Note: Can you wait for ME3? I can't! I'm going crazy!I'm keeping away from spoilers and keeping my fingers crossed for lots of gooey Garrus goodness! Needless to say updates will continue to be slow, but that enthusiasm and inspiration will be high. I hope my readers will stick with me for the ride.
All standard disclaimers still apply. Although I don't own the characters or universe, I do work hard on my little stories. Please don't print or repost without my knowledge. Thanks.
And thanks again to all the people who've taken time to encourage me by adding me or my story to favorites or alerts. And, most especially, thanks to those few who've written reviews. I welcome your interest, thoughts, and ideas-even constructive criticism. Your support is always appreciated, and often instrumental to maintaining the inspiration necessary to develop a story.
Chapter-Specific Notes: Takes place a little while after Treason, probably when the team is preparing to go and pick up the Reaper IFF for the end run. This chapter is shorter than I like them, but I think it's important, and I'd like to post and develop this story a bit more before the release of ME3-though I have more than full intentions of working on it long after that.
I imagine it might take place after Parts Answering Parts 24 and 25: Doubts and From Doubt to Certainty, of course, this would place it after Parts Answering Parts 23: Just What to Say and I think another good fit for this chapter might be slightly before that.
"Tali tells me some of her people have suggested putting her name forward as a candidate for the open position on their Admirality Board."
"No, Shepard."
"Garrus..."
" Don't even say it. You know it's not going to happen."
"Are you saying I'm not allowed to make my final request?"
"I'm saying that even if Tali and I agreed-which we never would; we never would leave the ship, abort the mission...abandon you...But even if we did, we still wouldn't be able to give you what you really wanted. Our lives would still be in danger, Shepard."
"Garrus is right," Tali said, her voice quiet but firm. "I wouldn't even have a life to risk if it weren't for the two of you. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't be allowed to go back to the Flotilla at all, let alone with any influence."
"With all due respect," Garrus said, drawing out the pause after the words in a way that was quite deliberate, "You need us, Shepard."
"I'd never claim otherwise," she retorted. "Not even for a minute. But that's just it..." She paused, her brows drawing together in those ridges he'd always found so strangely reminisce of the plates on his own forehead. "No one's ever come back from the Omega 4 relay. I don't intend to let that stop me but... regardless.. I already know...I'm going to need people here, on the front line. People that know what we're up against. People I can count on to get our forces mobilized. People I can trust...and that's a damned short list. In fact... you two are looking at it."
Well, mostly, anyway...it might have included Liara, Joker, and Chakwas, too...at least to an extent. But rhetoric was sometimes more important than accuracy. They knew what she meant.
"You've got a point," Tali said, causing Garrus to whip around and stare at her in disbelief. She ignored him, a trick he could have sworn she'd picked up watching Shepard interact with him. In other circumstances, it might have been kind of funny, maybe even endearing. "But, Shepard, you know better than anyone how little influence conviction has in politics. Even if we stayed, I doubt we'd accomplish much of anything before you returned and having us with you might make the difference that brings you home. We aren't going to walk away from that for anything or anyone."
"Not even for you." Garrus added, meeting Tali's eye and tilting his chin in a gesture of gratitude he knew she understood. In spite of the mask, he was absolutely sure she smiled. Perhaps he could see it in the silver slivers of her eyes.