher at the academy now. Anyway, are you going to send Kaidan to school there?"

"I'm thinking about it. I just don't know if I want to send him off to a boarding school like that though... But I don't know anything about biotics either. I'm thinking of visiting the school with Kaidan to check it out. And I was hoping that Benny might come with us."

"Benny?" Liara asked. "I believed Grissom Academy was only for human children."

"It is," Ashley admitted. "But I think Kaidan will feel better if Benny is there with him while we visit. His brother will never be a biotic and he won't really understand. I thought since Benny will eventually have biotics too... well, just knowing he wasn't alone might help."

Shepard exchanged a quick glance with Liara and then said, "Of course, Ash. I think Benny would be happy to visit the school with him. When were you thinking of going?"

"There isn't a big rush or anything. He just has the potential, he hasn't been expressing biotics yet. I thought I'd wait until after the baby is born at least. I still need to tell him about the trip."

"I know the director of the school. I'll make a call and make an appointment," Shepard offered. Then a thought suddenly occurred to her, causing her to shake her head with a grin.

"What is it?" Liara asked.

"I just realized that this will be the first time Benny will meet Jack..."