Chapter 4:

Jacob's mission had been rather boring and disturbing at the same time in Garrus' opinion. Looking at the blank, almost child-like faces and smelling the fear and confusion that surrounded the women's camp only managed to make him angrier. Garrus hadn't missed the way Shepard's hand went to her stomach or the way her eyes seemed to lose all emotion when one of the women gave her a datapad. In it was all the evidence that showed the nightmare they'd gone through had been planned by those that were meant to keep them safe.

Maybe it had been his time as Archangel or his time taking down geth, but shooting down LOKI mechs seemed like a waste of time. There was only one moment during the mission that he felt was worth the amount of thermal clips used. He'd been so absorbed in sniping down the humans; he didn't notice Shepard getting too close to the thrice damned YIMIR mech until she was swearing up a storm on his ear piece. He'd left cover without thinking and rushed to her side; leaving Jacob alone with the remaining guards.

"Shit, did I tell you to move, Garrus?" Shepard asked as soon as he got to her side.

"Just lending you a hand, commander," he replied while overloading the mech.

Once the thing was down he chanced a look at her. She'd been clutching her arm and the smell of blood… her blood made him feel lower than a barefaced turian. He'd vowed to protect her and there she was bleeding. He failed her, just like he failed his team. He swallowed hard, using his omni-tool to apply medigel on the wound.

"Should've saved it for when we really need it," she told him giving him The Look again before changing clips.

He ignored her and busied with changing weapons. It was no secret that he preferred sniping, but after this, he needed to keep a closer watch on Shepard and he couldn't do that through a scope. And then they were facing down Jacob's father.

Garrus glanced at Shepard, wondering what she would do. The anger simmering in her eyes was a welcomed sight. Before, she would've controlled her emotions and done what's supposed to be right. Now, that anger had a chance of being unleashed and Garrus was hoping it would.

He failed to save Omega, but the part of him that cried for justice, the Archangel side he thought dead along with his team, suddenly came back to life. He couldn't hunt down Cerberus for Shepard, but he could take down that sick fuck and put a bullet on his head for what he'd done. And another one right on his arm in exchange for the one his mech gave Shepard. For endangering her life and that of her baby. And he didn't care if Jacob liked it or not.

In the end, giving him a perfectly good gun to kill himself had been a waste of a good gun. The man deserved to be ripped apart… starting with his penis. The only thing that showed his anger was the way his mandibles seemed to be glued to his face.

The ride back had been uneventful. Jacob wasn't talking, but then again, Garrus never claimed to be his friend. He hardly could stand the man for reasons that he'd never admit out loud, but had everything to do with the way he looked at Shepard.

The woman in question was busy fiddling with her injury. The medigel had done wonders, but she would be seeing Chakwas anyway and he knew how much she hated seeing the doctor even when she really needed it. Remembering the fight he overheard, he would hate to be on her shoes when the doctor learned of her injury.

He did notice how tired she looked and, as silently as he could, he moved closer to her. Jacob didn't glance at them, busy staring a whole at the floor of the Kodiak. Shepard turned her head in what he'd come to see as a questioning manner.

He didn't speak because he couldn't… not without stammering and making a fool out of himself. Instead, he tried to keep from trembling as he moved her closer to him, tucking her head on his shoulder. His heart pounding when she offered no resistance.

He told the voice in his head, the one that sounded just like his father, to shut up when it reminded him that good turians didn't do things like this with their commanding officers. He knew he'd fallen hard from the ideal of a good turian the moment he smelled Kaidan on her and he'd wanted to rip the man's throat apart for daring to touch her. He just had a hard time accepting it.

"Garrus," she began but was quickly interrupted.

"Just rest, Shepard. You look like you need it."