I do apologize for being late with this chapter. I had a lot going on in my life and I just needed time to rest. Hopefully, this chapter makes up for it. I know how much you guys love this story and I wanted to make this chapter as good as possible. This may be the last chapter for this series. Enjoy and tell me what you all think! :D
Shepard stared at Garrus' gushing wound. Pain seared her heart as she noticed Garrus' breathing slowing.
"Garrus…" She mumbled sleepily, still tired from fighting the varren. "Don't leave me… Not yet…"
She turned her misty green gaze to Garrus. The blood on his face looked like the markings on his father's. Shepard groaned as she lifted her stiff body off the ground. She grabbed Garrus' arms and tried to pull him to the med bay. She slipped on his blood and fell to the floor with a grunt.
Suddenly Shepard couldn't take it anymore! She knew this was the end for Garrus, the very last time she would see him. Tears welled in her eyes and she curled into a ball and began to weep. Sobs shook her shoulders as she cried. But then, something sparked inside of her. She wasn't going to lie down and cry. That's not what soldiers do!
She got to her feet and grabbed Garrus' arms again, pulling as hard as she could; dragging him inch by inch. She slipped again, but got back up to her feet furiously.
She grunted and puffed as she dragged her friend's half-dead body across the floor. "C'mon, Garrus! You're not dying on me now!" She panted. She was about to give up again when suddenly a hand grabbed her arm, it was Tali.
"What happened?!" She gasped. Shepard didn't want to remember the horrifying moment.
"We were attacked by a varren." She looked at Garrus. "Garrus took got the worst of it." Shepard's wide green gaze lifted back up to Tali. "We've got to get him to a hospital, or something! He's already almost dead!"
Tali placed a hand on Shepard's shoulder. "Don't worry; we'll get him out of here." She grabbed Garrus' other arm. "Let me help you."
"Or instead, you could let us help you, Tali'Zorah." Shepard and Tali let go of their friend and whipped around to see another Quarian. A male.
"Zaal'Koris!" Tali exclaimed. Shepard gave Tali a sideways glance.
"Please, help us! Our friend's been hurt!" Shepard gave the man a scared and pleading look. "Please..."
The male Quarian, Zaal'Koris, walked over to the two girls. Other Quarians trailed behind him and rushed to help Tali and Shepard. A female Quarian wearing a brown and purple suit lifted Garrus off the ground and carried him off. Shepard reacted quickly and lunged out at the female Quarian, only to be pulled back by some other Quarian.
"No! Please! Please, don't take him from me! No!" Shepard kicked and screamed out in rage and fear. Tears streamed down her face as she watched her friend being carried off. She didn't know what would happen to him. Or what they would do to him. She loved him and couldn't stand the thought of having him hurt or worse!
"Shepard! Please, don't struggle!" Tali gave a fearful cry as she tried to calm her frantic friend and leader.
After another minute of kicking and struggles, Shepard let out a sigh of defeat and fell limp.
"Shepard!" Tali rushed over to Shepard and looked her over, taking her pulse and everything. "She just passed out… She's so tired." She sighed. Tali stroked the hair from Shepard's pale face and smoothed it out.
"Take her to the observation deck." A strong, firm voice ordered. "She needs rest."
Tali gasped as she looked up. "Father! Please, don't' throw them out! They're my friends!" She pleaded.
Tali's father looked at her a little longer before sighing and lowering his head. He put a hand on the shoulder of a passing Quarian. "Set course for the Citadel. We will return these children to their parents, then leave." The other Quarian nodded and walked away. Tali's father's gaze returned to Tali. "But, you are not allowed to see these two again."
Tali flinched as if she were about to protest, but lowered her head in submission. "Yes, father..." She whispered. Getting to her feet, Tali walked in the direction Shepard was taken.
Shepard's eyes slowly opened and she moaned groggily. Slowly sitting up, Shepard noticed she was on a couch. An old one. She looked to her left and noticed a very large window, overlooking space. Shepard was on her feet in an instant. She rushed over to the window and pressed herself against it, gazing out.
The stars and distant galaxies were mesmerizing. So much, that they almost made Shepard throw up. It was so beautiful.
Then, Shepard remembered what happened. She gasped. "Garrus!" Instantly, Shepard whipped around and looked for a door. When she saw one, she rushed over to it. But it was locked. "Dang it!" She grumbled, kicking the door. Pain seared through her foot, but Shepard was too angry to even notice it. Rage pulsed through her veins and it was almost as if Shepard was on fire. Her face was hot and her hands were too! She yelled out in fury, bringing her arm back far as possible, and then threw it forward, striking the door with ultimate force. When Shepard brought her hand down, there was a dent in it. Not a slight one, but one that curved inside of the door. Her rage had dented that door and hurt her hand. Feeling defeated, Shepard slid down to her knees and let out a wail of despair and loneliness. Tear began to well up in her eyes as she screamed out. She'd never felt so alone or scared in her life!
When her crying was over, Shepard took a few breathes and got to her feet. A slight 'ding' was heard and she looked up. The door had unlocked! Shepard touched the green illuminated pad and the door swished open. Almost instantly, Shepard burst out of the door and turned a sharp corner, only to bump into someone, someone about her size, but smaller. Tali!
"Tali!" Shepard cried out with glee. She threw her arms around her small friend and hugged her tightly. "Oh, Tali! I was so worried! I was so scared!" She pulled Tali away a little to look at her. "Where did they take Garrus? Where is he?" She asked.
"Over here!" Tali grabbed Shepard's hand and pulled her down a long corridor. At the end of the hall, was a door with windows next to it. Tali had to jump a few times before she finally hit the button and walked in. No one was in sight, except for at the end of the room, sitting up and over the edge of the bed... Was Garrus. He looked around the room curiously with an interested gleam in his electric-blue eyes. When his attention was brought to the door, he gasped then gave, what Shepard had come to realize, a smirk. "So, decided you want to save me after all, huh?" There it was; his cocky, yet humorous attitude. Shepard and Tali both rushed over to him.
When they got to him, they jumped up on to the bed and threw their arms around him. Shepard smiled widely and tightened her grip on her friend.
"Whoa, whoa. Ladies! I know I'm attractive, but you don't have to kill me!" Tali pushed him away and Shepard gave him a smack upside the head.
"Smart ass!" She sneered jokingly. Garrus gave a shrug and a smile.
"What are you gonna do? I'm not going to change." He chuckled and looked to Tali. "I'm glad you showed up when you did, Tali." He gave her a thankful nod.
Tali giggled and lightly smacked his arm. "Don't be silly. I wouldn't have done this for just anyone." If it wasn't for the non-transparent mask, Shepard could've sworn Tali was smiling.
Shepard draped her arm around both, Garrus' and Tali's shoulders. "Look at us! We're the... Terrible…" She bit her lip. "We're going to need a nick name." She let her lip slide from her teeth and looked over to Garrus and Tali.
Tali shrugged. "I've got nothing."
Garrus shook his head. "I've never really been good with coming up with names, so you'd just be wasting your time asking me."
Shepard groaned then gasped. "We'll be... No, that's already taken..." She grumbled. "Well, what about- No... That doesn't sound good." Shepard head Tali and Garrus laugh and struggle for air.
"Your thinking face is so stupid looking!" Tali gasped.
"It looks like you smelled a dead varren!" Garrus burst out laughing after having said that. Shepard grumbled and shoved Garrus, knocking him and Tali off the bed.
"Thanks for the support, guys! I'm so happy to have such good friends." Shepard said sarcastically.
"You know you love us." Garrus chuckled and pulled her down with them. Shepard shrieked as she fell onto the floor next to him. Tali and Garrus started laughing again and this time, instead of grumbling, Shepard joined in and held her stomach as it started to hurt with every laugh.
When the laughing subsided, they all laid back and stared at the ceiling. Shepard turned her head to look at Garrus and Tali. "What if we called our team Normandy, after the SSV Normandy?"
Tali and Garrus turned their heads to look at her. "The Normandy... Team Normandy..." Garrus tested the name. "It sounds good to me." He smiled.
"I like that name! Tali'Zorah 'vas Normandy!" Tali put her arms up and extended them, as if she were putting up a title. "I like it!"
A smile formed on Shepard's lips as she sat up. The other two did the same and looked at her. Shepard looked at her two friends before she and them got to their feet. When on their feet, Garrus gave Shepard a salute. His blue eyes gleamed with pride and happiness. "Garrus Vakarian reporting for duty, Commander Shepard." The last part of his sentence sent a shiver down Shepard's spine. She smiled and looked at Tali, extending her hand. Tali took it without hesitating.
"And Tali'Zorah 'vas Normandy reporting as well." She said gleefully. Shepard smiled so wide, she felt as if her face was stretching like rubber. She threw her arms around her friends and hugged the tightly. The two returned to embrace and hugged her back.
As they walked out of the med bay, Shepard felt something click inside of her. It spread a warm feeling throughout her body. It pulsed through her veins and made her feel comforted. Shepard was truly blessed to have such great friends; loyal friends, friends that would stick with her no matter what happened. These friends were the kind of people that Shepard wanted by her every second of every day.
These were her comrades…
And this was only the beginning…