I don't own Mass Effect 1 or 2, nor do I own the characters and ideas they have. This part takes place in ME2 if you were with Liara, and this is how I thought Shepard (It was a FemShep) felt during the whole thing. It makes more sense if you've already seen it.

I was a little sad about Liara.

My search brings me to Illium- To you.

The Illusive Man had told me he knew you were on Illium, working for the Shadow Broker, and that you weren't to be trusted. Of course I was sceptical. I could never believe that of you. There are Dossier's on Illium but hell, they can wait. You're here.

You hold a lot of power now, they say. I couldn't help but suppress a laugh. Not because you're incapable of such a thing but, well, it just doesn't seem like you. You were never one for power, and the more I thought on it, the more intrigued I became. You must have grown substantially in those two years. I moved up the stairs to your office with an unnatural haste. And.. Here I am.

"Have you faced an Asari Commando unit before? Few humans have."

There is a flashback. I remember Noveria. Matriarch Benezia spoke those exact words with such an air of confidence and threat in her voice to me as you stood by my side. She was indoctrinated, and what is your excuse? I wondered if I should laugh, perhaps it was some kind of joke. But the feeling in your voice is real, and I begin to worry.

"Shepard! Nyxeris, hold my calls."

I quickly notice your voice is missing that youthful innocence that made me enjoy your company so. My brow furrows. On my walk to your office I had anticipated this meeting with a brighter light; you would be thrilled to see me, but still there would be an air of shyness to you that would drive you to ask everyone, including my companions, to leave, simply so you can tell me you missed me. It is painful how wrong I was.

You step towards me as though no one else matters and you take hold of my hand. You stare down, hiding your eyes from me before I can finally catch your gaze. There is a distance in your eyes I've never seen before- A fiery determination you push back but despite that I can't tell if you're happy to see me. You lean forward still, hovering inches from me as if you're wondering: What should I do now? This is not like us. Two years of separation should make this meeting intoxicating, not confusing. I can't control it, the way the corners of my lips pull into a frown. Have I lost you...

Still you captivate them with your own. The feeling, the taste... It is not sweet like I remember it. It is cold, you are cold. And as you pull away within a heartbeat everything falls into place. I feel you slip away in distance to hide your shadows behind your desk. The taste lingers on my lips, and all I do is stare at you. You are you, but you are not. Whatever happened to you while I was gone...