An empty galaxy

Garrus hated not to be there with Shepard. He should have. They had fought alongside each other since the beginning; how should they not, when everything was coming to an end? He knew that his presence wouldn't have changed anything at the end of the day, but he still felt guilty. Guilty for not being able to cover her back or spend her last minutes with her. Garrus was angry at the universe because that damn tank had to explode right in their faces, forcing him and James to retreat.

When the Normandy arrived she didn't hesitate. 'You gotta get out of here'. 'And you've gotta be kidding me', he replied. Her emerald eyes narrowed. 'Don't argue, Garrus'. He felt the burn of his new wounds. He reminded Shepard that they were supposed to be together until the very end, aware of the fact that she already knew that, but there was no way he was abandoning her. She had helped him on Palaven, and he planned to do the same thing for her on Earth.

Shepard's expression changed from serious to tender, which didn't occur often. 'No matter what happens here… You know I love you'. She touched the scarred side of his face. 'And I always will'. Those words felt like bullets and tasted like goodbyes. 'Shepard, I…' He knew there was no time to be stubborn. In missions like those every second counted. This was it. '…love you too'. They held the gaze for an instant, and then she turned back and ran towards the Counduit. Her black hair was pulled back in a tight bun, as always. She did it in a way that not a single hair was out of place, because it bothered her when that happened.

The turian realized his thoughts were wandering when Liara touched his shoulder. Everyone was waiting for him to hang the Commander Shepard's nameplate on the memorial wall. He felt the weight of it in his hands, and noticed that it was made from a different metal than usual. He had held nameplates before, but this one was heavier. Garrus placed it just above Admiral Anderson, near Thane Krios and the rest of the people who lost their lives. Every time he had passed through the Memorial on Deck 3 he knew that there was a strong possibility of Shepard's name ending up there, and maybe his name too. But that didn't make it any easier. Even ten years of getting used to the idea couldn't have made it any easier. And this time there was no Cerberus to bring her back.

There was no Shepard without Vakarian, but even without him she managed to save the galaxy. And now it seemed more awfully empty than ever.