Redone and re-uploaded.
[1]
-My Eyes Are Drawn To Yellow Hair-
Garrus controlled his breathing, and eyed down his sight once more to view the Mercs who had gathered on the other side of the bridge. The bodies of his betrayed and murdered men on the floor below played on his mind. The back of his neck itched with the guilt, anger and the need for revenge. He would get out of it, even if it was barely alive and with only enough time to know Sidonis would go down with him.
At least he'd finally see her...
He ought to ring his family. The thought came to his mind, as it often did when he was alone and in one of those moods where the world wanted to swallow him whole.
Garrus hadn't contacted them since...well, defiantly not since he quit CSec for a second time after he got news of the Normandy going down. He'd sent a quick message to his sister, then caught the next transport off of the Citadel.
From his sight, it looked like they'd pulled back for a moment. He set his sniper down beside him, and pulled up his omni-tool. He hadn't spoken to his dad since the last time he'd left cSEC for the second time, two years ago... He hadn't spoken to many people after hearing the Normandy had gone down with her on it. He'd been angry at them for letting it happen.
And this was it. End of the line.
This was inevitable. This is where it was always leading after she was gone.
Only one loose end left to tie.
It rang, and just as he was about to chicken out and hang up - it answered and his dad's voice reached his ears.
"Garrus?" He said, and the son wondered if there was concern in there. He shook his head.
"Hi, dad," he said, and ducked his head as someone took a wild shot. It seemed the freelancers they'd hired weren't too good with a sniper.
"Garrus? Is that you? What's that noise?"
"Just a little target practice," the mask dimmed his sub-harmonics somewhat.
"...Then call me back later," his Father sounded resigned.
Garrus had to tell him the truth. No more running.
"I don't think I'll be able to do that. Too many targets."
"...I see," his father gave a gruff cough.
"I just wanted to hear your voice. Wanted to know how retirement was treating you. You good?" He tried to keep his tone light, he wasn't sure he succeeded.
"I'm fine. Forget about that," there was still a bite of command in his fathers tone. Garrus smiled, despite himself. That tone had often got his hackles up in the past. Now he was glad he just got to hear it one more time.
"Listen, I don't have a lot of time. I wanted to say...you were right about things. A lot more than I gave you credit for.
And I'm sorry we butted heads so much."
"I said forget about that. These targets you're practicing on - they're moving fast?" There was movement, like his father had leant forward in his chair.
"So far, not fast enough. But they're learning." Garrus took a look over the railings to see what they were doing. It wouldn't be long before all three groups figured out that they needed a united front to completely end him.
It was only their stubbornness to accept the others orders, and the indecision of just sending freelancers over that had given him more time.
"How are your thermal clips?"
"You know how it is. Could always use a couple more," it was a humourless joke.
"Work with what you've got, then. You don't stop pulling that trigger until it clicks, son."
Son. Yeah, it was nice to hear that.
"No matter how bad things are falling around you, as long as you have at least one bullet left, you can still get the job done. Understand?"
"You finish up what you have to do there, and then you come on home to Palaven. We have a lot to sort out."
He looked down the sight. Viewing the reinforcements. The scope went over yellow hair, and as he always did, he did a double take. His heart dropped, knowing it was foolish...but then he saw blue eyes, there were... scars on her face but he recognised it, would anywhere - and the red stripe of the N7 which she had always worn when they hunted Saren.
Impossible. He shook his head.
"Yellow hair...," he murmured, his voice a clash of mixed emotions.
His father was quiet for a moment.
"Garrus? You okay?"
The older turian would have been able to tell many things from his voice, and so Garrus cleared his throat. A smile played out on his mandibles.
"Yeah, we do. Thanks, dad. For everything.
I have to go now. Don't worry about me... I'll make it home when I can. The odds just got a lot better."
...
Pieces of speech taken from the Homeworlds comic. If you haven't read it, I highly recommend it - background to a lot of the mass effect characters we love.