Chapter one:
Life of the Party & Secrets
I woke up with my shirt halfway off, exposing my bra. 'What did I do last night?' I thought. I had an excruciating head ache and I felt weary. I got up steadily, making sure I wouldn't fall over and on top of someone. I stepped over to my friend collapsed on a table with a shot glass in his hand. It had some sort of reddish bluish liquid dripping out of it. I tip-toed over to him, as I got over there I heard a crash and a door slam. Tali came out of a room and stumbled around for a while. "Ugh! Shepard, I had the strangest experience. There was some drinking, a strange guy, and I think you took your shirt off." She slurred. "Uh… That's great Tali." I said, trying to think through my head ache. I turned back around, a bit too fast, my head felt like it was about to explode! It hurt so much! "Whoa! That hurt… Ugh." I stumbled out, before collapsing on the floor and passed out.
"Shepard? Shepard!" I hear a familiar voice say, the nice calming voice of my close friend, Garrus. I groaned and sat up. "Ugh! What happened? How much did I drink?" I asked. "You drank too much and took your shirt off! Do you have any idea how awkward it was for me to watch my Commander strip?" He explained. I looked at him with suspicion then I touched his face. "You'll live." I said. Garrus froze in place and stared at me with his pretty blue-gray eyes. "I… Uh yeah." He said as he took my hand down. I felt something click inside me. I didn't know what it was but it felt good and warm. I'd figure it out later. Garrus helped me up and dusted me off. "Are you okay?" He asked. "Wow you're acting like you just got to second base with me. I'm fine." I remarked. He muttered something, I raised an eyebrow. "What was that?" "Uh, nothing let's get you back to the Normandy." He said nervously picking me up and helping me out the door.
On the Normandy, Garrus helped me to my room. He was acting very strange, always muttering stuff to himself, or looking away whenever I look at him. I didn't know what was going on! I thought I'd ask him when I got to my cabin. He helped me to my bed and laid me down. "You get some rest! You don't need to be killing things with a migraine!" He told me. I smirked. "I already do that, Garrus! But you don't need to worry about me, I'll be fine." I reassured him. He nodded and got up. As he started to walk out I called his name. "Garrus, wait! I need to ask you something!" I yelled. He stepped back in the room. "Yes, Shepard, what is it?" He asked. I froze, not knowing what to do ask next. "Uh… C-could you Ahem do something for me?" I stumbled out. He walked over to my bed and sat down. "Sure what is it?" He asked. He looked at me with his beautiful blue-gray eyes again. It almost drove me insane! "Uh…" I froze during my sentence. What? I never froze! I was Commander fucking Shepard! "Could you get me a glass of water?" I had to say something! It would just be awkward if I didn't! "Uh sure, whatever you need, anything for my closest friend!" He said. I looked at him sympathetically, his scars looked so painful! "Are you doing well?" I asked as he walked towards the door. He chuckled. "Are you going to keep me here long, Commander, because I have a lot of calibrating to do!" He said. Him and his calibration! It probably took his mind off of things, with all the war going on! "I just wanted to know if your scars hurt. Do they?" I asked. He nodded and relaxed a little. "Yeah sometimes, they hurt more during battle." He said. "Well, I could stop taking you out on missions!" I remarked. "Heh." He gave a little chuckle and stood up sighing. "Well do you want that water or should I go?" He asked reminding me of what I'd asked of him. "Oh! Right! Uh, sure." I said quickly. He exited my room.
My migraine went away within a few minutes and I got out of bed. I couldn't stop thinking about mine and Garrus's conversation, or about him! I didn't know what it was about him and I but something always clicked between us! But there was no time to reminisce about personal things, there was a goddamned war going on for Christ's sake! But it was so hard! I had to speak to him! I gave myself a pain killer to get rid of the rest of the pain and dashed out the door.
I got to the second floor and started to make my way to the Main Battery. I'd have been there earlier if not for Dr. Chakwas! "Commander, I need to speak with you!" She called. I looked longingly at the door that led me to my friend then I ran over to Dr. Chakwas. I walked inside the med bay and saw the scalpel. 'Oh, no!' I thought. "If you don't mind I'd like to do some tests to see how your synthetics are." She said. She walked over to the scalpel and picked it up. "Have a seat. This will only take a minute." She reassured me. She lifted the scalpel to my skin. I felt something wet on my forehead. Was I sweating? I jolted and fell back on the medical bed, hitting the floor! "OW!" I yelled. "Well it wouldn't hurt as much if you didn't jolt!" Dr. Chakwas yelled. "And look at that you cut yourself on the scalpel!" She said. I looked around my body until I saw the scalpel on the floor with blood on it. More than there should've been. I looked at my arm and saw there was a cut on it! A very deep one! "Here, let's get you cleaned up!" Dr. Chakwas said, picking me up off the floor and walking me to the sink. She started washing the wound.
I walked out of the med bay with a bandage around my arm. Finally! I could go see my friend! I ran over to the door and opened it up. What the-? He wasn't there! Of all the people I could actually talk to he had gone! Then I realized we were docked at the Citadel! He was probably taking a break from all of the annoying calibrations. I sighed. Maybe I'll talk to him later. I walked out of the Main Battery. I almost jumped out of my skin when I heard a familiar voice. "Going somewhere, Commander?" I screamed and jolted. "Ahh!" He yelled and fell back, falling down the stairs. "Oh shit!" I said as I ran over to him. "Are you okay? Did you get hurt?" I asked wanting to know if my friend was hurt. He sat up "Ahh...Ow! Ugh damn that hurt!" He groaned. "My guess would be 'Yes' you are hurt." I said sarcastically, trying to make him laugh. Garrus chuckled a little bit then got up. "Uh… Well now that's all straightened out…" I said trying to walk away. Garrus put his arm in front of me to block my path. "I didn't say I wanted you to go yet." I looked at him awkwardly, raising an eyebrow. "Uh you know talk a little bit." He said quickly before I got the wrong idea. He and I walked into the room where he worked most of the time. He offered me a seat and we talked a little bit, then silence. Before I was about to excuse myself broke the silence. "Uh… Look I don't know how to say this but um… You know how you woke up in the bar with your shirt half way off?" He said. I moved closer to him on my stool and raised an eyebrow with suspicion. "Yeah… And?" I Asked. He cleared his throat several times before saying anything to me. "Uh ahem. I- we… Kinda, maybe, sorta had too much to drink that night and… We slept together." He admitted. My jaw just dropped onto the floor! I couldn't tell which was more awkward: the fact that I slept with my closest, most reliable friends! Or the fact that he's a Turian and I'm Human and we had sex! I felt it all coming back to me! The drinks, the music, the apartment! All of it! "I… Don't know what to say! Um…" I shuddered and I held his hand. He gasped at the touch. He looked at me with his beautiful blue-gray eyes yet again. I didn't know what it was about him but something he had turned me on somehow! Maybe it was his soft relaxing voice, his eyes, or even his scars! I was a sucker for scars. Or even the fact that I may actually like him. No wait not that! I don't like this guy, I LOVE him! I knew I did! I grabbed the back of his head and pulled him in for a hug. He hugged me back. His touch was calming, and soothing. I had to do it! I had to kiss him! But I wasn't sure how he would react, so I didn't! I retracted from the hug and placed my hand on the scared side of his face. He froze and took my hand in his. "So… What now? Do we… sleep together again or…?" I stopped him from embarrassing himself again by putting my finger to his mouth to keep him from rambling. "Now... I'm not so sure." I said keeping my vision locked only on him the only man I needed right now. "I…" He began. Garrus sighed and took my hand down from his face. "I'm not sure how to react to this." He finished. I looked at him sadly then I smiled. He saw me and widened his mandibles is a smirk. "You know Shepard your human ships work differently than Turian ships."
End of chapter one.
Chapter two:
The Capture
I struggled against the handcuffs being placed on my wrists. "No! Wait don't please she was trying to help!" I heard a familiar voice yell over all of the commotion. "Wait, Garrus!" I screamed. I fought and fought against the guards trying to restrain me. I elbowed one in the jaw, he let go quickly, and I kicked the other guard in the knee, He took longer to let go of my arms. I was free and running towards my closest friend, my best friend, my lover. I rushed into his arms and hugged him tightly. "It's alright, Shepard. It'll be alright." He soothed. I looked at him with the sarcastic smirk I almost always wore when I looked at him. "I know it'll be okay. I've been through worse, Garrus." I said trying to calm the frantic Turian down. "Yeah, and I was there every step of the way. I'll never forget you." He said. I touched his face for the last time and let the guards take me away. I struggled and pulled to rub our foreheads together for the last time. "For the last time" Damn I hated the way that sounded. I looked at Garrus with mixed shame and pride in my eyes as I mouthed the words 'I love you' to him. I could tell he didn't understand me because he looked at me with his head cocked forward as if to listen to me closer. I didn't mouth it again; I just turned away and let myself be dragged away from my happiness yet again.
I was practically "shipped" across the country to Canada and taken to a place somewhere in Vancouver. The "Holding Pen" James Vega, a new acquaintance of mine called it. I was put in a room with a nice sized bed, a bathroom, and a huge window in it. The window showed me almost all of Vancouver. It was beautiful. But the one thing that caught my attention was a little boy who always ran around his yard playing with many ship models and toys. His favorite toy was Normandy model. He'd obviously heard of my many "Heroic" endeavors. I'd dreamed of having a child one day. Maybe when I'm old and have no more fight in me. Pfft! Keep me in here any longer and I might as well already be that. I huffed and leaned against the window looking at the young boy playing with his toys and action figures. *Sigh* Someday, just not today. I won't give up until I collapse on the ground dead! And that's a promise to all of my friends! My thoughts somehow traveled to Garrus. It was tearing me apart inside how I left! No! Not left! He was taken from me! The one man in this Godforsaken Galaxy who made the entire pain of so much death and destruction blow away with just one touch! Not a day went by that I don't think about him! He solved all of my problems!
Six months went by. Six long freaking months! I had to keep fit in order to be healthy so I exercised every day. The food was hard to get used to, due to the fact that what I was, barely, eating was mostly granola bars and water on the Normandy. Here they had actual food! It was nauseating at first but I managed. I tried losing my bad thoughts by looking out the window and watching the little boy play in his yard with his toys. I smiled at the sight of him. He was playing with one of his shuttle models. I heard my door open. I turned around to see James Vega. "Commander," He said saluting to me. I looked at him with and angry correction urge in my eyes. "You're not supposed to call me that anymore James." I corrected him, my tone bitter due to the fact that the Council revoked my status and rank. "I'm not supposed to salute you either. They're ready for you." He said. I took a last glance at the window and nodded. "Okay. Let's go!" I said. I met up with Anderson outside my room. "Anderson," I greeted him. "Shepard! You look good, maybe a little soft around the edges." He went on. I looked at my stomach and felt it. I was nowhere near getting fat, the old joke, Ha Ha very funny! He went on about the Defense Comity and the Reapers. "Well unless their planning to talk the Reapers to death, we're getting nowhere!" I said. The Defense Comity always pissed me off! They were nothing but politicians fighting over which bullet to shoot next! What they needed to do was quit pissing their pants and actually fight! "They're just scared! No one knows what the Reapers are like. But you do! Hell, you even talked to one!" He said, reminding me of who I was. I was Commander Shepard! I was there when Seren was indoctrinated; I was there when the Collectors were kidnapping so many innocents! And now I'm here when the Reapers are possibly pissed off and ready to attack Earth! Anderson, James and I waked into a room where we were approached by a woman in an Alliance suit. "They're ready for you inside, Admiral." She said. James stopped me where I was to talk to me. We chatted a bit. Then I heard a voice I hadn't hear in a long time! "Commander," It was Kaidan! I couldn't believe it! The first man I'd ever loved! I wanted to run into his arms when I was him, but I didn't. "Kaidan," I said politely. He nodded and smiled. "Admiral!" the woman said, ushering us into the other room. I walked away and smiled at Kaidan. I heard James say something. "You know the Commander?" I heard him ask. "I used to." I heard the calming voice of Kaidan say. I walked into the room where the Defense Comity was holding the meeting.
