A/N: Here's a bit of a funny chapter to add in before Tuchanka. Hope you enjoy, and again I apologize for the slowness of posting, I haven't yet been able to get ahead in chapters, however I'm hoping to take vacation from work soon, and should be able to do so then!
On another note, Wrex is back from his trip! So I can try to get posting back to every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday!
-Feary
Joker was confused about the sudden rush to Tuchanka, but before he could ask why, EDI stepped in for the rescue. "Right away Shepard, ETA three hours and counting."
"Yeeaaahhh... What EDI said Commander." The com-link clicked off as the ship was set to course.
"Thanks EDI, please let the Warlord Urdnot Wrex know of our arrival, also see if he can round up Grunt as well so that we don't have to.. search across the whole damn planet to find him." Of course the pause was meant for something along the lines of 'anything risky', and she was sure EDI would pick up on that. A sigh left her lips as Joker's confused tone reached her, but she shrugged it off as if it were no big deal.
Garrus sighed in relief, thank the Spirits for EDI. His gaze quickly shifted to Shepard, who had just finished adjusting her shirt, and chuckled softly. "Hey love. I think this would be a good time to get some food, you must be hungry. I'm sure I can find some, hmm.. Chocolate and Orange juice." He smirked with a chuckle at the memory of Mordin's words.
"Ooh I wonder if I can get the Mess Sergeant to cook us up some pizza." She chuckled, still hellbent on pizza, she was sure the Sergeant could whip something up at least similar to it. "And yes chocolate and orange juice is good too." She grinned, suddenly realizing just how hungry she really was. Her gaze turned to fall back on their two 'new' recruits, and when she thought new, not really new, but re-newed members. "Thanks again for joining back up guys! I shall see you around sometime." She offered a smile before standing, still holding Garrus's hand, and slowly making an exit.
They made their way down to the mess to acquire said food, both sitting at the table before the mess Sergeant glanced their way, nodding his head as he waited for their order. "Yeah, uhm. We'll have some orange juice, and a large pizza, for toppings, ask Shepard. Oh and if you have chocolate, that'd be great too, ya know.. on the side not on the pizza." Garrus shuddered at the thought as the cook turned his gaze to Shepard.
She settled at the table with a soft sigh, rubbing her temples slightly. They needed to hurry and gather the final members so she could break the news before the news broke free on its own. She totally spaced out for a moment while Garrus spoke, only snapping to when she saw the Mess Sergeant was staring at her expectantly. "Uh.. Oh! Sorry. Just pepperoni will do." She grinned as she turned her gaze back to Garrus, who seemed to be reading her expression carefully.
"Yeah, I know, I'm thinking about it too.. lets just hope the surprise doesn't spoil its self. Other then that, the Relays can only propel us through space so fast, so we're stuck at this pace for now." He reached over to place one arm around her shoulders, and place one hand on her knee as they leaned against one another, awaiting their food.
The orange juice came first, which Shepard sipped at slowly while they waited for their pizza, well her pizza. Soon enough it had arrived and the Mess sergeant gave them a friendly 'enjoy' before going back to begin cleaning up. Garrus then remembered the pills he received from the doctor, and thought now would be a good time to take one while he had something to drink swallow it down with. Without hesitation, he popped a pill into his mouth and took a swig of the drink. "Bleh! Human fruits are not quite something I like." He grumbled a bit before forcing another sip of the liquid down.
Her gaze flickered down for a moment before back up to meet his. "I'm nervous that we wont gather the remaining in time. Also, I might need some help suiting up for Tuchanka. Can't go like this, knowing Wrex, he's going to headbutt me to make sure I really am alive." She chuckled softly leaning against him as she plucked a piece of pizza up and set it on her plate. She couldn't help but giggle at his remark about the orange juice, and polished the rest of hers off in one go. "Not for you, perhaps, but I find it most delicious." She had picked her pizza back up and nibbled at it happily.
Garrus simply stared at her in amusement, how could she down hers in just one gulp, it baffled him, but he was going to have to get used to it. "Sure thing, suiting up shouldn't be a problem, I will just have to adjust the plates around the abdomen to be a fraction more flexible, and I will stiffen the collar plates to prevent shock through the body. Plus I'm positive that with EDI at the helm with Joker, she would say something if she didn't believe the calculations were positive." He grinned with a positive vibe, hoping his words would cheer her up, or at least relieve some of the stress he was sure she was feeling, but he himself felt unusually relaxed, normally he would have been tense, its not everyday a Turian goes to Tuchanka. Even when Wrex and Grunt were his friends, and helped them all save the galaxy, but there he sat, calm as ever, and a little dizzy too, if he could say so.
She simply nodded in response as she chewed her food, her mind processing several things at once it seemed. "Yeah that could work." She managed after swallowing another bite of pizza. "Shouldn't be too hard to accomplish, perhaps some sort of mesh that conforms with my body, and will expand with my abdomen as well as reflect a shot or two. I'll have EDI look into a material like that when it's time." She finished off another slice of pizza before leaning back with a soft sign. Completely content, and full now as her gaze shifted over to him.
He tried to look back at her, but was becoming more dizzy by the second. His surroundings became a blurring haze and he felt strikingly lazy. Soon enough he let his head fall to the table, and didn't move from that spot. "What in the hell is happening to me!" His tone was smothered a little by the table with his face planted int it. The cook looked at him, then quickly checked through the ingredients to insure he hadn't poisoned the Turian accidentally. He would not like to be strangled by the Commander. Within seconds the intercom clicked to life. "I'm detecting large mood changes in the Mess Hall, is everything alright Shepard?"
The sudden thump at the table had Shepard nearly lifting off her seat in surprise, and her attention quickly turned back to Garrus as his head lay on the table. The slurring of his words had her suppressing a small giggle as she pressed her hand to her mouth. "Garrus?" She managed, perking a brow as she turned to stare at the nervous cook, then turned back to Garrus as the coms chattered. "EDI? I think.. something's wrong with Garrus. Looks like he's drunk? Maybe? I don't know.." She stood quickly to loop one of his arms around her neck, and the cook rushed over to grab the other side of the Turian. "Come on, lets get you to Chakwas." She murmured quietly as they made their way for the doors.
Dr. Chakwas looked up, calm and collective as she eyes the obviously drunk Turian. "Commander Shepard.. your constant visits to the Med Bay do bring me comfort in company. Don't stress dear, he'll be alright. Do you by any chance know how many pills he ingested?" She chuckled as she motioned for them to lay him on one of the beds.
Shepard couldn't help but grin at the doctor's welcoming words as she set Garrus on the bed. Garrus clung to her hand, praying he wasn't going to die. "I'm sure he'll be fine. I think he only took one, I wasn't watching, but he took it with some orange juice." She shifted her gaze to garrus. She could tell he was afraid, and bent down to place a kiss on his forehead. "It's gonna be ok." She offered a grin.
Dr. Chakwas smirked a bit at Shepard's words as well as let out a small chuckle. She made her way to the med cabinet and found a small glass, pouring a clear liquid into it. "Here Commander, Help him drink this, don't you worry either, he's exactly what he looks like. Drunk as a Turian can get. The Vitamin C in the orange juice is one of the main ingredients in the pills I have him. To his kind, its highly intoxicating. By taking the pill with orange juice, he consumed too much Vitamin C. He should be fine, albeit with a minor headache, in about an hour or so. Best call Vega to help bring him to bed!" The Doctor couldn't help but laugh at Garrus and his bubbly mood. With that she lightly tapped him on the cheek bone with her pen, and smirked, as if teasing him like he didn't know how to hold his liquor, but she knew better. She just saw the perfect moment to be a little humorous.
Shepard snorted with a laugh as she helped Garrus sit up so that he could drink the liquid as the doctor had suggested. "I'll have to keep that in mind and be sure he doesn't mix the two again." She smiled warmly at her love as he drank from the cup, and once he was finished, she carefully let him back down. "I appreciate all your help lately, Doctor." She chuckled, leaning against Garrus' bed as she lifted her hand to activate the comlink.
"EDI can you please have Vega report to the medbay? I have a drunken Turian that needs some assistance getting to bed." She chuckled softly, tilting her head as EDI responded quietly. "She's getting him now."
"Vega? The Commander requests you in the Medbay, apparently Mr. Vakarian needs some assistance." Her voice echoed over the shuttle bay coms.
Vega looked up confused, Garrus never needed his help, but oh well, might as well get this over with. "A'right! Hey Estabon! You heard the lady. Will be back shortly." He made his way to the elevator and waited for the slow hunk of metal to ascent into the crew deck. The Doors slid open for him as he made his way into the Med-bay. "Hey Loco, you and Scars need my help?" His gaze shifted down from the dazed Turian and Shepard partially sitting on the table, to Dr. Chakwas sitting in her chair facing the three of them.
Emerald gaze quickly flickered to Vega as the doors slid open to allow him in, and she couldn't help but chuckle softly at his confused look. "Yes, you heard correctly. Mr. Vakarian learned that orange juice to him is much like a nice shot of ryncol to you or I. I seemed to have pulled something in my back, or else I would have helped him to our quarters myself, if you could please?" She motioned to Garrus with a grin. "It would be much appreciated."
"Heh! Since when did you start getting too old to carry someone eh Loco? That doesn't sound like you Shepard, but a'right, be glad to help, I haven't worked out today, so this would be the perfect time." He laughed as he walked over to Garrus and lifted him up onto his shoulder with a small huff of air from his chest.
There was a teasing frown on Shepard's face as she listened to Vega's words, and she scoffed lightly. "Well, when you've been killed and reconstructed several times, you come tell me how your back feels." She chuckled, watching as Vega hauled the drunken Turian on his shoulder.
"Man did he gain a few pounds? At least now I know how to win a drinking game with him. A'right to bed or you Scars." He mused aloud as he headed out of the Med Bay, Turian on his shoulder. As he stepped into the elevator, EDI stepped out, causing Vega to pause and turn. "Woah, didn't expect you EDI, come to check on drunk ass here?" He looked at EDI with a grin, beads of sweat already forming on his forehead.
Once again she began to think up a lecture for Vega at the mention of drinking games, but was cut short at the pair walked out, and EDI strode in. The look on the AI's face told Shepard everything, and quickly she stepped back into the room so they could speak privately. "I'll be with you shortly Vega, get him in bed for me. It seems EDI needs to speak with me." Her brow perked in curiosity as she waited for the AI's response.
"Yes Commander, I wish to check up on you, and your strained back." She instantly began insisting she stay in the medbay, so that she may have time to heal correctly and to be sure she didn't run off again.
"I-.."
She was cut off by the doctors chuckle as she turned toward the two of them. "Shepard is fine, EDI. She simply fabricated a story that Vega would believe so that she did not have to strain herself to help Mr. Vakarian to their quarters. It was quite a wise decision."
EDI seemed to visibly relax, though deep within she knew Shepard wasn't harmed, nothing within her scans indicated so. "Very well, Commander. Do you wish for me to contact you once we reach Tuchanka?"
The Commander nodded slightly to agree with the doctor before turning to EDI as she spoke once more. "Ah, yes, that would be much appreciated. I will ensure Garrus is well and ready by then. Thanks for your help guys, you don't know how much it means to me." She offered a grin before she turned, headed for the elevator.
The ride seemed to fly by this time as the thoughts passed through her mind, she almost didn't notice that the door had opened, waiting for her to exit the elevator. Her head shook carefully as she strode into her quarters, and dark green eyes scanned the room for both Vega and Garrus.
Garrus lay fast asleep on the bed with his shirt off, as well as Vega on the sofa, his shirt also discarded. His tattoos shone slightly against the bright lights in her cabin while he read the holo-news, awaiting Shepard. As she strode into the room, he glanced up, watching the confused look that crossed her face. "Hey there Loco, don't worry it's not what it looks like. Garrus puked in the hall. Luckily none of it got on the floor. Instead it was all over us." He made a disgusted face. "So I washed them both after getting the lump of Turian in bed. I can grab mine and head back to the Shuttle bay if you like?" He grinned as he scratched the back of his head, closing his eyes with an innocent look.
Her eyes darted from one male to the other, noting almost immediately that their shirts had been missing, she frowned for a moment, but chuckled at Vega's explanation. "Ah I see how it is, well at least there wasn't that bad of a mess." Her brows perked casually as she strode across the hall and plopped her rear on the foot of the bed. "Well considering Garrus needs his rest, and that I should be resting my back, I think it's best if you head back to the shuttle bay. Just be prepared for when we near Tuchanka, we are more then likely taking a shuttle, less.. noticeable then the whole Normandy landing." She scoffed, scooting back on the bed to inspect her sleeping lover, and be sure he was resting well.
"Very well Commander, lem'ee just grab my shirt and I'll be on my way." With that, he grabbed his damp shirt and headed out of the room, shirt slung over his shoulder.
Garrus lay motionless on the bed, one could almost pretend he was dead, had he not been breathing. He was sleeping like a rock, not much for him to do but sober up. However it wouldn't be long, especially since he threw up most of the orange juice. Deep in his thoughts he knew he still had to calibrate Shepard's armor before they entered Tuchanka, but.. probably best to do so while sober.
Shepard watched Vega go with only a slight nod, and the moment the doors closed behind him, she was settling against Garrus's side. Her datapad pulled up, and her research open. She didn't know how to be a mother, only a soldier, a warrior, and with no knowledge of motherly things, she would have to to her fair share of research to insure she would be a good mother. A gentle sigh left her as she read into it, but her mind did not hold the subject for long, and soon enough she was passed out as well.