Inspired by "Come What May" from Moulin Rouge

Thanks for the suggestions and sorry for the delay!

Come What May

The Communications room hadn't been this crowded since it was being constructed. At the head of the table, Shepard stood, her hands resting on the polished wood. All around the table stood her team, all of them hanging on her very words.

Taking a moment, the brunette commander surveyed the group. Every single one of them was loyal to her, this she knew. From the Cerberus operative standing to her right to the Geth with a hole in his chest much farther down the table each one had sworn their loyalty and proven it time after time. Now they stood before her, ready to plunge headfirst into the Collector base.

"This isn't how we planned it, but this is where we're at." To her surprise, Shepard found her voice to be quite strong. It was something of a relief to know that she could still keep it together despite knowing that she might die.

Again.

She pushed off the table, her blue eyes sparkling with adventure and fire. "We can't worry about if the Normandy can get us home. We came to stop the Collectors, and that means coming up with a plan to take out this station. EDI, what've we got?

In a snap, the AI had a full rundown of the base. "You should be able to overload their critical systems if you get to their main control center here."

As she spoke a section was pointed out at the top of the base. It was going to be a bit of a hike, no two ways about it.

Jacob furrowed his brow, the OmniTool on his arm casiting him in a gold orange light. "That means going through the heart of the station, right past this massive energy signature."

Erin leaned forward, her gaze focused on the shimmering image. "That's the central chamber. If our crew or any of the colonists are still alive, the Collectors are probably holding them in there."

Poking at a few controls, Jacob highlighted two separate passages. "Looks like there are two main routes. We should split up to keep the Collectors off balance, then regroup in the central chamber."

"No good. Both routes are blocked." Miranda raised a hand to point out a small flaw in the plan, her accent clipped and professional. "See these doors? The only way past is to get someone to open them from the other side."

Garrus tore his ice blue eyes from Miranda and refocused on Shepard. Here was where she really shone…where it was obvious why N7 took her over anyone else. Finally she spoke. "It's not a fortress. There's gotta be something…here! Maybe we can send someone in through this ventilation shaft."

Jacob shifted next to Miranda so that he was looking at the model once more. "Practically a suicide mission…I volunteer."

Before the commander could get a word in Miranda cut across. "I appreciate the thought Jacob, but you couldn't shut down the security systems in time. We need to send a tech expert."

It took everything he had for the poor Turian to keep a poker face. Miranda had a point, but she also had an ulterior motive. Sure, he'd been distracted by Shepard's advances but he hadn't missed the little glances and touches the Cerberus operatives had been exchanging.

Crossing his arms over his chest, Jacob almost seemed to be pouting. "It's your call Commander. Who do we send into the shaft?"

Erin's reply was almost instantaneous. "Legion, you can hack through almost anything. I'm sending you into the shaft."

The Geth soldier took a moment to adjust his rifle before giving his usual tinny reply. "Acknowledged."

Returning his gaze to Shepard, Garrus nodded. It made sense…Legion was a robot and knew technology better than anyone. Plus he could withstand most environments that organics couldn't. Shepard had made the right choice on that one.

Straightening, Shepard paced a bit. "The rest of us will break into two teams, fight down each passage. That should draw the Collector's attention away from what you're doing."

"I'll lead the second fire team Shepard. We'll meet up with you on the other side of those doors." Miranda stepped up towards the commander, as if assuming her role as XO on the ship.

Of course, Jack was having none of that. "Not so fast, Cheerleader. Nobody wants to take orders from you."

Beside her, Garrus couldn't help but shake his head. While it wasn't the time for Jack to be disagreeing, he found himself in agreement with her. He didn't mind Miranda on a normal basis, but he only took orders from people he trusted.

People like Shepard.

"This isn't a popularity contest, lives are at stake!" The dark haired woman's tone was biting, her patience wearing thin. "Shepard, you need someone who can command loyalty through experience."

Now the brunette commander lowered her gaze to her hands as they rested on the polished wood table. Her ocean blue eyes seemed unfocused as she thought long and hard about what her choice would be. Garrus knew that if she could, she would lead both, but she couldn't. At long last, she raised her head, eyes burning with a determined fire.

"Garrus, you'll lead the second fire team."

For a long heartbeat, everything was still. Ice blue eyes once more locked with ocean blue.

Shepard, are you sure you want me to do this?

More sure than I've been about a lot of things. I trust you.

The Turian nodded slowly, his heart thudding in his chest. Shepard turned to her crew. "I can't tell you what we'll find in there, but I'll tell you it won't be easy. We've lost good people…we may lose more."

She began to pace, which Garrus recognized as a sort of nervous tic of hers, but she remained cool and composed despite it.

"We don't know how many the Collectors have stolen. Thousands. Hundreds of thousands. It's not important. What matters is this." She pointed across the table, as if the Collector General was standing right there, her voice rising into a rolling thunder.

"Not. One. More."

Shepard stood at the head of the table, almost wreathed in a golden halo from the lights. "That's what we can do, here, today. It ends with us. They want to know what we're made of, I say we show them, on our terms!"

Erin took a quick moment, her eyes flashing around the table before smirking. "Let's bring our people home."

The rest of the team filed out to prepare weapons and armor, eventually leaving Garrus and Shepard alone in the room. Both were silent for a time before she caught his eye. A small smirk tugged at the corner of her pink lips and it was all the invitation that Garrus needed. He crossed the distance between them in a few strides, talons settling on her hips and pulling her close.

To her credit, Shepard didn't exactly resist. She pressed close, feeling the Turian's heat radiate through the bulky armor. Raising her forehead, she felt it gently bump against Garrus's.

Pulling away a little, Garrus stared down at Shepard. "Why me? Miranda wanted to go, she's got the talent…"

Shepard shook her head. "No. It had to be you. I don't trust anyone else with my people but you Garrus and you've done this before, remember?"

"And do you remember how that turned out?" Momentarily Garrus was back on Omega, covering the bodies of the men he'd lost.

It was gone as soon as it had come and Shepard was shaking her head, the beautiful vanilla scent wafting towards him as she did so. "That was beyond your control. I know you'll lead them through this just fine."

Her brilliant eyes lifted to meet his. "I trust you Garrus."

That simple sentence spoke volumes from a woman who had been thrown in amongst her enemies only months before. Bending, Garrus rested his forehead against hers, closing his eyes and simply breathing in her scent, memorizing the way her skin felt against his, the feel of her armor under his talons.

"Are you scared?"

His voice hummed with a half chuckle as he brushed his forehead back and forth across hers. "Terrified. You?"

"Scared shitless."

The pair laughed, two voices ringing in harmony alone in the room. Shaking her head, Shepard pushed a few strands of hair away from her face. "Tell you what, I'll make sure we come back alive."

To his extreme disappointment, Shepard reached down and removed his talons from her hips to take in her own hands. If he didn't know better he'd say she seemed a little nervous about this, her eyes locked onto where his hands fit into hers. "Garrus…I've said it before, but I'll say it again. I love you. There is no mountain to high or a river too wide that will stop me from coming back to you. Just say the word and I'll be there. Battles will come and go but that will never change the fact that I love you…and I'll keep loving you until the end of time. I would say my dying day, but…"

Garrus couldn't help but chuckle at that last bit, but he understood what she was trying to tell him. With a quick wrist movement, he was the one holding her hands, his mouth suddenly dry. "Shep- Erin. You don't understand what you…what you mean to me. I never knew that I could feel this way…I mean, I've heard people talk about it but nothing, nothing like this. It's like I've never seen the sky before and I'm finally looking at it."

Slowly, Shepard moved and rested her head against his chest. His heart stuttered, but Garrus went on softly. "Listen to my heart, can you hear it? It's saying the same thing…it says that seasons will change from winter to spring but I will love you. I love you until…well, like you said, until the end of time."

Gently, he put a talon beneath her chin, lifting her gaze to meet his again. "We're going to make it back from this."

The human commander smiled softly. "Shouldn't that be my line?"

Blinking slowly, Garrus shook his head wryly. Abruptly, Shepard pulled her hands from his, fumbling with something around her neck. "Oh, wait just a second…"

In a flash she had removed something from her neck and swiped something off Garrus's hip. Before the confused Turian could figure out what had happened, she looped a cool metal chain around his neck, something jangling on the end of it. Studying the object, he realized that he was looking at a mismatched set of dog tags…one read "Shepard, Commander" on it while the other read "Vakarian, Garrus."

Across from him, Shepard jangled his own set of tags. "I've got one of yours, you've got one of mine. You want the other back, you'll have to come back and get it."

Were they not about to walk into a nightmare, Garrus might have thought the gesture sweet and kinda funny. Still, he took her hand. "I'll hold you to it. You'll be back here, no matter what?"

Tightening her grip, Shepard nodded firmly. "I promise. Come what may, I'll be here."

Together the pair turned to look at the door. Once they stepped out there, there would be no going back. Had he not been holding the hand of the most incredible woman in the universe, Garrus had no doubt they would be shaking. Still, he knew one thing for sure.

She loved him. He loved her. They always had.

And come what may, that fact alone would always bring the pair back to each other.