A/N: I know I'm super late... so, apologies for being so long on the delivery of this chapter. The new job has quite a bit of training for me to attend, which still isn't quite finished. Hopefully, that will slow down, and I'll get more writing time in! I honestly don't want a month between chapters but know I will finish this story! Also, note there is a 3-year time jump within this segment, marked within a section separator.

Anam Cara - Soul Friend/Mate (Gaelic)

Lagrange Point – positions in space where the gravitational forces of a two-body system,

like the Sun and Earth, produce enhanced regions of attraction and repulsion.

Siame - "one who is all", a loved one cherished above all others (Thessian/Source: CDN)

Time Flies

New Arcturus, Themis Lagrange Point, Arcturus – 16 Jan 2195

It was late afternoon when Shepard and Liara arrived at the now fully-completed New Arcturus Station for the first time. Unfortunately, they did not have sufficient time to take in the grandeur of the new station, arriving only thirty minutes before Aunt Karin's promotion to Major General and her assumption of command ceremony as the new Chief of Hospital Operations for the station. The schedule had been tight, so they had departed Thessia directly from Serrice University, immediately following Liara's Friday morning class.

They were met on the docks by Fleet Admiral Lindholm's personal aide, Command Master Chief Quinn Tyberg. "Great to see you, Captain… Doctor T'Soni… but there's no time to waste! If you'll please follow me, I have an aircar waiting."

Shepard smiled and nodded. "Understood, Master Chief. Good to see you again."

They chatted while following him, walking at a brisk pace; in a matter of minutes, they climbed into the aircar and flew directly to the auditorium where the ceremonies would be taking place. Karin, Hannah and Ines were waiting for them at the entrance to the hall and, after their quick hellos, Ines instructed, "You all know how this works. Once everyone inside is instructed to rise, we'll walk up the center aisle."

She looked directly at Liara as she added, "You'll sit in the front row in a marked, reserved seat, while Hannah and Sam will follow Karin and me to the stage, where I will complete the promotion ceremony."

She turned again and smiled at Karin as she announced, "I will personally read the order, rather than the Master Chief, and Hannah and Sam will pin your new rank on your jacket. We'll take all the necessary photos, then Hannah and Sam will join Liara in the audience. The Master Chief will then take my place at the podium to read the order for the change of command ceremony, while I pass the command flag from Bill to Karin. Once that is done, Karin will join you in the audience before we continue with Bill's retirement ceremony." She chuckled quietly. "Did everyone get all that?"

Liara chuckled softly and shook her head. "I am simply glad I get to stay quietly at my chair during all that, and don't have to remember how to orchestrate any of it."

"True enough," responded Ines. "Everyone ready?" With all giving the go-ahead, she tapped her comm unit. "You can start the proceedings, Master Chief!"

As they heard the processional music begin inside, Ines gave one last instruction. "Okay. Karin… you're immediately behind me, then Hannah and Sam… I don't care what order… and, Liara, you'll bring up the tail end, where you'll fall off when we reach the front row. The reserved seats will be on the left side of the aisle as we enter, and it doesn't matter which one you take. Then, once everything is all done with, I'll see all of you at the Military Club for the party."

With everyone going directly from the ceremony to the Military Club, Liara and Samantha found the party to be much too formal for their taste. All the military attendees remained in uniform, having no time to change, which made Liara and Samantha stand out even more than usual. After a number of people tried to monopolize Shepard's attention instead of simply letting her enjoy the party with her family, her temper grew a bit short. Fortunately, Liara felt her resentment brewing and slipped her arm through that of her siame. "Come, Sam. Let us say our farewells to Karin and Mom and tell them we'll join them for breakfast tomorrow."

"That's the best idea I've heard since stepping into the Club, Li."

Unfortunately, they didn't even make it to Karin's side before someone else intercepted them, purposely stepping directly into their path. "Captain Shepard! Wonderful to see you haven't completely forsaken your roots, finally gracing your fellow Humans with your presence again."

Shepard stopped only to avoid a collision with the man suddenly standing before her. She went to sidestep him, and the man moved to continue impeding her forward progress. She drew a deep breath and met the man's eyes. "I don't know who you are and, quite honestly, I don't care. I'm here for the celebration and we are trying to spend our time with family. That's all… So, can you please simply step aside and let us by?"

"Sure," he smirked. "As soon as you answer a few simple questions for me. For humanity."

Shepard scoffed, "You're kidding, right? I mean… I am here solely for the purpose of congratulating a wonderful officer on her promotion… a woman whom I have had the pleasure of knowing since I was a child. I'm not here for humanity, to play politics, to support anyone's cause, or to round up any human sycophants or followers, because I don't want or need any."

She met the man's suddenly irritated gaze, her own eyes plainly showing the same level of annoyance – if not more – as she continued, "And I am tired of being constantly challenged and interrupted when we are simply here to visit with General Chakwas so, if you would kindly return in the direction from whence you came, we will quietly continue on our path towards our friends and family."

"What a pompous ass!" The man growled. "Just because you're some hero from a war that ended nearly a decade ago doesn't give you the right to be so rude to people!"

Feeling Shepard tense, Liara stepped between the two, maintaining a firm grip on Shepard's hand. "Rude? It was your opening remark that was rude! I also feel the need to point out that June will be only the eighth anniversary, not the tenth. Also, you should know that if not for Shepard, your existence would be nothing more than a data bit buried deep within the memory core of the newest Reaper… of a fleet that has existed for unknown millennia and, if not for her, would likely exist for yet another. So, I highly recommend you get out of our way before we feel the need to contact security."

"Oh, by all means, please do. I'd love to get all that from the security cameras in the building."

A second man, whom neither Liara nor Shepard recognized, slid to the other man's side. "Mr Mitchel… knowing full well who would be in attendance, I warned you about harassing any of the guests coming to this event. As such, I have been monitoring you and have your initial statement to Captain Shepard on record… as well as everything that followed." He paused and gave Liara and Shepard a glance, accompanied by a flash of a smile, before turning back to Mitchel, adding, "So you have a choice. Leave the premises immediately, as Doctor T'Soni suggested, or I will happily escort you to the brig, where you will be held until your lawyer manages to arrive… in person. And, if I am not mistaken, he is currently on Earth, yes? Might take him more than a few days to get clearance to land on a military station, if you get my drift?"

Mitchel growled, "Fine… but you will be hearing from my lawyer, believe me. And if he does end up coming here, it won't be to bail me out, but to serve you a subpoena!" The man turned angrily and stalked away, the three he left behind quietly watching him until he walked out the door without ever looking back.

The new arrival turned to them and dipped his head. "Apologies Captain, Doctor. Let me introduce myself. Thomas Freidling, Director of New Arcturus Internal Security. Mr Mitchel is a rather irreputable freelance journalist, known for creating controversy wherever he goes. He's a guest of one of our more… shall I say… ethically questionable… senior leaders. We have nothing solid on either one, though, so I had no justification to deny him access to cover today's events."

Shepard shrugged, "I can't blame you for that one. Seems we all have one of those officers in our chain of command somewhere, don't we."

"You mean officers like the Mikhailoviches" Thomas chuckled at the expression that appeared on Shepard's face. "But, yes, you're right about all of us having to deal with someone in our area of responsibility who is a royal pain in the ass… and of somewhat questionable loyalty."

He then turned to Liara as he continued, "As for you, Lady Liara, it is my pleasure to make your acquaintance and my honor to provide assistance in this matter. Please, enjoy the rest of your evening." He activated his omnitool and passed his personal information to her. "Feel free to contact me directly, should you run into any more… difficulties… while on the station. I really don't want to have to do all the reports that could result from an actual incident."

"Thank you, Thomas." Liara gave him an answering smile. "We truly do appreciate the assistance. If I am to be honest, I will admit I was terribly tempted to turn him into a pile of goo."

Thomas let out a robust laugh. "Ah, shit! I didn't expect that one! You have a style of humor I never expected from an Asari, that's for sure."

"Ha! You can blame Shepard for that." Liara gave him one last smile as she added, "Have a pleasant evening, Thomas." The couple then turned away, continuing their briefly interrupted journey to locate Karin and Hannah.

New Arcturus, Themis Lagrange Point, Arcturus – 18 Jan 2195

The weekend passed much too quickly, and much sooner than they would have liked, Liara and Shepard found it time to say their farewells and travel back to Serrice. Hannah gave them both a warm hug. "Don't you worry. We'll be together again during spring break, right? And that's only a couple of months away!"

"I'm afraid I won't be making it this year, new job and all." Karin shrugged. "But I've already put in a request for two weeks, from December 21st through January 3rd so, if not before, I'll see all of you then!"

Hannah gave her a big hug. "Well, we'll miss you, so don't be surprised if you receive a vid call on Alban Eiler. It's a Saturday, so no excuses!"

Karin grinned. "I'll be sure to put it on my calendar and tell the hospital staff they aren't allowed to have any emergencies on that day." She glanced at Liara as she asked, "And what about Saint Patrick's Day this year? Will classes still be going then?"

"Classes will be done, but we'll be in finals week. My exam proctoring date is the 16th, so I will be scoring exams and putting together final grades on the 17th… and, very likely, making a few unexpected adjustments for students who surprise me on their final, in either a good or a bad direction."

Shepard added, "But, she'll have Glyph's help with the grading so she should be done in time to enjoy the evening. Then, she'll be starting to look at the new doctoral students' applications, trying to figure out if any are worthy of her time as an advisor."

Liara chuckled as she gave Shepard a gentle poke in the side. "It's not a question of if, but who, Samantha. You know I need to have at least one every term."

"Yeah, I know." She grinned. "But you don't have to actually deal with them until the start of the next fall semester, so what I'm really looking forward to is summer break!"

Hannah laughed. "But that's six months away, Sam! Don't rush it, kiddo!"

Shepard laughed along with her for a moment before responding, "I know that too… but I just have a feeling it's going to be a great summer!"

Portobello Cemetery Annex, Edinburgh, Earth – Saturday, 28 Feb 2195

Gabby parked the Esquiran sport shuttle at the edge of the paved pathway; upon securing the craft's small powerplant, she actuated the canopy lift motors and opened the doors. She exited the small craft, walked around to the other side and said, "Come on, Violet… hand her to me so you can get out." Carefully taking a sleeping Rebekah – bundled up in a flannel 'onesie' and wrapped in a colorful, baby-size quilt – from her friend, she sneaked a quick look past the quilt at her face to see if the jostling had disturbed her 7-month-old baby's nap.

She was joined by Violet Sweeney, who softly observed, "That bairn cuid kip thro' an earthquake, Missus."

Gabby chuckled with her reply. "I expect you're correct, Violet," and set out across the grass towards Kenneth's grave site, with Missus Sweeney following close behind.

She had left the twins in the care of Harley, home for the weekend from his post at Vila Militar in Rio de Janeiro. Rather than accompany his wife to the cemetery, he had elected to relax at home while keeping an eye on Malcolm and Belle, so Gabby and Violet could take baby Rebekah for an outing. That the baby would probably remain asleep during most of the ride to the cemetery and back didn't matter to Gabby; as she was still nursing her little girl, she needed to always be available.

Reaching Kenneth's grave, Gabby stood silently in front of his marker. "Happy birthday, my dear love," she whispered. "I still miss you every day. Doesn't seem possible you've been gone for only six years, when it feels like forever." Continuing in a halting voice, she said, "I brought our baby girl today… mine and Harley's. This is Rebekah Liùsaidh, born 27 July last year." A soft breeze sighed through the foliage in the evergreen trees around her, eliciting a matching heavy sigh from the woman, accompanied by a single tear escaping an eye, to slowly trickle down her cheek.

Violet placed a comforting arm around her back. "He kens you're 'ere, Missus. Ah believe he approves o' yer marriage tae th' Commander, 'n' this wee bairn created thro' yer love fur each other." Gabby shifted her gaze from Violet's face to the trees overhead as the breeze, rich with the feel of ocean air, returned to riffle through the high branches of the towering pines.

She shivered as a bit of that cool, moisture-laden air found its way past her jacket's fleece-lined hood. "Come on, Violet. Let's get back to the speeder and go home. I need a steaming mug of Kaffe to warm me up." With a small nod of her head, she silently bid Kenneth a sorrowful farewell, with the unspoken promise to return on his next birthday.

T'Soni Country Estate, Thessia, Athena Nebula – 17 Mar 2195

Saint Patrick's Day was upon them almost before they knew it and the holidays of Alban Eiler and Janiris would be following quickly behind. Liara was actually up early, working on her students' final grades for the semester. Glyph had processed the final exams overnight and had already input them into her grading algorithm, so all she really needed to do was rank order the class on their level of participation, which counted for ten percent of the grade. Some of her better students had disappointed her on the semester's field dig, so she was having a hard time with the ranking.

Shepard sensed her frustration and whispered softly through the link. {Just go with your gut, Anam Cara. You know what you need to do… just because they are good in academics doesn't necessarily mean they will make good field archaeologists. They have to be able to work in those variable conditions. Soldiers are the same way. Just because they can be great marksmen on the practice range doesn't mean they'll perform well on the battlefield. It's the application of those learned skills that is important.}

Liara chuckled quietly and shook her head. {Not a comparison I would have come up with on my own, Siame, but true none-the-less. If they can't collect artifacts without breaking them, they'll never make it through their residency. So, however odd the analogy is, I believe you are correct. Thank you.}

{You are very welcome, Blue. See you soon?}

{Within the hour, I think.} There was a short pause before Liara finished with {I love you, Sam.}

{Love you too, Li. See you at brunch. Mom told me she'd be down by ten.}

Even though it did not officially end until the twentieth of the month, Liara's winter term actually finished the moment she pressed the 'SEND' key to upload her students' final semester grades. Receiving the 'upload complete' message almost immediately, she leaned back in her chair and smiled. After a quick glance at her chrono, she sent a quick mental note to Samantha. {On my way!}

She walked quickly from her home office, bio-locking the door behind her before making her way to the lounge. Looking around, she quickly located Hannah and Samantha; a large smile on her lips, she walked directly to the table, where Shepard had already set a plate full of her favorite items. She placed a quick peck on Sam's cheek before taking the seat next to her bondmate. "Sorry I'm a few minutes late… but the grades are in, and I am now free until the end of the month!"

"That's excellent, Liara! Have you looked at your intern prospects, yet?" Hannah smiled at the couple across the table from her, obviously still so much in love. "Anyone look promising?"

"There are a couple I want to look at more closely. One looks very promising, the other looks even better… but something feels off with the second one. Almost like they had help from a professional to write the perfect proposal. I can't help but feel suspicious about perfection, so I need to look more closely at their prior school records."

Shepard cocked a brow. "I've never known one of your hunches to be incorrect, Li, so don't stop now. I say trust your instincts on this one."

"Thank you, Samantha," Liara responded. "I will request a full dossier on both of them, just as I did with Sal and Rix, and just as we do for anyone who wants to be employed by House T'Soni. Given our history, I firmly believe it is impossible to be too careful." She then smiled and looked around the table. "But, enough of that! This is supposed to be a party, isn't it? So, I say we enjoy brunch, then maybe head to the gardens to enjoy a walk in the sunshine?"

Hannah chuckled, responding, "That sounds like an absolutely perfect way to start this lovely spring day!"

- 3-yr time jump -

T'Soni Country Estate, Thessia, Athena Nebula – 10 Apr 2198

The next few years passed relatively uneventfully, with Liara's doctoral students coming and going, none of them rising to the same level of achievement as Sal. This wasn't saying they were bad; they simply weren't exceptional enough to be brought on as permanent staff additions for Liara's archaeological expedition team. As for the rest of their extended family, Garrus and Dee successfully delivered their first son, Daraelian Cozress – Coz – Vakarian, on November 17, 2195.

At the start of the following year, in February, Hannah had been promoted to Vice Admiral and assigned as the Military Attaché to the Human Ambassador to Thessia, a Canadian woman by the name of Terika Brandon. A few months later, on July 2, 2196, Andreas Falk was promoted to Colonel, only two weeks before Nayla and Lyana added Allia T'Geya to the family on the seventeenth of the month. The second half of the year passed relatively uneventfully, as did the entirety of 2197, with one exception – the tenth anniversary of their victory over the Reapers. This resulted in a galaxy-wide celebration that lasted the entire month of June.

With memories of the war fading, now a decade in the past, 2198 had started off much the same, with all the families and children relatively content and happy. Liara's spring term had begun, so the family was already in Serrice when Samantha received the emergency notification call.

"Captain Shepard. I regret to inform you that your mother was involved in a very serious accident. She was at the space port, completing a routine military port inspection when a freighter crashed. Many were killed, and Admiral Shepard was badly injured. She has been taken to Serrice General for emergency surgery. You should get there as soon as you possibly can… if you need transport, I will dispatch a car immediately."

Stunned by the blunt announcement, it took a moment for Shepard to absorb what had been said. She finally replied, "Gods, no. I don't need transport. I can get there faster on my own. I'll leave here immediately and be there as soon as I can." Abruptly ending the call, she immediately contacted Lyessa and told her what was going on.

"Grab your overnight bag, Captain, and meet us at the rooftop parking so Livos can fly us to the hospital. I'll ask Specialist Traynor to watch Michael, and we will depart as soon as we are all on the roof. Once enroute, I will notify Aethyta and Mozia of what has happened, while you call Liara to fill her in."

Shepard drew a deep calming breath. "Thank you, Lyessa. See you up there."

Serrice General Hospital, Thessia, Athena Nebula – 10 Apr 2198

Obviously, Shepard, Lyessa and Livos were the first to arrive at the hospital. They were met at the entryway by a doctor, who immediately began explaining the situation. "I am so sorry about all this, but Admiral Shepard has lost a lot of blood, and it isn't looking good. The surgeon is doing everything she can… but we simply don't have enough Human blood on hand for this type of injury. We have an emergency request in to the next closest trauma center, Dassus General, but it is going to be two more hours before it gets here. I'm afraid your mother may not last that long."

Shepard didn't even blink as she responded, "Not a problem. I have the same blood type as Mom, so I'll donate. Let's get on with it."

The doctor stared at her for a moment, surprised by both Shepard's calmness and the quickness of her offer, before offering up a relieved smile. "That should work, Captain. Thank you. We will have to do a quick blood test to verify, but that will only take a few minutes. If you'll follow me, we'll get you to the lab and get started immediately."

Mozia and Aethyta were the next to arrive, Aethyta being her normal, uncompromising self as Lyessa attempted to bring both of them up to speed on the situation. Interrupting, Aethyta growled, "Where the fuck is Liara? Why isn't she here?"

Livos gave the matriarch a glare that could freeze the entirety of the Kendra Ocean, retorting, "Because, Matriarch, she is making all the other necessary notifications… like Karin Chakwas, Admiral Lindholm and Miranda Lawson… and she can't do that here, with all the noise and stupid questions people tend to ask during emergencies like this."

Aethyta immediately tensed at the not-so-veiled accusation before, surprisingly, backing down. "You're right, Liv. I'm sorry. Of course she's doing everything she can to help. She loves Hannah, and this is likely almost as traumatic for her as it is for Shepard." She shook her head and whispered, "Dammit," under her breath before looking back to Lyessa. "Apologies for the interruption. So… what's Hannah's status?"

"Hannah has a rare blood type, so the hospital does not have the necessary Human blood or a compatible synth so, while you likely assumed Shepard is pacing the halls in the surgery center, she is not. She has the same blood type as her mother, so is actually at the lab, donating blood. I imagine once they are done with the collection, we'll get an update, either from Samantha, or the doctor who initially explained what was happening."

Liara had messaged Samantha regarding her plan to rally those she believed could be of assistance, so no one worried when she did not show up for another four hours. When she did arrive, however, she had both Karin and Miranda in tow. Judea was also on station but was arranging for a docking slot, which was going to take longer than Liara and company cared to wait. As Shepard and Lyessa were explaining what had happened – both before and after their arrival at the hospital – Miranda's eyes grew wide. "Wait. Shepard… you donated your blood to your mother?"

The edge of concern in Miranda's voice surprised the woman, so Shepard stopped speaking and immediately focused on her. "Yes… and why do you sound so worried about that?"

"Your nanites, Shepard! They are designed specifically for you! They work with Michael as well, but that's because he is nearly a genetic twin! I need to give Hannah an exam… and run a couple of tests the hospital staff will have absolutely no idea are necessary! Who is her primary physician here? I need to speak with them immediately."

Shepard's face paled; the very idea that giving blood could have put her mother's life in jeopardy was crushing her, heart and soul. "Gods, Miri! That never even crossed my mind!"

Lyessa immediately intervened, answering, "Follow me, Miranda. We've already been to the doctor's office twice… once more can't hurt, especially if you have pertinent information to pass along regarding Shepard's… uniqueness… amongst the Human race.

As Miranda and Lyessa walked quickly down the hallway, Shepard stepped closer to the wall and sank down into one of the chairs that were off to the side. "Gods. I didn't even think about my blood being poison to Mom, because of my augmentations."

Liara was moving to sit next to her when Shepard suddenly exploded and bolted up from the seat she had so recently taken. "Fuck!" She almost pulled away when Liara's hand landed softly on her forearm.

The only thing that kept her grounded was Liara's sudden presence in her mind. {She will be fine, Siame. If we need it, more blood is already enroute from Dassus General, and Mom could not be in better hands with both Karin and Miranda here, overseeing her care. She will be fine. Please sit with me and at least attempt to relax a little bit while the experts work?}

Shepard drew a deep breath and scrubbed her face with her hands. She sat back down and drew a deep breath before answering, "Thanks, Blue. I needed that. I'm… I'm not ready to let Mom go!"

"Of course you aren't! … and neither am I." Liara smiled unexpectedly and let out a soft chuckle. "Consider this; if Miri can bring your wrecked self back to life, think about what she can do with a still living specimen."

Even Samantha had to laugh at that comment. "Gods, I have no way to counter that argument, do I? I mean, I need look no farther than myself for proof those two women can work miracles."

"There,' smiled Liara. "There's the Human I bonded with. For a moment, I almost believed I'd lost my eternal optimist."

Another two hours passed before Karin and Miranda returned, a huge smile on both their faces. Karin spoke first, telling them, "Your mother is going to be fine, Sam. She's got a long road ahead of her, but the doctor expects a full recovery… so long as Hannah follows the physical therapy protocols the doc is going to line out for her."

"As for the nanite issue I was concerned about," Miranda began, "apparently, you are definitely your mother's daughter, Shepard. Your DNA is similar enough, the nanites are already beginning to adjust themselves to their new host… and I believe Hannah is going to remain on this side of death's door for quite some time yet. They won't be as effective in her body as they were in yours, but I fully expect her to live to 200 or so… maybe 230?"

"Thank the Gods!" Shepard whispered as she stood and stepped up to the two women. She wrapped an arm around each of them and pulled them both in for a tight hug. Tears trickled from her eyes as she continued, "And thank you, both! I honestly don't know what I would do without you in my life."

In her typical way, Karin simply snorted, "You wouldn't have a life, because you would have been dead at least three times over by now!"