Hey look another ME2 ficlet. I'm uploading these in such a random order...

Spoilers: ME2 Horizon mission, set just after the return.

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Horizon was behind them. The Illusive Man was still an asshole that she didn't trust any further than she could throw. And Ash...

Shepard sighed, ran her fingers through her hair. Standing in the briefing room wasn't helping, and she wandered out, past Mordin humming away in the research lab, past Kelly who reported there were no messages needing her attention, into the elevator and down to the crew deck. Past the mess hall and med bay and Miranda's office, into the main battery.

Garrus glanced at her, but said nothing when she crossed to sit on the nearest crate. He went back to work, and she lost herself in watching the processes for a while. It was like he was always there, working to make sure the Normandy's guns were working perfectly to protect everyone aboard. It made her feel better, knowing he was there. She was so, so glad he'd turned out to be Archangel.

"Shepard, are you listening to me?"

She blinked, shook herself from her thoughts... and realized she had no idea he'd even been talking. "... No. Sorry, what?"

He was facing her now. "I said, you've been watching me adjust targeting algorithms for over five minutes. What's on your mind?"

His eyes were on her during a long hesitation. But then, if she couldn't open up to Garrus, who else was there? ... Still, it wasn't an easy subject to broach. "... Garrus, do you trust me?"

"Why? Do you need to borrow money?" Apparently her expression said everything she needed to about that, because his next words came out in a hurry. "Sorry, let's pretend someone else said that... Seriously, Shepard, what's wrong?"

And now she had to find words for it. She leaned back on her hands, stared at the ceiling of the battery. "What Ash said on Horizon... it... I don't know. It was already bothering me and now it's worse." She looked at the door, now, not sure if she was avoiding looking at him or just trying to sort her thoughts. "Am I doing the right thing, allying with Cerberus?"

She heard him sigh, and then felt his hand on her shoulder, just for a second, until she met his eyes. "Well, you already know how I feel about Cerberus, so I won't rehash that, but Williams... she sees you with a Cerberus logo on your arm, and all her logic goes out the window. You said it yourself: she thinks from the heart. I don't think she'd ever accept working with Cerberus, no matter the circumstances."

Despite herself, Shepard was unable to stop the corner of her mouth from twitching upward. "Damn right she wouldn't. Think we figured that out... but you didn't answer. Do you think I'm doing the right thing?"

His mandibles twitched and he leaned back against the console, but barely broke eye contact. "I think you're doing what you always do: following your beliefs. You don't trust Cerberus any further than you can throw them, but we need them for now." He straightened again."And when we have to cut ties, you know I'll be there with the scissors... and a really big gun." He patted the console next to him.

Now she laughed, shook her head. "Of course you will." And somehow, that made it better. Yes, Cerberus was untrustworthy and probably going to turn on them. But she had people she could trust. Someone who'd have her back even in the depths of Hell itself.

"Thanks, Garrus."

"Any time."