Chapter 10 – Drinking
ME2 – After Horizon mission (Williams is alive)
Shepard was in her cabin looking at datapads and not taking the information in. Fighting the collectors hadn't rattled her, bumping into her old crewman had. She didn't want to admit to anyone how it had affected her, someone who should trust her had treated her like an enemy. A ping at her door stirred her from her thoughts.
"Vakarian is at the door." EDI said, Shepard hadn't quite got used to having her around yet. She got up and headed over to the door, straightening herself out as she did.
"Hi, Shepard, I thought you might need a drink." He held up a bottle and two glasses.
"Thanks, but I'm fine." She didn't sound it, but she put on her sternest voice.
"I remember you challenging Wrex to a drinking contest to help morale, I think it's time for another." He walked in and looked around. "Nice."
"Really, so my crew's morale is low?"
"One of them, yeah, really bad."
"And who might that be?" Her arms were crossed she knew the answer.
"You Shepard."
"And you think you can cheer me up?"
"I'll do my best."
She smirks.
"See already working."
A few drinks in Shepard seems to relax.
"I'm just, frustrated. Like you hate Cerberus and yet you're here with me. And yet she couldn't get past the armour." She downs her latest drink.
"Well, I was hit in the face with a rocket, so I didn't exactly have much choice." He jokes.
"So, you're saying I need to shoot her in the face with a rocket?"
"I'm not exactly sure that would work, just give her time Shepard.. I was finished on Omega and stopping the Collectors that felt like a worthy mission. Whatever Williams is doing I'm sure she feels she needs to be."
She poured another drink for herself but just swirled it round in her glass.
"Something else bothering you?" His voice showed his concern.
She took another gulp of her drink "I died, Garrus."
He paused for a moment, not sure how to respond to her.
"I mean how do I know that I'm me… that I'm still me.. and not some Cerberus puppet."
"Shepard I know you, you are still you."
"What if I'm not?" The words caught in her throat, she took another sip to ease it.
"Shepard when you brought me on this mission, you said it was because you wanted someone you can trust, someone not Cerberus. That doesn't sound like some Cerberus pawn to me. I promised to have your back and I will, even if its to call you out when I don't think you're acting particularly Shepard like."
She smirks "and how exactly do I act?"
"Oh I don't know how about insufferably noble, always thinking you're right which you usually are, oh and always saving the scary creatures that want to eat us."
"In my defence the Rachni Queen didn't want to eat us… just her children." She downs her drink triumphantly.
"And you 100% knew that at the time."
"Obviously." Her mischievous smile was back, " ...its good to know that you have my back, whether I like it or not."
"Now that we can drink to." He refills both their glasses.
"To having each other's back. Cheers." They say in unison, clinking their glasses together then downing their drinks.