Kaidan + Liara

"C'mon!" Kaidan Alenko urged his asari partner, as they hunted through the wreckage of the Citadel. "Hackett's intel says Shepard's somewhere in this area!"

Liara T'Soni followed the Alliance Major close behind. He hadn't rested since they had been seperated from Shepard. She understood the compulsion. The connection they shared to the galaxy's savior was stronger than any bond the young asari had ever felt.

"About that kiss..." Liara began, almost sheepishly. Despite the strides she had taken since becoming the Shadow Broker, the meek archaeologist they had found in that Prothean ruin sometimes peeked through.

"What about it? It was a good kiss." Kaidan muttered, not even slowing in his frantic search.

As they took shelter together on Earth, and had witnessed the red wave of the Crucible enveloping the galaxy, obliterating husk, Reaper and any synthetic life, a sure sign of Shepard's success, Liara had seized Kaidan and kissed him. An act of passion and relief that it was all over.

"I merely want to let you know: Should the worst come to pass, I'm still here for you, Kaidan." Liara promised, touching his shoulder.

"Don't talk like that, Doc." Kaidan said. "Just wait, we're gonna find Shepard, alive and kicking, any minute now."

Deciding he had a point, Liara put her consolations to the back of her mind, and joined in with the Spectre's search efforts.

They carefully lifted piles of rubble with their biotics, faster than any conventional rescue team would've managed.

After about half an hour of telekinetic excavation, their efforts bore fruit.

Underneath a particularly wicked pile of rubble was a battered N7 hardsuit. It was difficult to tell, but the chest was rising and falling ever so slightly.

"Goddess!" Liara exclaimed. "Kaidan, it's her! By the Goddess, she's still breathing!"

"Help me get this debris off her!" The Spectre urged, powering up his biotic amp.

-

Several months later...

Jane Shepard, the first human Spectre, the Hero of the Citadel, Savior of the Galaxy's eyes fluttered slowly open.

Unsurprisingly, she saw her lovers on either side of her. The dashing Spectre, and the lovely young doctor. God, she had missed them both.

For their part, her lover's faces looked flushed with delight to see her awaken. Getting a better look, Shepard realized they both seemed a little _too _delighted.

"What, you couldn't wait till I woke up?" Shepard joked. Kaidan coughed. Liara would've blushed, were asari capable of it.

Kaidan and Liara's situation had left them with an excess of frustration. They had cordially decided to relieve said frustration by way of a quick fuck in the nearest supply closet. Kaidan mused they should've known Shepard would catch them out.

"It's so good to see you awake, Shepard." Liara beamed, clenching Jane's hand.

"Took me long enough." Shepard sighed. Kaidan took her other hand.

"All that matters is we're back together, and it's over. The Reapers are gone, Shepard!" Liara exclaimed. Even after so many weeks, it felt good to say it aloud.

"A shame about what happened to EDI and the geth." Kaidan lamented. Shepard claimed ignorance on that. She didn't need her loved ones to know she had chosen to destroy the Reapers at the cost of their synthetic allies', and their good friend's, lives. Better to have them keep believing she was the Paragon of heroism they idealized her as.

"We were by your side as often as we could manage." Liara assured Shepard. Kaidan's rank in the Alliance, as well as his status as humanity's only remaining Spectre, had left him in high demand. To his credit, he had spent every available hour with Shepard.

Liara had attempted to perform as many of her Shadow Broker tasks from Shepard's bedside as possible, but some duties required a more personal touch. Not to mention the new project that had come to her attention. It was something... giant.

"I've spent enough time in hospital beds for three lifetimes." Shepard insisted, trying to get up. "Can we please go somewhere else?"