The next morning, as Garrus set out the breakfast that Rupert had provided, Shepard appeared with a hypo-spray in each hand. "If we are going ahead with our plans to 'blow off steam' later today, we need to use the anti-allergens that Mordin prepared for us. He made them easy to identify; the color of the serum matches the color of our blood, so mine is red and yours is blue." She handed Garrus the appropriate apparatus and they each applied the hypo-spray to their neck.

"How long does it take this stuff to work?" Garrus asked.

"Mordin said that it should take effect in a matter of minutes. I thought we would test it after we eat."

"Test it how? What exactly did you have in mind?"

"You'll see," Linda replied with a twinkle in her eye.

After they had eaten and cleared away the dishes, Shepard approached Garrus with purpose. Sitting in his lap on the couch, she informed him, "Now, it's time for a lesson in kissing – human style." She tilted her face up to his and put one hand behind his head, pulling him toward her. "The most basic form of kissing is simply the pressing together of lips," she said and then demonstrated, pressing her lips to his mouth. It felt odd to kiss someone with no lips, but she wasn't about to let that interfere with the lesson.

Pulling away briefly, she continued "The more advanced forms proceed from there." She then continued her demonstration by showering his mandibles with tiny kisses. Garrus sat very still, almost holding his breath. Shepard shifted her focus to his mouth which she began tracing lightly with her tongue. She felt Garrus' arms go around her as he groaned and opened his mouth slightly. Needing no further invitation, Shepard began investigating his mouth with her tongue; fortunately, his needle-sharp teeth were located along the sides of his mouth so she could explore without fear of laceration. As soon as her tongue touched his, Garrus responded with enthusiasm. His arms tightened around her, pulling her against him as his tongue began its own explorations. As he deepened the kiss, his mandibles fluttered against Shepard's cheeks causing her to moan with pleasure. Suddenly, Garrus pushed her away. Startled, Shepard opened her eyes to see him looking at her with astonishment; she noticed that he was breathing heavily, as was she.

"Now I see why humans enjoy kissing so much," Garrus panted. "Is it always like that?"

Linda shook her head; she was panting as hard as he was. "No, it definitely isn't always like that. You, my dear, are a quick study; that kiss was…..amazing." She struggled to explain, "The level of attraction between the participants has a direct impact on the intensity of the kiss." She added with a grin, "Of course, the fact that we're both as horny as hell doesn't hurt!"

Garrus reached out and pulled her against him again. "I think I need more practice," he growled as he bent his head to hers once again. Shepard sighed and melted against him. She noticed that he was getting braver; as they kissed, he ran one taloned hand into her hair while the other caressed her breast. She allowed her hands to roam freely over him as well. She noted with pleasure the masculine hardness pressing against her.

When they finally came up for air, Shepard pushed Garrus gently away. "Well, we now know unquestionably that the anti-allergens work. However, I promised the doctor not to let you do anything strenuous before she sees you again tonight; so, I think it would be best if we go to Ilium for a while. I'll get dressed and give you a chance to regain your….composure." She gave a pointed glance at his trousers. As she headed to the shower, Shepard stripped out of her robe so that Garrus would have a good view of her ass as she walked away; she knew he was watching when she heard him groan. This is going to be fun, she thought somewhat wickedly.

Watching Shepard's ass as she walked away, Garrus thought, This is going to be a long day.

####

When Shepard returned minutes later – fully clothed – Garrus looked her over carefully. "Very nice, Shepard. I've never seen you in civilian clothes before; you look lovely."

"Thank you," she replied with pleasure. She had chosen her outfit carefully, hoping that it would appeal to him. The rich purple color complimented her fair coloring nicely. The seaming accentuated her feminine shape while the deep V of the neckline drew the eye to the gentle swell of her breasts. "Shall we go?" she asked, holding her hand out to him.

Garrus took her hand and pulled her against him for another kiss before they made their way out of the cabin.

####

Once on Ilium, they wandered lazily through the parks and shops, hand-in-hand or arm-in-arm. As they walked, they talked about everything from their childhoods to their dreams for the future and of course, what to have for lunch.

Periodically they found secluded locations in which to conduct brief make-out sessions. During these sessions Garrus had learned two very important things. First, Shepard wasn't kidding when she said that her neck was sensitive; he had quickly learned that kissing, nibbling on, or just caressing her neck with his mouth made her shiver and gasp with pleasure. Secondly, the softness of the human female body had definite advantages. When he pulled Shepard against him, her body molded to his from shoulders to thighs; the warmth of her and the feel of her breasts as they moved against him drove him almost mad with desire.

Their current session ended abruptly when Garrus pushed Linda away from him. "Shepard, we have got to stop for a while. If we keep this up, I am going to come in my pants – and that hasn't happened since I was a teenager." She gave him a wicked grin, but resisted the temptation to press against him again. He continued, "We haven't drawn much attention as a human/turian couple, even though we've made no attempt to hide the fact that we are more than friends. However, I guarantee that we'll draw attention if we walk around with me like this," he indicated the erection straining at his trousers.

"Don't worry, I have an idea. You wait here." Linda gave him a quick kiss and hurried off. When she returned several minutes later she was carrying a blanket and a basket. When Garrus looked at her questioningly, she explained, "This is the equipment that we need for a picnic lunch. You will carry the blanket like this," she pulled his arm across his waist and draped the blanket over it, hiding his erection nicely, "and I will carry the basket. Now all we have to do is buy food, put it in the basket and find a nice location in a park to eat."

Linda led Garrus to several kiosks where she purchased various foods and beverages which she placed in the basket. Then, grabbing Garrus by the hand, she led him to yet another kiosk and waved to the female turian behind the counter. "Hello Sabana," Shepard called as they approached.

Sabana looked up and flared her mandibles in a grin. "Shepard, I didn't expect to see you again so soon."

Shepard led Garrus to the counter where she introduced him. "Sabana, this is Garrus, the friend that you helped me choose food for. He was quite pleased with your selections."

"Indeed I was," Garrus said. "Your food is wonderful. I haven't had real home-cooking in years."

"I'm glad that you enjoyed it. What can I do for you today?"

"We're here for more food; we're going on a picnic," Shepard said, gesturing at the basket. She looked up at Garrus with a smile. He put his arm around her shoulder and hugged her briefly. The gesture was not lost on Sabana, who looked at them speculatively.

After several minutes of discussion, and a few samples, Garrus made his selections. Shepard added the containers to her basket. Thanking Sabana and giving her a wave, the two made their way to the park behind the kiosk. They found a grassy patch in the sun, spread out their blanket and enjoyed their meal. Afterwards, they assumed their favorite position; Garrus stretched out on his back on the blanket and Shepard curled up on her side against him, her head on his shoulder. The mixture of full stomachs and warm sunshine made them sleepy; they were just starting to doze off when a shadow fell over them. Startled, they sat up abruptly and found Sabana standing there.

"I'm sorry to disturb you," she said. "I didn't realize that you were asleep. I have a new dish that I wanted you to try," she opened a container and held it out so they could inspect the contents. "It's a dessert and it's safe for both humans and turians."

"It smells marvelous," Shepard told her. "Is it chocolate?"

Sabana shook her head. "No, it isn't chocolate, but the taste is very similar."

Shepard patted the blanket and said, "Please, join us; that way you can get our feedback firsthand." She and Garrus both took bites of the dessert and made sounds of pleasure as they chewed; they agreed that it was wonderful. Sabana was pleased, but seemed to have something else on her mind.

Shepard reached out and took Sabana's hand in hers. "What is it? I get the feeling that something is troubling you."

Sabana shook her head. "Not troubling me exactly, but I do have questions for both of you. It's obvious to me that you are more than friends, possibly even lovers. How do you make it work?" She dropped her gaze as if embarrassed.

Linda squeezed her hand. "You're right, we are more than friends. We aren't lovers yet, but we're working on it," she said with a grin at Garrus. "I have a friend who is a scientist; he developed anti-allergen serums for us. We haven't put the serums to the full test yet, but early experiments have been promising." It was Shepard's turn to drop her gaze as Garrus chuckled.

Sabana took a deep breath and then explained in a rush, "I have a human friend who is very…special. He is the reason that I've started experimenting with foods that can be enjoyed by both of our races. We are interested in taking our relationship to a deeper level, but haven't found a way around the whole potentially-life-threatening-allergic-reaction thing." She looked at them appealingly.

Shepard replied, "I'm sure my friend won't mind sharing his serum with you – once we know that it works properly with no ill effects. I promise that we won't forget about you."

"Thanks Shepard," Sabana said as she got to her feet. Giving them a smile as she walked away, she added "I'll leave you to your experiment. Good luck!"

Linda turned to Garrus and said, "Speaking of our experiment, are you ready to return to the Normandy and see if Dr. Chakwas is ready to let you return to 'duty'?"

"Definitely," Garrus growled in a voice that sent tingles through Shepard's entire body.

####

Back aboard ship, Shepard sent Garrus to the Med Lab while she returned to her cabin. Once there, she began pacing nervously; the butterflies in her stomach were beginning to assume gigantic proportions.

EDI broke into Shepard's reverie. "Shepard, it will be a while before Garrus returns. There is something in your Inbox that I think you might like to see."

Curious, Linda stepped to her private terminal and opened her Inbox where she found an unread message from EDI. She opened the attachment to the message and gasped, "Oh, EDI…" She was unable to speak any further; her throat tightened with unshed tears. Before her on the screen was a photograph taken in her quarters the previous day – it showed Garrus asleep in her bed with Hershey clutched to his chest.

"When I saw how touched you were by this scene, I extracted this image from my memory banks for you," EDI explained.

"Oh, EDI" Shepard began again. "Thank you. I will treasure this always." As she ran her fingertips lightly over the image on the screen, Linda knew that her decision to trust EDI had been the right one.