Hey everyone! Thankfully not too much time has passed since the last update! I hope you guys enjoy this next chapter. As a heads up, there is some smut at the end of this chapter. For those of you who don't like reading that, you can skip the end of the chapter... you'll know when. But for those of you who do read it, I hope I didn't write it too horribly, I'm still new to writing activities such as those. Thank you all for reading/following/favoriting and reviewing!

Also, as another note, when I said OC in the last author's note, I meant Original Content. I forgot that on this site, OC usually means Original Character. Sorry for any confusion!


Chapter 49

Anderson narrowed his eyes at the list before him; he had checked it again and again and he still couldn't find her name. The longer he stared at it, the more upset he was getting. He almost hadn't checked the list since he didn't have anything to do with the organization of the gala and only had to provide his list of those he wanted invited; which had been a year ago. The event was gigantic, spreading across multiple locations on the Citadel to accommodate the guest list since there wasn't a single space large enough to hold everyone.

He paged Udina.

It took the man longer than it should have to arrive; it was obvious that Udina was dragging his feet.

"You called me?" Udina drawled as he came into the office.

"Why is the only Shepard name on my list for the gala Captain Hannah Shepard and Commander Jane Shepard is not?"

"My guess is that she hasn't responded to the invite."

"It isn't like Shepard to not respond," Anderson said in a stern voice. "Was it ever sent out?"

It took everything Udina had not to roll his eyes. True, he had put himself in this position but he would never vocalize that acknowledgement. "I'm not in charge of ensuring the invitations go out."

"But you are supposed to follow up with important guests, like Shepard, who have not yet responded. Her name was on the invitation last ever since she became the Savior of the Citadel."

"I suppose the computers took her name off the list when she was dead for two years."

"And as soon as she reappeared on the Citadel she should have gotten her invitation."

"I will be sure it gets sent out immediately," Udina practically growled.

"Don't bother," Anderson snapped. "I'll do it." He waved the man away and frowned at his departure. Sometimes he wondered if it would be best to completely remove him from any point of power.


John pushed his food around on his plate with his fork. It was the first time he had sat out in the Mess since everyone first made it clear they wanted to speak to him. Now most were giving him his space. He had come across Tali again but she dodged him; it was both a relief and a disappointment. Garrus still seemed to be insisting on talking to him but every time the turian opened his mouth John ran. He couldn't help but wonder if he was literally running from bad news. It had been a few weeks since he had joined the crew and avoiding people was getting exhausting, not to mention lonely. He was beginning to wonder if he should just suck it up and work through his problems with everyone. Missions had been fine because they stayed on task; they didn't let themselves get distracted.

Miranda was right… I should just let them talk. He sighed and got up to put his plate away, still mulling over the thought of who to find first. He settled on Garrus since he was right there, and he needed his friend's support before going to see Tali. John hesitated as he walked down the hallway but as he reached the door he had regained his confidence. The door opened and he stopped in his tracks. Where was Garrus?

"Garrus?" he called out. There weren't too many places a turian could hide in there – none, actually. "Where are you?" he asked aloud when he realized Garrus wasn't there. Now what was he supposed to do? Should he go to see Tali?

No. He had another friend on here that knew the old crew. John headed out again, sure that the next person he visited would be in their post. When he reached the CIC, he ignored most of the crew, especially Kelly; she was too damn perky. "Hey, Joker," John greeted as he reached the cockpit.

"He's alive!" Joker shouted as he turned in his chair. "Man, I thought we were going to have to send out a search party."

"Come on, you knew where I was."

"Yeah, but still. I would ask if you are doing ok but I know that is a sensitive topic."

"I'm fine. Sorry I haven't come by."

Joker nodded, "Hey, man, no problem. You had some stuff you had to sort through first."

John chuckled, "More like still… Anyway, how you doing up here?"

"Eh, pretty good. Got a fancy new chair. But things are quiet enough, I – " the chair started to spin away from John, "What the – "

John started to laugh, "Trouble?"

"Son of a… The power of Christ compels you!" he shook his fist in the air until it turned back to where he had been facing, "Very funny EDI. Real original. Stop it!"

"You did insist on manual control, Mr. Moreau."

Joker rolled his eyes, "Oh yeah… and there is this thing that fights with me. But overall not too bad."

John laughed at the exchange, "How's everyone on the ship? Everyone get along?"

"Yeah, mostly. I keep waiting for Jack to blow up at Miranda or Jacob. Hopefully she doesn't actually blow up anything but I wouldn't put it past her. I think most everyone keeps to themselves. I know that krogan certainly does. I sometimes forget we have him."

"So, uh, how's Jane doing?"

Joker quirked up an eyebrow, "She would be doing better if you would talk to her."

"Huh, she's mentioned that to you then…"

"Of course. She tells me everything. And she has been seeing me every time she heads out on a mission. The one mission you went on, with Jacob for his dad, you barely waved at me! What the fuck, dude? Anyway, I think this whole thing has got her a little stressed. She has really thrown herself into her work lately, barely takes any breaks."

"Do you think it is too much on her? I just worry that being thrown back into this will bring up some bad memories of… before."

Joker nodded, "I won't lie to you, it already has. And I don't know if you have heard too much about her biotics but she is really freaked out by it. She hasn't said anything recently but I know she is worried about when they will make a surge again."

"I know they are a little stronger but what is going on?"

Joker shook his head, thinking back to the first night, "Sorry, John, but I think I'll let her explain that."

"Fair enough," he thought over what he should ask next. "How's Garrus? I feel bad that I haven't really tried to keep up with him lately."

"Well, it's not like he gave any of us the courtesy before," Joker laughed.

"I guess… but how is he?"

"Oh, well he…" is doing a lot better now that he's sleeping with you sister… Joker thought. "He seems to be ok. Maybe a little harsher. It seems like he worked that stick out of his butt but now he's trying to beat guys to death with it. I can't believe I like the old Garrus better, but I think he's working his way back to that. It's just my opinion though, there's really no need to go spreading it around," he mumbled the last sentence quickly, hoping he hadn't said too much.

"Don't worry," John laughed, "I won't tell him you said anything." He sighed, "He's been trying to talk to me about something, probably something important, but I haven't let him speak."

Joker's eyes got a little bigger, pretty sure that he knew what the topic was, "You should probably talk to him then."

"Yeah well that's the thing, I just went to his station and he wasn't there. Any idea where he is?"

Um… yeah… Joker had actually just seen Garrus wandering around the ship, trying not to look too obvious about where he was going. Joker had stopped watching him by the time the turian started to approach the elevator, he still wanted to claim some plausible deniability. "I saw him grab some food but otherwise he was just going down to cargo. I didn't really bother to keep up with him."

"Huh, that's weird. I wonder what he is doing."

"Yeah…" Joker's voice cracked, "It's a mystery."

"You ok?"

"Mmm?" Joker coughed again, "Yeah," he wheezed out, "just a pesky frog in my throat."


Jane hit the bag progressively harder in a sequence: right, left, pause, left, right, pause, right, left, right, left, pause, right, left, left, right, right, pause. The next sequence she added in kicks. She was trying to clear her mind. Unfortunately her thoughts wouldn't leave her: Tali acting strange, John barely speaking to anyone except Miranda and Jacob, and that she and Garrus were abstaining from their intimate rendezvous until they told John; that last point was making the others more difficult. Missions made things a little easier but the no sex had her on edge even with the fighting. Now that she was being left alone with her thoughts she was also able to think more about her biotics. The stress, coupled with the loneliness, was making them start to itch at her again. On top of it all, she still hadn't received the next step in their battle against the Collectors. How would she pass the time?

Though she wouldn't admit it, the abstinence was what was really killing her. She had forgotten how much she had missed it. Even not counting two years it had been a long time and now it was like a drug for her. Why couldn't Garrus just tell John? There had been plenty of time, almost three weeks since they first picked up John and Tali and still there was no progress. Though, from the messages Garrus had sent her, John was dodging him.

"I hear you are a skilled fighter, Shepard."

She stopped, snapped out of her bubble, and turned to the voice. "Thane," she greeted, catching the bag without looking, "I don't know how skilled I am. I have the N7 training and a little bit extra but that's it," she said through heavy breaths.

"I see," he remained in his standard pose, "but you are far better from what I hear."

She squeezed her sides with her fingers as her breathing began to slow, "Someone seems to be pulling your leg," she smiled.

"You are modest," he grinned back. "I don't know how human ships are usually run or how you instruct yours, but if you are up for a spar at some moment in the future, I would be honored to have you as an opponent."

With her breathing almost completely under control, she waved her hand. "I would love a good spar. Give me a minute and I'll be ready."

"I don't want you to push yourself too much."

She stepped over to a bench and picked up a bottle of water. She sat down and took a few swigs. "Honestly, I'm fine. And, you'll soon see that I have a tendency to push myself too far."

He dipped his head, "Very well." Thane sat on the other end of the bench, moving his arms to rest his hands in his lap. "Do other human commanders spar with their crew?"

"Not usually," she shook her head with her words, "then again, not all commanders are even active on missions. With sparring, some commanders don't like to lose. They think it would be detrimental to their command, others don't like the risk of injuries."

"And do you not see the potential for injuries?"

"I do," she admitted, "I mean, it would be naïve to think it would be impossible or even completely preventable. But when I first took command of the Normandy, we had a diverse crew and I'm glad that we are continuing that on this version, but stress is handled differently by many and I like to accommodate, within reason." She noticed the faintest hint of a smile from him. Wiping the sweat from her face, she stood up and faced him, "Ready when you are."

His expression remained calm as he stood and moved into his fighting stance. It reminded Jane of the crane position and although she wasn't an expert at martial arts, she did her best to prep her style to combat it. There was a long pause as they stared at each other, waiting for the other to make a move.

Jane was the first, attacking with her fists and feet, pushing him back across the floor as he deflected her hits. Just when she was about to pull back her attacks, he caught her final kick. He held her in place as his other hand swung at her. She grabbed his arm with both of hers, jumped off the ground from her one supporting leg and kicked him in the chest, sending him to the ground. He landed on his back with Jane's leg across his chest and her hands still pinning down his right.

He pushed her with enough strength to make her roll to recover. She went on her knees and felt his chest land on her back as he looped his left arm under hers and pulled her back so his hand gripped the back of her neck in a hold. He pulled her upright and Jane looked up at the ceiling.

"Do you yield, Shepard?"

Her response came as she slid her left leg out, planted it, bent over and pushed off, rolling the two of them onto their sides and causing Thane to lose his grip on her. She twisted away and jumped back onto her feet. They stood nearly at the same time and began to circle one another.

"Interesting. You are quite resourceful. You make a sacrifice for the chance at another goal."

"Humans call that 'thinking outside the box'."

He stopped his movement but didn't lose his stance. "One more bout, Shepard?"

"I'm up for it if you are."

Now it was her turn to start blocking as he came after her almost as soon as she confirmed his challenge. She blocked and dodged, her hands deflected his and she had to bend and twist her torso out of the way. She threw in her own attacks which he managed to evade. In the flurry of movement, one fist finally made it through, landing directly in Jane's chest. She stumbled back giving him another opportunity. As he moved to grab her in a final hold, she swept her leg across his. Thane went down to one knee and Jane put him in a hold, similar to what he had done before.

"Do you yield, Krios?"

He lowered himself and threw her over his head to which she landed on her feet in front of him, albeit a little ungraceful and she hopped on her feet to correct her stance so she would be facing him again. "You are an excellent opponent, Siha."

"Siha? I think my translator broke. What does that mean?"

Thane didn't answer the question. The corner of his mouth quirked up in the smallest way. He attacked again, faking right but going left but Shepard had pivoted away, blocking his arm with her own. She attacked with her free arm and that was pushed down and away by Thane's; her fist barely missing his leg. He attacked again with his hands but this time added in a kick, hoping it would surprise her but she only kicked it away with her own leg.

When he paused, Jane made her advance but this time attacked with mostly kicks of varying heights. He grabbed her leg and pushed her back giving him space. She charged, acting like she would swing a fist but slid at the last moment but Thane had seemed to predict it, jumping over her advancement. Jane jumped to her feet ready for the next onslaught but there wouldn't be one. She held her stance and only dropped it when Thane bowed.

"Perhaps we shall do this another time."

"Yeah, maybe next time don't go so easy on me," Jane said. He smiled but left without another word. She watched him leave before going over to the bench to collect her things and return to her cabin. When she got to the elevator she only had to wait a moment before the doors opened. She leaned back against the wall, her body already a little achy. Maybe she could invite John to dinner and they could have it as a group. That way they could all get this over with. Ugh, but I said I would let Garrus handle it… he better not be dragging his feet on this.

Her omni pinged and she looked down at the message. It was from Joker: "John is looking for Garrus. Maybe now this will finally be out in the open?

She sighed, glad he wanted to talk to Garrus. But why would Joker send her a message about it? Either way, I'm sure, it will go alright… They're adults.

She exited onto her floor and entered her room, locking the door behind her. Setting her items on her desk she jumped when she heard a footstep next to her. "Jesus Christ, Garrus, what are you doing here?"

He was standing at the bottom of the steps, leaning against the wall. "I know, I shouldn't be up here until we talk to John… but after spending so much time together and then almost none, it's been hard on me too. I just wanted to see you for a little while." He straightened a little more.

She smiled at him, "I've missed you too. But, speaking of John, I got a message from Joker that John is looking for you now. It could be a good time to talk to him."

"Alright," he climbed the steps, "I'll go find him and get this over with. I'll just blurt it out if I have to," he grinned. Stepping in front of her, he pressed his forehead against hers for a lingering moment then moved to kiss her. As he inhaled, he pulled away from her sharply.

"What?" she asked confused, looking down at herself then back at him, "Do I really smell that bad?"

He backed up against the tank, "Yes… I mean, no. Not you, specifically."

She stared at him, he looked angry. "Then, what is it?" Her hands clutched the desk behind her.

"I… can't really explain… but I should go."

She had conceded defeat until the door opened for him. Grabbing his wrist, she held tight enough to make him stop. "No. Tell me. I don't want you keeping things from me if I can help."

Garrus weighed his options in his head. He had planned on telling her later, when his mind was clearer. "Can we talk about this later? I promise I'll tell you."

"No, because, you will just push it back, hoping I will forget about it."

He stayed silent.

"EDI, lock the door," Jane ordered. She moved in front of him, "Look at me!" she pleaded.

The smell was once again all around him. It was clear she wasn't going to let him leave soon. "Alright, if you want to talk about this then can you please shower?" When the words were out, he could see that he had hurt her. He knew that humans were very conscious of their hygiene, especially smells. Turians didn't have to worry about it in the same way. Asari were probably the closest. Perhaps krogan but they didn't seem too bothered with it, though they needed to be. "It's not you," he said quietly.

"Well it certainly seems like it is me. Please just tell me."

He hesitated once more before blurting out his question a little sharper than he intended, "You sparred with that drell, didn't you?"

She didn't know what she was expecting but it wasn't quite that. She quirked up an eyebrow at him, "Um… yeah?" When he stayed silent she knew he was more upset than she thought, "Garrus… I'm sorry. I didn't know you only wanted me to spar with you but really…"

"It's… it's not that you can't spar with anyone else. You can." He looked down at her, "It's hard to explain."

"Try me."

He shook his head, "More like… a little awkward to explain." He rubbed his fringe trying to figure out the best way to describe it without freaking her out. "With turians, sometimes we are more… in tune with our partners… in several ways. And sometimes we can tell when another male is interested in our partner."

Jane nodded as she processed the thought, "So, you know what drell pheromones smell like?"

"Not exactly because I haven't spent a lot of time around them but I can tell turian, human, krogan, and asari. Mostly from my C-Sec days."

"Oh," she took a step back. She still didn't completely understand but this definitely seemed to be a personal hit to him. "I'm sorry, Garrus, I didn't know."

"I didn't expect you to."

"Why don't you tell me these things though? I don't always know turian intimacy."

"Because I don't always know human ones and I worry that turian customs are more… intense."

"Fair…" she nodded, "We'll sit down and talk about it then."

The smell wafted towards him, again, challenging him, "Another time. I should really go."

"Right… John…" she was about to unlock the door before a thought occurred to her, "Wait, I thought turians were notorious for their casual relationships and not getting jealous."

"Not always," now was not the time to explain why. "Look, I don't want to get into this right now." He struggled to control himself.

"No."

"Move."

"Not until you tell me."

Garrus growled. It was getting harder to keep himself in check, "I can't stand here and have a conversation with you because the longer you stand there with his scent all over you, the bigger a challenge it is to me. When that happens to a turian's partner, it makes us want to prove ourselves worthy."

"I know you are leaving things out which we will get to but you can't fight Thane, it wasn't his fault."

"It's not just fighting our challenger… And if we must keep talking you need to shower."

She glared at him until it hit her, "Huh? Oh… oh!" There was a part of her that wanted to provoke him, scratch her itch, but she knew it wouldn't be right. "Um... okay. I'll, uh, let you go then. And I'll shower. But you will tell me everything about turian relationships later. And I'll tell you human ones too," she smiled and unlocked the door.

He smirked, "I know what you are thinking and you don't want it. The control I have right now is taking everything from me." He could see that his words weren't completely sinking in, "It's not very… nice. My behavior in that reaction is still biologically motivated. You're not built like a turian, I could hurt you."

She bit her lip, thinking about the moments she had to miss and what he could be doing to her. Right. Now. "I'm tougher than I look. You know that, Garrus." She stepped out of her shoes and pulled off her socks. "I mean, this situation is bound to come up again." She backed up to the shower, leaving him at the door. "I'll let you go though. We can talk later about this, our species' relationship differences, and I trust that we can open up about this… later."

He looked at the green light on the door and his body swayed as he tried to exit but his feet refused to move. He looked to the bathroom again, her hand reached out and tossed the hair band onto the desk and he heard her sigh. He growled.

Jane held her face, taking deep breaths to calm herself, waiting to hear the door open and close. Had she missed his exit? She lowered her head and her hair fell around her. God, did she want to push him. It didn't matter how vague he was being, the way he hinted at what could be taking place made her even more curious. Damn, did she want to provoke him but she supposed it would be like leaving drugs out in front of an addict. Throwing her head back, her hair flipped back from her face. She turned, starting to pull off her shirt but paused when the door opened, "Um… Garrus, I'm not that fast at showering. I haven't even undressed."

He stepped to her, putting a hand behind her head and pressing his forehead to hers. "I trust you entirely. I just don't want to throw too much at you too fast. Emotionally speaking."

She pushed back against him, placing a hand on his chest and the other on his neck. As he inhaled, she felt his hand tighten on her as he pushed her back against the wall. She could hear the guttural growl in her ear as he moved his face along hers, his mandibles brushing along her jaw, down her neck and to her shoulder.

Jane's eyes rolled back as her lids fluttered shut. She put her hands on his neck and rand one down along his shirt, feeling the hard plates beneath the fabric. "Garrus," she breathed, "I thought," she bit her lip as his talons pressed into her skin, one side blunted, the other threatening to tear into her, "well… I don't want you to think that I was taunting you or tempting you into this."

He pulled back from her skin before he was he tempted to mark her and pressed his mouthplates against her lips. When he pulled away he whispered, "You're not." He pressed himself against her hips and slid his talon under her shirt, running the points of his talons from the line of her shorts to her sports bra. "Do you care about your clothes?" he asked through his growls.

She didn't like his pause, she tried to grind her hips against him but she had no room. "Um…" she tried to think, "no, they're just Cerberus issued – OH!" she exclaimed as he tore his talons through the layers on her upper body.

It tore down the middle, requiring him to pull her from the wall enough to grab the top of her shirt and pulled down. She put her arms back, trying to slip them from the fragments of her clothes so she could remove his. Just before her hands were free, he twisted the fabric, restraining her. Jane bit her lip and let out a choked laugh, mixed with a whimper.

Garrus nipped and licked her skin, starting at the divot below her neck, down her sternum, to one breast then the other, then continuing down the center of her body. As he neared her core, he could feel her shake with anticipation He grabbed her shorts and tore through those as well, tossing them aside. He switched his hands that held her restraints, giving himself use of his hand that had the blunted talons, for 'activities' such as this.

He pressed his blunted talons into her side, holding her tightly as he kissed the sensitive skin under her bellybutton. She gasped and pulled at her restraint. His hand slid down her side to hook around her thigh to pull her legs open.

Jane gasped as his tongue slid against her. He toyed with her, teased her, driving her mad. Her body shook, wanting more. She bit her lip, feeling his low slow lick along her and gasped when he made his quick movements over her point. This was her torture, unable to prompt him further, enjoying her own suffering of the alternatives between slow and quick, slow and quick.

On one of his slow movements, he clawed his hand down her side and leg. She could feel his blunted talons dig into her, sending more shivers through her body. Her hands struggled to reach out and touch him but he held them tighter. His other hand reached her knee, he grabbed it, putting her leg over his shoulder and his hand slid up to the underside of her leg to her center. His finger hesitated at her opening, stroking her, teasing her. Her legs shook, wanting more, she whined but still he waited. She glanced down and saw that he was looking up at her.

"Say please."

She almost came to his voice alone as it vibrated through her, the dominating command. "Please," she mumbled out, her head going back and pressing into the wall. "Please!"

"Say you want me."

She whimpered, "Oh, I want you, Garrus. Oh, god, do I want you. I –AH!" she cried out as he stuck a finger in her and swirled his tongue around her. His movements grew faster. Her breathing quickened. Her legs shook. Her moaning grew louder. Her arms struggled to free themselves again and when she couldn't, she tried to brace herself against the wall as best she could, knowing she wouldn't last much longer. He moved faster in and around her making her cry out. Finally, he let go of her hands, placing his arm across her torso to keep her pinned to the wall. Her hands reached down to grab his shoulders for support but she couldn't reach and settled for his fringe. Through her own exclamations, she heard him growl and that was finally her undoing.

He could feel her convulsing and held her in her place until she came down from her high. When her fingers loosened on his fringe and her body began to relax, he kissed her hip and began to move up slowly kissing and nipping at her skin until he reached her throat. She leaned her head into his neck, sighing heavily.

"Garrus," she breathed.

"Do you really think that was it? I've barely started."

She leaned back to look up at him, biting her lip. Her hands drifted up to his shirt and began to undo it. While she worked on his shirt, he removed his pants then helped her finish her task. His shirt had barely hit the floor when she was running her hands down his chest over his stomach and down to his groin to place her fingers on his erection. He groaned and placed his hands on her hips digging his talons into her, careful not to cut her with the less blunted set. Moving his hands up he cupped her breasts, running his thumbs over her nipples before moving his arms around her. When he kissed her, she could taste herself on him, not that she minded.

His hands slithered down her back and over her ass to catch the back of her legs and pull her up off the ground and pin her to the wall. She wrapped her arms around his neck and spread her fingers under his fringe, pressing her fingertips into the soft flesh there, causing him to growl into her mouth. Through their kiss, Jane felt him move her again before she felt him enter her. She moaned as he pushed into her slowly at first, until he was fully enveloped. He nipped her neck before pulling back to look into her eyes.

She kissed his mandible then pressed her forehead against his, nodding slightly. He inhaled, still smelling the traces of drell and kissed her hard as it was the only thing he could do to not sink his teeth into her. He pressed his blunted talons into her leg as he began to thrust, holding her up with one arm. He explored her mouth with his tongue, tangling with hers, feeling her moan against him. She was rocking back and forth, as she was forcefully being thrown into the wall as he thrust into her. Her mouth broke away from his so she could put her face against his neck panting and moaning. She dug her fingers between his plates and felt his hands tighten on her. There was a sharp pain on her side and she sucked in a breath but it was soon forgotten.

She arched her back, pulling her head back from him, almost hitting the wall. Whining his name, she tightened her grip on him, feeling herself draw closer. He could start to feel her quiver again and hissed. He enjoyed her soft skin, the way she cried out, and the way her sex would completely conceal him; it drove him wild. He pushed harder and faster into her, driving her into the wall. The way her fingers dug into him only caused his adrenaline to surge further.

"Garrus… I… I… AH!" she whimpered as he hit that perfect spot, sending her into convulsions again. Her legs clamped down on him but he continued to thrust sending stars behind her eyes.

Hearing her speak his name before her undoing was part of the final drive he needed for his own completion. Feeling the rush begin to build up, he pushed into her a few more times before slamming into her one final time. He held her there, her body shaking and pulsing around him as he remained sheathed inside of her. He growled at her throat, grazing his teeth against her skin. He felt her face brush against his and pulled back in time for her mouth to find his. Slowly, he pulled out of her as they kissed, and set her back down on the floor. Her legs didn't want to agree and he found himself holding her up until she found her balance.

She kissed him again, more passionately. "Garrus," she whispered through a kiss, "Oh, Garrus, I don't even know what to say."

"Say please," he whispered back.

She meant to ask what she was asking for but her mind wasn't working yet, "Please…"

He bent down, scooping her up in his arms and stepped out of the bathroom, over their discarded clothes, and down the steps to toss her on the bed. She landed in the center of the bed and readjusted to sit up on her elbows and prepare to move, expecting him to lay next to her. Instead, he leaned over her, pinning her down with his body and only propping himself up enough to not crush her. He nipped at her collar bone and licked the sweat off of her neck, feeling her quickened pulse under her skin.

She ran her hands along his fringe and down to his neck and back, feeling the alien skin that now seemed normal to her. Jane wanted to say something to him, but what? Before she could even try to form a thought he whispered in her ear.

"If it's too much," his hand ran from her neck, down her arm to her waist, over her hip and finally down to her center to push into her again, prompting her to gasp, "you can tell me to stop."

She realize she was squeezing her eyes shut and biting her lip again. Could she take another round from him? They had snuck around for their intimate rendezvouses that she wasn't surprised at his recovery time but, damn, she was still pretty sensitive. She didn't know how female turians compared but she was determined to be enough for him. Besides, with the way things had been, she may not get another chance like this.

In her silence, he had begun to move his finger in and out of her, sure to pay attention to her point of pleasure with his thumb every other entry. He could hear her shaky breaths and the occasional whimper that escaped her. Her eyes were still closed but not as tightly. He was about to withdraw when she moaned, pressing her face against his and moving down to his neck. Her arm wrapped around his shoulder as she began kissing his neck.

He quickened his pace in her as he readjusted his body. He enjoyed her kisses; the way she was able to manipulate her lips intrigued him. When his hand left her, she moaned a slight complaint. Smirking, he ran his hand along her inner thing, hooking his hand under her knee to place it over his hip before running his hand back down across the top of her thigh. Her mouth broke from his skin as she gasped when he thrusted into her, already at a quick, steady pace. The moan that she let out was accompanied by her pulling him closer to her.

He followed her movements, getting as close to her hot skin as he could. Sprits, she felt amazing. In the back of his mind, Garrus was being a little smug; he had managed to keep himself under reasonable control this entire time. There were moments where he hadn't thought completely clear but he was doing a lot better than he thought, remembering what a human would want, like, and handle. She was back to panting and moaning into his shoulder.

Her fingers dug deliciously between his plates and he gradually increased the pace. Her face was back against his neck. Hot breath on his skin. A kiss. And… Oh, spirits… were those teeth? He hesitated, fighting to remain in control.

His pause prompted her to try again, unaware of what she was doing to him. She grazed her teeth against his skin and nipped high on his neck. He shuddered. Taking this as a victory, she did it again lower on his neck and rotated her hips, enjoying the feeling of him inside her. At her third nip on his neck she heard and felt his predatory growl. His talons tightened on her and she felt the sharp pinch in her side; instead of worrying her, she was thrilled by it. She tried to get a peek at his face but it was turned away from her. She moved her hips again, hoping to prompt him or tease him if he was closer to finishing than she thought. Moving a hand to his neck, she lightly pressed her fingers along his skin as she moved it towards his back again as her mouth went lower on his neck. She felt him tense. Smirking, she kissed him before switching to a slightly harder nibble than she had been.

As she tortured him, Garrus struggled to keep telling himself that she wasn't asking for what he thought. It was a human form of foreplay or teasing; not a request for being marked. She didn't know. He would have to stop her, but damn did it feel good. He tightened his hands on her trying to control himself. When she placed that final bite, though it wasn't enough to be a mark, it still made him snap to more of a feral side.

He let out a sound somewhere between a growl and a roar, a sound that Jane hadn't heard and it caused her to pull back. She didn't let go of him but looked up into eyes that now had a hunger behind them.

Garrus sat upright, pulling Jane with him in the motion, a hand on either arm. He pressed a crushing kiss to her lips before twisting her around and compelling her onto her hands and knees. She didn't know where this was coming from and was a little concerned about where it was heading. His talons grazed her inner thigh for a moment before spreading her legs. A small part of her mind told her to stop him but she was desired him so much. She bit her lip, as his hands settled on her hips, gripping her tight. He lined himself up with her womanhood, sliding the tip in. Every nerve in her was going crazy, anticipating how this position would be with him, since they really hadn't been adventurous in positions because of concern for compatibility.

His talons moved up to her waist and tightened on her. He paused before thrusting into her with a sudden force. Jane gasped in slight cry, her fingers twisting into the sheets as he pounded into her. The angle now was incredible, leaving her with nothing else to think about other than the feel of his cock moving in and out of her. Her body rocked back and forth with extreme force, causing her to try and adjust her stance so she could steady herself. Even with her movement, she knew his motion was being disrupted since his talons were continually tightening on her to pull her back towards him. There was a pain in her side and she was pretty sure he might have cut her with a talon or two but she didn't care; for every prick of pain, the pleasure outweighed it.

He filled her fully, pushing and pressing into all the right places. His growl and slight roaring thrilled her and her gasps and moans were coming closer together. He leaned over her, part of him pressing onto her back but his pace never slowing. As she got closer to her own release, her arms began to shake. She fell down to her elbows and heard a loud snarl from Garrus as he sped up. She wanted to hold out a little longer, her toes curling as she let out a long moan.

"Don't stop…" she whispered, unable to stop herself from saying it. She was seconds away. Oh god, she was right there. One hand gripped the sheets, the other a pillow. He pushed harder and harder. Somehow he seemed to be going faster, faster, faster. He pounded into her, causing her to grit her teeth, hoping to remain in control but she couldn't contain it any longer. Her body became undone as every muscle seemed to relax except for those spasming around him. She screamed with her release.

Hearing her shout was his signal that he could stop holding out. With his last thrust, he held her sides tightly, his hands digging into her, keeping her connected to him. He roared as she screamed, feeling her body react to his full release.

He stayed sheathed in her, enjoying the feel of her occasional twitches as her body came down from the high. As he hands stayed tightly wrapped around her, he soon began to realize he was the only thing keeping her in that position. Pulling himself from her, he eased her down so she laid sideways, allowing him to stretch out in front of her.

Her eyes were still closed as he looked at her. He noticed her fringe was a mess, several strands had settled over her face and he gently reached out to push them away. As he finished moving the final pieces, she opened her eyes to look at him.

She smiled and touched a hand to the scarred side of his face.