Sorry for the delay! I was working overnights all week and couldn't get a chapter out until late this week AND my lovely Beta had a busy week as well. To make it up to you, double post tonight! Enjoy!
Tali had been reviewing the footage of Aeryn she'd picked up almost religiously. There was a turian that she had spent the night with once, but she never went back. Tali knew it was a stretch to try and convince Garrus that there could be something going on there with only one video, but that wouldn't stop her from trying.
The night in question had been the same one where he was first reunited with Aeryn. The bosh'tet had just been reunited with her long lost love and then went to some other guys' apartment!?
Granted, Tali had taken the majesty of that night from her; it was her one consolation.
She knew that Garrus had slept over at Aeryn's apartment once and had visited on multiple occasions, though not for very long. Tali was able to look over Garrus' indiscretions given the confused state of mind he was in.
She would help to show him the way. The right way. The way to their future.
She hastily got to work on some footage editing to make the videos seem more incriminating. She also started to track the com chatter of the merc group who had initially tried to reacquire Aeryn - presumably for the people who had originally captured her.
Tali had to do something, she could see that Garrus was becoming more and more enamored with Aeryn. Well, re-enamored. Tali couldn't let him go to someone so wrong for him. Aeryn couldn't even eat the same food as him! Tali could. She could share meals with him and they had the same biology so they wouldn't need two different doctors, or two different medicines. One kind of everything.
If Tali had really thought about it, her reasons were petty and bordered on xenophobic (well, aminophobic) and even to her would seem flimsy at best. But her reasons were really the only things marking
Aeryn as "wrong" and therefore she held fast to them.
Tali was growing desperate and it was getting harder and harder to control herself around other people. She found herself alone in her quarters a lot of the time. It was easier when she was alone; she didn't have to check herself or worry about who might be watching or listening.
EDI had graciously agreed not to monitor Tali's room. Had the AI been watching, Tali would have most certainly heard from Shepard over her activities.
No, Tali needed to focus on her problem. Her human problem, so that she could then focus on building the life she always dreamed for her and Garrus.
It would be just like "Fleet and Flotilla". They would overcome adversity for one another. That adversity would bring them closer than any before them and they would have all the passion and love in the universe.
Tali just needed to get rid of their "adversity" as soon as possible so she could work on regaining lost ground.
Garrus sat back in his chair and read over the reports from their last mission. Some mining colony in the Traverse had been overrun by pirates and the Normandy stepped in to help out the colonists.
It was a standard affair of kill the bad guys, help the good guys, and watch Shepard have to deal with anti-Alliance colonists.
Garrus always got a little kick out of watching Shepard deal with those types of people. Here's Shepard, Savior of the Citadel, Hero of the Galaxy, purported Savior of all of Life, and he has to argue with whether or not the people he works for are of any use to these colonists.
Never mind that Shepard just saved their asses less than twenty-four hours ago, he still has to justify himself.
Garrus never understood how the paragon of human society could deal with these conspiracy nuts, but John Shepard did what had to be done. Even if his ground team were secretly wondering if he enjoyed the verbal abuse he got from people he was trying to "save" in some sort of masochistic fashion.
Garrus was pulled out of his musings by a message on his terminal. It was Aeryn. He had asked her out to lunch on the Citadel when they were both scheduled to be there. He was attending a Council meeting with Shepard and she was singing at some swanky party that Aria had managed to get invited to.
She had said yes and then suggested a restaurant – the one that John's clone had helped to destroy. Apparently they had just been renovated and reopened and she wanted to try the fish.
Who was he to say no? He had always wanted to try the place after everyone else had been so upset over John falling through the floor and ruining the fish tanks. Besides, it was rated as one of the "Most Romantic Restaurants" on the Citadel for a few years in a row prior to being unceremoniously wrecked.
Romantic was just what Garrus had in mind. He and Aeryn had been meeting up whenever their missions had crossed paths and he liked to think that they were making headway towards a solid reunion.
Aeryn had been hinting at feeling the same. She was agreeing to make vacation plans with him during the Normandy's next month long retrofit. She wanted to show him a spot on Earth that she had enjoyed as a kid and had managed to stay preserved throughout the years.
He was excited for that and for what the vacation symbolized. It was the same place they had agreed to go to in order to relax after the Reaper invasion. He saw it as a symbolic gesture towards full reconciliation and getting their lives back on track – together.
Garrus quickly started to make plans for after their meal, he was going to monopolize her for as long as he could get away with that day. He wanted everything to be perfect.
Aeryn had been primping for about an hour before she realized she was going to be late to her lunch with Garrus. She was singing later the next night at some sort of fundraiser that Aria had been invited to.
Aria probably bought her way in. It was a gathering of the wealthy and powerful and that, of course, included the Queen of Omega.
Aria had been making more of a name for herself since she reclaimed her asteroid and assisted with the war efforts. Hell, her assistance there gave her more credence to expand her empire into some "seemingly" more legitimate business ventures.
"Seemingly" being the key word. The fact that Aria was rubbing elbows with politicians and diplomats didn't really surprise Aeryn. Councilor Tevos had been on Aria's speed dial ever since Aeryn knew her. What surprised Aeryn was that Aria was actually using the opportunities presented to her by showing up on the Citadel.
Aeryn knew that she was just not being let in on the why's, but she didn't much care. Aria had no interest in being a council member… Aeryn stopped that thought right there.
If Aria had domination of Council space in mind, Aeryn wanted nothing to do with it. She certainly wasn't an Alliance die-hard anymore - if she ever had really been - but Aria as the supreme leader of everyone was a scary thought.
It probably wasn't anything so dramatic, but Aeryn was trying to distract herself from being nervous.
Nervous about a date with her former-not-former-kind-of-still-official fiancé. She wanted to impress Garrus and maybe seduce him. She hadn't made up her mind on that last part yet.
Ok, yes she had. She had showered, primped, and put on her best underwear. She was trying to seduce him.
They had been seeing each other as often as they could and a lot of the time just ended up talking.
Talking about everything that they could think of. It was comforting and frustrating. It was downright maddening having him so close but not touching him.
She had needed time to heal and so did he. It had been weeks and she was certain that they were as healed as they were going to get apart. That isn't to say that she wanted to jump right back in to where they were, but she was ready to progress the relationship forward.
Aeryn quickly braided her hair to the side and applied her make up before pulling up her hood. She wasn't comfortable traipsing around the Citadel uncovered just yet. John was working on whether the Alliance would demand her re-entry into service and she didn't really want to have to deal with running from Alliance brass should she stumble upon someone who might care enough.
Aeryn rushed out of the hotel room when she realized she had five minutes to get from one arm of the Citadel to the other.
Garrus had reserved the table and used his connections with the Hierarchy and Shepard to get him a table on short notice. One towards the back with a view.
He was not disappointed as he was seated in a dark, cozy corner.
He ordered Aeryn's favorite wine and a glass of Palaven's finest for himself. He then proceeded to check his messages for the next ten minutes.
He was starting to get worried when the waiter brought Aeryn up. She was still covered head to toe, but had elected not to wear her tactical mask and left her face bare under her hood. She wasn't hiding her face from him and he realized that she probably would be a wanted woman to the Alliance had they realized she was still alive.
He didn't have much time to ponder on that thought, however, since as soon as Aeryn sat down in front of him her legs brushed against his multiple times and he could see her blush from under her hood.
So it was going to be that kind of a lunch date? Fantastic.
Garrus relaxed instantly and allowed himself to casually touch her frequently. If she wasn't going to hold back then neither was he. He was rewarded by returning touches and soft smiles.
After all of the hype of the restaurant, and his earnest desire to taste the food there, he didn't remember a bit of it.
Aeryn and he had been subtly touching and making inuendos all throughout the meal to the point where the meal was done all she had to do was mention her hotel room before he was practically rushing out of the restaurant.
It was a shame, but he had a feeling that they'd eat there again some other time.
Aeryn had been more nervous than she ever remembered being about flirting before. Maybe it was because she knew what she stood to lose should they not reconcile, but either way, the first few moment at the table she felt like she was in primary school again, trying to flirt with a boy for the first time.
Garrus didn't seem to notice her nervous behavior whatsoever, which was lovely. He was returning her touches and smiles almost immediately and it calmed her to the point where her mind began to wander to what other things they could be doing.
As Aeryn's back hit the wall of the elevator and she felt Garrus' mouth plates and tongue glide over her neck, her imagination no longer had to pick up the slack.
She was clinging to him with one of her legs propped up on his hip. He always growled so deliciously when she did that. Subtly squeezing and scratching across his opposite hip and along the back of his neck were her weapons in the battle of get-Garrus-to-the-hotel-room.
She felt she was succeeding given the fact that his hands were roving over any part of her he could get to.
Had the elevator not finally gotten to her floor when it did, the two of them might not have made it to the hotel room. But as it was, the elevator opened just as a moan left her lips.
The asari waiting to enter the elevator looked less than amused as Garrus picked Aeryn up and flung her over his shoulder.
She wasn't moving fast enough for him, apparently.
He grunted out, "Which room?" and then marched directly there.
Aeryn caught a glimpse of the asari just watching the scene slack jawed before she waved as they disappeared around a corner.
Aeryn started to giggle uncontrollably over the entire situation and as Garrus punched in the door code and entered her room. He dropped her on the bed and immediately started undressing himself.
"I don't see what could possibly be funny in this situation. Clothes off now or I will remove them for you… And then you will need to go shopping. Actually that doesn't sound like a bad idea…"
He was smiling as he spoke so she was fully aware he knew exactly what was so damn funny, but at his proclamation of destruction in regards to her clothing she immediately started stripping down.
He was on top of her in less than a second once they were both undressed. He cupped her face and frowned, "I don't think I can be slow… Not right now." He said in lieu of an apology and all she could do was nod before saying, "You don't need to be…".
The first round of lovemaking was over entirely too soon for both of their liking. A few more sessions of quick, frantic and desperate sex thus followed.
Now Garrus was holding her close to him as he slowly worked around her body. She had new scars on top of the old ones and he wanted to make sure he remembered how to drive her wild. Not that he hadn't already been driving her wild for the past three hours.
His tongue ran over her neck, towards his mark, one that picked her out as his, and his chest swelled with pride. It was too soon into heir rebudding relationship to reapply the mark, but he was proud that he was able to put it there in the first place. He had her again, in his arms and in his bed. All he wanted to do was jump up and dance, but the lure of her was too strong.
He tasted every inch of her and ran his tongue over every new scar. His fingertips traced over every inch of her. Her own hands were roaming over every inch of him she could reach, but he wouldn't let her move too much.
He had lost her once to a fake death and now he was able to remind himself that she was alive in the most carnal way possible.
Eventually it was too much for each of them to endure solo and they joined once again to ride out the end of their passionate high.
He knew he called her name multiple times during his climax and her own calls for him only furthered his own rush.
When they finally fell asleep, she was draped on top of him with her face buried against his neck. The feeling was so comforting to Garrus that he fought sleep for a long time and just held her.
Everything was right in his world, he had his mate back.
Incoming Message: 24:00 Galactic Standard Time
Anonymous: I thank you, Ms. Z, for contacting me in regards to my missing property. I would need some further assurance from you of the authenticity of your offer; but once that is out of the way I would love to discuss with you my plan and how you may assist me.
Tali grinned at her omnitool screen. This was just what she had been waiting for. It had taken her much less time than she had anticipated to get in contact with the good Doctor and less time for him to respond.
Tali quickly typed up a response and further assurance via a meeting with his representative on the Citadel. She made known of the small window of time she would have to help him with his plan, but she had learned quite a bit of how he had planned to recapture Aeryn by listening in on the com chatter.
Tali had only grown more desperate when her surveillance drone had caught Aeryn and Garrus leaving the restaurant together and heading back to her hotel room. The drone had caught some rather steamy images of the two of them in the elevator before it lost them as the doors closed. It didn't take a genius to surmise where they were going and what they were going to do.
She just had two days to help him enact his plan. Two days of knowing Garrus and Aeryn were together in every sense of the word. Two days before she could start permanently removing Aeryn from Garrus' life.