*Author's Notes- Hey guys. With Spring rolling along and it being close to the college final extravaganza, I'm going to slow down from my once a week upload schedule to an every other week one, but I'm going to try to make the chapters longer. They seem a little short for my liking and would love to hear your guys input. Also, considering I didn't have a direction I wanted to go in with the story, I'm going to try to make an actual plot, not just surviving and creating a life together. This may even help with the chapter length. As always, fav, follow and review. I want to know what you guys think.;)
Ch. 8
Decisions, Decisions
After their time out in San Diego they had returned back to the hospital to continue treatment under observation. Shepard reached across her body, straining to reach her omni-tool without waking the sleeping Turian on her legs as she laid down in bed. She finally reached it and pressed to change the channel displaying on the screen in the room. She was tired of watching Fleet and Flotilla and had already seen in 100 times with Tali. She settles for a soccer game between the San Diego Xolos and Flamengo. How she missed her time N training in Rio. Whenever she had free time she tried to watch the team in Rio, Flamengo, as it helped her unwind from the hours of training and being screamed at from ruthless instructors.
Her concentration is broken by the VI announcing a visitor to the room. She turns down the screen as she turns to see the door hiss open to reveal Admiral Hackett. Shepard tries to shift up as the door opened to Admiral Hackett walking in. She held her hand up in a proper salute as she would've done any other time. The only difference was she had Garrus' head laying on her thighs asleep. Which all he's been through, he needs it right about now, she thought at the time.
" Hell Commander, there's no need to salute, I should be hugging and kissing your ass after all the lives you've saved over the last few weeks," Hackett firmly stated.
" Sir, thanks for coming by, how's the rest of the world doing?" Laura asked.
" Well, we're just peachy. The relay is half way repaired, and we're housing every single alien race the world has ever seen. There's even been murmurs of the new Council making it's home here on Earth."
" That's a huge development from a few years ago where we didn't even sit on the Council," Shepard snorted.
" I think it may actually be good. Maybe not logical as we're near the edge of Council Space, but we have a versatile world that can cater to everyone," Hackett replied. " But, I came to see how you are, not talk politics."
" Sir, I'm fine. In a few weeks I'll be up and kicking ass in no time."
Hackett uncomfortably shifts his weight as he get ready to formulate his response. " Unfortunately Commander, we're going to take you off active duty. The extent of your service has been considered by the Military Tribunal as above the call of duty and feel it's deserved. The Alliance has changed your title, you're wanted as the new Executor for the Council, that is if it's on Earth."
I knew this day would come, but so soon? Laura thought to herself. " Can I think about it Sir?" she asked.
" Of course, anyone is willing to bend for the Savior of the Galaxy. If you don't accept we'll just have to find something else for you to do. I know you both need to think about it," Hackett said staring at Garrus as his head moved up and down on Shepard. " If what the Primarch is telling me is correct, he's going to offer Garrus a job as Senior Advisor to the new Turian Councilor. I'll give you time to think about it." Hackett had moved toward the door ready to take his leave.
" Thank you Sir, we'll let you know," Laura said as she shot her hand up in a salute.
When she was sure Hackett wasn't in earshot she turned toward her rousing boyfriend. " You heard that?" she said.
" Damn, how did you know?"
" Well, when you have someone fall asleep on your body multiple times, you get to know when they are faking their sleep." She had known he was awake. Hell, she knew exactly when he woke, when Hackett had told her not to salute. " But, what do you think about both of those propositions. I don't want to accept due to you not getting anything yet."
" Well, if I get the offer, I think we both should accept. Maybe the Primarch will let me be part time, so you can accept and I can more than enough help raise the kids if we every have any."
What, I'm not even out, we don't have a home and Garrus is thinking about kids right now. What has gotten into him? She thought as she smiled at him. Maybe you're over thinking this. Nothing over the past three years has gone to plan, maybe that's why I'm so worried.
Garrus woke up in his cot when he heard the slight chirp of his omni-tool. Curse you you stupid machine, he thought as he lifted it up to see it was the Primarch. He wanted to step outside the hall to take it. I Don't think the Primarch would like it that his communication could be heard by everyone in the hospital, he thought as he looked around. He eyed the human bathroom and sighed. Not again, he sighs at the use of the room. It's the only secured space and it would make a great story, I guess. " Primarch, what can I do for you?" he said as he shut the door.
" Garrus, are you in a human washroom?"
" Only secure room in the hospital Sir," Garrus grumbled.
" Ha, when you need your privacy. I called to see how you and Shepard were doing. It's hard to get information when you're coordinating the entire population of a homeworld in a small area."
" We're fine, she woke up a few weeks ago. She just needs time to fully recover, and you know me. Nothing will ever stop a Vakarian."
" True, you and your father are testament to that," the Primarch chuckled nervously as he was trying to figure how to ask. " Garrus, I also wanted to call you to offer you a position as the Senior Advisor to our new Councilor."
Of course you are, Garrus mused to himself. He'd known about it for a few days after Hackett let it slip. " Do we even know who the Councilor will even be?" He regretted asking because in the back of his mind, he knew. The man who had been close to a few Primarchs, was close to the top of the Turian tier structure, and had gotten him his task force and resources. Please don't say it's him.
" We have it pinned to be your father, Vibos Vakarian."
Garrus died a little on the inside. He was going to be an advisor to the man who had talked down on him as he was never enough, stalled and ended his investigations in C-SEC in the name of not following rules, and most of all held a biased idea of humanity. Some would call it racism, but Garrus didn't think it went that far. Even then, serving under his father of all people who had a very narrow idea of what a Turian should be and who a Turian should be fucking is a daunting idea to him.
" I'll have to think about it Primarch. Can I have a few days to think about it and can it be part-time? I can't imagine my father needing a massive amount of help." Garrus said as he tried to hide his discontent, but knew the fellow Turian could see right through the changes in his sub-harmonics.
" Yes, We can arrange for part-time after all that's happened and you have two days. Bye, Vakarian," the Primarch replied before the omni-tool connection ended. Garrus opened the door to find Shepard staring at him.
" That what I thought it was?" she asked.
" Yep and my father will be the new Councilor."
" Well, I had to meet him someday. But we need to talk about what we want to do."
" I want to make my home here, with you. That is if you want to," Garrus said.
Wow, straight forward. I like that, Shepard thought. " If you want to I want to as well. We can finally end running forever and settle down, maybe a couple of kids…" She was kicking herself for saying that. He said that the other day and she had questioned him. Now she was the one suggesting it. His mandibles flicked in surprise to her words.
She had always deflected when they talked of it in the hospital. Maybe she's ready after we both may have a chance at being a semi-normal couple, besides the inter-species thing, he thought to himself.
" So, we're both gonna accept?"
" Yea, definitely," he said in the same seductive way he did when she asked if he wanted to "relieve stress" with her before they took on the Collectors.
She chuckled at his voice as she remembered the first awkward conversation they had about doing the deed.
The door opened as the Asari doctor walked in with a file of papers, " Shepard, Vakarian. You're free to leave now. We want to wish you both well in your lives and hope to not see you in here for a long time."
" Thanks doc, we'll try to keep ourselves out of trouble," Shepard said as she adjusted her Alliance dress uniform. Her scars have healed quickly after the corrective surgeries. They made her look as if Harbinger hadn't even hit her. Garrus sat quietly waiting for Shepard in his Turian Military uniform. It was hard to get used to it as most of the time he had been wearing heavy armor over the uniform. He felt too light, too exposed for his liking.
Shepard had came out to the waiting room to see Garrus sitting uncomfortably in the human designed chairs. His crimson outfit sticking out in the sea of white and navy blue of the hospital staff and Alliance personnel. "Ready to go?" she asked as she took his hand and fit her five fingers as best she could between his three talons. He got up and followed her outside.
The Pacific sun was blinding at first as Shepard waited for her eyes to adjust. She looked to see the buildings still broken, ravaged, and knocked down. At least the streets are clean.
They went to the sky-car provided by the Alliance and Laura stated their destination, " San Diego Public Transport Terminal number 5."
" Laura, where are we going? The Primarch told me we were to head to the city of Barcelona, as that's the new home of the Council." Garrus questioned.
" I know, but I felt you would want to go here first," Laura said as the car stated information on Terminal five.
" Terminal five, next transport leaves in one hour. Destination; Las Vegas, Nevada," the onboard computer stated.
