Hello again my dear readers. You know the drill, thanks to my beta Deadalus... um, too lazy to look up that too long number.
Anyway a big Thank you for your reviews. . . a few from Guests, Dame Leelee and KrystylSky. So glad you like the story! Now, to answer a few questions...
Dani will always have trouble with certain sayings and, even though she's a genius, sometimes she really can be a dumb ass as well. But, at some point she does figure things out (don't want to spoil things). Only that happens much later on in this story. So ha! You have something to look forward to!
To those who are worried about my portrayal of Ashley. . . depending on how much you love her, you might want to skip this chapter. She's a real bi-aatch at this time. I don't want to spoil things, so if you want to know if, how and when this issue is resolved, you'll just have to keep reading I guess ;-)
The Thorian in my side
As Liara had already predicted, Shepard took both Tali and Garrus with him to Feros.
Dani had been long enough on the Normandy to know how life on board just went on while the Commander was on a mission with a small shore party. Still, scouring the planets on small missions issued by Admiral Hackett of the Fifth fleet was not the same. This mission was different. It had meaning and would propel them further after their main goal. This time it was more dangerous and though the others went on as usual, Dani found herself restless with nerves.
She had a feeling Liara would not be able to calm her down and her serene composure would just grate on her nerves even more. So, she decided to visit Joker in the bridge.
When she approached his huge helmsman's chair, she noticed one screen keeping track of Normandy's main systems while on another screen Joker was amusing himself with some kind of game. Maybe she should turn back. She never really talked with him and he really seemed to enjoy this game and she didn't want to . . .
"Hey Dani, I was wandering when you'd finally come around this area of the ship. I was starting to feel a bit neglected."
"Oh . . . um. Sorry." Really, that was all she had to say? Lame!
"You knocked the socks off the crew with your work by the way. They'll be standing in line for requests before you know it."
Dani remained a bit hapless on her spot. This – was a big mistake.
"I should go," she said in defeat and started to turn around.
"Best rendition of the Commander I've heard to date!" Joker said with a grin.
That stopped Dani in her tracks. "Rendition?"
"I should go. The Commander always says that when he breaks up a conversation? Never noticed that before?"
Dani shook her head.
"You should pay attention to it. It's hilarious," Joker pulled a face. "I never give details about on-going investigations," Joker said altering his voice. " I should go." That was Shepard!
"I lost my ammo and now I can't defend myself," Joker said using a different voice. "I should go." Shepard again.
"My sister is held hostage and you have to save her! I should go. You need medical attention, you've got a severed artery! I should go."
Dani laughed at the different voices Joker used and his dead-on imitation of Shepard.
"There, that got you laughing. Now, stop saying things like 'I should go' and sit down in the other seat. It will take a while before the Commander gets back and returns your quarian friend. Or your turian friend for that matter. You could have a chat with Liara of course, but if you felt like that you wouldn't be stalking me. You've never been a fan of Ashley and Kaidan, Wrex has never been a very talkative person to begin with . . . So here you are. Sit down."
"Wow. Am I really that transparent?"
"Yes, you are. But I can say no if it will make you feel better."
Dani took a seat and swiveled the chair to face Joker.
"So, nervous about the mission they're on?" he asked when silence fell between them again.
"Yes."
"Why?"
Dani looked up at Joker in confusion. "What do you mean, why?"
"Look, don't freak out, okay? I'm trying to be honest here. You're reputation isn't exactly one of a people person. And that's okay, I'm not a people person either. But I've heard stories about you. Flashes of stories, at least."
"About me?"
"About your time on Earth. With the Torques. You were completely alienated from the people who worked there. Except for the Torques and that Wright guy. And even though you don't talk much here on the Normandy. You do talk, with people, not just to yourself as I do – sometimes," he grinned at her.
"But here you are. In the bridge. Worrying about people. And two of them are not exactly human. So what changed? Is it me?" he asked and he waggled his eyebrows.
Dani laughed. "Sure Joker, you are the single reason I changed my entire view on life."
"Yeah, that's what I thought. I'm awesome like that. I just wonder though," Joker mused looking at her. "Would you worry as much if it wasn't Tali on Feros right now? Or – Garrus?"
She shifted uncomfortably in her seat not really sure about how she should take this direction of conversation.
"Depends on who was going with him, I guess," she finally said.
"Aha, so the Commander doesn't matter then?" Joker smirked at her.
"That's not fair! That was a trick question. Besides, Commander Shepard can take care of himself."
"Last time I checked, so can the rest. Okay, what if – Liara was with Shepard now, along with – Wrex?"
"Please, one glance at the krogan and the geth would deactivate themselves," Dani muttered.
Joker snickered at that. "Fair point," he acquiesced. "How about – Commander Shepard, Liara and – Ashley?"
"Liara would shoot a singularity at their mechanic butts so the Commander could pick them off one by one."
"What about Ashley?"
"I haven't figured out what she's good for yet. Maybe she could insult them to death?"
Joker laughed out loud. "That's a good one! Same combo as before but now with Kaidan?"
Dani started to enjoy this. "Oh please, that would just be cruel and heartless! Bore them to death?"
"Ouch, he's not so bad when you get to know him better. He's been through a lot you know. He's got that entire kind soul but misunderstood kind of thing about him. And those L2 implants? Did you know he's got migraines almost all through the day every day? But, I do see your point. He is a bit bland."
"No, you're right. He's not that bad, I guess," Dani said and she slumped her shoulders. It seemed fun at first, but now she felt bad for speaking so mean about people.
"I never talked with him but he's never given me a hard time either like Ashley. Great, now I feel guilty for calling him boring. Those L2 implants, I think I can help him with that. It's not much, I can't magically turn them into L3 grade implants, it should help though."
"He'd appreciate it a lot, Dani. But, I think it's safe to assume you wouldn't be sitting here if either he or Ashley were out there with the Commander."
Dani could feel her cheeks heating up. "I think so. I don't like to admit it, but I think that's correct. Does that make me a horrible person?"
Joker looked at her, a warm smile tugging at his lips. "You? Nah! You're honest and you have preferences. I get that."
"I do – like you Joker," Dani said quietly. "I just didn't know how you felt about me. But you were nice to me when I just got on board. I didn't forget."
"Good. Cause I like you too Dani. You're a bit weird and all. But in a good way."
"So, maybe I should visit you more often?" Dani submitted.
"Yeah, maybe you should. Not too often though. We wouldn't want to make Garrus jealous," Joker said with an evil smirk. "Or Tali, or Liara, or Wrex – "
he added quickly.
"You're impossible," she muttered.
"You know you like it. Come on, it's okay. Just admit it. You care about them. Nothing to be embarrassed about. And so what if you like Garrus a little bit more than the rest?"
"Why does everyone think that?"
"What, it's not true then?" Joker looked confused. Dani pondered this question for a moment.
"I don't really know myself. It's – confusing. But I am curious, why do people think that?"
"For real? You really don't know?" He looked at her intently and sighed. "No, of course you don't know. Well it's um . . . How shall I put this . . . you were scared to death of him when you first came on board. Granted, it took you a while but in the end you did get over that awkward phase."
"Thanks, it's so great to be reminded of that time!"
"You're welcome. Anyway, once you got past his claws and his teeth, you two suddenly become besties. He's ready to tear apart anyone who just looks at you wrong and you deliberately make an ass off yourself to make him feel better. Yeah, don't pretend for a moment I don't know what you were trying to do that time. To top it off, when Ashley is being her charming self to you, you shut her up - pretty effectively by the way - with this amazing stunt you pull. A black on black painting, only it isn't black 'cause once you throw a handful of sand on it and presto, it's a full blown portrait. Of Garrus! See where I'm going here?"
"That's all?"
"All? Oh baby there's plenty more! You've tweaked and fiddled around a lot of stuff on the ship but once you come up with the really mind-blowing stuff, it's a mod for Garrus' rifle! But wait, there's more! To prove yourself, you place your hand over the muzzle of his rifle and pull the trigger. This sets him off in such a really bad way, he chucks his rifle to the floor . . . a 1.2 MILLION credit Spectre rifle by the way! To check if your hand isn't hurt. Do you want me to continue?"
"So, he got carried away!"
"Oh God have mercy," he muttered. "Of all the oblivious . . Okay. So, after Garrus chucks his rifle to floor – there was some mild damage but nothing extensive by the way – he's ready to tear your head off because he felt you endangered yourself. You two start a shouting match and from what Tali told me . . . things got pretty heated."
"We just yelled at each other. He was angry, I was angry."
"Right, this coming from the same woman who was ready to space herself at the mere sight of him. Oh wait, I forgot the cherry."
"There's a cherry?"
"A big one! He's your anchor? What's that all about? Suddenly he's the only person on the entire ship that can pull you back from - where ever it is you go when you go all spacey?"
"Not fair Joker! Anyone could have been my anchor. It could have been you!"
"Well, we'll never find out will we? When I finally got my brittle ass down med bay, Garrus had already taken my place."
Dani laughed heartily. "Maybe I should mod your crutches."
"You so should. So, the fact that when Alex Wright was your anchor, it had nothing to do with the fact he was sexy as hell? Not my words before you get the wrong idea! I heard women talking."
"About Alex?"
"Hey, the Torques aren't exactly an unfamiliar bunch in space. And neither is their hunk of a body guard," he said with a swooning voice.
"Really, is that what they said about Alex? That's funny. I never thought of him that way. Tell me more!"
"Wait, are you telling me that you and him were never . . .?"
"Never what?"
"Um, together? As in a couple?"
"Me and Alex?" She laughed out loud. "No way! He was just – Alex. Plus he never . . . No one did," her voice trailed away and she bit her lip.
"Ah, I get it. Sorry I brought it up. But um, how about you? You never swooned over his rugged good looks? His athletic and powerful built. His dazzling blue eyes?"
Dani huffed. "Not as dazzling as . . ." and she suddenly clamped her mouth shut.
"Yeeeeeees?" Joker cooed. "Not as dazzling as?"
Dani smiled as she realized he was just baiting her. "Not as dazzling as yours, Joker," she said affectionately.
"Right, nice save!" He chuckled. "And you sitting here, worrying, that doesn't tell you anything?"
She knitted her eyebrows together, he was pushing too far, too far into regions she didn't feel comfortable exploring.
"I don't know. I don't know what it is you think I'm feeling. I don't even know what I'm feeling myself. I care, about the three of them. About Tali. About Garrus. I – care. And I wish this mission was over. I want them back on the Normandy again. Safe."
"Don't worry, Dani. They will be. The Commander, Tali. And Garrus too. And don't mind me. I wasn't trying to over-complicate things. You're friends. You care. Deeply. You're fine. Anyone who disagrees, let me know. I can always vent them out the airlock or get Garrus to do it for me."
This got Dani smiling again. A sudden loud bang against the hull startled them both.
"What the fuck?" Joker swiveled around in his chair to face the monitors. "I'm getting some wonky readings here. Colonists outside the Normandy? What the hell are they doing? It's like they have lost their minds!"
Dani scrambled from her chair and went to stand behind Joker. She could hardly believe her eyes seeing the visual feeds. "It's like they are desperate to get inside!"
First it was just several colonists but they gained in numbers rapidly. Soon there was an entire horde of them standing outside. Crew members quickly started contacting Joker, asking what the hell was going on.
"Time to inform Shepard. He needs to move his ass and wrap things up! Don't tell him I said that!"
Joker flipped a few switches and started calling for Shepard.
"Normandy to shore party, please come in Commander."
Static.
"Probably bit busy or something," he muttered. "Normandy to shore party, please come in Commander."
Static.
Joker shot a worried glance at Dani. "Commander we have a situation here, please come in."
Static.
"Shit, look at the colonists! They're completely out of it."
"Jeff . . ."
"I know Dani, I'll keep trying to get through."
A loud boom somewhere in the distance shocked them both to silence and soon tremors rocked through the Normandy.
"Jeff!" Dani said in a panicked voice.
"I know, I know, I'm trying! I repeat, Normandy to shore party. Are you reading? Anyone there? Normandy to shore party. Come on Commander, talk to me!"
"Is that you, Joker? What's going on over there?"
Dani slumped against the back of Joker's chair in relief.
"We're in lock-down here, Commander. Something happened to the colonists. They're banging on the hull, trying to claw their way inside the ship. They're freaking out!"
"They can't do any real damage. We're on our way back. Just hold your position."
"Uh . . . yeah. Okay. Well, we'll just wait right here for you, Commander."
"This place will be crawling with geth in a minute. Keep together and we'll get out of here in one piece."
Dani was pretty sure that last bit was not directed at Joker. She was also pretty sure it was information she could gladly have done without. Commander Shepard, Tali . . . Garrus . . . they would soon be overrun by geth. She was glad Shepard had sounded so calm and sure. She just wished she could have heard the others.
"So we just wait for them to get back? While they're being overrun by geth? Shouldn't we send Ashley out there with a team?"
"Those are not the Commander's orders Dani. You heard the man. Hold position. That's what we'll do. "
They were both silent for a while, Joker giving the different stat screens his full attention.
"Shit, looks like the geth are on the move! Normandy to shore party, come in."
"What is it Joker?"
"We're getting a lot of geth comm chatter. Looks like they're headed your way."
"Thanks for the heads up Joker. You heard the man; let's move out."
"They'll be all right, right?" Dani asked, wiping her sweaty hands on her tunic.
"Hey, this is Commander Shepard we're talking about! The geth won't stand a chance. The few that can sneak by Garrus' scope, will get a face full of Tali's shot gun. The one lousy geth that does manage to get past her, you really think it stands a chance against the first human Spectre?"
"Well, if you put it like that . . ."
"Damn straight I'm putting it like that!"
The long wait. It was excruciating. It felt different this time. Before, they were strangers in her life she just had to deal with. But that had changed. For the first time since living with the Torques, she was making friends. On her own. When had her feelings started to shift? She couldn't tell.
But each time her friends came back on board from a mission, she felt happier to see them than the time before. She loved the feeling of serenity that washed over her, seeing Liara's smile when she stepped through the door. She loved how she never seemed able to contain the smirk when Wrex 'tee hee hee'ed' at her. Or that wonderful bubbly feeling when she saw Tali again. Or that funny way her heart seemed to jolt when Garrus entered and settled his twinkling blues on her. And through all that, Shepard was a steady rock for her.
Suddenly she heard the Normandy VI voice. "Stand-by shore party. Decontamination in progress."
Quickly followed up by, "Commander Shepard is aboard. XO Pressley stands relieved."
Without thinking Dani turned away from Joker and hurried to the airlock. Her hands were all sweaty again and her heart started racing when the door finally hissed open. First thing she noticed was the pale and tired look on Shepard. Hell, all three of them looked tired but fortunately not much worse for wear.
But before she could open her mouth to greet them, Shepard took the wind right from her sails.
"Joker, Squad meeting in the briefing room. Please, set it up at once," Shepard called out and turned away with a slight smile and a nod.
"Dani! I've got so much to tell! But first the meeting, see you soon!" Tali let go of her arms as quickly as she grabbed them and hurried off.
Garrus' heavy footsteps retreated directly following Shepard. He'd snuck right passed her when Tali was still talking. All these hours of nervously waiting and now she couldn't even vent her relief. Well, she had waited this long, she could wait a bit more. She tried to ignore the sting she felt when Garrus had not even acknowledged her presence.
Dani remained on her spot without a clue what to do or how to act. Go back to Joker? Find Liara? Wait outside the briefing room? All she wanted to do was catch up with Tali. But first she just wanted to see Garrus. Just to convince herself he was all right of course.
When Shepard suddenly greeted her with a smile and a pat on the shoulder before going to talk to Joker, she realized she'd spent the entire time of the meeting just standing there.
"Ah, hey Commander," she heard Joker say. "Next time we touch down, let's try not to park the ship in a colony of mutant zombies. Just thinking out loud here."
What? Mutant zombies? Wasn't it just geth? She quickly willed herself in motion and took the elevator down to Engineering. Tali raised her hand in greeting, but was still busy stripping down her armor and locking away her weapons. That gave her time and an excuse to go and see Garrus.
For some reason her heart decided to do flip flops once she got near him. It wasn't fear. Fear had long given way to friendship. Plus, the flip flops her heart was making now felt very different from when she was still afraid of him. In fact, the feeling was quite pleasant in some weird jittery way.
"Hey Garrus," she started a bit breathlessly.
"Not now Dani, I'm a bit busy here. The Mako got quite a beating, so . . ."
Beat it. He didn't say it, but he might as well have. It felt like a hard slap in her face, the force of it making her stumble back. She bumped into Tali who had appeared behind her.
"Dani, come let's go and see Liara. I've got some story to tell!"
She stared at Garrus' ducked form, still in shock. He hadn't even raised his head when he dismissed her.
"I was just worried," she whispered. "That's all." Dani turned around. Somewhere in the back of her mind she knew Tali was standing in front of her, but she didn't really see her. As if her mind had suddenly glazed over.
"I was just worried," she whispered again and left Tali standing there when she walked back to the elevator. It was just one level up but it could have been a hundred. When the door slid open it was just a few corridors to the room she shared with Raiez en two others. When she entered the room she found Raiez reading a holo-book on her omni-tool. "Hey Dani," Raiez greeted her.
"Hey." If her voice sounded off, Raiez didn't seem to notice. She was completely engrossed in whatever it was she was reading.
Without another word she curled up on her lower bunk, thankful for the shadow of the upper bunk casting over her. Tears had started slipping, but she knew how to cry while remaining completely silent. Another thing she was thankful for.
She should have been used to it by now, she tried to reason. After all, this was nothing she hadn't experienced before. Why had she thought this time it would be different? In the end, even the Torques had sent her away. And Alex. Her entire life had been one string of . . .
"Beat it, little girl. We're not here for you. Go and play with your friends." The tall man in the suit said as if he was annoyed with her. She cocked her head.
She'd just wanted to see the lady with flaming hair and pretty dress.
"I don't have friends," she stated. "Do you want to see my bunny?" She held up the tattered rags that Mrs. Dolores had knotted and shaped into a bunny. Didn't really look like a bunny. But that was okay, she didn't mind.
"Not my problem kid. We're here for a boy. Get that filthy thing out of my face!"
Dani clenched her jaw and willed that unwanted sliver of her past back to the deep wells of her mind.
She decided not talking was so much easier. In the end, people always stopped talking to her. In the end, they would have told her to beat it anyway. Don't talk. Just, stop talking. Not much fun, but no more hurt either. It just – had felt so nice to believe in the illusion that this time it was different. This time they could see that even tattered rags could be a bunny to someone. It was nice for as long as it had lasted, but the fact remained, there really was no bunny, just filthy twisted and knotted rags. A pretend bunny. A pretend Dani.
Maybe tomorrow she could work on that mod for Tali's shot gun. Or work on Joker's gripe with the Normandy systems software. Tomorrow, just not today.
God why did it hurt so much this time?
It wasn't fair, it should hurt less, not more. Never had hurt this much but it did now and now there was this coldness that settled deep inside her and she was afraid of it. The tears didn't stop falling, not even when she fell asleep, exhausted.
"What just happened?"
Garrus pulled his mandibles tightly against his face, but refused to answer. That quarian had been a thorn in his side through the entire mission.
Making innuendos about the nature of his relationship with Dani. There wasn't even a relationship to speak of!
They'd just recently started treading the boundaries of friendship. It seemed like that was enough for Tali to insinuate they were sweet on each other. Infuriating quarian! So what if he liked the girl's company? And what if he enjoyed it when she always seemed to be the first to smile up at him after a mission? He wasn't overprotective either, he just – wanted to make sure she was safe. That was the only reason he always kept his eye out for her. Especially after that marine . . . A low growl escaped both sets of his vocal cords. Damned marine!
"Hey Tali. You managed to free yourself from Dani's glomp yet?"
Garrus heard Joker ask over the omni-tool.
"Glomp? Is this one of your jokes?" Tali asked confused.
"Um no? Glomp, very enthusiastic hug? Never heard of it? Well, remember it 'cause your one of Dani's favorites so expect a lot of glomping in the future."
"Well Joker, I wasn't glomped yet. Or didn't get a glomp. Or – whatever. Dani just left here and she seemed a bit upset. Actually, she looked like she was about to cry."
"What? No way! What the hell happened?"
"I was just asking the same question. Garrus?"
"Why are you asking me? I was just here working on the Mako!" he protested.
"Because she was fine when she arrived here. So, in the time it took for me to put my stuff away, you managed to upset her. You ruined our girls' night!" Tali's voice was full of indignation.
Garrus got up from his kneeling position and threw his tools down.
"I didn't do anything to upset her!"
He turned around to face Tali and took a step closer. "I didn't even talk to her!" he spat. "Cause heaven forbid if I did, it would just further fuel your crazy assumptions!"
"Keelah! What did you do Garrus?" Tali stuttered.
"I didn't do anything!" His sub vocals were pitching again. "I didn't even thank her for the rifle, for all the work she put in to it. Because, if I did that, you'd probably think I proposed to her."
"Um back up guys, what are you talking about? What happened? Something serious must have happened if Dani didn't glomp you guys into med bay. She was a nervous wreck the entire time you guys were away."
"Ask Tali, she's been pestering me non-stop all day."
"I was just joking around! You'd been saying how much you loved your rifle about ten times a minute. It was a joke!"
"I think I know where this is heading . . ."
"I just said that maybe it was not so much the rifle he loved, more the person who had upgraded it for him. He was in such a piss bad mood after that, I just had to tease him!"
"I guess it's safe to assume then that Garrus was still in a piss bad mood when he entered the Normandy. So, when Dani skipped down to Engineering, all happy her friends were back and dying to glomp you to death - after almost driving herself crazy with sick worry over you guys by the way - All she got was the cold shoulder?"
"I don't know, I didn't see or hear what happened. I just saw her going to Garrus and by the time I reached her and she turned around . . . she was upset."
"Garrus! Man, what did you say to her?"
"Nothing! Much. Not much," he said, starting to feel uncomfortable. What had he said to Dani exactly? He could scarcely remember.
"Garrus!" Tali's tone of voice took on a threatening quality. "Don't make me overload your turian ass back to the First Contact War!"
"I, I don't know really. She said hello, I think. And I said I was busy with the Mako. That's all there was to it."
"You're lying through your pointy teeth turian!" Tali hissed. "What did you say, exactly?"
He sighed, realizing his callous words might have come across completely different than how he'd intended.
"I said . . . 'Not now Dani, I'm a bit busy here. The Mako got quite a beating, so . . .' And that's it, that's all I said."
It was silent for a moment.
"You cut her off, didn't you?" Joker suddenly asked but Garrus didn't answer. "Answer me you turian skull faced scum! You cut her off! She called out for you, was worried about you and you couldn't be bothered to even say hello? Weren't you there when Dr. Chakwas debriefed us about why Dani is the way she is?"
"Rejected, shut down, cut off a few times too many," Tali spat. "And Keelah, who knows what's more in that classified file of hers!"
"I, I didn't mean to," Garrus tried to excuse himself. "I just . . . I had ridicule enough for one day, I didn't want to add more!"
"So because you were pissed at me, you took it out on the one person who's been bending herself out of shape for you? You're such a great friend, Garrus!" Tali was positively fuming at him.
"You know the irony in all this?" Joker started. "I've been teasing Dani all day about the exact same thing. But when push came to shove, she didn't care about exposing herself to more jokes. She did what she wanted to do. . . Welcome back her friend. This is so . . . pshhh!"
Joker disconnected and Tali just walked away from him, leaving Garrus alone near the Mako.
"What is it Vakarian? Trouble in Paradise? Geez, I gotta hand it to you, you even had me fooled."
He knew he shouldn't react to Williams. She was nothing but a self-centered, vicious, vindictive, xenophobic bitch!
"Did the Alliance teach you how to make no sense whatsoever or did you figure it out all by yourself?"
Ashley chuckled. "Oh Garrus, you sure play the ignorant part well. But, I was wrong. Not afraid to admit it. You, clucking over her like you hatched her. Yeah, I got that wrong didn't I? It's not like that at all. You want to hatch with her. You want her to spawn your little mutant hybrid babies. You're like a strutting buck when you're near her!"
A shot gun cocked; the sound shut her up. Garrus was seeing red and very near to shredding her to pieces. Ashley's eyes widened when she turned her head and looked down the barrel of Wrex' shot gun.
"Keep talking and I'll give you a nice view of your brains," Wrex said, his voice gruff but calm.
"You don't get to talk about the human like that, it's not okay. I'm not fond of turians, but this one is growing on me. Earned my respect. Whatever they are or wanna be, is up to them. And you can damn well leave it alone."
"Whatever you say big guy, didn't know you were hot for her as well, she's got quite the alien fan base."
CRACK! Ashley's head made hard contact with steel as Wrex flung her against the wall. She fell down with a dull thud but at least it had got her to shut up.
"She'll be fine. Bet she's gonna wake up with quite a headache though," Wrex muttered before sauntering back to his usual spot.
"Thanks Wrex, I owe you one," Garrus nodded at him but the latter waved his thanks away.
"You don't owe me pyjak shit, she had it coming for a long time now."
"Either way, I appreciate it," Garrus nodded again.