Chapter 10
The Normandy lands on Citadel, but Edi arranges for it to be docked away from the usual Alliance bay to possibly evade some of the reporters. Given the commotion of the refugees as they start heading back to their home-worlds. Despite the severe damage done, most of the planets are habitable allowing for life to resume as normal on the Citadel. Most of the reporters on resident on the Citadel were tracking leads on heartwarming stories of refugees reconnecting with families, but a few will definitely be waiting for the update on the romantic updates on the Normandy. Regardless, Garrus and Shepard have their footlockers waiting in the airlock to throw into the back of the first taxi they can get back to the apartment.
They are the only ones heading off the ship; Tali is scheduled to spend the next month being introduced back to the climate on Rannoch, Javik is returning to Eden Prime to help study the few remains they have of the Protheans, Liara will be staying on the ship to continue her role as the Shadow Broker, and, of course, Joker and Edi will permanently stay on the ship.
It is strange to think that the crew is disbanded and that she is no longer a solider fighting to protect the galaxy every waking moment, but she embraces it by simply wrapping her pinky around Garrus's outer finger as they wait for the airlock to clear them. He, in turn, looks at her with a soft smile mostly in his eyes.
The door opens; only four reporters, one of which Shepard nearly punched two years ago. The couple completely ignores them as they push ahead to the waiting taxi. Shepard tosses her footlocker in and slides into the passenger side while Garrus silently stands aside while the reporters try to get a statement out of them. He still says nothing, no matter how much they pester, without even giving so much as a 'no comment'. He slides in after as the designated driver back to their no home.
They ride in comfortable silence until Shepard notices that he detoured from the route. "Where are we going?" she breaks the silence.
"To my favorite place on the Citadel." He says without taking his eyes off the flow of traffic.
"This couldn't wait until after a hot bath? God I haven't had a good one of those since before Saren." She says as she stretches out as much as she can in her seat.
"No. We need a rematch, and I figured it'd be better to do it before we have to deal with the next set of reporters. Al Masani is waiting by our front door as we speak."
Shepard cannot place how she knows that name, but any reporter at her door is bad news. "Better to shoot canisters than shoot reporters. Since when are soldiers celebrities?"
"Since they are the whole reason we still have a galaxy. Don't forget that you are also the galaxy's first human Specter."
"Specters are not celebrities. You probably can't even name all of the Turian Specters."
"Well I can, but I know that as the Reaper advisor of Palevan I am a unique case. Either way, this will all eventually die down." He assures. "I give it a year, maybe two until we are just name less faces around here."
"Oh? Even when you are high on the list to become the next Primarch?"
"I am never telling you how high up I am on that list, but nice try. Either way, Turians cannot always pick out of a crowd who the next Primarch is. The next one is common knowledge but further down the line is limited to a small handful of elders."
"Well I can always try." Shepard says as he lands the taxi on the ledge overlooking the Presidium. Even in just the past week they managed to clear out last of the debris on the main green of the station. The skyline has nearly recovered as well; it almost looks like the war did not happen here.
"You coming Shep-Katherine?" Garrus asks as he notices that she has lingered.
"It is surprisingly beautiful up here." She comments distantly.
"It looks the same as before to me." He grabs four canisters out of his footlocker and heads to the same spot as last time, arranging the line of site to avoid the oncoming traffic.
"Yes, but it is about the only thing that hasn't changed. It is a constant in everything that has happened."
She cannot process the look on his face. "Ready?"
She smirks; "this time I will not miss."
He tosses the first canister underhand. It makes a shallow arch and starts heading down almost immediately. Using her hand gun, Shepard takes out the target by simply aiming from the hip. The canister breaks up with a satisfying clink and a burst of orange powder. "You willing to bet on that?" He tosses the next canister to her.
She catches it as it is line with her shoulder. "What is your bet?" She tosses the canister underhand as well, but in a further arch.
He shoots it without even looking directly at it, but the distinct clink tells them that he hit it square on. "How about you make me dinner tonight if you miss?"
"Even though I can hardly cook food for myself you want me to try making a dextro meal?" Shepard shifts her weight onto one side in her usual confident stance.
Garrus quickly examines the two canisters and puts down the slightly smaller one. "Yes. If you get it, I'll promise never to ask you to cook again."
"I can get behind that." She says with a smirk.
"Get ready—this one won't be nearly as easy."
She adjusts her stance to evenly distribute her weight and focuses her handgun with both hands. She focuses completely as he throws the canister like a javelin, using his considerably longer arms to help give the toss the long distance. She lets it get to the end of its arch and then shoots it, releasing the burst of orange powder again. She turns back towards him after the burst of light dissipates. "Well now you will never know if I can…"
She stops in her tracks as she notices him on one knee with the canister in his hands by his hip.
"Katherine…" He starts.
"Wait…" He blinks in confusion. Shepard tosses her gun aside and even removes her holster. It lands barely still on the ledge but she does not even check. "Okay, continue."
He snorts a laugh but quickly regains his composure. "Commander Katherine Shepard, will you honor this ugly old Turian by becoming his wife?" He breaks open the canister to reveal the homemade ring nestled within it.
"You know I will." She says she kneels down with him, wrapping her arms around his armored shoulders and then kisses his cheek with an overemphasized motion which nearly pushes him off balance.