And sometimes when I close my eyes...I see her standing there, and if I close them long enough I can hear her whisper my name. I think i'm going a little crazy but if this is crazy, I'm not sure sane is any better.
"Garrus."
"Hmm?"
"Garrus Vakarian, please leave the premisis." A robotic voice ordered.
"Really?" sitting up, Garrus rolled his eyes as he slinked off a bar stool, stumbling at first then regained his balance as he realized he was still waking up. In another bar, for the second night in a row.
"Please exit the-" The second drone asked before being interupted by the old Turian.
"Yeah, yeah." He waved his hand as he walked by dismissing the drone.
So, another dead-end planet and another currupt city that forgot to rise up after the reapers left. I came here looking to get away but, somehow my past always catches up with me. And somehow I always manage to piss the wrong person or thing off.
"Garrus Vakarian, I ask again please-" A loud clunk noise came from Garrus's fist as it connected with the security mechs dome.
The other mech tazed him, Garrus felt all his muscles tense up at once then he fell to the ground feeling like he was about to faint the turian rested his head on the grimy floor and passed out.
"I like Jay, I've always wanted a little Jay."
She intertwined her fingers with his as they laid in her bed.
"Yeah? What about a Sylas? It's a family name." Garrus offered her.
She cracked up, snickering in his face as she fell into his chest laughing.
"I'd love to give a child the name of a disney villian." Sarcasstic as ever she shook her head at the thought.
"Sylas isn't a villian, he's my grandfather." He trailed off on the last part.
She placed her hand apologetically on his cheek. "Oh, I'm sorry. But still no."
"Garrus Vakarian."
He mumbled as he sat up from his pleasent dream. "I never want to hear my name again."
"Too bad," The gaurd jeered. "Lunch time inmate." Garrus knew he was screwed the minute he punched out the mech, after running his DNA they were able to match it with the Vigilantes blood that was left at a crime scene. But that's what happens when you get drunk instead of your job.
Ok I know what you're thinking, how could I have left DNA evidence at a crine scene well...
A batarian weapons dealer with the street name "Fang" was doing a huge deal that night. Garrus saw multiple points of entry, useing his skill and expertise he was able to enter through the roof of the abandoned mill. He droped down on a gaurd stabbing his back with his turian steal serrated knife as he landed on him. Then pulled out his M-11 surpresed pistol and began to clear out the rest of the upper level.
On his way down he saw two gaurds walking away from him in a hallway, he crept up as quietly as a turian could with his knife in his left hand he jumped them both, grabbing the rights head and jerking it to the side and then ran the blade accross the lefts neck as Garrus let them both fall to the floor. Continuosly walking he turned a corner without checking first and ran into a human gaurd (amature hour Vakarian, Archangle would have checked his corners) He kicked the human in his groin then, forcing his hand against his neck and lifting him high with his turian strengh he choke slammed him against the floor, finishing him off with a swift thud of his heal on his enemies forehead.
Lastly Garrus shot the man patroling the balconey. Taking his place Garrus used his sniper rilfe to scope out the deal as it happened. Fang was selling to a off world buyer who unbeknown to Garrus, had a prosthetic eye capable of night-vision and spotting a hulking turian body in the middle of the dark. He was shot and hit from the ground his blood dropping to the floor. And that was that, the police kept the unidentified DNA in their data base until they found a match last night.
A little rookie-ish I know but just know that it was my first op in five years and that was fifteen years ago. My skills have been re honed to an even finer edge. I tracked those assholes down two weeks later and I can tell you which Gods they're with now.
Walking through the dextro line line Garrus reciveived his food and sat down far away from the other inmates. Although word that the vigilante that had been keeping Pride-City safe and crime free for the past fifteen years was only a few feet away, found the temtation a little to irrisitable. A tatto covered human and turian with dark green face paint sat down next to Garrus, the other inmates looked on as they spoke to him.
"So...you're him? The Shepard?"
Garrus knocked the turian in the middle of the right mandible, causing a shock of intense pain throughout his face. Grabbing the humans index finger he broke it then stood up to slam his head against the table. Bending over Garrus growled in his ear.
"Never...Never, say that name in my presence, get me?"
"I-ow, I got you, I got you!"
"Good." Garrus gave the humans jugular vein a quick and decisive chop with his thumb knuckle portruding.
Well it seemed that angered his friends because now Garrus was surounded by four more human-turian friends. He didn't speak, the vigilante just picked up his cup and sipped his water silently. He left out a satisfying "ah" when he finished it, he glanced to his right and then his left before throwing the cup at the closest man to him Garrus kicked the teeth out of the turian in the group. He grabbed a human fist breaking her fingers as he clenched it.
He knocked her down before attending to cup-guy who he picked up, swinging him above his head Garrus slammed him ontop of the table. He turned around with a furious look in his eye, all of a sudden he froze up as he felt fifty thousand volts of electricity course through his body.
"Again? Fuuu-"
He was woken up inside an interrogation room with his hands cuffed to the table. He jolted up looking around and then relaxing soon after figuring out he was still in prison. Garrus yawned as he leaned down to scratch his face with his talons. The room was annoyingly dark, he couldn't see a thing aside from the two-way mirror infront of him.
"Holy hell." The voice came from behind him.
Holy hell is right miss Lawson, it may be dark but I know that voice anywhere.
"Miranda." With a hint of loathing and a deadpan expression, Garrus addressed his former friend as she walked infront of the light and sat down across from him seting down a mini-projector.
"How've you been Garrus?"
"Small talk? Fuck you, what do you want?"
She leaned on the table looking him in the eye. "That hurts Garrus, I thought we were-"
"You don't come see me for twenty years...now all of a sudden you expect me to act like we know each other? Truth is we never did, but I like to think that we at least understood each other well enough...so, what do you want?"
She tucked in her upper lip before sitting up straight and activating the projector. All of their former squad memebers appeared before his eyes.
Kaiden Alenko, Status:Deceased
Mordin Solus, Status: Deceased
Thane Krios, Status: Deceased
Zaeed Massani, Status: Deceased
Liara T'soni, Status: Alive
Katsumi Goto, Status: Deceased
Jennifer Monroe, Alias: Jack, Status: Alive
Jacob Taylor, Status: Deceased
Urdnot Grunt, Status: Deceased
"I get the point Miranda...we're the lucky ones." He put lucky in air quotes waiting for Miranda to reach her point.
She slid a file over accross the table touching his claws Garrus flipped it open seeing all the records with the Label "Deceased" written on them. The regular crew on the Normandy survived, Jacobs death was news to him though, last that Garrus had heard he had a wife and kid back on Earth. White picket fence and all that...
"When did Jacob die?"
"You mean when was Jacob murdered?" Eyebrows raised Miranda leaned back in her chair.
"Bullshit."
"And Tali-"
"You leave Tali out of this." Garrus could barely look at Miranda,
She sat back quietly waiting for permission to speak again. Garrus was weighing his options, what was true and what wasn't. He wasn't sure what to believe, that the most inoccent lives ever to serve on the Normandy were now gone? Or that someone was hunting them. He had to think he had to close his eyes and-
"Garrus."
"Mol?"
"Garrus!" She lept off the paltform sliding down to catch him as he reached out for her hand Garrus was relieved that hers was holding onto him as his body dangled off the platform, She pulled him up with all her strength and they took a moment before the other platform came crashing onto them. Picking up Thane and Helping Garrus get the debris off, he followed her out of the base with seeker swarms at their heels they all jumped for the Normandy, he remebered reaching out for her this time. Without fail he pulled her up onto the ship and they flew away to safety.
When the airlock shut Garrus was still holding her, he looked down into her dark green eyes as she smiled, moving a little closer when the ship hit the omega four relay they were forced to the opposite wall, their armor clacking as Shepard was pinned by Garrus' hulking armor. She started laughing as Garrus apologized she she wrapped her fingers around the inside of his chest plate and pulled him closer.
"Come'ere." She said as the turian soon felt her soft human lips against his dry, flat, beak of a mouth.
"Did you fall alseep?" Miranda shook her head as Garrus opened his eyes.
"Look if you don't believe me then-"
"I didn't say I don't believe you. I said, Bullshit."
Confused, Miranda rolled her eyes in frustration as the detective went through the case files for his murdered squad mates. Their had to be a pattern, had to be a way to figure out who was next, or if their was a pattern at all.
"It says here that Samara died last week. How could anyone have killed her?"
Giving a deadpan answer Miranda shrugged "She was one thousand and five Garrus."
"Donelly, Daniels, Gardener, Thorne- these are all people that served on the Normandy when it was flying Cerberus colors...It looks like everyone is dead except for Jack, tali and-"
"You." She pointed at him from across the table.
"And me."
Miranda watched him intently as Garrus just stared at her. She noticed something different aside from the ageing, his face, he had different markings. There were red streaks down his face making his look even more menecing under the dim lighting of the room.
"New look?"
"Why are you here anyway? To tell me someone's picking us off, How the hell do I know it isn't you?"
She chuckled sarcasticly in response. "I need your help, Look I get it, she's dead just-"
"What!? Just what!? You think I haven't tried to get over it, this is the only way I know how to cope." He looked away from Miranda, then with a grudging look he turned to her.
"You love this don't you, is that why you're really here? I knew mirsey loved company but this is a strech. I hope you told your sister that you loved her before your father put a bullet in her."
Miranda shrugged off the outburst and opened the flies one more time and slid a picture over to was Jacobs murder scene, he didn't deserve this being killed in his own home like an animal, his twenty one year-old daughter was dead too. And Brynn, who ever did this had a real grudge against him or the Normandy crew in general.
"Do you think we'll be targeted?" Garrus asked.
"I know we will, the others were murdered too, they're figuring it out now only because we're finally tallying the non-reaper war deaths."
"I assume you went to Earh...searched the crime scene." More relaxed he tried to sit back when the cuffs attached to the chair stopped him.
"I made the funeral..." She skipped the rest of her answer giving Garrus a more purposefull look.
"I made contact with Liara, we're going to Thessia."
Looking around the dark room Garrus sighed realizing that his best choice was miss Miranda Lawson. He looked past her and at the mirror, his ice blue eyes had grown dim in the years but his eyesight hadden't changed. He chuckled as he shook his head, never thinking that he'd ever be saved by her again.
"Yeah I guess we are."
Armali, Thessia
"I hope you both know that as soon as Nissa and the kids get back I'd like it if the grim talk stopped." Liara said as she poored them both a drink.
"Of course Liara, we wont be long." Miranda said understanding her position.
Garrus was sitting at the counter in Liaras kitchen while Miranda was standing on the other side of the counter along with Liara. He liked the house, big, lots of room for kids, home-y would be the word Garrus would use but then again he was never one for words. Liara was the luckiest of them all, she got out with a life, Miranda didn't sleep much and neither did Garrus. Jacob had a family too, they didn't deserve what happened to them and Miranda was going to make sure he did not go unavenged.
"My contacts in the human police force have told me this looked like a hit. Is this even possible? I know we racked up quite the body count in our day but could someone hold a grudge this long?" The asari asked as she sipped a small glass of wine.
"You never know, I've been pissing people off for a long time." Garrus joked.
Smiling Liara turned to him. "Then this should be a cake walk for a professional agitator like yourself...The new look is nice but I think you look better in blue."
That put a smirk on the old turians face as he drank his dextro juice. Liara was always a kind presence, but it was Garrus and Mirandas suspision that she was next is what was most disheartening for him. Why would people be killing us now, he thought. The wars over and Mol's dead, who in their right minds would want to kill us? And as far as the face paint went, he just didn't want to be a bare-face and he thought that changing it could help when he ever caught his reflection.
Setting her glass down Miranda calmly addressed Liara with her idea so as not to...alarm her.
"Liara, I'd like it if me and Garrus could spend the night. We fear that you're next."
Snorting Garrus looked up from his drink, "We? This guy's goong after Cerberus and associates not Liara."
Narrowing her eyes Miranda then ignored the comment to plead her case. "Look, whoever did this obviously has it out for the crew that served on the Normandy during it's time with Cerberus and...I'm just making sure they aren't after you too is all."
"That's very kind of you Miranda, but I don't think that nessary I mean a lot of Cerberus got blown up during the war if you remember correctly. And as unfortunate as it is I know for a fact Ken Donelly killed himself after Gabby's accident. I was at the funeral." She was sympathetic as always, looking at Miranda as she sipped her drink.
Miranda watched Liaras eyes closely checking pupil dialation she watched as Liaras left eye dialated ever so slightly. Shaking her head Lawson set her drink down looking to Garrus then back to Liara.
"How old are you?" Liara asked out of the blue.
"Fifty-one, my birthday was last month." Miranda responded truthfully.
Which caused even Garrus to raise his brow, she didn't look a day over twenty-nine (which was her age when they first met) Miranda could be dying her hair but her skin looked firm and healthy like a younger human, not to mention her figure hadn't changed a bit. Benefits of being genetically engineered.
"You look great." Liara said setting her glass down on the counter.
"Thank you, but really you must tell me your secret miss one hundred and twenty-nine."
That caused Liara to chuckle, when her laughter died down Miranda had to ask one more time,
"Are you sure you're not worried, it was murder." Miranda warrned.
"No, I'm fine thank you." Just then the front door opened.
"Mom we're home!" A little blue asari pattered around Garrus and Miranda and gave her mother a hug as Liara bent down to recive her.
"Uh...friends of yours?" Another asari this time an older one more like a young adult walked into the kitchen followed by their father an asari named Nissa who walked past them to give her bond mate a kiss on the cheek before addressing the guests.
"Garrus right?"
He nodded as Nissa reached out her hand. "I'm Nissa, so glad to finally meet you Liara has told me so much...I thought he wore blue." She wisperd to Liara as she picked up the youngest asari. "And this is Raenia. Say hi to mommys friends." She had Raenia sitting on her hip as she was introduced Mirianda smiled and waved at the child who couldn't take her eyes off the frightening Vakarian.
"Mom, mom." The young adult continued to grab her mother attention.
"What?" Liara Sighed.
"Can I go to Sebastions later?"
Liara rolled her eyes as she reluctantly agreed with a nod of her head. "Molly we have company, at least say hello."
"Hello company...can I go now?"
Garrus looked up at the mention of her name and turned to see the asari standing infront of him, she had a pout on her face as she waited to hear her mothers response. Liara saw the look on his face and almost regreted calling her daughter by her name.
"Hey, before you run off, be back no later nine, understand?"
"Yes mom."
"Nine."
"I'll be back before then."
Liaras daughter walked out of the kitchen, soon Garrus heard her go upstairs.
Nissa Took Raenia up to her room leaving the three in silence. Miranda couldn't help herself, she had to talk about Raenia, she loved children even though most saw her as cold hearted Miranda knew it was better to hide behind the facade of being a loner who didn't need anyone than give yourself away.
"Raenia is so adorable."
"She is, her sisters a pain in the ass sometimes but what nineteen year old isn't?" Liaras smile fadded away as she looked at the stairs down the hall with a lingering gaze she swallowed before speaking.
"I'd like it if you two stayed the night...with Garrus on the first watch."
Miranda raised an eyebrow as she looked to Garrus then back to Liara with a nod. The asari once again picked up her glass of wine and sipped it.
"Sometimes you need to be remineded what's at stake." She rubbed the back of her neck as Miranda nodded in agreement.
"You two can stay in the guest room if you want, we have plenty of room." Liaras warm voice and her welcoming demeanor never seemed to waver. Garrus wondered how she did it, kept it all bundled up inside when had everything to loose. He already gambled on a loved ones life once and he wouldn't do it again.
"Thank you Liara, we appreciate your hospitality." Miranada downed her drink, after she set her glass on the counter leaning back she let out a quick breath, "Bugger that's good wine."
Later that night both Garrus and Miranda shared a watch since neither of them wanted to sleep, Miranda was watching the downstairs occationally moving through the halls while Garrus sat on the back porch, rather exposed. It had been three hours since the family had gone to bed and Miranda was starting to feel tired as she sat down in the living room afte having looked over the T'soni family pictures more than a few times.
"Garrus...I'm bored."
Nothing, no respose. "Garrus?"
Miranda waited a few seconds more before she began to walk over to the window leading to the back porch, before she reached the window she heard a few grunts over the radio channel.
"Hmwha? Miranda...you say something?" He moaned.
"Were you sleeping?" She asked.
"N-yes."
"At least you're honest." She said walking through the kitchen. "Do you remember-"
"No." He said bluntly.
"Sorry, just trying to stay awake is all."
Garrus could feel her manicured brow furrowing from inside the house however he didn't care, the last thing Garrus needed to talk about was the past. Nothing but good memories turned bad even when things were looking up (hopeful more like) at the final battle on Earth certainly had a way of bringing him down.
"You think Liara would mind if I drank her coffee? Nah." The former Cerberus operative began filling the pot as she let out a jaw streching yawn.
"I know we didn't always get along but...I'd like to think we would be friends if I wasn't with Cerberus...acquaintances at least." She was babbling to keep herself awake and Garrus knew it, so he kept quiet. Resting his forefinger and thumb across his brow he leaned his turian head against his arm.
"I'm sorry." He spit out.
"What-"
"About Oriana, before we left pride city. You didn't diserve that." He swallowed hard as he stood up to stretch his legs. Garrus began to walk down the porch steps and do a perimeter sweep.
"Thank you Garrus. That means a lot." She sounded sincere over the com channel. He never knew with Miranda, cold was her middle name and Lawson might as well have been synonymous with guile. But he knew that when it came to her sister miss Lawson never lied.
"I guess we could talk about something." He added.
"Like the time you got you hand stuck in the main battery ventalation shaft and we had to have Tali get you out?"
"How did you...bugged my room?"
"Yep."
"Spirits, you're a paranoid bitch." He smirked almost got a chuckle out but he stopped himself.
He heard a small gasp before Miranda spoke "Garrus Vakarian, I. Am not. A bitch."
"You're right you're more like that Earth word...Pretentious, I like that one."
Shaking her head as she heard coffee dribble into the pot. "Alright I get it...so I rub people the wrong way sometimes, you do that a lot you know."
"Me?" In disbelief Garrus shook his head when a few rustling leaves caugth his ear, seeing that it was nothing he continued with his perimeter walk.
"Yes you, in fact you have a stick so far up your ass it makes mine look small."
He actually had to hold it in for that one to be honest, they both really did have a way of making people angry, Molly even disliked him when they first met. All they did was argue it wasn't until she recruited him to fight the collectors when they showed an intrest in each other.
"Well at least I make the stick look good." Garrus jeered as he smirked to himself.
"Please you and I both know I'm-" She stopped dead mid sentence.
He pressed his earpeice a few times checking to see if something was wrong. "Miranda? Lawson come in."
"Shh. Garrus, someone's in the house." Her voice was quiet as Miranda began to check the halls, she had heard on more than one occasion a few sets of footsteps within the large house while she wasn't sure where, Miranda did know that she wasn't alone and it wasn't Raenia getting up to go to the bathroom for the hundredth time.
"What? Miranda I'm coming inside."
"No...just be alert. Double check the perimeter." She barked while still keeping her voice down.
"Mira-"
"That's an Order Garrus."
He heard the channel die out after she "ordered" him, she certainly did not lack bravery nor skill. She could almost match a krogan with her physical strength and even best the most talented asari biotics. He drew his pistol and quickened his pace as he scanned for heat and possible drones.
Miranda had her gun trained forward down the hall as she trended carefully down the hardwood floor. She picked up a few hushed voices coming from down he garage, she placed her hand firmly on the door pannel and waited until they got closer to the door. Miranda used her omni-tool to turn off the lights, she then manually slid open the door gun raised she felt something push against the barrel in the dark room.
"Whoa!" A males voice, human by tone coupled with and asari shriek of fright.
Lawson waved her omni-tool in the dark turning the lights back on in the garage only to see Molly standing infront of her with a human boy holding her left hand.
"Flase alarm Vakarian, just teenagers." She said holstering her gun.
She turned to the boy then back at Molly. "You go home and you...go to bed." Realizing they had little choice both youths parted ways with Molly embarrassingly retreating to her room. Miranda watched as the asari quietly walked up the stairs and then poked her head back down.
"Do we have to tell mom?" She said, almost pleading.
After some consideration Miranda shook her head, "No." and the young asari went back upstairs.
"That was nice of you." Garrus commented.
"Told you I wasn't all bad." She smiled as she went back to the kitchen to grab her coffee.
Garrus had resumed sitting on the porch in the backyard after his second perimeter check and checked the time, it was late and the sun was coming up. As the turian leaned back in his chair. He felt almost relaxed as the breeze kicked in, blowing against his mandibles as they fluttered.
Miranda heard floor boards yawn as someone walked down the stairs, when she looked through the doorway of the living room she saw a small shadow hobble towards the kitchen followed by a high pitched grunt as Miranda stepped into the kitchen she saw little Raenia trying to reach the cupboard about the counter by climbing onto a chair.
Does no one sleep in this house? Miranda thought as she watched the small asari from the doorway grab a glass then fill ot with water from the sink. She was startled when She found Miranda leaning on the doorway.
"Um...Hi." She said awkwardly looking at the tall woman infront of her.
"It's alright, I won't tell." Miranda smirked.
"Oh, whew. So you won't mind if I watch VS right?" She said hopefully.
Miranda checked her omni-tool for time and then looked back at the asari child.
"You have one hour, then you really should be off to bed."
Raenia walked past Mirandas long legs, setting her drink down befor climbing onto the couch and turning on the vid screen.
"Aren't you mother of the year."
"Fuck off-oop," Miranda looked to see if Raenia had heard her.
Garrus thought for a moment, out of all the crew members from the Normandy left alive (which wasn't many) he was surprised that Miranda even after her sisters death never settled down.
"Miranda, do you mind if I ask you something?"
"What is it Garrus?" She said curiously.
"Well, why are you doing this? I get it with Jacob and wanting to solve his murder but..."
"But what? It seems you've figured it out. unless of course that's not what you're actually asking."
"No partner-Is that what they call it? Anyway Just wondering, you seem pretty good with Raenia and you're easy on the eyes-"
"I don't want to talk about it. But thank you."
"I understand, wait thank you for what?" He asked.
"The complement."
Garrus didn't say anything after that, soon Miranda contacted him again but she spoke in a hushed tone.
"Garrus...do you see anyone back there?"
The sensors in his visor aswell as his sight detected nothing, not even a random woodland creature runnignthrough the garden.
"No...why, what's wrong?"
"There's a man standing in the front lawn looking at me."
Garrus' eyes widened as he stood up the turian hurried through the back door and kitchen and found Miranda standing in the middle of the living room looking outside. Raenia was captured by Garrus' presence as he strode into the room looking out the window with Miranda.
"Should I go out there and see what he wants."
"That's a stupid idea." Miranda said narrowing her eyes in his direction.
"Well then...please explain what we should do." He sounded a little irritated as Miranda formulated a plan in her head.
Although she did not get enough time to do so as her omni-tool chirped, accepting the call she answered after seeing the light of an omni-tool on the mans arm outside.
"Hello, who are you?" She asked.
"Shh...Burn." The voice was concealed but Garrus could still tell it was a throaty deep voice, and clearly a human male.
Miranda froze up as she spoke, "What?"
"I'd get out of the house if I were you, especially within the next ten seconds." Her omni-tool shut down as the call was ended, Garrus looked at her then at Raenia.
"We need to get out of here, now!" Garrus said as he grabbed Raenia, carrying her as he shouted throughout the house, he headed for the front door as did Miranda who was ahead of him up the stairs.
"I'll get Raenia out of here, I'll be back when she's safe!"
"Got it!" Miranda was Halfway up the stairs when he left.
Liara! everyone we have to get out n-" She fell to the ground as the explosion shook the entire house, causing the stairs to become splinters that peppered the right side of Mirandas body. Flames licked the walls around her and stuck to her sleave as she stood up and tore it from her shirt, feeling the house shake with each step as she came to Mollys room first, thankfully she was unharmed, they met Liara and Nissa in the hall way.
"Molly!" Nissa called out as Both Miranda and Mollys parents created biotic fields to block the debris and flames.
They ran to where the stairs were and hopped down, using biotics to slow their decent Miranda who had held up a larger field for the four of them, was stopped when a large chunk of the house fell on the biotic field, she jerked her head to the exit.
"Go!"
"You're crazy! We won't leave-" Liara was cut off.
"Just fucking go, you can make it!"
Liara nodded as she put up her own field and led her family out, with Miranda who was close behind when a second explosion destroyed her field and launched her out of the building, she felt a thud on the back of her head.
"Miranda..."
She was pointing a gun at her father who also had Oriana at gun point.
"You son of a bitch, I swear you will not leave here alive." Miranda seethed at her father.
Which is when she tried to toss a chair at his with her biotics however her just shot at her, she returned fire and ducked behind cover. Thats when she arrived, comander Shepard along with Garrus and Kaiden who immediately pointed their weapons at her father.
"Shepard!" Miranda called out.
"Ah, commander Shepard. Just in time, now if you'll excuse me I was just about to leave." Henry Lawson had his gun against his daughters head as he backed up against the window.
"Not with Oriana, Shepard please." Miranda pleaded.
"Ah-ah," Mr. Lawson warned.
"You're surrounded Henry, just give us Oriana and put the gun down. Alright?" Shepard said as she stepped closer to him, her pistol pointed at his head.
He looked back at the window and saw a husk clinging to the glass, he saw no possible way where things went the way he wanted them to, Shepards deal was the best he was going to get.
"No deal." He snarled, as he pushed Oriana forward into Shepard and pulled the trigger, again and again until Garrus quickly gave him the double tap while Miranda with all the energy she could muster threw him out the window with the husks falling after him.
Miranda caught her sisters eyes as she went limp in Shepards arms, whispering her name.
"Miranda..."
"Miranda."
"I never want to hear my name again." She moaned as her eyes fluttered open to Garrus standing above her.
It was hard to tell with turians but she could sed his lips working into a smirk as she tried to sit up. Garrus quickly set his hands on her shoulders gently pushing her down.
"Don't get up, you were hurt pretty bad, turns out the bomb was some specail human bomb called phosphorus."
Her eyes widened, "Mirrior, now." She was panicking, thinking what her face looked like, it could have very well melted under the heat of the phosphorus in the few minutes she was exposed to it.
"Don't worry, the doctors fixed you up real good Miranda. Just a few scars that should heal up a little."
She glared at him furiously, "Mirror. Now." She demanded. Garrus sighed as he looked around the room for a mirror he could give her when he turned back to Miranda he saw she was already looking as herself through a near by spoon, pulling her long brown hair back and checking her face for burn mark.
Garrus had found an actual mirror sitting on a table and handed it to her. When Miranda got anbetter look at herself she was more or upset, or rather her line of think was "it could be worse" She had a burn scar on her lower right jaw that trailed down to her back. She felt her stomach and check her arms making sure they were alright as well, when she felt the bandages on her stomach Miranda let out a soft sigh as her hands rested to her sides.
"Don't worry Miranda, we'll get this guy, you and me." Garrus pulled up a chair and sat closer to her bed.
"You think he murdered Jacob and his family? Along with all the others?" She asked, not looking at him.
"Probably, sicko like that...I contacted the shadow broker, and they said they were looking into it. And that they're spies are at our disposal."
It offered little comfort to the scarred Lawson as she looked out the nearby window as the sun came through the room.
"Why did you stay behind?" Garrus asked.
"You know why."
"I've already tried that, you thought that going out for a cause might have been easier...it's not, Miranda going out is never easy. Especially for fighters like us." He rested his hand on her arm hoping to break through to her, she brought him in on this conspiracy and Garrus was going to make sure she saw it through.
She turned back to him with a more optimistic look. "I can't conceive a child."
"What?"
"It's why I never settled down, I can't have children."
The turians blue eyes trailed off as he was thinking about how the only good things that ever happened to former Normandy crew these days was waking up in the morning. And even that seemed like a challenge for most.
"I'm sorry Miranda, you disserve better."
She nodded her head, "So do you."
After a moment of silence Garrus stood up and walked toward the door.
"Where are you going?"
"The little turians room, haven't gone since yesterday." He smirked.
"Well hurry up I've something to tell you whenyou get back."
Shaking her head Miranda leaned back into the hospital bed as he left the room. Garrus walked down the crowded and colored a very monotonous gray, hospital hallway seeing doctors and nurses walked about with their patients or he saw a few families here to visit their loved ones. He bumped into a doctor on his way into the restroom.
"Sorry."
"Sorry."
His voice was familiar yet Garrus could quite place it. When he looked back still standing in the doorway was a very familiar face of a man Garrus knew to be dead.
"Garrus."
Before he could say anything Garrus felt a sharp pain in as a needle was shoved into his
thick turian neck he quickly clutched it as he felt a chill rush down his spine, his legs almost gave out from under him when the doctor propped him against his shoulder.
"You don't look so good," the doctor said with a smile as he helped Garrus into a nearby bench. "Good thing I found you."
"Kaiden, why?!" Garrus was shocked that his old friend was still alive yet not so much his friend anymore.
"I'm not about to explain myself to a dead man Garrus, I gave you a toxin tailored to turians."
"Fuck you." Garrus was clutching his neck.
"Funny, you already did that once." Garrus got a better look at Kaiden's face now, he had a horrible burn mark on his left cheek that tugged at his lips and eye, slightly pulling them back.
"I thought you were dead damnit-"
"Shh, shh...it's all in the past ol'buddy. Just like you are now, and just like your cerberus friend is about to be hey, you know what? I think I'll see Tali after this. I'll tell her you said hi."
Kaiden stood up and walked toward Mirandas room, mustering all his strength Garrus stood up with a grunt as he forced his numb legs to walk down the hallway, he could see Kaiden reaching Mirandas room. Garrus tried to quiken his pace when he fell to the ground, he could still feel his arms even thoguh his vision was blurred and fading fast, he could hear people asking if he was alright and other doctors helped him up to his feet.
Garrus pushed them aside and with all his energy he ran down the hall, he grabbed the door frame to Mirandas room and hauled himself inside, Miranda was gone. When he turned around he saw two asaris doctors who tried to get him to leave the room when he felt dizzy again and this time was knocked out cold when he fell.
"Garrus?"
