A/N: *UPDATE* I did a lot of adding and condensing in this chapter. The story is still the same though. Enjoy. M for language.

Shepard rolled over and Garrus pulled her to him gently. Her belly was swollen to its limits by now and Garrus pressed his palm against it. Soon. Soon he would be a father. He met her eyes and saw his hopes reflected in them. As well as his fears.

She laid her hand atop his. Garrus gazed at their now similar appendages. Her skin had toughened up over the past couple of months. She even had some rather plate like growths on her biceps and forearms. And each of her fingers ended in a sharp talon. It was a very odd situation for him. He kind of liked this new, more Turian-esque Shepard, but he still preferred his soft, fragile mate more.

"Ugh." She groaned. Garrus smiled at the double tone. "I gotta pee again." She said rolling back on her side and attempting sit up. Garrus rose to help her when she gasped suddenly and both of her taloned hands wrapped around her stomach. "Oh god…"

"What? What is it?" Garrus was immediately kneeling in front of her his hands hovering over hers, desperately needing to aid in any way he could. Her face was frozen in shock and disbelief. Garrus followed her gaze to the growing stain on the sheets.

"My water…" She croaked and Garrus had her in his arms before the last syllable was out of her mouth. He ran out the cabin door and past the ever present Grunt who followed him into the elevator without question. Shepard screamed as a contraction tore through her.

Goddammit I've died. I can give birth to this fucking baby.

Another spike of pain tore through her most sensitive regions and she screamed again barely hearing Garrus' roar as he called for the doctors and Miranda. Suddenly she was laying on the now familiar gurney with four people standing over her. Dr. Chakwas was the first one to speak.

"Miranda, get some blankets. Mordin, monitor Shepard's vitals. Grunt, get Garrus the hell out of here. Let's deliver this baby."

Garrus could hear her screaming. And it was driving him insane. He should be in there doing…something to help her. Not stuck out here with Grunt. He glared at the Krogan who leaned against the locked med bay door. Grunt simply stared back. It just made him angrier. Another scream had him staring at the darkened windows of the med bay again. He needed to be in there. His fists clenched of their own accord and he took a step towards the door.

"I wouldn't do that, Turian." Grunt said standing straight and uncrossing his arms. Garrus growled and took another couple of steps.

"I won't warn you again." Grunt said with narrowed eyes. Garrus roared and lunged. Grunt smirked and braced his arms to catch the enraged Turian. They fell to the floor in a pile of armor and plates.

"Heart rate increasing. Breathing erratic. Chance of cardiac arrest increasing. Need to get this over with quickly." Mordin said pressing several buttons on Shepard's monitoring system.

Shepard panted, tears falling down her face and sweat pouring off her body. She screamed as another contraction shot through her. Suffocating in space had been less painful than this. She wanted Garrus to be here. She needed to hear his voice telling her that everything would work out.

"Garrus…" She said between sobs. She reached her arms out searching for him. Two five-fingered hands placed them by her sides.

"Relax, Commander." Miranda said above her. Shepard nodded vaguely and laid her arms by her sides. She wished again that Garrus was here. Another contraction rocked her body and she faintly heard Dr. Chakwas voice through her haze of pain.

"Mordin, the baby's fringe."

"Yes. Have considered this. Humans much softer than turians. Will have to perform cesarean."

"No." Shepard wailed. "Don't cut me open! Please!"

"Commander, if you try to have the baby naturally there's a high risk that one or both of you will suffer serious injuries." Dr. Chakwas said holding Shepard's face in her hands. Shepard didn't have a choice but to accept. She would just have to trust them.

"Don't put me under. I want to be awake." Dr. Chakwas nodded.

The next few minutes were spent prepping everyone for surgery. Shepard was doped up with more painkillers than she thought was safe, Miranda arranged a blinder over her chest so she couldn't see the operation, Mordin set up the laser system that would be used to make the necessary and incisions and Dr. Chakwas got a bassinet and some blankets set up. All the while Shepard kept herself as quiet and still as she could as her contractions continued.

"Okay Commander, we're ready to begin. If you feel any discomfort let us know." Shepard was caught off guard by the concern in Miranda's voice. The ice-queen wasn't usually so kind. But in the current situation Shepard didn't have the time or energy to argue. She simply nodded.

"Making first incision." Mordin said somewhere out of Shepard's vision.

Grunt tossed Garrus onto one of the tables in the mess hall. The Turian groaned and rolled off cradling his side. That was going to leave a nice bruise.

"Come on you Turian scum!" Grunt yelled knocking his fists together. "Make this a battle worth winning!" Garrus growled and stood, his hands again balled into fists. Grunt charged and Garrus side stepped, his fist connecting with the Krogan's temple. Grunt fell to his knees holding his head in his hands. Garrus hooked his talons into Grunt's armor and dragged him across the Mess Hall, throwing him against the kitchen wall. Grunt coughed and spat in Garrus' face. The turian wiped the bloody saliva from his scarred face and growled menacingly.

He pulled his fist back and was about to release a savage punch to Grunt's face when a small cry caused both aliens to freeze. The cry of a baby. Garrus released Grunt and was at the med bay door before the Krogan had pulled himself up from the floor. His still clenched fist collided with the door lock and it shattered causing the door the fly open.

The scent of Shepard's blood assaulted his nose and he felt his rage boil in his fear for her. His gaze fell on Shepard where she lay sprawled on the gurney with Mordin directing a laser across her stomach, sealing the incisions. Her breathing was heavy and her eyes were barely open. He was at her side in an instant brushing a sweat soaked strand of hair out of her face.

"Gar…" She said absently running her hand over his hip. He smiled reassuringly at her and then turned his attention the bundle in Dr. Chakwas arms.

"It's a boy." She said with a massive smile on her face. She handed the bundle to him and Garrus fumbled for a moment fearful that his talons might harm his newborn son. Spirits…his newborn son. His blue gaze met the blue-green eyes of his child.

His skin was a light pink tinged in gray between the darker colored plates. His face heavily resembled a Turian complete with a pair of mandibles and a short fringe. A small ridge rose from his shoulders and wrapped around his collar bones leaving an inch wide space in the middle that dipped down like a humans. Each of his five fingers ended in a sharp talon that clenched and unclenched at random. His hips were shaped like a humans, but his legs and feet were Turian-esque with a small knob where his leg spurs would be. Overall he was more angular than a human but more filled out than a Turian. And he was beautiful.

"Dammit, Garrus. I just went through all of the trouble to bring him into this world. The least you could do is let me see him." Garrus knelt next to her and they cradled their new baby together. A stray tear ran down her cheek as she stared at her son with a look that could only be defined as adoration.

"He's pinker than I thought he would be." Shepard said stroking her son's fringe. He let out a purr and his eyes flew open drinking in the image of his parents. His mouth opened wide showing toothless pink gums and his arms reached out towards Shepard. Garrus handed him over and watched silently as Shepard did something very un-Shepard like. She cooed at the baby in her arms.

Garrus wasn't about to kid himself. They weren't in the clear yet. Far from it if he was really honest with himself. But right now he could push all of those thoughts out of his mind. As he looked at his mate and their son he felt that fire in his chest spread to the far reaches of his being. As long as he had his mate and his son at his side he could take whatever the galaxy could throw at him. His eyes met Shepard's and his thoughts reflected back to him. His mandibles flared in a smile and he gently stroked Shepard's cheek.

As long as he had his family he had something to fight for.

A/N: Reviews are appreciated.