Chapter 11

Garrus, Thane and Zaeed all clustered around, sitting on a table at Afterlife, looking through all the clues the three of them had gathered over the past five days, which was done by looking through several data pads and exchanging notes made via omni-tool. It was fortunate that everyone on Omega practically minded their own business most of the time because the three of them were extremely tense and focused scurrying around their information, so much so that one any planet, the only place they wouldn't attract attention was a library.

"This is fucking pointless!" Zaeed exclaimed frustrated over the lack of information the three of them had gathered.

"We need to be patient for this kind of work Zaeed," Thane replied monotonously as he scrolled through a data pad in his hand.

"Patience my ass!" Zaeed replied loudly, "what could be more important than Zaeed Massani not being bested by fucking reconnaissance!" Garrus let out a calm sigh as a reaction to Zaeed's energetic outburst, and turned off his omni-tool.

"Maybe we should take a brake guys," Garrus suggested with his mandibles slightly twitchy.

"Finally tired of doing the same thing over and over again ay Garrus?" Zaeed asked snidely, but making sure Garrus knew it was just one hardened veteran playing around with another.

"Is that meant to mean something Zaeed?" Garrus asked chuckling but didn't stay around to get a reply from the mercenary, "wait here, I'll get some drinks." As Garrus went to the bar which was only a few steps away from the table the team was at Thane began glancing across the lounge, his eyes wriggling around quickly in their sockets as he began to memorize the area and plan escape routes should a gun fight break out until he had several within a moment.

"Zaeed," Thane started informatively, "you said places like this are just slaughterhouses dressed as nightclubs a while back didn't you?"

"That's right," Zaeed replied, "but you've been doing your job long enough to know this shouldn't you?"

"Correct, which is why I've selected 15 effective escape routes should a gunfight break out." Zaeed just began to chuckle slightly until Garrus returned a moment later with three drinks in his arms, two purple beverages which he passed to his two new found friends and a blue one for himself which he kept firmly in his hand as he took a seat at the table once more.

"You know Thane, if any scumbag mercs or slavers storm this place threatening to kill people, I'll shoot them right between the eyes," Garrus replied darkly. Zaeed didn't say anything, but Thane examined the merc's widened eyes and slightly curved lip formation, and decided that he most likely approved. Thane understood Garrus's confidence, knowing his past as Archangel, but going out of your own way to create noise and death was tremendously less subtle than the master assassin was comfortable with.

"We should be avoiding attention Garrus, not looking for it." Garrus took a deep breath in, eyes focusing more on him, but ultimately let go of his tension.

"I suppose you're right," Garrus replied calmly and quietly as he took a seat. Meanwhile Zaeed just crossed his eyes from Garrus to Thane, then back again repeatedly without moving his neck.

"Well this is fucking awkward," he exclaimed loudly out of the blue, "and I kill shit for a living."

"If we're going to move to less violent topics there is one thing I want to discuss with you all," Garrus started, somewhat stuttering and hesitant in his tone.

"Oh shit, where's this going?" Zaeed asked tiredly, as if he wanted to avoid what was going down.

"Well, Shepard and Tali seem happy, I was wondering if any of you had comments on that?" Garrus asked in his high pitched (for a turian) happy tone as he took a sip from his drink. In an instant Thane's eyes brightened and a random light from out of nowhere lit his face up as he raised his head almost instantly.

"His stance relaxes, arms wrap around her hips, looks her straight in the eyes. She raises her head, doing the same, arms around his shoulders. They whisper, make promises of love, a life, a homeworld. He picks her up, sweeps her off her feet, and they are gone." Zaeed's eyes widened at the strange revelation, having very little experience with dealing with drell in his past, but Garrus had somewhat of an idea having been talking with him quite a lot on the Normandy.

"Reliving another memory?" Garrus asked politely. It seemed strange to him, but Garrus wasn't one to insult his friends.

"I remember seeing Shepard and Tali together this one time. They are happy. That is fortunate, there is much darkness in this galaxy. I am relieved to see some brightness in it before I perish." Garrus chuckled at seeing Thane's soft side, though he knew he shouldn't be surprised. Thane was in fact a protector first and assassin second who was giving his best to make the galaxy a better place with the short amount of time he had left.

"Shepard has had to deal with a lot in his life. The gangs on Earth, the slavers on Elysium, hell when chasing down Saren, and no doubt Tali hasn't had it easy with the Fleet. I'm glad something's gone right for them for once," Garrus declared proudly as he rested his drink on the table. Zaeed had been swirling his drink around, smiling to himself at the discussion, realizing that Shepard and Tali had reminded him of himself and Jessie, his one true, pure love, only both participants were living, animated people. He knew he had to pay some sort of tribute to the happy couple, however unusual and awkward it would be to him. He held up his glass with one hand as he put on a smile for the rest of the team.

"To Shepard and Tali, to something going right for a fucking change!" The other two held the glasses up and a quiet, high pitched noise of clashing glass was heard around the table, temporary as it was as the loud music of Afterlife killed it.

"Agreed," Thane replied.

"Just like old times," Garrus replied.

-Thanks for reading my latest chapter. Only a few more to go and this story will be brought to a close. I already have a few ideas for a few my stories after this one is complete, maybe some one shots of ShepardxTali to place within this story as well separated by an epilogue, but my next full story will probably be about dragon age. I'm also starting to post updates on my profile when a new chapter is coming out soon or if I find a good fanfic on this website and I get permission to advertise it. Until next time, farewell!

-Frostbrandt

PS: Tell me in the reviews if some of the characters do or don't feel out of character, I've tried but some dialogue doesn't feel right sometimes you know, no matter what I do.