Chapter 56: Three Million
Garrus wrapped his arms around her, holding her in death's grip the second she stepped out of the shuttle. Chuckling, she slid her arms around his waist and pressed her face against his chest, breathing in his scent and letting it ease some of the tension balled up inside of her. He nuzzled the top of her head, so she lifted her face to him, pressing her lips against his mouth.
Pulling away, she slipped her hand into his to lessen the sting. "I need to call Anderson." She turned on her heel, knowing he'd understand and utterly unsurprised when he tightened his grip on her fingers, following behind her.
She glanced over at him when his longer stride brought him even with her, and she realized he moved with far more surety and ease than he did the day she collapsed. If anyone could make a full recovery after being electrocuted badly enough to stop their heart, it was Garrus. She smiled at him, and he flicked a mandible at her, lifting her hand to his mouth to kiss her fingers.
Thane held the elevator door opened for them, and Shepard glanced around, seeing everyone else already left the hangar. She stepped inside and leaned against the back wall, tugging Garrus in closer when he did the same. Thane hit the button for her cabin before tucking his hands behind his back and turning to face her.
She offered him a weak smile when he met her gaze. "You should get some rest. Something tells me you haven't slept through all of this."
"On the contrary, Garrus and I," he said, gesturing between the two of them, "slept in shifts next to you while you were unconscious before arriving on Gellix."
Shepard tilted her head back to look at Garrus, and he nodded. Turning her attention back to Thane, she smiled, her heart warmed by the idea of the two men she loved staying by her side, watching her six while she fought a battle they didn't have a clue about. "And what about while we were on Gellix?"
"I knew about it, and I was there with you. I had your six, remember? John and I had your six," Jane said, her voice sedate, almost tranquil for the moment.
"I remember," Shepard thought. "And when I tell them about what happened, I'll tell them how you helped me."
Thane chuckled and turned his gaze to the floor. "I will sleep soon, siha. You have my word." Lifting his head, he looked at her again and took a couple of steps closer. He reached out, brushing the back of his fingers along her jaw before hooking them under her chin and leaning in to kiss her. "I'd like to hear word of the situation on Earth before I lay down."
She raised an eyebrow, challenging the omission in his statement. "And you want to be there when I hear how bad things are on Earth, just in case I go down again."
"Perhaps." He smiled and kissed her again.
The elevator door opened, and the three of them made their way into her cabin. She went straight to her desk and activated the display case screen.
"I already have Councilor Anderson on the line," EDI said.
"Patch him through." Shepard ran a hand over the front of her hair, wishing she'd taken the time to at least glance in the mirror first.
"Right away, and welcome back, Shepard."
She glanced over her shoulder at the blue hologram and smiled. "Thanks, EDI."
"You're welcome. Patching the councilor through." EDI's blue hologram collapsed, and Shepard turned her attention back to the screen.
A moment later, Anderson appeared and relief swept over his face, leaving his shoulders sagging. "Shepard. Thank God. I thought we lost you again."
Jane hummed. "He looks tired, maybe a little thinner, too."
"Sorry, Anderson." Shepard braced her hands on the back of her chair and leaned toward the screen. "I'm sure I scared the hell out of you … and left you with a mess to explain to the Council."
Scoffing, he shook his head. "Ain't that the damn truth, but don't worry about the Council, Shepard. Are you alright?"
"I'm still in the game." She shrugged, not really wanting to get into the details of the hell the last few days brought. "What about Earth? Admiral Hackett?"
Anderson sucked in a deep breath and rubbed his forehead, pinching the skin between his fingers before massaging it back out. "Hackett and the entire crew of the Buenos Aires are gone, the collectors took them. Three other ships in the fifth fleet were cleared out … others were just taken down." He folded his hands together on the desk in front of him. "They didn't bother breaching any of the allied ships, but they suffered losses, too. Turian, asari, salarian all had ships destroyed, cut to pieces just like the old Normandy. Together we took down two of their cruisers and chased the others off, but not before a few places on Earth were hit. The numbers are still coming in, but it looks like the collectors made off with at least three million humans."
"Three million." Jane sounded as stunned as Shepard felt.
"Damn it." Words coming out barely above a whisper, she leaned over, bracing her elbows on the back of her chair and scrubbed her hands over her face. Her chest ached with the news. Three million. How the hell was she going to rescue three million? Was there even still time to rescue them?
"Spirits." Garrus' hand settled down between her shoulder blades.
"It could've been far worse if Shepard hadn't given Hackett the heads up and gotten Primarch Fedorian involved." Anderson met her gaze with a stern glare when she looked back up, and he shook his head. "I know it doesn't make the loss of three million any better, Shepard, but you saved billions more. The upside of this—if something like this can be said to have an upside—is now the Council is invested in defeating the collectors. They're preparing to send ships through the Omega 4 Relay. The Alliance, too."
"What? No!" She bolted upright fast enough to startle Garrus, his bare talons digging into her back a little before he pulled his hand away. "They can't, those ships don't have IFFs, they'll be destroyed the second they come out on the other side."
Brow furrowing, Anderson tilted his head. "EDI didn't tell you?"
Her gaze flicked toward the AI's access node before settling back on Anderson. "Didn't tell me what?"
"She replicated the reaper IFF code." He spread his hands apart. "We received it this morning. We've just been waiting for you to wake up, the Council wants your guarantee this will work before they allow it to be installed on any of their ships. The Alliance ships have already started integrating it into their systems."
"Smart thinking, EDI," Jane said. "Though, she's been making more and more judgement calls lately. It might be something we should be concerned about. It's fantastic she has free will and wants to help, but there is still a chain of command here."
Shepard spared about half a second to consider what Jane said before brushing it aside, Anderson's statement taking precedence in the moment. "My guarantee?" She lifted an eyebrow. "Since when does the Council give two shits about what I have to say?"
"You've caused a bigger stir than what you realize, Shepard," he said, his lips lifting in a tired smile. "We've got calls coming in from the krogan and STG, Former Councilor Sparatus and Primarch Fedorian, the quarian Admiralty Board, The Shadow Broker's agents. Even C-Sec. The asari you have onboard, the justicar? She called and spoke with Tevos at length." Anderson chuckled and shook his head. "I've never seen Tevos look so chastened. And those are just the people with influence." He turned, pushing himself from his chair and tucked his hands behind his back to pace a few steps. "I think they've finally realized they're fighting a losing battle trying to corral you, and if they want to keep control of things, they're going to need you working with them, not against them."
Garrus took a step closer to the screen, mandibles fluttering, hope sparking in his eyes. "So, they're dropping the charges against Shepard?"
"Doubtful."
Anderson sighed and shook his head. "No … they haven't given up on that just yet, but I think it's safe to say they're suspending their interest in bringing you in until things settle down."
She scoffed, leaning her weight back on one hip and crossed her arms over her chest. "They're more stupid than I thought if they actually think things are going to settle down."
"I know it, Shepard. You know it." He waved a hand in the air and shrugged. "But right now, I'm not going to look a gift horse in the mouth." Pacing again, he glanced out over the balcony behind his desk.
She shook her head. "Even with the IFFs, you've seen what a collector cruiser can do to our ships, Anderson. We'd be sending them in to be slaughtered. The Normandy's advanced stealth systems along with the upgrades to the shields, armor, and weaponry systems are the only things allowing us to make it to the base, once we're through the relay, without the ship getting ripped apart and killing half the crew. If we have any hope of getting any of the people the collectors abducted back out of that base, we don't have time for the Council or Alliance to upgrade their fleets."
"What are you suggesting, Shepard?" He stopped pacing to look at her, eyebrows raised. "The Council is finally offering to help, and you want to leave them behind? Even if you can take down the base on your own, the Normandy can't transport so many people if you are able to save them."
"He's right. We can't do this alone. Not this time."
She grabbed the back of her chair and hung her head. "I don't know."
"You don't have to do this alone," Anderson said, eerily in sync with Jane's thoughts. "They understand the risks. This is war, Shepard. There will be losses."
"Don't you think I know that?" She looked up, meeting his gaze. "Hell, I know better than any of you, and that's the point. The more we lose now fighting the collectors, the fewer there will be to fight later when the reapers hit, and we're going to need the numbers."
He held her gaze for a moment, watching her in silence. When he finally spoke, his voice came out soft, pleading but sympathetic. "More than three million people, Commander. We have to try."
She let out a heavy sigh, shoulders dropping in defeat. "Yeah. What do you need me to do?"
"Just talk to the Council." He made his way back to his desk, resting his hands on the back of his chair. "Confirm for them that you have reason to believe the collectors are using these reaper devised IFFs to pass safely through the Omega 4 Relay, and it's this same technology you plan to use to get the Normandy through."
"Alright." She nodded, pushing away from the chair and squaring her shoulders. "Call them in."
Anderson leaned over his desk and activated his intercom. "Rebecca, get the rest of the Council on the line and tell them I need them in my office. I have Shepard ready to talk to them."
"I believe Councilor Tevos is in a meeting at the moment."
Frowning, he shook his head. "I don't care, this is more important."
"I'll call them now."
"Thank you, Rebecca." He let go of the intercom button and met Shepard's gaze again, determination and confidence in his eyes.
She sure as hell hoped he was right.
Garrus and Thane moved off toward Spike's tank, whispering quietly among themselves while she waited for the other councilors to begin filing into Anderson's office. She couldn't make out everything Thane and Garrus said, but then again she wasn't exactly trying to listen in, either. Every now and again she heard her name come up, though, and she supposed it told her all she really needed to know.
"That's what happens when something's wrong with someone; when they've got some kind of incurable disease," Jane said, and Shepard felt her strain to listen. "People start talking about you all the time. Whispering, watching you out of the corner of their eyes. Like being sick takes away your ability to understand what's going on around you, and let's face it, when it comes down to it, that's how they all see us."
"Shepard, I'm glad to see you pulled through." Quentius' voice pulled Shepard's attention back to the screen. "You gave us all quite the scare."
She eyed him for a few seconds, trying to determine whether or not he genuinely cared. In the end, it didn't really matter whether the Council felt concerned for her or just trying to play nice to keep the peace. She couldn't say she'd lose any sleep over a single one of them besides Anderson.
"Sorry you had to see that, Councilor. I assure you, I'm doing much better now." She forced a smile on her face, gaze drifting between the councilors all gathered around Anderson's desk. "Anderson's informed me the Council is prepared to send ships through the Omega 4 Relay in an attempt to reclaim the abducted humans."
"Of course, Commander." Tevos lifted her chin as she spoke, as if the mere implication the Council might do anything different given the circumstances was the most insulting thing she'd ever heard in her long, long life. "We have always told you that we wished there was more we could do to help, but with the attacks being confined to the Terminus Systems, our hands were tied."
Jane laughed, humorless and scathing.
"That changed when the collectors crossed into Alliance Space." Quentius fluttered his mandibles, shifting his weight a little and tucking his hands behind his back. "The humans are our allies, and you've suffered a devastating blow. If there's anything we can do to assist, we are not only obligated, but happy to do whatever we can."
"You've got to be kidding me."
Shepard's upper lip twitched, ready to give them a derisive snort, but Anderson flashed her a warning glare. Clenching her jaw instead, she forced a smile on her face—after all, Quentius came late to the game, he didn't know the rules yet, and he'd been decent enough to her so far. Tevos on the other hand knew exactly how full of shit she sounded. She thought about pointing out that either they knew the collectors moved into the Attican Traverse a while back, or they were seriously under-qualified to be leading the Council responsible for protecting people, but something told her it wouldn't make a bit of a difference in her favor for the outcome of the conversation.
"I'm glad to hear it, Councilor." She directed her comments at Quentius, choosing to ignore Tevos for as long as she could. "So, what is it exactly the Council needs from me? Anderson said you've been given the reaper IFF code."
Valern stuffed his hands inside of his over-sized sleeves. "We need more information about this code. Where did it come from? How can you be sure it's safe?"
Shepard turned her head to the side a little, her chin jutting out in disbelief. "Well," she said, letting the word drag, "it came from a derelict reaper. You know, one of those things you guys keep telling everyone in the galaxy don't really exist?"
"Shepard." The name rolled from Anderson, more like a grumble or a low growl than actual speech.
She sucked in a deep breath. "Sorry, Councilor. We took the code from a derelict reaper found in the Thorne System of the Hawking Eta Cluster. Cerberus located the reaper, which was all but completely disabled and in orbit around a brown dwarf, and sent a team to investigate and gather data. The team became indoctrinated after spending some time aboard the reaper, and they were all either slaughtered or turned into husks by reaper troops from within." Fighting back the urge to stretch out the few remaining tense spots in her neck and shoulders, Shepard shifted her weight to one hip and crossed her arms over her chest. "When we learned—after investigating a false turian distress signal which lead to a trap the collectors set—they used a reaper IFF to pass back and forth through the Omega 4 Relay unharmed, the Illusive Man sent the Normandy to recover the IFF from the derelict reaper."
"There's a derelict reaper in the Hawking Eta Cluster?" Quentius turned his head to look at Tevos. "Why didn't we know about this? We should send someone to study it immediately."
"If what the commander says is true, anyone we send would become indoctrinated." Tevos clasped her hands in front of her.
"What do you know, she has a brain afterall."
"Unless we devise shielding capable of protecting them." Valern hummed.
"It's irrelevant." Shepard shifted her weight to the other hip. "The reaper was consumed by the brown dwarf. We had to take out its core in order to escape the reaper, but destroying the core removed the mass effect field keeping it in orbit."
"Let me see if I understand this correctly: you found an intact reaper—something able to help us prepare for the enemy you've spent your entire career as a Spectre warning us about—and you destroyed it?" Tevos' brow inched up her face, and she shook her head. "I don't know what to say, Commander."
Caution seeped through the connection to Jane. "Careful, Dawn, they'll end up charging you with something for that, too. Claim you sabotaged the war efforts."
Shepard sucked in a deep breath and let it out slow, fighting with everything she had not to tell the asari councilor to go fuck herself. "It was the only way off the reaper and to get the IFF we need." She considered, for just a moment, telling the Council that she didn't even lead the mission just to shut them up, but she brushed the thought aside. No way in hell would she put James in their crosshairs—besides, he only followed her orders.
"Not that he wouldn't be more than willing to take the bullet for you if it'd help," Jane said, obviously knowing it wasn't something either of them would ever do to someone under their command.
"I agree, it's unfortunate we lost the reaper, but standing around arguing about whether or not Shepard did what had to be done will get us nowhere." Anderson squared his shoulders, lifting his chin a little higher.
"Anderson's right." Quentius flared his mandibles and dipped his head. "We need to determine if we're going to use this code or take our chances passing through the relay without the IFF."
"With all due respect, sir, going through the relay without an IFF would likely mean certain death." Shepard shook her head. "As I'm sure you well know, no ship besides collector vessels have passed through the Omega 4 Relay and come back out again."
"What assurances can you give us that this code is safe, Shepard?" Valern asked, his big, dark eyes moving back and forth as he studied her.
"Our specialists have scrubbed the code, and we've had it installed aboard the Normandy for a few days now. At the very least, nothing's come after the Normandy, and the ship is operating as it should." Shepard leaned forward, resting her hands on the back of her chair again. "We have limited intel on the collector base itself—gathered from the collector ship we boarded—but I can't tell you what exactly awaits us on the other side of the relay. All I can say is, with the IFF at least there's hope we'll be able to survive the trip. Without it …." She shrugged. "And that's just speaking about dealing with the relay itself. So far, we've only seen the collectors use their swarms to paralyze humans … but it doesn't necessarily mean they can't use them against other species."
Tevos glanced between the other councilors before looking at Shepard again. "Commander Shepard, it almost sounds as if you're trying to talk us out of helping our allies."
"No." She shook her head, exaggerating the motion and slicing her hand through the air. "Not at all. I just want to make sure you know what you're heading into, Councilor, because I'm not going to be blamed if things don't go the way you expect them to. You send people into that relay, there's a good chance they won't come back out again." She looked around, meeting the gaze of each of the councilors.
Jane snorted. "Please, you know they'll blame us either way."
"We're prepared for that possibility, Shepard." Quentius nodded. "The turians fully understand the risks involved, and the Alliance has our support."
Valern blinked, dipping his head. "As are the salarians."
"We are all prepared," Tevos said, looking between the other councilors. "We will notify our ship captains to install the IFF code." The asari hesitated, her lips parted. "We understand you have a working relationship of sorts with Aria T'Loak."
Jane chuckled, the sound heavy with her sarcasm. "If by 'working relationship' you mean blood shed and violence every time we meet, then yeah, we've got a 'working relationship' with Aria."
Shepard lifted an eyebrow. "Something like that."
"It would …" Tevos paused, as if looking for the right words. "... benefit us all if you could make arrangements with Aria prior to our ships showing up en masse in the Sahrabarik System."
"Oh, this is rich." Jane arched a non-existent eyebrow. "Tevos is scared of Aria, and even though she wants to haul us in for treason, she's asking us to deal with the big, bad, scary asari for her."
Shepard pursed her lips. "You want me to ask Aria for permission so you don't have to do it yourself?"
Tevos gave her a condescending smile. "I don't think 'permission' is the—"
"Yes it is." Shepard cut Tevos off, leaning back and shaking her head. "Don't worry about Aria. I'll speak with her." She smirked. "I'm sure some 'arrangement' can be made."
Tevos' smile faltered before leveling back out; the barely concealed rage of offense in her gaze burning tiny holes through Shepard. "Of course, thank you."
"One more thing, I assume you all understand I will be leading this mission. I also assume you've at least considered ordering your people to take me into custody, but I promise you," Shepard said, holding Tevos' gaze even though she spoke to all of them, "there is no way you will bring me in alive while the collector base still stands. And you can be sure, I won't hesitate to take down anyone who tries to stand in my way. This is bigger than your politics and any charges you're bringing against me."
"I'm glad to hear you say so." Jane hummed. "I knew you wouldn't turn yourself in before this is done, but I admit I wasn't so sure if you'd resist arrest if someone came for us before then. Of course it'll mean we'll be in even more trouble."
"I know," Shepard thought, "but right now every human alive is depending on me to destroy the collectors. I'll do what I have to do."
Tevos blinked, something shifting in her eyes, and for the first time, Shepard thought the asari realized just how foolish she was to get on Shepard's bad side. "And once the collector base is destroyed?"
Shepard shrugged. "I won't fight them, but I won't wait around for them to take me in either. I have other things to take care of, Councilor. I'm doing everything I can to prepare the galaxy for the arrival of the reapers while the Council dithers back and forth on whether you actually even want to consider the reapers a viable threat." She took a deep breath. "I don't know what else I can do to convince you that they're coming, but they are coming."
"The evidence you provided us from the Bahak System is sufficient to convince us of the reapers arrival, Shepard," Tevos said, pulling her shoulders back as if she thought she might still convince Shepard that she held all the power in the conversation, "but it doesn't change the fact you broke first contact protocol and potentially endangered everyone in the galaxy further through your actions with this 'aggressively neutral' species."
"Bullshit."
"No one ever trained me in the Council's first contact protocol and you damn well know it! You made me Spectre, and I hit the ground running, chasing down Saren." Shepard threw a hand up at the absurdity of the accusation. "I encountered an alien species, learned they were responsible for creating the reapers, and I tried to convince them to help us stop the harvest. What did you really expect me to do? Don't you think if I'd never found them, they'd still just be sitting back waiting for this cycle to be over? What harm do you really think I did?"
Tevos' mouth pressed into a thin, tight line.
Valern cleared his throat. "We are not hear to discuss your ignorance nor your crimes, Commander. We have procedures in place—you will stand trial, your guilt and punishment determined according to our laws."
"For now," Quentius said, holding out a placating hand, "for the sake of those taken by the collectors, and considering your experience dealing with them to date, we will suspend your arrest until after the collectors are dealt with and allow you to lead this mission. We'll leave you and Anderson to figure out the details."
Tevos, Valern, and Quentius turned, almost perfectly in sync, and made their way to the door. Anderson watched them go, and as soon as the door closed behind them, he let out a heavy breath. His shoulders sagged when he turned back to her, looking twenty years older. Pulling out his desk chair, he sat down. Thane and Garrus moved back over, standing to either side of Shepard.
Anderson met her gaze, folding his hands on his desk. "I really wish you wouldn't press your luck with them, Shepard. They've yet to send anyone out after you, but if you keep antagonizing them, they will."
She offered him a noncommittal grunt. "Sorry, Anderson."
He snorted. "No you're not." Rubbing his hands over his face, he let out another sigh. "So, how do you want to do this?"
"I'll head to Omega. It's best I talk to Aria in person." Frowning, she raked a hand through her hair. "She's going to want something out of this, though, and she's smart enough to know she'll get more by putting pressure on the Alliance than the Council."
"Knowing her, she'll want the Alliance to look the other way so Omega can expand their illegal trade activities into Alliance space." Jane cringed. "Or maybe she'll ask for someone to be killed, or a dangerous criminal to be released."
Shepard sighed. "Jane's right, anything Aria asks for isn't going to be something you're going to want to give her."
"See if you can talk her down to something reasonable, and then call me with her demands. I'll figure out a way to make it happen. In the meantime, I'll get in contact with the fleets and get them coordinated. That many ships going through the relays at once will require some work."
"Definitely." She nodded, reaching for the button to cut the call and deactivate the screen. "I'll call you as soon as I have something."
"Not so fast, Commander."
"Sir?" She glanced back at the screen, meeting his gaze.
Anderson lifted an eyebrow at her and leaned closer. "I'd like to know what the hell happened the last time we talked."
Her shoulders dropped. "I'm tired, Anderson. I just want to take a shower, eat something, and relax for a few minutes. I'm sorry, I'll ask Dr. Chakwas to fill you in."
He frowned but nodded. "Alright, Shepard … just please take care of yourself."
"I'm trying, I promise." She disconnected the call and then turned, leaning her backside against her desk. "EDI, set coordinates for Omega."
"Right away, Shepard."
Thane stepped forward, wrapping his arms around her waist, and she slid her hands over his shoulders, lacing her fingers behind his neck. Leaning in, he kissed her before resting his head against hers. "Wake me when you're ready to go speak with Aria?"
"Sure." She brushed her thumbs over the back of his head. "I'll come wake you up myself."
He smiled and kissed her again. "I look forward to it, siha." Letting his hands slide away from her waist, he stepped out of her embrace. He dipped his head at Garrus before making his way to the door.
Garrus moved over, taking Thane's place in front of her. "Hmm. Shower first or eat first?" he asked, pushing her hair behind her ear.
"Eat." She opened her desk drawer and pulled out a packet of dry rations, tearing it open with her teeth before collapsing in her chair.
Garrus leaned against the corner of her desk and watched her eat. "You don't want something more appetizing?"
"Maybe later. Right now I'm just interested in tiding myself over." She trailed her gaze over him as she chewed a handful of the dried apricots and cherries. "How're you feeling? You're looking better."
"I, uh, I feel a lot better." He scratched at a dark patch of healing hide just under his mandible. "It's nice not having to spend all of my time in the med bay. Dr. Chakwas said my heart has stabilized, the arrhythmia is gone. The neurological damage has repaired itself enough for her and Mordin to think it's safe to use stem-cell therapy to speed up the process." Watching her for a moment, his mandibles fluttered, and Shepard knew he was working up to something she wasn't going to like. "Dr. Chakwas doesn't want me going into the collector base with you … but Shepard, I swear, I'm up for it and I don't think she'll press the issue if you say you want me there."
She shook her head. "No. Garrus I can't risk you. I just can't. If Dr. Chakwas doesn't think you're ready, then you're staying on this ship."
"I hate to say it, but you're right. He's not up for this run, he'd be a liability at best, at worst …." Jane trailed off, her voice softening at the end, various images of Garrus dying on the collector base seeping through to Shepard before Jane slammed the door down on them.
His mandibles drooped. "Shepard—"
"Don't, Garrus, please." Closing her eyes, Shepard took a shaky breath. "You know I want you there, I want you at my six, but I need you there when the reapers hit." She swallowed, tears welling up behind her eyelids. "You can die on this mission. We've seen it happen before." Sniffling, she tossed the half-eaten ration to her desk and swiped her hand over her cheeks, wiping away the wet streaks and looked at him. "I've already done everything I can to make sure this run goes smoothly, but gods, so much has changed." She trembled from just the mere thought of losing Garrus, she couldn't imagine anyway where she'd survive it if she actually did lose him. "I can't guarantee anything anymore, and I can't have you there while you're still recovering. I can't risk it. I won't."
Taking her hands in his, he tugged her to her feet and pulled her into his arms. "It's alright, I'll stay on the Normandy. I'll be safe, I promise. You'll have the others with you, and the Council is sending in ships, too." Rubbing her back, he hummed, a soothing sound reaching down into her soul to ease the ache. "Come on, let's get you in the shower."
She nodded, letting him lead her into the bathroom. She began taking off her clothes while he started the shower, sore muscles protesting the action of lifting her shirt up over her head, but still the pain seemed far less than when she first woke up on Gellix. Sitting down on the toilet, she pulled her boots and socks off, tossing them toward the door.
Garrus turned to her when she stood back up, and he swiped a tear from her face. "Want me to get in with you?"
"Yes," she said, nodding again.
Taking a couple of steps back, he started strippig off his own clothes. She wiped her eyes again, watching him. It'd been so long since they'd been alone together in something even remotely considered an intimate setting; she saw the full extent of his Lichtenberg scarring for the first time. The burns were healing, no longer a deep, nearly black shade of blue, but definitely permanent marks on his hide that would never fade completely.
"I hate seeing him like this."
"You and me both," Shepard thought.
She stepped out of her pants and kicked them aside before shimmying her panties down her hips. He hummed, a familiar, throaty sound of arousal, and she looked up to find him watching her waist as she moved. Clearing his throat, he looked away, mandibles fluttering as he turned to the shower stall, but not before she saw the hint of blue peeking out between the plates of his groin. Gods she missed him. Concentrating on getting her arms up high enough to unhook her bra, she bit back a groan of complaint.
Garrus stepped into the shower, turning back around to hold his hand out to her. Dropping her bra on the floor, she crossed the floor, taking his hand and letting him guide her under the steaming spray. The water hit the tender skin around her still healing incision, and she bit back a hiss, pulling her head away from the heat. She tugged him closer and stepped into him, wrapping her arms around his waist and pressed her cheek to his chest, letting the hot water on her back and the feel of him in her arms wash away the last of her tension.
"I love you." She tightened her grip on him.
He hummed, nuzzling the top of her head. "I love you, too." Running his fingers along her spine, he sent shivers through her, despite the hot water coursing over her skin.
A small moan escaped her lips, and she pushed into him a little closer, rubbing her face against his chest. She missed his touch so much, the feel of bare hide and plates against her skin set her nerves on end. He hummed, pressing his palm flat against the small of her back and pulled her a little closer still, his hips brushing against her stomach.
After a moment, he grabbed her hips and gently pushed her away, turning her around. "Let me look at your head."
She brought her hands up, already finding the movement much easier than before she got under the hot water, and parted her hair, letting him see the swath of Medi-gel covering her sutures. "How bad is it?"
"Actually, it doesn't look so bad at all. Definitely not as bad as when Jane cut into you, or even when Mordin removed the control chips." A gentle talon pushed more of her hair out of the way before he let it drop. "Did Miranda say they're working the way they're supposed to?"
She turned back around to face him, rubbing her palms over his chest. "So far, yeah."
"And Jane's alright?" he asked, mandible flaring wide.
"I'm not happy about it, but I'm fine."
Shepard shrugged a little. "She says she's not happy about it, but she's fine."
"Hmmm." He fluttered his mandibles, but for the first time in a long time, he didn't seem bothered by the idea of Jane being there, an invisible presence between the two of them. "How are you feeling?"
"Not horrible." Feather light, she traced the pattern of the scars over the hide of his stomach. "I woke up with a lot of sore muscles, but they're easing up as I use them, and the hot water's helping. Miranda and Mordin said it was expected."
"The scars actually look kind of cool."
Shepard snorted. "Jane says your scars look kind of cool."
He chuckled, drawing her attention back up to his face. "Definitely. They almost make it worth nearly dying."
Shepard arched an eyebrow at him, not really finding the humor in the statement despite Jane's chuckle.
He flicked his mandibles, giving her a roguish grin. "I said 'almost.'" Humming, he picked up her body wash. "I tell you what, I'll let you deal with your hair, but I've got the rest of you."
She smirked, knowing an evasive maneuver when she saw one, but let it slide and picked up her shampoo. "Deal."
Garrus squirted the body wash right into his hands and rubbed them together a little before crouching. Starting in on her right leg, he squeezed and kneaded the muscles of her calf as he spread the soap around, working his way up to her thigh. His hands worked magic—and on more than just her sore muscles, sending delightful shocks of heat and need straight to her nether regions.
Jane groaned, giving Shepard the impression of rolling her eyes, and she retreated to wherever she went when she wanted to give Shepard privacy.
Emptying a little shampoo out into her hand, Shepard smiled down at him, watching his mandibles flutter as he took in her scent. She put the bottle back and worked the shampoo into her hair, fingers avoiding the tender areas. Garrus moved on to her other leg, massaging as he washed, and she rinsed her hair. She reached past him and grabbed her conditioner, squeezing some into her palm before putting it back. He pushed back up to his feet, picking up the body wash again. Closing her eyes, she smoothed the conditioner over her hair and sighed when his hands settled down over her hips. Rinsing her hair again, a whimper caught in her throat when his hand slid down between her legs, fingers barely brushing over the sensitive area before moving on, testing her response as much as cleaning her, she thought.
Opening her eyes, she reached out, trailing her fingers over his arms as she moved them up to his shoulders. He met her gaze, fire burning in his eyes, and leaned in to kiss her, tongue skirting over her lips. She opened her mouth, meeting his tongue with hers and pushed herself flush against him, feeling him hard and exposed against her stomach. He reached behind her, cupping her ass, rubbing the slick soap into her skin before moving up her back.
He pulled back, running his hands over her stomach and up to her breasts, brushing his thumbs over her nipples. Mandibles fluttering, he met her gaze. "Do you … hmm, are you feeling well enough to—"
"Gods yes. Are you?"
Smirking, he flicked a mandible at her. "I think I can manage."
Trapping the corner of her lip between her teeth, she raised an eyebrow. "Bed?"
"Bed."