Hooray, a new chapter!

Garrus woke with a start, the strange smell of Earth oranges overwhelming his senses. Something soft was wrapped in his arms, warm against his unarmored chest. His heart rate spiked. Shepard. The soft thing was Shepard, and he'd spent the entire night cycle in her cabin. On her bed. He groaned, then panicked, biting his tongue with this sharp teeth.

He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. He couldn't slide his arms out without catching them on her soft skin, but maybe if he just rolled her over- no, not that way, she'd be pinned under him. Perhaps if her just- damn, that wouldn't work either. Garrus growled in frustration, freezing when he felt his sub-tones rumbling through his body, and he knew he'd woken her up.

She lifted her head groggily, squinting at the turian who was holding her closely.

'Garrus?' Her voice was scratchy from hours of disuse, and Garrus would be lying if he said it wasn't a little charming.

'Uh, Shepard. I was- I was just-' Shepard smiled.

'It's okay, Garrus. You don't have to panic every time you do something you think you did something wrong, because usually, Vakarian, you haven't.' She reached up and tapped his nose. 'Now, let's sneak you back down to the battery before people get suspicious.' Garrus smiled wryly, fighting back a wince when it pulled on his still painful mandible.

'What's wrong, Shepard? Don't want the crew to think you're attracted to a turian?' He'd asked sarcastically, but for some reason, he found himself dreading her answer. To his relief, she laughed it off.

'Don't play dumb with me, Vakarian. You had half the female crew wrapped around your finger on the old Normandy with your brooding looks and sexy voice.' Garrus flexed his mandibles.

'That... may have been true, back then,' he said slowly, ignoring Shepard's enormous grin. He released her from his hold and sat up. 'I don't think I'll have as warm of a welcome on a humanity-first vessel, though.' Shepard frowned, propping herself up on her elbows and shooting him a meaningful look.

'If anyone gives you trouble, Garrus...' The tall alien smiled painfully back at her.

'I'll be fine, Shepard. I helped take down Saren. I think I can handle a few sour looks.' Shepard hesitated.

'Just... Be nice, all right? Don't get into any fights.' Garrus sighed and stood up.

'You never let me have any fun.'

'Okay, listen,' Shepard proposed, 'once you recover enough for Chakwas to give you the green light, we'll go down to the range and you can thoroughly kick my ass in a sniping contest, all right?' He turned back to face her, and leaned over the bed, his mouth right beside her ear.

'Oh, I'm counting on it,' he muttered smugly, noting with pleasure the shiver that ran through her. As he strode out to the elevator, his sensitive ears picked up her grumblings and he grinned.

'Bloody turian.'

Garrus stepped inside the elevator and hit the button that would take him down to the battery, sighing as he leaned back against the wall. Perfect. Just perfect. He'd been back on the Normandy for less than twenty-four hours, and he'd already shattered his professional record.

The elevator doors hissed open, and he stepped into the mess hall. Forty pairs of eyes swiveled around to stare at him, and most of them were suspicious. He smiled nervously.

'Uh, hello. I'm Garrus Vakarian, and I'm here to-'

'Bone the Commander?' A soldier shouted from across the room, and a few of the crew laughed. 'Yeah, we know who you are, turian.' Garrus narrowed his eyes, and strode across the hall, stopping only when his face was inches from the soldier's, rendering the entire room completely silent.

'On your feet,' he growled. The soldier hesitated, his eyes flicking around nervously, then slowly stood up, glaring at the turian that towered over him.

'Yeah, what do you want?'

'Name and rank, soldier.' The human rolled his eyes.

'Desmond Fowler, sub-lieutenant.'

'Well, Desmond Fowler, if you know me so well, I take it you know how the Commander and I became allies?'

'Yeah, yeah, everyone does. You were in the squad that took down that rogue turian.' Garrus' smile was full of malice.

'You bet your ass I was. Why am I here now?'

'Hell if I know. I bet you're going to tell me though.'

'Oh, Fowler, you're sharp as a tack. You've heard of Archangel, I presume?' Fowler nodded, and Garrus leaned in. 'That tough son of a bitch who managed to piss off every merc gang on Omega?' He grinned, showing all of his razor sharp teeth. 'You're looking at him.' Fowler's face drained of all color.

'I didn't-' Garrus pushed him aside with his shoulder as he strode to the main battery, then stopped and glanced back.

'No. You didn't. Next time you're about to insult one of your superiors, make sure they're not a foot and a half taller than you and ready to rip your throat out. Idiot.' Without another word, he strode through the doors to the battery, letting them snap shut behind him.

'EDI,' he barked, 'show me the main guns before I kill someone.' The AI's blue orb popped up beside him.

'Certainly, Officer Vakarian, here are the schematics.' EDI paused. 'Your heart rate and breathing levels are elevated. I suggest medical attention.' Garrus growled.

'I suggest you get back to the cockpit before I take apart your core,' he spat.

'I am present in every area of the ship, Officer. I cannot return to a place I am already occupying.' Garrus sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

'I don't care, EDI, just leave me alone.'

Understood, Officer.'

'And stop calling me Officer,' he snapped, 'I don't work for C-Sec anymore.'

'I am aware of that. However, Commander Shepard has named you Gunnery Officer for the Normandy.' Garrus' hands froze over the schematics.

'She- she did what?'

'Commander Shepard has named you-'

'Yes, EDI, I heard you the first time,' Garrus interrupted, 'I want to know why.'

'I do not have that information.' EDI stated, somehow more blandly than usual.

'Well, aren't you just so helpful,' Garrus said sarcastically, his tone leaving EDI blinking.

'My analysis of your statement suggests that you are being sarcastic, Officer Vakarian,' she said after a few seconds.

'Your programming is a touch irritating, EDI.'

'Mr. Moreau has relayed that sentiment as well. Perhaps you should speak to him.'

'Yeah, perhaps I should,' he snapped, 'and perhaps you should go away before I unplug you,' he added under his breath.

'I cannot be unplugged, Officer Vakarian. I am wired directly into the ship. However, if it is your wish to be left alone, I do have a mute function.' Garrus rounded on the AI.

'Are you serious? You waited until now to tell me that?'

'That information did not seem pertinent to our conversation at the time.' Garrus swiped a hand over the unmarred side of his face.

'Damn robots.' He muttered. If EDI could sound offended, she surely would have.

'I am not a robot, Officer Vakarian. I am a fully functioning artificial intelligence, capable of independent thought.' The turian sighed.
'You could also just stop talking.'

'Very well, Officer.' EDI's blue orb disappeared, and Garrus was alone with his thoughts at last. It was not ideal. He knew he'd stepped over the line with Shepard, even if she disagreed, his face ached, even with the medi-gel still in his system, and his first meeting with the crew could have gone much better. Well, at least they were afraid of him. And, he supposed, at least he hadn't hit any of them.

'So, Vakarian,' a familiar female voice said from the crates in the corner, 'I hear you've been threatening my crew. Thoughts?' Garrus shrugged as she picked up a wrench, watching her turn it over and over in her hands.

'If they don't want to be polite, neither do I.' Shepard laughed.

'You've never exactly been diplomatic, Garrus, but try to lay off the death threats, okay? They have to be able to do their job without looking behind them every ten seconds, checking for a murderous turian.' Shepard had a strange way of keeping the peace between her crew. Her voice was never raised, but the message was clear: cut that shit out before I have to knock some sense into you.

'No promises, Shepard. Some of them are just begging to be punched.' Shepard's mouth twitched up, and it was obvious she was biting back laughter.

'You don't think I know that? Hell, I almost slammed Fowler into a wall when he came whimpering.' She shook her head. '"Commander, that big turian threatened me. I demand he be demoted!" What a moron.' Garrus stared in disbelief.

'Fowler tattled on me? He's such a child.' He smirked. 'Just to be clear, I'm not getting demoted, am I? Gunnery Officer isn't exactly a small responsibility.' Shepard winced and looked away.

'About that... I was going to tell you, Garrus. I couldn't think of anyone more suited to calibrating big-ass guns than you. But then you were sleeping, and it was just so damn cute, I couldn't wake-'

'Cute, huh? Not the word I'd use to describe a scarred-to-hell turian.' Shepard laughed.

'Well, I've always had odd tastes.'

'Did you hear that from Miranda? She seems quite certain that we were... together, at some point,' he teased, noting the tinge of red on her face.

'Miranda know nothing happened between us, don't worry. Your reputation as the Normandy's resident hard-ass will remain unsullied.' Garrus tilted his head and smiled.

'Yes, you sounded very convincing on the shuttle.' Shepard's hands stilled and she set the wrench back on the crates.

'I didn't know you were conscious then. How much did you hear, exactly?' The turian's smile broadened.

'All of it.' Shepard groaned buried her face in her hands.

'Listen, Garrus. Miranda... She knows how to push my buttons- how to get me to say what she wants. You and I... We're friends. Of course we are. But do you really see it going any further than that? It just seems a little far fetched to me.' She hugged her arms to her chest awkwardly and Garus scratched the back of his neck.

'Oh, uh, yeah, you're right. It's probably for the best. We can't afford distractions on the field. It makes sense.' Shepard's mouth quirked up.

'Thanks, Garrus. It's good to have a friend on board again,' she said as she stood up. 'I should get back to the CIC, I guess. It was nice talking to you.' And just like that, the Shepard he knew was gone, replaced by the Commander.

'Yeah, I'll see you later, Commander,' he said softly, turning back to the schematics EDI had left for him. And maybe if he'd looked at her a little longer, maybe he would have noticed the hurt look on her face before she let the doors slide shut behind her.

:( Can't I just put them together NOW? Stupid angst...