Garrus awoke with the worst headache of his life. He couldn't shake the image of a tear-streaked Shepard hovering over him, pleading with him not to leave her. Searing pain and a quick glance around the medbay told him this wasn't a dream, that he'd survived the ambush and was now aboard some sort of starship. The familiar face of Dr. Chakwas leaned over him and smiled.

"… reconstructed you with plating and cybernetics, you see, although it's remarkable you survived. I think Shepard used up all her medi-gel just to keep you alive until we could evacuate you." She didn't get far into her explanation when Garrus demanded to know where the commander was.

"Waiting to see you, I'd expect. We had to shoo her up to the CIC: she was pacing outside the medbay and distracting me from your surgery." Just like Shepard, always worrying about him. Still, he'd never seen her break down like she had before he blacked out. Pride swelled in him that he meant so much to her, but he was concerned about her emotional state. The Shepard he knew would never fall apart on the battlefield. What the hell did Cerberus do to her?

Garrus did his best to put on a cocky swagger as he approached his former commander. Seeing Shepard smile was worth the pain of laughing when she teased him. After a few pleasantries, Jacob got the hint and left them alone to catch up.

"You know what I've been up to, Shepard. What happened to you?"

"It's been… surreal. I'm glad Cerberus brought me back, but I don't trust them and I'm sure as hell not working for them. I'm still trying to figure things out. A lot changed in two years."

For a moment, their eyes met and they stood in silence. For an instant, their smiles faded and they both let down their guard, just a little. Garrus radiated hurt and anger; he saw pain behind Shepard's cool gaze. Wanting to reach out to her, numbed by loss and betrayal, he spoke the only words he could find.

"I'm here if you need me, Shepard. I always will be."

Proudly, Shepard wandered the corridors of her shiny new ship. Although it irritated her to be following the orders of the Illusive Man, building her army gave her purpose, clear and achievable goals. Preventing the annihilation of civilization by an unstoppable race of sentient machines seemed impossible. Recruiting gave her a sense of accomplishment, and having a ship full of interesting new allies meant she could spend her spare time getting to know them instead of being alone with her Prothean nightmares.

It wasn't the same as the old Normandy: she had new companions, but she missed her friends. Ash was dead, Kaiden hated her for working with Cerberus, and shy Liara had become sadistic and vengeful. Tali had grown into a fierce and brilliant young woman, but was consumed by her work. A visit to Wrex might do her some good: she'd heard he was rebuilding his clan on Tuchanka.

She was initially overjoyed when Garrus rejoined her, and there was no one she'd rather have on her six during a firefight. As soon as he recovered, she started bringing him along on every mission. He'd even wanted to come along when she recruited Mordin in the plague zone, and Dr. Chakwas had to help her talk him out of it. He never let her down on the battlefield: his deadly aim and lightning reflexes surpassed anything she'd ever seen. Shepard felt selfish for wanting more from him, for wanting her best friend back.

While she appreciated the work he'd done to upgrade the Normandy's weaponry, he'd been pouring all his energy into those damned guns, sequestering himself in the main battery. He was just so distant, so closed off. Whenever she tried to talk to him he'd push her away, fussing about endless calibrations. Outside of battle, her mind couldn't feel his presence anymore. She wondered whether this was deliberate, or if he was even aware of her ability to sense him. Beneath his detached affect she could tell he seethed with hatred: she'd learned to read turian body language from him, after all. When he was tired he'd let his mental barrier down a bit and she got vague glimpses of the betrayal that haunted him.

As much as Shepard hated to admit it, she had to agree with Kelly: she just wanted to hold Garrus and tell him everything would be all right.