This one is set post Red!Explosion, given that's the only ending I knew of where Shep survives. Shakarian through and through with some parts that are on the edge of fluffy.

The setup: Several years after the Reaper War, there is still rebuilding to be done and spaces to make new changes. Shepard and Garrus are going to an orphanage for war refugees.

Garrus's hands gripped the datapad tightly as he pretended to be reading something, but otherwise he appeared calm, if you didn't know any better. Shepard, however, knew better.

She gently set her hand down on top of his. "Put the datapad down, Garrus. Relax."

"I was just testing the tensile strength," Garrus defended half-heartedly, but he set it down on the seat next to him all the same.

Shepard twined her five fingers around his three instead.

"We've dealt with things far scarier than this, Vakarian."

"I'm not scared," Garrus protested.

Shepard smiled. "Could have fooled me."

"I'm anxious," he amended with some reluctance.

Shepard's smile softened and she turned Garrus's head to look at her. "Hey, we don't have to make any decisions today. Whatever happens, happens."

"I just wish that journalist hadn't gotten wind of this. Which one was it again?"

Shepard sighed and shook her head. "Who knows. It's always hard to tell with the camera lights in your eyes."

Garrus shook his head, too. "Somehow, I thought after the war was done we'd see a lot less of that, not more. Never thought I would miss the Reapers. At least then all the vids and reports seemed necessary. Now, why they'd follow you, I understand, but me? I guess we're one hell of a celebrity couple."

And Garrus certainly wasn't wrong. The return of the Normandy had been heavily broadcast. Shepard's recovery had been shown in its increments through countless viewpoints, interviews with those who had even met her briefly, professional inputs, and more than one breach in doctor-patient confidentiality. They could scarcely walk around the Presidium without another conversation recorded for one group or another. Truth was, the two of them knew that there was no way to convince anyone that this trip wasn't some big publicity stunt anyway so they hadn't bothered to try. They were equally cryptic and noncommittal in a way that had made the last reporter that had cornered them almost purple with frustration, a feat for most any species.

"Somehow, I feel it's not going to get much better any time soon."

"I'd say we'd have to invent some way to be boring, but I don't think you know how to do boring, Shepard, even if you tried."

"That's a bit rich coming from you, after that assassination attempt on the salarian councilor you foiled last week."

"They were going to ruin our dinner, and you've already been banned from enough places on the SilverSun Strip," Garrus pointed out. "And their cover story was sloppy at best."

"I still don't think you know how to be boring either. Maybe it's something that we need to find a way to learn."

Garrus nodded and focused on their hands again. "I—I don't know if I'm ready for this, Shepard, even if we have talked everything through. I know that I brought up the idea of having a family first, but that was when we had nothing left to lose and neither of us were sure about making it out alive. When I left you behind to get on the Normandy, I—" Garrus lost his words momentarily, and hummed a low note in his subharmonics instead.

"I still think about that day, too," Shepard joined quietly. "We're not there anymore, Garrus."

It had been a long few years rebuilding the Citadel and the relays, and it would be longer yet to rebuild on so many planets that had been devastated by the Reapers. They had talked about it many times, but Garrus still felt guilty that he had left her behind, that he hadn't been there when the search teams had found her broken body amongst the debris. She had been in critical care for about a month before news of the Normandy broke through, thanks to some amazing technical ingenuity by the crew, but putting Tali, Liara, and Garrus on a technical problem was an easy way to make it happen. Shepard had not been conscious, but Garrus could still remember the wave of relief that spilled over him when he'd heard she was, somehow, still alive. Even a couple of months later, after the ship had finally returned to Earth (with the Mass Relays broken, all travel seemed to take just a little while longer), Garrus hadn't been sure how many people he had accidently stepped on or through to get to her. And even with a three month head start the doctors had, he hadn't been prepared to see her as she was. His girl, this strong, capable woman, had lain as helpless as anything, still fighting. It was another month before she would open her eyes. Taking tentative steps at first, she had to learn to walk again, given the extensive damage to her legs in particular. He had held her close on the hospital floor as she pounded her fist into his chest and cried out of frustration and exhaustion, just trying to make it down the hallway a little further than yesterday. Oh, the vids had loved that one. Afterwards, Garrus had pulled what political strings he could to see her continued care somewhere else. Garrus was seldom out of connection with the Primarch who still valued his thoughts and advice, but otherwise, he found himself tangled into the role of caregiver.

It had been a long, long path to get to this point, where he and Shepard could not only function physically but emotionally as well. He had to once again admire this amazing woman, that she refused to let the Reapers take anything more from her. There were good days and bad, days when she looked so very tired to Garrus's eyes, but she was branching out of surviving and making plans for the future again, occasionally sticking her nose into politics of the observable universe whether it was asked for or not. It had been harder for Garrus to realize that he needed to do the same. They were symbols now, for unity among all species and for perseverance. They were also the hottest gossip ticket in town.

And it was quite possible that their lives were about to get much more interesting.

"I mean it, Garrus. We don't have to make any decisions today. All we have to do today is bring a little hope to these refugees."

The pilot made a short announcement that they would be arriving in about ten minutes. Garrus took up the datapad and began fidgeting again.

/B\

A willowy turian woman was there to greet them as they exited the shuttle. She inclined her head and gestured with one arm toward the entrance, not bothering to speak until they were far enough away from the noise of the shuttle.

"Welcome, Commander Shepard, Ambassador Vakarian. I am Director Ariana."

The couple inclined their heads with similar respect. "Thank you for having us," Garrus replied politely.

"I must ask that you leave your weapons here. I believe they will upset some of the children and will otherwise be unnecessary."

Shepard and Garrus shared a look, knowing that most situations where they were asked to surrender their weapons did not end well. Garrus gave a shrug as if to say "just this once." It was simply a habit to take at least a pistol with them everywhere they went, even in their civvies. Unfortunately, experience had taught them that the precaution was absolutely necessary in times of war and peace for a couple that couldn't go anywhere without being recognized as heroes of the galaxy, particularly when there were still a few groups out there trying to create their own world order. They obliged and neither of them mentioned the knife each kept on their person, just in case.

Director Ariana handed Shepard a datapad. "Here is your itinerary for the day. We have you slated in the main yard for three hours and then we will take you to meet your candidates in one of our supervised rooms."

"Candidates?" Garrus asked.

"Yes, candidates. We ran the algorithms as soon as we knew you were coming and found the best possible matches. You have already passed the necessary prequalification checks."

Garrus and Shepard shared a very different look. That was certainly moving things along faster than they had anticipated.

Ariana didn't seem to catch the pause nor the meaning of the expression, already turning to lead them down the hallway. She took them to a large, tall room with many circular tables. It appeared the children were all finishing up their lunch. Asari, human, turian, and others were all represented among the tables. There was even a small krogan at one table that Ariana assured them was only there temporarily, caught up in some smuggler's trap and due to be returned to his family soon. The only council race missing were the salarians, but evidently their government had moved all of their war-orphaned children to their own facility. Shepard replied to Ariana's explanation that that was a shame; learning how to cooperate with other species was something best learned early.

Garrus could see Shepard performing a quick mental count. So many children that still hadn't found a home after the war had left them with nothing. Some were too young then to have understood. Others walked around with the weight of what happened carried in everything they did. Either way, the hall had gone suddenly quiet and then the murmuring picked up steadily. Ariana was explaining a few more elements of the orphanage, about where the revenue and support were coming from and the like, but the two of them hadn't heard it, picking up on the rising excitement in the room.

Soon, it was clear that they were being followed. Ariana had a small smile as she opened the doors, out into the main courtyard. She led them to the other side of the yard, and finished what she was saying before turning them around and retrieving her datapad. The entire orphanage was behind them and was almost entirely silent. The thought had crossed both of their minds that this was very much like the calm before an ambush.

With a warmth they hadn't yet seen, Ariana addressed the group: "My bright children, I know you already know who our visitors are, but allow me to formally introduce Commander Shepard and Ambassador Garrus Vakarian." The murmurs picked up considerably. Ariana waved her hand, and there was silence again. "They will be here for the afternoon." She started to walk back toward the main building, the crowd parting smoothly. "Have fun," she called behind her, humor laced through her subharmonics.

At least fifty sets of eyes focused again on the pair.

Garrus leaned toward Shepard and whispered lowly, "What's the plan of attack?"

Shepard whispered back, "I thought you were listening to the director's instructions."

"Nope. What's the plan, Commander?"

"Why don't you think of a plan this time?"

"It might involve me throwing you into the crowd and making a tactical retreat to a better vantage point."

Shepard shook her head. "Never mind. Just follow my lead, Vakarian."

Clearing her throat, Shepard stood tall and joined her hands behind her back. "We are not here on a visit. This is a surprise inspection. We need to make sure all of our troops are fighting fit. Stand at attention."

The older children stood a little taller, a few of the younger ones watching them and attempting to copy.

"Look sharp, soldiers," Garrus called after. He himself stood behind a young asari and pulled her shoulders gently into place. She grinned up at him.

Shepard kneeled down in front of a young turian boy. "You, soldier, what's your name?"

He stammered for a moment and spat out, "Balkis."

"That's 'Balkis, Ma'am,' soldier," Shepard corrected with a raised eyebrow and a smile.

The boy's mandibles twitched with a tentative smile of his own. "Balkis, Ma'am."

"I cannot hear you, soldier."

The boy blinked and his brow furrowed in confusion.

"That means say it louder," Shepard clarified in an unsubtle whisper.

He nodded and puffed up his small chest, shouting, "Balkis, Ma'am," as loud as he could.

Shepard leaned back and pretended to appraise him. "That's more like it." Balkis beamed and a few other children around him giggled.

"You," Garrus called, singling out an older human girl, "What's your name, soldier?"

"Megan, Sir!" she shouted back, already smiling too big for her face.

"What's your position in this regiment?"

She seemed to think for a minute, then chose her answer: "Assault team, sir!"

He turned toward a turian boy, "and you?"

"Me, too, Sir!"

"So the two of you work together?"

"Yes, Sir," they chimed.

"Then what would happen if the two of you were captured?" Garrus swept one laughing child under each arm and began sprinting across the yard.

"Rescue teams, let's go!"Shepard called after. Soon a rather interesting game of tag evolved, involving short breathers where the orphans could ask their questions or tell their stories before they were all roped into a new game of some kind or another. Three hours passed in no time at all.

When the director came to collect the two of them, it involved physically removing two children off of Garrus's back and many, many disappointed groans.

"Has everyone remembered to thank our guests for coming?" Director Ariana posed.

A jumbled chorus of thank you's and pleas for their return replied. Shepard and Garrus waved before following the director back down the hallway. She led them into a large, empty room and suggested they make themselves comfortable while they wait.

"We're going to make sure they have all the funding they need," Shepard asserted, as soon as the doors closed.

"Definitely," Garrus agreed. "And maybe a bit more."

They fell into silence and apprehension eked back in.

"Are we really ready for this?" Garrus asked.

"I think so. We've talked about most everything, but I don't know if that makes us ready. We don't have to make a decision today."

"See, I have a feeling that whatever child walks through that door, you're not going to be able to walk away without them. Not after today."

"Are you saying you want to leave?" she asked gently. "We could go right now, if you want to."

"No," Garrus replied, taking her hand in his. "That's not what I want."

"Then what do you want, Garrus?"

Garrus frowned. "I'm not really sure. I think, I think I want this. But I need to know that some things aren't going to change."

Shepard ran a hand along the scars on Garrus's face. "We've fought far too hard to get where we are to give up any ground, Vakarian. We have fought too hard to survive, and we deserve a little happiness back. This is about our family, the family that you and I make together. And even if this or something else doesn't work out like we planned, I love you, and I need to you to know that nothing can change that."

Garrus rested his forehead on hers. "That might be enough."

She wrapped his arms around his neck and planted a kiss on his temple. "You're always enough for me. That's not going to change either. We're just adding to it."

He ran a finger down a scar that started behind her left ear and trailed down to her clavicle. It always seemed she had an easier time saying things than he had. "I love you, too," he hummed next to her ear.

Her face broke into a wide smile, like it did every rare occasion he told he loved her; he treasured that reaction and the way it brought new warmth into his body each time. She kissed him much more fully and he wrapped his arms around her.

When she pulled away enough to look him in the eyes, she brought one hand to his face and traced the blue markings. "We might all have to get clan markings, I think. Make sure everyone knows who they're dealing with."

Garrus held her just a bit tighter.

There was a knock at the door. Shepard untangled herself enough to stand next to Garrus, still holding his hand.

The director swung open the door and ushered in a human girl and a turian boy. Once the little girl caught sight of the room, and more importantly who was inside, she let out a squeal. Shepard and Garrus looked at each other quickly and back at the girl who was now running toward them.

Wrapping her arms around Shepard's legs, her voice was muffled: "I knew Maggie was wrong. I knew it! She said I was in trouble again. This is like the opposite of trouble!"

Shepard peeled her off gently and got down to her level. "Again? Are you trouble a lot?"

The little girl tried to look away. "Sometimes," she mumbled.

"What's your name?"

"Nadia."

"I used to get into all kinds of trouble when I was your age, too, Nadia."

Garrus snorted. "She still gets in trouble. I get to pull her out of it."

"My sister used to do that for me until she died. Mommy and I lost her right in front of the escape pod on our transport ship."

"Nadia lived in a refugee camp with her mother for a couple years before she came here, " the director explained. "Her mother did not survive the trip to the colony either."

Nadia had stiffened and stared at the floor. Shepard gently pulled her into a hug and the little girl clung to her. "Don't leave me," Nadia whispered.

Squeezing her a little bit tighter, Shepard promised, "I won't."

Looking over Nadia's shoulder, Shepard made eye contact with Garrus. He was right; there was no walking away now. She inclined her head toward the turian boy that had not yet left the doorframe nor said a word.

Garrus took his cue and walked over to the boy, bending down to his level. "What's your name?"

"Kirren."

"Do you know what this room means, Kirren?"

"This is where people meet kids before they decide if they're going to keep them or not."

"Smart lad."

"It's the room where you will decide you don't want me." He was somber, with a kind of age that could only be gained by growing up too fast.

"What makes you say that?"

Kirren shrugged. "Good things don't happen to me."

Garrus didn't say anything for a moment. He understood that feeling.

"It's always scarier to have something to lose. But I want you to know that this is not that room. This is the room where you get to decide."

The boy, who couldn't be more than seven or eight, was perplexed.

"You get to decide if you want to come home with us, Kirren. This will only work if you want to come, too. It's scary for all of us, but I think it's worth the risk."

Kirren seemed to think the matter over for a moment, then dropped his head and nodded. Garrus rested a hand on his shoulder and allowed the silence to ebb from tension to calm.

/B\

There were a few cameras and reporters near the exit of the orphanage when Shepard and Garrus escorted their new family and their few belongings out toward the shuttle, Shepard carrying Nadia and Kirren holding Garrus's hand. The reporters who had managed to get there early even caught some footage of their favorite celebrities playing with the orphans in the courtyard, but speculation had grown the longer they had stayed inside.

Shepard and Garrus declined to comment or even acknowledge the cameras and Kirren edged closer to Garrus, but Nadia was brimming over with questions and exclamations. The vids very clearly caught: "I'm going to live with Commander Shepard and Garrus Vakarian. They are my new family. This is the coolest thing ever!"

To which, Kirren replied with the only soundbite they managed to get out of him that day: "The only thing cooler would have been Archangel."

Garrus paused for a moment and turned to the boy, resting a hand on his shoulder: "Kirren, you and I are going to get along just fine."