Mass Effect Every Blue Rose of Illium Has Its Thorn

**Disclaimers:** The Mass Effect universe and it's characters are all property of Bioware. This is full of spoilers and quotes taken directly from Mass Effect 2. I rehashed the quotes/events to my liking.

**Misc:** This is my first piece on this site and the first I've written in a while and by a while I mean oh just a decade. It's more about what I wanted to see than an attempt at a really original piece. Criticism appreciated. I'm using my own Shepard who may show up in more fics in the future. Paragrade (yummy) femshep. 70% Paragon 30% Renegade. Percentages may vary during the first week of the month.

Revised and Edited on 09/12/10

* * *

Morgan Shepard ascended the stairs to Illium's administrator's office still a little bewildered after having had a very unsettling exchange with the rachni queen's messenger. She chalked it up to be the strangest event of her second life thus far as she was granted permission to enter the office by the secretary seated outside of it. The door clicked shut behind her as she approached the one person who had been on her mind since she had woken up in the Cerberus lab. Liara. She stood in front of the image of an exasperated human who she was in the middle of a video call with.

"Have you faced an asari commando unit before? Few humans have." Liara's threat was delivered as coldly to her customer as it had been to her over two years ago by her mother.

"I'll make it simple," she continued in that same icy tone. "Either you pay me, or I flay you alive. With my mind." The call ended.

No. Morgan thought to herself. That was the strangest event of her second life but the thought was short lived as the sound of Liara's voice saying her name broke Morgan's chain of thought. Liara turned and closed the distance between them. Their hands met first before their lips followed suit with a kiss that ended far too quickly for Morgan as Liara pulled away shaking her head no after the commander's attempt at deepening it. Morgan paused for a second both disappointed and unsure as Liara walked over to stand behind her desk.

"My sources said you were alive but I never believed…it's very good to see you," said Liara.

The greeting felt sincere but reserved. It was hardly the reception the asari's first lover had wanted to receive but it wasn't entirely unexpected. She had died. It was foolhardy for her to expect more when time had ebbed away at the delight of their reunion. The problem was that the ebbing had been one sided. Morgan's heart still pounded in her chest and her lips still tingled from their kiss. In all actuality, it was two years versus a month and for the latter the emotional game of catch up was one that she was losing badly. It showed in the crinkling of her brow and in her stiff gait as she walked over to stand in front of Liara's desk. She crossed her arms over her chest before she spoke.

"You're threatening to flay people alive now?" asked Morgan. This violent version of her lover was more upsetting than the thought that she had most likely moved on. What had happened to the woman who had once berated her for purposely mowing down pyjaks with the mako during a game of road kill bingo with Wrex? Or the woman who had pleaded on behalf of a rachni queen?

"Oh that? That was just a customer unhappy with the information he received. He'll pay. They always do," replied Liara before she turned to gaze out her office window and continued her train of thought. "Ever since I helped you stop Saren, people have wanted to be my friend…or not be my enemy. I've set up a respectable business as an information broker." She turned back to face Morgan. "It's paid the bills since you...Well…" Liara shrugged and sat down in her chair. "For the past two years and now you're back, gunning for the collectors with Cerberus." Another unsatisfied customer lowered herself into the chair that was behind her. Liara's blasé response to her question put a sour taste in her mouth which only added to the commander's growing frustration.

"That's hardly public knowledge," said Morgan as she leaned back in the chair and crossed her legs. "So did you use the reputation I helped you earn to get that information or did you just flay a few minds?"

Once again, the asari wouldn't take the bait. Her tone remained even. "The fact that you're alive isn't public knowledge either." The asari paused for a moment to regard Morgan before she continued. "Morgan, information is my business now."

Morgan rested her forearms on her knees as she uncrossed her legs and sat forward. "So I see. Working for the Shadow Broker has worked out well for you."

"I'm not working for the Shadow Broker Morgan!" Agitated, Liara turned her back to Morgan again but her shoulders slumped as she realized just how little the commander knew. Her next question was spoken in a tone just above a whisper, "Did Cerberus ever tell you how they recovered your body?" There, finally a piece of the woman Morgan had longed to see revealed herself through the hard façade her asari did not usually wear when with her.

"No." Morgan's reply was spoken just as softly as she too, stood and made her way around the desk to stand at Liara's side. It may have been inappropriate but for Morgan enough time hadn't gone by for the need to reassure Liara to not stir her to action. Liara continued to look out her office window but didn't move.

"I gave it to them. I gave you to them, Morgan. Because they said they could rebuild you. In order to do that I had to take it from the Shadow Broker, who was going to sell your corpse to the Collectors." The revelation that it had been Liara who had initiated her second chance at life caused Morgan's eyes to widen and she instinctively closed the distance between them.

"Why didn't you tell me this before?" asked Morgan.

"Because I screwed it up, Morgan. I barely escaped with my own life. And when I told myself I was giving you to Cerberus, I told myself I was doing it for you, for a chance to bring you back. But I knew Cerberus would use you for their own business," replied Liara. Finally, she turned towards Morgan but lowered her head before their eyes could meet before she spoke, "And I let it happen. Because I couldn't let you go. I'm sorry."

"I'm not sorry Liara. I'm glad. My mission is important. I couldn't do it if you hadn't given me to Cerberus." Morgan gently placed the side of her hand beneath Liara's chin and raised her head so the asari could see the sincerity in her indigo colored eyes. Liara closed her eyes briefly. Relief showed itself plainly on her face.

"Thank you," She replied. "I…I was afraid you'd hate me." Morgan removed her hand from beneath her lovers chin and rested her forehead against Liara's.

"I don't think I could," said Morgan. The intimacy of the moment gave the commander the strength to voice her true motivation for coming to Illium, dossiers be damned, "Liara, come with me." Blue hands placed themselves on the chest of Morgan's armor and pushed her back with a force that was neither gentle nor hard.

"Don't you think I want to?" asked Liara as she gestured back to the chair across her desk signaling not just for Morgan to sit but that she had returned to her senses.

"I'm sorry Morgan. The galaxy doesn't work that way. I need to find leads, trace information. I need to work. I can't do that on the Normandy. I wish I could," lamented the asari.

Morgan ignored the signal long enough for the moment to become uncomfortable. It was a small protest. Then she turned and sat down. She leaned forward and rested her forearms on her knees again as she watched Liara take her seat behind her desk. It was Morgan who broke the silence, "What is it that you're trying to do? Liara, help me understand."

"Don't you think I want to tell you? Everything we say is probably being recorded."

Morgan ran her hands through her shoulder length black hair and didn't even try to hide her exasperation. "Are you in trouble?" Morgan asked before she sat back and regarded the asari with a genuine look of concern.

Liara noted it but her tone did not soften. "No. No trouble, but I have debts to repay. You thought I was working for the Shadow Broker…Well, it would be more accurate to say that I'm working to destroy him."

She saw where this was going as a small smile tweaked at the edges of Morgan's mouth. Wrex's words filled her mind with his rough timbre.

"How many times have you stepped in a mess for your crew Shepard?" It was true. It had always been that way since her time in the reds on Earth till now. She had never demanded the fierce loyalty those under her command had given her. She had earned it. Her next question came naturally to her lips.

"Let me help Liara. What do you need?"

It was Liara's turn to smile. She went into the details of what she wanted Morgan to do. Information needed to be gotten and it had to be done by someone she could trust. The task seemed trivial but it was the fact Liara had no one else she trusted to perform it that peaked the Commander's interest enough to want to know exactly what had been the catalyst for the changes in the woman before her. With a nod, Morgan quickly departed the office.

She hated hacking, not that she couldn't do it. It was just well, boring. Morgan would have preferred a task that included rifle fire but she was surprisingly happy to oblige. It still gave her joy to do something, anything for Liara and that realization was as painful as it was insightful. She still couldn't determine the exact nature of their reunion but it didn't matter yet. There was more to the story and it hadn't taken her long to gather the information Liara had requested. No more than twenty minutes later she was back in Liara's office being briefed on the next part of the task. There was always more. Morgan mused but listened intently.

"Liara wait." Morgan raised her hand to signal for the asari to stop talking and let her speak. "You're gathering this intel for a god damned hit?" The bemused expression Liara gave the commander only served to piss her off.

"Morgan. You want to know why I don't drop everything and join you? I need to know who the Observer is." Liara's voice took on that same threatening tone that chilled the Commander to the bone with its malice. "I need to, acquire, any information that could help me take down the Shadow Broker." As Liara bartered for information with Morgan's affections; Morgan let out a disgusted laugh.

"Yeah. You are a good information broker."

"Will you…"

"Yes." Morgan cut her off before she all but stormed out of the office.

What. The. Fuck. Morgan thought as her armored fingers slammed down on the screen of the last terminal she needed to hack. She should have refused. She should have laughed the blue right off Liara's ass and left this damned rock. Instead, she activated her com and the feeling of nostalgia that came with the familiarity of this gesture saddened her. The channel hadn't just been used on their previous missions together. It had been a way for them to speak to each other discreetly.

"Do you have the information?" Liara's voice came through clear but lacked its past affection that had, on more than occasion, been the source of Shepard's bravery.

Now, that voice was the source of a thick painful swell of emotion that turned Shepard's stomach. "Yes. I got the damn information. None of them fit," she spat. "The Observer is a female the rest of the contacts are male. Who gave you this information?"

"Nyxeris gave me the…Nyxeris gave me the information!" The com remained on as Liara called to her secretary, "Nyxeris? Could you come here for a moment?"

"Liara?" called Shepard but there was no reply. The asari had cut off the line. Morgan went into motion immediately. She moved swiftly but not fast enough to cause unwanted attention. Who knew if the Shadow Broker had other agents around? She kept alert as she maneuvered through the crowd of shoppers and stock traders but didn't see any additional agents by the time she reached Liara's office. The holographic lock on Liara's door was red.

"You have got to be kidding me!" Morgan exclaimed as her omni-tool flashed to life on her left forearm. "Liara! Open the damn door!" cried Shepard. It remained locked as Morgan started to hack the lock. The muffled sounds of a biotic battle were just audible to the human who frantically tried to connect the right sequence to unlock the door. It didn't take long to open the door and the moment the lock turned green the Commander was through the door and in the office with her pistol at the ready.

Liara stood before the body of Nyxeris swathed in a thick swirling cloud of dark energy that quickly dissipated as she turned towards Morgan.

"You alright?" It was all Morgan could think of to say as she hooked her pistol back on her hip and stared at Liara.

"Yes. She was very talented. I imagine had she been ordered to assassinate me, I would have never seen her coming but her barriers needed practice." The asari looked down at the corpse as she continued her thought. "Practice I'm afraid she won't be getting."

Liara turned, walked over to her desk and promptly took her seat. The asari took a moment to place a call and before Morgan could even speak a krogen entered the office with a body bag. Morgan watched as Nyxeris was bagged, slung over the krogen's shoulder, and carried out of the office.

"All in a day's work huh?" Morgan's jibe earned the human a half grin and a cocked eyebrow from the information broker.

"Morgan. Please sit," said Liara.

Morgan was tired of sitting and of these intrigues but she took her seat in front of the desk again. This whole experience had been surreal but witnessing just how efficiently Liara executed her plan impressed the ex-specter though begrudgingly so. Had she not done the same in the past? Stealing info. Check. Emotional manipulation. Check. Eliminating threats. Check. The myriad of emotions she had experienced earlier were quickly turning into respect as she realized how hypocritical her initial reaction had been. Wasn't she the catalyst for all of this anyway? It was just that she didn't want to respect Liara in this way. To see her hardened. Morgan missed the stuttering archeologist who had grown into a strong and compassionate companion. This new Liara who had used Morgan's own affections against her to get her to perform tasks unsettled the commander in a way few people could. It hurt and it pissed Morgan the fuck off despite how much she respected Liara's newfound resourcefulness because she wasn't just another pawn in Liara's information game. Morgan had been her lover and at the very least was now her friend. She didn't understand why Liara felt the need to exchange information for favors when Morgan would have performed the tasks out of friendship. The commander couldn't help but wonder how long it had been since Liara had interacted with people who genuinely cared about her. The thought unsettled her but didn't temper her anger.

"So..." Morgan let it hang in the air. She had no idea what to say. What the hell could she say?

"Thank you Morgan. The information I got from Nyxeris will bring me one step closer to the Shadow Broker." Liara's words fell on deaf ears as Morgan scratched the side of her head and looked off to the side. Morgan didn't know what to think or what to feel. The asari seemed to sense Morgan's confliction. Liara searched Morgan's face as she spoke but the commander wouldn't look at her.

"I wasn't alone when I got your body back from the Collectors, but," Liara looked away as she continued, "I screwed it up Morgan. I barely escaped with my own life. But my friend, he didn't escape." Liara looked back at Morgan who was now giving the asari her full attention.

They locked eyes as Liara spoke, "I don't know if he's dead or being interrogated but I need to find him. I owe him my life. So that's why I need to destroy the Shadow Broker. For what he did to my friend and to you and whatever he's doing with the Collectors." The tension in Morgan had finally been defused and it showed as her body relaxed for the first time. Liara noticed it and relaxed in her chair as well.

"Liara, thank you for telling me what happened. I hope your friend's alive. I know you'll find the Shadow Broker and when you do, flay that fucker," said Shepard as she thought to herself, better to laugh than cry right? Her black humor earned the commander a chuckle from Liara.

Morgan stood up then. This reunion hadn't gone anything like she had imagined but that was the norm for the ex-spectre. Now that she had the whole story she wasn't angry anymore though she was not completely satisfied with the situation. Morgan respected Liara's loyalty, bravery and her resourcefulness and decided to just focus on that. Between being a fancy zombie and working with terrorists she just didn't need the aggravation. She couldn't emotionally afford it so she let it go but there was something she had to get off her chest for no other reason than to let Liara know that she didn't appreciate how she had been treated.

"Should you need any more help, just ask me. Don't dangle something I want in front of me to get me to do what you want. You should know that you don't have to and you never will," said Morgan. She turned towards the door then. She needed to go and sort this all out on her own terms so she could get on with her mission.

Before Morgan had taken her second step she felt Liara's hand in her own. She turned towards Liara whose other hand slid against her left cheek before grasping the back of her neck as she was pulled in for a kiss. It started gently with each woman uncertain if anything more was what the other wanted. Morgan took the risk. She wrapped her arms around Liara drawing their bodies together adding pressure to her kisses at the same time. When Liara reciprocated instead of protesting she couldn't restrain the low heartbreakingly grateful moan that escaped her lips. Morgan's honest reaction was rewarded when Liara entangled her fingers in the commander's dark locks and increased the urgency of her own kisses. They quickly drew near to a point of no return when Liara reluctantly pulled her head back and broke the kiss with a small melancholy cry of her own.

The asari slipped her fingers from tangled tresses and slowly caressed the back of Morgan's neck as she brought her hand around and her other up to cup the Commander's face in both of them. Her eyes searched Morgan's as she spoke, "You come back from this. I refuse to retrieve your corpse a second time." Morgan gently brought her hands up to take Liara's off her face and held them against her chest.

"Never again," promised Morgan as she let go of Liara's hands and kissed her again. This time, the uncertainty was gone.

* * *

Tali and Garrus stood with their backs to Illuim's skyline as they watched the reunited lovers through the very big window that both the human and asari had completely forgotten about.

"Pay up," said Tali while her gloved three fingered hand gestured, palm up, at Garrus who groaned and brought up his omni-tool. He reluctantly transferred one hundred credits to Tali as the quarian laughed before rubbing it in with an, "I told you so."

They had, for the most part, stayed there chatting the whole time to give the commander her space. It had been very clear when Liara had moved into Morgan's cabin immediately after the battle of the Citadel that they had formed a relationship even though the rest of the crew hadn't been surprised. It had been Ashley who won the bet on when they would shack up and in the same spirit Tali and Garrus had wagered over the outcome of Morgan and Liara's reuinion. At first, it seemed like Garrus was going to win the bet when Morgan had gone to and from Liara's office often grumbling to herself in the process. After she had gone into the office for the third time and didn't come back out right away her squad mates had made it their mission to find someplace where they could stand and see in the large window of the office.

"Well," Garrus mused. "I'm glad to have lost."

Tali smiled from beneath her helmet when she noticed their disheveled looking commander walking towards them. Morgan came over to them and couldn't conceal the shit eating grin that lit up her face had she tried to.

"Thanks for waiting guys," said Morgan as she gestured for them to make their way back to the Normandy and the three of them started to walk to it.

"So Shepard."

"Yeah Garrus?"

"Who had reach and who had flexibility?"

"Son of a bitch!" Morgan exclaimed as she turned and hit Garrus with a right hook that hit his arm with enough force to make him take a step back.

"Reach it is then," Was his reply.


End file.

Mass Effect, Romance