What was she laying on? She half wondered as she woke up. She tried to stretch, but her arms met resistance. Her eyes fluttered open to reveal Garrus, still asleep beneath her, his arms wrapped around her. How did she wind up on top of him? Her eyes shot open. Oh shit oh shit oh shit
"Commander!" Joker shouted over the intercom, startling Garrus awake. He pivoted and tossed her easily onto her back, pinning her protectively beneath him as his half asleep self tried to find the potential threat.
"Yes, Joker?" She said breathily, he'd flipped her easily, and the way she was pinned beneath him…the way her body was reacting. She saw him blink as the realization dawned, he backed off immediately, embarrassed.
"Jeez, commander this is the fifth time I've called! The illusive man is on the phone. He says it's urgent."
"It better be." She growled and stood up, throwing a pair of jeans over her shorts. "I'll be down in a minute." She shrugged into her N7 hoddie, zipping it up. She yawned widely and waved to Garrus, feeding her fish before skirting out as quickly as possible. She tried to slow the way her heart slammed in her chest, the heat the flooded her, but she couldn't. She punched the CIC and rode the elevator down, coming her fingers through her long and now tangled hair as she bounced on her heels.
Garrus sat at the edge of the bed, his eyes wide, staring at the fish. How did she wind up on top of him? He rubbed his head with his hand. He'd remembered how they'd fallen asleep….did he pull her there? He practically had her in a vice grip, did she wake up before him? He panicked, how long had she been awake before him? That would certainly explain why she flew out of there in such a hurry. He shook his head. Better go apologize.
He stood and looked back at the bed, intending to straighten the sheets. The image of her flashed in his mind. Her cheeks flush, her hair fanned out around her, her arms over her head, her shirt riding up to expose her smooth muscled stomach…His mandibles twitched. Damnit Shepard. He growled audibly before throwing his regular clothing on and heading back to the gunnery. He needed to clear his thoughts. He stopped in the armory to adjust his rifle and overheard Shepard yelling. He set his gun down and walked to the door to listen.
"The hell do you mean you 'intercepted'? The Turians need to know their ship was damaged! There could be soldiers still alive!"
"No, there wouldn't. The ship has been floating dead for too long. Besides, if the Collectors could take out a ship like the Normandy, what do you think they'd do to a regular cruiser?"
She tensed. "So, why should I care?"
"Because you want to survive the jump to the omega four relay." He began.
"Commander, on a hunch I had EDI compare the signature on this ship to the one on the original Normandy…it's the same ship." Joker sounded skeptical.
"The same ship dogging me for two years? This can't be a coincidence. Everyone, be ready."
They made their way through the vessel, coming to several disturbing realizations. She stopped by the pile of weapons, grabbing a new Sniper for Garrus, who she'd left ashore. She needed some time to breathe, to figure out what she was getting herself into. They reached the panel and uploaded EDI.
"There is no way the illusive man would have thought this distress call was genuine, this was a trap." EDI said after they'd killed of the monstrosities that attacked them.
"That son of a…. UGH. EDI, get us the hell out of here. I need to talk to the illusive man." She growled.
"At once."
Garrus hated being left behind. He paced the battery, unable to focus. She was down there, in the ship that sent the Normandy to the Spirits and took her from him. He made himself shake his head. He couldn't go back to that day. Her memorial was…too much, for all of them.
He heard the bay open, the floor vibrating with it. He immediately went down, only to have the landing party storm into the elevator and head back up to the CIC. He wanted to ask how it went but her look told him to stay silent. Her eyes were sharp and she looked furious. She slid past the doors before they were done opening and pivoted into the comm. room. Garrus looked at Grunt and Kasumi. They both just shook their heads and went to eves drop. He followed close behind.
"I DON'T CARE!" She shouted at the illusive man. "That seems to be a core concept you aren't getting about me! I will NEVER put ANY of mine at risk no matter HOW valuable some information might be! It disgusts me that the thought never crossed your mind. "
"It was our only opportunity, and I had faith you could handle it. Be rational Shepard. Besides, we got what we wan-"
She cut him off with a sharp laugh, "Faith? You had FAITH we would survive? Is FAITH going to stop a bullet, or how about, can it replace one of my squad? Can I wish them back and get them so long as I have faith!? How could you have spent so much on bringing me back just to not listen to a damn word I'm saying or get anything about me?"
"Commander you aren't seeing the importance of this mission. I suggest you tell your squad I did not risk their lives needlessly-"
"I DON'T CARE you sadistic bastard! Forward your information to EDI, she has more of a soul than you and I'd rather hear it from her."
They heard her stomp off of the table towards the door, they all scattered. It was fun to watch a Krogan try and tip-toe. She came out of the room red in the face, grinding her teeth.
"That was…Interesting." He said with a grin. He raised his hands. "Sorry."
She pushed past him and back out to the CIC. Her terminal was blinking. She had so many emails. She shook her head and sighed, shaking off the agitation. She needed to focus. She sent a quick email to check in on Liara, they weren't too far from Illium with the Normandy's drive core, but she wanted to be ready if needed. She also threw in a last minute PS about Nathan before moving to a rather long letter of apology from Westerlund news.
….blah blah…Ms. Al Jilani acted on her own…blah blah…does not support the views of …. Blah blah blah… unknown sources….blah…loss of credibility. That part made her grin. Sincerest apology…blah blah. She closed the letter. Anderson had replied, he explained that he had been questioned by the Council for withholding the information, but that everyone was more curious than anything. She sighed, Nihlus and Anderson were safe. She smiled, this time genuine. Kasumi buzzed her that she had the perfect plan for Bekenstein. It was a gala, she shuddered. She preferred a party with guns and combat boots.
"Part of me is all about this whole 'undercover' thing, the other part is more 'ew heels'." She said looking down at herself. Kasumi had gone all out, full length dress, hair curled, and makeup. Kasumi gave her one last look over before nodding and leading her down to the shuttle, where the entire crew was waiting. Cat calls flowed forth.
"Oh shut up." She rolled her eyes at them before lifting the slit in her dress enough for them to see her handgun. "Or else." They all just whistled harder.
Garrus was typing frantically on his data-pad, he was getting so close to Sidonis. Someone on the Citadel…and then he rounded the corner. His eyes went wide, he froze…all the air rushed from his lungs. She was stunning. Her auburn hair flowed down to her waist in lazy curls, her aquamarine eyes accentuated by a necklace and bracelet set of amazonite. Her eyes were sultry with her make-up, her lips were a deep blush… and that dress…. That evil dress.
It was ivory in color, the neck scooping low across her chest, leaving ample glimpses of cleavage and making her tanned skin glow. It flowed in a languid motion to the floor where it pooled around her feet. That would have been enough, but a tantalizing slit ran up the side of her leg to just below her hip. So very close. He swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat.
Kasumi noticed and grinned at him, snapping him out of it. On the urging of the crew, she did a spin, rolling her eyes along with it. Garrus wished she hadn't. The back of the dress fell in a cowl to the nape of her back, exposing the skin almost completely; he could almost see the ripple of muscle underneath as she moved. And then her scent hit him, it was seductive. Combined with her outfit it made him think of luxury dinner parties followed by hot sex. He gritted his teeth and waved at her before heading towards the elevator. He couldn't be near her, he knew that for a fact.
Her face fell, she was hoping to get his opinion. Did she really look 'smokin hot' like everyone was saying? She sighed and Kasumi immediately piped up, shouting at Garrus to come back. She wasn't the most subtle of creatures. He looked resistant but, having been called out, he turned and made his way back to the group. He struggled to keep his voice calm, his demeanor relaxed, while very muscle in him, every fiber of his being wanted to take her upstairs and rip that evil dress off of her and make her scent fulfill its promise. His teeth were clenched.
"Shepard, need me for something?" He tried to keep his tone level without sounding cold.
"Tell her how pretty she is!" Kasumi piped up, he fought the urge to shoot her a glare.
"She's not pretty." He loved how everyone glared at him, except her, she quirked an eyebrow, her look turning suspicious but playful, that look did too much for him. "She's stunning." He gave her a small smile, her eyes lit up, a color flushing her face beneath the make up. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm in the middle of some calibrations." He said quickly. He wanted to get the hell out of that room before he did something incredibly stupid. He got in the elevator and punched the button a little too hard.
"Hey guys! Kasumi patched us in!" Joker shouted in the mess. Garrus wandered over to see what all the fuss was about. Up on the large screen she had bought for movie night, the same screen which had haunted them all the night before, played the "Hock Heist".
Everyone shuddered at the sight of Saren's golden form; most of them having strong memories of the man himself. He caught the look of distaste on her face, it only flashed for a moment, but the hatred was intense. He knew she was thinking about Nihlus.
Once inside, the view became aerial, as Kasumi stuck to the rafters to stay out of the way of the flood of guests attending, feeding live audio and visual to the crew watching. Shepard stood out in the crowd, she flowed like water between people, sizing up her target across the room. The sunlight hit her hair, lit the warmth of her skin, made her dress glow and the stones about her neck and wrist sparkle. Men and women were turning their heads to watch her pass.
She didn't honestly mind playing dress-up. She actually kind of liked the thrill of not knowing when you need to toss your skirt up and draw your side arm. Though she had to admit the weight of it pressed against her thigh was very comforting. These people were all wolves in sheep's clothing. They openly admitted to their activities, but they all greeted her with smiles and pleasant faces. She smiled gently back at them all, dipping her head in acknowledgement before making her way out to the back patio so she could converse with Kasumi and not be overheard.
The wind tugged at the lazy curls of her hair, ruffling her dress as she stared out over the bay. She touched her ear and opened the comm. to Kasumi. "Alright, I'm in. Now what?"
While they went over the game plan to crack the vault, she turned, leaning up against the railing and looking in to follow where Kasumi was directing her. Garrus couldn't stop staring at her. The way the light played off the slight bits of red and blonde in her hair, it shone a radiant copper. She was ethereal, she looked like she belonged in that mansion in that dress just as much as she belonged in combat zones and heavy armor. The determined look in her eyes was the only thing that didn't look soft about her. She nodded her head, causing the lazy curls to bob before she set out back into the crowd. It was amazing to see her walk on those high, slender heels. He loved how her legs looked.
They made it to the security room, crouching low behind a wall to take out the two guards. She had her back flat against the wall, her leg almost completely exposed with the clip and holster strapped to her leg. It was the sexiest thing Garrus had ever seen. Now all they needed was a voice sample and DNA. Everyone was leaning forward in their seats, it was like a live action spy thriller; someone had even made popcorn.
"Is this a cartoon starring a Krogan?" Shepard made her way over to the TV, "It's just sitting there…shooting things. Kinda reminds me of Grunt." She laughed, Grunt snorted in approval.
"I heard that bastard Archangel was killed on Omega." Kasumi passed a gossiping crowd as they left the security room, Shepard seemed to hear it too and made her way over as the group continued. "They never found his body."
"Good. He'd better be dead. That bastard threw off my shipments for months, I hope it was slow." A woman growled, Joker gently punched Garrus in the shoulder to be sure he didn't break his hand, several other people shot him looks and he grinned.
"It was." Shepard walked up, crossing her arms when she was a few feet away and sinking back on her hip, she looked like the in control commander as she looked down her nose at them. "I made sure of it."
"What? You killed Archangel?" The group sounded unbelieving.
"He got in my way." She said simply with a shrug, "He suffered, don't worry."
One of the men walked over to her and took her hand, "And who are you, beautiful?"
"Alison Gunn. I'm an arms dealer." She smiled at them, "What are your names? Perhaps, now that the hassle is dealt with," They chuckled, "We can do business."
She wrapped up the conversation and pushed on, radioing to Kasumi to note their names to be arrested later for their criminal activities and conspiring to murder along with her omni-tools recorded confession. Garrus laughed out loud, she was defending him and taking revenge for him. She approached the host of the party.
"It is a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Gunn." Donovan spoke as he kissed her knuckles. She batted her eyelashes and gave him a soft smile.
"Actually, it's Ms. Gunn. And the pleasure is mine." Her tone was sultry as she looked up at him through her eyelashes. "This is a wonderful party, makes it worth the trip from the Terminus."
He made a long speech, about them being the 'cleaners' of the galaxy. Yeah…I'd like to clean your clock right here asshole, you and every other asshole here. She growled inside while forcing herself to appear desirable and intrigued, smiling and toasting the wine glass she had been handed when appropriate. She pretended to take a sip, the liquid smelled sour. Kasumi congratulated her in her ear, she looked for an opportunity to leave, but it wasn't presented and Hock only pressed forward.
"I'm glad you could make it, hiding a gem like you so far in the Terminus should be a crime." He stepped closer to her. She laughed softly.
"Mr. Hock you flatter me." She batted her eyelashes, "All of these women are glowering at me, I fear I have stolen too much of your time and made you a poor host."
He shook his head and frowned, "Nonsense, allow me to give you the grand tour." He hooked her arm in his and took her on a tour around the premises. She forced herself to smile, to stay graceful, but inside she was panicked. How the hell was she going to get him away so they could rob him blind? She cursed Kasumi.
Hock opened the door to his bedroom. She ground her teeth but smiled, he assured her it was just a tour. He released her arm as they entered the room, guiding her to a window, away from his files.
"Garrus, are you alright?" Samara asked gently, keeping her tone soft enough so no one could hear. He blinked and looked over to her. "You are growling at the television." He reprimanded himself as Samara looked at him strangely.
Swords caught her eye. She spoke with him at the window for a moment before discreetly 'appreciating' the items, while grabbing skin cells. Kasumi snuck around and grabbed some as well. She walked over to the swords and he followed her. She cursed inwardly, time to fake stupidity.
"Oh my! I haven't seen a sword in a very long time!" She exclaimed, reaching up and touching them, grabbing skin cells of the handle before he flinched forward, she released it and apologized. "Sorry, I guess I got too excited." She laughed, "I grew up with swords."
"Really? Were you trained with them?" He was very interested, and very close.
"Yes, I was actually." Her words were genuine, everyone seemed surprised. "My father, rest his soul."
"I'm sorry, my dear, I did not mean to upset you." He placed a hand on her shoulder, "What happened?"
She looked him dead in the eye, her own were cold, "He kept too many secrets from me." Hock visibly flinched. "I don't like secrets, Mr. Hock, and I don't play games."
"I have no secrets or games I am playing with you, Ms. Gunn. I assure you." He moved in to kiss her. She held up a hand and pressed it against his chest.
"Please, Mr. Hock. Be civil. I am no whore for you to buy off or drag into your room and have your way." She skirted around him and made for the door.
"I have given you the wrong impression, you see, you are simply captivating and I was merely swept away by your presence. Your physical appearance is only a distraction from your true self." Hock gently grasped her wrist to stop her. She turned to him and smiled softly.
"You and I both know how impossible that is, Mr. Hock. We should be getting back to the party, I've taken too much of your time." She gently removed her hand from his grasp, "We should do…business…some time, Mr. Hock." She nodded her head, he nodded his and reluctantly let her go from the room. Kasumi's camera showed him sit down on the couch as she left, his head in his hands.
They found their way back to the vault, Kasumi set to unlocking it while Shepard locked eyes with their golden statue. She forced herself to take a deep breath, Saren was indoctrinated, it wasn't him, it was what he represented; Nihlus' death, his treacherous death. But it was the Reapers, it had always been them. She ground her teeth. Kasumi began to flood her with compliments.
"And the way you handled Hock, got an excellent sample then broke his little black heart." She patted Shepard on the back, "I'm impressed, Shep." They locked eyes for a moment before Kasumi rolled hers, "Alright you can change." Shepard hesitated briefly at Saren's likeness, then dug in and grabbed her armor.
Everyone groaned as a combination of Kelly, Gabby and Jacob blocked the screen; everyone only able to catch glimpses of a shoulder or leg behind them. Jack jeered at them, shouting 'let her take it off', Ken agreed, cheering alongside her.
They found the greybox after looking at some incredible, awkward and astounding pieces in Hock's vault. Shepard took a picture of the Turian sculpture for Garrus and sent it to his terminal. She knew he was feeling a bit homesick, maybe this would help; a little piece of Palaven.
Hock's likeness popped back up after Shepard expressed a disturbing amount of joy over a new gun. He seemed almost hurt to see her but focused his attention on Kasumi. As he was yammering away, an evil look took over her face. Shepard smirked at him and pointed her gun at a very expensive looking vase. He shouted at her as she blasted the vase into millions of little pieces, the bullet ricocheting off a few others before imbedding in a wall.
"Now that I have your attention, how about you shut the hell up and we finish this?" She sounded like her old self. His face turned red as he summoned his guards. They made their way through them quickly, picking past mech after mech before facing the gunship. She took several hits during the fight, and she was hurting.
"So much for not drawing my gun, Kasumi." She said after the girl sprung up and disabled the shields. "Also, holy shit, teach me to do that."
"I said if we were lucky. I'm usually pretty lucky, so this must be on you, Shep." She said with a wink after they took out the gunship.
The shuttle arrived as she applied the medi-gel, whisking them back onto the Normandy. No sooner had she boarded did the email finally arrive from Liara. They were ready to hunt the Shadow Broker. The doctor gave her some meds and sent her on her way, the worst of her injuries already healed up thanks to the fancy cybernetics from Cerberus. She made it to her room and found Garrus sitting on her couch, staring at her dead fish.
"Aw… I swear I just fed them…" She said sadly. He stood abruptly and walked over to her, grabbing her up and wrapping her tightly in his arms. "…Garrus, you ok?"
"Don't ever do that again." He buried his face into her neck. "Ever."
She blinked and he squeezed her tighter she patted his back, "Easy there, top predator, squishy creature here. Don't have plates to protect me." He loosened his grip, but only a bit.
"That's exactly my point." He growled, "You go charging into danger and damn the consequences. Your armor can only do so much to protect you." She felt his mandibles twitch against her neck, "I… can only do so much…"
She ran her hand up and down his back, she was lost, "The heck are you talking about?"
"You, Shepard. Charging into battle with no one to watch your back…without me to—"
"You're such an idiot, Vakarian." She said gently, she felt him turn to look towards her, "You say it like you have a choice, like it's your responsibility. But it isn't. You, all of you, are my responsibility, mine to protect."
"I don't ever want you to take another hit for me." He growled.
"That's not your decision."
"You can't just charge ahead like it doesn't matter." He growled more forcefully, his tone on the verge of shouting. "Like none of us would be affected if you died again! I cant..."
She stayed silent. She hadn't even thought about that since reuniting with him. She'd been so happy to have him back, then him being shot… She shook her head.
"I'm sorry." She said very softly. She felt him relax slightly, and cringed. "But nothing, nothing, will keep me from taking a hit for you." Her tone was firm.
He lifted his head away from her, she let him withdraw. He looked into her eyes for a moment, then leaned forward and kissed her full on the mouth. She stared up at his closed eyes, her own wide, blinking. He pulled her close against him and her body responded against her will. She relaxed into his arms, her hands resting against his shoulders as she leaned into the kiss. She knew it would change things, she knew she shouldn't, but she wanted this more than anything. In this moment, there were no Collectors, no Cerberus, no millions counting on her, and nothing would take this moment from her... Except apparently Joker.
"Commander we've reached Illium."
Garrus seemed to realize what he was doing and let her go immediately, he wouldn't meet her eyes as he walked out of the room, leaving her standing there, heart pounding, head in a daze staring after him. She looked at her fish tank and started laughing. Of course it happened in front of dead fish. Kelly Chambers walked in on her like this, laughing in the center of the room at her dead fish.
"Commander, are you alright? You look…odd." She sounded genuinely concerned.
"No, Kelly I'm not." She scooped out the dead fish, flushing them.
