Notes:

Alban Eiler - Druid festival of the Spring Equinox, means 'Light of the Earth' (Gaelic)

Anam Cara - Soul Friend/Mate (Gaelic)

Ardat - demon (Source: CDN)

CGC - Center for Galactic Cooperation

Ionúin Álainn - beautiful beloved (Gaelic)

Janiris -Springtime fertility ritual, named for goddess Athame's guide Janiri. Marks the start of the Asari new year; frequently coincides with St Patrick's Day (Thessian; ME Wiki/CDN)

Ch 2: Getting Started

Council Flats, CGC, Widow System – 6 Feb 2190

"It's certainly good to see you, no matter the reasons, even if that includes asking me for a favor." Tevos' genuine smile served to take any sting from her words, but Liara felt there was more than a bit of truth to them.

"Yes, I know…" Liara began to respond before Shepard interrupted her with a chuckle.

"That's not truly the case, and she knows it, Liara; she's just giving you a hard time. I'm almost afraid to say this out loud, but I think a bit of my sense of humor has rubbed off on her over the past few years." Samantha smiled and gave Tevos a gentle push on the shoulder before stepping up and wrapping her in a hug.

"Good to see you too, Rae," Shepard smirked. "You know darn well our visit today is strictly to say hello and catch up. I'm sure you also know we have a Monday appointment on your calendar for the official stuff. This visit is purely social. If we happen to talk about our future plans, it's only because they come up as part of the conversation… but there will be no talking real business today. Not if we can help it, anyway."

Tevos laughed and responded to the hug with gusto before placing her hands on the woman's shoulders and pushing her back to arm's length. "All true, I must confess. You look relaxed, Shepard. I do believe your semi-retirement is good for you!" She continued to smile widely as she turned to Liara; sliding gracefully up to the young maiden, she held her arms open wide in invitation.

Liara smiled and shook her head, stepping willfully into the embrace. "May the Goddess take pity on us all if we adopt Shepard's humor." Leaning into her friend, she accepted the warm hug, Tevos' grip around her torso firm with adoration. "But I fear she speaks the truth, including me, as well."

"And you, my dear, are positively glowing with your newfound… or, more accurately, your rediscovered career in archaeology." Liara felt the hug tighten for just a moment before, somewhat reluctantly, Tevos released her with a contented sigh. "I am so very happy for both of you!"

"Thank you, Rae." Liara's expression was a bit wistful as she added, "I can only hope that when we actually find the Protheans, they aren't complete Ardats like Javik turned out to be. His assumptions of superiority and disparaging comments about all the other races were much more than disappointing; they were downright despicable – irredeemable, even – at least from my point of view."

"In his defense…" Rae's eyes clouded a bit as she responded, "… and I'm not saying I agree with his opinion, by any means, but he did enter stasis one day at the top of the galactic food chain… other than the Reapers, of course… only to wake up eons later as a sole survivor of an otherwise now-extinct race, or so we thought. Even you have to admit it would take some time to adjust to such a catastrophic event. Time he did not have… seeing as we were already in the middle of the war."

"I am not so willing to justify his actions, nor those of the Protheans as a whole." Liara shook her head as she spoke. "I believe it was exactly that rigid inflexibility that resulted in their demise." She glanced at her bondmate and continued, "Shepard made the point of combining all the races' strengths for the conflict, whereas the Protheans forced everyone to conform to their way of thinking, their battle style. The Reapers likely found it much easier to exploit their weaknesses, because it was uniform across the various fronts. The same battle plan worked everywhere and the Reapers simply rolled across the galaxy with no need to adapt their strategies. There were no defensive variations to slow them down."

Shepard started to chuckle and Liara's voice sounded a bit perturbed as she asked, "What, exactly, do you find amusing in that assessment, Samantha?"

"Absolutely nothing, Li." Shepard smirked and answered more fully, "It's just that I can't imagine you ever saying something like that seven years ago, when we first met. You? Making strategic war assessments? You've come a long way, Little Wing. You've learned to fly… and I am so damned proud of you I could simply burst!"

Shepard's unexpected praise brought a heated blush to the Asari's face, the use of the nickname from her youth striking close to her heart and also causing tears of gratitude to form in her eyes. "Thank you, Samantha. I'd say you have no idea how those words make me feel but, given our link, it would be a complete lie." She let out a short, quiet chortle before adding, "It was you who gave me the chance to grow – both in my understanding of battle rhythms and in my self-confidence. Without you, it never would have been possible for that growth to happen so quickly, especially by Asari standards."

"I would love to be able to take credit for it, Li, but it was the war… the Reapers… who forced it on you, not me." She smiled endearingly and reached over to clasp Liara's hand as she added, "I would have preferred you never had to be anyone but the shy, innocent archaeologist I discovered on Therum, though I do have to admit I find your confidence extraordinarily sexy…" She paused and Liara felt the mood shift before the next words came out of her mouth. She then squeezed Sam's hand in comfort, understanding, and tempered grief as Samantha concluded, "The war took so much… far too much… from all of us. It was a cruel and unforgiving teacher."

"That it was, so let us not dwell upon it, but on the wonderful future that now lies before us, thanks to our victory!" Tevos smiled sympathetically, taking a deep calming breath as she thought of all the friends they had lost to the Reapers. "We owe it to those who died to live our lives to the fullest extent possible, to ensure their sacrifices have meaning. Do we not?"

"Absolutely." Liara shook off the threatening pall, determined to enjoy their weekend on the CGC with their friends. The war is over. We can… and must… move on. "Speaking of which…" She paused, raising a brow marking as she asked, "Where is Sha'ira?"

"Much to our dismay, we were preparing for your arrival and discovered we were rather low on both Elasa and Akantha, so she has made a quick run to the markets. She should be back any time now." A smile returned to Tevos' face at the mention of her still relatively new mate. "Another good thing to come from the war. It certainly had a way of putting things into their proper perspective. I have to wonder if she and I ever would have gotten together, otherwise."

"I have to agree." Shepard smiled softly, meeting Rae's pensive glance. "The two of you are perfect for one another, yet both of your professions should have kept such a union from ever happening. I'm happy you were able to see your way past the obstacles to find someone so wonderful, to help you through the tough times and into a promising future."

"Yes." A grin spread across the councilor's face. "Your assessment is correct. Though, we also both know it may still bring its challenges. Only time will tell." Her eyes glittered with humor as she added, "But both of us are excellent at handling challenges, so everything should work out perfectly fine."

Tevos paused at the sound of the door, which was followed quickly by a shouted 'Hello! I'll be right in with the wine!'

With a knowing smile, the Asari Councilor looked to her guests. "And, obviously, Sha'ira is home, so let us move to the sitting room and relax, where we can begin that whole 'catching up' thing you mentioned, Shepard."

CGC, Widow System, Serpent Nebula – 8 Feb 2190

Following the relaxing weekend, Monday morning found them together again, this time in Tevos' private office. "I see all of that as a quite sensible plan." Tevos smiled at the couple before her and continued, "Truthfully, I expected nothing less." She paused thoughtfully before adding, "But it does occur to me…" She paused again, before asking, "May I make a couple of recommendations?"

"By all means, Councilor." Liara smiled softly. "You have much more experience at politics than we do. Any ideas on how we can accomplish our goals with the least amount of friction possible would be most welcome."

Tevos laughed good-naturedly. "I'm not so sure about that, Liara. You and Shepard accomplished the most amazing things during the war! Like bringing such disparate groups together, where the Council had failed repeatedly at such efforts any number of times. The Krogan helping the Turians with boots on Palaven? Never in my wildest dreams would I ever have thought such a thing possible; yet, you did it." Shaking her head, she added quietly, "Never in a millennium!"

"So, what are you thinking, Rae?" Shepard looked to the councilor expectantly. "What do you feel we missed?"

"As a baseline, I think you've laid out an excellent plan." Tevos drew a deep breath before continuing, "I simply think you also need to add Matriarch Elesia to your list – the Minister of Antiquities. She may very well have some additional information or sources you could utilize." Her gaze shifted to Liara as she added, "I know she worked with your mother for a number of years, so she's definitely worth a visit, to say the least. There is no telling what she may be able to provide you, to aid in your hunt. I will put you in touch with her aide, Maracela, to make an appointment, and I cannot imagine her turning you down."

"Thank you, Rae." Liara smiled gratefully. "I had no idea she worked with my mother… and hadn't even considered that the office of Antiquities would deal with more than just Asari relics, but it makes perfect sense!"

"Yes," Tevos replied. "She is also the one, I imagine, who can get you full access to the Matriarchal writings from the age of exploration. Dilinaga is not the only one whose writings were recovered. Perhaps there is more information within the Guild than you anticipated, as there are also the six Matriarchs who did return. While some of the information gleaned from their journals was made public right around the time you were born, their full journals are still held in that office within the Guildhall. If you make your case properly, Elesia can grant you access to them, or, at the very least, to their full transcripts. Believe me… there is much more than what is on display within the Farinah Museum."

"Goddess!" Liara exclaimed, appalled at the knowledge of yet another trove of information that had been withheld from her during her early days of research – but, even more so, during their hunt for information regarding the beacons. "I had no idea! I have to wonder what else the Matriarchs deemed too strategically important to release, even when so many Asari were dying! The absolute hubris of it all simply astounds me!"

"You have to admit, you are not an average maiden, and your hypothesis was quite a bit off track from what was considered the standard theories at the time." Tevos smiled to soften her words, having no intention of insulting the extraordinary maiden before her. "They were all so confident in their own conclusions, I was rather surprised you managed to make them doubt themselves enough that they were willing to grant you your doctorate! It was most certainly a job well done!"

"Well done or not," Liara rolled her eyes in disgust as she continued, "not a single one of them came to me after my thesis presentation to offer up any guidance on further research; not even a hint that a more complete version of those journals existed!" She suddenly stopped, a wayward thought suddenly jumping into her mind. "Unless even they didn't know!" By the expression on Tevos' face, Liara immediately knew she had come upon the correct reason. "You have to be kidding. The matriarchs on the knowledge project didn't even include the leading scholars of the day on their findings?"

"No, they did not." Tevos smiled slyly as she added, "But, I believe it will please you to know your mother disagreed with that decision. She wanted to release all the data to the university researchers but was outvoted, some on the panel going so far as to suggest her time spent with your father obviously had an undesirable influence on her, if Nezzi honestly believed such… nonsense."

Tevos shook her head at the memory. "It was shortly after that when she and Aethyta came to a resolution agreement regarding you – and permission for Aethyta to return to your life once you turned 100 and reached your majority. With all that had transpired, they would never have been able to fully reconcile and get back together, but Benezia had come to realize Aethyta's presence in your life would certainly be more valuable than she had previously considered."

Shepard reached over and gently clasped Liara's hand as her Ionúin Álainnsat in stunned silence. Sam answered for her, stating, "Which, because of Saren and the suddenness of Benezia's departure, never happened in the way she planned." Turning to Liara, she whispered, "I am so sorry, Blue. I had a feeling your mother would eventually come up in this project, but I never honestly thought the true depth of her involvement would be quite so complicated."

Unable to process the connection between the Prothean data and the reconciliation of her parents, Liara's mouth opened but, unable to force any words past her lips, quickly closed again. Swallowing hard, she drew a shaky breath and tried again. "Complicated, yes… I expected that. But that is not what is so surprising to me. She didn't want any of it kept secret! Neither the data… nor who my father is!" Her eyes suddenly darted to Tevos and she questioned, "And did my mother want the data about the Protheans to go public? Or just out to the scholars?"

Tevos smiled as she quietly replied, "To the scholars as a start, which would have led to the other, eventually. We did not yet know them as the Protheans but, yes, she wanted the full Matriarchal Writings to be released to academia. And, as an important point of fact, to the other members of the Council, as was the law." Rae sighed, "But, it was not to be. As a whole, the Defense Ministry voted it was too important a strategic advantage to compromise and, being one of the few voices of reason, she dared not go around them and risk her position."

Rae blew out a frustrated sigh before continuing, "The others feared there was no way the researchers would keep mum about such a thing, as publishing findings was the normal path. They would follow standard procedure, and the information would soon be fully in the public eye." Tevos' frustration faded, and she stared down at her hands, falling silent for several long moments.

When she finally spoke again, her voice was quiet, as if revealing a long-held secret she felt should never be told. "That was when your mother and I truly became allies. She came to me, hoping I could convince the Matriarchy otherwise, but I worked for them, not the other way around, and they would not be swayed. I withdrew the petition, which temporarily made Benezia extremely angry with me, until I explained to her the reasoning for what I had done. My supposed compliance had kept me in my position as Councilor and gave Nezzi an avenue to make sure someone else outside the Matriarchal Council at least knew the Asari possessed the writings and the artifacts… including the data discs and the beacon… so Benezia would not stand alone in her fight."

Her gaze came up, but instead of looking at Liara, she turned haunted eyes to Shepard's calming greens. "That is how I originally came to know of our Beacon, but I didn't dare say anything early on! You needed both David and me on the Council to keep the rest of them at bay; to prevent them from doing anything else stupid, like trying to lock down the Normandy! Since I hadn't heard anything about the program from the time of Benezia's disappearance, I had to find someone willing to give me updated info… before I risked my Council position. None would come forward until it seemed as though all was lost, and even then, all the survivors knew that information almost came too late."

Her voice suddenly turned angry and she stood quickly from her chair, growling, "Goddess be damned, it was too late! If not for you being able to pull off yet another miracle and chase that information down at Cronos Station, all of us would have perished! In all their damned self-righteousness and greed…"

Liara and Shepard both stood with her, shocked by the rare demonstration of rage coming from the normally serene Councilor. As they closed the distance and wrapped their arms around their Councilor and friend, it was Shepard who spoke. Her whisper may as well have been a shout, the contrast in volume bringing instant attention to her words. "It's alright, Rae; you got us the information in time to get to Cronos, then Earth and then the Citadel… and we won. I imagine many of those who tried to hide the beacon until the end died attempting to defend it."

"Along with how many innocents, Shepard?" Tevos scoffed and pulled away, not sure she wanted her anger to be soothed so easily. "The priestesses who had no idea what was hidden beneath Athame? All the soldiers who perished, trying to protect the Temple until you got there, not understanding the reasoning behind their orders?" She shook her head. "No. I cannot… will not… forgive the Ministers so easily as that, just because you and Liara somehow managed the impossible, again! Counting all those sacrificed Asari eliminates any potential inclination I have to excuse their stubborn, misguided ignorance. Never in their undeserved continuing lives will I do so!"

Shepard unexpectedly smiled; a soft, knowing smile that had both Liara curious and Tevos a bit peeved as the councilor snapped, "What are you smiling at? How can you possibly find any good in this?"

"Me and the Alliance?" Shepard cocked her left brow, saying nothing more and letting Tevos come to her own conclusions regarding the pseudo-question.

It did not take Tevos long to draw the parallel. "So, as I have urged you to let go of your animosity toward the Alliance – at least those members within who have done you ill – so must I, with the surviving Ministers of Defense." Her anger faded slowly, and she backed up to drop, rather unceremoniously, back into her seat on the couch. A tentative, thoughtful smile appeared on her face as she stated, "I owe you an apology," and then asked, "When did you become so… Asari… in your long view, Samantha Shepard? I have heard some say before that you carry the wisdom of a Matriarch; it may not be far from the truth."

Liara's heart swelled, recognizing the truth behind Rae's words, and feeling a surge of personal gratitude that, somehow, Shepard had found her – a young, inexperienced, and often rash maiden – and had chosen her as a life-mate. Her Anam Cara. Shepard's appearance on Therum had honestly saved her, in so many more ways than one.

Shepard cast a light smile in her direction as {That's because you're easy to love, Liara T'Soni… you're witty, smart, loving, playful. A perfect match for me and I'm lucky to have you} jumped through the link at the speed of thought.

Sam's focus returned to the councilor as she answered, "I'm sure I make more than enough mistakes to counter any such statement, I assure you, Rae." Shepard huffed out a small, abrupt laugh. "I'm far from perfect. On that note, I think we should take a break to grab a snack before we continue…" Sam looked at both Liara and Tevos before adding, "Unless we're done?"

"No, not done, but I have only a couple more suggestions, which won't take long." Tevos shrugged. "I think if easier if we just finish up, so we can all go on with our day. I have a list of appointments today… and didn't you say you were headed to Sol when we're done here?"

"Yes, for Mom's birthday on Wednesday." Sam smiled and shrugged. "In that light, let's get on with it, Councilor."

London, Earth, Sol – 10 Feb 2190

"Happy birthday, Mom!"

For a brief moment, Hannah stood and stared at the people standing before her in the hallway, the Admiral struck momentarily silent by the rather unexpected surprise. Once she overcame her shock, she cried in joy as she practically leapt out the door of her quarters to hug her daughter. "By the Gods, Sam! What are you doing here?"

"Isn't it obvious?" she answered mischievously. "We're here to celebrate your birthday!"

"Why didn't you tell me you were coming? I would have rearranged my schedule!" She moved quickly to step over and hug Liara as well. Stepping back and noting they were accompanied by Riana, she ushered them all into her deluxe suite. "Good to see you, too, Riana! Come in, come in! It is so good to see all of you! What a wonderful surprise!"

"And that's why we didn't tell you ahead of time; it wouldn't have been a surprise if we had! Though, we did talk to Defense Committee Chair Ochsenbein about our visit, and she promised to court martial you if you dared show up for work today, so you're stuck with us." Samantha chuckled at the expression on her mother's face.

"Oh, you!" Hannah gave her daughter another hug before saying, "Then, I suppose, I'm grossly overdressed for the occasion! Make yourselves comfortable. There's hot coffee in the pot and juice in the fridge. I'll be back in a jiffy!"

As Hannah vanished down the hall, Liara assumed, to change out of her uniform, Samantha chuckled quietly and asked, "So… want some juice?"

By the time they located the kitchen and the necessary mug and glasses, Hannah was already changed into civilian attire and stepping in to help. "Are you hungry, or did you have breakfast on the Knight Shade?"

"We ate on the ship, Mom, so we're good, just grabbing something to drink while we chat." Sam couldn't help but smile at the woman, who was obviously beside herself with joy at their unexpected appearance, Hannah's grin spreading wide. Samantha continued, "Believe it or not, we moved the Broker gear back aboard the Aletheia and loaned the Knight Shade to Lee Riley for as long as she remains a Spectre."

That announcement nearly stopped Hannah in her tracks. Turning to her daughter, she said, "But you love that ship! She was designed and crafted explicitly with you in mind!"

"Yes, she was… even painted in House T'Soni colors, exclusively for Spectre Shepard." Shepard grinned, "Which, by the way, is a title I am more than happy to lay aside, just so we can do things like this!"

"Besides which, the Knight Shade is much too large for our current crew…" Liara was smiling, listening to the women's banter, and added, "… while the Aletheia is perfectly comfortable for long distance travel with a single commando team. She simply doesn't possess quite as much firepower as we're accustomed to, but we are honestly hoping to avoid any need of such."

"And may the Gods see that you manage to do just that!" Hannah gave her a sidelong glance before asking, "But you have made the appropriate safety arrangements for when you do need to visit less-than-friendly locations… right?"

"We hadn't honestly gotten that far in our planning yet, but we just came from the CGC, where we spoke with Tevos regarding Council sponsorship, to which she agreed… and then promptly insisted the Council reassign the T'Soni heavy corvettes, Liberation and Freedom, to act as escort vessels for our journeys, as necessary." Shepard chuckled and did her best imitation of Raesia's voice. "Finding the Protheans is a Council objective, after all, and we can't have anything happen to the heroes of the galaxy, now, can we?"

Liara reached over and gently slapped Sam's arm, adding, "Don't make fun; she made an excellent point about the high probability of us very likely having some malcontents still out there, simply waiting for us to drop our guard, to give them an opening to get even."

"Yeah, I suppose she did; nor did she give the others much choice but to agree." Shepard smirked as she answered, then continued, "But, even if the expeditions proceed without incident, we can still use the additional ships for commando rotations and resupply, keeping only one of the two on station, wherever we are." She looked at Liara and shrugged. "It gives us the option to use the Aletheia as our ground base and keep the other in a patrol orbit above us, as top cover. Who knows? They might even have the chance to chase a pirate vessel or two."

"It certainly can't hurt to have them available, should the need arise," Hannah replied. "I need to make a note to myself to thank her for watching out for the two of you." Her smile returned as she asked, "Now… just how many am I hosting for my birthday party? I assume you have at least one full 6-commando squad with you?"

Shepard chuckled, explaining to her mother about the staffing changes at House T'Soni and confirming that, yes, there were six – including Riana. Hannah was incredulous. "You've actually given up the House Captain position?" She looked at Liara for confirmation, only to see the Asari nodding in agreement.

"Yes, she did." Liara laughed softly. "And Livos is actually quite pleased with the restraint Shepard has displayed, staying out of her business and not second guessing her every decision." She smiled and laid her hand gently on Samantha's forearm as she added, "They have an incredibly good relationship, and have trained each other well on the different skills each brings to their jobs." Liara's eyes lit with pride as she added, "If I say so myself, House T'Soni Commandos always were the best on Thessia. Now? They're even better!"

"It's not just you, Liara," Hannah responded. "Everyone knows it. They all saw it for themselves during the War… through the accomplishments of the Knight Shade. I almost feel sorry for Lee; she's got big shoes to fill."

"Only almost, Mom?" Samantha asked with a chuckle.

"Yes, almost," Hannah laughed. "Because she doesn't need my sympathy. I have every confidence that she will perform with perfection, just as she did on Cyone, integrating the Turian forces along with her squad and the Asari who were already there. She's a natural for the Spectre position and, I do believe, I heard rumors about Dominic cussing himself for not thinking of her as a candidate on his own."

"He shouldn't be so hard on himself." Sam smiled. "Given the time, he would have come up with her name in short order. The only reason he didn't have to, was because I proposed it the same time I told him I was leaving the Spectres. He didn't exactly need to think about it."

"That's true," started Liara, giving Hannah a knowing look as she continued, "but my guess is he wishes he had done it before. Had anyone thought to seek Riley's appointment after her outstanding performance at Cyone – especially given her later performance coordinating the Asari and Turian replacement forces – he could have appointed yet another for consideration, to replace you when you opted to retire... even though you weren't, technically, a Human Spectre." She grinned at Shepard as she finished. "Had that happened, Sol may have been able to bump their active Human Spectres to three."

"Exactly!" answered Hannah. "And you say you're no politician!"

"Oh, Mom. Please don't curse Liara with that title!" Samantha smirked and continued, "Being lead of a High House is bad enough, without throwing her into politics before she even reaches Matronhood! Give her a chance to enjoy her maiden years as the preeminent archaeologist in the galaxy, first!"

"Oh, yes," Hannah quipped. "Because there aren't any high expectations there, are there?"

At that, even Liara chuckled before answering with rare sarcasm. "No. None at all, Mom. Everyone expects us to simply track down the surviving Protheans – who have managed, by the way, to remain hidden from view from everyone, including the Reapers, for 50,000 years without a single hint as to their whereabouts – and bring them forward to the Council, with all their civility and technology intact. I don't see any problems completing that task at all. Nope… not a single complication in sight."

Shepard stared at her for a moment before starting to laugh. "Oh, Gods. And the Matriarchs were concerned about Aethyta's influence on your mother? They haven't seen anything, yet!"

Liara cast a smirk her way, answering, "And you couldn't possibly be referring to the influence you have had on me, nor the skills I learned during my hunt for the Shadow Broker while you were missing in action, could you?"

"Liara T'Soni!" Even Hannah looked at her in surprise, giving a quick glance to her daughter before continuing, "I never thought I'd see the day you truly blossomed… but, by the Gods… I think you're there!"

Liara instantly blushed, the shy, young Asari in her jumping back to the fore, causing Samantha to chuckle as she leaned over to give her a hug. "She's close… but not quite there, Mom. We both have a way to go, yet. And that's assuming we ever do actually attempt the trip to becoming honestly mature adults." Grinning at Liara, she added, "And after all the Hell we went through with the Reaper War, I'm not in any big hurry to try; we want some time to simply enjoy life!"

Her blush hanging on, largely because of the thoughts now running through her head, Liara added, "I imagine we will need to settle down, at least a little bit, when the time to become parents arrives." Another shy smile settled onto her face as she looked adoringly at her bondmate, suddenly wishing they were alone in their room on the ship.

Shepard felt her collar get warm and wondered just how far up her neck her own blush had crept, hardly believing Liara had thrown that out there… in front of her mother.

Hannah, on the other hand, didn't miss a beat, immediately coming back with, "Well, I certainly hope you don't wait any longer than necessary, so you manage your first one within my lifetime!" She looked at Samantha and chuckled, unable to keep herself from using the glaringly obvious opportunity to tease her daughter. "I know there are no guarantees but, you know – because of your lifestyle choices – until now, at least, I never saw the need for that little chat."

Hearing that, Shepard had no way to keep her face from turning a brilliant shade of bright pink as she practically shouted her one-word protest. "Mom!"

T'Soni Country Estate, Thessia, Athena Nebula – 20 Mar 2190

Falling on a Wednesday, Saint Patrick's Day had kicked off a five-day celebration in House T'Soni. The remainder of the period included Janiris and Alban Eiler, both of which fell on Saturday, along with Samantha Traynor's birthday on Sunday. Most of the household had begun to refer to the trio of holidays simply as the Festivals of Spring, with all of them being so closely related in both purpose and timing. Saint Patrick's Day had been relatively quiet… just a small celebration with a few guests in addition to the Estate residents in attendance. Most of the others had some distance to travel, so waited for the weekend blow-out.

By the time Friday night had rolled around, the Estate was absolutely bursting at the seams, with much of the T'Soni clan showing up for the celebrations – including the trio of Karin, Kahlee and Hannah, all popping in for the weekend – which was always a welcome reunion. Karin's availability had been a surprise, but the Normandy just happened to be at the CGC, making it an easy hop for the good doctor. As such, she would be staying the longest, waiting until Monday morning when Ashley and the crew would make a quick stopover to say hello before departing for their next assignment out in the Traverse.

The remaining guest list, of course, included the regulars. Of their Krogan friends, only Wrex and Bakara were in attendance, having left little Eve on Tuchanka under the watchful eye of one of the Shaman sisters. Grunt had been unable to attend, as Aralakh Company was busy with some pirates in the Eagle Nebula who were crazy enough – or stupid enough – to attempt interfering with the Krogan Palladium mining operations on Wrill. He had grinned over the holographic interface, reversing the invitation by asking Shepard if she wanted to join his party.

Shepard had simply laughed and shook her head as Liara answered for them. "Not a chance, Grunt. We're actually enjoying not getting shot at for a while."

"What fun is that?" Grunt's little laugh punctuated his sentence before he ordered, "When either of you get bored, call me!" With a quick wave of his massive paw, he ended with a quick, "Anyway, thanks for the invite!" before terminating the transmission.

Besides Grunt, most of the normal group was assembled. Garrus and Dee had made the trip, along with Tali, Sharon, and the newest addition to the family, Adrien Burns. Even Matriarch Marisha from S'Vatyne resort came along, escorted by Zan, of course, which made House Captain of the Guard Livos Tanni extremely happy.

The first chance at privacy she found, Sharon had immediately cornered Adrien, leaning in close. "So. We meet again."

Adrien felt the heat rise in her cheeks and she cleared her throat in an attempt to speak past the lump she suddenly felt lodged there. "Yes, I suppose we have. I'm still sorry I had to turn you down over my birthday week. It was just… I don't know. Too soon? Work had piled up over the Christmas and New Year's holiday and we simply wouldn't have had much time to spend together. It's a long trip…"

Sharon reached up and placed her fingertips softly on Adrien's lips, silencing her excuses. "It's not nearly as long as the time since we spent New Year's Eve together. I wouldn't have cared about the travel time… not if I was rewarded by being able to spend a couple of days with you." She suddenly grinned and whispered, "Or even just a couple of nights, since you were so busy during the day."

"Sharon… I…" Adrien blew out a heavy breath and looked away, immediately making the Alliance Special Operations commander concerned… very concerned.

"Wait." Culver stood up straight, putting distance between them. "What are you saying… or not saying, Adrien?" She scowled lightly, asking, "Second thoughts? Do you not want this?"

"No! Yes! Well…" Adrien reached out and hooked her fingers in the waistband of Sharon's pants, gently pulling the woman back in. "That's not what I mean at all… I just…" She huffed in frustration at herself and started over, opting to be blunt. "This scares me, Sharon. Knowing what I am, where I come from… always worrying about when some flaw in my creation will finally show itself. The idea of having a relationship was something that never entered my mind. Actually, that's not entirely true. I have thought about it, numerous times since we met… and have always convinced myself it was an absolutely horrible idea, and…"

"Stop." Culver's brow pinched with chagrin. "First off, you are most definitely not a what… Why would you even think such a thing? You are a who… and a wonderful one at that! Don't you dare use that as an excuse, especially if you've been thinking about the potential for an us as much as I have, no matter how much it scares you." Sharon smiled softly and reached out to gently caress a freckled cheek, bringing tears to Adrien's eyes as she did so. "We could be great!"

"I want to believe that, Sharon… I do!" Adrien sniffled as she roughly brushed the tears away, almost ashamed by their appearance on her face. "But I can't help that the whole idea scares the living daylights out of me. The potential hurt our relationship could inadvertently cause you…"

"Hey." Culver placed her fingers gently under the woman's chin, tipping her head up until their eyes met once again. "I'm a big girl and I understand the risks. Knowing just how good this will be… for both of us… when it does work out? I'm willing to take that chance, because the way I see it, the pros definitely outweigh the cons. Don't you trust me to stay by your side through it all? For the good… and any bad that might come our way?"

"For better or worse?" Adrien managed a chuckle, even with her fear. "In sickness and in health? It almost sounds like you're proposing to me, Sharon."

"I'm not kidding around, Burns." Sharon smirked as she added, "But just maybe I was proposing… and maybe you could have just broken my heart if I was a more sensitive type."

At that, Adrien objected, "You are the sensitive type, Sharon Culver. You just don't show it to many people… even though it is one of your more endearing qualities." She blinked slowly and sighed, "I do trust you… and you know that, or we wouldn't be having this conversation."

"Yes, I do."

The sexy confidence exuded by the woman standing before her finally broke through Adrien's barrier of fear. Sharon was being completely genuine and baring her soul, even knowing and understanding the risks, it was obvious she honestly desired this relationship. She's a Special Ops commander… She weighs risk and reward every day… matters of life and death. How can I even think of walking away from this wonderful, passionate woman? It only took her a moment to realize the truth. I can't.

She smiled softly and let out a quiet huff of conceding mirth before saying, "And that sounds like the answer I should have made… but didn't… to a proposal you didn't make… but perhaps should have." Adrien quietly observed the cautious surprise cross Culver's face at her words, her smile broadening as she saw the understanding light in Sharon's eyes.

"And you're not kidding around either, are you?" Culver asked, wanting to believe she saw and heard what she thought she did.

"No, I'm not." Adrien leaned closer and whispered, "So shut up and kiss me, you idiot, before my fears return, and I reverse my decision once again."