**Heads up. Sexy times in this chapter, if you don't wan to read it, skip it but there is relationship development here as well**

"Commander, are you sure you are alright?"

Morinth's head lay splattered against the wall and floor, a sick sea of blue. She tried to spit it out, but it was too late, the capsule had popped and she was already beginning to feel the effect of the Hallex. Heat flooded her, her skin trembled, even the slightest touch from Samara set her body on fire. She stood quickly and swayed, brushing off Samara's hands.

Morinth had forced the Hallex into her mouth using her own tongue, the kiss had been necessary to convince Morinth she was interested. She'd been on Hallex before during her rebellious phase after Mindoir, so she knew how to act, when honestly shed just kept it tucked into her cheek. She didn't know capsules came that large in size. When she'd gone to restrain Morinth, the girl swung her hand wide, slapping her across the cheek and popping the large capsule. She'd heard the pop, and winced, knowing that it was absorbed primarily across the gums and the tongue. She'd never taken that much, the two times shed tried it they had been very small doses just to make her happy, never this large of a dose. She was in for a ride.

"I'm fine, Samara. Let's just get back to the ship." She shook off Samara's guiding hand, all it was doing was sending chills down her spine.

As soon as they were on the ship she stopped by Chakwas, then Mordin, who each informed her that the safest thing to do was ride it out. So she went to her loft and locked the door behind her, telling Chambers she didn't want to be disturbed. She felt the Hallex working, her entire body felt hot, her heart slamming in her chest as the heat spread lower. She'd never been more aroused, it was almost painful. Her mind began to wander to roads she thought best left alone, like who would be willing to help resolve this ache pooling lower in her stomach.

Garrus' shirtless form flashed in front of her as she removed her corset and let it fall to the floor, she shook her head violently, NO. She wasn't going to let him anywhere near her right now, it would ruin everything.

"Shepard." Her heart leapt into her throat and throbbed, it longed to hear that voice trace its way along her skin, hear him whisper her name again and again as his teeth nipped at her skin. She shook her head violently and didn't turn to face him.

"Now isn't really a good time, Garrus." She tried to keep her voice light, but even to her it sounded thick and languid. She shook her head, "I'm sorry I broke my promise, but I would really rather discuss it later." She kept her back to him and bit her thumb hard, hoping the pain would clear her head and help her focus. It didn't.

"No, I should have trusted you. I should have followed your command, you've never let me down before." He was standing right behind her, she heard the shift of his clothing. She longed to rip it from his body and stare at every plate he was born with. She clenched her teeth and swallowed hard.

"Please not now Garrus." She said breathily, it was getting harder and harder to breath. Her skin was radiating warmth, with him this close the ache only grew stronger.

She wouldn't face him, she couldn't. She felt his hand touch the exposed section of her lower back, she nearly jumped out of her skin, and nearly jumped into his. She sucked in a breath and made a whimpering noise very unlike her as the chill radiated up and down her back. She was mortified, she slapped her hand over her mouth and quickly stepped into the bathroom, closing the door behind her.

"Shepard, are you alright?" His voice was muffled through the door, but she still felt it rumble through her.

"I'm fine Garrus, just please go away." She sat on the floor and tucked her knees against her chest, pressing her knees into her eyes. Maybe if she sat like this, Garrus would go away, the ache would go away, her body would calm the hell down and let her get back to saving the galaxy.

His hand touched her shoulder and she jolted, she didn't hear the door open. Her eyes met his, his beautiful, trusting, confused blue eyes. She couldn't imagine what she looked like right now, the confident commander, aroused out of her wits and secretly begging for him.

"I think you should go, Garrus." She barely managed to choke out the words, urging him to leave even as she shifted to sit on her knees, her body ignoring her demands to stop. "I really think…" Her hands crept up around his neck and her lips were just slightly away from his, close enough for her to feel his breath against her lips. "…you should…"

It was Garrus who kissed her first. He had to, the hazy aroused look in her eyes, the tone pleading for her to be touched, the heat absolutely radiating off of her. The plump red lips begging to be kissed, the messy hair begging to be let down, the curve of her breasts pressing against the excuse for a dress, begging to be set free as her chest heaved beneath it.

"Please…" He heard her say on a ragged breath as she pulled him closer, he knew she wasn't herself, her mouth smelled like drugs, he shouldn't take advantage of this, but he was moving on autopilot. The scent she was emitting wrenched into the core of his instinct, driving out rational thoughts, driving out military hierarchy and fraternization, all that was left was the core thought, this woman was very aroused and wanted him. And he'd be happy to oblige.

He lifted her off of the bathroom floor, their lips not breaking, and carried her over to the bed. She had a vice grip around his neck, not letting him get far from her as her legs wrapped around his waist and her teeth found a sensitive spot at the base of his mandible. He let out a deep, throaty growl and pinned her to the bed, forcing her arms up over her head as he struggled to find his reason. Her hips writhed beneath him. He lifted her arms and forced the jacket off her shoulders, exposing the bare flesh of her lean muscled arms. His head went forward and his teeth raked and nipped along her shoulder up to her neck, where he bit down harder, causing her to cry out. He almost thought he'd hurt her but her hand pressed his face back down into her neck.

His hands roamed over her body as they'd longed to do, her body was velvet over steel, the soft skin a thin layer over hard muscle. And yet she was so incredibly soft, his hand wandered up to cup her breast, his thumb rubbing over the bump in the fabric, he had no idea what it was, but she seemed to enjoy him touching it. He pulled the fabric down to expose both breasts, one hand toyed with one while he brought his mouth down to the other, taking the small pink bump into his mouth and teasing it using both his tongue and his teeth. Her hands gripped at his crest as if to hold on as a soft moan escaped her lips, he assumed this meant he was doing something right.

Admittedly he had looked up human intercourse and 'foreplay' before. Briefly. He was curious if something between him and the commander was even physically possible. Turns out it was. He just needed to familiarize himself with her, he wanted her to want him, to want him now and to want him to come back later.

Her skin was on fire, and she loved every moment of it. The little voice in her head screaming for her to get him out of there before anything between them could be permanently damaged had been quieted the moment their lips touched. And completely silenced the moment his hands roved down to her bare breasts. The rough texture of his palms only heightening her attention to his actions, every motion only seemed to stoke the fire in her more and more.

His mouth left her breast, she almost protested until it found its way back to her neck, his teeth grazing along her skin as he whispered her name. She shuddered. His free hand found the zipper at her side and slowly unzipped the slinky red dress she had been wearing. He let it fall to the side of her, leaving her there in nothing but her boots and small, lacey black panties. He forced himself to be restrained, she looked breathtaking, but she was still vulnerable. His hands continued to roam over her body and up into her hair. He removed all the pesky little pins holding her long hair up, allowing it to fall in a messy pool around her face. His fingers delved into the silken mass of it, entwining it into his fingers, running it through his talons.

This was what he'd always pictured. Her hair fanned out behind her, eyes clouded, cheeks flushed, lips full and red, black lacey panties…the boots were just a plus and he had no intention of taking them off.

She reached up and pulled at his shirt, he lifted it over his head before her mouth descended onto his neck, her lips trailing up, nipping at him here and there. He dug his claws into the bed sheets as he fought the urge to take her now. He forced her back down onto her back and he followed her, lying beside her as one of his hands ventured lower. He brushed against her panties and he felt her writhe.

"Garrus." She said on a heavy breath and he clenched his teeth. The sound of his name on her lips was almost too much for him, he was having hard enough time staying in control of his own body.

He began to touch her through the fabric of the underwear, but only briefly as his own desires ran deeper. He slid his hand into the fabric and felt bare skin, no hair like some of the vids he'd seen. He felt nothing but silky skin, heat and her readiness. He couldn't resist. He slid a finger inside of her, her muscles contracting down against him as he left his finger there motionless. She writhed against his hand, her heat radiating against him, muscles massaging against his finger. He slowly, so slowly began to move his finger in and out of her, his thumb rubbing a sensitive nub nearby.

She couldn't form a thought. Her head fell back and her nails dug into his shoulders as he fingered her. His fingers were larger than a human's, so it was more satisfying than teasing. She couldn't help the smile on her face as his finger slipped in and out of her. She groaned his name and he added his second finger, moving a bit quicker. She bucked her hips against his hand as she reached her orgasm, it was long and intense; she wrapped her arms around his neck and held him close as her heart began to calm, but only slightly, she had to push his hand away to catch her breath.

He looked up at her and she kissed him hard. Her eyes were a languid aqua, but deep within them he saw the hunger she held for him. He smelled the drugs on her breath again and it pulled him a bit more back to reality. He may as well let her have her fun, but that would the end of it, had to be the end of it. His head dipped between her breast, taking each bump into his mouth in turn before trailing nips down her abdomen. She was about to raise a question when his head disappeared between her thighs, his mandibles spreading her lips as his rough tongue slid inside of her. Her hands flew to her mouth to stifle the cry as his long, course tongue explored her.

She was drunk on him. She couldn't tell which was doing more, his surprisingly skilled touch or the Hallex. She'd wanted him for a long time, she didn't deny that. But what he was doing now, his tongue probing deeper than she thought possible, was more than she'd ever let herself imagine. His tongue curled inside her, hitting the soft sensitive area. Her hand went to his shoulder, her nails instinctively trying to dig in, trying to grab hold of something, anything to tell her this wasn't a dream. Her back arched and she hooked her legs up over his shoulders. A hand came and gripped her waist, holding her hips down, talons digging against her flesh not quite hard enough to break skin.

He felt the fabric of the boots against his plates and he smiled to himself at the image they must make. The powerful commander spread out on a bed with a vigilante Turian between her legs. He was going crazy, her taste on his tongue, the silken sensation of her, the muscles contracting down against his tongue urging him on as her hands clawed at his shoulders and her boots pressed him forward. She was so soft all over. Her hips bucked violently as he hooked his tongue and flicked it inside of her, he heard her muffled cry against her hand as she reached her climax. He couldn't help but imagine how it would feel to slide inside of her, hot and willing, to feel the silken skin slide down him, to feel those muscles squeeze him.

He lifted his head from her and wiped his mouth. He looked down at her, her cheeks flushed, eyes closed, body trembling, hand still covering her mouth as she panted. He gently removed her legs from around him and took her boots off. He leaned forward over her and kissed her gently on the forehead, delicately taking her hands from him and lying them on her stomach. It was taking every fiber of self control to walk away from her. He took the blankets and folded them over her, maybe covering her willing form would help.

"Garrus…?"

Her voice was thick with the question, he would have been more than happy to continue but she meant more to him than that. He kissed her briefly, the smell of the Hallex on her breath reaffirming his decision.

"We'll talk about this, later, when you're yourself. I promise."

He didn't leave her the chance to respond, he couldn't. He turned quickly, throwing on his shirt and unlocked the door, locking it behind him. It wouldn't do for anyone else to wander up to her quarters with her in this state. The elevator doors opened and Thane stepped out. Garrus cleared his throat and tried to play it off.

"She's asleep." He got into the elevator and pressed the button to the crews quarters. Thane looked at him, stared at him, a small smile came to his lips.

"I am sure she is exhausted, though I am glad to see that the two of you have made up." He smirked and stepped out of the elevator.

Garrus scowled at him, but it didn't last. How could he be angry at anything with the taste and smell of her still with him? The image of her spread out on the bed? Her hunger for him? His scowl turned into a grin as he stepped in the showers, feeling rather pleased with himself. He tried to ignore his own ache and turned the shower as cold as it would go. He hated cold.

She was having a very hard time focusing. Thane was telling her something about his son and that he had business at the Citadel as well. She knew he could tell she wasn't fully paying attention, but he knew she kept her promises to the best of her abilities and left it at that. He gave her a curious smirk when she went to leave, and when she asked all she received as response was 'Nothing, Siha.' She shook it off and went to talk to Garrus.

She stopped in the middle of the mess hall. Her skin was tingling and it wasn't just excitement. Something cold settled in her stomach, what he must think of her. Commander Shepard turned into a horny druggie and taking full advantage. Well, not fully. She shook her head and thought back to the look he had given her before he left. He didn't seem disgusted, and if he was disgusted by her then why would he have…she shook her head and tried to suppress the heat that began to push out the cold. Yes, the hallex had lowered her inhibitions, but what had happened was exactly what she had wanted to, and more. Why didn't he press?

She looked at Chakwas and decided maybe a quick stop to share that brandy would help. Chakwas was always such a lightweight, and once she was nice and drunk and she knew she wouldn't remember anything, Shepard aired her concerns, as quietly as she could to keep Garrus from hearing her. All she received was a 'go for it girl, if anyone deserves some happiness it's you' before the good doctor passed out in her chair. She smiled and moved the doctor to a bed before sitting back down and staring at the door of the battery, drink in hand. The ship was on its way to the Citadel to take care of Sidonis and Fade, though most of the crew thought it was her finally cashing in on her drink offer.

She had to talk to him before that. She knew how she was when she was around Balak, cold and unreachable. She wanted to know where everything stood before he turned into the rage filled monster she had once become. Granted she supported her own decision, the ending would have been different. She almost let those people burn just to see Balak's brains splattered against a wall. She took another swig of brandy as the realization dawned on her, she was afraid. She scoffed, the great commander Shepard, afraid of one Turian. She rolled her eyes at herself. She tried to think of what to say, tried to come up with some eloquent and well thought out conversation, but she just kept coming up blank.

She decided to do what was characteristic of her…charge in blind and hope for the best. She finished her glass and subsequently the bottle and stood, the world lurched under her. She'd drunk a lot more than she had originally thought, the brandy went straight to her head. She took a few moments to gain her balance before making her way to the battery. She paused outside the door and almost turned around, but the door whooshed open and there he stood, a dumb smirk on his face as he leaned up against the console to face her.

"Shepard, need me for something?" She wanted to punch the grin off of his face, no matter how well deserved it was. She cleared her throat.

"Yes, actually." She crossed her hands behind her back and made her way to the crates.

"Have you been drinking?" He quirked a brow plate at her.

"…Yes." She tucked her hair behind her ear, she'd left it down for now, it fell loosely over the light blue sweater she wore. She leaned against the wall, "How can you tell?"

"For one you're not walking in a very straight line, and for two you seem out of sorts."

"Well there is more than one reason for that." She sat and let out a long sigh. "What is wrong with me?" she laughed at herself, almost bitterly.

"I'm not following." He was utterly confused, he'd hoped she'd come to talk about last night, or ask for a repeat which he would be happy to do. Instead she was buzzed, unfocused and somewhat distant. He felt a brief moment of panic.

"Why is it that I can stare down and threaten a reaper, charge a biotic, and face down a pissed off Yahg and everything snaps into clarity," She let out a long sigh, "But can't talk to a boy?"

She was talking more to herself than to him but he could see her frustration. He closed the door to the battery, locking it. He sat down beside her on the crates.

"When have we ever spoken like normal adults?" She looked up at him and gave him a smirk.

"Hah, I guess never if you really think about it." She bit her nail, he'd never seen her nervous before, it was cute. "Garrus, I'm sorry for yesterday, I should have stayed in control regardless of the drugs, I shouldn't have taken advantage of you and I'm sorry. That…yesterday was not me. Ugh, what you must think of me now."

Took advantage of him? He fought the urge to laugh, leave it to Shepard to make something like last night her fault. Honestly he didn't need a discussion; he just needed to know if anything like that, or more, could ever happen again. He watched her fumble to find her words a few more times before he held up a hand to stop her.

"Shepard, look…" He let out a sigh and knelt in front of her, eye to eye, "I know you could find something a little closer to home but…I don't…" He sighed, "All I need to hear from you is a yes or a no. I know you were influenced by Hallex the other night and I almost , almost feel guilty. Believe me, you did not take advantage of me. But, if you felt I pushed too far, or if you want nothing more to do with me, just say no." He hoped she wouldn't, and kind of wished he had a few drinks in his system, this would be an awkward conversation for anyone. "But, if you enjoyed it as much as I did, if you want… well me, just say yes. Know that whatever you choose, there is no one in this galaxy I respect more than you, that has not changed."

She stared him in the eye, searching for something, she wasn't sure what. She could see his honesty and inside she cringed. She hated talks like this, she knew what she should say as his CO. No, never again, you overstepped, stay away from me. But what she really wanted was the exact opposite. If it were up to her she would drag him off to her room right now and make him finish what he'd started the night before, her body was still trying to pull towards him, to feel his arms around her, to be in that place where the rest of the galaxy didn't exist and she could just be a normal woman. She couldn't….she shouldn't…. But she knew what she was going to do anyway.

"Damnit, Garrus." He blinked and looked confused. "You are so distracting."

He froze for only a brief moment after her arms wrapped around his neck, stared at her very close face as she pressed her mouth to his. He couldn't believe it, he'd hoped, but here he had an almost completely sober Shepard pressing her body against his. He smiled against her mouth and pulled her into a standing position so he could feel her closer. He wrapped his arms tightly around her waist and pressed her as tightly against him as he dared. She melted into him, her arms wrapped around his neck, one hand at the back of his head to keep him close. His hand dove into her loose hair, entwining his fingers in its silky mass as he finally let himself relax and get drunk off of her.

She tasted like brandy, which wasn't exactly a bad thing. He was glad he'd taken that dextro-amino antihistamine last night and again this morning, he wasn't entirely sure how he'd react to the different biochemistry, but it seemed to be working just fine. He had to remember to thank Mordin.

They broke to try and catch their breath, both somehow winded. He began to have thoughts of laying her down on his cot when Joker interrupted.

"Hey, Garrus, if you see the commander let her know we are about ten minutes out from the Citadel and she better have her wallet ready to handle a tab for thirty thirsty people."

She saw the change in his eyes as his thoughts went to Sidonis and Fade, she cringed inside.

"Thirty? Well, there goes any hope of a retirement fund." She joked, trying to keep the mood light.

"Hey, you're the one who volunteered it." He cut the com.

"Garrus, you trust me, right?" She asked as he slowly let her go.

"Of course, why?"

"Just…keep trusting me." She smiled gently and left the room, leaving him standing in the middle of the battery with a very confused look on his face.