Garrus kept to the forward batteries the next day. He'd waited for Nihlus to return to finish their brawl either in triumph or defeat. When he did not, Garrus got the answer he'd hoped for. Shepard had taken Nihlus back into her arms. He assumed they would spend the next day alone in her quarters 'making up for lost time', so to speak. So when the doors hissed open behind him and the unique scent of her filtered through the air to his nose, he was rather surprised.

"Shepard." He said over his shoulder. "Need me for something?"

"Have you got a minute?" Shepard asked.

"Sure. I was just checking the weapons systems. You can never be too careful." He answered casually as he turned to her.

Garrus watched her as she walked over to the railing and leaned against it on one elbow. She glanced down at the armaments before focusing on his face. She seemed more relaxed and much happier than she had. It gave him a feeling of satisfaction to be the one helping her with a personal issue for a change.

"I thought I'd seen every weapon in the galaxy in our fight against Saren. Mercenary work showed me other wise." He began as they kept eye contact, making sure to avoid any conversation leading to the events of the previous night.

"And now Cerberus rebuilds the Normandy with a few upgrades to boot. I wish we'd joined up with them sooner." He teased, well mostly.

"I'm pleased to see that you're getting along with the new crew." Shepard replied, cocking a brow at him.

"They're as friendly to me as people from a group like Cerberus can be. And they've got you vouching for them." He gestured to her.

"I can't exactly doubt your judgment. Not after I got my own squad killed." He said, averting his eyes. The guilt riddled memories crept into is mind.

"How did you end up fighting mercenaries on Omega?" She was genuinely interested in how he ended up there of all places.

"I trained to become a Spectre after the Normandy was destroyed," He clasped his talons behind his back, proud that he could tell her he'd finally done it. "but it didn't work out. Too much poloticing at the Citadel. Nobody was willing to take risks." He shook his head. "Omega was filled with criminals nobody else could touch and there was no red tape to slow me down. It was a perfect fit. People there needed someone to believe in. Someone to stand up to those thugs."

"That explains how you started. How'd you end up with a squad?"

She was impressed and happy that he'd gone through with the training, despite what his father may have felt about it. It didn't matter that it didn't stick. He'd followed through.

"Not too different from how you formed your squad to fight Saren, actually. You prove that you can get things done and people join up." He started pacing. "Mercs who wanted to atone, Security consultants tired of playing by the rules. I gave them hope."He said with his arms out wide displaying himself. Proud of what he'd started.

"Tell me about your squad." Shepard asked, curious to know what kind of people he'd spent the last year with. Who they were. How they affected him.

"There were twelve of us, including me. Former military operatives, C-sec agents, the usual. Had a salarian explosives expert. Pretty sure he's spent time in the STG. My tech expert was a batarian, believe it or not. Not the friendliest guy, but he could hack any system ever built."

"What did your merc squad do? It didn't sound like you were available for hire." She raised her brows with curiosity.

"You saw Omega... it was full of thugs kicking the helpless. I formed my team to kick back." He clinched his fists.

"We weren't mercenaries. At least, no one was paying us." He started pacing. "We made money by taking down slavers, pirates or gangs that went too far. Every member of my team had lost someone to Omega's gangs. We weren't out to get rich. We were out to make those bastards think twice before murdering someone in the street."

"Doesn't sound like you made a lot of friends." Shepard grinned. She expected nothing less of the former C-Sec officer.

"I got three separate merc bands to work together to take me down. My manager at C-sec would be impressed." He cocked his head with pride.

"It was simple. We'd hit their shipments, disrupt activities. Get under their skin. Make them angry. They'd come charging into our well prepared kill zone. Cross fire and snipers. Clean and surgical. They never stood a chance." Garrus said, chin raised and chest puffed up. He'd never been more proud of an accomplishment he could call his own.

"How did those mercenary groups take down your team?" She asked softly. She knew it was going to be a touchy subject, but she wanted to know.

Garrus looked her in the eye for a second then shook shook his head, walking away. His haunches were up, the plates on the back of his neck raised slightly, telling of his irritation, but not at her.

"It was my own damn fault. One of my people betrayed me."

He walked deliberately out into the hall. Shepard pushed off the rail to follow him. He made certain to keep his back to her. He didn't want to focus his anger on her.

"A turian named Sidonis." Garrus shook his head again, his mandibles flexing. "He drew me away just before the mercs attacked my squad, then he disappeared. Everyone, except me, is dead because of him. Because I didn't see it coming."

He turned his upper body sharply toward her to look at her, to show her he wasn't hiding from the blame.

"Are you sure that's what happened? Maybe they took him out first." Sonya suggested

"No. I put out feelers. He booked passage and cleared his accounts. He sold me out and ran." Garrus said with certainty. He admired that she was trying to give a complete stranger the benefit of the doubt.

"Do you know where Sidonis is now?" She asked, offering her assistance in much the same way Nihlus had with Dr. Saleon.

"No. His trail vanishes after he leaves Omega, but I'll keep hunting." He assured her as much as himself, turning to her completely. "I lost my whole team except Sidonis. One day I'll find him... and correct that." He nodded to her in his certainty.

Garrus could see Sonya's determination to help him. It reminded him of when Nihlus helped him find Dr. Saleon. Maybe they did belong together. No, this time he would take care of Sidonis himself. He appreciated his friends wanting to help him, and he wouldn't turn them away, but he wasn't going to ask them for it.

Garrus shook his head and walked passed Shepard without looking at her. He could smell the sweet scent of her skin as he passed. With a passing thought he mused how lucky Nihlus was to have a woman like Shepard by his side.

"Thanks for coming by, Shepard. I've got some things to take care of." He said, trying to sound genuine, but his words sounded harsh in his own ears. He couldn't bring himself to face her. Not while he was so angry with himself.