[A/N] Thank you everyone for reading. I apologize beforehand for any mistakes or O/C actions. I am no writer, just someone hacking away at this story. Thank you again for reading! I hope for those who have read these chapters before that the changes in the formatting of the various paragraphs makes it a more enjoyable read.
"I heard this used to be a nice neighborhood …" The former C-Sec detective stated while looking out to the street below.
His facial expression changing to what could be considered a frown in his species as he realized any clues that could be of use would most likely be found at the bottom of bureaucratic bullshit which was to be expected given the status of the victims involved. Not that he cared much about following the strict letter of the law. A good turian he wasn't.
"She's still breathing detective." Said the human C-Sec officer hunched over the frail form below him, slowly losing the battle she in.
"Any estimate on when the medics will be here?" The detective said as he moved slowly towards the door to check for the seventh time, regardless of the fact that he knew it was pointless to continue on looking out the door.
'Hurry up dammit.'
Without the normal elevators that were notoriously slow in their own right, it would still take the medical team some time to reach the top floor they were in via the stairwell.
'Why did they have to choose this location?' The detective wondered.
Even though he knew the style and location of the place was what drew the couple in, their stay was to be temporary before there move to their final home. The whole "retro" vibe was a fad that he wish now wasn't in effect.
'I need to find something in case …' The detective thought before interrupting himself with a shake of his head.
'No I mustn't think that, she will pull through. I just need to find the bastards.'
They hadn't lived in this place long. There were still boxes around filled with personal belongings as well as various contents of take-out food in various states of being consumed.
'Must have been surprised by whoever did this.' The detective thought as the door was not forced open.
Sadly, he noticed the equivalent of a human wedding dress had remained essentially untouched as it hung on a free-standing kinetic hanger slightly to the left of the window, a night stand as best that could be described in the same vicinity, with a holo-invitation frame laid across it.
Picking it up, the human C-Sec officer inquired rather loudly.
"Who the hell gets married on the human holiday of Halloween?"
"Nobody…" The turian detective said turning his sight to the broken window.
After what seemed like an eternity the medics arrived and had the competency to bring an emergency bio-suit.
'Someone must have tipped them off as to who was living here.' The detective thought. Unfortunately they were not alone as they entered the flat.
"So detective, if that is still your official title, what mess have you gotten into this time?" Bellowed the obviously angry Executor Pallin.
He barely focusing on the victim before him let alone the one he passed on the ground below as he made his way upstairs.
"It's not bad enough that your mate is a well known thief …" He said with disgust before being cutoff.
"Your seat must be all shined up already for you to find time to get off of it and see what those of us who work for a living do …"
The turian detective started to say in an ever growing volume before being interrupted by the human C-Sec officer with a light tap on the shoulder.
"I expect you to maintain my crime scene detective. Nothing leaves without my say so." And with that, executor Pallin left the premises.
'Good riddance.' The detective thought.
For what seemed a lifetime, there was an uncomfortable silence in the room till the lead medic motioned over to the detective to join him in a more secluded section of the flat.
"We got her into the bio-suit, but she isn't going to make it if we don't move her now."
"Do it …"
"But Sir …" Spoke up the C-Sec officer drawing a glare from the detective, "Executor Pallin said for nothing to leave without his say so …" before being forced against the wall by the now furious turian detective, several inches off of the floor.
"I don't care what he says, move her now!"
'She's lost a lot of blood.'
The detective thought while examining her wounds while at the same time doing his best to stay out of the way.
The trip to the hospital took longer than he wanted, but considering where they were located, and possessing the knowledge of who they were working on, he knew that they had travelled far faster than what would have been done for a normal patient. Upon arrival at the hospital she was taken to a clean room with the detective still in tow as his hand was being firmly grasped by the female before him.
"Garrus …"
"Yeah it's me, try not to speak …" The detective said while trying to sound as optimistic as he could to keep her fighting.
"Please … tell John … tell him …" She tried to say before drifting off from fatigue and blood loss, her head rocking side to side uncontrollably, blood trickling out of her nose and mouth.
"I will. You just worry about getting better, okay?" He said, knowing that half of what he was saying at that moment was a necessary lie.
Finding strength once more, she spoke.
"Garrus … I … John … He doesn't know …"
Her hand ended its grip on his, a gurgling sound coming from her mouth as blood was now joined with a pale white foam.
"Tali? TALI!"
Garrus exclaimed as the various machines that the young quarian was hooked to began to sound their alarms as their patient's life was being lost.
"Sir, you have to leave the room, NOW!" Exclaimed the attending doctor.
A chaotic battle being fought with every manner of life saving technique being used to stop what was inevitable began to take place. Knowing that he was of no used to her now, C-Sec detective Garrus Vakarian slowly made his way out of the room, heading back to where her felt his talents could be best used.
The trip back to the crime scene was a solemn one at best. The scene was still not roped off yet and contamination of the evidence was sure to happen he feared. Not that it mattered anyway with the amount of corruption present in the C-Sec division located in this Ward.
'I should have tried harder to stop them from living here.'
Getting out of the transport, he slowly made his way over to where his friend now laid. The impact from the fall out of the window had made an eerie set of "blood wings" impressions that protruded from his body, slowly draining away from him.
His eyes were open, with a look of disbelief present. Garrus could only imagine what the last image was that Shepard had seen prior to going through the window. As he started to kneel down to better examine Shepard's body, he heard footsteps of someone obviously not in a good mood.
"You moved her! I told you specifically not to disturb my crime scene Vakarian!"
Unfortunately for the detective, the Executor had been tipped off on what had happened sooner than he was expecting.
"Sir, if we did not move her, she would have expired…" the human C-Sec officer who had accompanied Garrus to the crime scene stated in defense of their actions before being cut-off.
"By the looks of her, she's a goner anyway. Quarian's and there piss-poor immune …"
He attempted to state but was cut off by the sound of his mandible cracking from a right hook he had just received from a now furious turian detective. The ground he struck was also very unforgiving, cracking a few of his teeth.
"You bastard! You think just because you traveled around with the now LATE Commander Shepard that you have some sort of pseudo Spectre status while you work at C-Sec you are sorely mistaken! Arrest him!" Growled Executor Pallin as visibly stunned C-Sec officers proceeded to help him up.
"Ignore that order officers." Was heard coming from the shadows as a figure stepped forward with an air of authority.
"Under what authority do you think you can override my orders?" Executor Pallin yelled, a speckle of blood following his words as he slowly came to his feet, dazed.
"Under my authority as a Spectre, Executor." Said the heavily armed human female.
"Now get out of here, before I use more than just my words to show my Spectre status".
Glaring briefly at the turian detective, Executor Pallin ordered his men to leave, leaving only the forensics team with the body behind.
"We'll talk about this later Vakarian …" He said coolly, trying to save what little face he had left, emotionally and physically.
"I wish this meeting was under better circumstances Williams." Garrus said.
"I came as soon as I heard. Any word on Tali?" she stated while looking over at the forensics team.
"I left her in the hospital. She is in pretty bad shape. Whoever did this knew when to hit and how."
Looking towards the sky at the broken window in the building above, Garrus thought of all the things they had been through together. No matter how long the odds, they always seemed to pull through as a team.
Turning his gaze to Ashley he softly spoke.
"She's a fighter. If she makes it through this, I don't even know how to even tell her about Shepard."