Stardust

by Deadly Glacier

Garrus' point of view of his and Shepard's love story throughout the series, as well as things happening off camera. Staying as true to the game as possible with some tweaks to the ending. LOTS of Garrus and Shepard lemony sweetness... You've been warned. Edited.

1. Vivace

So, I'm not new to fanfiction, but I am new to Mass Effect fanfiction. I didn't intend to actually write out the suicide mission, but I had a lot of fun writing the other characters, not just Shepard and Garrus.

This fic is named after a Nat King Cole song that I absolutely adore.

Also, I have not played Zaeed's DLC yet, so that's why he isn't specifically mentioned in this fic. I have also not played the Arrival DLC, but that doesn't really affect the story much until the end.

Some dialogue is taken directly from the game, and/or changed slightly in certain areas.

Aaaand… I think that's it.

Oh, everything belongs to BioWare.

Stardust
Part I
Vivace

---

Garrus looked down nervously at his cup of wine, swirling it a little. She had taken his hand and led him to the couch; it was surprisingly comfy for him, and he'd settled into it easily as she poured them each a glass from the flask he'd brought. It wasn't a great turian red, but it was the best he had available to him, and damned if he wasn't going to give the savior of the galaxy the best whatever he had to offer her. He cleared his throat, trying to shake the ideas that surfaced at that thought—and then thought better of it. Isn't that what tonight is supposed to be about? And we're not having sex yet, are we? You need to think of something fast, something smooth to get things going. What if you bore her so much she changes her mind? Do you want that? No. Act fast.

"Nerves?"

He jolted and looked over at her sheepishly, "You could say that."

She tilted her head, her silver eyes sympathetic, "C'mon, Garrus, it's me."

"Believe me, I know that," he said with a soft and slightly bitter laugh. "All I've ever wanted since boarding the Normandy—the first time and this time—is to know you better." She scooted toward him and he reached out to hold her to his side as they sat. She was wearing a pair of form fitting black bottoms that reached just below her knees, and a top of the same material with the skin of her arms exposed. He ran a talon down one, feeling how warm and soft her skin was. She cuddled into him, her free hand going to his leg. The warmth of her hand, and the gentle touch, made his stomach tense; but he relaxed a moment later, letting her feel him. "And the fact that you want me of all people… I, Shepard, it's unbelievable—wonderful, but unbelievable."

She scoffed, and set down her glass and then grabbed his as well before moving into his lap, straddling him. It startled him and he put his hands up in slight alarm; but she looked into his eyes, "Garrus Vakarian, we've taken on mercenaries, war criminals, thugs, husks, geth, a Reaper and a fucking thresher maw together. You've had my back more times than I can count, more than any Alliance soldier I've worked with in my entire military career. There's no one else I'd rather have beside me, no one else I'd trust." She looked at him earnestly, holding his face in her hands, "And you're not just fighting with me or for me: you fight for what's right. You fight for justice; even if it goes against regulations, or rules, or against the nature of your own damn species. You stand for the rights of others no matter what the cost, and it is the thing I admire most about you, why I respect you." It might have been the kindest thing anyone had ever said to him. He had never felt so validated. He put his hands to her waist, looking up at her. "Not only as a soldier," she went on, "but as an advisor, as a friend and… as a man." She shyly lowered her hips on him, and he could feel the heat from her as she rolled forward. He let out a little grunt. She's so warm… She closed in on him, her hips moving against him in gentle motions, spellbinding him. "So what do I have to do to prove to you that this is happening?"

He buried his face in her neck, smelling her damp, freshly clean skin. Her dark hair was freed from its usual ponytail, also damp, a strong flowery scent coming from it. He occasionally got whiffs of this, he realized, when she'd take her helmet off in the airlock, but it would be mixed with sweat, dirt and whatever they'd just encountered from the mission. Unencumbered, it was a tantalizing scent and he wondered if it tasted as good as it smelled. His tongue gave a tentative lick on her neck, and he found he was right, so right. How is it so good? Does… all of her…? She made the most delightfully welcoming noise, so he did it again, lingering that time and giving a light nibble. He couldn't help it.

"Garrus…"

The way she'd said it made him shudder, and he let himself explore her. His talons came to the squeezable flesh of her rear, tightening around it, testing its softness. She said his name again, more so in surprise, but she didn't brush him off. In fact, she settled into his touch, and he felt relief wash over him. He could feel how warm her skin was beneath her clothes, how soft her body would be against his… Holding her hips firmly, he pressed himself up between her thighs and she gasped; he could feel his plates shifting already. "I… I didn't watch any vids, Shepard," he said, breathless and stammering when he broke away from her neck. "I-I'm unsure how… I don't want to hurt you."

She shushed him, putting a finger over his mouth, "It's okay. I took an antihistamine already, and I have epi-pens and more medicine for us if we need it. Don't worry, Garrus. I trust you… You trust me, right?"

She gave him a little smile to let him know she meant it jokingly, but he looked up at her seriously, one of his talons coming to brush her soft cheek, "More than anyone."

She pressed her soft lips to his in a warm kiss. Garrus knew about kissing. For a long time after the First Contact War, it was widely considered a human custom, even among asari and drell who had similar physical characteristics to humans; but it became a fairly common practice among same species or interspecies relationships that he'd seen in his days at C-Sec. While he hadn't personally experienced a kiss before, it took a short time for him to pick up on the gesture, and after several moments he was leading them as his other talons drifted back to her rear to squeeze it again. He moaned softly at the feel of her tongue, and he let her taste his. It must have been even stranger for her to kiss him, being accustomed to suppler human lips, but she adapted quickly as well it seemed. He found he liked her lips. He liked them a lot.

She pulled them away too soon, "I watched a few."

Her admittance stirred him, and he chuckled darkly, "Only a few?" He squeezed her rear again, and she murmured in response. "Learn anything?" he asked, half-teasing.

That little smirk he adored spread across her face, "Enough to know we need less in the way." She tugged at his tunic. She tilted her head, smiling at it, "You do look good in your regular clothes. It's nice to see you out of your armor, away from work."

"Oh?" he asked coyly, running a talon along her thigh.

She shrugged, the smirk becoming a genuine grin. "I don't know, it just feels like I'm getting to see you for the first time."

"Ah," he said, realizing. He looked down, "I feel kind of bad when you put it that way. I… I don't want you to feel distanced from me. Not you."

He felt her soft finger at his chin, beckoning his head up. Her eyes were gentle, sweet; they carried a sweet vulnerability in them he'd never seen in her before, and he felt whatever remnants of doubt and bitterness he had ebb away, endeared by her. "Then be with me tonight, Garrus," she whispered before kissing him again.

Their clothes came off in a hurry, but neither of them willing to part much more than a few inches from each other as they undressed. It was a little easier with her, having a simpler shape she could just slip off her top and bottoms before he'd had his tunic off his arms. She helped him as best she could with the foreign clothing, guiding it off him gently and patiently. They remained on the couch once they were naked, her going back to his lap, and his hands all over her as they felt each other at last.

Her fingers were petite and inquisitive, ambitiously exploring between his plates. He moaned out loud when her hands reached the sensitive skin between his hip plates, and she deftly massaged them until he was gasping. "Okay, easy there, Shepard." She gave a soft laugh, relenting. He eyed her exposed skin curiously, running his hands up her waist, "Where can I touch you?" He ran a talon down the center of her body, between the ample rounds on her torso, down the middle of her waist, his hand dropping off before it reached the flushed, swollen folds between her legs.

His electric blue eyes settled on her silver, and he saw her looking back with such heat, "You can touch me anywhere you want, Vakarian."

"Hm," he murmured humorously, "anywhere…" His palms found the rounds on her torso, feeling the hardened bundles of flesh at their tips. They pebbled even more at his touch, and she was biting her lip, watching him figure her body out.

"There's a good start," she said with a pleasured sigh. He saw a flash of lust in her eyes as she watched his hands, and she confessed, "That feels so good."

"Developing a turian fetish, Shepard?" he teased.

"Rapidly," she admitted easily.

He pinched one of the hardened tips, and she let out a little moan. He felt his cock pressing against his plates, repeating the action to the other tip. One talon explored further down her body while the other came to rest on her rear again. He gave it a squeeze and she laughed softly. "I think you're an ass-man, Vakarian," she stated, rolling her hips over his plates. He shuddered. She was wet.

"A what?"

Her lips were against his neck as her hips continued their wonderfully cruel motions, and he found it hard to concentrate on her explanation, "It's a human term. Some guys are breast-men," she gestured to the rounds on her torso, "and some guys are ass-men." She rocked into his touch, and he squeezed her there again.

It took a moment for Garrus to answer her, enjoying the rhythm she'd started on his lap. "Hmm… While my experience with human women is limited to the one very special woman grinding on top of me right now, I feel very secure saying yours is fantastic," he told her. She grinned. He added, "And I can honestly say the best human ass I've ever seen." He loved hearing her laugh. "But yes," he agreed, "it seems I am indeed an ass-man." His free hand wandered between her hips, resting just above the apex of her thighs.

In his days at C-Sec, he'd overheard several of his fellow turian officers talking about encounters they had with human females. Most of this talk he got snippets of in the locker room; from what he'd learned, human women were "damned near insatiable" as one had put it, and another had vividly described her sheath… and it was something Garrus had always been curious about. But he'd never seriously considered interspecies sex until he met Shepard. There was no one else like her, and she just happened to be human. While he hadn't (fully) watched the vids Joker gave him, he did do a certain amount of research. He wasn't a prude. Mostly it was text—testimonials from both turian males and human females, informational packets on internal erogenous zones—but there were diagrams he'd looked through quite extensively (although he wished he would have studied the names of everything a little more closely). The vids given to him by Moreau weren't meant for "demonstrational" purposes, so he'd set those aside (for now).

He ran a talon between her folds, gently tracing the seam before dipping between them. Shepard gasped and he watched her, keeping his eyes on her face as he moved his talon against that little bundle of nerves he'd read about. Her body tensed and she rolled her hips into his hand. Garrus was breathing hard, feeling his cock slipping through his plates. He closed his eyes, groaning as it emerged. She was eyeing his length when he looked back at her. Curious, he let her look, wondering what she made of his blue-grey shaft. Kind of wish I'd watched a human vid or two… see how I compare. How big are humans normally? Do females prefer it bigger or smaller? Humans don't have blue genitals, I know that at least. And I don't think I'm that blue… I'm more grey than blue. Honestly the ridges are what I'm really concer—

Her warm hand made contact with him, breaking his anxiousness, and he saw that little flash of lust again. It relieved him so much. He got lost in the feel of her hand stroking him, lifting his hips to her, letting his head fall back. But then he stopped her, breathing heavier than he'd realized, "You first." Feeling like he'd come off a little gruff, he added jokily, "You know me and my trigger finger." The talon toying with that little jewel of flesh took a few more strokes before dipping it inside her sheath. The second he felt the wetness and snugness and warmth, it was all he could do not to buck up inside her. He moaned out loud at the feel of her. "By the Goddess," he breathed, (for whatever reason; if Liara was listening in on this right now, she would have a fit, he guessed).

She laughed out loud, the action causing slight contractions around his talon. He shuddered again. "Really?" she said to him, lifting an eyebrow.

"Shepard… I," he was thunderstruck, in awe of how heavenly she felt. His shaft was begging to be inside her, twitching impatiently between them. He moved his hand, working his talon against the good spot inside her. That amazing spot he'd read about (quite extensively; very curious benefits, he recalled). She was moving with him, gasping.

"Developing a human fetish, Vakarian?" she managed to ask through all her charming little noises.

"'Developing?'" he asked incredulously through his heavy arousal. "It just became fully-formed, without a doubt. All the wasted years…" He picked up his pace, wondering if he could get her to finish like this. She cried out as he'd apparently found that special spot within her, and he quickly ground into it, over and over. She squirmed in his lap, her hips jerking and tensing.

"Oh, my god, Garrus," she panted. "Fuck, don't stop…"

He didn't. His other hand came off her rear to rub the bundle of nerves again, and she held onto him tight. Spirits, she's so damn wet… It was going down her thighs. She was so much wetter and hotter and tighter and… just fucking marvelous. He had to know what she felt like, and he felt himself twitch harshly at the idea. "Shepard," he breathed, moving his hips in little motions with hers.

And then she started to buck wildly into his hand, her blunt human nails digging into his skin as she shouted. He felt her clamp down on his talon and he moaned, his cock desperate now. A rush of hot liquid coated his finger and ran down her thighs as she contracted around him, and he didn't take it out until he felt her relax, the occasional aftershock hitting her. He looked at his soaked finger with a lustful haze, bringing it to his mouth. He tasted her, closing his eyes.

"Mm," he murmured softly. She was earthy and sweet, something he could easily and eagerly get used to. Careful, Garrus…

She softened her grip on his shoulders, lifting herself off him. She was grinning, and her skin had gained a new sheen of sweat. She flipped her wavy dark hair over her shoulder, wrapping her arms around him, "Glad to see you know how to handle more than that sniper rifle."

He laughed softly, but was still serious, looking at his cleaned finger. His head was spinning and cloudy with… her. He looked into her eyes earnestly, "I want you, Shepard."

Her eyes didn't break from his, but he felt her hand on him again, stroking. "I want you too," she breathed, moving to kiss him. He embraced her, reciprocating as passionately as he could with the human gesture. His hands were all over her once more, feeling how hot her body had become. He found one of the rounds on her torso. No, "breasts," she called them… Or was it already plural…? Squeezing one, she moaned in his mouth. His other hand found the other one, doing the same. He kept up with his ministrations until he was conflicted about their "ass-man" verdict. But she stopped him, taking his face in her hands. Her soft fingers traced the lines in his face, and the scarred lines on his bad side; she gave each side of his face the same attention, each side a kiss. He closed his eyes. "Your turn," she said. When he opened his eyes, he saw that confident smirk he loved so much. "Let me make you feel good, Vakarian."

"Shepard, you already do…" His arms encircled her, and she nudged the two of them in the direction of the lounge portion of the couch. He scooted with her, and he was able to stretch out his legs. He settled and tried to brush himself against her folds, but she lifted away from him. Garrus was breathing hard, his hands on her rear once more. Yes… definitely an ass-man. It's just so… perfect.

She was sliding down his torso, her hand going back to his cock as her head came down his waist. He watched her curiously, wondering what she could be do—

"Shepard!"

Her mouth… her fucking exquisite mouth was on him, massaging his cock in the most erotic way in time with her delicious tongue. He tried moving with her, helping his cock between her lips, but she held him down firmly. Groaning in frustration, he resigned but watched her, hungry.

"Yes," he panted. "Fuck, Shepard…"

She was moaning on him, her hair coming down in a brown-black curtain. He brushed some of it aside, watching her mouth seal around him. Then she looked up, meeting his eyes. They were locked together in the intensity of the moment, her doing something so intimate with him. And then… her hand reached down in between her legs, and her moans on his cock became deeper and more urgent. She's so sexy… He couldn't last long like this, watching her pleasure herself like that, let alone the sensations she was creating with her mouth. All the while her eyes never leaving his, letting him know that, yes, this is what she wanted and she fucking meant it… It was too much.

It did him in. He felt it rush over him like a sudden chill, and he threw his head back, "Oh, fuck…" He yelled out, his hips jerking as his cock sputtered in her mouth. It was fucking glorious, and she didn't flinch, swallowing what he gave her. His body twitched, still humming with the intense pleasure; but he kept his eyes on her, his talons in her hair still. When he finally recovered, he let out a long breath. "Well," he started with a tired laugh, "that was naughty. I, ah, didn't know humans could do that. Well," he countered thoughtfully, "I guess, more accurately, it never occurred to me that humans could do that. Seems rather obvious now." He grunted, "And if I wasn't sure before, then I damn well am now: you've ruined me for turian women." He shook his head, still reeling at what she'd done to him.

Shepard grinned, coming back up to his lap. She traced his scarred side, running her fingertips along his jaw, "Been wanting to do that since Omega." She looked thoughtful as well, "I don't think I've ever heard you say fuck before, Garrus. I like it."

"Since Omega?" he asked, completely deaf to the other statement she'd made. "Really?" The idea that she'd wanted to do that when they'd first met up again… He'd be lying if he said he didn't have a similar reaction to when he saw her again, something that had confused him initially.

She nodded, "Oh yeah. You have no idea how happy I was to find out that Archangel turned out to be you. You were my main man on almost every mission. And you still are. You were the first to want to join me from the outside. It meant a lot to me." But then her eyes went a little sad, "When I met the Illusive Man after waking up, you were the first person I asked about. And when he told me you'd fallen off the grid, I—" She lowered her head, "It hit me pretty hard."

"Why?" He pushed her hair away from her face, trying to meet her eyes. It took her a moment, but she lifted them to his level.

She continued, a little shy as she said, "You were always my favorite, Garrus." That admission had his ego absolutely purring. She looked down again, shaking her head, "I mean, yeah, Cerberus built us a new Normandy and we got Joker back, and that was amazing. But you, and the rest of the crew as well, but mostly you… it doesn't feel like the Normandy without you. It feels realer to me with you here, like—"

"Old times," he finished for her, pressing his forehead to hers. He kissed her, taking a bit of pride in the way both of their flavors mixed. He turned them over gently, laying her flat on her back. And then they just sunk into each other, feeling each other's body freely. His mouth came to her breasts, and his tongue came to taste one of the hardened tips, making her shudder under him.

"Garrus, please…"

He came up from her, his voice only partially humorous, "Are you begging me, Commander?" And the way she looked at him, her eyes were so soft and loving yet full of that no-bullshit, unflinching honesty he fucking adored. It stirred him.

"Yes."

She breathed her response so quietly, so sweetly. With her dark, damp hair splayed out beneath her and her pale skin flushed a healthy pink, her glossy grey eyes looking up so openly at him… behind all her faded scars, she looked… beautiful.

"What?" she looked uncomfortable now, insecure from letting herself admit her vulnerability to him.

He shook his head at her, trying to reassure her and also bringing himself out of the trance she'd put him in. "I was, ah… You're… beautiful, Shepard," he admitted to her sheepishly.

She looked almost bashful now, and her smile was endearing. "You're a hell of a sweet-talker, Vakarian." Her hand came up to his face again, and he leaned into her touch.

"Say my name, Shepard."

"Say mine," she whispered to him as her hips rolled against his still-hard erection.

Garrus looked down at her warmly, tracing her cheek. Unwilling to prolong the moment any longer, he pushed himself inside her. And the feeling threatened to cripple him, tightly surrounded in her tender, sodden, magnificent…

"Shae," he breathed, moving slowly inside her. "Oh, Spirits… Shae…"

She let out a noise somewhere between a sigh and an outright cry of pleasure, widening her legs. He came closer to her, burying his face in her neck as he pushed further inside her. "Garrus," she cried softly, her nails running down his back.

"Shae… You feel so good," he murmured, rolling into her a little faster now. Grunting, he asked, "Do…I?" He moaned as he fully thrust into her, nibbling at her neck; he came up and pushed one of her legs up over his shoulder, making her gasp in surprise. She put her arms above her head, letting him lead.

"Oh my god, yes," she said, her eyes rolling back. "Garrus!" Her body arched beneath him and he quickened himself again, making her cling to the back of the couch when he repeatedly stroked that spot inside her. Her eyes closed and he watched proudly as she writhed on his cock, her hips rolling in such an erotic and sensual way. Say what you want about Shepard's dancing, but the woman had rhythm in bed. "Right there," she cried softly, her face flushing in bliss.

His hips were slamming into her hard now, and he was determined to get her there again, to feel her sheath contract like that again… on his cock. He was shuddering all over, his body practically vibrating, and he could feel her nearly at her breaking point, reaching for him as she trembled under him. He angled his hips more, pushing her other leg back. He fucked her. Pumping her hard, spilling her wetness down her thighs and rear, and onto the couch. Deep inside, he could feel her begin to contract.

"Fuck me, oh god," she said, gasping on the edge. And then, moments later, she yelled out as he sent her flying over, her magnificent wet walls rippling around his cock. Her wetness coated him and flowed out of her, he hadn't realized she could have so much more, but she gushed her hot wetness on him. It almost sent him with her… almost. His head was hazy; suddenly it was hard to keep himself in that pleasured state. Everything crashing down on him, the mission, his squad, Sidonis… Damn it… Come on, Garrus. It was going so well.

She seemed to sense his problem, and she reached out to him tenderly, panting, "Come back here, you." He let her legs down, leaning back over her. He kissed her gently, slowing his hips. "That's it," she breathed, nodding. Her skin was flushed and glowing still from her orgasm, and again he was struck by her. "Slow," she said to him, meeting his hips at a gentle pace. He locked eyes with her, unable to look away. She kissed him again, and he could feel her grin against his mouth, "You weren't kidding about that reach."

He parted from her, running his mouth along her jaw, "Hm, and you're quite limber." He was still hurting for his release, but the rhythm felt so good to him, letting him really feel the heat and tightness of her. He moaned.

"Yeah?" she asked, baiting him. Her soft lips were next to his ear now.

"Mhm," he replied, going a little faster.

Her hips were meeting his still, pushing against him. Her whisper was hot on his ear, "Pop my heat sink."

Apparently, gun innuendo worked for him, because he moaned and sped up again. It sparked him, "Say it again."

It was turning her on too, her nails were down his back again and she was moaning with him. "Yeah? C'mon, pop it, Garrus," she urged him.

"Fuck, Shae," he moaned, bucking into her wildly now, like an animal. "Ah, yeah, fuck… SHAE!" She came again just as he did, and he spilled inside her, his hips uncontrollable as his release fissured through him. Combined with the heavenly sensations her sheath created around him, it was the most excruciating release he'd ever felt. And she had come undone again beneath him, her own orgasm unraveling her and leaving her deeply winded, trembling. She looked delirious, and Garrus was sure he looked much the same. It was a long time before either of them could speak again, and both of them still shook.

"Holy hell," she said finally, laughing. "My ears are ringing."

He chuckled tiredly, nuzzling her shoulder, "Yeah… you are… You are really something, Shep—Shae," he corrected.

"Back at you, Garrus," she said, her fingertip tracing his jaw.

He let out a long breath, looking around her cabin. He noted the empty fish tanks mounted into the outer wall, and the many ship models she had decorating the transparent wall along her desk. The Normandy was prominently in the center, as it should be. There were turian ship models as well, and they surrounded the Normandy along with several Alliance naval ships. It delighted Garrus; he could see a lot of care had gone into her display to show the combined efforts of human and turian technology to create the Normandy. He'd watched her buy several ship models when they'd been on the Citadel, Omega, Illium, or any other place that had a diverse marketplace, and he'd always been curious as to where she'd put them. Now he knew. "I've never been in here before," he realized out loud.

"And you got the Commander naked on your first visit. You certainly don't waste any time," she said, her half-lidded eyes sneaking a peek over at him, a little grin on her face.

He laughed softly, "No, I don't." He nuzzled her collarbone, breathing in that flowery scent. It was sweaty again, and the smell of sex was tangled in it as well. Garrus liked it better that way. "Anyway," he began, "you were saying?"

"Hm?" Her eyes were closed again, and she was absently stroking his arm with her fingertips.

He chuckled into her neck again, exhaling against her skin, "You were telling me about when we got together at Omega… I ah, interrupted you." He pulled out of her, grunting, and settled slightly next to her on the slim lounge of the couch. She cuddled into him, and he wrapped his arms around her.

She didn't open her eyes, but she let out a little laugh, "Ah, yes… That was so rude."

He pretended to be ashamed, sighing dramatically into her neck, "How can I atone, my lovely Commander?"

"I'll have to think about it, but the punishment will fit the crime," she promised, almost intimidating. But he could feel her become thoughtful, taking herself back to that day. "I had no idea who or what we were going to come across when we got there, Garrus; but then I saw turian armor... and a very familiar shade of blue. I wasn't completely sure it was you before we got up there, I thought it was too good to be true. But sure enough, the helmet came off and it was." He saw her bite her lip, grinning to herself, "And… I don't know, the way you just swaggered over and sat with your gun, all tired, and me knowing that you were single-handedly holding off swarms of mercs until we showed up… You were always so efficient in battle. Surgical, as you said to me once—it's accurate. I used to love catching little glimpses of you fighting back with the first Normandy. And I love how cocky you get sometimes." He grunted a laugh. She shrugged, still grinning, "Something about how you handle a weapon excites me, that and how precise you are. Makes me think of how you would handle me…"

"Hmm, I like handling you," he said, running his hand over her rear. He gave it a gentle squeeze and she gave a sigh of pleasure. His tongue ran along her ear, then his teeth very gently followed, "And I like my guns, they excite me, too."

Now she looked at him, a knowing smirk playing at her lips, "It would seem so." She poked him teasingly.

He laughed shyly, "Yeah, that was… that was new."

"I enjoyed it," she said, her wide eyes alight with naughty mischief.

And he had to kiss her, sinking into her arms. He murmured against her mouth, tasting her tongue again. A thought occurred to him, and he parted from her, "Shepard, how did you know to take an antihistamine?"

She looked puzzled, "Mordin. Why? I thought you talked to him."

Garrus shook his head, panic sinking over him, "No, I didn't."

She was amused, "Well, I never said anything to anyone… What was it you said? 'I'd wait if I were you, disrupt the crew as little as possible…' Something like that…" She folded her arms and waited for his confession.

He sighed, "I'd had him promise not to say anything, which apparently means little." He looked at her, true guilt on his face, "I… went to Joker."

She sighed, putting a hand to her face. But he could still see her smiling. She wasn't angry with him. Well, that's a relief. "Oh, no," she laughed. "Why on earth would you go to Joker?"

"Well!" he exclaimed defensively, "he's the only one on the ship that's known you longer than me… I thought he might have some insights, both with you and human relationships in general."

Her hand was gone from her face, both on him now, "And? Learn anything?"

"He gave me a collection of vids that weren't helpful because… well… they're not meant for learning. In my own research, I found text and diagrams that were more helpful. I'd say you agree," he added with a lustful look toward her.

"Yes," she said simply, kissing him. She pulled away, quirking an eyebrow, "What kind of advice did he give you about me?"

"That he said he couldn't really help with; he said he was not by any means an expert on human relationships, and that he'd only known you for a short time before you met up with me," he stated for her. He paused heavily before he said, "But he did say Alenko was quite taken with you..." The second it was out there, he immediately regretted saying it. Fuck, you've ruined it. This is none of your damn business. You're getting too serious.

She looked up at him, unreadable. She sighed, "I wondered if his name would come up."

He shook his head, "I'm sorry… I shouldn't have—"

"No, Garrus, it's okay. I owe that to you."

"You don't," he assured her.

"I do," she said earnestly. "I care about you, Garrus. I care about us."

"Us?" he asked, trying to hide the hint of hope laced with that question.

"Omega-4 Relay ETA eight minutes, Commander."

Joker's voice startled them both. Garrus sighed. Excellent timing, Joker. Impeccable.

"Speak of the… Wait, did you say eight minutes?" she demanded angrily to the intercom.

"Hey, I tried to give you a heads up, but BOTH times it sounded like you were preoccupied."

"Oh… no," she said, putting a hand to her face.

"Who's in there with you anyway?" he asked. "Jack?" he added hopefully.

"No," Garrus answered flatly, earning a small, adorable giggle from Shepard.

"Yeah, I know. I was kidding. Didn't take you for a screamer, Garrus."

Shepard laughed out loud, "Oh, dear God…"

"Alright, time's up, kids. Time to save the galaxy again. ETA seven minutes, Commander. Joker out."

"Right," Garrus said quietly. It had been pretty easy to forget about the mission entirely, having gotten so lost in her that he'd forgotten the entire reason it was happening: they could die tonight. He knew that, he'd always known that, but now he felt bitter. He'd only gotten a taste, he'd only been alone with her a short while. He'd only just gotten to see what she was like when she let all those walls down, how carefree and sweet and gentle she was. It wasn't fucking fair. It was the happiest he'd felt in… forever. He couldn't remember the last time he felt like this, if even at all. For the entire time he'd known her, she'd been Commander Shepard. But tonight… she was Shae. He liked Shae. He wanted to get to know her, find the woman beneath all that armor, but he'd only had a few short-lived, breathtaking moments.

And if all that was taken from him tonight, the Collectors and the Reapers would have hell to pay. As much as it made him bitter and angry, the idea also terrified him, losing Shepard. That would be the worst, if she weren't to survive this night and he did, somehow. That already happened once. To go through what he went through then, but now after having been with her… There wouldn't ever be anyone else. Ever.

"Hey," she called to him, touching his cheek as she was so fond of doing. His face must have betrayed what he was thinking, because her eyes were empathetic, "We're going to get through this. This is what we're about, Garrus. Telling the galaxy to go fuck themselves with their fears, their doubts… We're going to go through that relay, we're going to fire that badass gun and rip that Collector base a new one, we're going to get my crew back, and then you and I are coming back up here to continue where we left off. And everyone, and I mean everyone, will be back on this ship alive. I will not see another crew ripped apart. I will not see another Normandy go up in pieces." She said it determined, resolute. And angry. Nothing motivated Shepard more than anger, he knew. She looked at him, sitting up, "Sound good?"

He touched her hand, calm settling in his chest from her confidence. "Yes, Commander."

She shook her head, "No, Garrus. Behind these doors, I'm just Shae to you. Nothing more." She pressed her forehead to his before giving him a little kiss. They quickly gathered their clothes and dressed quietly. He embraced her once they were dressed, and he kissed her with everything he had. Kissing was coming quite naturally to him; he found he liked the wordless communication of it, that quiet intimacy.

"Shepard," he began. He stopped her before she could protest his use of her last name, "I know the rule, but this is… this is something I have to say to my Commander, as well as you, Shae." He took her hands in his, "What you said earlier, about me fighting for the rights of others, regardless of what it meant… I used to think that about myself, I used to believe every word of what you said and act up in C-Sec because I thought I was their most underrated, hardest-working officer and no one would ever care more or as much as me… until I met you." He shook his head, lost in his first memories of the fights they'd been in together on the Citadel, and when she'd gone out of her way to find that salarian organ harvester. "You'd have been a hundred times the C-Sec officer I was. Watching the way you deal with others, good and bad, victims and murderers… I was blind to the criminal's point of view, so eager to bring him down. But you see everything, every side, every point of view; you're willing to work with them, to understand them."

Garrus sighed, "And the fact that you've seen what I've always tried to do since the beginning… It's more recognition than I've ever gotten from any commanding officer I've worked under, Shepard, and there aren't enough words for me to thank you for the time I've spent on your ship, with you. It's… It's been an honor." He looked into her eyes, "And I am… a better man having met you, Shae."

He could see the emotion in her eyes, the gravity of the moment so heavy between them. She shook her head at him, "Don't you dare say goodbye to me, Garrus."

"I'm not… just… I wanted to say it, Shae," he told her honestly.

"Good," she told him. And she kissed him a final time, soft and brief, but it electrified him. She gave his hands a squeeze, leading him to her cabin door, "C'mon, let's go save everything and everyone… again."

"Maybe we'll get medals this time."

---

Garrus sighed as he stepped out onto the bridge. After he and Shepard had gone their separate ways from the elevator, the loss of her presence after what they'd just done together made him ache. He told himself to get a grip, and that he was acting like a fool. There was a mission at hand now, and their entire fucking crew to worry about, so there wasn't time or energy left to be worried about when he and Shepard could be together again. But it was there, in the back of his mind: all her little giggles, the touch of her lips, the way she said his name… her sheath. That last look she'd given him before the elevator doors closed, that little smile… it filled him with so much joy and so much dread. And the combination threatened to make him sick. He reluctantly pulled himself out of his revere, ignoring the knowing stares he was getting from his squadmates as he made his way to the bridge, to Shepard.

He didn't know what being around her professionally would be like after what they'd done. It was new. He kicked himself. You probably wouldn't be this concerned about it now if you'd just taken her up on her offer right then and there in the battery. You certainly thought about it enough. And you were the one that had to 'savor the last shot' and wait till the last possible moment. It also would have been old news by now, too, Garrus. Terrible call on your part. He looked up just as Kasumi was walking past all the empty monitors in the hall before the cockpit.

"Nice of you to join us, Garrus," she teased him gently. She stopped, giving a glance to Shepard's back in the cockpit ahead. Mordin was speaking with her, nodding and listening to her intently as she replied. She had changed into her matte black armor; he could barely make out the N7 on the back of her sentry interface, and her hair was pulled up into its usual ponytail. He remembered that scent it had, and how soft it felt in his talons.

"Yes, I know," he said after realizing he hadn't replied and was just staring at the woman he'd ravished only minutes ago. He laughed awkwardly, toying with his targeter, "We, ah, lost track of time."

The thief laughed, "I'll say. You two almost missed the mission."

Garrus shook his head, "I wouldn't miss it for the world."

"Good to know," she said, beginning to stroll away. He walked forward towards Shepard, and his foot got caught in one of the grates on the bridge. He didn't fall, but Kasumi noticed his slight stumble. "Careful, Garrus," she warned him. "Wouldn't want to pop anything…" He gaped at her, horrified. And with her dark little laugh, she cloaked herself before he could say or ask anything.

Is there anyone on the ship that didn't hear? It wasn't surprising to him that Kasumi overheard, actually. If she had the will, she sure as hell would find a way. Though he wasn't sure what she had to gain from listening in on that very private moment. Oh, Spirits… Is that what Joker heard? Or did Kasumi find another way to snoop? He guessed (and hoped) the latter, finally coming up behind Shepard, Mordin and Joker in the cockpit. She was huddled with the salarian a small distance away from the pilot, speaking quietly with him.

"Glad to know it went well, Shepard," Mordin was saying as Garrus approached. He leaned in close to whisper something to her and he caught the word 'chafing' before he scurried away to the other squadmates, giving Garrus a little nod and smile as he went. Fuck. Everything.

Shepard turned, and he briefly saw her light up at the sight of him. He felt himself swell happily, "Hey." Lame, Garrus. It was the best greeting he could come up with, as the sight of her made their time together come rushing back into his thoughts again, and he could do little but remember vividly the way her body had quaked beneath him. He had to force himself to stay within a respectable distance, to not reach out and touch her in some form of affection.

"Hey," she said back, giving him that little smile. But then the Shepard-face came on. She turned to Joker, "Ready?"

"Always, Commander," he replied. He nodded at Garrus, "Hope you saved some for the Collectors, Vakarian."

"Without a doubt," he said, nodding back.

Shepard was staring into the glowing redness of the Omega-4, her eyes narrowing, "Let's go get our crew back."

---

Going through the relay had proved to be quite an experience, having to dodge all kinds of ship debris the second they made their way towards the giant Collector base. The ship's armor held its own throughout the ordeal, and the engine enhancements and ship maneuvers were executed brilliantly by Joker. Shepard, Garrus, Miranda and Jacob were all in the cockpit with Joker, holding onto whatever they could to keep upright as they dodged and destroyed some Collector fighter drones.

And then… that Collector ship emerged from the base, and it came time came for the beam. The beam that had ripped the first Normandy in half, that had taken Shepard from him, from all of them. It revved up, charging bright yellow. When it fired, Garrus could feel the Normandy trembling with the pressure, but Joker had quickly dodged before it hit them and the group in the cockpit held tight and tense.

Shepard leaned forward, glaring out the window to that ship, "Time to show 'em our new teeth." She gave a confident nod to Garrus, locking eyes with him as she told Joker, "Fire the main gun."

"Oh, I've been dying to see this," he said eagerly, and he and Shepard both looked out as his flawless tuning and calibrations culminated into two, bright blue beams that obliterated their shields and caused part of the hull to explode. "YES!" Garrus yelled victoriously, pumping his fist.

But they weren't out of it yet, and he held onto the back of Joker's seat with Shepard. The Collector ship was still functional, it seemed, and they'd just pissed it off. Joker again proved his skills, dodging the ship's beam as it tried to fire at them a few more times. He was able to come in close and fire the gun again. This time, that fucking powerful beam combined with its close proximity, significant explosions erupted throughout the Collector ship, causing a final big blast that sent the Normandy flying towards the Collector base. Everyone braced themselves. The ship skidded across the surface of the base, taking its own significant damage to its hull; everyone fell to the ground with the force of the impact.

It finally stopped, and Garrus stood as the rest of the group recovered. "Joker, you okay?" Shepard asked as she stood. She was holding her side, and she grunted softly. He stepped over to her, trying to maintain a professional amount of concern for her. She saw him and shook her head, "I'm okay. Just stung a little." He restrained himself, putting his hands back at his sides.

"Ugh, think I broke a rib," Joker grumbled, holding his middle as well. He hissed, "Or all of them."

"Multiple core systems overloaded during the crash. Restoring operation will take time," EDI informed.

Miranda sighed, "Well, we all knew this was likely a one-way trip."

Shepard scoffed, "I'll do whatever it takes to stop the Collectors, but I plan to live to tell about it." She turned to Miranda, "And you better too."

Lawson nodded to her, a grateful look in her eye, "Aye, aye."

"I'm glad you're in charge," Joker said, his fingers tapping and brushing through various menus on his control panel. Garrus nodded in agreement, his eyes on her. She'd folded her arms, her back to everyone except Joker, and her feet held solid to the ground. She looked pissed off and ready. It stirred something primal in him, something deep.

"Joker, you and EDI get the ship back online," Shepard commanded, startling him out of his thoughts. He was grateful. Her silver eyes were fixated on the base, narrowed and determined. "Miranda, you gather everyone in the briefing room. We need a plan."

---

Shepard had put him in charge of one of the two teams going up the main routes to the control center, separating them. He'd felt a tightness in his chest when she made that command. He of course didn't protest, but he always had her six… He knew he was being juvenile. There were times in the past when she hadn't put him on her ground team. But this was a suicide mission. If they were going to die tonight, he'd want to die with her. He scolded himself at the thought. Don't be so dramatic.

He led his team up the path, listening in on Shepard's progress through his omni-tool and giving her reports on his. Shepard had to clear the way for Legion so it could get to the main doors' control panel. It was tense for Garrus. They were taking heavy fire, but holding their own. Shepard's team was smaller, and he worried for her. Focus, Garrus. Just get to the doors. She'll be there.

Legion got to the doors just as Garrus' group arrived, and he shot at the Collectors around them with his team when it let them through. The second door needed to be opened, and he could hear Shepard on his omni-tool. "We're in position!" she shouted from his wrist.

"Go, we'll cover you!" Garrus ordered to the geth. It obliged quickly, kneeling.

It was tapping away at the door controls expertly and effortlessly. "The door has malfunctioned. Path blocked," it informed. But moments later, the doors opened and Garrus felt a rush of relief when Shepard and her team came through. He quickly came up to her side, firing with her at the Collectors through the slim opening. Legion rose when it finished with the controls, but the doors were still closing as it swished out of Garrus' and Shepard's line of fire. A rocket came fizzling toward the geth, right at its face, but the doors closed just before the rocket hit. They all heard it explode against the door, shaking the ground below the group.

Garrus looked at Legion, "Close call there, Legion." He felt sympathy for the geth, a little surprising, but he'd had a firsthand experience with a rocket before, and it was definitely no laughing matter. Organic or not.

"That is an apt observation," it replied.

Garrus was suddenly very aware of the scars on his cheek, as if he could still feel the fresh burns. "It might not have killed you," he said, giving it a little nod as he walked past to look at what Shepard and Miranda had apparently found. He got close and his eyes widened.

They had found the crew in the Collector tubes. Chambers, Dr. Chakwas, Donnelly… Shepard walked up to one of the tubes, this one containing a colonist, and she touched it. The woman inside woke, and started to scream. Garrus watched in horror as her skin began to dissolve, the woman's face screwing up into confusion, desperation and pain. Shepard tried breaking the glass to get to her, "Get her out of there! Break the tubes!" The woman inside had already died, though, fully dissolved into human-red blood.

Garrus had started on Donnelly's tube, using the butt of his Viper to jab into the glass. The others were busting tubes, saving the crew one by one. The glass on Donnelly's tube finally gave, and Garrus snatched him out of there quickly, slapping him awake. His eyes opened and he let out a breath, "You okay?" Donnelly nodded and joined the other saved crew members and colonists. It was several minutes before everyone in the entire crew was accounted for.

He couldn't believe it. When she'd told him she'd get her crew back alive, a small part of him thought she was being naive, but now he saw he was being cynical. Of course she'd get every fucking crew member back, this was Shepard. The woman had already been through hell and back, and even died, only to come back stronger and more determined than he'd ever seen her. He shook his head at himself, looking to the ground. Shame on me.

---

Joker chimed in that he could get a come and do a pickup of any wounded, so Shepard ordered Mordin to escort the Normandy's crew and the few surviving colonists back to the ship for medical treatment. The salarian doctor readily agreed with this plan, leading the group toward the extraction point.

The next task was to get through a room full of seeker swarms while another group went through the main passage to distract Collector forces. The control center for the base was directly above them, and the seeker swarm path was the shortest way to get to the control center's passageway. Samara suggested she create a biotic barrier to surround a small group as they made their way through the swarms. Garrus felt confident with that plan, and then Miranda (rather arrogantly) suggested that she would be able to create that kind of barrier too, that "in theory, any biotic could do it." Garrus had to stop himself from rolling his eyes.

Shepard seemed to share his frustration, her eyes narrowing at Lawson briefly before announcing Samara as the biotic specialist for the barrier. Miranda at least had the good grace to blush. Shepard went back to looking at the group, surveying her options for whom to lead the distraction group for the main passage. Garrus shifted awkwardly, wondering if she'd separate them again. To his relief, she picked Jacob, and then nodded at Garrus to join her side. He stood beside her, thankful to be back. She also nodded at Miranda. Lawson raised her eyebrows very slightly, but looked glad as she stepped over to join them.

"Alright," Shepard said to their group as the others darted down the main passage, "keep pushing, people. We're almost there." Samara started up her barrier, encasing everyone as they made their way to the seeker swarm passage. "Let's do this."

---

The passage was filled to the brim with those seekers; the hiss of their wings flapping, multiplied by at least a hundred thousand created an unsettling roar throughout the entire room, chilling Garrus. But he kept up with Samara and Shepard, Miranda at the ready beside the group as they walked carefully.

A group of Collectors ambushed them, and Samara stopped to take cover while Garrus, Shepard and Miranda took them out. They made short work of them, Shepard looking back at him and Lawson to check on them, then to Samara. "Still okay?" she asked the justicar. Samara nodded and stood, motioning for the group to continue. The path was long, but Garrus could see the door just at the bottom of a hill they were approaching very slowly. He kept his eye out for more Collector troops as they walked, Lawson at his side behind Shepard, looking west while Garrus took east.

There was a last ambush from Collectors, and this group was a little bigger, and they'd brought husks. Samara went for cover, and Garrus saw she was straining slightly from keeping the barrier up. He worried for the asari, moving in front of her to defend her position. A group of husks came right at the two of them, and Garrus aimed his Revenant, blasting the creatures through with ease. "Hold on, Samara!" he called to her.

Shepard was dangerously close to the edge of the barrier, some of the Collector creatures had piled onto her section. A shotgun blast sent Shepard over the barrier line, a cry died in her throat from the force of the blast to her chest; Garrus' eyes widened in horror and he called out, "SHEPARD!" He sprinted over swiftly, skidding through the border and yanking her back before the seekers got through their shields. Garrus dragged her back in cover, taking out his Viper once Shepard was safe. He aimed at the creature that had shot at her, lining up a headshot. He glowered, fervently squeezing the trigger and sending a bullet right between its eyes. It fell dead, and then Garrus knelt beside Shepard and Samara.

Lawson had taken out the final Collectors, her biotics sending a group of them crashing into the ground. Bones cracked and skin ruptured. She was panting, and her nose was bleeding, but Garrus could see she was enjoying the rush of the fight. She shook herself out of it, hastening over to the group.

"Are you okay, Shepard?" Garrus asked softly.

She was holding her chest, her armor scuffed and cracked from the shotgun blast. "Yeah," she said, grunting as she stood. "Fuck, I'm gonna feel that tomorrow."

"Looks like you're feeling it now," Garrus said humorously, but still held concern for her. Samara was standing as well, still pushing herself to keep up the barrier. "It's just a bit further, Samara."

"One final push," Shepard added nodding.

"I'll be fine," she reassured them, although her words struggled. "But we must hurry."

The group started to walk a bit faster, and Miranda was leading Samara, making sure to check in every direction around the justicar as they made their way down the hill towards the door. A loud screech behind them sent them wheeling around.

A huge pack of husks and Collector gunmen were running right at them. Garrus sped with Lawson and Samara, Shepard close with them. The door was inches from them, and he went to hack the control panel. The husks and troops were closing in on them, and he managed to hack it open just as Samara let out a loud, tired grunt, sending her barrier flying outward into the passage. It obliterated the seeker swarms and blasted the Collectors and husks back, crushing them into the walls. He could see the adrenaline rush in Samara as well, and she let out a long satisfied breath as she looked at what she'd done. The doors closed in front of her, but she still stood there, panting.

"Well done," Shepard said to her, giving the asari's shoulder a squeeze. "You saved us all, Samara. Really, well done."

"Yes," Lawson agreed, nodding. "I'm glad you were the one, Samara. I don't think I would have had the endurance." She shuffled awkwardly, looking at the ground.

The matriarch shook her head, humbled, "Only because I have lived many centuries, Miss Lawson. Time and patience are everything."

"Very true," Garrus agreed quietly.

"In any case, we owe you for saving our asses," Shepard said.

"Ahem," Garrus coughed dramatically, giving Shepard a meaningful look.

His commander smirked, striding over to him, "And you." She snatched the front of his armor, bringing his face down close enough for her to brush her lips across his cheek. With all their armor and targeting equipment on, the action was a little clumsy, but the feeling in it was there and Garrus was glad for it. "I'd planned on thanking you properly later, but if you insist on now…" She shrugged, walking onward. He got a little knowing look from Samara, and Lawson just put her hand to her forehead, giving a soft laugh. Garrus coughed again and followed Shepard, feeling his neck darken in a flush.

---

They met up with the others at a series of floating platforms, like the ones they'd found on the derelict Reaper. Garrus gathered with the remaining squadmates, awaiting Shepard's final commands for the mission. The control center was just ahead of them, reachable by one of the floating platforms. Shepard stepped up onto one, looking out at her squad.

"Shepard, pick a team to go with you. The rest of us can stay behind and defend this position while you plant the explosive," Miranda said to her.

"Garrus, you're with me," she said, nodding to him. Again he felt relief at that, stepping up onto the platform. She still surveyed the group. He could see the gears turning in her head, calculating what she needed for this next part. Being a vanguard, Shepard was capable of a balance between heavy guns and biotics, so Garrus tried thinking in terms of that. His pick would have been Grunt. While he wasn't a powerful biotic as Wrex had been, Grunt proved to be an excellent marksman. Not to mention a fucking krogan.

"Samara, are you still good to fight?" Shepard asked finally. "Be honest, you were really testing yourself back there."

The justicar nodded, stepping up to the platform, "I am ready, Commander."

"Good," Shepard said with a nod. She looked back to the remaining squad, "The Collectors, the Reapers—they aren't a threat to us. They're a threat to everything—everyone. Those are the lives we're fighting for. That's the scale. Human, turian, quarian, krogan, salarian, drell, asari… We don't know how many lives the Collectors have stolen. Thousands, hundreds of thousands… Billions. It doesn't matter. What matters is this: Not. One. More." She paced as she spoke, looking into the eyes of every one of them, "It's been a long journey, and no one's coming out without scars. It all comes down to this moment." She stepped forward, her stance strong and solid, "We win or lose it all in the next few minutes. Make me proud. Make yourselves proud. It all ends with us." She hissed the last of her speech, the battle rage fizzing over her words, "Move out."

The platform moved as the rest of the squad howled jubilantly for Shepard. Garrus couldn't help but feel himself puff up with pride. This is the woman that wanted him. This woman was about to save the fucking galaxy, again, and she picked him. And that was reason enough for him to fight like hell in this next hour that could be his last. He'd fight for her, and her alone.

---

The tubes the colonists and crew had been put in were connected to an intricate series of pipes. Dr. Chakwas had told them the Collectors were turning humans into some kind of liquid and sending them through the pipes toward something. The platform they floated on followed the pipes for a long time, finally stopping in the control center… along with something big.

Standing before them was a human Reaper, a mechanical colossus built and powered on organic lives. The grey material that the humans were being processed into was being pumped into this… thing by five different syringes. Garrus looked at it, sickened. If the Collectors were doing this with just humans, he could only imagine the horrible things they had planned for the other races. What would they have planned for turians?

Shepard aimed her gun at one of the five syringes linked to the human Reaper, firing at it. "Destroy it," she commanded over the shots of her gun. Garrus raised his, aiming at another syringe. Suddenly, metal covers came down and hid the vulnerable glass of the syringes as groups of Collector forces came flying in to distract them.

By now, Shepard was fed up with the Collectors, Garrus could tell. She was pissed. Nothing could stop her when she was like this, he'd seen it before. Her guns were extensions of her arms and eyes, killing each man she looked at efficiently and quickly. Garrus kept an eye on the metal covers, seeing them start to lift again once the ambush troops were cleared out enough. "Now, Shepard! Shoot the glass!" He aimed and managed to break the one she'd been firing at previously, and she got another one just before the covers came back down.

"Just three more!" she shouted as she fired at the new troops coming to divert their attention. Garrus sniped a row of three of them with a single bullet, and he 'hmph'ed arrogantly, reloading. The heat sink fizzled out of the chamber, smoking as it hit the ground. Shepard looked at him, and he saw that lust again, only briefly. He matched her, brushing against her as he switched sides of their cover.

The glass was exposed again, and everyone laid waste into them. They broke within seconds of opening fire. The Reaper fell away, and Garrus made a little victory noise… but it fell short in his throat when they realized the creature was now awake and aware.

"Crap," he said flatly.

"Yep," said Shepard.

It screeched over them, the eerie glowing eyes targeting them. There was a particle beam in its mouth, Garrus could see, and he snatched Shepard down right before it fired at them. Samara was using her biotics on its eyes, apparently a weak point.

Garrus could see more troops coming in, and he turned to Shepard, "I'll take care of them, you just focus on blowing that thing up."

"I give the orders, Vakarian," she said playfully, taking out that nifty Collector beam she'd found on Horizon.

"Punish me later then!" he told her, hopping over their cover and firing head on into a pack of the ambush team.

"Now is not a good time for flirting!" Samara chastised as her biotics caused a surge in one of the Reaper's eyes, its hand coming down a little too close as it struggled to target her.

One foot on the cover wall in front of her, Shepard held the Collector beam steady, aiming it confidently. And again… that little smirk. She squeezed the trigger, and that golden beam shot straight into the creature's eye. It screeched when the beam hit and exploded the glowing orb, and then screamed as it plummeted to the bottom of the base. Strapping the gun to her back, she was grinning as she turned to Samara, "How about now?" The creature hit the bottom right as Shepard finished her question, punctuating it.

Garrus chuckled as he did the same with his gun, coming back to the two of them. "Let's blow this place up and get the hell out of here," he said.

"Please," Samara agreed.

Shepard nodded and quickly went over to the control center, Garrus and Samara gathering around her. She opened communication, putting her hand to her ear, "Shepard to ground team, come in."

"Jack here. I'm tagging them as they come, but feel free to call for an exit any time!"

"Head to the Normandy," she told her. "Joker—prep the engines. I'm about to overload this place and blow it sky high." She bent down, lifting the core out of the ground and began typing into it.

"Roger that, Commander," Joker sounded from her wrist. There was a pause, and then his voice came through again, "Uh, Commander? I've got an incoming signal from the Illusive Man. EDI's patching it through."

Samara pulled up the hologram of the Illusive Man on her omni-tool. "Shepard, you've done the impossible," he told her. No shit. Garrus folded his arms, a sense of trepidation filling him.

"I was part of a team, and many of them left their homes and their own vital missions to come along with me," she said to him, still typing at the controls. She barely looked to him.

"I know," he said. Do you? "Their sacrifices will not be forgotten. You did what you had to do, and you acquired the Collector base."

"'Acquired?'" she asked bitingly, looking over her shoulder a moment before continuing her work.

Illusive Man went on, ignoring her, "I've been looking at the schematics EDI uploaded. A timed radiation pulse would kill the remaining Collectors, but leave the machinery and technology intact."

"You've got to be kidding me," she muttered.

"This is our chance, Shepard. They were building a Reaper. That knowledge—that framework—could save us."

At that she stood and turned to face him, "This place is an abomination. They liquefied people, turned them into something horrible. We have to destroy the base." She was disgusted, her brow furrowed at his hologram.

"Don't be short sighted," he told her. "Our best chance is to turn the Reapers own resources against them."

Garrus could see that reasoning, but that didn't help the unease he had standing in the middle of a liquefied human graveyard. "Shepard, what happened here was horrible… but we have to beat the Reapers. If we destroy the base, then all these people died for nothing," Garrus offered, although only half-believing it. He knew she'd never do it. He felt sick saying the words, but he knew the turian military would do the same as the Illusive Man would, and he only wanted her to see all the angles.

"They were working with the Collectors. Who knows what information is buried there?" the Illusive Man insisted. "This base is a gift. We can't just destroy it."

Shepard was looking at Garrus, frowning. She was in deep thought, her lips pressed tightly together. She shook her head, "Garrus, if we use the base, these people are still being used. Their bodies are just fodder in here. They already died for nothing. The very least I can do for the lives that were lost is put them to rest by destroying this base."

He nodded, "You're right. I just…" He bowed his head, shaking it.

She reached out to him, touching his shoulder, "I know. This is war. It's a tough call, and I almost considered it, but…" She turned back to the Illusive Man's hologram, "Destroying this place was always the plan, so we stick to the plan. I won't let fear compromise who I am." Garrus nodded in firm agreement. Damn right. That's my girl. With that she turned back to what she was doing, and Samara cut off the Illusive Man's connection before he could protest.

Her fingers were deft and quick, setting the explosion's timer. She called Joker, confirming the extraction point, and then she turned to face them, "Let's go home."

---

Garrus stood in the Normandy's shuttle bay, his gun at his side, but he felt completely aloof to it. He looked around him, Joker with his own rifle, looking terrified but proud at what he'd done to get them back safely; having fired such an aggressive rifle, he looked in pain as he rolled his shoulder. Probably broke a few bones, Garrus guessed. He couldn't believe it. She had done it. She had done it, again. It felt so unreal to him that everyone was alive, everyone was accounted for. The rest of his squadmates came through with only minor injuries that he could see. Shepard was speaking with Dr. Chakwas and some of the other crew that were still being treated by Mordin.

She had already gotten out of her suit, he saw. And he realized she was still wearing what she'd been wearing when they were together. Well, of course she would. Wouldn't have had time to change, would she? He watched her for a moment, remembering. Her dark hair was in a disarrayed ponytail, slightly sweaty from running around in that suit. Her skin was a little sweaty too, and he could see that she was still flushed. He wanted to taste the salty sweetness of her skin again, feel how warm she was in his hands…

"So, Garrus, you and the Commander an item, now?" Joker asked, startling him. His hand came to rest on his shoulder, and Garrus wasn't sure if he was just being chummy or if he actually needed to rest his weight on him. Regardless, he didn't move it.

He turned to Joker, "I… don't really know. We, ah, didn't get that far."

"Is that right?" he asked, laughing. "Well, I guess I can believe that. You two were too busy getting tangled up in the sheets to bother answering me when I called. Twice."

Garrus laughed, "Actually… we didn't make it to the bed."

"Go Garrus," Joker said, impressed. "You work fast."

"That's what she said."

"I'm not so sure that's a good thing…"

Garrus rolled his eyes, "It was, that's not what she meant…" He paused, "At least I hope not…" He shook his head, "Anyway, how, ah, much did you hear?" He clicked his jaw nervously, thinking back to Kasumi's little hint.

Joker narrowed his eyes suspiciously, "What do you mean?"

Garrus' eyes narrowed as well, "Was Kasumi on the bridge when you called those times?"

Moreau folded his arms, wincing at the pain but kept his eyes narrowed, "No… I mean, not unless she was cloaked." He tilted his head slightly up, keeping his eyes on Garrus, "EDI, was Kasumi on the bridge when I tried calling the Commander before the mission?"

"No, Miss Goto remained in her usual lounge on deck three," EDI answered for them. Garrus looked relieved, letting out a heavy breath. "Mr. Moreau, I would advise you to ignore this… incident, and respect Officer Vakarian's privacy. As well as your Commander's." Her tone was serious, but that just made him even more curious.

"I appreciate that, EDI," Garrus said, meaning it.

"Ok, now you have to tell me what that's about," Joker insisted, laughing. He winced and held his side, "Come on, I helped you out once."

"Well, you tried to," Garrus admitted to him. "Those vids were… they weren't intended for educational means."

The pilot took a second to think about this, "Well, no… I guess not for that."

At that moment, Shepard approached them, gently placing a hand on Joker's shoulder. She gave him a stern look, "For God's sake, Joker. Go see Mordin. I won't tell you again. I'll drag you if I have to."

Garrus gave her a similar look, "I could say the same to you. How is your chest?"

Joker laughed out loud, still holding his side, "Smooth, Garrus."

He glared at him, "She took a shotgun blast to the chest that sent her into a seeker swarm."

The pilot's eyes widened and he looked to his Commander, "Hey, yeah, you okay?"

She was staring at Garrus, an unreadable look in her silver eyes, "I'm okay, but it's one hell of a bruise, even after I put medigel on."

Garrus nodded, "Just making sure you didn't break anything. Glad you didn't."

"Me too." He took a step toward her, feeling the mood shift toward something more heated. He strapped his gun to his back.

"Yeah, okay, okay, I'm going to Mordin. You can stop hassling me about it, Commander," Joker was saying sarcastically, limping away. Once he left, Shepard strolled over to Garrus, smiling gently. Her eyes had that vulnerability in them again; he could see it briefly before she pulled him down and pressed her lips to his mouth.

He embraced her as well as he could with his armor on, and he couldn't help but kiss her back with all the intensity he had. She had similar goals, offering her tongue to him and he murmured as he tasted her again. "My quarters," she breathed, quickly interrupting them before they got too hot and bothered in the middle of the shuttle bay. From what Garrus could tell, they hadn't attracted too much attention: Joker was looking over at them as he was being scanned by Mordin, and Kasumi watched on from the top of the shuttle, sitting with her arms around her knees; she gave Garrus a little wave and wink before looking away, towards Jacob.

He found himself being led to the elevator by Shepard, and he watched as she pressed the summon button. He could feel her itching to pounce on him. He could actually feel it. And he wanted her too; he wanted to be in her again. In her mouth, in her sheath… He shuddered, putting his arm around her. He couldn't feel the warmth of her through all his armor and he now understood what she meant when she said it was nice to see him out of it. It did put some distance between them, but Garrus was doing his best to close it when the elevator finally opened and the doors closed behind them.

He pressed her up against the back wall, absently slamming a fist onto the button for Shepard's quarters as he went. Her legs came up around his waist and he moaned into her mouth, feeling the elevator slowly lift them. "How do I get this off you?" Shepard asked, breathless. She was lightly tugging at one of the shoulders, trying to get it to come loose.

Garrus chuckled, "Don't break it, now."

She sighed, exasperated, "Help me." Her hips were rolling into him, reminding him of the way she moved with him. He moaned softly, returning the motions.

"I will," he told her. "But if we take all this off me in the elevator, I won't have anything wear out of your cabin. What will the crew think when I have to stroll back to the battery, naked?"

"What makes you think you'll be leaving my cabin any time soon?" she said, running her warm human tongue along his neck before her blunt teeth nibbled at him.

He shuddered and chuckled again, one of his hands sliding up her thigh to cup her rear. Shepard gasped. "Fair enough, Shepard. Fair enough," he said to her before returning to her lips. His other hand came to her rear as well, and he squeezed it. She let out a pleasurable moan, pressing her hips to his. Garrus grew impatient, feeling his cock start to slip through his plates. Turian armor didn't exactly accommodate erections, and it would be painful if it was fully out. Just as he was about to pull away from her and undo all the seals, the elevator doors opened and he quickly carried her out, still holding her up by her thighs and rear. He found he liked her legs a great deal; he liked how easily she could wrap herself around him.

Shepard unsealed the door and Garrus quickly set her on the ground, trying to hurriedly get his armor off. The braces and gloves came first, hitting the ground with brief, but heavy smacks. Then the shoulders and torso dropped with a loud thud. Finally, he lifted his legs out, only wearing a pair of bottoms underneath. His erection freed from its metal prison, it fully came out, bulging his pants and causing him to moan softly. His hand went to it, and he stroked it through the thin clothing, trying to find some relief. His hand was interrupted by Shepard's, hers snaking under his pants and exposing him to her. She knelt and he shivered, knowing what was coming. "Yes," he said lustfully, anticipating it. His hips were moving already.

And then, her tongue… He sighed, tilting his head back. He put his hands on either side of her head, not moving it, just resting there. Her lips joined her tongue, wrapping around his tip and sucking him deep into her throat. Garrus moaned out loudly, "Fuck, Shae…" She murmured at the sound of her name, her hands coming to feel the sensitive skin between his hip plates. Her five little fingers were capable of massaging him so precisely, so firmly. His breaths were staggering, and he leaned into her for balance. He could feel his legs turning useless under the intense pleasure, but he didn't dare stop her. "S-Shae… I-I'm not going t-to last l-long," he managed, looking down at her. The sight alone nearly made him release in her mouth. Her eyes were closed and she was completely lost in what she was doing to him, lovingly sucking his length. Her mouth popped off him, and one of her hands stroked him.

"Do you want me to stop?" she asked, breathless.

"Spirits, no," he panted. "Is-Is that antihistamine you took still…?" He trailed off, hoping she knew what he was asking.

She grinned, "Yes." And with that she continued with her mouth with a renewed enthusiasm, causing Garrus to throw his head back again. She was too good at this; she was too much for him. He pulled the little band holding her hair back in that ponytail, freeing her dark tresses. He ran his fingers into it, feeling how soft it was. Her mouth went low on him, taking him deep. Garrus gasped and his hands clenched in her hair. He felt his release coming and he squeezed his eyes shut. The pressure built, and his body shook with the tension. Her tongue made a few magnificent strokes to his cock and her lips tightly sucked on him for one last bob along his length before he couldn't hold back anymore.

"Shae!" he called out, echoing into her cabin. His cock burst with his seed, copious thick spurts coming out of him. "Oh, fuck me… Shae…" Gasping, he still held her head; his body teetered, threatening to slump to the ground. His legs felt like jelly.

He was still shaking when her mouth finally came off him. She cleaned him with her tongue (and watching that nearly made him release again), discreetly wiping her mouth before looking up at him with that cocky smirk. Shepard rose, putting him back into his pants. Garrus put his hands around her, noticing she hadn't undressed yet.

"Was that for saving your ass earlier?" he asked humorously, his hands on her rear. He gave it yet another playful squeeze. I'll never get tired of that…

Shepard smiled and wrapped he arms around his neck, "No, that was for that badass gun upgrade that saved all of our asses back there." She looked thoughtful, "So I guess 'yes' is the answer to that."

He buried his face in the warm skin of her neck, chuckling, "So then what about back in that corridor on the base?"

"Well, you insisted on being thanked then and there, so I thought you settled for a kiss. I couldn't very well suck your cock in front of Lawson and a justicar," she teased innocently.

He shivered at that, hearing her say it out loud, owning it. His blue eyes met her grey in a heated connection. "You make me so… crazy," Garrus told her, honestly. He looked a little shy as he admitted, "I'm… I'm crazy about you, Shae." It was all he'd let himself say. If he said what he wanted, what he really felt…

Her eyes softened to him, and she smiled, "I'm crazy about you." She pulled him back in a gentle kiss that quickly became wild and passionate, their hands groping at whatever skin they could reach.

He pulled away, but kept his mouth inches from hers, "Shae… I want to… What you did with your mouth…"

She smiled coyly, "Yes?"

"I… I want to do it for you," he said, reaching between them to feel the warmth at the apex of her thighs. Shepard gasped his name in surprise. He let his talons stroke her through her bottoms, feeling her wetness build there. He bent low to her ear, breathing, "I want to taste you, Shae…" He felt her shiver in his arms, and it made him swell with pride.

"You-You need an antihistamine," she said to him.

"Where are they?" He absently ran his other hand down her arm, while the one between her legs pressed into her little jewel of nerves. She had to bite back a moan, he saw.

"I'll show you," she managed after a moment of getting lost in his touch. She led him over to her desk and she opened a drawer, revealing several bottles of pills in varying color and size, along with two separate stacks of syringes.

"Wow," Garrus commented, impressed. "You certainly wanted to be prepared."

Her face was red, "I… I wanted to be sure we had enough."

"I think we do," he chuckled, endeared by her embarrassment. "How much free time did you think we'd have before the mission?"

"Well, not much. But this was mainly preparation for after," she told him.

He embraced her from behind, nuzzling her shoulder, "So which are mine?"

"These," she gestured to one of the different bottles of pills and one of the stacks of syringes. "Which do you want? I didn't know what type you preferred. Figured I'd get the needles if we were impatient." Garrus reached for one of the syringes.

"I think I'm feeling a little impatient," he said to her, uncapping the needle. "Where does it need to go?"

"I did my hip earlier," she said, shrugging. "Mordin said whichever large muscle."

Garrus nodded and turned away from her, not wanting to spoil the mood by stabbing himself with medicine. He pushed down on the syringe, and then took it out when it was empty. Shepard took the needle from him and put it down the medical waste chute near her bathroom door. It was then that Garrus saw the turned down picture frame on Shepard's desk; he remembered seeing it when he first came into her room before the mission, and it was turned down then, too.

But Shepard was back in front of him before he could sneak a peek at it, and he quickly forgot about the frame when her mouth was on his again. He pushed her up onto the desk, shoving the frame further behind her. She helped him with her pants, sliding them off her long pale legs hastily. He knelt, and Shepard was breathing hard, her fingertips grazing the sensitive nape of his neck. She rolled her hips toward him, and he locked eyes with her as his mouth began to kiss at her sweet, swollen pearl.

"Garrus," she sighed, closing her eyes. His tongue snaked out to taste her and she jumped a little at the contact to her sensitive bud. He took another tentative lick, a little lower. He got a fresh taste of her earthy sweetness again, and he moaned into her. Using his talons, he opened her folds and took a long lick up the center of her, savoring the taste, teasing her. But then he went back to her pearl, his mouth locking over it in a hard grip. She gasped pleasurably, her legs wrapping around his shoulders.

Turian mouths weren't built for sucking, exactly, so Garrus had to make up for it with speed and motion and precision. Things he excelled at quite proficiently. He got lost in the taste of her, moaning as his tongue spread her wetness around his mouth and her swollen lips. It was so good. And the way she kept sighing his name, the way she cried out from what he was doing to her… it inflated his ego. His cock stayed out, twitching harshly at every sound she made.

He sped his tongue up, moving his face with it to make her finish. He wanted her to gush the way she had on his cock, he wanted it in his mouth. He was moaning in anticipation, feeling the tremors starting throughout her body, in her long legs. "Gar… Garrus… I-I'm…" Her fingernails were pressing into his neck, her hands shaking. He looked up at her, and saw her flushed face. She was smiling as she gasped for him, her head thrown back and her wavy dark mane of hair flowing freely behind her. He buried his mouth harder into her pearl, alternating between aggressively rushing his tongue across it and then slowly but deliberately lapping at it, and then back to mercilessly beating it.

"Oh, my GOD!" She cried, her hips starting to buck into his mouth and her hands shakily holding onto either side of his head. Her back arched hard and she screamed, "GARRUS!" Half afraid that he'd hurt her somehow, he pulled away, only to have her legs shove him back to where he'd just been, and he felt her sheath contracting against his mouth, gushing for him. He moaned, eagerly lapping everything he could as he spread her thighs farther apart. There was so much, and it was overflowing from her, almost… squirting? He knew that was a possibility with that 'g-spot' he'd read about, but that there were some women capable of it without that kind of stimulation. To think Shepard was one of those women…

He wiped his mouth, and she stayed above him, panting wildly. Her body was shaking, occasionally twitching. Her eyes were closed, but she had the most satisfied look on her face, and Garrus felt his ego inflate bigger than the room, this cabin, than the Normandy itself. He laughed softly, "You know, I read about that… I didn't know you could do it, Shae. Well, I should say, I didn't think I'd be so lucky."

"Yeah," she laughed shakily, still recovering. "That was… That was new."

He didn't know if she was intentionally quoting him from earlier, but either way it made him join her laughter. "So, you've never done that before?" he asked her, rising and leaning over her form.

Her face was red as she panted, "No…" Forget the Normandy, his ego was bigger than the entire galaxy at that point. And she could see that look in his eye, too, poking him, "Look at you, getting all cocky."

"I distinctly remember you saying you love that about me," he teased.

"I do." Again, that vulnerable honesty showed in her grey eyes.

He chuckled softly, burying his face in her neck and hair, "Tell me more about how I'm your favorite." She laughed, squealing as he tickled her with his mouth and jaw. He lifted her from the desk and she wrapped those long legs around him, his hands supporting her rear. He started towards the bed when there was a loud chime that came from the ceiling. They both winced at the awful noise.

"Commander, sorry to interrupt again, but Admiral Hackett is requesting to see you immediately via vid comm. He says it's urgent."

Shepard sighed exasperatedly, giving Garrus a look that was half-apologetic, half-pleading. "Seriously?" she asked aloud, although he wasn't sure to whom.

"I tried to tell him you were busy, but like I said, he said it's urgent. Oh, and EDI had a smart idea to have the little chime play before I get patched through to your room. You know… in case."

"'In case,'" Shepard repeated to Garrus sarcastically. He laughed and let her down.

"Is it loud enough?"

"Yes," they both answered dully.

Shepard sighed sadly, "I'll be there in a minute. Let him know, Joker."

"I will. And, sorry Garrus. Joker out."

"I hope we make it to the bed this time," he sighed, looking longingly at it.

"We will," she promised him, laughing softly as she went over to pick up her pants. She put them on quickly, strolling back over to him when she was dressed. She kissed him warmly, her arms around him. It was long and thorough and mesmerizing; he was dazed when she pulled away. "You stay put, Vakarian. That's an order," she said to him with her cocky smirk. She turned on her heel and left through the doors.

Garrus sighed, and then stretched. That woman would be the death of him, but in the best way possible. He'd jump into hell a thousand times if it meant he could be with her like this. He was surprised at how easy it was for them. They had done their research, sure, but it was another thing entirely to actually employ it so well. He could feel himself heat up when he remembered the way she'd screamed a moment ago. His name, no less. He had just made Commander Shepard scream his name in ecstasy, and he would never forget that. Ever.

He looked over to her desk, seeing the various datapads and decorations in disarray from their activities. Remembering the picture frame, he walked over and found it among the cluttered items. He turned it over and his eyes widened. It was a picture of Alenko. She'd turned down a picture of Alenko she'd kept up in her cabin. He shifted awkwardly, staring at it. Part of him felt a little guilty, but the other part… Was there something bigger than the galaxy? He wondered how long it had been turned down like that. At least right before he came over…

"EDI," Garrus asked the empty room quietly.

"Yes, Officer Vakarian?" the AI answered diligently.

He sighed, "You really don't have to address me as 'Officer', EDI. I haven't been with C-Sec in a long time."

"'Officer' is your official title in the Normandy's records," she told him. "It dates back to the original Normandy. It is noted you left C-Sec in those files, but Shepard still had you listed as an Officer. She felt you deserved a title on her ship, seeing as you were there with her for nearly every mission."

"Oh," he said, feeling warmed at that knowledge.

"What is it you require of me?"

"Oh," he said again, remembering. "I, ah… I was wondering if you knew how long this picture had been turned down."

"After Horizon. Shepard spent a long time at her desk before turning the frame down. She was very upset that day."

Garrus remembered. Alenko had made him so incredibly angry with the way he dismissed Shepard at every turn. She tried to explain to him, but he refused and insulted her, guilted her. He remembered the shock on Shepard's face, the incredulous look of complete betrayal. He'd wanted to lash out at Kaidan for shutting her down, to pull his gun on him and force him to apologize to the woman that saved his ass on Virmire, not to mention getting him off the damn Normandy when the Collector's hit it two years ago.

He shuddered uncomfortably at that thought. He hated thinking about the first Normandy's demise. Of Shepard's death. He'd seen it. He hadn't told her, but he'd seen her body leave the ship. He'd seen those last moments of panic she had before her oxygen had run out and his escape pod flew towards the nearest planet. It was terrifying. And all he'd been able to do is watch. Losing her was the worst moment of his life. There were times he had nightmares about it, before they met up on Omega. And even after, there were times he'd wake in the battery and have to take deep breaths to calm down. She wasn't gone.

"Your heart rate is rising, Officer. Are you alright?"

Garrus shook himself out of his thoughts, "Yes… yes, I'm fine. Just… bad memories." He perked up, straightening. He had a thought, putting the picture back down where it was and looked up slightly, "EDI, will you tell the Commander I'm gathering a few of my things if I'm not back by the time she is?"

"She gave you an order. Sure you want to disobey?" the AI teased.

He laughed starting to put on his armor, "Well, no. But do you want to help me out? Give me updates on her location while I'm making my way to the battery?"

"Shall I distract her if she starts back before you do?"

"That would be lovely, EDI. Thank you," he said to her, finishing putting on his gloves and bracers. He'd become pretty efficient at putting his armor on all these years, having gotten it down to a science. After he finished, he got on the elevator and pushed the button for deck three.

---

Garrus was greeted with a roar of celebration from the mess hall as soon as the elevator doors opened. Great. No chance of getting through here without being seen. He came around the bend to see his squadmates gathered around with the crew, drinking merrily and eating heartily. He liked seeing that. For such a long time, the mood on the ship had been grim and tired and hopeless. The Reapers were still out there, but for tonight, they'd won. And everyone deserved to celebrate.

He tried snaking his way around the crowd, hunched down behind the outer edge of people. But the thing about being the only turian on the ship… he was the only turian on the ship.

"Garrus!" Jack shouted from the center, a vial of purple alcohol in her hand. She was a little unbalanced, but he could tell she still had most of her faculties. "Coming up for air?"

"Heh, for now," he called to her.

"Join us!" Tali urged him. She was standing not too far from Jack, raising a bottle of dextro vodka he recognized. "At least do a shot!"

"You and me, Vakarian. Drinking contest, now!" Grunt shouted, slapping a hand on his shoulder. His knees buckled under the krogan's strength (but it was mostly because he wasn't ready).

Garrus laughed, "I'll have to take a rain check, Grunt. The Commander expects me back shortly." He nodded at Tali apologetically, and she made a rude gesture with her hand.

"There's an idea," the krogan laughed. "No, let's fly back to Tuchanka. I should get started on some of those breeding requests I earned." That earned a roar of laughter that let Garrus slip away down the hall mostly unnoticed, pondering Grunt's choice of words. He waved at other crew members and finally came to his door.

Inside, he locked the door behind him and started to quickly undo the seals again on his armor and change back into his tunic. He also grabbed his shower supplies, along with another bottle of turian red he had stashed away. Again, it wasn't a great red, even cheaper than first bottle he'd brought up to her, but it was what he had.

On his way back out, he grabbed some bread, both dextro and levo, before quickly slipping back into the elevator. "How are we doing, EDI?" he asked, adjusting the various objects in his arms.

"She is finished speaking with Admiral Hackett, but I have informed Joker of our plan, so he is distracting the Commander."

"Is he doing well?"

"Very. But I will say that he has been trying to find out what Miss Goto heard, both from Miss Goto herself and the Commander."

He shifted, "And?"

"He still doesn't know."

"Good," he nodded, relieved. Once he was at the top floor again, he slipped through the doors and started to set up the bread and wine. He saw their basically full glasses from earlier and he chuckled to himself. He put the new wine flask with the other, and then went over to her desk. He straightened up the datapads and her various office supplies and decorations, before finally settling on the picture. He slid it back to where he guessed it had been, still face down, shrugging when he finished.

His eyes settled on the model display, looking at the various ships. She had a small collection of geth fighters in one corner, and he'd been examining those when EDI came on again.

"The Commander is on the elevator, Officer Vakarian. She will be with you shortly."

"Thank you for your help, EDI."

"You're welcome. Have fun," the AI added in a sing-song voice. "Logging you out."

Garrus sighed, letting out a small laugh. He went and sat on the foot of the bed, damned determined now to spend some time with Shepard there. He bounced briefly, feeling the comfort. Terribly hard. No wonder her back and shoulders bother her so much.

"You left," he heard a firm, familiar voice say.

Garrus looked up to her as she descended the small staircase, "I did. I grabbed us some more wine, and some bread."

"I see that," she said, giving the coffee table a quick smile before she strolled over to him. She slid her warm body over his, straddling him. "What is that now… three disobeyed orders? Whatever am I going to do with you, Garrus Vakarian?"

He chuckled, "I believe it was one disobeyed order, the other two punishments we can chalk up to insubordination." He roamed her body, his talons playing at the waistband of her pants. He wanted to rip them off her and taste her again. Make her scream for him again.

She was slowly riding his lap, up and down, up and down. Rolling her hips into him, rooting him where he was. "Seems you need a lesson in knowing your rank, Officer," she said, tugging at his tunic. He took it off as quickly as he could, throwing it away in a random direction. Her fingers explored his chest, the soft skin of her hands going beneath his plates. He toyed with the hem of her shirt, giving her a small pleading look. She grinned, obliging. When the shirt came off and away, Garrus took a sharp breath.

"Shae…" he croaked weakly. The bruise was vast and ugly, nearly covering her entire upper chest, reaching to her collarbones and just above her breasts. It was dark, but varied in color with some swelling. It was a dark, inky purple in the worst areas, and it gradually turned murky red around the outer edges. He tentatively raised a talon to the outer rim, gently tracing it. His eyes full of concern, guilt and shame, Garrus looked up at her, "Are you okay?"

The warmth in her eyes melted him, and she held his face in her soft hands, "Yes. You saved me."

Garrus shook his head, still looking at the terrible bruise, "If I'd been a few seconds later… If husks had overwhelmed me…" He looked away, shivering.

"Overwhelm you?" she scoffed with a laugh. "No way." When he didn't look back at her, she nudged his face, "Hey…"

"I'm serious, Shae… I…" He met her silver eyes, "I can't lose you again. It was so hard the first time. And there was nothing I could do. I just had to watch. I… I saw it happen, Shae... Right before the escape pod sped off, I saw you."

"Garrus…"

"Those fucking Collectors… They took you from me once, from all of us," he said bitterly. He remembered how Wrex nearly had to dislocate Garrus' shoulders to get him to stop fighting for the door. He'd shouted her name then. Her real name. Wrex had known Garrus started to feel something for Shepard towards the end there, before Garrus had known himself. But back then, with Alenko still in Shepard's life, and with their species differences, he didn't realize how much more he'd felt for her until the night the Collectors hit the Normandy.

Her fingertip traced his jaw, "And you didn't let them do it again."

He nodded, "That's right." He brought his hands up to her face, holding it and looking into her beautiful eyes before brushing against her lips. "I won't leave your side again, Shae," he promised her quietly once they parted.

She shook her head, her silvery eyes watered as she placed one of her hands on his wrist, "Garrus, you never have."

And he just mauled her, wanting to show her everything she made him feel, everything she did to him; he wrapped his arms around her tight (but not so much he bothered her bruise), falling backwards into the bed. He ran his hands down her waist, over her hips; he found he liked the curve of her hips as well, right before his hands found their way to his favorite spot. He started tugging on her pants right as she started tugging on his, and they both paused a moment to fully undress.

She covered him once they were both naked, letting him feel every bit of warmth on her body. "I want you," she whispered to him, rocking against his exposed cock. He moaned, feeling her hips' motions with his hands. He couldn't help it anymore: he slipped inside her. She cried out pleasurably at his abrupt invasion, and she widened her thighs, welcoming him. He let out his own loud cry, being enveloped in her taut, soaked sheath once again.

"Shae," he breathed, bringing a hand up to her hair. He ran his talons through it, feeling the sweaty dampness.

She was riding him, her little hands pressed against his chest for leverage as her hips rolled and bucked against his. She was moving slow, savoring him. "Garrus…" Her eyes closed and her soft pink lips were parted as she gasped for him. He met every motion she gave him, pressing up hard to go deep inside her. She would squeeze him forcefully when he did this, and it would nearly send him into a bucking fit every time. She can just do that? Humans are fucking incredible… He started thrusting upward into her, wanting to speed up. She gasped sharply and let out a pleasured cry, grinding down on him.

He chuckled softly, both his hands on her hips, "I think someone likes turian cock."

Her eyes were still closed, but she was smiling as she chewed her lip. She took a few moments to enjoy him before meeting his eyes with her grey, "Maybe I just like yours."

Garrus leaned up to her, wrapping his arms around her waist as she rode him. "Trying to make me blush?" he baited. Of course, she already had, many times (including now). But he could tell she didn't know what a blushing turian looked like, and he'd been grateful for that.

She didn't answer, but clung to him when she kept striking against that good spot inside, crying out. Garrus fell backward again, letting her take control once more. Her hips went double-time now as she bounced on him, and she threw her head back. He loved watching her like this, completely unhinged. "That's it," he growled at her, his eyes darting down to watch where they were connected, watching her wetness spill down them. He growled even deeper, loving the sight. "Spirits, Shae! Fucking ride me!" He bucked up inside her in a frenzy and she screamed.

"GARRUS!" She was slamming down on him, inches from her release, wetness overflowing from her. He was holding onto her for dear life, feeling the tension build for himself. He told himself to hold it, hold it until she was there too. It was right there in front of them both, begging for them to reach for it. Her gasps were frequent, coming to a head. And as she made one final push downward, one final good thrust, it all came crashing down on them. She screamed his name once again, up at the window above them, out into the void of space.

He came so hard his head threatened to explode with the sheer force of pleasure. His cock spouted inside her, generously coating her with his seed. Garrus panted, beyond exhausted. His hands stayed at her hips, kneading them as his chest heaved. "Shae, I… That was…"

Her pale skin was flushed as she smiled down at him, coming close to lay her head down on his chest, "Hell yeah, it was." She gave him one little kiss before sliding off him with a soft sigh. She pulled down the covers of her bed and helped him crawl under them with her. Once settled, she cuddled into the crook of his arm and draped one of her legs over his side, and he started to trace along her thigh with his talon.

"If you told me three years ago, I'd be laying right here, having done what we just did, I'd have laughed," he told her, looking up at the stars outside the window.

"Laughed?" she asked him. He could feel her looking at him.

"Wouldn't you have?" he asked her, meeting her eyes. "Cross-species intercourse probably wasn't high on your list back in those days."

She considered this, "Well, no… but I don't think I would have laughed." She gave him a pointed look, and he became sheepish.

"I didn't mean… No, Shae. I meant, if you told me I'd be in bed with Commander Shepard, decorated Alliance Navy war hero, the first human Spectre, savior of the Citadel and the Council… I'd have laughed. What would a woman like that see in a failed C-Sec Officer and vigilante?" He laughed bitterly, looking down and shaking his head.

She rolled her eyes, "Well, what would a dashing and noble turian, a fearless defender of justice, see in some silly human with fancy armor and random title?"

Garrus barked a laugh, "'Noble'… Shae, no one has ever used that word to describe me. Or dashing, for that matter." He kept laughing, but once he recovered, he looked down at her warmly, "And 'silly' is the last word I'd use to describe you."

"What's the first?" she flirted, rubbing her thigh against his leg.

He ran his mouth along her neck, snaking his tongue out to taste her skin, "Deadly." He kissed her there, "And right after that? Sexy. Although right now, they're switching places a lot."

He could hear her smile, "I didn't think turians found humans attractive."

"This turian has had a very recent change of heart," he chuckled and she joined him. He looked down at her, "But I know for a fact humans don't find turians attractive, at least outside of the ones with alien fetishes." Turians had often been associated with birds, and humans quickly found ways to incorporate that into insults. 'Harpy bastard' was one he was often called by the more confrontational humans he worked with in C-Sec, a term that was rapidly becoming a slur throughout the galaxy. And he'd also overheard a group of human females talking amongst themselves when he and another turian officer he worked with were passing by call them 'pointy weirdos'. He looked at her suspiciously, "Do you… really find me dashing?"

Her hand went to his unscarred cheek, tracing along his jaw. "I do, but I'm not sure what it is about you. I mean, I don't find other turians attractive," she shrugged, grinning at him. Then she suddenly went thoughtful, "Well, no, I take that back actually. Turians… you all seem to have very distinct voices. Every turian I've ever met has had some kind of deep, memorable voice." Her face turned pink, "And yours is… particularly nice."

"'Particularly'," he repeated curiously, his voice going low, pleased at this news. "Is that right?" He thought back to their earlier times together that evening, when he'd whispered in her ear and she'd shuddered. "You like it that much?"

"Yes," she confirmed, laughing softly.

"Noted," he said in her ear, making her shiver. He once again let his tongue taste her skin, "How long have you felt that way about it?"

His ministrations were tickling her slightly, and she wriggled in his arms, giggling, "Not long after you boarded the Normandy the first time."

"Really?" he asked, almost hesitantly. He broke from her neck, meeting her eyes.

Shepard looked back at him confidently, "Yeah… When you first came on the ship, you said I looked like someone who could get things done. You believed in me. And for it being my first time on the Citadel, having just been made a Spectre and also just been given the deadliest mission in the galaxy, to have a stranger say that and want to join my crew meant so much to me, Garrus. And it didn't hurt that you were a skilled marksman. You and I took out those thugs in that medical center in seconds. I definitely wanted you on my squad." She shook her head, "Anyway, I think that's how you got to be my main man on every mission. I'd wanted to you to really see how Spectres do their jobs. Well, how I do my job. I never really gave much thought to the title or let it change who I was; I'm just me. So I took you with me wherever I went those first few weeks on the ship, made sure it was worth leaving C-Sec."

"I've never looked back, Shae," he said earnestly. "Best decision I ever made."

"Leaving C-Sec, or joining me?" she asked, kissing his cheek.

"You," he said simply.

She looked bashful again, but she cuddled into him, continuing, "So, during that time, I figured out I really liked fighting with you, and we were good together. We found a good system—you, me, and Wrex. I'd spend a lot of time in the shuttle bay with you guys, listening to the stories you had and getting to know you two. That's when I started to really like your voice. I'd always make a point talk to you last when I'd make my rounds, because I tended to take a little longer with you—on purpose, because I enjoyed our conversations, but also because your voice kept rousing… confusing feelings." Her face was still a little pink, but she was looking up at him.

He kissed her shoulder, "And do you still do that now?"

"Of course," she said to him, brushing her lips against his mouth, "I always save the best for last." Damn right. Garrus felt light as air from that. She sighed, "And I always found it surprising that a turian would want to shadow a human Spectre. I thought there was still a lot of bitterness between our species, but you were different. I haven't met a lot of turians that didn't look down their nose at me the second I met them."

"Hmph," he muttered, still tracing her thigh. "I don't doubt that… But I'm not a stranger anymore, am I?" He said it low in her ear as his talon dipped between her thighs, and she parted them for him, sighing.

"Definitely not," she said, closing her eyes.

"I love your sheath," he breathed quietly, feeling her. She was still wet, and his seed was spilling out of her profusely. He growled at the sight.

She let out a small laugh, her eyes still closed, "My what?"

"This," he breathed as his talon entered her, and became completely enthralled by her heat.

She grunted softly, letting him probe her, "Mm, that what turians call it?"

"More of a slang term," he told her, gently taking his talon out of her. Before he could taste her, she gently took his wrist and brought his talon to her mouth, sucking it clean. He growled again, "You are so sexy."

Her lips came off his finger with a soft popping sound and she gave him a coy smile, "Back at you, big guy."

"That the first word you'd use to describe me?"

"Big?" she asked, taking hold of his length. He was still out, and her hand felt so good. He moved his hips with her, groaning quietly. "Oh yeah… And these?" she ran her fingertip along the ridges of his cock making him shudder at the light touch, "They're heaven."

"Mm," he murmured, his eyes closed as she continued to stroke him, "I was thinking of the word 'sexy' but I'll take it. Spirits, I'll take it gladly." Her grip got stronger and it made him groan out loudly. He finished in her palm, his hips jerking and bucking in a brief but surprisingly strong orgasm. He watched as his seed spilled over her hand and dripped onto the sheets below. She brought her hand up to her mouth, licking it off while meeting his eyes. Another growl rumbled deep in his chest and he darted under the covers, slid down her body till he was right at her sex, and proceeded to pleasure her until she kicked and moaned and flooded his mouth over and over, until she had to beg him to stop.

"God," she panted once he came back up to her, settling at her side. "How are you so fucking good at that?"

"Previous human lovers not up to snuff?" he asked, chuckling at her flushed face. He was wiping his mouth and jaws, having greedily and eagerly drank her wetness. He looked down at her warmly, drunk on her.

"Not even close."

"Then they should have done their homework like I did," he stated arrogantly, earning a hearty laugh from Shepard. She cuddled back into him, and he pulled her leg back where it had been, over his hip. His hand took a detour on the curve of her rear to give it a squeeze before returning to her thigh once more. He loved how warm and soft her skin was, burying his face in her neck. He sighed. He could stay here with her forever, easy.

"I saw you reorganized my desk, there," she said to him, jerking her head in that direction.

"Hm, yes… I saw something… interesting," he said, flicking his tongue against her earlobe.

She giggled at the action, tilting her head for him to get better access, "Is that right?"

"Mm," he murmured, coming up to meet her eyes, "part of me feels guilty we did such a naughty thing practically on top of that picture…"

"Only part of you?" she asked with a laugh. "And the other part?"

Garrus pretended to nonchalantly examine his talons, "Well, you know me…" He gave her a cocky little sideways glance. She threw her head back and laughed out loud. I love that laugh…

"You're terrible."

"You didn't stop me," he said. He pulled her close, "And I'm not sure if I'd have been able to."

"Mm, you did say you loved my sheath," she said, trying out the foreign word.

He nuzzled the top of her head, "That I do… and I love hearing you say that."

She looked up at him, pushing her hips into his, "So if this is a sheath… what does that make yours?" She leaned into the crook of his neck, "A sword?"

He chuckled, leaning back into her ear, "A spear…" She shivered and he exhaled against her skin, earning a small groan from Shepard. "Although, cock is pretty common among all species…"

"Turians love their weapon analogies," she said, pulling away to smirk at him.

Garrus groaned, "Oh, Spirits… I've been teased about that so much tonight."

"By who?" she asked, amused at this. He explained to her what happened with Kasumi on the bridge, and Shepard covered her mouth, her eyes full of sympathy. "Oh, you poor guy… Oh no, Garrus," she cooed, reaching out to hold him.

He rolled his eyes, "Oh, don't coddle me, Shae…"

She laughed, "I'm not, I'm not. How do you think she heard?"

Garrus shook his head, "I don't know, but it wasn't whenever Joker paged us before the mission. I found that out after." He covered his face with his hand, "If he ever found out…"

"If I may, Commander…" the ship's AI interjected, startling them both.

"You know how she did it, EDI?" Shepard asked towards the intercom.

"Yes, Commander. Miss Goto usually stays in the lounge on deck three, which is coincidentally directly under the captain's cabin. There is an air vent under your couch that travels through all the decks directly below it. While the sound from your cabin was muffled for decks two and four, Miss Goto was able to use a custom program on her omni-tool to make the sounds clearer. I disabled it once I was aware of its presence."

"When was that?" Shepard asked. Garrus closed his eyes, wondering how much the Kasumi had heard this time.

"Due to the cloaking programs she also has installed on her omni-tool, I didn't become aware until right before the mission. Some of the programs she used I copied into the Normandy's systems for the future. She is a clever tech expert, Commander."

"Well, at least she didn't hear us this time," Shepard told Garrus with a little laugh.

"No, I think the entire ship heard you this time," he teased her, and she poked him, her laugh becoming louder.

"Thank you, EDI," she told the AI.

"Happy to help, Commander. Logging you out."

Shepard recovered from her laughter, taking a deep breath, "Okay, so can I tell you something that might make you feel better?"

"Please." He looked at her curiously, his hand going to her hip.

"Well, you know how I make my rounds, right? I go and see everybody, make sure they have all they need, make some small talk, whatever…" He nodded, waiting for her to continue. "Well, this was before you and I had our little stress relief conversation, mind you… Anyway, I don't think Mordin is used to someone checking up on him so often… and, well, he may have gotten the wrong idea."

Garrus was laughing into her shoulder, "Oh, no… He made a pass at you?"

And that's when she started to laugh, "No, just the opposite. He told me he wasn't interested, but that he didn't blame me because apparently it happens to him a lot."

"Is that so?"

She shrugged, "Constantly, he says. Turian, krogan and asari have all come up to him. Turians seem to like his coloring, and krogan like salarian flexibility. He said the asari offers he's gotten were intriguing, that he wasn't sure what it was that attracted them to him." She grinned, "But he did say, if he intended to try human, he'd try me."

"So what did you say to all this?" Garrus asked, curious.

"I thanked him for letting me down easy and I didn't go back to check on him for the next couple of missions. I was embarrassed with the idea I'd given him." She sighed, "But I was pretty flattered that a salarian would try me." She laughed, "The way he said it kind of implied that I would readily accept that proposal." She paused, her eyes widening a little, "Maybe he was making a pass at me… in his way."

Garrus laughed at her expression. "It doesn't really surprise me," he said to her. "Shae… I don't think you realize the, ah, impression you've made on this galaxy. Even before Saren."

"What?" she asked, tilting her head.

"With aliens, I mean. I know you're popular with humans, but aliens take notice, too. You'd made a pretty big name for yourself even before we met on the Citadel. Especially after Elysium. Military accomplishments are very well received in the turian community, and I don't see salarians thinking all that different. Or krogans." He scratched the back of his neck, thinking back to that comment Grunt made in the mess earlier. "Among turians, Shae, you are… a popular fantasy."

"Really?" she said, absolutely scandalized at this news. She grinned, "So were you one of the turians crushing on me before I got to the Citadel?"

Her wording confused him, "I… never wanted to crush you..."

She laughed, "No, it's a human term. Having a crush on someone, or crushing on someone means you like them. That you fantasize about them."

"Ah," he said, realizing. "Well, if I'm being honest, at the time I didn't. But I'd overheard a lot of my fellow C-Sec officers talking about you on several occasions, and that's what got me… curious about you. I didn't start looking you up on the extranet until I'd heard about Eden Prime and the suspicious things about Saren that happened there. I'd read the reports obsessively. I was so focused on getting the bad guy then, so ready to take them down with no questions asked..."

"I remember," she said, nodding. "You were passionate about taking down Saren. Understandably," she added.

"I was," he said quietly. "But I did change there, for a while when things settled down after we got him. After the Collectors, though, I…" He shook his head, not meeting her eyes.

He felt her sigh, "It's pretty easy for me to forget I was gone for two years… When they told me it had been that long, that I had been dead…" Her hand spread across his chest, "I'm sorry, Garrus."

"It wasn't your fault, Shae. You don't need to be sorry," he said earnestly.

"Someone has to be…"

"Not you." He held her tight, wrapping his arms around her. She kissed him and he let her into his mouth to taste his tongue, murmuring softly. "I'm just so glad you're back," he whispered. He pulled her on top of him and he ran his talons through her hair. He wanted to say it to her so badly, to let it out there in the open. To own it, like a true turian would. It felt like the perfect moment to say it to her, but Garrus refused to let himself do it. As much as he knew it, as much as he felt it to the very bone and with every cell in his body, he would not say it. He could not bring himself to potentially screw up the greatest thing that had ever happened to him.

His thumb stroked her cheek, and she leaned into his touch. Her eyes softened, and she gave him a quiet smile, "I'm crazy about you, too." Garrus let out a soft groan. Fuck it, she knows. He quickly rose, letting her sit in his lap. He just kissed her, taking her face in his hands, trying to make it as tender and intimate as he could. She sighed and it encouraged him, tilting her head back.

"Shae," he breathed when he parted from her, "before the mission… You said… You said you cared about us." Garrus looked down, taking her hand in his. He held it, her five fingers finding an easy fit in his three.

"I did," she said, nodding.

He was taking deep breaths, calming himself. If she was serious about this… about the two of them… "I just… I didn't know if things with you and… Alenko," he babbled on, his other arm around her waist.

Shepard squeezed his hand in hers, "Garrus, you were there when we saw each other again. You saw how he hurt me. As far as I'm concerned, it's over with him. I'm pretty sure it was over before the Collectors hit us that time. I want you, Garrus." She lifted his head, "I've… I've wanted you since long before that… You're about the only friend I've got left in this screwed up galaxy, and whatever Kaidan and I had isn't even a fraction of what I've felt here with you tonight. Not just tonight, even. Our friendship is something I treasured more than what I had with him." Something was off about her tone, something that made dread settle in him.

"Shae… Why do I feel like you're saying goodbye?" He looked up at her, searching her face. Then he remembered the call she got after the mission, cementing the dread in him, "What did Admiral Hackett want?"

And he saw it. Sadness. Her frosty eyes watered, and she shook her head. "I can't," she whispered. She took a moment to compose herself, "I can't say…"

It pained him, and he grew suspicious. He wiped away a tear, wanting to lament himself, "How much time do we have, Shae?"

She bowed her head, "Till morning." She took a deep breath before facing him again, "Then I'm having the squad dropped off."

"All of us?" he asked, eyes widening. "You're going alone?"

She shook her head, "I have to. It's the way it has to be." He started to protest, but she stopped him, "I can't say any more than that, Garrus…" She shook her head again, angrily, to herself. When she spoke again, she chose her words very carefully, "There's a mission I have to go on, I have to be alone; it isn't technically Alliance business, but it does concern vital agents in deep cover… and Reapers are involved. That's why it's so important."

Garrus looked at her sternly, "If it has anything to do with the Reapers, I should be there."

She sighed, sympathy in her silver eyes, "If it were my mission, you'd come along in a heartbeat. But Hackett has insisted it be a solo operation."

Garrus growled to himself, looking away from her, "I don't like it." He took a deep breath, feeling a terrible ache in his chest before he asked, "So what happens after? Where do you report when the mission's over?"

She didn't answer right away, and he looked up at her pointedly, begging her wordlessly. "I don't know," she told him honestly. "They haven't said."

The dread didn't leave him, and grief began to pile on top of it. "Of course," he muttered to himself bitterly. "Of-fucking-course…" How could he have possibly believed he'd have all the time in the world with her after the Collectors? How could he think they could just be together? Like normal people?

"Garrus," she choked. Her lovely eyes were watering, spilling tears that he quickly wiped away.

His bitterness dissolved, and he embraced her, "We won't say goodbye, Shae."

Shepard held onto him tight, nodding into his neck, "Okay."

"We're going to the Citadel tomorrow," he whispered to her. "I still have a crappy little apartment there. Not sure what you'll make of a turian bed, but hopefully we can make that work. And while we're there we'll just live like two normal people with normal lives and normal problems." He could feel the emotion in his throat, and he took a deep breath, pushing it away. "And you'll put on a pretty dress, and I'll take you out to dinner. We'll eat, we'll drink, we'll laugh… and when we get back to my crappy little apartment, it'll just be us. No one is going to ask us to go on dangerous missions, or get our hands dirty." He chuckled into her ear, "Well, I don't know about you, but I plan to get my hands dirty…"

Shepard let out a noise that was partly a sob, but mostly a laugh, and she pulled away to look at his face. She kissed him, both hands on either side of his head as she gave him everything she had. "I am crazy about you, Garrus Vakarian."

He tucked her hair behind her ear, looking up at her warmly, "And I'm crazy about you, Shae Shepard."

---

When morning came, Garrus rolled over and made sure she knew how much he'd miss her. He made love to her in bed, and in the shower before they dressed. It was slower those times, much more loving and less frenzied. He said her name quietly, and she'd whimpered his. And when the moment rushed over them, they quaked in each other's arms. There was so much pain in her, and there was so much pain in him; again, it wasn't fucking fair.

Shepard had made the call for the squad to report to the shuttle bay. It would drop them all off on Omega so they could have transport wherever they needed it. Garrus knew he'd go to Palaven. He needed to see his father and his sister again. He also needed to make as much noise about the Reapers as possible. Even if the turian government wouldn't listen, even if they wouldn't believe him, he had to do his part; and hope it would bring Shae back to him, somehow. The whole galaxy was going to have to work together when the Reapers finally came and everyone finally believed them; and knowing the Council, knowing every political force they'd encountered since the beginning, they were going to employ Shepard's help.

They stood at her cabin door, Shepard in his arms. Her hair was still wet from her shower, but she'd put it up. Her skin was clean and flowery fresh again. Garrus sighed, burying his face in her neck one last time. She kissed him and her tongue tasted him and teased him.

Her eyes were pleading when she parted from him, and he shook his head at her, "Now, now… We're going out tonight, remember?" Her eyes watered, and he embraced her again. "You're going to wear that pretty dress—"

"A blue dress," she added, smiling into his neck.

"Hm," he murmured in her ear, "a pretty blue dress, that's right. And we're going to that new sushi place on the Silversun Strip. I got us the best table in the house." He took her hand in his, leaning his head against her ear, "And after that, I'll take you dancing."

"You know I can't dance, Garrus," she said with a sad laugh, her voice breaking at his name.

"Don't worry," he told her, feeling himself slip up in his emotions. His arms wrapped around her tight, and he cradled the top of her head, "I can teach you. I know all the steps…"

When he watched the Normandy depart from the port at Omega, Garrus vowed to himself he wouldn't hesitate the next time they were together. He wouldn't waste another second he had with her. If he had learned anything in the last three years about that woman, it was the one thing he was absolutely sure of: he hadn't seen the last of Shae Shepard.

Alright, so that's my first Mass Effect fanfiction. Not sure if there's more of them yet or not. I DO know that I'll write some more parts to this. They may or may not be as long, though. I hope you all enjoyed it, and please review!

Glacier