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When Jane Shepard was a girl she had one plan: survive long enough to join the Alliance. The Reds were close enough to family that she could almost trick herself some nights, but running with a street gang had exactly one outcome, and that was messily dead. Even odds that was how her story ended with the Alliance anyway, Jane reasoned, but maybe if she was lucky, she’d be a hero first.
***
When Liara T’Soni was a girl she had one plan: become an archaeologist. When she was younger, the promise of getting to dig around looking for interesting things was enough, but as she aged the more she considered that academia would take her out of the political spheres her mother liked to move in, with long field expeditions taking her away from Thessia for months at a time. No, Liara thought, pulling the strings of power never held any appeal for her.
***
Jane Shepard parked the Mako at the foot of one of Chasca’s lush, rolling hills. “Garrus, I’m going to take Liara and, uh, scout around a bit.” Before the former C-Sec agent could pry any further, she continued, “I think the Mako’s main cannon is only operating at 97.2 percent; you mind taking a look at her?” The turian’s mandibles rippled with delight at the new challenge, and he let Shepard leave without asking any questions about the strange basket made of braided twigs or the folded piece of cloth entirely lacking in camouflage value.
***
“Shepard, what’s this?” Liara blinked with surprise as Shepard spread out a blanket and began producing food from a large basket.
“I did a little shopping the last time we were on the Citadel, and I heard Chasca has an ancient artificial ring, and you like strange artifacts, so…picnic?” Shepard shrugged. “Also Tali hacked a console on Feros that turned up a potential lead on Cerberus activity here,” she added, feeling a little silly.
“Very efficient of you,” Liara teased, settling down on the blanket. She marveled at the spread of food. “And very generous. I only wish you had warned me, and I would have brought something.”
“You brought dessert,” Shepard corrected her.
“I did?” Liara blinked again. “Oh!” She blushed as Shepard nuzzled against her cheek and slid one hand up the inside of her thigh. “When you put it like that, I suppose I did.” She gasped with delight as Shepard began fiddling with her belt.
“I had a rough upbringing,” Shepard said with a toothy grin. “I like to eat dessert first. Besides,” she added, dropping the facade briefly, “I don’t know how long we’ll have before Garrus comes looking for us.”
***
Liara fussed over Shepard’s dress uniform; she was about to give a graduation speech for a crop of cadets all beside themselves to hear from the hero of the Reaper War, even ten years later. “Were we ever that young?” Liara murmured, looking out at the waiting cadets. “I barely remember it.”
“Feels like we lived a whole lifetime since then,” Shepard agreed. “I remember wanting to join the Alliance, run off, be a hero.”
“Guess you got your wish, and the girl,” Liara teased. “Whereas all I wanted to be was a humble archaeologist, far from the halls of power.”
“The relief efforts are finally winding down,” Shepard said. “You could stop being the Shadow Broker.”
“Hm, I’ll think about it while you give your speech,” Liara replied, a tiny smile ghosting across her lips. “After all, it doesn’t exactly come with maternity leave.”
“Wait,” Shepard said before Liara pushed her towards the stage, “Are you…?”