"You mad at me?"

Shepard and I left Liara shortly after getting back on the ship. We're a few hours from the Shadow Broker's base, so Shepard said her plan was to take a nap and have dinner - both with me. But this question spews out of her the moment she sits on the bed, so I know she wanted the alone time for this. She's worried we're going to fight.

I take a breath and sit down beside her on the bed. We were in this same spot when we first talked about Liara. We've switched roles somehow, since last time I was the one feeling guilty.

"You called her your friend."

"I did," she admits. "And I really don't know if I meant it or not. I wish I could tell you that I've totally cut her off, but the whole Normandy team went through a lot together. Plus, she got my body back safely, and part of me will always feel like I'm in debt to her."

"Yeah, I feel the same." And feeling like I owe Liara now that I know the real her makes my stomach hurt.

Shepard turns toward me, pulling my hand into her lap. "But Garrus, even if we still have a past, I don't want a future with Liara in our life. Because that's what it is - our life, not just mine or yours."

My heart skips, but I have to shake my head. "I don't want you to lose Liara if she's important to you, Shepard. I don't want to take your friends away."

"You're not. Liara hurt you, and that means she hurt me." She squeezes my hand. "We're a team, that's what it means. And I'm especially okay with it in this case because you're right."

"I'll have you know I'm always right," I quip. Shepard rolls her eyes, and the next thing I know, a pillow is biotically launched from the headboard and into the back of my head. "Okay, stop training with those." I snag the pillow and whack her in the face with it, Shepard letting out a delighted squeal. I move to hit her again, but Shepard is fast and she grabs it, flipping backward on the mattress so I lose my hold.

"You're in for it now."

I let her get one more hit in before I get a pillow of my own and make her regret it. I can't remember the last time I laughed like a kid - or behaved like one - this way. But it's Shepard, and I can't be around Shepard without getting hot. Especially on our bed. So when Shepard comes in as close as she dares for a hit to my fringe, I grab her around the waist and tackle her back to the mattress.

The little squeal she lets out sends joy surging through my heart. I love her like this, relaxed and happy and at peace. With me. With everything ahead of her, with everything on her shoulders, I'm proud to ease some of her stress even if it's just for a moment.

Though I plan to give her more than a moment right now.

Shepard catches on in a moment that the pillow fight is over and I'm interested in something much different. Fortunately, the arch in her spine when I run my tongue down her neck tells me that she's interested in the same thing.

"How badly did you need that nap?"

In an instant, I'm flipped onto my back, suddenly the one who has been tackled instead of the tackler. I don't mind, especially not as Shepard whips her shirt off and throws it aside. "I need you."

And that, I understand completely. Shepard and I are as close as I imagined it was possible to get to another person. Closer, even. We know everything about one another, we can read each other almost perfectly, we're intimate in every way. She's my best friend. But sometimes, I need to feel her to know that she's really here, that I really have her, that we're really okay. I'm sure a lot of it is because of our past; we lost one another more than once and in more than one way. Right now, Shepard needs me physically to know that she has me emotionally, to feel secure about us. And I'm more than happy to give.

The intimacy and closeness that we have means that I can almost always tell what Shepard wants from me, too. I know when she needs it rougher or when she needs things soft, I know when she needs to be praised and when she wants to be degraded. It's the greatest joy of my life to give her everything she needs and wants, especially in bed. And right now, Shepard is feeling a little playful.

Perfect.

I glide my hand up her back, seeking the clasp to her bra. But I find none. It's not often I get stumped sexually, and I can't say I love it, but Shepard doesn't laugh at me. She just smirks playfully and pulls my hand to her front. This one clasps between her breasts in the front, and it makes for a fantastic release when it's unclasped. "Oh, I like this."

"Thought you might," she replies, voice already a little husky. She bites her lips when I press my hands over her breasts and up to her shoulders, then slide the straps off of her and remove the garment. "I was thinking...would you mind if I try something new today?"

The question catches me a little off guard. Shepard is incredible in bed, even more now that she's confident in her sexuality and more willing to explore it. But that confidence is new and still building. It occurs to me that Shepard asking to try something new is a huge step for her, and I don't make any effort to hide or to temper the smile that spreads onto my face.

"I'm so proud of you for even asking," I tell her, cupping her jaw in my hand gently. "You can try whatever you want, baby, I'm all yours."

She grins. "You trust me?"

"Completely."

I fucking love the way her eyes glitter when she's both turned on and happy.

Shepard scrambles off of me and then sets about getting me naked. She tears through my belt like an old pro, and I need only to lift my hips to let her strip them completely. She licks her lips at the sight of my erection, making it jump, and of course she giggles softly at that. She climbs back up me to get my shirt off and tosses it aside with my pants and shorts, taking a moment to look at her handiwork when I'm completely naked.

"I wanna tie up your hands," she blurts out in a rush like the idea just occurred to her. "Can I, sir?"

If she hadn't asked, I might have rejected the idea. I don't get tied up often; I can count the number of times I've allowed it on one hand - and I have fewer fingers than Shepard. But I meant it when I said that I trust her completely, though, and Shepard knows that even if she's tying me up this time, only one of us is in a dominant position here. Besides, we both know that I can top from the bottom.

"Go ahead. My cuffs are in my bedside table."

She scrambles for them, a big smile stretching across her face, and comes back quickly. "I should make sure I know how to open these beforehand, huh?"

"There's a key on my Omni-Tool," I tell her with a laugh. "Do you think I'd use something on you that I was unsure would come back off, Shepard? Or let you use them on me?"

"You get pretty crazy when I'm naked, I don't know," she teases.

I roll my eyes at her and scoot up the bed far enough for her to connect my wrists to the headboard. She doesn't yank me down the same way I would to her, so I have more movement still than she usually does when she's tied up. I'm grateful for it, and before she pulls away, I give her a kiss as thanks.

She sits between my legs, running her hands lightly over my thighs. I can tell she's nervous, so I stay quiet and wait. "Okay. I've been practicing my biotics, as you know. And Samara has been teaching me to use them, not just for battle but...softer."

Her hands glow that uniquely biotic blue, and then she puts them down on my thighs. There's still a jolt still, but nothing like the spark I get from her during spanking or biting, and nothing like when I spar with Jack or Shepard. She's right, it's softer.

And then instead of moving her hands, Shepard moves her biotics. That blue light licks up over my hips and to my waist, lapping at me with light sparks and heat and making my plates tingle and jump. It's not like tickling, more like a massage with some kind of electricity. Every surge of the biotics leaps to my cock, it becoming rock hard and throbbing almost painfully in seconds even though she's not touching it with hands or biotics.

"Feel good?" she asks softly, focused on her hands but with her eyes darting to my cock.

"Real good," I answer, breathless already. "It's intense; go slow."

She nods and does, moving her biotic reach slowly down my abs and toward my groin. My hips leap off the bed without permission from me when the very first lap meets my dick.

"Oh, shit, Shepard, slow," I warn, worried about exploding quickly but also about pain. Biotics are a weapon for a reason, and though I know Asari who practice this sort of sexual activity, Shepard is learning. I'm happy to be her test subject, but I don't want damage for either of us.

"Okay, okay, okay."

"You're nervous, my love, easy," I murmur, trying to ignore my own racing heart to settle her down.

She takes a deep breath and nods slowly, gathering herself before pushing the biotics a little slower, a little lower. A deep moan escapes me when that hot electric pulse moves down to my quad, circling the base of my erection. She's got great control of where it moves even if she's still learning pressure. And shit this is good.

"Fuck, yeah, baby." I stay more verbal even as I stay as still as possible because I know she needs the encouragement. And because I love the way she reacts to my voice. That reaction might not be the best thing right now though, as a tightening around the base of my cock comes suddenly. "Whoa, slow, Shepard."

"Sorry!"

And then, whatever happens, a biotic spark shooks right up my dick, and stars explode behind my eyes with heat blasting down my spine before it even reaches the top. Vaguely, I hear myself growl and Shepard cry out and then feel my cum splash up onto my chest.

"Oh God oh God oh God," Shepard is muttering as I come back to reality from the completely unexpected and not altogether enjoyable orgasm. It wasn't all unenjoyable either, of course - an orgasm is an orgasm. But Shepard is kneeling beside me now and holding my face in her hands, her own face full of worry. "I'm so sorry. Are you hurt? Are you okay?"

"Not hurt," I assure her, panting. "I'm okay."

"I'm so sorry, Garrus. I don't know what happened."

I shake my head and catch her eye. "Shut up and kiss me."

She smiles softly, still anxious, but leans in and meets my mouth. I catch her bottom lip with my teeth, and she relaxes a bit more, leaning into me and moaning softly. "You're not hurt?"

"I'm not hurt," I promise against her mouth. "Can't say I've cum that fast in a really long time, but I'd let you keep practicing that for sure. Happy to be experimented on if the worst outcome is surprise orgasms."

Shepard rolls her eyes at me and reaches above my head to undo the handcuffs. "I could have hurt you!"

"You'll get more control." I tilt my head forward and capture her nipple in my mouth, biting gently and making her jump. "I hate not being able to touch you, though."

"Oh, now you know how I feel!" she teases. Unfortunately for her, she releases my hands at the same moment, and I yank her into my arms for a deep kiss. Shepard melts immediately, wrapping her arms around my neck and meeting my tongue eagerly. I guide her leg over me, she guides me inside her, and finally, our bodies join. "You're okay?" she asks, panting.

"I'm inside the love of my life," I tell her, pressing my face into her throat and pulling her against my chest. "Nothing could be better."

Of course, Shepard manages to make it better when she practically dances on my lap. Wanton and hot for me, her hips lift and churn, her back arches, her body squeezes mine hard. I cum for her again, responding to the demands of her body and mine, filling her body on instinct because she is my mate, my other half. And Shepard loses her mind for me, calling out my name and clinging to me. We come down together slowly, kissing and touching everywhere we both can reach.

"Will you do me a favor?" Shepard nods, head heavy on my shoulder. "Don't take a shower. Stay like this, smelling like sweat and like me. I know you don't have or totally understand my territorial instincts, but I'd appreciate it."

"You don't have to explain. I don't have those instincts, but I don't need to. I love you."

I press my mouth to her head and hold on tight. "I love you, too. Are you gonna tell Samara about this little experiment?"

That gets her laughing, like I knew it would, and she pulls back enough to roll her eyes at me. "No! I don't need her to know about my failures."

"Hey, you stop that now. Shepard, not everything goes the way you expect or want it to the first time. I've definitely had accidents and made mistakes, and I promise Samara has over the course of centuries. And hey." She blinks at me, waiting. "There is no shame here. Ever. You understand me?"

"Yes, sir. Thank you."

"Thank you for trusting me enough to try something new."

She nods and kisses me again, all the tension gone. Definitely not how I saw this afternoon going, but I have zero complaints. And I have my girl smelling like me before we go take on one hell of a mission. It's an ego boost I'm not ashamed to have needed today.

Now I'm ready to take on the Shadow Broker.


Liara joining the crew for dinner is heartbreakingly awkward. It's been really nice for me to bring people from the old Normandy and the new together. Tali, Garrus, Dr. Chakwas, and Joker fit in perfectly here. But everyone here knows enough about Liara and Garrus that they're...skeptical at best. It's a joy for me that they're so loyal to Garrus, but I don't like anyone from my crews feeling unwelcome.

Fortunately, dinner is quick and we can move on. Which, in this case, involves getting into a shuttle and approaching the planet that the Shadow Broker's ship is orbiting. And it's one hell of a planet from what we can see on the shuttle.

"Hagalaz," Liara explains, behind Garrus and I who are staring out the window like we're children watching something new and exciting. "The oceans boil during the day, then snap-freeze ten minutes after sundown."

We're staring out at a massive lightning storm above a planet that looks like it might be nothing but storms. "The Shadow Broker lives in this?" I ask, shocked and a little disturbed by the idea. How badly do you want to hide if this is what you choose?

"His ship follows the sunset," Liara replies. "Completely undetectable in the storm, unless you know how to look."

Garrus sits back in his seat and asks. "How do we get inside?"

"No chance the shuttle bay isn't locked down," I note. We're not dumb enough to try and end up with a stuck shuttle.

"It's best to assume," Liara agrees. "We'll need to land on the ship and hunt for a hatch, but can't stay outside for long. There's constant lightning where the hot and cold air collide."

The shuttle gets us down on the outside of the ship, letting us go in absolute chaos. It's a wild storm, winds blazing and lightning just as crazy as Liara warned. Worse, really, once you're standing inside it. It's pouring rain and it's humid as hell, so I don't know how Garrus's cold-blooded body will handle this either.

"It's hard to pinpoint in this lightning, but I'm picking up signals from a communications array near the back of the ship. There's nothing below but maintenance equipment. We have to find an entrance near the back shielding."

Garrus and I both nod to her and then we set off, working our way across the ship while braving the storm. It's not exactly a comfortable trip, and it gets much once when the first of the maintenance drones spins around to shoot at us.

"Why are the maintenance drones trying to kill us?" I demand, Garrus taking his tech skills out on the thing.

"Probably assuming we're debris from the storm," Liara offers.

Great. I love it here.

We get past the drones and approach some massive tube-like things, the lighting striking them like crazy. "Careful," Liara warns. "Those capacitors discharge built-up lighting."

"And we have company," Garrus warns, motioning with his rifle toward a hatch before taking a shot that sends one agent down with a new hole in his head.

"Hey, big guy, make all that lightning work for us, will ya?"

Garrus looks at me but gets the idea quickly. We get under biotic shields and Garrus calls up an Overload that he nails the capacitors with. The huge burst of lightning takes out most of the agents and Loki mechs around it. Unfortunately, we're not going to be able to do that constantly, but it's useful when we can.

For the rest of the agents and mechs we face, we take them out the traditional way. The wind picks up, and I manage to stay behind cover that protects me from the gusts, but Liara picks the wrong moment to move ahead. My stomach drops when I watch her start to blow toward the edge of the ship. If she falls -

And then Garrus is there, grabbing hold of Liara and planting himself between her and the edge. He basically shoves her to a metal ledge that she can duck behind, then gets down behind her and covers her body with his so that he's taking the wind instead. She's safe.

When the wind gust finally dies, I rush over to make sure they're both okay. Garrus steps away from her quickly, and Liara jumps to her feet, her chest heaving. "That was...by the Goddess," she gasps. "Thank you, Garrus."

"Great work, big guy," I chime in, pounding his chest with the side of my fist. He just nods, and I know he doesn't want to dwell on it, so I push us forward. Liara opens her mouth to say more, but I shake my head to silence her, and she listens though I can tell she's not pleased about it.

We move on, finally following the mechs that continue coming after us into a hatch that allows us into a mechanical outcove on the ship. It's a break from the storm if nothing else, but the room itself is a bit of a marvel. There is some kind of crazy contraption all along the wall, capturing the lighting. It's seriously impressive.

"This ship is incredible," Liara breathes. "It must have taken decades to build in secret."

"I wonder what happened to the contractors."

Garrus gives me a look. "I think we can guess." But even he looks impressed and shakes his head as we walk through. "Navigating this storm is a brutal choice. If the ship's engines stop for even a moment..."

"At least the Shadow Broker would go down with us."

"Comforting," I quip.

As we approach the door, Garrus checks out a mechanism near the wall. "Motion dampeners. I bet you can't even hear the storm inside the ship."

Inevitably, we have to get back into the storm and back to the top of the ship where we continue fighting through Shadow Broker agents while looking for the actual way in. Some areas of the ship are at steep angles, and combined with the wind and rain, it isn't exactly an easy path. Plus the number of enemies really does drive the point home that this Shadow Broker has an army.

"There!" Liara finally cries. "That hatch leads directly to the communication signal."

"Go get us in, and we'll keep cover," I command.

Liara nods and runs for the door which is down a short ramp. That lets us keep her in cover while Garrus and I stay at the top and keep watch, prepared for more attacks. "It's locked," she calls up to us. "Hang on. I've got a bypass shunt program that can crack it."

"How long will that take?"

"I don't know, Shepard," she replies, her tone stressed. "I've never broker into the Shadow Broker's base before. Well...not this one anyway."

Garrus and I hunker down in cover as more agents arrive, fortunately all of them coming from in front of us and in mostly manageable waves. But there are a lot of them, and this storm is wild, so I don't want to be here longer than usual. After several minutes without an update from Liara, I'm getting antsy.

"Are you sure that shunt is working?" I call back to her.

"It's illegal even on Illium. It didn't come with a warranty."

That's almost enough to make me glance back. "Where did you get that?"

"Akart," Garrus answers, tonelessly. I recognize the name as a member of his team, someone whose name is engraved on the visor he's wearing. Liara doesn't respond, and he didn't say it as a question, so I assume it's correct.

And I know that's making things even harder for both of them.

"Okay, well that at least means it was tested, right?" I ask.

"Here comes more of them," Garrus responds as a non-response, even if he is right about more agents approaching.

"Tell me you tested it!"

"No time to talk," Liara calls, definitely snarking me and going to pay for it eventually.

Garrus and I battling side by side is a joy, definitely enough to keep our morale up even during a mission as stressful as this one. I don't like knowing that he's getting cold in the wind, though. "You need to get warmed up, big guy?" I ask, daring a look while we have a moment between waves of agents.

"Even if I didn't, I wouldn't say no to that, baby," he replies, voice in that low growl that gets me hot. I don't care that Liara can hear, I would say that in front of any other team member too, but I can feel her eyes on us for a moment. I'm almost grateful when more agents show up to distract everyone.

"Their attacks are disorganized," Liara says, almost sounding disappointed. "They'd be more effective if they all attacked at once."

"Hey, please don't give the mercs idea," I call back at her.

As if on cue, another wave shows up to buffer the first, and then more. This is the largest wave of the agents we've faced. I consider giving Liara a concussive blast as punishment.

"You just had to give them tactical advice," I grouse at her, no real heat in it and I'm sure she knows that.

"But now there'll be fewer left to deal with inside," she chirps.

Garrus barks out a laugh. "Keep dreaming, T'Soni."

It catches me off guard because it's by far the closest to something friendly he has said to her since we started working together. I tell he realizes that as well, and his next few shots are probably a little more aggressive for it. I can't imagine how awkward that has to feel, still having instincts to be friendly and kind to someone he's known and trusted for so long while believing that he cannot. More than anything, I hate Liara for putting him in this position.

Finally, the doors open, and we get through. Of course, we're greeted almost immediately by another squad of agents, and this one is in a narrow hallway. And one of them has a rocket launcher.

"More of them?" Liara huffs. "How many guards does the Shadow Broker have?"

"Told you," Garrus grumbles, still somewhat playful. And even if I do hate Liara for what she's done to him, I can't help having a little hope that there's a chance they can at least be civil someday. And I'm proud of Garrus; he's clearly putting out an effort when holding onto anger would be easier.

As we push forward, a voice comes over the ship comms and says, "Hold our positions, no matter the cost." We have to assume that's the Shadow Broker, but voice is...odd. It's grating and rough and almost sounds falsified, but something in my gut says that we're in for a surprise.

Liara has the ship layout, and we use that to direct us while pushing through the ship. Finally, Garrus breaks us into the prison block, and we find a Drell limp in a chair that he's chained to.

"Feron!" Liara cries, running to the window overlooking that cell.

The Drell lifts his head weakly, looking up at us. "Liara?" He looks bad, he sounds worse, and the surprise that anyone is here for him hurts my heart. This guy is in this position so that I could live.

"Hold on! We're getting you out of here!" Liara rushes to the console. Feron protests, but not in time to stop her. The moment she touches a control, violent shocks rush through Feron, and he cries out in pain, back arching before it releases him and he collapses.

Liara leaps back from the console, her hands shaking at her mouth as she whispers his name.

"What the hell is the Shadow Broker trying to do to you?" I ask while Garrus moves to the console to take a look - hopefully more cautiously than Liara was about it.

"The equipment is sensitive to tampering," Feron pants. "The chair plugs into the Broker's info network. You have to shut off the power. Pull me out now, and my brain cooks."

"He's right; I can't do anything here," Garrus confirms. "I can't shut it off from here either."

"Do you know where we can cut power?" Liara asks Feron. He's certainly been here longer than any of us, so it's a good bet he's heard something.

Feron gives a huff. "It won't be easy. You'll have to go to central operations."

I look at Garrus immediately, hearing what Feron didn't just say. The Shadow Broker is going to be in central operations. To turn off the power, we're going through the man himself. Whatever and whoever he may be.

Garrus gives me a little shrug that I know means, 'Whatever it takes,' and I couldn't agree more.

"What do you know about the Broker?" I ask, turning back to Feron.

He casts a dark look at us. "He did this to me."

"I was hoping you'd know who he is. Or at least what."

"I never got a good look, but he's big. The guards are terrified of him."

"Krogan?" Garrus asks.

Feron shakes his head. "I don't know. But not everyone who visits his office comes back out."

"Easy or not, we're all getting out of here," I tell Feron, leaving no room for doubt. I realize that he doesn't know me, but I don't like to be in debt. And I certainly don't like assholes like the Shadow Broker throwing his weight around to keep people enslaved and tortured.

"Good," Feron whispers, his eyes closing for a moment. He recovers himself and says, "Central operations is down the hall. You know the Shadow Broker's waiting for you, right?"

I don't have to look to know that the rifle cocking behind me came from Garrus. "We're counting on it," he growls."

"We'll be back for you, Feron," Liara promises.

"I'll try not to go anywhere."

We head the way he told us to go, all of us locked and loaded and tasting the end of this thing. We can hear the Shadow Broker barking out commands as his agents continue to pop up, and the frequency tells us that we're getting closer. He's getting anxious to meet us, and the feeling is mutual.

The Shadow Broker has a lot of forces, and they're well equipped and well armed, but it's pretty obvious that they aren't used to having to protect the ship. I don't imagine many people have been here who weren't invited - or who left on their own without working for the Shadow Broker. This may be the Shadow Broker's home territory, but us being here has him at the disadvantage.

Finally, we clear out the final agents and walk right into central operations - the Shadow Broker's office.

It's cavernous, a huge open area leading toward a desk that is as hidden in shadow as I'd expect for someone with his moniker. The room is fairly unremarkable except for the ceiling which is another set of those capacitor things, I think. It looks like the ceiling is covered in lightning, and I have to give him points for achieving an ominous style.

"Somehow still less subtle than our fish tank," Garrus mumbles at my side, eyes as bright as that lightning flashing up toward it. I force myself not to laugh; we're definitely going to fight with the Shadow Broker, but maybe I shouldn't insult him first.

And as we get closer, the Shadow Broker not moving or speaking, just letting us approach, I come to realize just what that fight might mean.

Behind the Shadow Broker is a massive bank of communications terminals. He can hear and see the whole galaxy from here. And somehow that massive bank looks downright small compared to the thing sitting in front of them. I have never seen anything like the Shadow Broker.

His mouth is huge and has three points coming out from the center; even closed, I can see it's absolutely full of sharp teeth. He has multiple eyes set around that mouth, and his head extends back into two pieces of what I guess is a fringe. But none of that surprises me nearly as much as his size. He makes the biggest Krogan and Turians I've ever seen seem small by comparison; he could dwarf even Elcor.

"Here for the drell?" The Shadow Broker is no longer using that distortion we heard on his voice before, but his voice is still extremely deep and gravelly. "Reckless. Even for you, Commander."

"That bombing on Illium wasn't exactly subtle," I note, refusing to let fear or anxiety creep into my voice. This thing is terrifying, but I am not terrified. I'll do what my team needs me to do today.

"Extreme, but necessary," he replies coolly.

"No, it wasn't," Liara snaps. "And neither was caging Feron for two years!" I'm surprised that Liara doesn't sound scared. If anything, her voice suggests that she's pissed. I just hope she can use it for our benefit.

The Shadow Broker turns his head slightly to set all of his eyes on Liara. "Dr. T'Soni. Your interference caused all of this. Feron betrayed me when he handed you Shepard's body. The Drell is simply paying the price."

"Your allies are monsters," I remind him. "Someone was bound to come after you for working with the Collectors."

"It was a mutually beneficial partnership," he replies. "And your arrival is convenient. The Collectors' offer still stands."

Garrus growls in response to that.

I keep my gun on the Shadow Broker, but I choose to look around instead of keeping my eyes on him constantly. I have a feeling someone like the Broker won't like that. "It'll be pretty hard to run a base this size with no crew."

"They're replaceable," he growls. "Your arrival is barely an interruption. Enough talk. My operations are too crucial to be compromised by a traitor."

"You're quite confident for someone with nowhere left to hide," Liara snarks. It's making me pretty proud of her, the way she's handling him. I dart a glance at Garrus and can see an impressed smirk on his face, too.

"You travel with fascinating companions, Doctor," the Shadow Broker says, doing that cocky purr thing that super-villains always do. And he's definitely trying to get under Liara's skin. "It's good you brought Archangel."

That gets him under my skin.

"His bounty is still unclaimed," the Shadow Broker continues, now looking at Garrus. And his expression might be a smirk or a smile, but it's horrifying. "And that bounty is Garrus Vakarian's only worth in a long line of failures."

Shit. The guy really must know a lot to know not only Garrus's real identity but exactly how to hit home. It takes all of my strength to keep from reaching out to Garrus and comforting him. To the big guy's credit, he doesn't even flinch.

That terrifying smile thing only grows. "It's pointless to challenge me, Asari. I know your every secret while you fumble in the dark."

"Is that right?" Liara takes a step forward, still keeping close to us. She looks more pissed off now, and if that's because of the attack on Garrus, I have no problem with it. "You're a yahg, a pre-spaceflight species quarantined to their homeworld for massacring the Council's first contact teams. This base is older than your planet's discovery, which probably means you killed the original Shadow Broker sixty years ago, then took over. I'm guessing you were taken from your world by a trophy hunter who wanted a slave...or a pet. How am I doing?"

In an instant, the Shadow Broker is on his feet. And holy shit, he is massive. He's more than four times Garrus's height, easily, and probably four times as thick as even Grunt. In the same movement, he punches his desk to snap it in half - the metal just breaking like plywood - and then throws half of it at us. I dive to get Liara out of the way, tackling her, but a grunt from behind me sends my stomach into my boots.

Garrus moved to protect me, then hesitated when I went for Liara, and it cost him. That thick metal desk hit him hard, and the force behind it sent him flying back probably a dozen feet. He's moving, but he's on the ground under the desk. And I have no opportunity to check on him with the yahg screaming and pulling out a huge gun.

Liara and I get cover, shooting both to keep the Broker's focus off Garrus - who is still down - and to get at the man himself. But the impressive shield that he's pulled up is preventing absolutely any damage. Our bullets bounce right off the son of a bitch.

"The shield's kinetically sensitive," Liara calls after trying a biotic hit that nearly comes back at us. "Energy and projectiles are bouncing off."

"Shit. We're gonna have to do this the hard way."

The idea of getting close to that thing at all is unnerving, but getting close enough to fight it with my fists? That feels even more reckless than my plans usually get. I'll do what I need to do, though.

But before I need to do it - before I can even get on my feet and out from behind cover to do it - the piece of the desk that was on Garrus comes flying across the room. It hits the Shadow Broker in the back, so it gets through the shield, and it even makes him stumble. But not as hard as the three-hundred-pound Turian who follows it up.

Garrus comes flying in fast and furious, all fists and feet and teeth. The Shadow Broker is shocked enough at first that he takes the first few hits without reacting, but then it's on, he and Garrus going hand to hand.

And I hate it.

"When his shields are down, you two better start shooting," Garrus calls to us, dodging a fist that's the twice size of his carapace and kicking the yahg in the back of its knee.

"We're ready," I promise him. I get out my shotgun, slower shots but my most powerful weapon, and hold it with one hand so that I can use my other for biotics. Jack has been teaching me to use both simultaneously, and I haven't quite mastered it without exhaustion, but I'm more than willing to test myself for Garrus.

Somehow, sheer tenacity and incredible willpower more than anything, Garrus actually gets the Shadow Broker's shields down. And we take advantage, Liara and I blasting the thing to hell while we have a chance. Then he even gets the shields down a second time. But right as the shield collapses this time, right as Garrus starts to move away for a break and to let us shoot, the Shadow Broker gets in a hard hit. Right to the already-injured side of Garrus's face.

The Turian makes an excellent effort at staying on his feet, but I can tell he's seeing stars, and he stumbles to his knees. He's down and only a few feet from the Shadow Broker, who is still screaming in a rage. I have to get him out of there.

"Keep firing!" I shout at Liara, already running for Garrus. I reach him, grip the back of his carapace, and don't stop, using my momentum to just drag Garrus along with me and out of reach. A stomp from the yahg makes the floor come right out from under my feet, and it takes my knee with it. The next step is hell, but I push through it and take several more. I will not abandon Garrus.

I get Garrus behind the other half of the Broker's broken desk. He's still a little dazed, and his jaw is bleeding, which terrifies me considering I could see his jaw bone a few months ago, but he's alright for now. And since the Shadow Broker is focused on Liara shooting at him for the moment, I turn back to Liara.

"We need a plan," I call to her. "This isn't gonna work for long, and I'm not sending Garrus back in against that thing."

"No, don't," Liara agrees, panting a little. "Shepard...get the Broker into the middle of the room."

She doesn't offer any other explanation, and I don't bother to ask. If she has a plan, I'm more than willing to give it a shot.

I kneel to Garrus, forcing myself not to wince with my knee, and catch his eye. He nods, at least coherent, and then turns with me to use his rifle over the desk. Rapid shots at the back of the Shadow Broker send it into the middle of the room, like Liara asked.

"There! Get down!" Even as she's shouting it, Liara is aiming her biotics at the ceiling, and now I see the plan.

Garrus and I dive for each other at the same time, both moving to pull the other into safety and cover. We end up huddled behind the desk as huge flashes of lightning explode through the room. I grip his carapace, and Garrus's hand is firmly at the back of my head, clinging to each other as much as we can. He's strong but gentle, carefully protecting me. The man who just punched the Shadow Broker in the face is careful with me.

"I love you."

Garrus blinks up at me just as the lightning stops. He kisses me - quick but hard - instead of saying a word, and it's exactly what I need.

We dare to peek over the desk when the power comes back on. Most of the ceiling is down, the Shadow Broker almost completely hidden under the damage. He's also not moving, some electricity still coursing through him. Liara did it, and considering she's on her knees and panting heavily, she paid a price for it just like Garrus and I did.

"Everyone alive?" I call.

I start to my feet only to have my knee almost take me back down. Garrus catches me and gives me a disapproving look. I gently catch some of the blood dripping from his face and show it to him on my glove in response, returning the look. He smirks but then winces and chooses just to nod, accepting both of our injuries, instead.

Liara is climbing to her feet as well, already moving toward us. I follow her gaze back to the wall of communication terminals that seem to be coming back on with the power. Almost immediately, various voices from God knows where in the galaxy start coming in.

"Shadow Broker, this is Operative Murat. We had a momentary connection failure. Can you confirm status?"

"Operative Shora, requesting update. Are we still online?"

"Shadow Broker, I've lost our feed. We are online and awaiting instructions."

I lean heavily against Garrus to take the weight off my knee, not quite sure how to deal with this. If we tell the network that the Shadow Broker is down, what happens? When was the last time the galaxy had to function without a Shadow Broker? Can it?

The chatter continues until it sounds like hundreds of voices. Garrus doesn't move either, apparently also at a loss, but Liara approaches the console. She pulls up a program that I can see will distort her voice, and then shocks the hell out of me. "This is the Shadow Broker. The situation is under control. We experienced a power fluctuation while upgrading hardware. It disrupted communications momentarily."

Heavy footsteps draw my attention, and Garrus spins with his gun up while still holding me up against him. Fortunately, we both recognize Feron before shooting. He recognizes us after a beat too, and all weapons are lowered as he comes limping into the room, gaping at Liara.

"However, we are back online," Liara continues. "Resume standard procedures. I want a status report on all operations within the next solar day. Shadow Broker out."

"Goddess of oceans...it's you," Feron breathes. "You...how?"

Liara takes a breath, and I can see she's now realizing that this is happening. She made the choice when she had to but now she has to consider what it really means. And I don't think any of us can actually answer that.

"Well, everyone who's ever seen him in person is dead or in this room, so..."

"You're the new Shadow Broker," I finish.

"Liara." She looks up at Garrus immediately, and his gaze is hard on her. "Are you sure about this? Are you sure it's a good idea?"

It's a good sign that he's trusting her to make the call and that he sounds more worried about her, about this, than anything else. A good sign for them to have something of a polite relationship in the future and that Garrus won't be trying to take down the new Shadow Broker.

"It's either that or lose everything - his contacts, his trading sources. Those will really help us. With the Shadow Broker's information, I can give you..." Her voice cracks, and we watch her tremble. "I can..."

Feron clears his throat. "I'll, uh...check the power systems." He limps back out of the room, reading accurately that Liara needs some space. I can tell Garrus wants to run too, but he doesn't leave my side.

The moment Feron is out of the room, Liara covers her face and releases a heavy sob. It's that sob that says she was holding the weight of the universe on her shoulders. It's a feeling I know all too well, and I reach out a hand for her to hold in solidarity.

"It's over," she whispers. "It's finally...for two years..." Liara takes a shaky breath, lifting her head and squeezing my hand. "I spent two years mourning you and Feron. And now I've got you both back." She looks up at Garrus. "I -"

"Not now," Garrus breathes. "Right now, we're even. Let's just not."

"Okay. Thank you." I barely hear it, but it's enough for them both at the moment. And it's not mine to be part of. Liara pulls it together and turns back to the terminals. "Let's see what we've got. No safeguards, no user restrictions. It's like he never anticipated anyone but himself being here. And it's all ours."

Now she sounds like a kid in a candy shop. Jack in a sex shop. Joker with porn. Ew.

I shake it off and ask, "What kind of information are we talking about?"

"I'm not sure yet. I'll need to go through his files. I'll look for anything on the Collectors or the Reapers first and keep you updated." She takes a deep breath, less shaky now. "All I wanted was to rescue Feron, but...is it wrong that part of me wants this? With the Shadow Broker's network, I can help. Maybe I can turn this operation into something better."

"Not that the bar was all that high, but I'm sure you'll do better work with it, Liara."

She smiles and covers my hand on the desk. "Thank you. For everything." I know she's including Garrus, but she respects his request and doesn't look at him. The gratitude is palpable though.

Liara welcomes us to reach out whenever we need something, and though none of us comments on whether or not we'll speak again - or why - I head out with Garrus feeling at least like it's been a productive day. We made a difference today.

Garrus flies us on a shuttle back to the Normandy, and we make right for the Med Bay. I get a heating pad and some pain meds for my knee, he gets a couple stitches and a firm talking to for his face. After a shower, we collapse in bed, Monster already purring at our feet by the time we settle in.

Garrus pulls my knee into perfect position over his hip and holds the heating pad in place for me. I keep an ice pack carefully on his jaw, my fingers caressing the back of his head just like his graze on the back of my knee. I can't help but smile, despite the pain and exhaustion and what could have been a disaster. "We make a perfect team, you know that, big guy?"

"I do know. And it's the greatest honor of my life, you know that, kid?"

He gets a kiss for that one.

"No more punching yahg, though. I cannot believe you did that."

"Are you pretending that you weren't preparing to do it yourself if I didn't?" he challenges, narrowing those impossibly blue eyes I can't lie to. He grins when I giggle, even though it makes him wince. "I have over a foot and a couple hundred pounds on you. I think the choice for who should have fought that thing was obvious."

"Okay, but that doesn't mean I have to like it. I've had enough of seeing damage to your face, thank you."

Garrus chuckles softly through a yawn. "You care more about my body than my face anyway, and you know it."

His yawn is contagious, and so is the laugh. "You're arm candy, Vakarian. Can't have you looking a mess. Even if the scars get me hot."

"You are so weird. And I love it."

Being weird evidently earns me a kiss, and we both linger. I don't resist when I feel sleep pulling me under. God knows we've earned it today, and it's nearly the middle of the night on the ship's cycle. Besides, Garrus really is the most comfortable bedmate I could possibly imagine. And Monster isn't so bad either, snuggled against the bottom of my feet.

"Thank you for not pushing me with Liara," Garrus murmurs, surprising me when we're both mostly asleep. "I don't know what to say or feel about it all yet. But I had to thank you."

"You never have to thank me. I'd do anything for you."

"Including marry me with my face looking a mess." We both laugh, and that's the last bit of energy I have. Impossibly blue eyes are the last thing I see before we fall asleep in a galaxy with a brand new Shadow Broker and a chance at being something better. I never have any idea what to expect tomorrow these days, but I know who I have on my team. We'll handle whatever comes at us next the way we always do: together.