It had been an extremely long day so far; luckily Shepard would be back in the office tomorrow Garrus thought. He had been inundated with complaints and calls after his father left, thankfully distracting him from his problems with Shepard. His mind reeled from all the little tasks he had to accomplish before the day was out. He was struggling with this one case where a Volus banker was being accused of embezzling large amounts of credits from a Salarian trader's account. Rubbing his hand over his face, scratching at his mandible with one finger, he dreaded how much paperwork that would take to sort it out.

His mind sprang back to Shepard, who usually took over all paperwork and let him do the dirty work of interrogating. Please let tomorrow come quickly he prayed. Settling back in behind his desk, he glanced at the digital clock on the wall. 2pm. Spirits, it was still hours till he could go back home and see Shepard. He was anxious that something worse would happen to her while he wasn't around to protect her and then scolded himself for thinking that she needed protection in the first place. The only reason his dad wasn't just a smudge of blue all over his lounges' wall was because Shepard would never hurt him like that by harming his family and that she had most likely been in too much shock from being confronted in that way. He was desperate to get back home, his knee was bouncing with impatience and he had to place a hand on his leg to get the movement to stop. Just as he was about to lose himself in work, he heard a knock on the door and cursed when he had to look up and acknowledge whoever was standing there.

He sucked in a breath and his eyes narrowed as he saw Tali, timidly hovering in the doorway. Better and better he thought to himself. Today the galaxy had a title. He imagined it was called something like 'Fuck You Garrus' and was surrounded by blinking neon lights with arrows pointing to him.

''What can I do for you Miss Tali'Zorah?'' he said calmly, crossing his arms over his broad chest and leaning back into his chair.

''Keelah, I wanted to say…I'm sorry.'' her voice becoming slightly distorted at the end due to the filter in front of her mouth.

''Apology accepted. Now if there isn't anything else, I am quite busy.'' With that Garrus dismissed her with a nod, only to find that she had yet to move an inch from the spot where she was standing.

Rolling his eyes, he cleared his throat to finally put her straight and explain where the two of them were in regards to their friendship.

''Tali, we were once friends and yes, I will admit that I may have led you on accidentally with all the invitations to lunch or not mentioning, even in passing, that I wasn't interested in anyone at the time but you cannot just waltz in here after a week or so and expect things to go back to the way they were. ''

''I know that Garrus, but I really did consider you my friend and I couldn't help wishing that the two of us could be more.'' Tali offered as an excuse, as she walked into his office to take a seat opposite him.

Garrus grew uncomfortable at having her so close to him after that little titbit of information she had just shared with him. Leaning back further in his chair, he tried to put as much distance between them as possible and he saw her eyes behind her mask flash with light at the obvious action.

''Tali, there's nothing more I can or want to say on the matter. We were friends and you betrayed Shepard's friendship by calling her a whore and by implying that I was some lying bastard who used woman for pleasure. If you had been genuine in your confession and not just came out with it because you felt threatened by Shepard, I would have taken it seriously and maybe we could've gone back to being friends. Right now that is no longer an option.''

''I will apologise for lying to you once. I am interested in someone now. And that person is Shepard. A human. It will always be Shepard and it always has been Shepard''

Seeing Tali accept the situation, he watched her rise up slowly from the chair and smooth out any imaginary wrinkles on her suit. She was such a tiny thing he mused watching as she flitted past him.

''I understand Garrus. I hope we can be friends again once you've forgiven me, I didn't mean for any of this to happen. I'll see you around the Citadel. ''

She lingered a moment more and he saw how her eyes travelled up and down his body once before she spun on her heels and left. He wanted to scream. He was so fed up with this day. He just wanted to go back to Shepard, feel her in his arms and close his eyes and sleep while he held her.


Shepard woke up to Liara gently nudging at her shoulder with her finger.

''Shepard, wake up. It's time to go home.'' Liara cooed as if to a child.

She felt Liara stroke her hair away from her forehead.

''What time is it?'' Shepard asked groggily, wiping at her face only to flinch as she had forgotten about the bruise on her cheek. Opening her eyes slowly to adjust them to the light that had flooded in when Liara had turned them on, she blinked as her blue friend came in to focus.

''It's a little past three o'clock now. I've managed to get the lounge into some order but the coffee table will need to be thrown away and the carpets could do with getting replaced. It's been a long time since I've been on my hands and knees where I didn't enjoy the experience.'' Liara said, her face breaking out into a smirk.

Shepard snickered into the back of her hand and shook her head at her.

''You're terrible Li.'' Shepard continued to giggle as she was helped off the bed by Liara.

''Probably should have changed my shirt before I went to sleep.'' She muttered, rolling her eyes as she remembered Garrus' sense of smell and how his bed sheets would reek of blood now.

Getting Liara's help, she threw on one of her spare shirts that she had brought over with her three days ago. Was it really only three days? It felt like a lifetime ago since her and Garrus had spent a normal day together. Her holiday was officially coming to an end tomorrow and Shepard was eager to get her mind off things and return to some semblance of order. Too much chaos would be the death of her.

''You ready to head out?'' she heard Liara yelling from the lounge.

''Yeah, give me a minute, I'll be right there.'' She yelled back at her.

Walking through the lounge with her bag of clothes over her shoulder, she signalled to Liara that she was ready to leave by grabbing her hand and tugging her towards the door. The two of them made their way through the wards, chatting about mindless and boring topics. Who was currently sleeping with whom? What the reactions were to the new Blasto movie and whether or not Liara should start up a business on Illium. Liara nattered on about various things till they got to her place, not allowing her a moment to wallow in her thoughts and Shepard was grateful.

Sitting down in her lounge, Shepard kicked of her shoes and curled up into the corner delicately, bracing her sore arm on the armrest. Sighing with relief she heard Liara switching on the coffee machine and singing. It was nice, to have somebody to come home with. To know there was someone else in the flat, the background noise a soothing balm to her anxious thoughts.

''Snap out of it Shepard, no feeling sorry for yourself. What do you want to watch? Or should I run you a bath first?'' Liara babbled on and on as she walked about the lounge, straightening a frame here or fluffing up a pillow there.

''A bath would be lovely but I would rather have one before I go sleep tonight so that I'm rested and clean when I get into bed.'' Shepard said while trying to stifle a yawn.

She was so tired, but her mood had at least gotten better thanks to Li.

''I've heard of an old earth classic. It's called Dirty Dancing. Have you watched it Shepard?'' Liara asked as she made herself comfortable next to Shepard on the couch, coffee in hand.

''Ugh, good lord Liara. When you said girls-night in I didn't think you'd drag me back all way to my teenage years. Yes, I've heard of it and fine, I will watch it with you, but only if you promise to never sing the songs around me. I can never get the damn things out of my head.''

Shepard groaned when the intro started to play and Liara laughed at her reaction. Oohing and aahing at the music and people grinding against each other.

''Shepard... this is what people from Earth call soft core porn right?'' Liara genuinely inquired, her face so serious, looking at her like she had all the answers to the world's problems.

For the first time that day Shepard snorted and for once the tears that leaked from her eyes were ones of laughter.


Nihlus was lying down on his bed, back against the headboard and his hands folded behind his head. His own fingers scratching idly at the sensitive spot beneath his fringe, while he watched the Asari he had called over, bend in impossible ways in front of him as she performed a dance that she seemed too familiar with. He purred as he watched her grab at her own breasts, running a hand down his stomach to pull down the zipper on the front of his pants. He ran a finger over his loosening plates and growled when she bent over exposing her rounded ass and giving it a teasing shake.

He had never, ever been in interested in relationships. The life of a spectre was too dangerous to have someone important to you. So he made up for the lack of companionship with the company of beautiful woman and as much anonymous sex as his cock could handle. He beckoned her over with a curl of his finger and watched her sashay over and climb over him on all fours. He felt her lick up his neck, nibbling lightly at the skin and he rumbled his approval. This one knew what he liked as he had used her before.

His cock sprang out from his plates, landing on his stomach and twitched. He placed his hand on the back of her head and forcefully pushed her down till her head was bent over his crotch. He liked it rough, he liked to dominate and he loved the ones who were submissive and who could take all he had to give them without complaining. He felt his cock enter her mouth and he began a punishing pace, making her gag and holding her still while he pumped into her mouth. He felt her hands come up to his waist and squeeze and he snarled at her and thrust deeper into her throat.

His mind suddenly sprang to the human woman who had kissed him the other night. Ah Spirits, the way she had tasted, tongue roaming around inside his mouth. The feel of her tiny waist in his hands and the soft hair on her head brushing against his mandibles. Spirits, but he wanted to fuck Shepard so badly.

''Aww… Fuck … take it… more… ah… Shepard!'' He bellowed out.

With a final thrust, making the Asari scream out in shock around his cock when he pushed her down with both hands, nose-to-plates, he emptied himself down her throat, filling her mouth. His chest aching from how hard he was climaxing and he noticed how her throat was moving over-time as she struggled to take down what he had given her. With a loud and obscene pop, his semi-erect cock slipped out of her mouth and he heard her take in big gulps of air. He chuckled to himself as he laid his head back against the wall, sated for the moment. Shepard would be amazing if he ever got his hands on her again.

''I'm charging extra for that.'' He heard her say and could tell that she was not pleased.

Lifting his head he smirked at her.

''And what if I make it up too you'' he drawled, sitting up and dragging her back up the bed to straddle him.

''Still charging you extra….'' She moaned like the whore she was, as he bit around her nipples and rubbed between her legs with his long fingers.

''That's fine by me. I intend to make every credit count for the next few hours.''


5pm. Thank the Spirits and everything else out there of the deity variety Garrus thought, breathing out a sigh of relief. He could finally go home. He could go speak to Shepard. His talons were itching to thread through her hair and his body hummed with the need to get her as close to his body as possible. He locked his office behind him and walking as calmly as he could, he took a path to the closest transit hub. He could walk home but didn't want to seem like an idiot when he knew he would eventually end up running there in his impatience. Turians were meant to appear as orderly and calm as possible.

He climbed into to the car and keyed in the destination. Drumming his talons on the dashboard, making slight indentations in the plastic material he chided himself for acting like this. He nearly jumped out the sky car as it made it's descent to the ground and stopped outside his building. He ran up the stairs and collided with the back of the elevator wall in his haste to get into it, his armour making a loud clanging noise as it echoed around the small four walls.

His breathing was erratic, mandibles fluttering back and forth while his mouth opened to allow more air in. His concern for her was irrational and he remembered somewhere in the back of his mind, that bonded male Turians were over-protective and acted insane from time to time but he couldn't help himself. He burst through his door, slamming it loudly behind him in haste to find her.

''Shepard?'' he yelled, expecting a response from the bedroom.

His plates were humming with unease and the itch beneath them increased when he didn't hear a reply from her. Spirits, did she bleed out? Was she still in shock? Was she just in a deep sleep? Did she leave him? All these crazy thoughts ran through his brain, back and forth and he ran into the bedroom, not sparing the lounge a glance as he opened his bedroom door.

Nothing.

No one.

She was gone.

His heart raced and beat so hard in his chest that he had to lean against the wall and bring a hand up to it, as he was frightened the damn thing would burst out of his chest. Where was she? Why wasn't she here? He screamed his thoughts in his head. He started to get angry and let loose a howl of frustration. Didn't she know how worried he would be? Did she really think that she didn't matter at all to him? The least she could do was send him a fucking ping explaining where she had gone.

Ripping his arm off his chest he activated his omnitool.

''Call Shepard!'' he snarled at his wrist.

It rang and rang and with each consequent ring he became more enraged. The click on the other end of the line went dead. Giving a furious roar he tried Liara's line.

''Where in the hell is Shepard?!'' he screamed at her.

''Don't you take that tone with me Vakarian. I told you the next time you hurt her I would take her away.'' Liara yelled back at him.

''Tell me where she is right now! She is my mate and as hers, I demand to know!'' he was sick of Liara meddling and sticking her blue nose in where it didn't belong.

He was sick to death of everyone and everything other than Shepard.

''You just called her your mate. Are you aware that you just said that?'' Liara asked him

''Of course I'm spirits-fucking aware Liara.'' He growled ''Now… please…'' he tried to lower his voice,

''Tell me where she is… please?''

''She's asleep on the couch. We came back here after I went to get her from your place.''

''Thank you. I'll be there soon.''

''Yes, I'm sure you will be.'' She said as she hung up on him.

He raced back outside and this time he ran to Shepard's home. Ten minutes later he had come to the conclusion that he would do well with some more cardio training as his lungs burned and his legs were cramping from the exertion and they shook slightly as he walked up to her door and banged on the door with his fist.

''Shepard, open the door!''


Coming awake with a start, the banging on her door scaring the hell out of her she heard Garrus roar her name and her eyes widened. Drawing her eyebrows down in confusion, she stood up and was hit with another wave of dizziness. Holding her head between her hands while she stood, she willed the nausea to go away and sighed as it passed. She really had to go and get herself checked out. Maybe Dr Michel could squeeze her in sometime. Hearing more curses and yelling coming from behind her door she opened it and had to swiftly duck, as his fist missed the door and nearly collided with her face.

Before she could recover she let out a high pitched squeak when she was lifted in the air and crushed to a big blue covered chest. Her face was pressed into the leathery hide of her obviously distressed Turians neck. She didn't know what was wrong with him. But if the combination of the purring and rumbling coming from his chest was anything to go by she reckoned he didn't know whether to be happy or extremely pissed off with her.

''Garrus, your armour… is… Garrus, hold up. Put me down. ''

As her feet were placed back on the floor, she tried to look up at him but was still struggling to make him let go of her.

''Garrus…?'' she whispered.

When she still didn't get a reply from him she palmed his face and pulled him down to her. His eyes were closed and his mandibles tightly clamped to his face. She kissed him from one side of his mouth to the other and felt the humming vibrations coming from his chest, start to ease off. She moved one arm to run her hand up and down his back and kissed her way down to his neck, nuzzling him with her nose. He tightened his hold on her and Shepard decided that the only way he was letting go of her, was if and when he wanted to.

So she stood there and hummed to him, kissing him occasionally and murmuring words of nothingness into his ear. After a while he seemed to gather himself.

''You left me!'' He shouted, his eyes opening to look at her, staring at her in anger.

''You left me Shepard.'' He repeated, barely audible and cracking at the end.

''As you have always left me Garrus.'' She kissed him again.

''But do you want to know what the good thing is?'' She asked him when she saw that he was still upset with her.

''I always come back Garrus. For you, I'll always come back.''