Disclaimer: I dont own Mass Effect

Hey readers, Soldier Ms here with a one-shot that also serves as the prelude of a string of fics I'll be working on. I've played the Mass Effect series since 1 and out of all of the possible romantic pairings I liked the Liara/Shepard the most, it was so well thought out throughout all of the games. Even with the endings made available but I wont go into that territory. For now enjoy this one-shot please

Project Phoenix: Taking a Chance

Liara T'Soni was still getting used to her new surroundings. The Med-bay of the Normandy was very different from the campsites and frigates she was used to being on during her digs. But if she had chosen to stay on the run then there was the chance Saren and her mother would have tracked her down. Her best chance was to "take the fight to them" as she heard numerous humans say. That was another aspect of her struggle on the Normandy. She was unfamiliar with humans and had had little to no experience in interacting with them. Just the other day she had embarrassed herself in front of Shepard, saying he was an interesting specimen for an in depth study. Only now had she realised how a human could interpret such a statement.

'Shepard,' Liara thought's drifted to the human Commander.

Out of all the humans on the ship, she found him to be the most interesting one. His experience with the Prothean Beacon and the Cipher alone made him unique. But Shepard's most appealing qualities were his wisdom and kindness. He had a unique ability to empathise with others, even his enemy. That and he was attractive, his big strong arms looked like an iron wall and the scars on his cheek, no doubt from his youth on the streets decorated his face well. Then there was his seemingly glowing green eyes and sandy blonde hair.

'Control yourself Liara,' the young Asari chided herself for her thoughts.

She was only a hundred and six; she had plenty of time to think about potential mates. But Shepard was something else entirely; he invoked feelings in Liara she never knew she could have.

"Liara!"

She turned to the door to see Shepard standing there.

"Oh Shepard, did you want to ask me something?" Liara asked, nervously facing Shepard.

He kept a smile on his face that showed both enjoyment of her company and amusement about their past conversation.

"I was wondering if we could pick up where we left off, you were talking about your interest in the Protheans," Shepard said.

Liara cast her eyes to the floor, wringing her hands together.

"Actually I believe I was talking about my interest in you Commander and making a complete fool of myself in the process. As I said before I am not used to dealing with people, particularly humans, your species always seemed rushed and high strung," Liara explained.

"Well we are a short lived species, you Asari live for a thousand years, we're lucky to hit 150, sometimes," Shepard chuckled.

Liara didn't get the joke, though she still smiled at Shepard's humour.

"I always thought that your short lifespan was a disadvantage but now I see otherwise. You humans have a drive and determination that can only be bought on by limited time, when you set your mind to it nothing can get in your way, you seek your ambitions and goals with an indomitable determination. That is an admirable trait but also an intimidating one," she explained.

"Your scared of us?" Shepard asked, a hurt expression on his face.

"Unfortunately the rest of the galaxy sees humanity as something as a bully, that's why the council deny you a seat and why others fear you as a threat. It is up to people like you to prove them wrong Commander," Liara traced her hand across Shepard's chest, shocking him slightly.

"Why me?" he asked.

"I read about you, how you survived what happened on Akuze, you have a remarkable will to live and defy near impossible odds, that's what the council saw in you…what I see in you," Liara whispered as she caressed Shepard's cheek.

"Your so beautiful, I wanted this since the moment I first saw you," Shepard said, placing his hands on Liara's waist.

"I knew it Shepard, I knew you felt it too!"

Liara suddenly wrapped her arms around Shepard and pulled him into a passionate kiss. He ran his hands across the back of her green uniform, returning the kiss with all his passion. Liara moaned as Shepard's tongue explored her mouth and he played with the fringes of her head tails. The man she loved loved her back and there was nothing that could ruin this perfect moment.

"Liara…Liara…Liara?"

"WAKE UP ASARI!"

The thunderous voice threw Liara from her dream. She hastily raised her head from her desk and blushed in embarrassment. Both at the fact she had been aroused by her dream and that she had been drooling at her work station. She turned to see James and Javik standing at the doorway. The former had an amused expression on his face, while the last surviving Prothean looked less than amused.

"We didn't spoil the good part did we?" James asked.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Liara said as she straightened out her white and blue suit.

"Hm, your lust for the Commander is both sad and stupid, in my cycle reproduction was only for the purpose of maintaining troop numbers," Javik said.

"And behold the fucked up empire of the Protheans," James muttered.

"What was that human?" Javik growled.

"What did you both want?" Liara asked, sighing as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes.

"Loco's going to the Citadel, says we could do with some shore leave," James said.

"I however will be using your "credits" to buy weapons, see if you primitives have anything that is more advanced than the empire's basic beam weapon," Javik said as he stomped away.

Liara sighed as she got off her chair. Her expectations of Javik were just further evidence as to how naïve she had been during the original Normandy days. Her attraction to Shepard garnered no return. After all he was a soldier with a job to do, he hadn't wasted time on flirting with possible romantic interests. He regarded even Diana Allers with a professional demeanour.

"Shepard also said you'd probably want to visit your other mother while your there," James grinned.

"Aethyta is my father James," Liara sighed.

"Really? Not quite sure how that works, in human culture they'd both be considered mothers, anyway see you later," James said as he walked to his bags.

'Anthropocentric bag of dicks' Liara thought as she walked towards the elevator.

In her stressed and tired state, Liara couldn't stop herself from bumping into the one person she didn't want to see right now.

"Oh Liara, sorry about that, I was just on my way to get Kaidan, he, Cortez and I are going to Purgatory for beers…"

Shepard's voice became a blur to Liara as she found herself caught by the trance of his eyes. Yet other thoughts were rushing through her mind. Like how often Shepard would hang out with "the guys". It was a well-known fact that Cortez was "gay" as some of the crewmen put it. Then there were Shepard's meetings with Miranda Lawson and his interviews with Diana Allers. Both very attractive women that were hard to resist. That is if Liara's initial thought about Shepard and Cortez's relationship was wrong.

"Are you okay Liara?" Shepard asked.

"Oh yes Shepard, I'm sorry its just I was sleeping earlier, I must not be fully awake yet," Liara said.

"If that's the case visiting your father should wake you up, Aethyta always has a way of saying something to catch your attention, like your half Hanar sister," Shepard chuckled.

"Y-you heard that?" Liara asked.

"I was passing by, it isn't that hard to hear your mother talking about Asari reproduction, although I walked away as soon as she started talking about your mother, that's for you to hear," Shepard sighed.

"Thank you Shepard," Liara bowed her head before walking onto the elevator.

"See you around Liara," Shepard said as the door closed.

The trip to the Citadel came just in the aftermath of the Cerberus rebellion. Part of the leave was to take a break from the fighting, while the rest of it was to assist in repairs. As Liara walked round the Presidium she had thought of everything that had happened until this point. She and Shepard had reunited at the Mars archives, just after the Reapers invaded Earth. Fate seemed to constantly put them both in life and death situations. Their first meeting had been Shepard rescuing her from Saren's Geth and protecting her from a Krogan warlord. Even when on the Normandy they barely had time to talk without being on a mission. Their small talks on the ship only served to embarrass Liara. But then the original Normandy was destroyed and Shepard was spaced.

That day left a hole in Liara's heart. Though she'd never spoken of her feelings to Shepard she felt like she had lost a great love. When she was contacted by Cerberus with the news that Shepard's body was being desecrated by the Shadow Broker, Liara knew that she had to find Shepard. Then just as soon as she recovered his body Lawson offered to revive him. Despite everything she had discovered about Cerberus, despite knowing of Shepard's deep hatred for the organisation that cost him his first command, Liara was desperate enough to give them his body. She hated herself for it and she feared everyday that Shepard would come back hating her. Two years of waiting and working, of compromise and law breaking had numbed Liara's once naïve personality. But one thing that hadn't numbed was her faith, her feelings for Shepard.

'Enough Liara, stop thinking about things you cant have,' Liara thought.

"Wow, you look like you could do with a drink," Aethyta said as Liara approached her bar.

"Hello…father," Liara still found it difficult to interact with the part Krogan Asari.

"But since your still a child how's about we stick with Q'Wava juice?" Aethyta grinned as she poured a bright blue liquid into a glass.

"Very funny, you do realise I've done more in just two years than most Maidens do in four centuries?" Liara asked.

"Yeah and I'm proud of you and Nezzy for that, I always wanted her to let you go your own way, I'd always say "Nezzy your treating her like a baby bird, but she's gonna cook up one hell of a storm with those little wings"," Aethyta smiled as she drank her liquor.

"Little wing!" Liara whispered.

"She hadn't called me that in years…I always hated it when she called me that!"

Shepard hushed Liara's crying form as he hugged he."Go ahead and cry Liara, go ahead and cry!"

"Hey kid, you still there?" Aethyta asked, snapping her fingers.

"Stop that, I'm fine and I'm grateful for these talks, its helped me to understand mother more," Liara said.

Aethyta nodded her head, despite having had a century of relationships she had never stopped loving Benezia. She was thankful for meeting her daughter, not just for the chance to discover who she was, but for rediscovering that love she had for Benezia.

"Likewise kid," Aethyta said.

"Do you ever wonder what your life could have been like if you and mother had made it work?" Liara asked.

Aethyta stepped back slightly, taken aback by the question. The question itself made her think of her life. Her opinions had made her the ridicule of the Matriarchs, yet only Benezia saw the truth or wisdom of her words. But that still didn't stop their relationship from falling apart. Aethyta wanted to make it clear to Liara that it was politics, not love that got in the way.

"Sometimes…but it probably turned out for the better at least for your mother, you cant be the wise councillor when your married," Aethyta said.

"What? Why not?" Liara asked.

"Sex appeal," Aethyta grinned. "Most people in politics only take you seriously when they want to have sex with you, so you have to be available, mysterious," she explained. "And wow was Benezia mysterious, she looked great in yellow but the black really bought out the sex and mystery in her and she was wise to show her rack like that," Aethyta whistled as she thought of the fun she and Benezia used to get up to in the bedroom.

Liara blushed slightly before frowning at her father.

"Please don't go into such great detail about it, and it isnt true anyway, Shepard pays attention to me," she said.

"Your still single aren't you?" Aethyta asked.

"Wait, you don't think he…" Liara paused, looking at her father in shock.

Aethyta resisted the urge to chuckle. She'd had hundreds of years of experience in relationships. She could spot all the signs of a pairing and those were signs she saw in her daughter. But surprisingly the signs were more visible in Shepard. The Matriarch knew from the moment she had met Shepard on the Citadel that the man was in lust, or even in love with her youngest. She remembered how fierce he'd been in his defence of Liara.

"That's not going to happen," he had practically lunged across the table when Aethyta mentioned a possible hit.

"Maybe he is maybe he isn't, but I can see you want to pop his thermal clip," Aethyta grinned as Liara looked at her in shock.

"Do you have to make it sound so…tawdry?" Liara asked.

"If its all civil your not doing it right," the matriarch laughed.

"Besides what with the Reaper invasion going on there's no time for romance," Liara sighed.

"That arguments been shot down cause people are hooking up now more than ever."

"Its not the time for Shepard and I to "hook up", we both have responsibilities and there's a chance that we wont survive Earth. Besides its obvious he and I wouldn't work out, he's Shepard and I'm…" Liara paused as she thought of her next response.

She hadn't been the naïve Prothean researcher for a long time. Nor was she the cold Ilium information broker anymore. She was the Shadow Broker now, but a broker different from her predecessor. Shepard once joked about her becoming a recluse with creepy information about people in the galaxy. She could list her friend's extra-net searches and their darkest secrets. Jack's real name, Miranda's infertility, Kahlee Saunders and David Anderson's love for one another and the list went on. But with Shepard she only had small pieces. He grew up on the streets, joined the alliance and lost his unit at Akuze. Alls Liara had on Shepard was their past together and their present.

"He's a good man whose never had to compromise, he prevented with words alone the exile of one of our friends, he convinced Wrex not to betray us at Virmire, helped Kaidan and the council see the truth about Udina and even convinced Saren to shoot himself. Shepard has done great things, despite everything the galaxy threw at him he's remained the calm, kind and courageous man that saved me from the Geth," Liara explained.

"Wow, you really do have it bad for him…I've been there believe me," Aethyta sighed. "I never thought I was good enough for your mother, I suppose that's one reason why we never worked out. But believe me when I tell you your good enough for him, hell your perfect for him."

"What makes you say that?" Liara asked.

"You're your mothers daughter, despite the body count and all the "flay you alive" and "have you faced an Asari commando" bullshit, you care, you care about people and from what I've heard from you just now that's why you and Shepard would work, because you have all that in common," Aethyta explained.

Liara lowered her head and wiped her eyes.

"I'm just…so scared, not that he wont love me, but that I find him again just to lose him," Liara sniffed as tears began to seep from her eyes.

"Its all right, its okay," Aethyta rubbed her daughters head, an action that made her initially uncomfortable. "If you don't try then you'll only end up regretting it when he is gone, take my advice kid and take a chance!"

Liara hugged her father, crying into her shoulder.

Elsewhere, Shepard was having a heart to heart talk of his own. That heart to heart involved booming club music, Asari dancers and booze with his friends. Kaidan, James and Cortez had joined him for a day at purgatory (and Shepard had to resist the urge to laugh at such a statement). James traded war stories while Steve admired the eye candy, or at least the kind of eye candy he would admire. Shepard had no problem with that; in fact he was glad Steve was moving on with his life. His husband had unfortunately been one of many that died at Horizon. Steve had punished himself for his inability to move on, but Shepard encouraged him to embrace those feelings, to remember the lost and honour them by living.

"Thanks for taking the tab loco, although we could do with a closer view," Vega motioned to the Asari dancers on the platforms.

One winked and smiled Shepard, causing his companions to laugh.

"Careful lady, you've got some competition for him," James yelled to the dancer.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Shepard asked.

"You're the most sought after kind of man Shepard, I've read all the magazines and there are hundreds of women that would want a man like you," Steve explained.

"Wait you read ladies magazines? Doesn't that kind of further the stereotype?" Kaidan asked.

"The article was about Shepard, he looked great with his shirt off," Cortez grinned.

Vega and Kaidan both looked at Shepard in shock.

"N7 had a boxing team, I had to have a few pictures taken for fight previews," he sighed.

Vega laughed while Kaidan shook his head.

"I'm flattered by the sentiment Cortez but I've got different…preferences than you," Shepard said as he drank.

"Yeah your more into Asari!"

Shepard coughed, spitting some of his drink out.

"Or maybe its one Asari in particular," Kaidan smirked.

"What do you guys mean?"

"We'll give you a hint, you take her on most of your missions and she has the sexiest voice," James said.

"Liara? Well I do admit she's a great woman, a fantastic friend but I'm not…"

"Please your attracted, she isn't even my type and I'm attracted," Cortez interrupted.

"The voice isn't sexy, it's enchanting and that's like triple sexy, when she talks you only pay attention to her," James explained.

"He's right, you were always looking for an opportunity to speak with her back on the original Normandy," Kaidan said.

"Enough all of you, I thought we came here to drink not talk about what ifs," Shepard slammed his glass into the table.

"Calm down, we're only saying that you and Liara would be good together," Cortez said.

"Yeah so? This isn't the time for that sort of thing."

"Don't start talking like Javik, you were all over Joker and Edi hooking up," Vega said.

"Yeah well they're not likely to die on the field so don't talk to me about my relationships, besides relationships are based on the feelings of two people I cant just want to be with someone and they'll be with me," Shepard explained.

He got off his chair and put his hands in his pockets as he walked away.

"I thought we were here to get drunk," Kaidan said.

"I need to take a walk," Shepard shrugged his shoulders.

Cortez sighed as he finished his drink and followed Shepard out of the club. They walked to the railing overlooking the Presidium. Shepard leaned against the bar, squeezing his fists.

"You sure know how to cut a party short Shepard," Cortez said, stopping at Shepard's side.

"Steve just let it go, yeah Liara is incredible but she wouldn't go for a guy like me," Shepard sighed.

"She would if she was a little braver," Steve smirked.

Shepard turned his head, looking Cortez in the eyes.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

Cortez turned around, raising his fingers as he counted down a small list.

"She was with you since the beginning; Liara joined her mind with you and even though it was for a short while she understands what you're going through with these visions, Kaidan told me what happened when you died and according to him Liara was frantic and they were wondering whether she was going to be okay without you. She raced across the galaxy to recover your body and gave it to your worst enemies out of a slim hope that they could bring you back," Cortez explained.

"She did it because she thought I was the only one that could fight the Reapers," Shepard said.

"And why would she think that? What's so special about you that she would think that you're the only one that can save us? Then there's that impossible chance that Cerberus could bring you back, to be so desperate as to believe that it could be done, to want it to be true…her feelings for you are so deep Shepard, and I can tell that she loves you, truly loves you because of the way she looks at you!"

"Why cause it's the same way you look at me?" Shepard quipped.

"No, because it's the way I looked at my husband when I realised I loved him."

Cortez's voice had been solemn, devoid of the sarcasm or wit Vega would have used.

"I'm sorry Steve, I shouldn't have said that," Shepard said.

"Even though he's dead and I feel this way now I don't regret one moment I spent with him, don't let yourself regret it either," Cortez explained.

"Thanks Steve," Shepard shook Cortez's hand and held it in a firm grip.

"Take a chance Shepard, you wont regret it," Cortez smiled as he slapped Shepard's shoulder.

Minutes later Shepard walked down the Presidium market district. He watched C-sec agents and volunteers repairing the shops that had been hit as well as the couples meeting with one another. They were all taking a chance so why couldn't he? It was a question that haunted him just as much as that stupid recurring forest nightmare. He didn't want to feel this way, he wanted to move on with his life. But his thoughts would always come back to the Reapers. Liara could calm him, soothe him in a way he hadn't been soothed since he was a child, sitting in abandoned theatres and imagining the great stories he read being acted on the stage. He enjoyed being around her, not just looking at her or listening to her but being with her.

'Take a chance, that's all my life has been about, but I can't decide with this chance,' Shepard sighed as he came to a stop.

He saw Liara leaning against the railing, just a few feet away from the Salarian owned shops. She gazed at the Citadel streets and it made her smile. Shepard slowly walked towards her, thinking of all the reasons this would work. Out of all his team mates she was the one that understood him the most. She beat herself up for not being there for him, and she constantly worked to make up for it. Liara T'Soni was the one that "wrote his name in the stars", forming not just a contingency plan but also an account of his successes.

"Its good to see you resting for a change," Shepard said as he walked to Liara's side.

Liara didn't shift nervously. Her father's words about taking a chance had reached her heart.

"I love this part of the Presidium, its reminds me of where I grew up," she said.

"Where's that?" Shepard asked.

"Armali on Thessia, we lived beside a park, I'd spend hours there."

"Doing what?"

Liara laughed softly as she thought of those carefree days. In terms of an Asari lifetime it hadn't been that long ago.

"Reading, exploring, getting in trouble digging for ruins in the grass," Liara brushed her cheeks in embarrassment.

"You're kidding?" Shepard laughed.

"I was very young," Liara sighed.

"Yeah that does sound pretty cute," Shepard said.

"No one else thought it was funny, oh the lecture my mother gave me, though she did buy me my first history book the next day," Liara leaned back first against the railing, looking at the floor as she spoke. "I miss her Shepard," her smile faded as she looked at Shepard.

"What was she like?" he asked.

"She was confident and kind, she loved to wear yellow, I thought she was the most beautiful woman in the world."

"It'll be okay Liara," Shepard said.

"Thank you Shepard, I feel better now," Liara smiled as she touched Shepard's shoulder. "You've always been there for me Shepard, even at the worst moment of my life, even when I coldly disregarded your friendship. I've always loved you Shepard and I'll always want to be in your life!"

That was what Liara felt like saying. Unfortunately she said this:

"I wish we could spend more time together like this, just as friends!"

Shepard stepped back slightly, looking at the floor and then fiercely looking Liara in the eyes.

"Friends doesn't cut it for me anymore Liara, I've spent too much time doubting myself and whether I deserved you. But not anymore Liara, whatever happens I want to spend my life with you!"

That was what Shepard felt like saying. But he said this instead:

"I'd like that a lot Liara, I greatly value your friendship!"

Liara hesitantly nodded her head in agreement. The awkward moment caused the watchers to slap their palms against their heads.

'Shepard you dick,' Cortez thought.

'Come on Liara, where's your inner Krogan?' Aethyta wondered.

The watcher's sighed as their friend and daughter walked away. Shortly afterwards, Shepard and Liara retreated to their rooms and chided themselves for their actions.

"Just friends, what the hell was that?" Liara asked herself.

"STUPID IDIOT!" Shepard yelled, slamming his fists into his punch bag.

He threw off his N7 hoody as he slammed his fists into the bag. Liara sat at her desk, sifting through information.

"Take a chance!" the words echoed through their minds, staying with them no matter what they did to take their minds off it.

Shepard wiped his face with a towel and walked out of his office. He went to deck 3 and looked at the memorial wall. He looked at Thane and Mordin's names and sighed as he walked into the lounge. His eyes darted to the door to Liara's office. Liara played with the keys at her information terminal and shook her head as she thought of what her father had said.

"Take a chance!"

She rose from her chair and walked to the door. The door slid open and Liara widened her eyes. Shepard stood in front of her, his face mere inches from hers. She looked at Shepard's hands and realised that he was going to open the door. They looked one another in the eyes and smiled. In the moments before meeting, they had both come to the door knowing what they wanted to say. But looking one another in the eyes they quickly realised that words weren't necessary anymore. Liara grabbed the collar of Shepard's shirt and pulled him in the office. As soon as the door shut their lips embraced in a passionate kiss. They practically danced around the office, holding one another as they kissed. Finally they separated and breathed with excitement in their eyes.

"Liara I…"

"Hush, you don't have to say Shepard, I know," Liara said.

"I can't surprise you with anything anymore can I?" Shepard grinned.

"I'm a very good information broker!"

She smiled as she kissed Shepard again. It wasn't under the most ideal or romantic circumstances, and with the war going on there was no certainty as to whether they would have the marriage and many blue children that they dreamed of. But that didn't matter because at this moment they chose to take a chance, one they would never regret.

The Beginning

There it is, hope everyone enjoyed the fic. I took a little bit of dialogue from the game but put my own spin on how they came together in the end. It was something I always imagined when listening to the interactions Liara could have with Aethyta, the comment would go into a full on conversation highlighting not just Liara's attraction to Shepard but Aethyta's role as Liara's "father".

As for Shepard's talk with Cortez, in my playthrough Shepard and Cortez are bro's and with Thane gone and Kasumi on the crucible Cortez was pretty much the one character on the Normandy who had a complete understanding of relationships and the risk that's also involved in them.

There it is, Liara and Shepard will be the main pairing in my "Project Phoenix" titles, the next will be a multi-chapter fic titled "Project Phoenix: Turning Point" which'll involve the discovery of a unique resource that could tip the balance in the fight against the Reapers. Keep an eye out its coming soon!