You and Me (Femshep x Liara)

(The following story is fanfiction using characters from the Mass Effect video games. This particular story takes place in Mass Effect 3, though it uses references from 1 & 2 so I'd recommend playing through those games first before reading)

It was supposed to be a fairly straightforward mission.

Your typical smash and grab really.

Get in, grab the artifact, then leave before anyone was the wiser.

Unfortunately, Cerberus had other plans and as usual, found a way to complicate matters...

The current mission took place on a small colony world whose population had completely vanished overnight after a Prothean artifact had been uncovered.

Liara had just determined the location of the artifact when Cerberus shuttles touched down and fighting had broken out.

Fortunately, there was plenty of cover here in the colony.

With the sound of her M-8 Avenger firing full auto, and Cerberus smoke bombs obscuring most of the field, it was difficult for Shepard to see or hear anything.

Currently, she was in a civilian plaza taking cover behind a steel barricade in an effort to avoid damage from the literal hailstorm of bullets fired her way.

Since the battle had begun, Garrus and Liara, her squad mates for this mission, had been separated and were now all fighting separate battles.

She knew Liara was off to her left somewhere while Garrus was on her right in a tower.

They needed to regroup and Shepard almost gave the order to do so when she heard Garrus suddenly shouting through the comm unit built into her helmet.

"Shepard I need some help here! I'm pinned down and taking some serious fire. Any assistance you can provide would be really helpful!"

"On my way Garrus!" She replied, staying low as she began making her way over to his general location, "Just hold on a minute."

Thinking of Liara, she thought to check in with her.

"How you doing Liara?"

No response.

Shepard froze, "Liara? Do you read me?"

"I'm here Shepard." She finally said, "I've reached the artifact but discovered that it's just a data core. As such I'm having a hard time imagining how it could possibly be responsible for the disappearance of the colonists... At any rate, I'm almost done with the download. I just need a little longer."

"Negative." Shepard responded, continuing her march towards Garrus, "Get out of there while you still have a chance, I saw Cerberus agents closing in on your position earlier."

"I can handle a few agents." Came her confident reply, "And this data core is too valuable to leave behind. Just give me two minutes and I..."

She was interrupted as Shepard heard the sound of several mattock rifles firing and Liara's barrier bursting, accompanied by a pained scream.

"Liara!" She yelled over the comm, waiting for a response as she heard more gunfire.

"I'm fine Shepard!" She shouted through the headset, "Get to Garrus!"

This was when Garrus finally tuned in.

"Damn that Shepard!" He shouted, his voice accompanied by gunfire as well, "Get to Liara! I've got a good spot up here and can hold out a long time if need be!"

Virmire... It was happening again.

The choice... Who to save, who to leave behind.

Time seemed to slow as Shepard was momentarily paralyzed with indecision.

Not again, anything but that.

She didn't know what brought her out of it, but suddenly she was moving again, sprinting full speed towards where she knew the Data Core was, and thus Liara.

"Garrus!" She shouted, "dig in and hold out for as long as you can while I see to Liara!"

"Affirmative!" Came his immediate reply.

As she ran, Shepard once more shouted over the comms, but directed her message towards someone else entirely.

"Cortez! We need extraction immediately. Pick up Garrus first if you can, then circle back around for myself and Liara!"

"Roger that Commander. I'm on my way."

......

In a building on the far side of the colony, Shepard found Liara standing by the Prothean data spire, surrounded by the corpses of three Cerberus operatives.

Her left shoulder was covered in blood though she hardly seemed to notice as her hands worked desperately to finish the download.

"Liara!" Shepard yelled as she ran towards her, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." She muttered, not even bothering to turn as her hands continued to move in a blue blur, "I slapped some medi-gel on it earlier... How's Garrus?"

Grabbing her hand, Shepard started dragging her away from the console and outside.

"Hey!" Liara protested, fighting against her Commander's grip, "I'm almost done here! I just need a few more..."

"Cortez!" Shepard shouted through her comm, ignoring Liara, "Where are you!"

"On your left." He said simply as Shepard saw the blue alliance shuttle circle around a building to quickly approach her location.

The shuttle didn't fully land, but instead hovered above the air a fair distance as Shepard practically dragged Liara towards it.

The bulky little craft looked beat to hell and it was clear that whatever firefight Garrus had been engaged in had been a big one.

Shepard just hoped he was alright...

When the door opened, Garrus was indeed the first to greet her as he held out an arm to help her aboard.

"Good to see you, Shepard!" He yelled over the loud drone of the shuttlecraft, "Was wondering if you had forgotten about me!"

"Not a chance Garrus!" She yelled back, jumping into the craft as Liara followed.

"Alright, strap in everyone!" Cortez yelled from the pilot's seat, "Shock dampeners were damaged on the way over here so it's going to be a bit of a bumpy ride!"

And with that, the shuttle door closed and they started gaining altitude.

Quickly finding a seat as the small craft shook, Shepard strapped herself in.

Garrus and Liara quickly went to do the same and sat across from her.

"Did you get the data?" Garrus asked of Liara as the Asari strapped in.

"Most of it." She responded in an agitated tone as she glared at Shepard.

Sighing, Shepard just stared back at her through her helmet.

Apparently, they needed to have a discussion...

......

Nothing was said the entire ride back to the Normandy, though Liara's glare remained ever-present.

After Shepard had changed into her Alliance uniform, she made her way down to the infirmary where Garrus and Liara were already waiting.

"I'm fine Doctor Chakwas," Shepard heard Liara say as the door to the infirmary slid open.

Currently, the doctor was examining a pretty big bruise on the top of Liara's head, something Shepard hadn't noticed earlier.

"My barrier absorbed most of the impact." The Asari said with a disarming smile, attempting to charm her way out of a medical examination.

The doctor however was having none of it and placed her hands on her hips, "You could have a concussion dear, and not even realize it. Please hold still."

At that, Liara finally relented, though a sour look took to her face.

Suddenly turning to Garrus, Chakwas made sure to let him know he was also being watched.

"And don't even think about going anywhere before I have a look at you either young man."

Garrus only laughed, "I wouldn't dream of it doctor."

As she was turning, Chakwas finally noticed Shepard standing in the doorway and greeted her with a wave.

"I'm almost done here, Commander." She assured her, "Then they're all yours."

Shepard just shook her head and crossed her arms, "I need to speak with Liara... alone."

Garrus and Chakwas shared a look even as Liara's locked eyes with her from where she was sitting on a nearby cot.

Realizing that this was important, Chakwas began walking towards the exit, waving for Garrus to follow.

When they were both gone, Liara stood from the cot and crossed her arms in a similar manner to her Commander.

"What were you thinking back there!" Liara practically shouted, "I had everything under control and you left Garrus behind! I've never..."

Shepard interrupted her with equal intensity, "I ordered you to fall back! What the hell Liara! I wouldn't have needed to abandon Garrus if you had obeyed my orders in the first place!"

The Asari marched closer, waving her arms frantically as she did.

"I couldn't trust you!" she shouted back, "You have always been protective of me! I couldn't be sure you weren't letting your fear of seeing me hurt, cloud your judgment. Would you have really pulled me out so soon had Kaiden been in my place? Or Tali?"

"What I would do," Shepard spoke slowly in an effort to calm her mounting anger, "had someone else been in your place is completely irrelevant. As for Garrus, he's dealt with far worse on Omega."

Laira crossed her arms once more, "And I'm sure he'd agree with you. But he didn't see what I saw back there. You let your fear for my safety get the better of you."

"And none of this would have happened had you obeyed my orders in the first place!" Shepard fired back.

"I understand that," Liara started, sounding a bit too condescending for Shepard's tastes, "but I was completing the mission and..."

Her tone annoyed Shepard further so the commander interrupted her.

"Against my orders! If I can't trust you to follow my commands then you are DONE going on field assignments!"

Liara glared at that but said nothing more.

Feeling that the argument was finished, Shepard turned and began walking away but was stopped as Liara spoke softly.

"And what if our positions were reversed? Wouldn't you have told me to leave you?"

Shepard turned once more, fists clenched, "That's a completely different situation where..."

Liara interrupted, "I see the way you throw yourself into battle! The blatant disregard for your own life! You are not expendable Shepard..."

Shepard threw her hands up helplessly, her voice growing softer, "And you are? Liara, damn it! I thought I almost lost you back there. Do you have any idea what that would have done to me?"

Once more Liara's voice changed tone to sound calmer and in control, something that only pissed Shepard off more.

"I understand that but you..."

"No!" Shepard finally shouted, having had enough of the insubordination, "You don't understand! I am in charge, you follow my orders to the letter!"

She then paced back and forth angrily, trying to get her point across so that Liara would understand the situation in no uncertain terms.

"I get it, it's been a while since you last served on the Normandy, so let me remind you... This is my ship and I am in charge, I say run, you book it! I say jump, you ask how high! This is not a democracy! My orders will be obeyed without question... Do we understand each other?"

Liara's jaw tightened and she simply glared for a long while, matching the steely gaze of her commander.

"Perfectly commander." She said coldly, still maintaining eye contact.

"Dismissed," Shepard said, refusing to back down.

Upon hearing that, Liara immediately began marching passed her and through the exit.

Blowing out a heavy sigh as Liara left, Shepard shook her head.

"Why do I get the feeling that that's not the end of this?"

......

About an hour later, all Shepard could do was pace back and forth in her cabin.

Too agitated to think about anything else, Shepard made her way back down to the Crew's quarters and more importantly, to the main battery to speak with Garrus

Garrus was the person Shepard could always count on to have a level-headed conversation with.

He was dependable as he was honest and Shepard couldn't possibly wish for a better friend.

As the sliding doors to the forward battery opened, Shepard stumbled in on a conversation already in progress, as Liara was speaking over the intercom.

"But you know what she's like!" Liara shouted, "She completely refuses to see my side of the story!"

Garrus, who was currently facing away from Shepard and obviously hadn't heard her enter, responded.

"I know. Believe me, I know! But give her some time and..."

"Traitor," Shepard murmured, staring daggers into his back.

Surprisingly, Garrus must have heard her because he suddenly turned and his eyes went wide.

Liara however was none the wiser and continued.

"If she wants to play the Commander card then that's fine because I..."

Garrus interrupted loudly, "Hey! Shepard!"

Liara immediately stopped.

"Shit." She whispered, the comms cutting out shortly after.

As Garrus casually leaned against a nearby side railing, Shepard crossed her arms.

"Did you have something you wanted to discuss Commander?" The Turian said in a somewhat shy tone.

Deciding not to hate him for talking with Liara, Shepard shrugged.

"Just wanted to know if you had a minute to talk."

Standing up straight and drawing himself to his full height, Garrus shrugged.

"Sure thing. Just killing time anyway."

Looking around, she smiled, "You sure? Nothing needs... calibrated?"

Garrus let out a quiet chuckle at that then rubbed the back of his neck, "Not at the moment but... Give it a minute or two and I'm sure I'll find something... But seriously, what did you need?"

Again Shepard just shrugged, "Just checking in really... You alright?"

"Referring to earlier? I'm fine. Took a few hits and dented my armor but, nothing a hammer won't fix."

Shepard let out a deep sigh and smiled widely, "See I knew you'd be fine! A few Cerberus agents weren't going to bring you down."

Garrus tilted his head to the side briefly, "Well it was more like six but the point still stands."

Shepard paused, "Shit... Garrus I'm sorry. I didn't mean to leave you hanging like that.

The turian just shrugged, "It's fine Shepard, really. Worked up a bit of a sweat, nothing more... Besides, it's nothing like what we dealt with back on Omega."

Shepard threw her arms out wide, "That's what I told Liara! But she..."

Calming, Shepard sighed, "Liara said I let my emotions get the better of me... what do you think?"

Obviously uncomfortable about being put into such a position, Garrus turned around even as he responded, "I can't answer that Shepard, not my place. I trust you and your judgment, it's got us all this far."

Sighing, Shepard shook her head, "I'm not asking as your commander Garrus."

It took a moment, but Garrus eventually turned and sighed as well, "It's an emotional time, for all of us. We're all going to make mistakes, like it or not. I can't honestly say how I'd react if someone I cared about was on the line..."

He paused for a moment then shook his head, "Not that I'm saying you were wrong either, it's hard to argue with the results. We all got out of there in one piece with only minor injuries... honestly, I think that's a better outcome than we had any right to expect from an ambush."

"Yeah..." Shepard agreed, "I guess so."

An awkward silence settled on the conversation until Garrus spoke again.

"Personally it's these exact situations why dating in the military is frowned on... Though I'm sure you knew that already."

Shepard laughed, "Oh I knew it. Boy did I know it."

"So what was it then?" Garrus asked curiously, leaning once more on the battery, "What drew you to Liara?"

Shepard was silent a moment as she thought back, "I don't know really... I had never really been one for fraternization previously... but Liara..."

Thinking back to the days of chasing Saren around the galaxy, and growing close to Liara along the way brought a smile to her face.

"I had my mission of course, knew what my job was... But Liara just seemed so thrown into the middle of everything. After what happened with Benezia... something clicked... She just seemed so alone in this galaxy."

Garrus nodded, "You wanted to protect her."

"Yeah..."

Her smile widened as she focused on more fond memories.

"Seeing her again on Illium... I forgot about everything else as I was climbing those steps to see her."

Garrus chuckled, "I remember... You definitely seemed to have a bit of a skip in your step that day. Tali and I both commented on it."

Shepard shrugged, feeling a rare moment of embarrassment.

"Yeah well... She changed... A lot... four years can do that to a person I guess."

Garrus nodded, "Well that and everything that happened with the Shadow Broker."

"Right..." Shepard then let out a deep breath and shrugged, "Seeing her again on Mars practically had the same effect on me. When I saw her... it was like suddenly nothing else mattered... Just her."

"I know how you feel." Garrus said with a nod, "When the world just stops for a moment and the mission suddenly doesn't seem so important."

"Yeah..." She then frowned, "Wait a minute. Who are you talking about?"

"Who are you talking about?" Garrus said defensivly.

"I'M talking about Liara, who are YOU talking about."

Garrus paused a moment then fiddled with a side panel on the wall, "I was talking about the feeling I get any time I pick up a new rifle."

Shepard flashed him a doubting look, "Uh huh."

Obviously uncomfortable, Garrus glanced around the room and dangled his arms at his side, "Anyway... You know this means she was right... right?"

Shepard raised an eyebrow, "Come again?"

"Liara I mean." he clarified, "She's right about you being protective of her."

"How could I honestly not be by this point? I'm protective of all of you..." Her expression darkened then, "That doesn't give her a right to disobey orders."

Garrus waved his hands, "Oh I agree completely. I'm just trying to see both sides of the story."

Shepard's crossed her arms at that, "Careful Garrus... I don't like those who try to play both sides."

Throwing his hands up helplessly, Garrus protested, "I'm not on either side!" He then looked down and muttered to himself, "I'm just trying to survive..."

"Talk to you later Garrus." Shepard said, eyeing him carefully as she turned to leave.

"You know where to find me!" He called out after her.

As the sliding door opened, Shepard immediately came face to mask with Tali who jumped in surprise.

"Oh, Shepard!" She exclaimed, backing up.

"Sorry, Tali." Shepard apologized, "Didn't see you there... Did you need to talk with Garrus?"

Tali shook her head and her hands fiddled nervously against one another.

"Not really." She replied, "I was just... Goodbye."

And with that, the Quarian turned stiffly and continued down the hall at a rather brisk pace.

As she watched her go, Shepard scratched her head in bewilderment.

......

Several hours later, after Shepard had tried in vain to get some sleep, she found herself once more in the Crew's Quarters.

Though this time instead of going to speak with anyone, she simply stood silent in front of the memorial with the elevator just behind her.

There was one name on the wall that drew her attention more than the others, as Shepard had always viewed her death as a personal failure.

Ashely Williams.

But it wasn't Ashely's memory that was keeping her up tonight...

No, the thought of placing Garrus Vakarian or Liara T'soni up on that wall was what occupied her mind.

Honestly, they had all been far too lucky thus far.

It felt like at any moment that luck would run out and she'd start losing people.

People she really cared about.

"Shepard?"

Turning her head to the sound of Garrus's voice, she rubbed her eyes tiredly.

"Hey." She said in response as the turian walked up next to her and stopped.

"I figured you'd be in bed by now." He murmured.

"Couldn't sleep." came her simple explanation.

Nothing was said for a long while after that as Shepard's gaze fell back upon that one name.

Ashley Williams.

"She was a good soldier." Garrus abruptly said, bringing an end to the silence.

"She was..." Shepard replied with a heavy sigh.

"Any reason you're up late thinking of Williams?"

Looking up at him, she shrugged helplessly, "Not so much Ash..." Her gaze once more fell upon the memorial, "I just keep thinking what if it was your name, or Liara's..."