Hope you all like this chapter. I finally caved and wrote what you've all been begging for. Enjoy.

Chapter 5

Virmire had been more taxing than any of them expected. The assault on Saren's base had strained Wrex, as they were forced to kill the many indoctrinated krogan Saren had cured of the genophage. Shepard had almost managed to kill Saren... Almost. And to top off the crap that was their mission, Shepard hadn't been able to save Ashley or the Salarian STG captain, Kirrahe. They now had their next mission on the agenda, Ilos, but the spirits of the crew were at an all-time low. This was largely due to Shepard, whose anxiety and grief were etched clearly on her face.

It had been quite a shitty day, and more than anything else right now, Garrus needed a drink. He entered the lounge in time to see Shepard, sunken into the couch, emptying a bottle of whisky by herself. She gulped down the alcohol and stared at the empty bottle for a moment before leaning forward and throwing it hard at the closed metal shutters where it smashed on impact, raining glass shards onto the floor. He watched the back of her head warily as she collapsed back onto the couch.

"Shepard?" he faltered.

She didn't look at him, didn't move. He waited for a full minute, and when she still didn't respond, he sighed and made his way around the back of the couch. She was staring straight ahead, as if she could see through the shutters and into the void of space. She didn't look at him when she responded.

"You weren't supposed to see that."

"See you drinking alone or defacing Alliance property?"

She snorted and he grabbed a bottle of turian brandy from the bar, sitting down on the other side of the couch. She eyed him momentarily as he took a swig, and he caught her look.

"What? Am I bothering you?"

She shook her head and returned her stare to the shutters.

"You know, the view is better if you open the blinds."

She shot him a withering glare and he smirked in her direction, taking another drink. It had been a long mission, and they both deserved a bit of a rest.

"Do you have any big regrets?" she asked him suddenly.

He turned over her words carefully. "Yes and no. Before I met you, I had an opportunity to apply to be a Spectre. It wasn't something my father would have agreed with, and I didn't pursue it. I'll always wonder what it would have been like. But at the same time, if I'd been a Spectre, I probably wouldn't have helped you stop Saren."

She gave him a blank look. "That's it?"

"I guess so," he shrugged. "Turians are taught to own their decisions, no matter what they are. We don't see a point in regret, because it won't change what has already happened."

He watched her carefully as she considered his words.

"Shepard, you did what you could. The circumstances forced you to make an impossible decision. Ashley never would have forgiven you if you'd have saved her and left Kaidan behind."

"I think maybe turians have it right," she replied slowly. "Can't change the past, so you may as well try to forget it happened."

"That's not exactly how we -"

He broke off as she leaned in close to him, staring up into his eyes. He met her gaze carefully and couldn't force himself to look away. One small hand with too many fingers reached up and brushed gently across his cheek.

"Shepard..."

"Distract me," she whispered.

His mouth suddenly felt dry. "That's probably not... a good..."

But his traitorous hand had reached up to brush a strand of hair behind her ear, and the feel of her soft locks on his talon was even more satisfying than he had imagined. He'd never been so close to her before, except on the battle field. He'd never taken the time to breathe in her scent and notice how warm she felt.

She swung a leg over him and deftly pulled herself into his lap, placing her hands at the crest of his neck where she traced a swirling pattern into his thick skin with her fingertips. His hands were unsure where to settle, and he left them hovering in the air a few inches above her waistline.

"You're my CO, Shepard. We can't -"

"Are you telling me you don't want this?" she almost purred, leaning down and gently moving her lips at the hollow of his throat.

Garrus let out a shaky breath and unconsciously leaned his head back to give her better access. Suddenly it didn't matter that she was his boss, and even the fact that she was a human was starting to become entirely irrelevent to him. Turian women didn't have lips, and definitely couldn't mimic the amazing sensations her mouth was creating on his neck.

"You've been drinking." His voice was thick as he tried to focus. "And so have I. We really shouldn't do this."

It proved to be too much for him when her teeth grazed over his soulder. Before he knew it, his left arm was wrapped around her back, pulling her body flush against his own while his right hand buried itself in her hair, and he kissed her deeply. She let out a small gasp into his mouth and his grip in her hair tightened.

"I can't lead you on," he managed to hiss as she worked quickly against the straps on the chest-piece of his armor.

"Shut up," she growled in reply.

"Listen to me." He grabbed her hands, holding them still, and she shot him a dangerous look. "I don't want to give you the impression that I'm interested in a relationship."

"What part of this emotional breakdown gave you that impression?" she scoffed. "For the record, we're not in great standing. I do not like you. All I want is a decent fuck to make me forget what we've already been through and the hell we're about to walk into."

"Glad the feeling's mutual," he sighed in relief, releasing her deft hands.

As his chest piece fell to the floor and her sharp nails raked over the newly exposed terrain of his abdomen, something inside him shifted uncomfortably. Something about her words bothered him. He didn't want a relationship with her, but something she'd said...

He quite abruptly forgot about anything other than the hot tongue that had taken over the job her fingertips had started. She worked her way back up to his neck and bit down hard, the mix of pleasure and pain drawing a quiet moan from him. The look on her face at his sound was almost triumphant.

She stood, and he stared at her questioningly, disappointed.

"Take off the rest," she ordered, the note of command she usually saved for the battlefield present in her voice.

Good soldier as he was, he stood and stripped to the buff. Shepard eyed what she had to work with, then smiled appreciatively, allowing her hips to sway as she slowly approached him, pushing him down to the couch again. For a human, she was actually fairly attractive, he noted. Broad shoulders, a thin waist, and full hips. Soft flesh, but with hard muscle beneath. She threw off her shirt, and he noticed that even her skin color wasn't as unappealing. Not a pink or brown color, but more of an eggshell. Very light. Still alien to Garrus, but not as ugly.

"Would you like to see more?" she teased, leaning close to him with her hands on his knees.

He nodded, immobilized by the unfamiliarity of the situation. Her pants dropped to the ground and she kicked them off, looking back to him.

"Keep going," he urged.

"Ask nicely."

"Please." His sub-harmonics were taut and filled with need.

Shepard smirked at his desperation, but finished removing her underclothes and stood naked before him. Definitely not bad, he decided. For a human.

She knelt down on the ground in front of him and stroked his length gently, experimentally. He leaned to the touch, his breath staggering. He caught the devilish look in her eyes as she watched his expressions, continuing the motion with her hand.

"Shepard..."

"Commander," she corrected, then took him almost entirely in her mouth.

"Commander," he gasped, one hand flying to the back of her head and the other gripping the couch firmly.

"Much better," she breathed.

She raised herself, fingers trailing from his thighs to his chest, and sat in his lap again. She felt warm and wet against him, and he struggled not to thrust forward at her touch. As if reading his mind, she ground her hips against his. The delicious friction from the movement was almost unbearable.

"Have you ever been with a human before?" she murmured, hair falling in her face as she watched herself slide against him, covering him in her wetness.

"No," he admitted breathlessly.

"No, what?"

He caught on quickly. "No, Ma'am." A few more smooth movements against him - he was really starting to enjoy the feel of human skin - and she sat up, grasping him tightly in one hand, and lowered herself onto him.

He fought back a cry, realizing how close he already was to release. He watched her face as she slid down on him again, closing her eyes and biting her lip.

"Have you ever been with a turian?"

"Once," she panted, continuing her slow movements. "Nihlus. If I'd ever let a man break my heart, it would have been him. Real shame what happened. He had the most beautiful - oh, fuck - clan markings."

His hands had wandered to her breasts, which had begun to bounce as her pace quickened. The curious touch as his palms grazed her nipples had her almost whimpering.

"What are my orders, Commander?"

"Just... fuck me!" she cried, and he shoved her off, pushing her into the ground and burying himself inside her.

He swung her legs up onto his shoulders and did exactly as she'd requested. His pace was faster than hers. One of her hands shot out to find his, pressing it to her breast and holding it there tightly, while she used the other to rub herself as he entered her urgently over and over.

As the orgasm hit her, he watched her mouth open in a silent but barely contained scream. She tightened around him, and he finished with a few hard thrusts, groaning her name.

He pulled away and collapsed beside her on the lounge floor, spent.

"Hell if you didn't give Nihlus a run for his money," she said between breaths.

He chuckled. "And you were equally satisfying." For a human, he decided not to add.

But maybe humans weren't so gross after all.

(A/N): This story is tentatively complete, so make sure to review.