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Life after the reaper 1 - Shepard - chapter 7

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Literature Text

Title: Life after the Reaper 1 - Shepard

Author: written and translated by Servala, corrected by InuDran
Game: Mass Effect 3
characters/pairing: Jane Shepard/ Liara T´Soni, Karin Chakwas, Aethyta
Disclaimer: Mass Effect and its assets belong to Electronic Arts and BioWare.
No copyright infringement intended.

****

Shepard shuddered. How could she explain what was going through her head to Liara? Liara had grown up sheltered and loved. She had always been surrounded by people that cared for her. But herself? Jane looked at her hands; saw the blood in so many different colors. Her hands were bathed in it; it was so much that she could never wash it off. Blood on her hands, and all she could think since some days ago was how these hands shouldn’t touch something so tender, as innocent as her daughter?
Liara felt her partner's inner struggle. She got out of bed and went to her, grabbed Shepard's hands. She almost expected, Shepard would escape her. "Jane? What's wrong with you?" Jane hung her head and Liara went a little in her knees, to look up and keep eye contact. "I cannot talk about it." Liara had almost cried in frustration, but Shepard continued softly. "But is it possible that I'll show you?" She took a deep breath, "Just as you showed me your memories?"
Liara felt what it cost Shepard to ask her this. "Yes it is. I can see your memories, if you let me. Should I call Dr. Chakwas so she looks after our daughter?" Shepard nodded. It rumbled in her, but she did not want to lose Liara. What if she did not understand or was disgusted? Shepard gathered herself. She would have to trust Liara in this matter.
The doctor came quickly. Liara told her that they wanted to speak at last and needed a little time for themselves. A meld wouldn´t take long, but she could not predict in what state Shepard would be after it.
Liara took Jane's hand and walked with her to the first floor. She pressed her gently down on the sofa and sat down next to her. Such an expression of despair she had never seen in Shepard's eyes. "Are you sure?" All in Shepard screamed no, but she could not find the words to say it. "I want you to see it," she said haltingly. Liara steeled herself. About Shepard's past – everything prior to the military - , there was only a little information and she had respected her wife’s privacy too much to dig herself. Jane never spoke of that time and her memories were completely isolated.
"Close your eyes," Jane and did as they leaned their foreheads against each other. "Embrace eternity."

Liara blinked, looked around and did not understand exactly where she was. The room in which she was was completely gray and the sides were three bunk beds. On each were a thin white blanket and a small pillow. The sides of the beds were bars and at the individual rods peeling paint, causing the rust seemed to pass. Liara walked across the room and stopped in front of the window. The memory does not allow her to see what was happening outside, but the window was small, dirty and sticky, like everything in the room.
Her eyes slid over the beds until she discovered in the back corner a little, maybe three year old girl. Whose black hair was cropped short. Her bright green eyes were too big in the small, thin face. Liara would have almost not recognized Shepard. It was the look in her eyes that reminded her of the later Commander. The girl was holding a gray-brown plush toy in the hands, pressed it to herself, rocking gently back and forth. Liara could not tell what it was. She only felt that it was important to the child.
The door opened abruptly and a large, compactly built woman with a broad face, light brown hair and greasy fingers came into the room. Liara felt the wave of fear that went through Jane over to her. She wanted to hide, but she was too small. The woman grabbed the child roughly by the shoulder. "You should play outside." Then she took her away the stuffed animal and pulled her through the door.

The memory changed. Shepard was three or four years older, saw Liara. They were in a vehicle whose windows were blacked out. Many children sat in a row, but it was quiet. They did not, as usually kids would to, talk to each other. Liara looked at the girl again. The black hair was now longer and tied back in a ponytail. Her face looked hollow, cheekbones and chin were too pointed and the eyes were huge in the small face. In addition, Shepard, like the other children was also terribly dirty.
The vehicle stopped and the children got out. They stood in front of a large building, whose purpose revealed itself not Liara. It was gray, everything was gray, but that could be due to the memories. Not a bit of color. By the fear she felt she expected nothing happy here. The children were herded into the building. Jane rushed, as one of the boys tripped her and she screamed in fright. Then someone grabbed her roughly by the hair and put her back on her feet. The extra pain was so unexpected that it drove her to tears and she began to struggle.
"So you rat want to bite me?" The woman, more Liara could not tell, shook the girl and threw her back on the road. Liara felt by Jane as her skin through the rough stones scratches. More tears came to her eyes, but the girl got up and ran in the other direction away.

In Jane's next memory it was winter. The snow was piled high in the streets and Liara was freezing. She wrapped arms frantically around herself, but she could not warm herself. She put one foot before the other, followed Jane wherever she wanted to go. Shepard was now ten and it was a miracle to Liara how she was able to survive till now. Jane went to an old, crooked warehouse in a secluded side street. The exterior walls were covered with a layer of snow and ice. She looked around warily before she pushed a few rotten planks on the side and climbed into the interior. Even there it was freezing, but at least the cutting wind had stopped.
Jane had joined a gang of other street kids. All children who had slipped through the system and no one was missed. They were always hungry, and now in the winter it was especially bad. Jane was still very small, a consequence of the few and irregular food, but she was wiry and stronger than she looked. That brought her a certain reputation, and the older kids left in peace, they harassed rather the younger ones. Jane got out of her pockets something to eat. They shared it and then sat close together for warmth. Liara felt that after the meager meal her stomach growled and that she still wasn´t warm.

The short memory of a night in winter flashed up. Jane slept. A few days earlier she had got in a burglary a winter coat and now she snuggled deep into this. Liara felt the warmth and the good feeling of something soft to be surrounded by. Then a kick woke her up. About her was a red-headed, poisonous-looking girl. Jane barely knew her; she was new to the gang and tried to fight for a place through sheer brutality.
Jane lay there quiet and tucked away the second kick. She waited a moment longer, and when the older girl leaned over her, she lunged forward and struck her with her fists in her face. It was a dirty fight, but in the end Jane was breathing heavily, but with a slight smile on her. Liara watched her as her gaze went on her hands. She opened and closed her fists, over and over again, while red blood dripped onto the floor.

Liara was swept away, as another memory opened before her. Jane was much older, sixteen or seventeen. She walked along the narrow gutter drains. Beside her, flowed an indefinable broth from which a bestial stench went out, but Jane did not notice it. She did not even bother on the rats in the countless niches of broken out stones that was staring out of huge, bright yellow eyes. She followed a way which would bring her away from the slums directly to the city.
The risk to get caught by the police in the city was high, but she had to risk it. For several years now, the government began systematically to clean the streets. The old buildings, often together with their occupants were blown up just to make room for new, inspired by alien’s architecture, buildings. Shepard had no eye for the shiny towering buildings. She aspired to one of the side streets. From the corner of her eye she noticed a middle-aged man who telephoned. Jane wanted to take the chance. She was hungry, after three days with nothing real to eat. It was a perfect opportunity to get on a few credits.
She bumped him and was completely surprised by his reaction. He turned around and pressed her hard against a house wall. "Well what do we have here ... a rat," he asked lewd and frisk her. Liara felt the horror, but also the rage of the young woman. She squirmed, but he was strong and held her clasped, while he tried to open his pants. "I suppose you think you can steal from me, I will show you your place!" When he tried to turn her to the wall, but he loosened his grip for a moment. Jane took the opportunity. He held her upper body, but she could kick with both feet. He doubled over, grabbed her rough by the hair and tried to get her back in his grip.
Jane’s street training paid off. She writhed like a snake, hit and kicked him and when she was done, the man was on the floor. In his own blood. Jane shivered. Again she looked at her hands and saw the blood drip down.

Liara followed Jane, as she was pushed roughly into a cell. The heavy doors closed in an ominous sound. Liara watched Shepard, imprisoned on a few meters, as she walked up and down. She looked at every inch of the walls, the door. Liara felt the restlessness and uncertainty in her burn.
"Send her in one of the colonies," sounded the deep, gruff baritone of a man. "These rats do not deserve better and we save us the paperwork." Liara looked at Jane, she saw the horror. Stories were told among the children. Once in a colony one often ended at the slave market.
She ran her fingers through her hair nervously and down her chin. "It is my paperwork and all I want to do is talk to her first," sounded surprisingly soft voice of a woman. "The camera shows, she defended herself." The man snorted, his disgust was clearly heard. "She wanted to attack him, which court should the state hold?" A chair was pushed back, and Jane heard fast footsteps that sounded loudly in the hallway. The door opened and a young woman appeared in the typical black uniform of the police. Their eyes met, caught on a moment and then nodded. "You´re going to make trouble?" Jane was not fooled. Under the soft facade flashed icy steel. She just shook her head. "Well, then come with me."
Jane does not even think about that she could get out. She had given her word and that was binding for her. Only thus was it that´s made it possible for her to survive that long. Liara followed them. She knew that this must have been one of the key moments in Shepard's life that something important was happening.
The police officer pointed to a chair and Jane sat down. She shifted uncomfortably, but then leaned back and crossed her legs. "You were lucky, a camera recorded the scene and the man is in the hospital. He will survive and refrains from a display." Jane was overwhelmed by relief. "But you are not registered and the scanner shows that you are a minor, I cannot let you go." The woman leaned back and Liara could see her through Jane's eyes. She was not tall, but she was wiry. She had short brown hair, a pointed face. It was her eyes that fascinated her. They looked great in her face and the iris was brown with yellow speckles. Jane's eyes remained attached to the black uniform. Dhalia Mendess stood on her name tag.
"You now have three options. Firstly, I contact the youth welfare office and you walk up to your 18th Birthday in a home. Secondly, you fly to one of the colonies, work and you can build a new life there. Thirdly, you decide to join the alliance. There is a new program for young people like you. It's a tough, relentless training, but they will give you the best ways to get out of this quagmire."

The memory became blurry again. Liara looked on as Jane was boarding an Alliance Shuttle. She looked better, after a night full sleep and a good hot meal. The look in her green eyes was awake. She was looking for someone in the crowd and when she spotted the police officer, she saluted quickly. Then she turned around and sat down on her place with the other recruits.


Liara finished smoothly the connecting of their thoughts and felt the tremor that went through Jane.

As Shepard opened her eyes her gaze met Liara’s warm, blue eyes, which shone like a clear lake in the sun. She was prepared to see contempt or pity, but she saw only love and understanding. Shepard was overwhelmed and turned her head slightly to the side, but Liara would not let her. She included Shepard's chin and gently held it.
"You have achieved something that very few would have done in your situation," she began softly. "You survived, are not broken, but grown." She let go of Shepard's chin, grabbed her hands and turned them with the palm up. "We all have blood on our hands Jane, but your hands have saved us all. Without these hands, there would be no future for our daughter."
Shepard's cheeks were wet, but it was not Liara’s tears, only her own. She pushed in Liaras hug and allowed herself finally to mourn over the little girl that she had once been.
Liara gave Jane quietly and mumbling soothing words. Finally she had an idea of what she went through in the last days. When she felt that Shepard was no longer strong shaking in her arms she pulled away gently. She gave Jane a kiss on the cheek before she got up. She knew what Shepard needed now and rushed to the first floor, where she ignored Dr. Chakwas. Liara took her daughter, who had become much stronger in the past few days and went back to her bondmate.

Jane stood in front of the sofa. Head down, she looked at her hands. When she heard the soft gurgle of the baby, she looked up. Her eyes met with Liara’s and for the first time she really saw the baby. Liara put her daughter in Jane’s hands and then practiced some pressure on her arm until the child finally rested on her shoulder.
A quake went through Jane. This felt right. Their eyes met and as Shepard smiled down the baby the knot of fear in Liara finally eased.
"We should call her Dahlia," Liara finally broke the silence. Jane looked up. "I still do not know why you do not want to call her after your mother?" Liara shook her head. This topic had often come up at the beginning of pregnancy, but Liara did not feel comfortable with it. She had loved her mother, but her feelings were still too contradictory.
"Jane, you know why." She put an arm around Shepard and the other hand under the baby. "Are you sure?" Liara nodded, she could not imagine a better name than that of the woman who had saved Shepard and gave her life a direction.

Dr. Chakwas was in the garden and watched as Liara bent to Shepard and their lips met. They seemed happy and at last she was able to breathe and stretch her weary bones. "Ah finally, the children come to mind," it sounded suddenly behind her, Karen jumped in fright almost in the air, "I had thought I would have to warp Shepard’s head!"
Aethyta put a hand on the human doctor’s shoulder. "Come Karin, I have exactly what you need right now." The doctor gave her a suspicious look from the side. Aethyta laughed and gave her a slap on the butt. "No sex, honey, I've just cleaned the bar." She giggled, "But a nice Ice Brandy."
I didn´t want to let you wait to long
:)

so that was it :) I hope you enjoyed my little story, had fun and please, tell me your opinion :)

and thank you :iconinudran: and :iconniorah: for helping me through the story :) :huggle:
***

past: [link]

Disclaimer: Mass Effect and its assets belong to Electronic Arts and BioWare.
No copyright infringement intended.
© 2013 - 2024 Servala
Comments22
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jenny0016's avatar
I read all, really liked. Thanks for your wonderful story. [link]