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Turnabout-	By : Spiritwolf71 Category: +M through R > Mass Effect Views: 7688 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: This story takes place within Bioware's Mass Effect Universe, their creative property. I do not own any of Bioware's stories or characters or locations. The Author recieved no money from this story and is writing it purely for entertainment.

Chapter List
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- 18
She had developed a pattern. Twenty paces one way, twenty paces back and then look at the time for a minute or two, then resume pacing.
Liara had never been good at waiting, especially now when she waited for a miracle to walk back into her life. Again she had been forced to leave Shepard behind and in a potentially deadly situation; held back by her friends as the doors to the shuttle shut close. They all promised her Shepard would be here but it had been over an hour. Liara would wait forever if she had to.
“She’s survived worse.” Javik said, trying to be comforting. He was terrible at it, but at least he tried. She did not acknowledge him. There were so many things that could go wrong. She could have been hurt in the original battle, or she could have been in the building when it collapsed. Anyone one of the people in the battle could have taken her hostage or prisoner. She could have been arrested. It was too much and Liara was weak with speculation.
Nothing had gone the way Liara had planned and now everything could be ruined. She wanted to blame Miranda, or Ashley or maybe even Javik. The truth was she had fallen in love with a hero, with a woman that would always put everyone else before herself, a woman that was willing to die for a cause. It was no one’s fault but her own, and she would not change it for the world.
“I know,” Liara finally answered. She tried to be calm as her heart tumbled into her stomach and played with the butterflies there. She squatted down and rested her elbows on her knees. She prayed silently to the Goddess to bring her lover back to her. As she did Miranda and Ashley began to argue yet again.
“She’s an alliance soldier and as such needs to be brought back into the fold,” Ashley argued.
“Why so they can arrest her and ground her indefinitely,” Miranda said. “I will not allow that to happen.”
“You think I would?”
“Yes, you would do whatever you are told because you are an alliance soldier first, Spectre second. You should never have gotten the title.” Miranda crossed her arms over her chest and leaned against the shuttle. Liara said nothing but she agreed with Miranda, she always had.
Not that Ashley was a bad person, but she was a xenophobe and she would always do exactly what she was told by the Alliance brass. Liara had no doubt that was why Udina had picked her. Personally Liara had always wanted to see Garrus with that honour, but being the next in line for the Primarch of Palavin kept him out of the running.
She could feel Ashley looking at her. She looked at the woman. “Think about it Ashley, they might welcome Shepard back with open arms, but they would have to make her responsible for her actions as the Cerberus Agent.”
“But she had no control over that,” Ashley countered.
“We all know that,” Miranda explained. “But she was still the one that assassinated the Dalatrass. Best case scenario is an honorable discharge, but more likely she will have to answer for her actions. Look at what happened with the Batarians, and they trusted her then, or supposedly trusted her.”
“We all want a happy ending, Ash,” Liara continued. “But that rarely happened in the real world. The Salarians will want her punished.”
“No they wouldn’t,” Ashley argued, “Most of them were not happy with their Dalatrass, they moved behind her back, they were the process of having her removed.”
“Without killing her,” Miranda said. “I still have some surgery left to do, get rid of those scars, revert the some pigmentation back to normal, but then I think its best that she simply disappears with Liara.”
Liara liked this idea also, but she knew Shepard. She had been unable to convince her not to turn herself in after the Batarian incident. Cayle would always do the honourable action, it was almost a curse. This time though she would not leave her side.
“Personally, I think we should do whatever Shepard wants.” It was Cayle, coming out of cloak in front of Liara, tears instantly filled the Asari’s eyes as she looked up to the woman she loved. Shepard held a hand out for her and Liara took it. Shepard helped her to stand and they were face to face.
Cayle’s hair was still short but it was black again but her eyes were still emerald green. It didn’t matter, the human’s intensity was back and she could see the love in them. The colour meant nothing, but she did hope Miranda could revert them to the steely grey blue they had been.
It was quiet for a long moment as Shepard and Liara looked into each other’s eyes. Cayle gave her that slight sideways smiled that was always reserved just for her and Liara knew that everything would be all right. The human’s hands moved to the Asari’s waist and pulled her close. She reached up and wiped away the tears from Liara’s cheeks.
For a few brief seconds there were only two people in the whole world, the rest was just back ground. There was no noise except their breaths, nothing except the two of them. “I missed you,” Liara whispered. “I knew you were alive but no one believed me.”
“Shhh,” Cayle cooed, “I love you Liara T’Soni, and I will always come back for you.”
Shepard leaned down and Liara tilted her head to accommodate her and their lips met, softly at first, Cayle pulling her closer as if wanting to make them one. Liara was hers, it didn’t need to be spoken, and she would always belong to Cayle Shepard. When they parted Liara panicked slightly as she remembered the night she had lost Cayle. She took a deep breath and tried to stop herself from shaking.
The last reunion she had with Shepard, when she had died on the Normandy, Liara had been cold and distant, afraid to open up again. She felt none of that this time. Her love for this woman was an open book, written in every language possible. “I love you Cayle Shepard and I will always be here for you. I am yours.”
“I know.” Shepard whispered back and kissed her again. Liara could not help but think she was in heaven. Cayle smile at her when they parted.
“Commander?” this came from Ashley. Cayle reluctant untangled herself from her lover and looked to the solider.
“Ashley?” She mimicked. Ashley smiled and stepped forward. Cayle hugged her and then stepped away. “You are looking good.”
Ashley chuckled, “You too for a dead woman.”
“I got better,” Cayle smiled. Javik held out his hand for her and she took it.
“I knew you were special, Human,” He said, Cayle chuckled.
“And I knew you were sentimental, Prothean.”
Cayle nodded to Miranda, they had already had their reunion and Shepard knew Miranda well enough to know that it would remain a private thing. Miranda was not practised at letting her emotions through. The smile she had gotten from Miranda was enough to know the woman was happy she was back. That and Miranda finally admitting that she admired her was more then she expected.
She looked at the small group now and took a breath. “Leng is dead but I did not get the device,” she reported.
“Just what is the device?” Ashley asked.
“I don’t know a lot about it, just that they need it to activate Harbinger and I really do not find that to be a good idea,” Cayle explained. “I did a quick head count before I had to leave the hotel, Leng and Cerberus were the only ones to escape and Leng did not have the device.”
“Where would they take it?” Javik asked.
“Omega,” Miranda and Cayle stated at the same time. Cayle smiled slightly.
“They control the Omega 4 relay and the use Omega station has a launching base for their fighters to protect it,” Miranda explained.
“We can’t do this alone,” Shepard said and wrapped an arm around Liara, wanting her to remain close. The Asari could not help but smile. “But I know the perfect person to help us.”
“Do you think Aria will help us?” Liara asked, she and the older Asari really never got along.
“She wanted her station back,” Cayle said, “One of the first things Aria ever said to me was not to fuck with her and Cerberus seems to have made that mistake.” Cayle grew quiet; she had dealing with Aria since becoming a Cerberus robot. She wondered if the woman would put two and two together. It might be awkward if she did.
“Are you ok?” Liara asked concerned.
“We will probably need the Alliances help,” She said. “I will eventually have to go back to them and let them decide my fate.”
“Why?” This, surprisingly, was from Miranda. “I know you were their poster child but really, they are just going to screw it all up and you’ll end up under house arrest again. You don’t need to do this, not again.”
“I don’t want to cross the Omega 4 relay without firepower either. We need them.”
“Miranda is right,” Ashley said, “You go to the Alliance and they will send me to the relay, not you.”
Cayle ran a hand through her short hair and moved away from the group. The Alliance would arrest her; Shepard had to hope they would understand. What Lissa did was not her, Cayle Shepard. She had always done everything for the good of the galaxy. She had never just stood for humanity; she had stood as a united front of every being. She had sacrificed herself for all of them, would they be so quick to turn their backs on her? They had once before.
“I have to,” She said finally, “Even if it means being arrested and jailed.” She turned back and looked to them. “Harbinger was the first and probably the biggest threat. We don’t know what Cerberus has planned for him and I personally do not want to find out, so it needs to be stopped. I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I let Cerberus destroy everything we fought so hard for, everything we sacrificed for because I was afraid of what might happen to me.”
Liara looked to the ground; yes this was definitely the Shepard they all loved. She would never admit it to anyone, but Cayle under house arrest on Earth was safer then Cayle leading yet another army into a potentially deadly situation. She hated the fact that they would do that to her, but felt secure in that she would not have to live in the fear of never seeing the woman again.
“I won’t let them keep you out of the fight.” Ashley said, surprising everyone. “Without you, Saren would have destroyed the Citadel, without you the Collectors would have destroyed the terminus system and without you we would all be dead. You brought peace to the Krogans and the Turians; you did the same with the Quarians and the Geth. I might be the Commanding officer of the Normandy but you Shepard, you are the Normandy. I’m a Spectre and I can pull strings.”
Shepard smiled. “Well let’s not make any plans until we get Aria aboard. No one knows Omega like she does. We are going to need her to get us into a back door. Last I checked she was on the Citadel.”
“Well she was, but she had inherited some large establishment on Tortuga.” Liara explained.
“Of course she did,” Shepard said. She hated that planet. “Well then we will head there. When we have Aria secured we will come back to Earth and plan our next move.” She paused. “I’ll go with Liara.”
Liara smiled. “Until then everyone stay safe and tell no one.” It would be hard; she was dying to tell Tali and Garrus already.
They boarded the shuttle leaving Ashley by herself. When the doors closed Cayle took a deep breath and leaned against a bulkhead.
“Are you ok?” Liara asked concerned.
“No, not really,” Cayle admitted. “I need to work a few things out, in my head. I have two sets of memories and they are clashing.”
“What can I do to help?”
“Nothing Liara, I just need some time alone to think,” She whispered, “Just some time.”

Shepard leaned, her hand pressed against the wall, head slightly bent, letting the hot water of the shower tumble over her hair and down over her face. Two lives merged and tangled into one another as she tried her best to separate them. She wondered again, for the millionth time, if she should have had the Doctor eliminate the false memories, the false life.
She had done so much during her time as a Cerberus agent that she was not proud of. “Lissa” had been able to justify them because that was all she knew. Shepard was different. Killing was defensive and a necessity. Life was precious and all had meaning. That included the Salarian Dalatrass.
Shepard had disliked the woman and her backstabbing ways, but she understood where she had come from. She understood the fear the woman actually felt. She believed the Krogan would become uncontrollable and a menace. She failed to see the bigger picture. She didn’t know Wrex and could not trust him like Shepard did. She did not deserve to die like she had; she did not need to be made an example of.
Shepard lowered her head, still feeling the shame in letting Cerberus control her the way she had. She wondered if she would ever be able to come to term with what had happened. She wondered if she would ever be able to trust herself again.
She heard the door to the shower open and felt a hand on her side. She knew that touch, even as Lissa she had dreamt of Liara’s gentle caring touch. The Asari kissed her shoulder and Cayle shut her eyes. She could only imagine what her lover had gone through while she was “away”. Shepard had died once before for two years and the Asari had changed.
She had become independent, which Shepard had actually liked. Liara had developed an inner strength that made her a leader in her own right. She had found her talent in information brokering and it suited her. Liara had also developed a slight dark side, one that she had become frightenly close to giving in to. When they had first reunited Cayle had honestly thought she had lost her. Liara had pushed her away and kept her at a distance as if blaming her for dying. For a while Cayle had thought Liara would never forgive her and Shepard had never felt so close to bottom in her life, except now.
“Liara, I,” She started; she felt tears in her eyes and fought them back.
“Shh,” Liara said and kissed her shoulder. Using both hands she drew Cayle back until the Spectre was leaning against her. She held her firmly in one had while the other went for the shampoo. “This is whatever you want it to be, or not to be Cayle.”
Cayle leaned completely against Liara as the Asari placed the shampoo in her hair, slowly massaging it in. Shepard closed her eyes and let the woman she loved take care of her. She wanted this and she knew Liara needed it. Liara needed to feel in control of something and Cayle needed to know the Asari still loved her.
Slowly and gently Liara continued to bathe the woman she loved, the woman she had fought so hard for over the last five years. She could feel her heart beat in her chest as she touched Shepard, as she massaged the shampoo into her hair and then rinsed it. It was hard, feeling her breast pressed against the Spectre back’s, not to fully embrace her. When she was done with the shampoo she repeated with the conditioner.
Cayle was so quiet Liara could only wonder what she was thinking. She had been through so much in the last five years. She did not have to meld with Shepard to know she was struggling. She knew her lover too well, even if five years had passed since she actually held her.
When Liara finished with Cayle’s hair, her hands moved the human closer, letting her head rest on her shoulder. She ran her hands through Cayle hair. She was not used to it being short but it was a small difference. Cayle handed her the sponge after lathering it in body soap and the Asari cleansed her body as she had done her hair. She started at her shoulders then moved down each arm.
She let Cayle stand on her own as she continued, lathering her back and over her buttocks. Her fingers would stop and trail the new scars the Spectre had gained since her last near death experience. She could only imagine how painful and terrifying it had been to wake up under all that debris alone, unable to call for help.
“I am sorry we did not find you first,” Liara whispered and moved in front of the Human using the sponge to lather her chest and over breast, resisting the urge to linger. She did however let her fingertip trail over the large scar on her stomach. She watched as Shepard twitched, she had always been sensitive there. Liara could not help but smile slightly.
“It’s not your fault, Liara,” Shepard said, looking down as the woman moved to one knee and continued her cleaning. The Asari was quiet as she moved down Cayle’s long legs and to her feet. She bit her lip as she felt the tears threatening.
“I left you twice Cayle. You died alone twice because I left you.” Liara looked up to her and Shepard instantly melted in those big blue eyes. She moved down to her knees to be level with the other woman.
“I didn’t die, Liara, not really and you were always there to get me back.” Cayle reached out and cupped the Asari’s cheek with her hand, her thumb gently caressing. “And I sent you away, both times. I just,” She paused unable to look away from her lover. “I would not have been able to,” She took a deep breath. “I don’t know what I would have done knowing that you had died when I could have prevented it. That would have killed me, inside,” she tapped her chest.
“I don’t know if I can handle it again.”
Shepard smiled and took a hand in her free one. “I don’t know if I can either. Dying’s not all it’s cracked up to be.” They both laughed. “I don’t think I want to try it again.”
“I would be very happy if you did not.” Liara smiled. Cayle leaned in and kissed her deeply and Liara responded in kind. She did not need to be melded to know just how much Shepard loved her. It was always more than evident in her soft and warm lips.
They parted and Shepard stood up and held a hand down for Liara. “I’m really tired and I don’t want to be alone.” She helped the Asari to her feet and placed her hands on her waist, pulling her close. Closing her eyes at the sensations their body’s touching sent through her. “Will you stay with me?”
“Forever,” Liara whispered, “And a day.”
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