A/N: Thank you to everyone who left a review on the last chapter. They made me happy. :) I'm so glad you liked it, and I hope you'll enjoy this chapter as well. I'm sorry it's a little late. I've been having a lot of computer issues, so all of this was written on my old and slow laptop. I think there will be one more chapter after this, but I'm not sure how long it will take for me to write that one because of said computer issues. Hopefully it won't be too long, though! :)

Big thanks to Suilven for beta reading.

It's been two months, three weeks, and five days since Shepard stood at the bottom of the ramp leading up to the ship that would take Garrus away from Earth, and watched him disappear behind the airlock doors. Yet, it is only now, when he lifts a shaky hand to stroke the curve of her cheekbone with the back of a finger, that it hits her, it really hits her, how desperately starved she's been for his touch.

His caress leaves a tingle in its path that spreads down to her chest, and she closes her eyes with a sigh, turning her face into his hand as she seeks more of that familiar warmth on her skin.

"Are you all right?" he asks. His voice is weak, coarse, from lack of use and the lingering effects of the sedatives, but it still has that soothing timbre she's come to love so much, and the vibration of his dual tones still feels like a fuzzy blanket wrapped around her shoulders on a cold winter night. "You didn't escape your doctors before you were all healed up just to come here, did you?"

Shepard laughs, her eyes sparkling with affection as she opens them again to look at him. It's so him, so Garrus, to worry about her health while he is lying in a hospital bed, hooked up to an IV and surrounded by a host of machines.

"I'm fine," she says, and she takes his hand, weaving her five fingers in among his three. "Which is more than I can say about you. Weren't you the one who was supposed to be able to run away from an explosion?"

He lets out an embarrassed cough and glances away for a second, but his mandibles flick out in a smile when he returns his gaze to her. "Yeah, well. I didn't say I could run fast enough." His expression turns somber as his eyes drift away from her face once more and slide around the room, taking his environment in. "How long was I out? Everything is fuzzy from the moment they wheeled me into the operating room and prepped me for surgery."

"I'm not certain. Several weeks, for sure."

"Weeks… Did you say weeks?"

"Yeah. Your dad can tell you all the details." Speaking of whom… Shepard frowns, remembering her agreement with Castis. Shit. "I'd better let him know you're awake."

The truth is, she doesn't really want to. A selfish part of her brain tells her to wait, to squeeze in just a few more minutes of having Garrus all to herself before she makes the call, but after all the kindness Castis Vakarian has shown her, that would be an asshole thing to do, and she's not an asshole—well, not always, and certainly not with people she respects. So, she lets go of Garrus's hand and turns her wrist to start up her omni-tool, hoping that, at least, it will be a while before Castis can get back to this room.

Sometimes, she gets lucky. Sometimes, she does not. This is definitely one of the not-so-lucky times, for, before she can even initiate the messaging program, the door slides open and Castis walks in.

"I got you coffee and something called a… muffin?" he says, eyes focused on the writing on the tissue paper the small bundle he's holding is wrapped in.

Shepard's eyes snap to the treasure in his hand. Ooh. A muffin. It's been a while since she's had one of those. But also, dammit.

She rises from her chair to take the goodies he's brought her from the cafeteria (and feels like an asshole after all for even thinking of not telling him the good news right away).

"I was just about to call you. Look who's awake," she says, and just manages to catch her snacks from Castis's hands when he finally looks up and nearly drops the cup and the muffin on the floor.

"Garrus." His son's name is a gasped whisper, stunned and delighted, on his tongue, and he hurries to the bed, ignoring the hot liquid sloshing onto his hand as he leaves the food and drink in Shepard's care.

Garrus lets out a startled huff of air, his eyes snapping to Shepard in utter shock as his father bends down and wraps an arm around his shoulders, pressing their foreheads together, and she grins back at him, throwing him a wink before she turns away and settles down in the armchair with her meal. She doesn't want to intrude. She'll let them have their moment for now; there'll be time for her to talk with Garrus later.

There'll be all the time in the world now.

##

The father and son reunion gets interrupted anyway when, in a few minutes, first a nurse, then a doctor rushes in, alerted by the change in Garrus's vitals on the nurse station's monitors.

After a physical exam and a few questions to gauge Garrus's brain functions and his mental cognition, the doctor declares his recovery a success. Well, mostly.

"I want to keep you under observation for another week to make sure there are no remaining issues," Dr. Tollen says, scrolling through the scans on his datapad. "After that, if everything looks good, you'll be discharged. Your wound is healing nicely, and you can finish recuperating at home. Just keep in mind that you'll still need to take some medications and apply an ointment to your scar, and it will be some time before you fully regain your strength. Physical therapy and gentle exercise will help." He glances at Castis, then at Shepard, then he turns his gaze back to Garrus. "Luckily, you have friends and family who can provide assistance."

Shepard nods. "Absolutely. It's why I'm here."

"You must be thirsty. I'll bring you some water," the nurse says, turning off one of the machines by Garrus's bed.

Garrus's eyes light up. "And something to eat, too. I'm starving."

"That's a good sign." Dr. Tollen's mandibles flicker as he lets out a pleased chuckle. "Just some mashed fruit today, but from tomorrow, you can start having regular meals."

He makes a gesture to the nurse, and she taps a few buttons on her omni-tool before they both leave.

Garrus closes his eyes, leans his head back into his pillow, and sighs.

"Mashed fruit. Great."

##

Despite Garrus's assertions that he's fine, that he's much better, and maybe he could bargain down that extra week in the hospital to a few days, he's obviously not nearly ready to go home.

It's not just that his muscles are weakened after so many weeks of lying in bed; right now, the bigger issue is his general grogginess and slight confusion when he wakes from dozing off, which he does again and again—all side effects of the medications and the sedatives that still need to clear from his system.

Still, when he's awake, and after those initial moments of confusion, he's alert and lucid, and wants to know everything that has happened while he was out. So, in between his naps, his father relays the messages his sister has sent these last few weeks and tells him about his investigations; Shepard talks about her trip to Palaven; and the two of them fill him in on the underground base they found in the woods.

Garrus nods at the news of Talim Odren's arrest, but Shepard can see the disappointment in his eyes. Whether it's at the fact that Palaven First's leader is still alive, or that he wasn't there to participate in the mission and kick his teeth in during his capture, she's not sure, but she has an inkling that it's the former. Or maybe it's both. Either way, she understands. She'd feel the same way if she were in his shoes.

By the time evening rolls around, they've told him everything he's missed, and he looks like he's ready to go to sleep again.

"Well," Castis says when his son's eyes seem to refuse to stay open any longer, "I think it's time for us to leave and let you sleep. We'll see you tomorrow."

He gets up from his chair and flicks his gaze to Shepard, nudging his head at the door, but Shepard doesn't budge from her seat.

"Actually," she says, crossing her legs, "I'd like to stay."

The plates over Castis's eyes rise a fraction of an inch as he gives her a curious look, but after a moment, he inclines his head in acknowledgement. "All right. Do you need anything from home? I could bring it in tomorrow morning."

"Thanks, but I think I'll swing by sometime during the day to grab a few things myself. Appreciate the offer, though."

Castis nods and heads for the door, but before he steps through, he turns around. "Good night, Garrus. Good night, Kathryn."

Shepard smiles. "Night, Castis."

The door closes behind him with a hiss, and after that, the room falls silent.

Shepard glances at Garrus, expecting to find him asleep. Instead, his eyes are wide open, his mouth slightly agape as he stares at her.

"What?" she asks, her brows sliding up on her forehead.

"Have I woken up in a parallel universe?" he says, sounding genuinely befuddled. "Castis? Kathryn? Where the hell did that come from?"

Shepard laughs, and pulls her chair closer. "Our relationship has… evolved while you were sleeping. Your father even invited me to stay at your house. In your room, in fact." Her lips quirk up, eyes crinkling with glee as she gives him a sly grin. "I've actually been sleeping in your bed for a while now. It's not the same without you, but hopefully we can remedy that in a week."

Garrus growls, and reaches for her hand. His grip is without its usual power, but his gaze is as intense as ever.

"That does it. I want to go home now."

##

"You again," Thalia says later that night when she finds Shepard sprawled out in the armchair, taking the chance to sleep in her old spot while Garrus is doing the same in his bed.

Shepard rubs her eyes, and yawns. "Yep. Me again. Garrus woke up, did you hear? Which means that you're gonna have to put up with me until he's released and he can come home."

"Fantastic." Thalia groans in mock annoyance as she putters around in the room, checking the monitors and adjusting the blanket covering Garrus's body, but by now, Shepard knows better than to take the turian's grumbling seriously.

"Admit it, you missed me," she says, cackling at the dismissive snort Thalia huffs out through her nose.

"Whatever. You know the routine. Just stay out of my way." Thalia finishes her tasks, but before she leaves, she throws a look at Shepard over her shoulder. "Have you eaten?"

Shepard has to think for a moment. Yeah, she did, though that was hours ago.

"I had a muffin from the cafeteria."

"A muffin." Thalia shakes her head. "What did I tell you? You can't live on stuff like that. I'll get you some soup."

Before Shepard could protest (not that she would really want to; she's kind of hungry now, to be honest), the nurse slips out the door.

"Shepard? Kate?" Garrus calls out, voice wobbly, uncertain.

"I'm here." Shepard drags herself out of the armchair and pads over to his bed. "Sorry if we woke you up."

"We?"

"Yeah. The night nurse came in. She and I had a little chat."

"Oh. All right." He closes his eyes for a moment, then opens them again. "I thought I was back in that deep sleep. You know, like before. I heard voices then, too. You, my father, some people I didn't recognize. But mainly you."

"You heard me? I've wondered if you did."

"Yeah. I couldn't understand everything, but… yeah. I heard you talk. There are only bits and pieces I remember, though. It was more like a feeling of you being there. Always by my side." He raises a hand, and she takes it, holds it close to her heart. "Thank you for that."

"You don't have to thank me." She smiles, and bends down to press a kiss to his knuckles. "You would have done the same for me. In fact, you've done more."

"Hmm." He looks thoughtful, like he's pondering something, as he rests his eyes on her face. "I think… It seems like you said something important once. Something very important. When you were talking to my father. What was it?"

Shepard's brows furrow as she tries to recall everything she's said since she came here. She blabbed on and on about so many things; it's hard to know—

She swallows, her cheeks heating up as the confession she blurted out to Castis on the day of her arrival flashes up in her mind. Could that be what Garrus is talking about? She meant every word, even if it was a revelation as unexpected as a snowstorm in the summer heat on Mindoir. Yet, sentiments like those are not something she finds easy to share. She's certainly never said anything like that to anybody else before, and the thought of saying it now, even to Garrus, makes her stomach clench and her throat go dry.

She sighs. Commander Freaking Shepard. Afraid to say those three little words to the only person in this universe who matters; the only person she's ever actually had these feelings for.

It's stupid, and it's ridiculous, but she can't bring herself to do it. Not here, not now.

Not yet.

"I, uh, I don't know," she lies. Well, practically, it's not a lie. Whatever it is he heard, it could have been anything, really. "I talked about a lot of stuff while you were out. About our missions, about the places we have yet to visit… I read you some books, too." He looks unconvinced, so she lifts her shoulders in a shrug and adds, "Maybe you'll, ah, remember later."

"Yeah. Maybe."

He closes his eyes and drifts off after that, and Shepard is left standing by his bed, looking down at him sleep, wondering what his reaction is going to be when, one day, she does tell him.

##

Now that he knows that Garrus will be all right, Castis spends more time at work and less time at the hospital. He still comes to visit every day to check on him and to give Shepard the chance to take a break and buy some food in the cafeteria, and he tries to stay for at least a chat before he leaves, but most of the day, Shepard and Garrus are alone in his room.

She helps him eat, holding the cup and the fork, and lifting his food and drink to his mouth when his arm gets too tired, gives him support when, slowly, carefully, he gets out of bed to go to the bathroom, and moves his legs and arms for him as he lies in bed, just like he did for her all those months ago, to encourage his muscles to start building up again.

At night, Shepard sleeps in the armchair. During the day, she sits by Garrus's bed or walks around in his room. They talk (when he's awake), and she reads to him, and sometimes, they just share the space without saying anything at all.

It's on the fourth day of Garrus being awake, during one of those times when Castis is sitting right there with Shepard, that Garrus remembers the Normandy.

"How's the crew?" he asks. "Still running that mission with Williams?"

For a moment, Shepard is quiet. It's been a while since she's thought of her crew, her ship. The reminder of what could have been cuts like a knife; and yet, if she had the opportunity to make that choice again, she would. Every time.

"She's the permanent CO now," she says, forcing a smile. "I'm sure she and the crew are doing a fine job, wherever they are."

Now it's Garrus's turn to be speechless. He stares at her, his mandibles twitching in agitation. "You lost the Normandy?"

"I didn't lose it. Hackett offered the command. I declined."

"Why?"

"Because that would have meant having to wait for their return. And then being sent on one stupid mission after another. You know how Hackett is."

One corner of Shepard's lips turns up in a lopsided grin. She hopes it's convincing enough and Garrus can't see the sadness behind her eyes.

But, of course, he does.

"I'm sorry," he says, his voice so soft she can barely hear him. "I know how much you loved your ship. How much you wanted to fly her again. You didn't have to give that up for me."

In her peripheral vision, Shepard can see Castis's head turn towards her, but she can't spare the time to pay attention to him now.

"Garrus," she says, laying her hand on his forearm. "You're more important to me than anything else, anybody else, in this entire universe. The Normandy is just a ship. You are… my best friend." My everything. "You'll always come first. No regrets."

Garrus looks at her, just looks at her, with that same expression he gave her in London before she ran to the beam. "I… don't know what to say."

"You don't have to say anything. The only thing you have to do is get better."

"Yeah... And when I do, we'll find you another ship. An even better one. You'll see."

Shepard smiles. "Okay."

It's only later, once Garrus is asleep, that Castis makes a comment. It's on his way to the door, before he leaves for the night.

"I'm glad Garrus has someone like you in his life," he says. His expression is solemn, but his voice is warm, soothing.

Shepard's lips curl up. Who would have thought, when she first came here, that one day Castis Vakarian would say things like that to her?

"Thank you."

"I'd be lying if I said I've always dreamed of having a human for my son's mate. Still… I don't think he could ever find anybody better than you, turian or not."

"I, uh…" She blinks, glances down at her feet, then back up again. What can one say to that?

Castis, however, doesn't seem to need a reply.

"You should tell him how you feel," he says, then he walks out, not looking back.

He's already gone, the door panels closed tight behind him, by the time Shepard finds her voice.

"Yeah. I will. Someday."