*Author's Note:

This chapter is a bit of a filler. Sorry about that. I will work on this later, but I had to move on to the good bits while I could! Check back later for edits :)

"MISS ME?"

The doors to his sniper den burst open, wailing mercs dead or dying below. A helmeted figure kicked her way in, a shotgun in one hand, a salarian liver in the other. He couldn't believe it. His rifle dropped as he groped his helmet off, and before he even realized what he was doing he was closing the distance between them in long, swift strides.

Shepard just had time to take off her own helmet as Garrus swooped her up with an alarming ease, a hug so crushing she dropped the green liver in her hand.

"Garrus," she nuzzled into him as she spoke his name, not even caring that the action was more intimate than she intended. She knew in that moment that anyone who tried to touch her turian, had to go through her. And judging by her newly heightened biotics, that wasn't going to happen soon.

Garrus was surprised by these new powers, almost seeming like they had no limits as they missioned aboard the new SR-2. He saw her hurdle herself at her enemies, covering the battlefield in a single blast and sending mercs flying. He had to admit, it was something to see. He watched her as she placed herself in the thick of the fighting, reckless as she would easily get pinned down from all sides. Seeing these situations made his plates itch uncomfortably in his chest, and fire his rifle at a much faster rate.

It was on Illium, a particular hangar bay was loading red sand right where they needed to get some critical intel on the location of some asari mutant. Shepard could pronounce the correct term beautifully, like it was her native tongue. He wondered what else her tongue could do, right before a crash from overhead jolted him back to the fight.

Shepard had charged in ahead, sending shockwaves at the perfect line of yellow clad mercs at her 3. Another was coming up on her 8, but Garrus took him down before the slime could touch his trigger. It was this shot that distracted him from the head merc hidden behind a crate. She sent a cargo container shooting out in Shepard's direction, but she wasn't fast enough to roll away into cover. The container was filled to the brim with red sand, and the commotion of the wreckage sent the sickeningly gaseous fumes engrossing Shepard, stuck in her cover and blinding her exits. He didn't even think as he leaped out of cover and bolted towards her, blind to everything but the fiery human engulfed in toxic gas.

"SHEPARD!"

A red haze filled his vision. He groped, clawed his way to her. She was lying motionless, her arms twisted in sickening directions. He scooped her up without thinking, cradling her in his arms, shaking. The gas around him reminded him he had to move, he had to get her out of here. This purpose was all that kept his sanity in check.

"Garrus, we have to get her to Chakwas immediately, you know what this stuff-" the human with the thick accent tried to remind him what he already learned about this substance from his time on Omega. He knew all too well what could happen to biotics exposed to too much of this filth.

"JOKER GET US A DAMN SHUTTLE," Garrus roared into the comm, holding a limp commander across his arms. He looked at her then and he knew he couldn't lose her again. This couldn't happen. He had to get her to Chakwas, and he had to do it NOW.

It felt like eternity before the shuttle came up and brought them back to the Normandy. Garrus carried her all the way to the medbay, but refused to leave even as Chakwas took her and assessed her condition. Bruises were already forming on every inch of skin visible, some of her armor cracked. He could hear her pained breathing, but it was much too faint. He was blinded with fear. He knew he was in the doctor's way but he couldn't move his legs to leave.

I should have seen that damn asari, I should have taken her out before..before...The image of her under the container haunted him, ached his plates. Seeing her now, he couldn't…

The good doctor knew better than to let the turian see the procedures that needed to happen, which required her to find a reason to get him to leave. He was sent to retrieve Mordin for some extra hands, though the medbay doors deftly shut before he could re enter.

He paced. He didn't know how long it was before Mordin reappeared.

"Condition stable. Staying in medbay to monitor effects of red sand. Nasty stuff. Surprisingly little effect however. Should be out of system by morning if calculations correct. Given cybernetics, should heal nicely. Similar to krogran redundant system," with his last sentence he placed a knowing hand on Garrus' shoulder before he turned to leave. The medbay door was still open, and welcome or not, he wasn't leaving his human's side.

He didn't know how long he had been sitting in the chair next to her bed before he finally heard her eyes flutter, her heartbeat more normal in her chest. She cooed softly in her sleep, muttering his name before she drifted off again in a sweet smile.