A/N:I know I am a week late on posting. Life got in the way last week. I do not know how long this one is going to be. I'm not completely finished with it yet.

A/N(16 Jan 2013):I wanted to let readers know this...I wrote this before ME3 came out. At the time, I knew Anderson was no longer Councilor and was the rank of Admiral. I also consider the major events of this story to be canon. What I mean by that is future stories might mention details from this one with any small changes needed to make the new arc fit with the old.

Enjoy.

A Family Vacation

Chapter One

The year is 2201, it's been fifteen years since the defeat of the Reapers.

Dr. Liara T'Soni has spent the last two weeks working out the details on a family vacation for both her bondmate, Leia Shepard and their two kids. Liara leans back in her chair, looking at the picture that Shepard had taken of the kids during a trip to the Citadel about three years ago. Kaja was eleven, she had a perfect copy of the goofy Shepard grin on her face. She was wearing a blue/purple jumpsuit. Gaia was six and wearing a green and white dress with ¾ sleeves. She was hamming it up for the camera like she always does. The statue of the SSV Normandy with the ground crew* is in the background. In the foreground, the kids were standing next to one of the flower gardens on the Presidium.

Liara asked Shepard a few weeks ago if she had any places in mind to take a vacation. Shepard really didn't say any one place, but named off a few places. She really didn't care as long as all four of them were together. T'Soni also asked Kaja and Gaia to write down two or three places they would like to visit. Liara is still looking at the picture thinking.

Two weeks earlier.

Dr. Liara T'Soni and her bondmate, the former Commander Leia Shepard of the Normandy SR-2 along with their two children, Kaja and Gaia, are having a family meeting. Liara asks the girls, "Your father and I are wanting to go on a family vacation. Any places you two would like to go and visit?"

Kaja and Gaia both look at each other. Gaia shrugs her shoulders while saying, "I don't know, mom. Earth or Thessia. We've never been to either planet. I would love to to go to New York City. Broadway."

Shepard asks, "Kaja? Any place you'd like to go?"

The eldest daughter is a little fidgety and has an 'I don't know look on her face', May I think about it first. There are several places I would like to visit."

Liara answers, "Of course, Kaja. Don't take too long. I need to make plans."

"Mom! School's not over for two more months," protests Kaja. "Why do I need to hurry?" Shepard gives her eldest a daughter an ' excuse me' look that Kaja notices right away. "Sorry." Her father gives her an approval nod.

Leia comments, "A week should be plenty of time, Kaja. If you have more than one place in mind and you really can't decide, that's fine. Give your mother a list." Shepard looks over to Gaia, "Same goes for you. If there is another place you want to go besides what you've already told us, let us know."

Gaia shakes her head, "No, I really want to see Broadway though." The youngest asari has a very excited look when she mentions Broadway. Both parents takes notice, but neither comment. They trade glaces with Shepard nodding slightly.

Liara says to Kaja, "Like your father said, give me a list if you can't decided on one or two. We will talk it over and make a decision on what we will do." Dr. T'Soni looks over to Shepard, "Anything else to add?"

"One thing. We will take where you two want to go very much in to consideration. This is your vacation too," answers Shepard.

Kaja asks, "May we go? I have homework."

"Any homework, Gaia?" asks her father.

"No, ma'am. I did it already," answers Gaia.

Shepard tells the girls they are dismissed from the table. Kaja heads to her bedroom while Gaia grabs a book from the bookshelf and sits in a chair in the living room. Liara and Shepard stay in the kitchen.

Shepard says quietly so Gaia doesn't hear, "I have an idea. We can planet hop. Stay a day or two here. Day or two there. We can go to both Earth and Thessia plus the places Kaja wants to go to." grins Shepard as she said that.

Liara rubs the back of her neck, "That sounds like a good idea actually. Sound fun too. Where do you want to go though, Leia?"

"It's not up to me, Liara. Let the kids pick it," says Shepard. She leans over to the asari and whispers into her ear, "Or we can leave the kids with my mom and you and I run off someplace."

Dr. T'Soni gave her bondmate a WTF? look, "You can't be serious." Liara looks at Shepard's face to see if she was actually serious. Shepard gave her a poker face.

Commander Shepard couldn't keep from laughing for too long. Leia says, "When was the last time you and I went someplace by ourselves? No kids, no crew mates, no nobody?"

The question really makes the asari think, "I'm not sure, Leia." Liara thinks some more before she realizes that Shepard had a point. They have never went on a trip that was just the two of them. "Never. We were either on the Normandy and took a little leave on the Citadel. Or I was at the base orbiting Hagalaz." Then it comes to Liara, "When we were at Shanxi. We were alone then."

"True, Shanxi was the last time we were actually alone. We didn't leave alone though," grins Shepard as she laughs again.

Liara laughs with her bondmate, "No, we didn't leave alone did we?"

Gaia can hear her parents laughing in the kitchen. The youngest daughter shakes her head while she keeps reading her book. Kaja comes out of her room, walking towards the kitchen. Gaia comments as her older sister walks by, "They are still in the kitchen laughing about something, Kaja. I heard whispers then they started laughing."

"Think it's safe to go in there?" asks the older sibling.

"I could yell for you and ask. Or you could go and see, sis," says Gaia

Kaja shakes her head at her younger sister, "You know dad doesn't like it when we yell in the house. I already got one of her looks, I don't need to get into any more trouble." Kaja stands there with her arms crossed. Looking just like her father.

Gaia rolls her eyes at her older sister, "You just got a look. You didn't get yelled at or grounded. What's with you?"

"Nothing is wrong with me. Why are you always a pain and try to get me into trouble?" remarks Kaja.

"Who me?" coyly says Gaia. She points to herself with her left hand.

Kaja waves her hand dismissively at her sister and walks into the kitchen where her mom and dad were still sitting at the kitchen table talking. "Mom, Dad" The young asari gets a little fidgety. "Ahmmm. I've given some thought into a vacation spot."

Shepard smiles at Kaja along with Liara. Liara says, "We're listening. Go ahead, Kaja."

Kaja T'Soni sits at the table with her parents, "I.. would like to visit some of the human colonies." Kaja as done some search on her father on the extranet and knows about the statues at Elysium and Terra Nova. She is very unsure if her father would want to go back to those places. Neither parent has spoken much about the war with the Reapers. Kaja knows her parents are famous for their actions in the war and people treat them differently because of it.

"Any colonies in particular?" ask Leia.

"No, dad. I would like to see some of the places you've been to," answers Kaja.

Liara looks over to Shepard , who has a slight smile on her face then over to her daughter, "Thank you. You didn't have to give us an answer tonight. We gave you time to think about it."

"I know, mom. I did think about it," comments the eldest daughter.

Shepard is thinking of all the colonies she has been too. How many has it been? How many got rebuilt? First Earth now colonies. Guess I can't stay away forever The human says, "I have a few in mind, Kaja. Your mom and I will talk more about what to do and then we'll let you and Gaia know. Or would you rather is be a surprise that you know is coming?"

"Does Gaia get a vote in that?" asks Kaja as she is thinking this is one way to get back at Gaia for getting her grounded two weeks ago.

Shepard leans in close to Liara's ear, cups her hand over her mouth, whispers, "Should we ask Gaia? She has been getting Kaja into trouble lately. I found out that Gaia was part of it too after the fact. It would be a little pay back for her. Why not give it to her?"

The older asari looks over to Shepard while thinking before she answers the question, "No, she doesn't." Liara then squeezes Leia's thigh.

The elder sibling leans back in her chair to look into Gaia's direction to see if she was paying any attention. Gaia looks like she was really getting into her book, "The Adventures of Blasto, the Hanar Spectre" It's a children edition that Shepard bought for Kaja when she was younger. Kaja finally answers, "Surprise us, please."

Shepard gave her bondmate a grin, "Are you sure? No, asking in a month from now where we are going."

"Yes, ma'am. I'm sure. I think it will bother Gaia more than me because I didn't say any where in particular," answers Kaja while looking her father in the eyes with a mischievous grin on her face.

"Anything else, Kaja," asks her mother.

The younger asari shakes her head no and gets up from the table and heads back to her room. As soon as Kaja was out of sight, Liara puts her hand on her mouth.

"What?" asks Shepard with a smirk.

Liara closes her eyes then reopens, "You're bad, Leia. And I wonder where those two get it from."

The human gives a 'who me' look to the asari, "I thought I told you that, Liara. You answered her not me."

"You did. I did, but you still are a bad influence," answers Liara in a joking manner. Both Liara and Shepard start laughing once more. Liara takes Shepard's hand into her's. "Where do you want to go? Looks like we have one with Broadway on her mind and the other wants to follow your footsteps. Either way, we are back in Alliance space and as a family. I know there are groups that don't like that, Leia."

"Let's discuss this later after the kids go to bed," says the former Commander as she looks at the clock. "It's getting about their bed time too."

Liara nods in agreement. She gets up from the table and walks into the living room to tell Gaia to start getting ready for bed. Shepard also gets up but she heads towards Kaja's room.

Kaja is working on her homework when she hears a knock at the door, the door opens. Her father, Leia Shepard, is standing in the doorway, "Mind if I come in, Kaja?"

"No, dad, I don't mind," answers Kaja.

Shepard walks into the bedroom, she sits on the edge of the bed next to the desk Kaja is sitting at. Before she sits, Shepard kisses her daughter forehead, "Anything bothering you, little one?"

The young asari looks at her father, but didn't know what to say. She feels bad for getting a look. That look makes her feel guilty because she knows she did or said something she wasn't suppose to. The look also makes the young asari that she is letting her parents down. It's something Kaja never wants to do. Even at her young age. "I...don't like..ahmm..getting your looks, dad. They make me feel guilty for disappointing you."

"Would you rather be yelled at, little one?" asks Leia as her head is cocked a little sideways with a slight grin as she looks her daughter in the eyes. Shepard notices that Liara is standing in the doorway listening to the conversation.

"No, ma'ma. That would be worse," answers Kaja.

Shepard scoots closer to Kaja and places a hand on Kaja's shoulder, "That is why you get looks. You want me to stop giving them, you have to stop doing things you know you shouldn't do. Like raise your voice to me or your mother." Shepard gives her daughter a hug. Liara smiles and nods to Shepard. She turns and heads towards back to the living room. Leia gives her bondmate a wink.

The young asari comments, "I don't mean to do things you and mom don't want me to, dad." Kaja gets off the chair she was sitting in and sits next to her father.

The Commander has her arm around her daughter's shoulder, "I know you don't mean to get into trouble. I got into plenty of trouble when I was a kid too, Kaja. But that doesn't mean your mom and I are going to put up with your mischief. Gaia's either. We've set rules for you to follow. You don't follow them, expect me to give you the look you don't like. I don't like giving you that look, little one. I really don't."

Kaja leans in to her father and wraps both arms tightly in a hug. Shepard hugs her back. Kaja says, "I love you, dad. I'll try to stay out of trouble. Gaia makes it hard."

"I love you too, Kaja. I know your sister gets you into trouble. You are the oldest. You get the mess up first," comments Leia as she kisses Kaja's forehead again. "Night little one. It is getting to be bed time."

"Night, dad," answers Kaja as she gets off the bed and grabs her krogan print pj's.

Shepard leaves Kaja's room and walks to the doorway to Gaia's room. She peeks in and notices Gaia is already in bed asleep. The human walks in quietly and kisses her youngest daughter on the forehead then leaves the bedroom.

Liara is in the study doing a little data mining at the computer terminal when Leia walks in. Shepard sits in a chair across from Liara, "Kids are all in bed. Gaia is already asleep."

"What's wrong with Kaja, Leia? She seems upset about something," asks Liara as she turns the terminal off.

"She feels guilty for getting another Shepard look during the family meeting," answers Leia Shepard.

Dr. T'Soni rubs her forehead, "She has been getting into a lot of trouble lately. She does straighten up quickly when you glare at her. Gaia too, but those looks don't affect her the same way as it does Kaja."

Commander Shepard gives Liara a smirk, "I know, Kaja wants to please us so much. Gaia seems like she has not a care in the galaxy."

"Leia, what are we going to do for this vacation? I don't think we'll get harassed or anything by reporters, but I do worry about some of the fringe groups that are not too pleased that you and I are together."

The human leans back in her chair, rubbing the back of her neck in thought, "Are these groups based on Earth on out in the colonies? I know some are not happy with me, but they are a minority. I've taken the girls to the Citadel without any problems."

T'Soni concedes that point to Shepard, "Okay. I'll start looking to get tickets to one of the three theaters in New York that has reopened. I can't promise I can get any. They seem hard to get."

"How long will be able to be gone, Liara? We have not taken a family vacation and I think we should take at least two weeks if not the whole month," comments Shepard.

"I really don't know to be honest. Month away from Illium might be too long," says the asari as she begins to think about how long the business can stay closed for without hurting business. Should I do work while on vacation? Or not?

Shepard smiles softly to Liara. Leia can tell her bondmate in thinking about how long to be gone, "How about this, T'Soni. If you can get tickets to one of the theaters, we can go to Earth for two days. We can stay in New York. Take Gaia to a show and see a few sights then leave. Then head to Feros or ..." The Commander rubs the back of her neck again. I can't believe I'm about to say this, but... "Elysium."

Elysium? You sure about that? Have you even been back since the Blitz? Thinks Liara. "And if I can't get tickets to a Broadway show? What do we do then?" asks T'Soni.

"Instead of Earth, we go to Thessia. Gaia did mention both planets," answers Leia. Shepard leans forward in her chair, places her hand on Liara's, "I'll contact my mom tomorrow. See what the climate is like towards us out in the colonies. I know some were disappointed that I was not aboard the Normandy when Alenko finally got there."

T'Soni took Shepard's hand into her's, "I'll start making arraignments tomorrow. It could take me a while."

"There is one place I do want to go," says Shepard. She grins at Dr. T'Soni, "Some place with a beach and a romantic view. Where exactly, I don't care."

"Your worse than Kaja. I wonder where she gets it from," says T'Soni as she rolls her deep blue eyes at Shepard and leans back in her chair.

In the chair across from the asari sits a woman with a smirk on her face, "I don't know." That smirk turns to a grin, "I have no idea where she would get it from." Shepard stands up and moves to sit on the arm of the chair Liara is sitting in, "If you are truly concerned about our safety, I can call Urdnot Grunt. I'm sure he would be our bodyguard."

Dr. T'Soni ponders those words. Grunt would do it. Do I want a bodyguard? Leia, why are you practical at times? We're both capable of protecting them. No, not needed. Liara runs her hand across Shepard's arm, "No, I think between us, we're capable of protecting them. I know you never leave Illium without at least your pistol. I don't know if I would call that hand cannon you use for a pistol."

"I like the Phalanx. It gets the job done. I'd prefer to take the Mattock, but I would get looks walking with the kids with that gun on my back. I can conceal the pistol. Though for this trip, I might take the Locust. I can conceal that weapon too." Shepard gets off the arm of the chair. She walks across the room and pours herself a glass of ice brandy. The former Spectre turns, leans against the table, sipping her drink. Shepard has stop downing a glass of liquor like it was a shot glass.

Liara asks, "Leia, the shuttle still has back up armor and weapons stashed in the hold?" The asari gets out of her chair and joins the human across the room.

Shepard pours her a glass of brandy, hands it to Liara, "I check on those items before every trip I take." Leia sips from her glass, "Do you think someone is stupid enough to do something to us?"

Sipping from her glass, Liara shakes her head, "No, I don't. I'm being overly cautious. Also to make sure we think of everything now instead of being unprepared later. I've learned many lessons since I've met you, Shepard."

"That is why I always make sure the shuttle has up to date tech in her. I rather be prepared than unprepared," says Leia as she leans in and kisses Liara's cheek.

The human/asari couple always makes sure they do their best to keep their children safe and out of the public eye as possible. Since leaving the Alliance, Leia Shepard, has not been to Alliance Space outside of going to the Citadel. The trips to the Citadel were both business and personal. This is the first time they have planned on being gone for more than an extended weekend.

Footnote:

*Original content from The Aftermath, Epilogue by moi. :0)

A/N:See everyone next week. I know I said I would post two chapters a week. I'm not done writing this story, I'm only going to post one chapter a week.