Thank you all for the wonderful reviews! Please keep em up! Anywho here is chapter 9 so R&R!

*

"Mordin."

The salarian stood peering out the small window at the stars beyond from the tech labs, the doctor due to his race not needing more then a couple of hours of sleep was already well rested and ready to begin his day. Blinking he didn't even look at the flickering orb behind him as he nodded his head ever so slight. "As upon request, your hypothesis of the Commander's actions was accurate; when she awoke she went straight to Vakarian. They are still down there; she is now bleeding from multiple wounds along her back and neck. Her temperature is higher then normal due to the Turian having raised the heat when he entered the observatory."

Hearing EDI's words, Mordin interlocking his hands at the small of his back gave into a small sigh. "No needs for concern yet, watch her life signs and bleeding output, if it increases or does not ebb in a few hours please notify me. Also watch Vakarian's life signs seeing he has no doubt taken a human's blood. That will be all; thank you."

"As you wish Mordin; logging you out."

The faint blue glow faded as Mordin turning on his heel looked at the flickering consoles before him of Collector research. One console though on the side held his gathered knowledge of turian and human anatomy, emotional relationships, chemical balances, imbalances, courtships recorded and noted from both species.

It made no sense; from his studies, humans were not compatible with Turian's due to their different amino acid genetic make up. Turians are Dextro while humans are Levo-Amino. Any form of contact with the opposite would either provide no nutritional value or lead to a allergic reaction going from moderate to severe and can place either one into a shock that would provide fatal if not promptly treated.

And yet…

As rare as it what there were reports of some human and turian attempts of relationships, yet due to the allergic reactions and the different between flesh textures and anatomy, many fell through from allergic shock that led to some deaths, a human body scraped and bloodied from the harsh metallic plates of the Turian's hide when tempting to be intimate, or just straight differences in not biology but society. Then there was the First Contact war when humans and turians first met… hate for both sides still ran deep. As advanced as Turian's are they still retain their animalistic nature like the Krogon.

The doctor saw first evidence of that when they had brought the wounded male onto the Normandy.

A small smile crossed the doctor's lips as he going to the console began going through the many windows of provided and gathered information. From what he had seen from both and learned from their files off of the former Normandy and Chakwas information he had gained upon asking, he knew that the Commander's and Vakarian's bond was not so light. The turian had displayed full brutal signs when it was believed Shepard had fell, signs that only males should show for their chosen bond mates from their race not another.

The connection ran deeper and that alone intrigued the doctor that his mindset was not only to allow such things to happen but to aid in it. He wanted to report what he found and see what could come out of this entire oddity.

Opening a small window on the console, the small microphone beeped as the audio journal was loaded. Mordin leaning forward let out a small laugh and began to rattle off his current findings and telling the recording his hypothesis of what would be a likely out come of the relationship taking full bloom below deck. The doctor was absolutely giddy with the ability to see the happenings at first hand himself then learning from another.

*

The darkness and gentle hum of the Normandy was all that could be heard in the dark room. Formerly thrashed now held two bodies lying side by side embraced within each others arms and legs. Soft breath past his face, mandibles ever so gently shifting as his fatigued eyes looked at her slumbering face. Watching her lips as she took in small slow breaths, her chest rising and falling while her closed eyes danced to a unseen dream.

He was exhausted but Garrus dared not fall asleep as he watched her face, reminding him over and over again she was alive. A wad of black fabric he had torn from the bottom of left pant leg rested on the wound he had inflicted onto her neck, the bleeding long since stopped. Lifting his right arm from over Shepard's waist gently ran his claws through her soft hair. Compassion filled his eyes as he simply took her in with his tired sight.

Slowly resting his claws back along her waist avoiding the injured ribs Garrus moving his face closer to her own, the turian pressed his forehead upon Shepard's, feeling the warmth of her soft skin seep into his plating.

All other thoughts that tried to plague his mind were shoved aside, the Collectors, Reapers, C- Sec, his scars, his own father… everything. It did not matter, not now, not at this very moment as he laid there feeling the woman's left arm over his chest, her fingers unconsciously brushing the plating along his side making him want to shiver and hold her tighter. Her right arm folding in front of her between them had her fingers loosely holding onto his left upper arm that her head was using as a rough pillow.

His fatigue finally begun to take hold over the turian as he with a gentle tug of his left arm that laid beneath her pulled her even closer. Closing his aching eyes that still stung from the dried tears long since past, the turian brushing his mandibles across her soft face, across her lips, kept his forehead against her own.

I love you…

His breath slowed, his heart softened its beat… methodically stroking her back with his claws, the motion began to gradually ebb away and all signs of consciousness within the Turian's lean body faded away.

Rare peace ran through the ship, crew members slept, their stresses seem vanished when Shepard was found. Mordin happily hummed while working on his data gathering while Chakwas lying in her bed feeling at peace. Thane sitting in the life support chamber thinking of his son with finally enjoyable thoughts then that of failure. Miranda standing in her bedroom window after reading an email from her sister felt joy at knowing she was no longer alone. Jacob hearing the findings of what his father was charged for found peace to the old pains. Joker sat at the pilot's consoles relaying an email to his mother who had been dropped off at the Citadel before they had left after recovering Shepard. She was seen by the Citadel doctors and released with a few scrapes and bruises to return to her duties.

Peace… So rare to be had with no strings attached was upon the ship that very night.

*

"Commander Shepard."

Shepard's eyes fluttered open, her groggy consciousness awakening to being very warm, aching all over, her ribs throbbed, her back delivered sharp pains as her neck thrummed with dull pain.

Feeling the hard metal ground beneath her body, the Commander gave into a low groan as she tried to move her stiff joints yet stopped in mid motion.

Her eyes fell upon the sleeping face of Garrus Vakarian. Lying upon his bare back with one claw bent above his head the other at his side closest to her, he was still out cold.

Garrus… a soft smile touched her lips as she sitting up upon the warm metal floor, watched him as he slept. The rise and fall of his chest, the metallic glow his plates gave off from the starts light. Shepard's eyes looked over the Turian's body from his fringe to his clawed feet. So alien, yet… blinking her minds thoughts wavered as she saw the torn off leg end on his left foot. Recalling, Shepard's hand flew to the very sore tender wound upon the left side of her neck.

He had bit her, dug his claws into her back. With a groan the woman hanging her head cursed herself with forgetting the old military trick. Do not think about your wounds or they begin to hurt even more so. Even her ribs ached more.

"Commander Shepard?"

The woman jumped as she heard Joker's voice over the com link, with a heavy wince from the injuries biting at her sudden movement, Shepard looked at the ceiling were the speaker and light blinked. "I am here Joker." Her voice barely audible broke and scratched with each word but it made her heart feel more pleased seeing her voice was not fully gone as it had been earlier.

A few moments passed before Joker spoke with a hard attempt of laugh in his tone.

"Just wake up Commander? Either way we just arrived at Haestrom, I know you did not give the orders but we had received a distress call from Tali; thought you may like to save her from some Geth. I am picking up a lot of interference and Commander, EDI has told me that the radiation from the planet's sun will eat through any shields."

Joke spoke the laughter in his voice ebbing away as Shepard sighing rubbed her eyes, trying to wake up and kill the pain within her body as she was reminded she was trying to save civilization from utter destruction and not worrying about anything else. "Thank you." Was all she could manage to speak before her voice started to give once more.

Crap…

The woman thought bitterly as she groaning rose to her feet with a faint stumble, her left ankle thankfully had gone down in swelling but still complained as she tested her weight on it. She had to suit up, get her weapons checked and ready… eat something she thought as her gut reminded her she had eaten nothing in over twenty four hours. Checking her omni tool the Commander began to swiftly read through all information on the current mission of saving Tali.

"Shepard?"

she heard his own broken voice and looked down at Garrus as he sitting up, one leg bent up to his chest the other outstretched with his arms behind him to prop himself up, looked at her. Unease in his eyes even though the turian tempted to look casual, she saw concern and fear trickling into his vision.

With a weak attempt of a smile, turning to fully face him Shepard kneeled upon her left knee and looked at him. "Tali had sent us a distress call and Joker has led us to the planet she is currently on. From the reports gathered we are in deep Geth territory and why she is here I have no clue." The woman whispered her words trying to save her voice as best as she could.

His eyes lost some of his concern yet the fear remained. "Shepard… I-"

His voice broke off as he looked down at his thickly bandaged limb… his left was fine but the way his right leg had been crushed. Understanding his silent fear, his silent plea, Shepard sighing rested her hand onto his bare shoulder, his body heat absorbing into her fingers. Their eyes locked as she smiled softly at him "Garrus… I have to do this, Tali is our friend and in danger… just like a certain Archangel had been."

The light joke was ignored completely as Garrus reaching for her stopped as his eyes drifting to her neck went wide and pulled his claws back hanging his head. "I am sorry… I have stepped way out of line… I bi- injured your neck, called you without your proper title… not even in full uniform in your presence. If on any other turian vessel I would be put in the brig from the remainder of the mission if not worse." He spoke softly, mandibles held tightly on the sides of his face.

The turian flinched as Shepard squeezed his shoulder, yet refused to look up. "Garrus... last I checked this is no turian vessel and about last night; I do not regret it in any small manner." Shepard whispered the words slowly making the turian look up, mandibles near hanging listless on his face.

"Garrus."

Lifting her hand from his shoulder, the Commander brought her open hand onto the right side of his face, the scars feeling much rougher under her touch as her eyes did not leave his. "Please smile again my friend. You gave me strength when I needed it; you helped me keep my focus when a mission seems difficult. Do not forget all the good times we had versus the bad. I need you Garrus Vakarian; be that strong turian I remember meeting so long ago upon the Citadel."

Garrus's eyes fell shut as his right claws reached up and gripped the back of her hand that held his face with such tenderness; with such strength. A few silent moments drifted by before the turian taking a deep shuddering breath, let it out slowly as he lifting his head, shoulders pulled back, his eyes snapped open locking with hers as she saw that fire deep within his gaze burn once more.

A small trickle of fear showed before his stubbornness returned, squeezing her hand tightly, Garrus let his claws drop as she smiling pulled her hand back and stood tall looking down at him.

"Come on Garrus, let us travel to hell together." She whispered strongly while holding a hand out to him. Garrus watching her, mandibles twitching, his eyes danced as he nodding reached out, claws wrapping around fingers, the turian grunting rose to his feet, towering over Shepard with his lean form.

"Together then."

He spoke standing tall and proud, looking down at Shepard with more then the smile in his eyes. Shepard felt the faint red touch her cheeks as she diverting her gaze, looked at the doorway to leave the thrashed observatory. "Shall we?" She spoke looking over her shoulder as Garrus standing there looking at her his eyes holding deep emotions, the turian with shoulders held back nodded to her. "I am fit- well fit for ship duty anyway but soon I will be fit for off world duty. Shepard; whatever happens I will not fail you." He spoke his eyes growing solemn.

She remembered his scream, she remembered seeing the ceiling crash down. Smiling, fighting her sudden over bright eyes, Shepard held her hand out to the Turian, palm exposed as she met his eyes. The silent acknowledgments passing between them through their locked gaze. Reaching his left claws forward, claws and fingers intertwined, they walked for the door side by side; hand in hand. Garrus and Commander Shepard left the observatory, Human and Turian as equals entered the elevator allowing the door to hiss shut behind them.

*

Be safe…

Debris flew everywhere as the Geth advanced in a large advance, guns blasting as the blazing sun burned through Shepard's shields while she ran for dark cover.

Thane was a few yards off blasting as many of the Geth away as he could. Jacob was near Thane using his biotics to lift the machines into the air, struggling helplessly to the bullets striking their metal bodies.

"Jacob go to my right; Thane follow behind me; I am pushing!"

Shepard yelled with her failing voice through the com as she loading a thermal clip into her heavy pistol, jumped from her hiding place, the sun eating her shields with alarms blaring in her ear. The Commander charged forward firing at the glowing orbs of the Geth, beheading many as she raced into the next building.

Thane and Jacob finishing off the stragglers in the building Shepard taking a shallow breath wiped the sweat off of her brow.

They had already gained contact with one of the Quarians; Kal'Reegar, claimed most of his team was killed but Tali was safely enclosed within a small room the Geth were trying to get at. They had to find the male Quarian before the Geth hacked the terminal and got to Tali.

"I don't know how much of this I can take Commander. This heat is insane and so much Geth." Jacob spoke as he reloaded his gun. "Honestly I do not know how you can do it with a wounded ankle, and some broken ribs, but it is all in a days work for you eh Commander?" Jacob spoke humor on his tongue ignoring the Commander's warning growl as she headed with determination through the ruins where Kal'Reegar resided, the com open to static awaiting for him to notify them of anything in case something were arise.

No one knew of the bite wound upon her neck or the wounds along her upper and lower back. After helping Garrus off the elevator to the front batteries, she had gone straight to her chambers, cleaned and bandaged the wounds. The bite looked primal, like a wild beast bit her… then again, recalling the gurney and the observatory room, Turians were wild.

The wounds on her back made Shepard gave a grimace when she had seen them. It looked like she had acupuncture with very large needles.

Shaking her head to draw her out of the memories, Shepard gripping her gun went upstairs into a small cement room where a dead Quarian laid in a pool of his blood. Checking any medical containers and obtaining more omni gel for her suit, Shepard saw the flickering console for the doorway at the end of the stairs that would lead to Kal'Reegar.

"Jacob."

Speaking his name, the man shouldering his gun went to the consol and began to work on hacking the system to release its lock down. "Just a little, ah there we go, full access to-" As Jacob spoke the window shutters that were shut tightly with rust and age suddenly screeched open leaving her and her team exposed as far ahead, a Geth Colossus rose fluidly to its legs, its blazing blue eye glaring at the intruders as it humming deeply started to charge up its attack.

"Shit! Everyone get down!"

Shepard's voice broke as she shoving Jacob to the ground, smashed herself into the hard ground as the electrical charge smashed over head sending shockwaves all around making her nerves feel frayed and on fire.

"Shit! What is that thing?!" Jacob yelled his eyes wild with panic as the rapid fire flew into the room over their heads, littering the stone wall with many bullet holes.

"It's a colossus, I had faced them in the past when after Saren. Even with the Mako it was difficult to bring them down. Follow me." Shepard croaked as she crawling on all fours, headed for the stairway.

Out of fires sight, the Commander rising to her feet, crept down to the doorway where there in red armor; Kal'Reegar sat with a missile launcher in his lap. As the bullets flew and the electrical charge flying over head making them duck from the charge filling the air. Shepard gave a weakened groan but her will strengthened as she gripped her gun and tended to the fallen Quarian.

I will be safe… for you I will.

*

So what do you think? I hope it is still catching you attention! I will keep adventure in this story but will lean more towards the SxG relationship. Anywho R&R and till then!