This is a one-shot based on my FemShep who is in a romantic relationship with Garrus. I hope you all like it and feel free to leave any thoughts or comments. Thank you, and Happy Easter! Note: I do not own any of the characters from the Mass Effect franchise or Doctor Who series.

The Master of Time and Space

Garrus sat alone in the main battery of the Normandy. Joker had flown the ship to a tropical planet in an attempt to get away from the noise of rebuilding the galaxy.

"I think we've earned a little shore leave," he had said.

Garrus rested his head against the main gun. He actually didn't know the ship could get this quiet. With the crew outside, there was no noise to distract from the soft whirring of the Normandy. Liara, Tali, EDI, and even Kaidan had come to Garrus on separate occassions, trying to coax Garrus out of the ship and at least try to enjoy himself. He declined each one, stating that he wanted to be alone but that he would be with them in spirit, and each one looked at him worriedly before reluctantly walking away.

Garrus closed his eyes. He tried to imagine what the planet looked like: a bright sun, warm but not harsh, cool, blue waters that gently washed against the silky white sand. He imagined feeling the waters lapping against his bare feet or the warm sand sifting through his talons. But then he imagined a human woman joining him, her head resting against his shoulder and intertwining her hand with his, laughing and joking about how she thought he didn't like the water.

Suddenly, the tropical planet changed. Garrus couldn't see the waters or the sand, but instead that bright white beam and Shepard, the only human that he cared about, charging straight for it. He felt her hand on his face, heard her words, "No matter what happens here, you know I love you. I always will." And when her hand left his face, Garrus knew deep down that Shepard had said goodbye. That that would be the last time he saw her, the only other person in the galaxy he loved with every fiber of his being.

Garrus rested his face in the palm of his hand. It was still so raw, like a fresh bullet wound. In the chest. Why did he let her go? Why didn't he insist that she take him with her? He could have protected her, made her keep her promise to come back to him. He knew he couldn't relax or spend the day without her. He didn't know if he could even live without her, now that it was like he was missing half of his body.

He suddenly heard a strange pulsating sound coming from the front of the battery.

"Spirits, I just finished calibrating this gun," Garrus muttered to himself as he rose to investigate the source of the sound. "Should have known better than to let some Alliance know-it-all prick try to..." His words trailed off as he saw a blue box materialize out of nowhere. It was massive; he was surprised it could even fit between the two main guns.

Suddenly the front of the box opened and Garrus snapped back into the soldier he was trained to be. He reflexively drew a pistol and pointed it directly at whoever was planning to step out from the box. Someone who had the technology to teleport into ships was one to be cautious around.

Garrus, however, did not expect a tall, lanky human dressed in the strangest clothes exit from the box. The human saw the pistol and raised his empty hands.

"I'm sorry," he said quickly, but calmly, "I don't mean to bother you and I certainly don't mean to cause trouble."

"Who are you?" Garrus asked coldly.

"Mistrustful, but understandable," the human said mostly to himself, then spoke up, "I'm the Doctor, and it is an honor to finally meet you Garrus Vakarian."

Garrus couldn't help but bristle a bit. "How do you know my name?" he growled, a warning to this human that he was on very thin ice.

"I have a reliable source," the Doctor said quietly, a warm smile appearing on his face, "and she claims to know you very well."

Garrus froze, taking in what this Doctor had just said. "She...?" he whispered. He slowly lowered the pistol. The Doctor lowered his hands and let them rest at his sides.

"She..." Garrus kept stuttering. "How did...Are you...?" The Doctor smiled again.

"You see, Mister Vakarian," the Doctor said calmly, "when one is a master of time and space, which I am, you can transcend the very constraints of mortal life...even death."

The Doctor walked over to the opening of the blue box and gently pushed in the door. "It's alright," he said quietly, "I think you can come out now." The Doctor was soon joined by another human, a female. But there was something familiar about her short black hair, her stance...

Garrus dropped his pistol. It couldn't be...

"Shepard...?" Garrus whispered raggedly. The female walked slowly towards him, tears in her warm brown eyes, her bright smile quivering. The Doctor crossed his arms and leaned against his blue box, deep in his own thoughts, a small smile on his face. When she was about an arm's length away from the turian, she stopped.

"Hello, Garrus," she choked out. Her voice was the same as it had been before...

"You died...you left me..." Garrus didn't intend for those words to come out so harsh, but he couldn't deny the anger, the betrayal he felt sometimes.

"I know..." she whispered, "and I'm so sorry..."

"Are you...is this even real...?" Garrus asked hesitantly. He was afraid that he'd suddenly wake up in the main battery, all this just a painful, tormenting dream.

Shepard reached out and stroked Garrus's scars, something she had done before they stormed the Collector base. Her touch left his face tingling, just like that moment in her cabin. He lowered his head and closed his eyes. He almost jumped when he felt her forehead press against his and he couldn't help but let out a ragged sigh. He dared to reach out and touch her shoulder, but as soon as he felt that she was there, she was real, he pulled her to him in a tight embrace. As he breathed in the smell of her hair and her skin, heard her quiet breathing, and felt her soft hands against his face, he couldn't stop himself from choking out a sob. He didn't even know turians could sob. Apparently, neither did Shepard. Soon she started crying as well, whispering, "It's okay...you're okay...I'm here..."

Garrus pulled away, gripping Shepard's shoulders tightly, and looked her straight in her red, puffy, watery eyes. "Damn right you are," he growled, tears pooling in his eyes, "and I'll be damned if I lose you again. You are not leaving me again, you got that?"

Shepard's chin quivered as she nodded and whispered shakily, "Aye, aye."

Garrus sighed with something like relief and pulled Shepard to him again. He suddenly heard her say, "I love you, Garrus Vakarian."

He held her tighter, refusing to let anything separate them, and said, "I love you, Shepard...I love you so much..."