Looking out of his window in his office he observed how much had changed in only a year. He thought after the Reaper war his service would be done, he would be be relaxing away the stress that had embedded into his bones over the years and finally allowing himself to be happy and content despite all the horrors he had seen. He and Shepard would be somewhere warm and secluded letting themselves bask in the after glow of a life filled with adventures and finally looking forward to a future that they had made possible.
"You up there looking down Jane?" Garrus whispered to himself as he felt his heart constrict, "Thought we agreed we'd meet at the bar together? Now I'm stuck cleaning up all this mess." His vocals quivered with grief as his sub harmonics keened with sorrow slightly. Feeling a wave of pain come over him he placed his hand on the wall to ceiling window to try and steady himself.
He thought the pain would lessen over time but it still felt as fresh as the day he'd finally decided to let her go. Stuck on that blasted planet for four months he held onto the hope that when they eventually departed he'd find her waiting for him at the other side, that didn't happen. Groaning Garrus shook his head harshly to rid himself of his thoughts before seating himself back at his desk, his office com-link beeped and he answered it,
"You've got two visitors Vakarian sir?" His assistant Greta called over the line and Garrus sighed heavily in exhaustion.
"I don't have anyone booked in for a meeting this morning Greta?" He questioned. He was short on time to spare, his job took up most of his life so he had to run an efficient schedule.
"I know sir but they're being very insistent, say's their names are Dc T'soni and Miran-"
"Let them in." Garrus interrupted and stood with a nervous smile. He hadn't seen any of his previous team mates since his quick departure of the Normandy and headed straight to Palaven to throw himself into his work. None of them attended the funeral for Shepard as it was held while they were all stuck on Zorya after the battle, however some of them suggested holding a vigil for her but Garrus had declined, his grief was too strong and he was still in denial. He had ignored correspondence from his friends asking how he was, unable to answer truthfully and not wanting to remind himself of what he'd lost.
Greta came in with Liara and Miranda following closely behind, she seated them in front of his desk before offering them refreshments and leaving the office swiftly. Garrus seated himself as smiled as warmly as he could ignoring the hollowing feeling in his chest,
"Garrus, How have you been?" Liara asked with genuine concern leaking into her voice. Garrus winced at the question and looked down at his hands that were folded on top of his desk,
"Not going to lie Liara I've been better." He answered truthfully with a snort, not allowing them to offer any more polite courtesies he jumped straight into business. "What's so important that you've traveled all the way to Palaven?" He queried while picking up a data pad and thumbing through it absently. He knew he was being rude but he could not bring his gaze to theirs, they reminded him too much of a better time, time when she existed.
"Straight to the point," Miranda sighed as she looked over his slouching form with sadness, "this is about Shepard." She stated simply and Garrus looked up at her with a glare.
"I don't want to know." he snapped and looked back down to the data pad. He had no idea what was on it as he was willing all his body to stop from shaking. He heard Liara breath in deeply in exasperation,
"Garrus this is important, Shepard-" She began but Garrrus cut her off quickly,
"No, Liara. You want to discuss Shepard but I don't...I can't do that. Not yet." He started his words strong but they lost power towards the end. he put the data pad down and ran a hand over his fringe wearily. Miranda leaned forward in her chair bracing her elbows on her legs and clasping her hands between her knees, she cleared her throat and Garrus reluctantly brought his gaze to hers.
Her piercing blue eyes seemed to pin him in his seat and he couldn't look away, there was a seriousness on her face that he hadn't seen their in over a year but it was mixed with trepidation.
"She's alive." Her words were clear and strong as Garrus felt them curl around him, constricting the breath from out his lungs. His hands shook on the desk and he brought them under out of view into his lap. For a while he felt numb, he didn't know how much time had passed before Liara shimmied forward in her seat to try and move his gaze away from where he was boring holes into Miranda's.
"Garrus?" She whispered and Garrus titled his head towards her before pulling air back into his lungs,
"I don't-I'm sorry I...what?" He mumbled tripping over his words as his mind slowly caught up to what was going on around him.
"It's ...complicated to try and explain-" Miranda started but Garrus interupted with an impatient snarl,
"So simplify it." He snapped and Miranda looked towards Liara unsure of herself. There was a pregant silence again before Miranda rubbed her face tiredly and uncharacteristic action for her.
"Now this is going to be hard for you Garrus, but-Shepard, Jane, she never actually...died." Miranda words were met with a harsh bark of laughter from Garrus who shook his head in disbelief bringing is hands back loudly on top of the desk causing both women to jump.
"Is this supposed to be a joke?" Garrus growled menacingly.
"After everything she's done for all of us, do you really think I would joke about this!" Miranda shot back indignantly crossing her arms over her chest with a mild huff.
Garrus's talons dug into the desk causing grooves as he failed to keep his temper in check "And you didn't think to mention this a year ago!-"
"Garrus I know this is hard to comprehend-" Liara tried to reason but he was on his feet, body trembling with so many emotions, rage was taking precedence.
"NO! 'Hard to comprehend' would be one thing this is a completely different thing Liara! Jane's been dead! Dead! For a year and you only just thought to tell me now that you've found her…ALIVE!" He roared and felt a small satisfaction at Liara and Miranda flinching at his fury.
Miranda's stormy eyes met his as she began to retort though Liara silenced her with a hand, breathing in heavily she met Garrus's burning gaze.
"Garrus. This is hard I know-"
"You know-" He began but she cut him off again,
"But if you would let me explain I will tell you what we know." She explained and with Garrus'a broody silence she carried on "Miranda came to me as soon as possible after the battle for Earth. As you know we were stuck on Zorya for four months and then with all the reparations that needed doing to transmissions it took another two months for her to contact me."
"Still left six months for you to tell me she was alive." He breathed out on a snarly breath and Miranda snorted at him.
"We were fairly busy finding where she WAS!" Miranda snapped and leveled him with a deeper glare, "I knew she would be alive but I didn't know where her body was! And when we got to the citadel it was in ruins. Her body was gone but I knew she was alive."
"How do you know she's alive then if you don't even have a body! What do you mean finding her!" He said back with more heat. He had a tight feeling in his chest and he was breathing hard, all this information was unexpected, Liara and Miranda in his office on Palaven was a big enough surprise but the news they carried with them was staggering
"Shepard was a big investment and I spent two years of my life bringing her back, I didn't want to see all my efforts go to waste if she was to just die straight away. So I created a fail safe that should she become critical her cybernetics would keep her vital organs IE her heart, lungs and brain functional till I could collect the body and get the medical attention needed." Miranda hurried out, her accent carrying across his translator barely tangible "Should she become critical I would be notified via a chip that was specifically programmed to send me and ONLY me an notification of her whereabouts."
Groaning Garrus rubbed his face tiredly with annoyance before glancing back at Miranda "Jane would be so pissed of with you right now if she was here…you had her planted with a tracker." He snorted in disgust and Miranda threw her hands up in exasperation,
"I didn't fit her with a tracker, It only activates once and sends me her coordinates ONCE! I couldn't just follow her around whenever I wanted." She explained as Liara gently touched her shoulder reassuringly,
"The point is Garrus we know she's alive, but the body wasn't where the coordinates said. Someone got to her first." Liara's face held a slight dread and Garrus had a sinking feeling in his stomach,
"Who?" He breathed as Liara inhaled before releasing it shakily.
"We believe…Cerberus has her." She stated simply.
The silence that followed that statement was heavy and Garrus frowned in confusion before shaking his head in slight denial,
"Cerberus is gone. And how could they have got the coordinates if it only got sent to you." Garrus asked directing an accusing stare to Miranda who now looked more than a little sheepish.
"I-I don't know, but we found footage on one of the Citadels security cameras. It's damaged but it's the clearest one we have. You can see- I'll- It'll be easier if you see for yourself." Miranda muttered before bringing up her omni-tool and tapping away, sending the footage to the screen by his desk.
Garrus turned to the screen with trepidation as it crackled as a hazy image came up,
"Let me try to clear it up best I can, I'll see if I can increase the sound." Miranda went about doing what she suggested and sure enough and clearer picture came on.
All Garrus could see was rubble but as Miranda sped through the footage six human men dressed in black armour appeared and started sifting though the rubble. Noting the date of the footage he glanced to Liara,
"This was only two days after the battle?" he asked and Liara nodded,
"Yes, we wondered that, it seems very, coincidental." She murmured as the footage carried on.
Turing back to the screen his breath caught in his throat as he witnessed a very recognizable armour-clad woman getting pulled from the rubble. "Jane." He whispered leaning forward where he stood. Shepard's distinct red armour was a state and there was so much blood, her arm and leg were at horrible angles clearly broken but her hair was still clearly her platinum blonde. The men proceeded in carrying her to a stretcher before stopping with her in front of another figure. Garrus glared scrutinizing the screen before a low rumble came from his chest "That isn't possible, I saw her kill him." He growled with hatred. Kai Leng looked to be assessing Shepard's body before he crouched down to her level on the stretcher and kissed her forehead. Garrus growl became a snarl as his sub harmonics went wild with wrath. Kai Leng then stroked her check briefly before motioning for the men to carry on and they went off the screen.
"We don't know how Kai Leng is alive but he had extreme enhancements, there's a chance that he survived the fight we Shepard. My reports suggest that the Alliance never found his body on the station." Liara put in after a few moments of contemplation. Garrus was silent as he tried to comprehend everything getting thrown at him, he gripped the sides of his desk before seating himself again and inhaled deeply. His Shepard, his mate, his Jane was alive and in the hands of the enemy and had been for over a year.
"Why was he so overly familiar with her?" He asked and Miranda shrugged at him with a puzzled look on her own face,
"I can't say, we found that rather out of character for the man. It's not like he and Shepard had a past that we know of, he signed up to the Alliance military when he was sixteen under a false name. From what we can tell they never were assigned to any missions together but…there looked to be more there from him at least than what we know overall." She uttered tenting her fingers together with thought.
"So, why has it taken you six months to tell me. Why now?" He questioned leaning back in his chair.
Miranda and Liara sent each other a private look before they both stood with their hands clasped behind their backs in an overly formal military stance.
"With my contacts we've found where they've taken her," Liara began with a warm smile given the circumstances "We were wondering if you would be able to join us to find her-"
"Is that a real question?" He said hurriedly as he took to stand and Liara halted him with a calm hand raised,
"A moment Garrus, We have a ship and a crew but we need a Commander…" Liara shifted from foot to foot for a moment "We want you to Command this expedition." She announced and Garrus felt his mandibles flex outwards in shock and before he could refuse the offer Miranda's voice drifted in.
"You were who she trusted Garrus, she had faith in you. Who better to place at the helm of this mission." Mirandas words were filled with a form of pride directed at him and Garrus found himself speechless, "Off course we are aware your duties here on Palaven may require your presence-"
"Screw that I'll tell Victus I resign. Get me to that ship and lets go get her." He loudly exclaimed before coming around his desk to stand before them.
With another secret smile to each other both women directed him to follow them. He did dutifully without a second glance back at his work behind him, he'd probably send a brief message to Sol and his father but other than that he would leave without delay. After a short shuttle ride he found himself at the docks, he didn't remember the journey there his mind swimming with thoughts and emotions of her. The woman he loved wasn't gone, she was alive and it was all he could think about. Garrus had resigned himself to a lonely duty filled life after the Battle for Earth, he remembered with a biting clarity her bittersweet goodbye when she made the Normandy evac with him aboard. He fought with Alenko and Vega as they dragged him to the med-bay, and only stilled when Chakwas drugged him. When he came to he remembered barely keeping his grief in check reasoning with himself that no news was good news, she could have still been alive. But after leaving the planet Zorya after four months, news started to drift in bits and pieces announcing the death of Commander Jane Shepard, sorry no Admiral Jane Shepard they had honored her memory with a promotion. Almost every species was honoring Shepard in their own way, buildings, memorials, holidays all named after her like she was a deity. He had roared when he finally accepted her death and with her a part of him had died, he would eat, sleep and do his job but wouldn't entertain company. Eight months after her death the Normandy had already been taken away by the Alliance with the human staff and everyone had drifted back to their loved ones, Garrus going to his sister and father. Receiving the prestige honour of becoming The Spirit of Palaven a military recognition of his efforts in the war alongside Shepard who also received the same Honour. Garrus was then given his own office and building and set to work with the repairs to Palaven.
"I think you'll approve of your ship commander." Liara breathed shooting him an excited look as they rounded a corner and Garrus stopped in his tracks.
"But how-" He uttered as he marveled at the sleek gleaming perfection of the Normandy. The repairs the Alliance had done made the ship look almost new as he approached the railing slowly shocked at seeing her beauty again,
"One of the reasons it took so long to tell you was this-" Miranda put in while waving a hand at the Normandy "This mission isn't going to be easy, so we went to Hackett and told him what we knew. We were more than surprised when he assigned the Normandy and her crew to us for our use."
"Said to bring his girl back." A new voice sounded up behind him and Garrus turned in surprise to find Joker standing a few metres behind him, "Sir" He said with a strong salute as Garrus watched with a stunned smile as more approached with familiar determination. Behind Joker there was Alenko, Vega, Jack, Cortez, Traynor, Kasumi, Tali, Grunt, EDI, Javik, Samarra, Zaeed and even Wrex. Mouth falling open dumbfounded he heard Wrex rumble with a laugh,
"Close your hole Vakarian. You think after everything we'd miss out on this fight?!" Wrex said firmly as the others nodded in unison of agreement.
"She's pulled our asses out of the fire more times than I can count." Alenko agreed
"She SAVED the whole freaken galaxy!" Vega shouted as his reasoning warranting a chuckle from Traynor.
"Shepard helped me with my daughters and saved me from destroying my only child. I shall help destroy her foes and will willingly risk my life for hers." Samara said serenely while clutching her arm to her chest in a salute, to Garrus or Shepard he didn't know.
"What you waiting for Vakarian! We saving Battlemaster or what?" Grunt growled out with fire while rolling on his shoulders.
"I believe Grunt he maybe speechless." EDI offered the obvious helpfully as Tali snorted next to Kasumi,
"You can't be that surprised that we'd all want to get her back?" Tali asked as Garrus took in the sight of all his previous team mates before him.
"I just- I mean haven't you go important things" He said lamely earning a dismissive chuckle from Jack,
"Think my job as a teacher will still be waiting for me when I get back, I did have a hand in saving the galaxy. Now can we go fuck over some Cerberus bastards and get our girl back." Jack cracked her neck back and forth as Garrus nodded in understanding while looking towards wrex,
"What about-" He began to ask again but Zaeed cut him off,
"Will you stop looking a gift horse in the mouth and make some sort of speech or whatever, inspire us already. My patience is almost none now a days and I'm itching to kill these bastards that took our Shepard." Zaeed finished his announcement with a intake of smoke after he lit a cigarette.
Garrus looked briefly at Liara and Miranda to find amused faces at his daze. They were all here minus Jacob but from what he heard a few weeks back Jacob had just had a child and was still recovering after the war from his injuries. It was hard not to notice the missing faces of the ones that sacrificed their lives for the cause but behind that depressive thought was one of amazement at this team, her team, all willing to go run off with him on HER ship to get her back. He felt overly moved and cleared his throat as they all watched him eagerly.
"I'm not one for speeches that was always Shepard's forte," He said earning a chuckle from the team, "So lets go get her so she can do just that." He announced before standing in parade rest and jutting his chin up high "Lets bring her home!" he almost shouted with a thrill of excitement running through him mixed with relief and happiness. It was met with a loud rumble of approval and shouts as Alenko stepped forward with a salute,
"Who's like us?!" Kaidan shouted as the other humans including Jack and Kasumi all stood forward with him and saluted Garrus,
"DAM FEW!" the snapped back in a roar as Kaidan let a slow smile stretch across his lips,
"And they're all dead." Kaidan finished with a salute as Garrus matched it with one in respect.
"Primatives." Javik muttered quietly with what could have been an indulgent smile and shake of his head as they started funneling out towards the Normandy.
"Do you think Cerberus will have any cool tech?" Kasumi whispered to Tali who snickered quietly Garrus stayed behind the crew and watched them board in astonishment.
"They're all here Jane." He whispered beside Liara who smiled sadly before linking her arm with his and laying her head on his shoulder, "She'd be proud of them right now." He mumbled,
"Garrus, Shall we go get her." She whispered and Garrus met her gaze with a wide grin before nodding emphatically and jogging onto the Normandy, not quite believing what was happening.
NOTE FROM WRITER:
Hello, I haven't written anything in years and am currently off work with the pandemic so thought I'd give it ago. This is just for fun as I love Garrus/Shepard and always felt like I didn't get closure from the series with their relationship.
Please leave a review and tell me what you think, I'm sorry if there's many spelling errors or grammatical errors but I have dyslexia :S
without saying I don't own any of the characters they all belong to the Mass Effect series, this is just a fan having fun