YES! *pumps fist in air*

ABOUT TIME!

I loved the conversations you extended and added to. I was never quite satisfied with the "Ok...ok" lines after the big kiss. Ok we're back together? WHAT DO YOU MEAN?

And I loved that the minute Liara gave in she went back to the old, joking, happy Liara.

I'll be very interested to see how they maintain a relationship while Liara's on Hagalaz and Shepard's on the Normandy.

Ok, this chapter isn't making me any happier! But omigod I LOVE Garrus in this chapter. You tell her buddy!

Don't get me wrong, I understand Liara's reasoning, you wrote her inner struggle brilliantly. I just still think she's wrong. And maybe that's because she's young and inexperienced by Asari and in some ways human standards when it comes to relationships. Her relationship with Shepard is her first and deepest and she lost her and she didn't know how to deal with it. But now that Shepard's back you'd think she'd realize that she should spend what time with Shepard that she can instead of simply hurting Shepard and herself more.

I love the flashback! I so wish we could have seen more of their time together between ME1 and ME2. How did Shepard go from reluctant to dutiful girlfriend? How did they interact together on the ship and the apartment as a couple? But hopefully in your next story and the end of this one we'll see plenty of them happy and together as a couple (or wives!)

Yup. This was the chapter that made me tear up when I was just SKIMMING THROUGH. *sniff* S'ok... I just have over-active tear ducts.

Starting at the beginning of the chapter. Loved the dig at Kelly. I hated her when I was playing the game. My poor fish had to die because I refused to flirt with her!

Loved Shepard's explanation to Vasir about why she killed her. So much better than the game's version. YOU DON'T MESS WITH SHEPARD'S GIRL, GALAXY.

Aaaaaand then it all went to hell. Like I said before, I was never really upset with Liara when I played the game, BUT I SURE AS HELL AM NOW. I mean jees! Letting Shepard think that Liara doesn't love her anymore, when that's blatantly not true. That's what upsets me the most! And I understand why she's doing that, trying to protect herself, but right now, I'm on Shepard's side!

One of the most tragic things, I thought, about Shepard's story in ME2 was that for her it was the next day, but for everyone else it was 2 years later and everything had suddenly changed for Shepard. I loved how you brought that up, Shepard yelling at Liara that she hadn't changed and that everything good in her life was gone.

Right now I'm just clinging to the chapter I know is coming up that will reunite them!

Yup... the story is getting sadder. I kinda love the parallel to the first story where Liara is the one pushing for a relationship and Shepard is the stand offish one. And now, Shepard so desperately wants Liara back and Liara is doing everything to convince Shepard that she no longer loves her. And its kinda heartbreaking, so well done you as a writer!

You know when I was playing the game, I had heard about LOTSB so I knew Liara eventually got her head out of her ass and got back together with Shepard, so I wasn't too angry with her behavior and attitude earlier in the game. But reading your story, I am feeling less and less warm towards Liara! Which is a compliment to your writing and how you're writing Shepard's struggle and heartache.

I forgot to add in my comment for the last chapter that I loved the little detail about her changing the color of her armor when she realized the alliance had abandoned her.

Now this chapter - I knew coming into this story that it would be angsty and hard on Shepard and Liara, just like the game was for my little Shepard/Liara shipper heart. But I gotta say, you write Shepard's internal thoughts and struggle so extremely well and they seem to be so in tune with what happens in the game. I would question if you were one of the devs and you knew what they were thinking when they wrote the Liara/Shepard story arc for ME2!

Shepard's feelings of abandonment and the utter desolation at Liara's attitude come through so well in this chapter, and I know its only going to get worse before it gets better! Awesome job.

I love this. I love how you write Shepard's character and her struggle in this game. I know each Shepard's character is clearly different depending on who plays her but for me you write her so well.

This was the purest interpretation of Shepard I have read on FF yet. A very honest and in-depth portrayal of our conflicted Commander. At many points I had actually thought that I was seeing my own Shep in the ME universe, fleshed out and made whole into the complex and endearing character I imagine her to be every time I log on.

Thank you for this. I know that once ME3 launches, you don't know if you'll write more, but, I hope that you will. You're writing technique is really nice and very readable, keep up the good work.

Author added to faves. :D

Miyako:

Glad you enjoyed the story :). I very openly tell my friends that Liara is the best romance and screw it, I don't care if I'm straight I want the best romance in the game!

The Shadow Broker mission is a dlc. What happened on Illium in this story is in the game and all the shadow broker stuff is part of the dlc (arrival is also a dlc). I highly recommend the shadow broker dlc. By far the best dlc if you only plan to get one.

N.Q. Wilder

I just finished M.E. a couple of days ago and still have yet to play the second one. Reading this has made me SO excited for the second game! My brother was quite shocked though when he learned that I had a relationship with T'soni seeing that my Sheprad and I are both female. The look on his face? PRICELESS!

Now, is the whole Shadow Broker thing in the actual game or is it only in a side mission that you have to download?

Nice one!

I'm looking forward to any of your Mass Effect fanfics, if there will be any!

When I played Arrival I couldn't believe Hackett wanted Shepard to stand a trial. I was missing some snappy retort in that dialog. I mean Shepard is a spectre. She can do whatever is necessary for galactic security. And quite frankly, with batarians as they are described, the alliance should have done something about them a long time ago.

I liked your arrival arc. Shepard's internal struggles are well described. Liara being there to comfort her was nice.

I really wasn't sure what to expect going into this chapter. The phrase "he who fights monsters should take care, lest he become a monster" came to mind and, even though she ended up deciding what she did and not feeling anything for it, it's still hard for me to think of her as a monster. I love the complexity you've added to the situation. The fact that she wanted to feel something so desperately, yet simply couldn't. A part of me was hoping she'd warn them, too, but in the end, I'm actually glad she didn't. It just complicates things further for her, but at the same time, it really solidifies this character that you've created and I really look forward to seeing more of her once ME3 is out :)

As for the conversation with Liara (glad to see that was there, too), I really like how this turned out. Everything came together incredibly well, explaining why Shepard is who she is and what might happen without the Alliance. Even having known that was why she felt in debt to the Alliance, her admitting it just felt like a big step. I also like that Liara not only understood, but could relate. And while on the subject, another thing I enjoyed reading was Liara's mention of how they had changed and that they would both likely change again, for better or for worse. It highlights some of the shifts from ME1 and ME2 that Bioware never touched on that really had a lot of potential.

I'm not sure what else to say that I didn't say in my previous review. I still love your writing style and you continue to amaze me with the depth of these characters. The subtle things - such as Shepard not liking having her hair down and being in a hospital gown, despite the necessity of it - are, to me, just as important as the big conflicts of Shepard's feelings and decisions and I love that it's all so well thought out. The details of her file were wonderful, too. And I'm glad to see you don't mind my rambling reviews, as you'll likely see more if/when you continue upon this story with ME3 :)

It would not be possible for this story to have ended any better. I love the growth in both characters over the course of your writings. I am very happy to hear that you plan on continuing after ME3 because that gives me something else to look forward to. Thank you so much for all the time and effort you have put into this, I eagerly await the next installment.

I think that if you did decide to write a story about the future after the reapers; it would probably be one of the -if not THE- greatest one on . I really love this story and the journey it took for Shepard to battle her demons and so on, I think this story is one of the best. Thank you for posting. P.S: I did the exact same thing when I was asked: "Save the colonists or not?" I was completly torn, and even though the ending basically remains the same throughout, I felt almost proud that Shepard had made that decision, even above all of her hatred she could still see the line between right and wrong. Well done on this story. I genuinly hope that you write more in the future! :D

Excellent story, I'm really enjoying it!