Series Title: After the Reapers
Pairing: Garrus/Shepard

Author: Knights-Honour
Disclaimer: Mass Effect universe © BioWare
Any character you haven't heard of © me

Author's Notes:

Thanks go to my Beta; Blueglaceon, who despite having little knowledge of the Mass Effect universe, agreed to edit the series anyway. Thanks, Blue!

This is set about a week before The Beginning of the End.

Return to Tuchanka

"We've just entered Tuchanka's atmosphere, Commander," Joker reported over the ship's com as Shepard, Garrus and Grunt stepped out of the elevator and into the Hanger.

"Thanks, Joker. The Normandy's yours. Don't get up to any mischief while we're gone."

"I'd have to be Superman to be able to do that in half an hour, Commander." Joker's laughter echoed through the Hanger. "See you when you return. Joker out."

Chuckling, Shepard entered the Kodiak and settled behind the controls, "Everyone aboard? Next stop, sunny Tuchanka."

"Better buckle up, Grunt," Garrus advised the young Krogan, following his own advice as the shuttle hummed to life. "Shepard tends to turn into a kamikaze when she gets behind the wheel."

"I heard that!"

~ o ~ o ~ o ~

Fifteen minutes later found the trio making their way through the war-torn landscape towards Wrex's throne, the Varren Urz eagerly trotting alongside his master, as all around them Krogans stopped to stare at Shepard as she passed and Kat knew that she didn't need to be Einstein to figure out why: her tattoos. While Turian/human couples weren't all that unheard of, cases of a human taking a Turian's clan marks were extremely rare. Doing her best to block out the murmurs, she pressed on until Wrex came into view.

The Urdnot Clan Leader was speaking to his clan's Shaman, but when he spotted his former team-mates he stood up and swept past the Shaman to greet them.

"Shepard," he rumbled as he gripped her arm in his. "Back from the Omega-4 Relay, I see."

"Wrex," she returned the greeting as Wrex spotted Garrus.

"Garrus?" the old Krogan lumbered past Shepard and thrust his hand out again as Shepard remembered that she hadn't brought Garrus ashore when she had discovered the Wrex was the leader of Clan Urdnot, as Mordin and Grunt had made much more sense as a ground-party at the time, seeing as both had had business with the chief, though she'd sent for him to participate in Grunt's Rite and to help with the search for Maelon. "Ha! Looks like some things haven't changed. Still under Shepard, I see."

Unconsciously, Garrus' mandibles began to twitch as he remembered just how 'under her' he'd been during last night's activities and he felt himself moisten beneath his armour in response to his thoughts. The double meaning of the old Krogan's word weren't lost on Shepard either as Garrus found his voice, "What can I say? I'm a creature of habit. Life's too boring if I'm not in the thick of it. Besides, I might get soft if I sat around all day."

Wrex laughed at the Turian's obvious jab as he studied the cybernetic mesh that covered his neck and lower jaw. "And it looks like 'the thick of it' finally caught up with you. What happened?" His race had always respected strength, and judging by the scaring on Garrus' face, it had taken no small amount of strength on the Turian's part to survive whatever had caused it.

"I had a disagreement with a gunship."

"Figures," the Krogan laughed as he slapped Garrus on the back before turning back to Shepard. "Heard you spilled every last drop of Collector blood in a glorious explosion."

Shepard laughed. "You know me, Wrex. I never do anything in half-measures when it comes the saving the galaxy."

"That's an understatement if ever I heard one!" the Clan Leader chuckled. "Makes me glad that you managed to calm me down on Vimire all those years ago."

"That makes two of us, Wrex. You're a good friend. I'd have hated to lose you back then," Kat replied honestly. "So how goes things with uniting the clans?"

"Slow and bloody, but we're making progress."

"Grunt's Rite and initiation into Clan Urdnot has encouraged few more of the female clans to join our ranks and have expressed interest in him for breeding requests," the Shaman spoke from behind Wrex. "Your service under Commander Shepard has served you well, Urdnot Grunt," he told the youngster. "Tales of your adventures have reached our ears since you left, and the female clans await." Turning back to Wrex, the Shaman addressed him, "Thank you for seeing me at such short notice, Clan Leader," before turning and leaving the plateau, gesturing for Grunt to follow. Nodding his head to Shepard and Wrex, Grunt strode after the older krogan. Shepard watched them go with a chuckle.

"So the rumours are true, then," Wrex spoke up after Grunt and the Shaman had vanished from Kat's line-of-sight, causing her to snap her head back to the old krogan.

"Rumours?"

Wrex laughed his gaze locked on she and Garrus. "Grunt's adventures aren't the only things that have reached my ears since you were last here, Shepard. A few Krogans remember seeing a human bearing a Turian's clan mark on the Citadel a few weeks ago, and that that human was the great Commander Shepard."

Shepard could only laugh, trust Wrex to be keeping tabs on them. "Yeah, it's true. We're life partners now."

Wrex nodded his approval. "A better choice that that whiny excuse of a biotic, Alenko, at any rate." Alarm bells started to sound in Garrus' head when Wrex suddenly leaned closer to Shepard. "Although you could always do one better..."

Garrus felt his blood boil at the seductive tone in the old Krogan's voice and it wouldn't be until the red haze clouding his vision dissipated that he realized that the enraged snarl that filled the air had come from him as he loomed over the old krogan, Shepard tightly gripping his arm, doing her best to restrain him from pouncing on the Clan Leader's prone form as she kept her eyes trained on Wrex's guards as they aimed their guns on the enraged Turian. "Watch your damned mouth, Krogan!" Garrus, mandibles flared wide and teeth bared, spat the word like it was a curse.

How dare Wrex speak to his mate like she was a common whore that would jump into bed with anyone who came along!

Wrex began to laugh, much to everyone's surprise, as he picked himself up off of the ground, spitting out a globule of blood before signalling his guards to stand down. "You've got a quad, Garrus, I'll give you that." the old Krogan rumbled in obvious delight as he rubbed his jaw. "Not every male would attack a Clan Leader in his home!" Shepard could only shake her head; only a Krogan would take pleasure in facing a teed-off Turian, as Wrex fixed his gaze on her. "Worthy enough, Shepard. Worthy enough," he told the human Spectre before turning away from the pair.

Indignation grew in Garrus as he realized that he'd been played. Some kind of test? He fumed as predatory blues followed Wrex as he lumbered back to his throne and Garrus had to bite back the desire to knock him into the dirt again.

He would never understand Krogans.

Shepard's voice brought him back to reality. "How long will Grunt be allowed to remain in the female camp?"

"A week or two, depending if he gets more breeding requests while he's there. Once I know for sure, I'll send word to the Normandy."

"Thanks, Wrex," she nodded her head and the Urdnot Clan Leader returned the gesture before she turned and strode away from the rocky platform, Garrus matching her stride for stride, his mandibles set tight against his jaw as the sharp and acute shift of his hawk-like eyes zeroed in on every male in the vicinity to warn them off as they made their way back to the Kodiak.

TBC...