ThomsFlame, I've have replied to you, but you weren't signed in when you left a message. Thanks and I'm sorry that you turned into a high powered pressure washer! Hope your computer is safe! LOL. Glad that it amused you, though!

Thanks as always to Marie FanWriter, my wonderful Flying Beta! Congrats!

Garrus backtracked as quickly as possible, avoiding both Scorpio's hand and eye contact with her. He reached the door just as they slid open to reveal Shepard, gazing down at a data pad. She didn't look up as she said, "Garrus, I forgot that I needed to ask…" and then cut off as the fully grown, though thankfully unarmored, turian male backed into her with force, shoving her backward and onto her butt in the hall outside the battery. She had just enough time to look up, see the naked female in the cot and the look of exasperated shock on her face as the doors closed. Garrus rather gracelessly tripped over his mate and, in an attempt not to land on her, twisted himself sideways so that when he landed it was with an "oooph" behind and slightly to the left of her prone figure.

She turned to look at her lover, frowning before she noticed the expression he wore: shock, horror and absolute humiliation. That alone would have told her he was innocent, if she'd had any doubt; which she didn't. She knew her mate and he had absolutely no interest in anyone but her, though as was obvious to both of them, the same could not be said for others onboard the Normandy. Casting her mind for something to say that wouldn't do more damage, she finally settled on, "So… you think you can get that mod and install it before we get to the next stop?"

Startled, Garrus frowned and said, "Errr… probably, if Cortez can get it delivered by then… it will take me most of the day to install it."

Shepard pursed her lips, considering, then nodded and said, "Cool… ready to deal with this shit now?"

Horrified, Garrus shook his head violently from side to side, "NO! Do I have to?"

Lips still pursed, Shepard cocked her head to one side and said, "I think you do… after all, it's not MY bed she's naked in…." Frowning, Shepard considered that a moment, then said, "Which is probably a really good thing, all things considered."

Garrus now nodded, his expression still caught between horrified, humiliated and shocked, "Yeah… ok, but you'll stay in between us?"

Now Shepard grinned, "You're afraid of the little female whose half your size?"

Again, Garrus nodded violently, "Yeah… you should know that size has absolutely no bearing on ferocity…."

Considering that, Shepard had to nod again, "True… ok. Help me up…."

Garrus rose somewhat more gracefully than he'd gone down and offered his hand to his mate, hauling her to her feet and putting her resolutely in front of him. In any other circumstance, he'd be more than happy to enter the room first, taking any damage before her to protect her; but in this case, he was content to use his mate as a shield.

The doors opened and, to her credit, Scorpio was already getting back into her armor. She stood straight up, eyes forward as Shepard and Garrus walked in, clad only in the bottom half of her armor and said, "I didn't know you were going to be here, Commander…."

Shepard nodded, keeping her eyes as cool as possible, "Apparently there is a lot you don't know, Scorpio. Leading the pack of "things Scorpio doesn't know" is the fact that when I said I had no problem with blowing off steam I meant with someone who was both interested and available."

Startled, Scorpio frowned, "Garrus isn't available? I mean, I get that my timing sucked, but…"

Cutting her off, Shepard glared at her as she stalked toward her, the female took a step back before she thought about it; there was something rather fierce about the human and it unnerved her. She forced herself to stand her ground, at attention, as Shepard moved to stand directly in front of her and said, her voice barely raised but full of righteous indignation, "No, Scorpio… Garrus is NOT available… he's got a bondmate and she's extremely possessive and likely to toss your turian ass out an airlock."

It was Scorpio's turn to look horrified, "A bondmate? Spirits, I didn't know…" she turned her gaze to Garrus and said, "I'm sorry, I didn't know… no one ever mentioned that you'd been mated… if I'd known…."

Irritated, Shepard reached up and grabbed both of Scorpio's mandibles in one hand, jerking her head down as Scorpio keened in shock and pain. Even Garrus winced as Shepard said, hissing, "Yes, he has a bondmate… and if you intend to make it to the next port you will NOT piss me off. If you even THINK of touching Garrus again, I'll cut off your hand and feed you to Urz… my pet varren. Got it, Immunis?"

Eyes as wide as Turian's could get, her mandibles already aching from the hold the human had on her, Scorpio nodded, "Yes ma'am… permission to go to my bunk, ma'am?"

Letting go of her mandibles, Shepard stepped back, her face once more impassive and gestured to the door, "Permission granted." Scorpio grabbed the rest of her armor and fled.

Once the other turian was gone, Garrus watched his mate closely as she gazed at the cot. Cocking her head to the side, she murmured, almost too quietly to hear, "You know… I'd burn that cot, but it's got some very good memories…." Garrus stepped up, placing his hands on her shoulders and lowering his head to nuzzle her ear as he said,

"Yes it does… and it will again. I'm rather fond of that cot…. You okay, amica?"

Shepard nodded, turning into her mate's embrace and nuzzling close to his chest, "Yeah, I'm fine. I told you she had the hot's for you. Next time, maybe you'll listen to me…"

Garrus nodded, "Definitely… but for now, how about we go back to our quarters and see about re-starting this day? By the way, where did you learn the mandibles trick? I know that I haven't shown you that one…."

Shepard grinned, "Well… knowing that they're solidly attached and sensitive, I just figured they'd be a good handle."

Garrus enfolded her in his arms and lay his cheek on the top of her head, chuckling, "They are… our, err… drill sergeants, I think is the word, in boot camp use that move to get the attention of the recruits. Parents use it too… I was just surprised you did it… so was Scorpio, I think."

A frown crossed her face, but went away as Garrus' hand slid up and down her back and his face nuzzled her hair. She ran her hands up his chest, down his arms and then took his hands in hers as she said, "Well, it was better than I thought, then. I just know how you react when I touch yours, and I figured that it was something like grabbing a human by the ear."

Garrus chuckled, his sub-harmonics amused, "The ear, huh? I'll have to remember that…."

Shepard winced, reminded how many times her mother had gripped her ear when she was young,
"I'd rather you didn't, actually…."

Together they chuckled, enfolded in each other's arms, the world and the war shut out; just for a little while.

CHAPTER BREAK

Shala Scorpio rushed into the crew quarters, tossing her armor down on her bunk and refusing to look at anyone. Accalia Chromin looked at Shala, listening to the keening of her sub-harmonics and said, "I take it that it didn't go as planned?"
Shala threw herself into her bunk, glancing around to make sure that the room was empty before she said, "Not so you'd notice, no. Apparently, Garrus has a bondmate and she must be pretty close to Shepard for her to go off on me like that for an innocent proposal. Geez, talk about over reacting. She actually grabbed me by the mandibles… where the hell did a human learn that trick?"

Accalia shook her head, her sub-harmonics producing irritation and exasperation, "Well… I don't know, maybe because she's got a turian mate?"

Scorpio frowned, "She does? Who? How do you know?" Accalia rolled her eyes, a trick she'd picked up when she was a kid on the Citadel and said,

"I swear to the Spirits, Scorpio… for a smart female, sometimes you're about as dumb as varren shit. Have you tried opening your ears and listening to people? Shepard and Garrus are bondmates… if you'd paid attention; you'd have heard people talking about it."

Shala glared at Accalia, hissing, her sub-harmonics growling with anger, irritation and disbelief, "You're full of shit, Accalia! Garrus Vakarian wouldn't take a HUMAN bondmate… it's just… it's not possible. The Vakarian name is one of the most respected and oldest on Palavan… not that I'd expect you to know that, since you were born and raised off planet."

Accalia growled, her own sub-harmonics beginning to reverb with her irritation, "You know, Scorpio, you really are a bitch."

Scorpio leapt to her feet, and Accalia did the same just as their Centurian, Flavius, stepped inside the room and snapped, "ENOUGH. I have had it up to here with your crap, Scorpio. And I expected better from you, Chromin."

Both females backed down, though both wore expressions of irritation and anger. Gazing at the two of them with dispassionate annoyance, Flavius said, "Accalia, go get yourself something to eat." She left the room, and Scorpio looked up at Flavius and waited for him to speak. For long moments, he gazed at her, carefully neutral. Just as Scorpio was beginning to fidget, Flavius said,

"How long have you been in the military, Immunis Scorpio?"

The commanding tone in his sub-harmonics had Shala draw up to attention, "Five years, Centurian, sir"

Flavius nodded, moving to the left around her as she stood at attention, ill at ease, but falling back into the military bearing she knew so well. She kept her eyes straight ahead, waiting for the Centurian to speak again. For a long time, he said nothing, then when he spoke again, it was soft; almost so softly that Shala had to strain to hear his words, though his sub-harmonics were still commanding. "So tell me, Imunnis… after five years, have none of your commanders ever taught you wisdom?"

Shala was silent; she had no idea how to answer that. She knew that if she said yes, she had wisdom, and then she was letting herself into more problems about her actions. But if she said no, she was admitting that her commanders were lax. So she did the only thing she could think of… she kept her mouth shut and said nothing, though her sub-harmonics keened distress and begged forgiveness.

When it became obvious that the Centurian wasn't going to speak, Shala considered her options, finally deciding to simply say, "I'm sorry, Centurian… I was foolish." She felt, more than heard, the Centurian nod, then he turned and said,

"Follow me, Immunis".

Shala fell into step behind her commanding officer, frowning. They walked to the mess where the Centurian gestured to the rest of the turians. When they all fell into line, responding immediately to the command in the Centurian's sub-harmonics, none looked around, but merely walked in formation following the Centurian. They moved into the lounge and the Centurian raised a hand, fist up to stop the group. Leaving them there, for a moment, he moved into the lounge and glanced around. There was no one inside and he glanced to make sure the door was closed before he said, out loud, "AI… are you listening?"

"The crew calls me Edi, Centurian Gracchus…."

Flavius nodded, and then said, "Edi, apologies for mis-speaking. I would like permission to use this room for a two hour period without interruption in order to correct my unit… would that be possible?"

"I will check with the Commander, please hold a moment…."

CHAPTER BREAK

"Commander?"

Shepard glanced up from her place at the CIC and responded, "Yes Edi?"

"Centurian Gracchus has requested the use of the starboard lounge without interruption for a two hour period… he wishes to work with his unit undisturbed. I believe he will be punishing Immunis Scorpio for her actions."

Shepard frowned, "Connect me with the Centurian, please…."

A moment later, Flavius voice came over the com, somewhat hesitant; his sub-harmonics seemed restrained and upset. "Commander… I was hoping to have use of this room for a few hours… I believe that my unit would benefit from some work in teamwork… and after Immunis Scorpio's abominable actions this morning, I think that some work is in order."

As Shepard considered, she heard the elevator door opened and felt, rather than saw, her mate's presence. Garrus moved to lay a hand on her shoulders and she glanced up at him, eyebrows raised as he said, "Let him, amica… he's taking a bad situation and trying to make something good out of it… this is the way that our Centurian's teach."

A lot of thoughts went through her head, but she gazed into Garrus' serious eyes and shrugged, "Ok Flavius… you have the room for three hours… will that be sufficient?"

His sub-harmonics sounded relieved, but his voice gave nothing away as he said, "Thank you Commander… that will be fine. Gracchus out."

As the com cut out, Shepard looked up into Garrus face and waited, until he said, "In the turian culture, when one person in a unit does something, the entire unit has to take responsibility."

Shepard frowned, "That doesn't seem fair… I didn't see the rest of the unit naked in your cot."

Garrus would have blushed if it had been possible; instead, he glanced around, then took her arm and led her to the small quarters that Miranda had created for herself. As the doors closed, he said, "No, they weren't… but in turian culture, the individuals are not as important as the unit, the group, the legion. When one acts irresponsibly or in a manner not appropriate, then the entire unit is expected to step in and bring them to their senses. If they don't, then the unit is held responsible and punished… with the full knowledge that the individual is the one who brought it on them."

Moving closer to Garrus, Shepard rested her forehead against his chest, her voice barely more than a murmur, "I want to kick her ass myself…."

Garrus reached up to stroke her hair, lowering his face to nuzzle her as he said, "And this won't prevent that if you really want to. If you really want to fight her, though I hope you don't, because even though I know you'll win, I don't want you hurt, this punishment won't prevent you from challenging her for what she did. It will just reinforce the idea that the group is more important than the individual; and what one turian does has ramifications for the group. It promotes unit cohesion."

Shepard sighed, she understood the issue, but something that Garrus had said bothered her. "You don't want me to fight for you?"

Garrus cocked his head, "I don't want you hurt… but what else is going on in that head of yours?"

Sighing, because she hated it when she felt like this; vulnerable wasn't something she was familiar with. But honesty, that certainly was something she was familiar with. So taking a deep breath, she said, huskily, "Don't you want me to make it clear that we're together? I don't know, I guess I feel like you want to hide us from the turians…."

Shaking his head, his mandibles clicking as his sub-harmonics keened with resignation. He knew that she hated feeling open, vulnerable. Reaching down, he caught her chin between his thumb and finger and raised her face so he could look into her eyes, "Shepard… Lia. You KNOW that I love you. You are my heart and soul, my bondmate. I don't care if the entire world knows; as a matter of fact, I want the entire world to know. And if you march into that room and announce to the entire turian unit that we're bondmates, then go for it.

"I'll go in with you and stand proudly while my mate claims me. I love you, I can't tell you how much I love you, and I'm not always the best when it comes to voicing my feelings; I'm much better at showing you than telling you. Don't you dare even think that I'm ashamed or reticent to tell everyone that we're bondmates. Here is the bottom line, amica… you want to fight for me, to put her in her place, I won't stop you. But I don't want you hurt… and while I have absolutely no doubt you'll beat her, because I've sparred with you and I know how damn good you are, but you will end up with some damage. You being hurt is never something that I'm comfortable with."

Leaning into him, Shepard shook her head, but his next words caused her to think strongly about her own attitudes. "Remember when you asked me to not beat the shit out of Kaiden? Because there was no need, my mark is on you and if he's foolish enough to think that you can be pulled from me, then he'll suffer in the long run. The same thing applies here. It should go without saying, but I know how your brain works, so I'll simply tell you this, straight up. I have NO interest in Scorpion. You are my bondmate, my love and my life… I do not miss turian females; you give me far more than any turian could possibly give me. You don't have to claim me, because I already wear your mark proudly on my soul, my heart and my body…."

Shepard felt herself choke up, and leaned back to look up at her mate, raising a hand to rest against the scarred side of his face as she gazed into his eyes. She made no attempt to hide the feelings that shone from her eyes and he didn't either. After a long moment, she said, her voice husky with unshed tears and feelings, "I get it, Garrus… I don't have to prove anything, because you've marked me too… in every way. We belong to each other, we always will… and fighting Scorpio, while it would make me feel better, won't do anything except give her a chance to work her frustrations out on me. She wants what I have… but she can't have it. That's pretty much revenge enough."

Garrus widened his mandibles, but before he could answer her, Joker's voice came over the com, "Hey Commander… we just landed a hell of a catch. Genetically perfect tits and ass…."

Behind Joker's voice they clearly heard Miranda's voice, mock irritation barely covering her amusement, "Watch it, Joker… I can still break your leg… it won't stop you from flying, but it would certainly feel good… for me."

Shaking her head, Shepard gave Garrus' face one more caress, then turned and started toward the cockpit, saying, "We'll continue this later, honey… want to go meet Miranda with me?"

Garrus nodded, sliding his hand over her head, stroking her hair and resting his forehead against hers, closing his eyes. She sighed again, closing her eyes and just absorbing the feeling of her mate's forehead against hers, his scent, the comfort and happiness in his sub-harmonics, the closeness and the knowledge that she could touch him whenever she wanted; because he was hers as she was his. She bit her lower lip, then stepped away, smiling, "Come on, big guy… let's go meet our prodigal genetically perfect woman…."

Chapter Break

Miranda leaned against the galaxy map, her arms crossed over her substantial chest, a small smirk on her face as she watched Shepard walk toward her. When Shepard and Garrus got close enough, Miranda said,

"So… would you be interested in ex-Cerberus scientists? Because I've managed to garner quite a few of them… I'll bet their work will greatly benefit the Crucible project."

Shepard grinned and walked up to Miranda, "Sounds great… but call me suspicious, I think they're more…."

Miranda's smiled faded, but the amusement stayed in her voice as she said, "You're right… you've heard of Sanctuary?"

Shepard frowned, "The place that's offering refugees a place to stay until the threat is over?"

Miranda nodded, then stood up straight, hands at her side as she said, "That's it. Well, I think it's a lot more than that, Shepard… I think it's a Cerberus lab. People go in, but they're never heard from again… I've looked into it quite a bit, but people just stop communicating."

Shepard frowned and Garrus said, mildly, "They could just not be able to get word out… maybe there are just too many of them."

Miranda nodded, "True… but one thing tells me it's something different…."

Watching Miranda's face, Shepard said, "What is it, Miranda?"

Her eyes were calm and detached, Miranda said, "Oriana went there and I haven't heard from her… even her location chip has gone silent."

Shepard frowned, "You put a chip in your sister? Does she know?"

Giving Shepard an exasperated face, Miranda said, "No, she doesn't… but the chip just lets me know where she is… in case of emergencies. Shepard… there is one more thing…." Miranda took a deep breath and said, softly "Sanctuary is run by my father."