Disclaimer: Everything belongs to Bioware.

"I just … I've seen so many things go wrong, Shepard. My work at C-Sec, what happened with Sidonis … I want something to go right. Just once. Just ..."

Shepard's eyes flew open to stare out at the dark sky. A soft groan escaped from her lips as she gingerly raised herself from the floor where she had fallen asleep. Her toolkit lay spread out all around her, the control panel she'd been trying to fix in the starboard observation room still blinking an error message. It might have been infinitely better if she'd let Tali or Legion take a look at the console instead but ever since the suicide mission and the destruction of the Collector base she had been unable to sleep. Being useful had seemed like a promising alternative to pacing. It had worked like a charm, her brain finally quieting enough to allow her a few hours of rest. She was awake though now and the worry, never silent for long, instantly dominated her thoughts. They had been damned lucky getting out with everyone alive, she was more than a little aware of badly things could have gone and for a moment … well, for a moment she thought she might have ended up floating around in space again. It wasn't a comforting thought.

"Am I interrupting something?"

Garrus' voice brought a small smile to her face. He was the only thing that had seemed to come out right from all of this, an unwavering rock of support when she'd needed it the most. Of course, it didn't hurt that he could take out any target at 500 feet or that he made her stomach do something suspiciously like acrobatics whenever he spoke to her, or touched her or …

"I believe the human expression, 'Penny for your thoughts' would probably be appropriate." He lowered himself carefully to the ground, his concerned gaze drifting over her face, "You got everyone out alive, Shepard. No casualties, no injuries that a few weeks of medical care and some medi-gel can't fix. Not to mention you also managed blow the Collector base into space dust. I'd say that qualifies as a victory."

"We were lucky," her voice was so soft it was almost inaudible, a slight tremor running through her words as she drew her knees up to her chest, "It was such a near-miss thing, Garrus. We almost lost everyone, everything, and that was only a battle, not the war!" Her head dropped down to her knees, her arms wrapping tightly around herself as she continued to study the stars and planets twinkling in the distance, "We barely managed to take care of the pit crew, Garrus, without it being game over. Again."

"Shepard." Her eyes squeezed shut tightly against the mortifying rush of liquid. She could feel Garrus, tense beside her, his uncertainty palpable for only a moment before he closed the distance between them to cradle her carefully against his side, "No one died this time, Shepard. You didn't die this time. We beat those Collector bastards at their own game."

She shook her head before gesturing at the wide expanse of space visible from the port window, "Maybe, but tell me how we're going to beat that!" Her voice dropped to a whisper, "Tell me how we're going to protect it."

"Hey," Garrus turned her face carefully so that she was looking at him, "You'll figure it out. It's what you do. You're a hero, right? I know you Shepard, there's nothing you won't do and no crazy, powerful ex-con biotic you won't recruit if you think it'll get the job done."

Despite herself she smiled, "A hero, huh? Maybe I should look into getting a cape or a gigantic signal light."

"Okay, I don't quite understand how that will be useful against the Reapers but what the hell, we haven't tried it yet."

"It's a joke, Garrus."

"Oh," he smiled a bit self-consciously, his head coming to rest against hers, "I knew that. But I still don't get it."

Shepard's low laugh vibrated pleasantly against the side of his chest and Garrus shivered in pleasure as she slid into his lap so that she was facing him, "Have I told you how much I enjoy your pep talks, Vakarian?"

Garrus swallowed nervously, uncertainty and desire raging through him as he reached up to cup Shepard's face. It had only been a week since they had first spent the night together and Garrus still found himself waiting for the other shoe to drop, for her to tell him it was a mistake, and prove to Garrus once and for all that he would only ever be able to skitter around the edge of happiness, "Shepard ..." The words he'd meant to say died on his lips as her hands slipped under his tunic to caress the plates of his chest and abdomen.

"Have I also mentioned how much I enjoy it when you don't wear your armor around me? It makes it so much easier to do this."

Garrus nodded absently as he leaned forward to nuzzle her neck, his own hands slipping under her shirt and pulling her flush against him, "You might've mentioned something like that before." Shepard let out a happy sigh, molding her body against his as she rested her head, against his chest, listening to the reassuring beat of his heart, his warmth seeping through the thin fabric of his tunic to heat her own skin. She feathered a trail of kisses along Garrus' neck down to his cowl, his rumble of pleasure causing her body to tense in excitement. At first, she had been surprised at how easily they had fit together; a large part of her had feared that Garrus' joke about inter-species embarrassment would be prophetic. It had only taken moments for her to realize that their night together would be better than either had dared to hope for.

Shepard's com beeped in warning seconds before Yeoman Chambers' perky voice filled her ears, "Commander, you've received a new message at your private terminal from Captain Anderson."

"Thank you, Yeoman." Beneath her, Garrus growled in frustration.

"Duty calls."

"Duty," he said uncharitably, "has a terrible sense of timing."