Chapter 8

Shepard and her crew were gathering what they could from their ship. Their armor, their weapons, some provisions for Garrus and Tali. They would not be able to eat whatever food was provided on the Normandy, and Shepard was unsure if the Captain would even stock up on dextro food for them.

Shepard was in her quarters, gathering a few personal effects as well. She did not have the chance to recollect her items on Eden Prime, which she found a shame. She was quite enjoying the book she was reading before the geth attacked.

Shepard looked through her personal locker in her small room for any clothes that remained and a couple books to help her pass the time on the other ship. She grabbed her spare backpack, shoving what she could into it. A few shirts, a pair of pants, other more personal mentionables. She'd have to hope the Normandy had some spare bathing products like shampoo and soap. If not she supposed she could try and pick something up the next time they were close to anything relating to a store.

As she slung the backpack over her shoulder her omni-tool began to chirp at her. She flicked her wrist, activating the device, bringing it up for her to see. A call, from an unknown person. She accepted it as a little screen popped up on her omni-tool. "Councilor... Tevos, was it?" She asked, looking at the asari.

Tevos nodded once. "I am just calling to tell you, if you need anything for your mission, you may contact me at this number. Any resources you might need can be made available to you and your crew." She said professionally.

Shepard pursed her lips and nodded, feeling surprised Tevos would help fund her crew if they so needed. "Can I ask you something?" Shepard then asked before Tevos decided to end the call. Tevos looked to the mercenary, perhaps trying to read what possible question the human had.

"You may." She then said.

Shepard held no hesitation when she opened her mouth. "Why hire me? I would have done this free of charge." If Liara was involved she'd have done anything free. She didn't even like accepting money from Liara when she asked for her and her crew to watch them on her digs. Liara was a friend, Shepard didn't like to charge her friends.

Tevos smiled, the professionalism melting away a bit. "I have seen the way you have looked at Liara. It's not that I don't trust the Captain, but I would rest easier knowing that someone who cares for Liara is there with her." She said matter of factly. Shepard blushed at that. "I felt it was the easiest way to get Captain Anderson to allow you and your crew to go with." She went on. "I am no maidan, Shepard. I have also noticed the way Liara sticks close to you. Matriarch Benezia was once a personal friend of mine, and a trusted colleague. I care for the young maidan as the daughter of a once old friend." Tevos concluded.

Shepard's mind raced at this bit of information. She tried to take an even breath. "Keep her safe." Tevos then leveled, suddenly quite a bit more serious than before. Shepard nodded in response, the line being disconnected.

"Wow..." Shepard said to herself as she left her room. When the doors opened stopped dead in her tracks however as Wrex loomed over her. She blinked as she looked up to the rather large krogan. "Wrex?" she questioned as he looked back at her.

He rolled his head from side to side, a few cracks and pops sounding as he did. Shepard grimaced some, never liking when he did that. It kind of creeped her out. "I don't like this, Shepard." He then said bluntly. Shepard snorted to herself as she lifted a hand, patting the krogan on his arm firmly.

She then quickly ducked around him moving down the ship's corridor, her krogan friend following her. "I know, Wrex... But I need you on this. A little krogan hot steam could go a long way." she teased him. He grumbled though, sounding as though he still did not care for their situation.

"I don't trust the Alliance. A bunch of pyjacks running around with their heads up their asses." He rumbled. Again, Shepard snorted. She would have to agree. But if Liara was going she was too. And she wanted to know if these Reapers were a real threat or not. If they were she knew she would need some kind of bridge to the Alliance. She would not go down without fighting.

The two reached the cargo bay, where everyone else was slowly starting to gather. Liara had been there the whole time, patiently waiting. She had felt more comfortable waiting on Shepard's ship than on the Normandy. "Neither do I Wrex, but we don't have much choice." Shepard said.

She then turned to face the old krogan, "I need you to behave on their ship, old man. That's an order." She said firmly. But the small smirk on her lips told him she was also trying to ease the tension from him. She knew he had reservations about their current assignment. Shepard did too, but she knew what was at stake as well.

Wrex grunted but nodded his head. "Fine, kid. Just hope they don't try anything stupid." He said before he stomped off. Shepard smiled and shook her head. She loved that krogan more than she should have, but when it came to Shepard the old battlemaster was like a puddle and followed her lead.

Shepard scanned the cargo bay to see who was missing. Just Tali was missing. She glimpsed at her omni-tool for the time. They still had an hour, she would give Tali fifteen more minutes before pestering her. Kaidan quickly approached Shepard, looking her over once, concern on his face. "Shepard, you alright?" He asked as she waved at him dismissive of his concerns.

She grinned at him though. "Never better. You got your gear and everything else you might need?" She asked him. He nodded his head gesturing to his duffle bag off ten feet away.

"What happened to you and Liara on Eden Prime? Everything was so chaotic we didn't think the Alliance was already there." Kaidan went on as Shepard started to move deeper into the cargo bay. Garrus and her nodded their heads at each other as he carefully packed his sniper in it's case.

Shepard sighed as she looked over to Wrex who stood by the cargo bay door, brooding. "The beacon the scientists found backfired in Liara's face." Shepard stated. Kaidan looked a little surprised. "I dunno, it gave her some kind of warning and now the Alliance is investigating the situation on the Council's behalf." Shepard continued to review what had happened. She approached Liara who looked a little lost sitting on a crate. Liara smiled at Shepard. Nicole felt her heart rate increase as she smiled back.

Shepard then shrugged as she sat her backpack by Liara's feet. "The Council 'hired' us. To watch over Liara, make sure the Alliance doesn't do anything stupid that might endanger her." Shepard concluded. Liara flushed some as she looked between the two humans, feeling that strange uneasiness she had felt before with Kaidan there.

Shepard and Kaidan continued to speak to each other as she tried to analyze what this feeling was internally. She had no reason to distrust the man, in fact he seemed rather kind and quiet. So why did she not like the way he looked at Shepard? Liara couldn't help but try to push this odd feeling away. She didn't like it. It did not feel like herself. Like she was not whatever this feeling was trying to suggest she was.

"Go check on Tali, would you?" Shepard said, breaking Liara out of her thoughts. "We need to get going. Knowing her she's probably trying to stuff as much of her engineering equipment as she can in her pockets." Shepard joked. Kaidan gave her an easy smile and laugh but nodded in agreement before trotting away, all to happy to please Shepard.

Nicole finally sat herself by Liara. "Doing ok?" Shepard asked as Liara nodded her head, smiling lightly.

"Yes, I am fine." Liara responded. Shepard gave her a lopsided smile, Liara's heart racing once more. Shepard did not notice though as she went to mess with her omni-tool. Liara fell silent for a moment as she thought to herself. "May I ask you something, Nicole?" She then asked, breaking the temporary silence.

Shepard looked up from what she was doing. "What's up?" Shepard asked, deactivating her omni-tool. Liara flushed some, looking down at her lap.

She felt silly wanting to ask such a personal question, but she could no longer resist the urge either. "You and Kaidan... Are you close?" She asked, looking back at Shepard's face. Shepard looked at her, looking a little off guard. "I mean is there romantic feelings between the two of you?" Liara tried to clarify.

Shepard then laughed a little, shaking her head. "Kaidan's just a friend." Shepard said. "No offense to him or anything, he's just not my type." she then said. Part of Shepard wondered why Liara asked, her heart pounding once more at the prospect of it. She willed her heart to knock it off best she could. Liara had a way of making her heart quicken at times. Sometimes she wondered if Liara could hear how hard she had caused it to beat in her chest.

Liara smiled, looking more relieved than she had intended. But before they could go any further down this path of conversation, Tali and Kaidan emerged from the other end of the cargo bay. "We're ready." Tali chirped as Kaidan had an arm load, a box full of Tali's gadgets. Shepard laughed at the sight, the man looking a little disgruntled for having to carry such a heavy load, but he did so in silence.

Shepard stood, grabbing her backpack, knowing her armor and weapons were already on the Normandy. She looked to Liara, offering her a hand to help her up. Liara flushed as she took Shepards hand, feeling just how strong the human was as she helped her to her feet. Shepard gave her an easy smile, their hands lingering for perhaps a moment longer than they normally would. Liara flushed deeply as Shepard let go of her hand, turning to face her gathered crew.

"Alright, I don't know what's in store for us on this... It's not like any other contract we've had before. But be careful on the Alliance ship. They got enough rules and regulations to burry you in litigation for months if they felt like it." Shepard said to her crew. Everyone seemed to nod their understandings.

Shepard pulled up her omni-tool, shooting a quick message to Anderson about them being on the way. "Alright, lets just try to get along with these people, it'll make our lives easier." Shepard said as she moved to grab a small crate of dextro food that had been packed and brought into the cargo bay. Liara always admired how quick Shepard was to help people, even if it seemed like such a small gesture as this.

"Lets get this over with." She tried to joke as everyone gathered their things and began to leave their rusty ship behind.

As they locked up their ship, Shepard suddenly remembered something. "Oh! Liara, I got you something, hopefully it'll help you pass some time on the Normandy." Shepard said as she quickly began to dig through her backpack. She then pulled out a couple of data pads, handing them out to the asari.

Liara looked at the data pads and then to Shepard, confused. Shepard grinned and shook the pads in her hand a little, again offering them to Liara. "I took the liberty of downloading a bunch of prothean articles and research papers... I figured you might enjoy them, though I don't know if you've read any of these before." Shepard went on, and admitted the final part. Liara smiled brightly, taking the data pads from Shepard, looking like she had been gifted something super expensive and valuable.

"Thank you." She said as she was so tempted to see what articles and papers Shepard had managed to download for her. But she resisted the urge. Instead she joined the crew, all of them bantering about random things and making jokes. Liara really did feel at home with this small band of mercs. Some days it made no sense, they were so much different from herself... But they were always kind to her, even the krogan.

Perhaps it had something to do with Shepard, she concluded. She was starting to realize she was... more fond of the mercenary than she had originally thought. She looked to Shepard, knowing that this woman, who could have left, gone back to the terminus, continued taking contracts, doing dangerous jobs, finding adventure, had instead staid. For Liara's sake, she staid. And it made Liara's heart flutter.

VWVWVWV

Another day, another chapter. Alright, for those of you who have read the original posted Chapter 7, I will admit I made an oops towards the end of it. I forgot about Tali. D= How could I forget about my favorite quarian? Anyway, I did go back and fix it, and reuploaded it. All better =D

Until next time.