A/N: As promised, here is the first of several one-shots to come, as requested by you guys. I'm still taking requests, so feel free to PM me if you want a story:)
REQUESTED BY: Rokubi
REQUEST:[Shepard is asked to speak at a turian/human couples event, celebrating the legalization of marriage between them with both their respective governments.]

****
"Hello everyone." She spoke with forced exuberance, plastering a smile on her face, "I'm pleased to welcome you to this wonderful event in which we join together to celebrate the acceptance of love, no matter race, gender, or species." Applause rang out. She spied a group of turian men hollering at the back of the room, a human woman by each of their sides.****
Thousands of expectant eyes stared up at her from the audience. Her heels clacked loudly on the stage as she made her way to the podium, echoing through the quiet room. There were a few polite claps that emitted from the crowd but, after a moment, those too subsided upon her entrance. Stage fright. It was silly; she'd faced down geth, Collectors, the Reapers, every dangerous situation possible and yet she was afraid of these people. Her mouth ran dry as she began to speak.

"So far, so good…" She mumbled through her teeth.
*

The speech had gone better than expected. Shepard had fought her way through her lines, inwardly thanking Liara for urging her to memorize it, rather than wing it like she normally did. The crowd was… tough. She remembered Garrus had once said something about turians being a 'hard bunch to please', and only now did that statement ring true to her. The humans had been much easier to placate, as they often were. After her closing statement, Shepard had been ushered off-stage and into a panel area, where she was expected to answer questions from the media. To be honest, she was worried. She'd always had a way with words; answering questions for Diana Allers had been a breeze. One reporter was vastly different from a mob of them. A large turian stood beside her as she took her seat, emotionless and unwavering. Her publicist had recommended a body guard, because 'even the galaxy's greatest hero needs a little back-up.' Shepard laughed at the idea. Did she really have enemies anymore?

"Councilor Shepard!"

"How does it feel to-"

"Do you think-"

"What is your view on-"

Shepard sat there in shock. There were flashes of light all around her now, as the reporters fought for their money shot. The voices had erupted out of no where, and she found it hard to focus on a single one.

"Councilor, can you comment on your alleged 'relationship' with Ambassador Vakarian?" The loud chatter dropped to hushed whispers as the cameras honed in on her. She blinked, a deer in headlights. How should she answer that? Was Garrus okay with going public? A minute passed before she was able to collect her self.

"I, uh…" She turned the question over in her mind, softly biting her inner cheek. Damnit. "I'm afraid, due to the personal and professional implications of that question, I can neither confirm or deny these… allegations." Shepard threw a look at the body guard, who nodded and swiftly blocked her from view.

"I'm afraid the Councilor is unable to answer anymore questions at this moment, for she is needed elsewhere." With that, he turned and escorted her back to the main event room. She exhaled. The room had felt cramped, hot and uncomfortable. The change of environment was relieving; she could breath again. Her stomach was knotted and she needed a drink, more than anything.

"Anything else for you, ma'am?" Shepard shook her head, dismissing him for the night.

"I'll be keeping an eye on you. If you need anything, feel free to raise me through your omni-tool." With her guardian gone, Shepard suddenly felt very alone. She didn't know anyone here, and they weren't exactly rushing to greet her. For the first time in a long time, Shepard didn't know what to do with herself.

"When in doubt, take a couple shots." She shrugged, and made a bee-line for the bar.
*

The choices of drinks had bewildered her. She'd almost forgotten that the event was for humans AND turians, so the menu was a little different than what she was used to. The bartender seemed both surprised and impressed when she asked for 'whatever will get me drunk the quickest.' Shepard was far from light-weight when it came to drinking; she had outdone James and Kaidan on multiple occasions, but whatever she was served hit her hard. After a few shots of this mystery drink, the party-goers were beginning to spin. Maybe it wouldn't be a bad night after all. Stumbling through the crowd, Shepard found herself chatting with some hot-shot celebrity couple. They were chattering about how it felt to be one of the first interspecies couples to marry, when a thought sparked in the back of her mind.

"Do you mind if I ask you guys a question?" Shepard slurred, leaning in close. The human, a gorgeous and busty woman giggled and leaned in excitedly.

"How do you… ya know." Shepard raised her eyebrows suggestively. The turian, Niko something-or-other, seemed taken aback, offended almost, but his reaction went right over Shepard's head. The woman pursed her big, red lips.

"I'm not quite sure I know what you mean."

"Oh, c'mon." She guffawed, slapping her on the back like they were old friends, "How do you do it? I'm interested, really." The woman fluttered her eyelashes, in awe at how indiscreet Shepard was acting.

"Shepard." She swung around at the mention of her name, ready to pester yet another attendee.

"Garrus?!" She gasped. There he was, dressed in the political garb that only he could make so attractive. She collected her quickly and gave him a warm smile.

"Ah, hello, Garrus." Shepard quite literally fell into his arms, embracing her long-time friend and secret lover. He smelled nice tonight, like rain or freshly cut grass. Her mind was all mixed up, so she couldn't quite put her finger on the scent.

"Shepard, you realize what a fool you're making of yourself, don't you?" He whispered, squeezing her for a moment before setting her upright again. She rolled her eyes at him.

"It's a party, Garrus, and I see you've come to ruin all the fun." Shepard pressed herself up against him, "Don't you wanna have a little fun?" She purred. Garrus sighed and held her at arms-length.

"Not tonight…not here, anyways." He cleared his throat and adjusted his collar. Shepard was already sauntering off to the dance-floor.

"Your loss."
*

A good amount of time had passed since her encounter with Garrus. She'd wandered off, taken another shot and headed back to dance without even catching a glimpse of him. Now, she admitted she wasn't the best dancer in the galaxy, but learning how to swing her hips wasn't a difficult concept. As it turned out, she was pretty good at that, because she'd caught the attention of several other humans, and she was sure she'd seen a few turians taking a good look as well. Lost in her thoughts, and the beat, she was startled when a young man approached her.

"Hey there." He bounced to the music beside her, flashing a dazzling smile. She returned the smile but said nothing, swaying back and forth. From the corner of her eye, she could see the man staring at her hungrily. To be honest, she was flattered. It was a long time since she'd gotten this kind of attention, especially from someone who was a good ten years younger than her.

"You wanna dance?" It seemed he'd finally worked up the nerve to ask her. Shepard scanned the room and, by some miracle, managed to lock eyes with Garrus. He was standing at the bar, a drink in hand, staring at her. She could see his fringe flare as the young man leaned into her. He looked at her expectantly. Maybe he was waiting for her to go over to him? She refused that much and an idea began to manifest. Without dropping his gaze, she pulled the man over to her, placing his hands on her hips. This was going to be fun. She could feel his anger radiating from the bar as she pressed herself again the younger man, rolling her body in the only way she knew how to. It was strange how lucid she'd become since getting this idea in her head. She looked back over to the bar, disappointed when the turian she was looking for was nowhere to be seen. What a waste.

"Ahem." She looked over her shoulder. Right on cue. Garrus was practically glowing with frustration.

"If I might cut in-"

"Sorry, man, this is my girl for tonight." His brow twitched at the defiance. He took a sharp breath in.

"I'll ask again, once more."

"Yo, what's your problem? Back off-!" Garrus took a large step forward and peeled him off of Shepard, wrapping one taloned hand around his neck.

"Leave, now, before I snap both of your legs where we stand." He dropped the young man and watched with pride as he scampered away.

"A little much, don't you think?" Shepard chuckled, running her finger down Garrus's arm. He looked down at her, furious. For a split second, she was actually concerned that she'd crossed the line. Her worries were dismissed when Garrus spun her around and wrapped his arms around her. They began dancing, forgetting the rest of the world, for once.

"You'll really be in trouble if you ever pull that again." He mumbled into her neck, his breathing heavy from following the beat. She laughed, letting her head fall back against him.

"Maybe I want to be in trouble."