A/N: Thank you all for the reviews.

Also, thank you to The Red Celt for beta reading the story.

Disclaimer: I do not own Mass Effect, nor the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.


The Citadel was busy as usual, but she barely noticed all the comings and goings and even her bargaining skills were lacking this time. She just couldn't stop thinking about her date with Garrus that evening. He accompanied her, together with Kasumi, on her quest to purchase some weapon and armor upgrades in Zakera Ward. She felt like a teenager with a crush, stealing glances at him at every chance she had, and he seemed to be equally smitten with her. Kasumi couldn't help but notice their lingering looks and smiles, and while Garrus was preoccupied with an intriguing sniper rifle accessory she pulled Shepard aside.

"You should wear that little black dress I gave you. It accentuates your figure," she whispered. "Turians like that," she added with a wink, her dark eyes flashing with amusement under her hood.

"What are you talking about?" Shepard whispered back in an aggravated tone of voice as she yanked her arm out of Kasumi's firm grasp.

"Please." The thief gave her a knowing look. "Even a child could see that there's something going on between you two. I think you look cute together. I say, go for it!" She smiled encouragingly.

Shepard rolled her eyes, but her heart filled with affection as she watched Garrus scan a particularly handy scope attachment with his visor then lift it to his right eye and look through it with great interest. A thought came to her mind, however, and she turned back to Kasumi.

"How do you know what turians like, anyway?" she asked teasingly.

"I have to know these kinds of things in my line of work," Kasumi chuckled. "Once there was this really beautiful antique clock that I had my eye on. Its owner was a wealthy turian businessman with a fetish for humans - especially for women with curvy hips and slim waists. So I dressed up in this little-"

"Never mind," Shepard interrupted, holding a hand up, as if to stop the flood of words that were going to escape the thief's lips. "Forget I even asked."

"It's a fun story. Just come by sometime and I'll tell you the rest."

"I can hardly wait," Shepard snickered, then turned her attention back to her favorite turian.


By the time the long anticipated evening arrived most of the crew was gone, more than happy to comply with the Commander's orders to "get their asses off the ship" and take a well-deserved break on the Citadel. They had left in small groups, debating excitedly which bar or shop or other establishment to visit first. Even EDI was operating on stand-by, quietly running some system checks in the background.

Free from any unnecessary interruptions, Shepard was wrestling with other, more urgent issues at the moment. She was standing in front of her small closet, pondering the age old question that every woman in the universe faces at one point in their lives: What should she wear? Her trusty old armor was out of the question; though she appreciated the comfort of the protection it provided, she didn't think that she would need that for this event. It might be out of place in the restaurant, anyway, and (though she didn't really care what people thought of her and of the choices she made in her life) she didn't intend to draw any unwanted attention to Garrus and herself. She wanted this evening to be just for them, to pretend that they were a regular couple and saving the galaxy wasn't something that rested on their shoulders.

Then there were the Cerberus casuals, of course, and she could certainly wear those, but they wouldn't exactly be something special for the occasion. Her eyes fell on the dress that she wore at Hock's party, and she could hear Kasumi's words echo in her head. 'It accentuates your figure. Turians like that.'

She hesitated for a few seconds, then took it off the hanger and held it in her hands, wondering if this was really the best choice. She never liked dresses and high heels; she felt more comfortable in army fatigues or a well-fitting armor. But tonight she wanted to look and feel like a woman. A human woman even a turian would find attractive. Maybe even irresistible. A warm feeling spread out from her belly to every inch of her being and a smile tugged on the corner of her lips at the thought. Her mind made up, she laid the dress on her bed, then she disappeared behind her bathroom doors to take a shower.


Garrus was pacing impatiently up and down at the docking port, hoping that she was going to show up soon and his stomach could stop doing backflips every time he thought he'd heard a door swoosh open. He finally stopped, took a deep breath and smoothed down his blue and silver tunic, trying to calm the frantic beating of his heart. He leaned against the wall, crossing his arms in front of his chest, closed his eyes and smiled happily to himself as his mind replayed the events of the last few days.

He wasn't sure when and how it happened that his feelings for his commanding officer changed from respect and friendship to the kind of attraction that kept him awake at night, but it had probably started even before she died. He remembered how his heart would beat a little faster and his breathing would get a little shallower when she would smile at him, her eyes crinkling, her soft lips curving up at the corners, and her hand touching his arm in an affectionate gesture. Then she was gone and he felt so cold and empty inside. But now he had another chance with her, and he wasn't going to throw it away. He was going to show her how much he cared about her and how much she meant to him. He was going to show her-

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of footsteps clinking on the metal flooring. The stride sounded familiar but there was something strange about it, like the person approaching should have been wearing heavy boots but instead was walking in some other kind of footwear. He snapped his eyes open and he stared, slack-jawed, as Shepard approached him in a tight-fitting black dress and matching high heels.

He pulled away from the wall and swallowed hard as he raked his eyes over her slim waist, her curvy hips and long legs, which seemed even longer in those uncomfortable looking shoes.

"Hey," she said with a shy smile, her cheeks turning red under his heated gaze.

"Hey," he managed to reply in a hoarse voice, as he forced his plates to stay closed, no matter how much effort it took. "You, ah, look amazing. Your hair looks nice," he added, examining the smooth shine of her short locks tucked behind her ear, "and your waist is..." the lump in his throat made it a little hard to form the words as his eyes roamed over her body and settled on the curve above her hips, "very supportive."

"Thanks," she laughed, happy that she'd taken Kasumi's advice about her outfit. She looked him up and down with an appreciative gaze and nodded, "You look good in these colors. They suit you."

"Maybe I should wear this more often then," he smirked.

"Maybe you should." She smiled and took his arm. "So, shall we?"

"Let's go. You're gonna love this place," he said with a confident smile.

'I hope,' he thought to himself as they strolled out onto the Citadel.