A/N: Wow, this was so much easier than I originally thought it would be to write (mind you, it's also much shorter than anticipated). I'm very happy with the way this went; which of course in turn means I'm probably going to get a flurry of people telling me that they don't like it. Ahh well, such is life :)

Only trouble now is it's careened slightly off course, so I have no idea how I'm going to follow it up!

Archangel was back; with that first fleeting glimpse of Harkin, Garrus had become so involved, so obsessed, with his hunt he had recessed back to the shell of a man Shepard had met on Omega.

"Harkin's a bloody menace. We shouldn't have just let him go. He deserved to be punished."

In that moment, Shepard knew she despised Archangel.

"I'm getting a little worried about you Garrus. You were pretty hard on Harkin."

"You don't think he deserved it?"

"It's just not like you."

He thought that the universe was a fair place. He thought that injustice was some horrible phenomenon which would always magically right itself. He thought if it didn't, it was his job, and his job alone, to fix it. She'd wanted to shake him. What part of her death was fair? What part of waking up in a strange place after suffocating cold and alone in deep space was fair? Was what happened on Horizon fair, Garrus?

"What do you want from me, Shepard?"

What did she want? She wanted Archangel to go away. She wanted her friend back.

"What would you do if someone betrayed you?"

"I'm not sure, but I wouldn't let it change me."

"I would have said the same thing before it happened to me."

So what; since when did that mean it was suddenly okay to give up? Sidonis had won: He could shoot him twenty times over and Garrus would go on blaming himself for what happened. Ten men would still be dead. All that would change was that a wrong somewhere in the universe would be righted; paid for with a life.

Was that really all he cared about?

"Who's going to bring Sidonis to justice if I don't? Nobody else knows what he's done. Nobody else cares. I don't see any other option."

The words were out of her mouth before she could stop them.

"Let me talk to him."

And now she was walking over towards Sidonis.

"Talk all you want, but it won't change my mind. I don't care what his reasons were, he screwed us... he deserves to die."

She lifted her arm and made signal for him to come over.

"I appreciate your concern... but I'm not you."

I'm not you; those three words which had stung the most. The old Garrus had looked up to her; she was his role model, a shining example of justice in the galaxy. She'd been the first person he'd told about reapplying for spectre training: No, she'd been the reason he reapplied for spectre training. Did all of that mean absolutely nothing to him now?

Sidonis stood up and started to walk towards them.

Harkin was right, the Terminus had changed Garrus. It had changed them.

"Let's get this over with."

Sidonis; was that really him? He seemed so... normal; a Turian she would have gladly passed by on the street on any other day.

But not today.

"Listen Sidonis, I'm here to help you."

What the hell did she care if this pitiful excuse for a Turian lived or died; this bastard was responsible for what happened to Garrus and yet he still couldn't even manage to make eye contact with her. So why did she felt so sick to the pit of her stomach? Would condoning Archangel's behaviour by allowing Sidonis to die necessarily make it right?

Or rather, would Garrus ever forgive her if she let him get away?

"Don't ever say that name aloud."

"I'm a friend of Garrus'. He wants you dead, but I'm hoping that's not necessary."

"Garrus? Is this some kind of joke...?"

"Damn it Shepard, if he moves I'm taking the shot."

"You're not kidding are you? Screw this; I'm not sticking around to find out, tell Garrus I had my own problems."

Shepard was shocked: Was that all he had to say on why ten men were lying prematurely dead in Omega? It was because he 'had his own problems' he left that mess behind for Garrus to clean up? Sidonis turned to walk away, and for the first time she saw Archangel: Months of camaraderie cut short by betrayal; a Turian standing alone in an empty, blood splattered apartment, not even caring as the bullets flew past his head.

She didn't know what to do: Part of her was still screaming at her to stop him, to not let Archangel win; part of her was slowly beginning to understand.

Sidonis walked further and further out of reach.

She realised had to act, not for herself, but for Garrus: Maybe one day he would truly understand, maybe one day he would thank her.

And maybe one day she would be able to forgive herself.

She let Sidonis walk away to his death.

Sidonis was right where Garrus wanted him: In scope.

Rage coursed through his veins; his talon protectively squeezed the trigger. Sidonis dies. Today.

"Let me talk to him."

What is there that could possibly be said? I'm sorry; as if two meaningless sounds were going to suddenly make it all better. Words won't bring them back to life, Shepard.

"All right. There he is... wave him over and keep talking."

"This isn't you either."

"Really? I've always hated injustice, the thought that Sidonis could get away with this. Why should he go on living while ten good men lie in unmarked graves?"

It was ironic he was standing here; he'd dedicated his life to fighting injustice and yet all he'd gained from it so far was kick in the teeth after kick in the teeth. He'd tried fighting by the rules, he'd tried exempt from the rules; he'd even tried in a place where rules had no meaning. Each time, it all collapsed out from under him, so why was he even bothering?

Shepard: That last straw he'd so desperately clutched to on the Citadel three years ago. She'd always been there for him.

She was there for him now, wasn't she?

"You're in my shot. Move to the side."

Shepard did not move.

"Listen Sidonis, I'm here to help you."

What the hell was she playing at? Didn't she understand what this meant to him? What it meant to the ten men he owed this much to?

"I'm a friend of Garrus'. He wants you dead, but I'm hoping that's not necessary."

"Garrus? Is this some kind of joke...?"

Yeah, everything from Omega to now has all been a big, merry parade Sidonis; trust me, you'll really be laughing when there's a bullet flying through your head.

Now move Shepard.

Shepard continued to stand there.

Fine then, she could have it her way.

"Damn it Shepard, if he moves I'm taking the shot."

"You're not kidding are you? Screw this; I'm not sticking around to find out, tell Garrus I had my own problems."

Sidonis turned to walk away; it was now or never.

1 second. She made absolutely no attempt to stop him...

2 seconds. He lined him up in his sights...

3 seconds. She turned away from Sidonis, bowing her head slightly...

4 seconds. He held his breath...

The shot tore through the air. Sidonis crumpled to his knees. Shepard turned her head towards where he was still standing.

Garrus closed his eyes and breathed in the moment.

"Betrayal repaid Sidonis."