Author's note: Hello, dear readers! I've returned from a -deleted- long hiatus... to write a little about my favorite couple from my favorite series. I've played these games so many times it's sad, but as detailed and lovely as the dialogue became, especially towards the end- I was always left wanting more. The following chapters are my personal thoughts on the interactions "between the lines" or "behind the scenes" for Garrus and Shepard. You know, the stuff a video game company couldn't possibly have enough time to develop as deeply as I'd like. I'll stay as canon as possible, with the exception of some dialogue changes.

PS: It's been -deleted- years since I've written a story for others to read, so please be forgiving of improper... paragraph things. Also Bioware owns everything. Except my thoughts. Thank you.

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Priority: Palaven

A wave of relief overtook him when her voice came through the comm units. It was full of static interference and half the words didn't translate properly, but the message was clear to him... Shepard had come to Menae, and he was going to see her at least one more time before the end.

Of course, now that she: the Legend, the Hero and his greatest friend was here, perhaps there wouldn't have to be an end.

Garrus traced her location on his omnitool, and after taking down a few more reaper creatures with his rifle, started back to base camp. They had kept in touch as much as they could during her house arrest on Earth, and it had been an easy thing to maintain for the most part. When the reapers came, however, all communications ended when he was thrown in charge at the last minute to fight back an enemy they didn't understand. Hell, even having experience in dispensing Sovereign, just one of these monstrosities, couldn't prepare a whole army of trained reaper killers for the invasion of Palaven.

He approached the base camp, looking around at each of the makeshift duty stations set up in the small fortified valley. There she is. Her voice rang defiantly over the noises of war as she spoke to a turian general about finding a man named Victus. His heart soared when he saw her there, alive and in one beautiful piece. He stepped up behind her and cleared his throat. "I'm on it, Shepard."

The general, Corinthus he presumed, stood to attention and greeted him. Garrus pardoned him with a simple "at ease", keeping his sights trained on the smaller frame of the human woman on the platform. He watched her turn around and detected the hitch in her breath when her eyes met with his. He wanted to rush forward, pick her up and twirl her in the air for how happy he was, but quickly concluded this was neither the time or place, with turian generals and soldiers watching. He settled instead for taking her hand in both of his.

"Garrus... you're alive." Her voice was swimming with relief, and he smiled at her in his turian fashion. "I'm hard to kill. You should know that by now... Besides, couldn't let you have all the fun to yourself now, could I?" Shepard squeezed his hands affectionately, conveying all the things she wanted to say to him through her eyes. I missed you. I'm so glad you're alive. We're together again, partners in crime. He slightly nodded in understanding, squeezing her hand in return. We'll catch up later. Promise.

They let go reluctantly and got down to business. Shepard made introductions with Vega, Garrus reacquainted with Liara, then exchanged information about the situation on Palaven and the importance of finding the next in line for succession of Primarch. They settled right back into their usual routine, as if almost seven months of distance had never happened.

Garrus put in his bid of trust for General Victus as the next Primarch, and after securing the defenses of the camp, they set off to retrieve him. He felt as if it were easier to breathe now that she was in his presence again. They were taking down enemies and guarding each others backs, fighting together with an ease and proficiency that made their movements look fluid and graceful; like a dance of violence and bloodshed. Garrus chortled at the thought and shook his head. Terrible allusion. Everyone knows Shepard can't dance.

Shepard caught the sound. "What's so funny, Vakarian?" She raised an eyebrow at him while ducking behind a barrier.

"Nothing at all, just... glad to see you haven't forgotten how to shoot."

"Uh huh." She set her rifle on the barrier and rapidly squeezed the trigger, landing her shot in the middle of a creature's head. She ducked again and smiled brightly at him to emphasize the point. Damn it's good to see that again.

The fighting didn't last long, and with some convincing the newly promoted Primarch was saying goodbye to his men. The sudden lack of action gave Garrus a moment's pause, and couldn't help but soak in the scenery around him. Reapers were everywhere, ships were blazing up the dark sky with constant gunfire, and Palaven... He looked up at the blazing planet and sighed heavily, letting the reality of the situation set in for the first time. And then he dropped his gaze to her.

He thought back to the night they talked after he had been patched up from Cerberus's rocket ship on Omega. "If I'm walking into hell, I want someone I trust at my side." she had said. At that exact moment, Shepard caught his gaze and walked over to join him, leaning gently against his side. His heart skipped a beat.

"Well, Shepard... it seems as though hell finally found us." He looked down at her for a moment. "And I don't plan on being anywhere but by your side when it's time to pay the devil a personal visit."

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She had kissed him. Of all the things in the universe, especially with all the madness and chaos happening with the arrival of the Reapers, he couldn't stop thinking about the curiously strange, yet wonderful feeling of her lips. If he could blush, he would be right now, and he thanked the spirits that Shepard was no longer there to see. She would never let him hear the end of it.

Garrus and Primarch Victus had worked for hours coordinating all their mobile communcation links with Menae and Palaven. The turian army was still in a state of total shock and disarray, and helping them was only harder from a command post on a ship that was light years away and increasing. Only after they checked and re-checked everything did Garrus remove himself to set up his own unit in the privacy of the main battery. It was a welcoming distraction from the thoughts of home.

He settled in seamlessly, and busied himself with checking the statistics of the Normandy's main gun. Not bad, for the human alliance... Still room for serious upgrades, though. Perfect. He figured it would also be an easy place to find him should Shepard do her usual rounds of chatting with the crew. As much as he wanted to see her, he remained patient; he understood that she had a lot on her plate right now. She'd come to him when she was ready. And then what? Will we still be-

His thought was interrupted by the Primarch, hailing him on his omnitool. Garrus mindlessly looked over the gun system while listening to status updates from Victus and offering tactical advice. After an unmeasured amount of time he sensed a presence behind him, and smiled inwardly when he recognized the scent. He wrapped up the conversation with Victus and turned his attention to Shepard. He was pleased to see her here, vulnerable and soft without her armor, the woman he had grown fond of, the one he would gladly follow to the ends of the universe and back again. He was even more pleased to learn that her feelings for him were still strong, even though he had made a bumbling idiot of himself while trying to find out. He was confident in many things except words of affection, especially for a species he knew little about, but as usual Shepard cooly eased his nerves and stopped him from stuttering over himself like a damn fool.

And this time, it was with a kiss.

He flustered in his turian form of blushing again just thinking about it, and glanced back at the door she had exited through. Shepard certainly had a way of leaving him in situations like this. He thought back on her countless (and sometimes torturous) visits on the Cerberus vessel, and silently vowed to make sure to return the favor.

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AN: Next chapter should be up within a week. Thanks for reading! -ValkyrieDown