Roarkshop here: Happy Monday everyone! I hope you have a wonderful week! And I hope, as always, you enjoy the chapter!

I got a pretty good response to my little fanvid on youtube "Sexy Mass Effect Men – A Tribute" so I think it's a project I'll keep up. If you have any suggestions for couplings, songs, ideas I can do I'm always willing to listen to your feedback and ideas! I would like to keep the reviews/comments section for reviews and comments for the stories for people who haven't read the story to read. So if you DO have any ideas for me feel free to send them as a PM or you can find me on Deviantart at www(dot)roarkshop(dot)deviantart(dot)com

Thanks again for reading my fan fiction! The support, comments, and reviews I get from you guys are what keep me writing chapters, along with my fabulous Beta Reader. Thank you all again.

Shepard spent a a lot of the next day down in engineering with Tali, catching up, while they made their way to Illium. Garrus knew that's where she was, and that she was fine, but still was fighting the urge to stick to her side. The episode in the Cargo Bay had left him shaken, more so than he was trying to admit to himself. But as he sat in the battery ticking his talons through the Thanix Cannon's calibrations, it was obvious that he wasn't making any progress. It didn't help that he hadn't slept much the previous night. He kept wondering if Shepard was sleeping, kept wondering if she needed him. Instead of torturing himself he ended up telling the AI to alert him if she started showing signs of instability again, which she...it agreed to do.

"EDI," he said. "Where is the Commander?"

"Commander Shepard remains in engineering with Ms. Vas Neema Nar'Raya, Mr. Vakarian."

"Good."

"This is the fourth time you have asked over a period of 3 hours. Would you like me to alert the Commander that you desire her presence?"

"No," he said hurriedly. "No, it's fine."

Leaning on the console, he tried to concentrate on where they were headed; Illium. Garrus really wasn't fond of the place. It's what Omega would look like if it had money and a police force. He started to make his way into the mess to grab himself food, concluding that the only real difference between the two places is that one sparkled, and one didn't.

He rubbed the back of his neck, losing himself in his own thoughts, as he made his way to Mess Sgt Gardener.

Shepard had started warming up to the crew immediately. Everyone saw it. The sleep rings under her eyes were completely gone, that light that lit up her face filled the room, and she took a little more time to talk to every crew member that morning before heading down to engineering. As Garrus went to Mr. Gardener to get his own dinner, he noticed a few members of the crew talking about the change as they ate.

"Maybe it's the new crew member," Hadley offered. "The quarian. I know they were old friends. Maybe having her around again put Shepard in a really good mood."

"She isn't in a really good mood," Joker said with a mouth full of food. "She's just back to normal."

"Back to normal? What has she been this past month?" Miranda asked.

"I dunno, different. Cold. Solemn. I don't really know what was wrong with her, but, what she is now, that caring, friendly, bright Commander, that's her. At least that's how we all remembered her back in the SR1 days." Joker gestured between Garrus and himself as he spoke, and Garrus nodded to confirm what he was saying.

"I like it," Kelly Chambers said happily. "She's so full of life, so happy. I hope she stays this way."

"Most likely related to several hours of continued REM sleep," Mordin prattled. "Had gone weeks without proper cerebral rest. Side effects of sleep deprived insanity unknown. Easily remedied with proper slumber."

"Or," Joker interjected. "Maybe she just got laid."

All eyes fell on Garrus as he sat down.

"What?" he asked, wondering why everyone was looking at him.

"How about it Garrus," Miranda said with a smile, leaning back in her chair.

"Yeah, we all saw you coming from the elevator instead of the Battery yesterday morning," Hadley said.

Garrus could hear that Tali and Shepard had just gotten out of the elevator so he decided to take the opportunity.

"Yeah," he said sarcastically. "That's just what I need. Sex with someone as fragile as wings on a Lily Fly."

"Did you just compare me to some space bug?" She said, coming around the corner. "Like you would have a chance with me with that broke up face."

"Whatever you say, Space Bug."

"If I were to get laid," She continued. "The point would be stress release, not to give myself nausea. So no, the raptor-chicken here would not be involved."

"That's adorable, Space Bug," Garrus teased, turning his head to look at her. "You talk as if I wouldn't break you in half."

She laughed and took the seat across from him. "Hardly. You couldn't even break Jokers bones."

"Hey," Joker protested. "Leave my bones out of this!"

Everyone burst into laughter and the joy spread through the whole mess. Everyone was enjoying themselves, or at least seemed to be. Grunt just ate and ate, more or less ignoring the frenzy around him. But even Mordin was laughing and joining in the conversation.

Shepard shared a silent, meaningful glance with Garrus across the table.

Just like old times.

Everyone finished their meals and eventually started telling their own war stories. Shepard usually refrained from that. While she enjoyed listening to them, anytime she would tell her own war story it would always end the conversation as it was usually pretty hard to beat. So she just sat back silently and listened to everyone. Garrus was eventually dragged into entertaining them with a little tale about stress release on turian ships.

"We uh," he cleared his throat. "Held a tie-breaker in her quarters. I had reach, but uh, she had flexibility... More than one way to work of stress, I guess."

The men in the room whooped and hollered, Shepard laughed and shook her head. Tali and Shepard seemed to have picked up right where they left off, laughing and chatting like sisters more than friends. Garrus smiled to see how happy Tali's presence made Shepard. He hoped it would let her know that not everyone from her old crew was like Kaidan. That those that knew her would always stick by her.

As the crew settled the scene turned raucous quickly. The men, and even some of the women, all started holding arm wrestling challenges while the rest of the group would bet on the winner. When Hadley challenged Jacob, the girls were all cheering for one side or the other.

"Jacob," Shepard said quietly to Tali.

"I don't know, Shepard," Tali said.

"Definitely Jacob," she said again.

And sure enough, about 35 seconds in, Jacob finally pinned the helmsman's hand to the table.

"It's a good thing we don't actually bet credits," Tali said. "I'd owe you a ship by now."

Shepard laughed.

Jacob stood, arms out, enjoying the accolades. "Who's next," he taunted, no one speaking up.

"Really?" Kenneth chirped as he patted the defeated Hadley on the back after collecting his winnings. "No one thinks they can take him?"

"Silence isn't admitting defeat," Shepard said sipping her tea. "Just because no one wants to, doesn't mean they don't think they can."

"Is that so, Commander," Jacob said crossing his arms confidently. "Is that a challenge?"

"It's not," she said setting down her mug, focusing on the man, casually. "Do you want it to be?"

An awkward hush went through the room.

"Never underestimate Shepard," Tali said.

"I'd have to agree," said one of the crowd. "I'm not sure who I'd bet on for that."

"If you bet on Jacob," Garrus said, leaning back in his chair. "I'll gladly take your money."

They all laughed but he could tell that it was getting under the human's skin. He noticed that human males, more than any other race, often had a complex about being inferior to women.

"I'd take that bet," Jacob said.

"No it's okay," Shepard said, trying to wave it off with a laugh. "I really wasn't trying to get involved."

"No no, Shepard. Time to put your money where your mouth is."

She looked up at him again, her focus intensified at the disrespectful tone he took. A severity came over her features and Garrus knew this was why human males all wanted her so badly. The way the slightest change in her face could take her from tender to terrifying. The way she commanded respect from anyone around her without putting forth any effort. The profound presence in her that demanded reverence. The danger, hidden by the guise of beauty. If humans didn't think that was sexy, he understood why they were so bad at finding mates for themselves.

Garrus cleared his throat when he realized he had been staring at her.

"Fine, Jacob," she said with a care-free smile. "If you really want me to make you cry in front of all these pretty ladies, I will."

"Kick his ass, Shepard!" Jack cheered from the other side of the room.

Bets were flying around the room before Jacob could even take a seat across from her, Shepard stood and turned her chair around so she could straddle it. She rolled out her shoulder and sat back down, putting her elbow on the table.

They joined hands and Jacob eyed her up and down as Kenneth counted. When he hit three, they began.

Both of their faces strained. Their hands hung in the middle pushing on each other, and Shepard was making a show of struggling. She even let Jacob move into her hands territory a little bit.

Garrus laughed, taking a drink and shaking his head.

"Don't laugh," Kenneth said, filled with anticipation, gripping the turian by his shoulder. "This is serious."

"You actually buying this?" Garrus said, motioning to the event in question.

"Buying what, exactly?"

"I guess you just don't know her as well as I do," he said looking at her. Shepard winked at him.

"Holy Haggis," the engineer screeched as he saw Shepard drop the act. "She's fakin' it!"

Everyone roared as her hand slowly, but steadily, pushed Jacob's closer to the table. His feet flailed as he tried to gain leverage before she slammed it down with a laugh.

She didn't raise her arms, didn't make a show of the victory, only picked her mug of tea back up and took a drink.

"Well played, Shepard," Jacob said as he stood, more admiringly than Garrus had expected. He thought for sure Jacob would have gotten frustrated, but it just seemed to make him like her even more.

"Not bad for a space bug," Garrus said, sipping his coffee.

"Why do I get the feeling you're never going to let that go?" she said with a laugh.

"We have a new champion," Kenneth shouted, collecting his money from the Jacob betters. "Who will take her on?"

No one was going to touch that.

"That was fun," Shepard said. "But I'm not going to take on everyone, I don't have that kind of patience."

"What about Garrus?" Hadley said. "He probably thinks he can take you."

"Garrus knows better," Garrus said, sipping his coffee.

"You've tried it before?"

"What happened?" Kenneth asked.

"It was a draw," they said in unison.

"Oh?" Kenneth said wagging his eyebrows. "Did you... hold a tie breaker afterward?"

They all laughed.

It was good to see Liara.

Garrus and Tali seemed like they were equally pleased to see her, regardless that the conversation had become rather somber after she told them about the Shadow Brokers involvement in finding Shepard's corpse. Still, they promised to stop by again before they left Illium, and Liara promised to let them know if they could help with the Shadow Broker. All in all it had been a rather pleasant conversation.

Shepard left Tali and Garrus to wander while she went to talk to the officer Liara referred her to. She gathered as much information on the Justicar that she could, which turned out to be hardly any. But they had a destination, and a purpose, and that was enough for Shepard.

"Oi," she called, approaching her squad mates. "We can get a taxi and head to-BUH!" Shepard was shocked by the red of Garrus' visor when he turned to look at her. "What the hell is that?"

"I know," he said, rubbing the back of his head. "I figured I might as well upgrade while I was buying a new one, but, it doesn't come in blue."

"And I thought seeing you without your visor on was weird," Tali chirped. "I'm not sure which suits you less. You had used the blue one for years, right?"

"Yeah, something like seven years," he said laughing.

"Are you going to be able to adjust?"

"Please, Tali," he said, waving her off. "Like Shepard says, adapt or die, right?" He looked over at her and almost did a double-take when he saw how she was smiling at him.

"I like it," Shepard said.

"Thanks," he said, rubbing his neck again, wondering why what she said embarrassed him. "But, I'm pretty sure you're biased."

"I'm not even sure this is a good idea," Shepard said as they continued through the eclipse merc territory.

"You said we need as much help as we can get, right?" Tali said.

"Well yeah, but I'll tell you what we don't need, a justicar who answers to a clearly defined code that involves murder and power frenzies."

Garrus laughed.

When they saw the volus, swaying side to side in front of the head eclipse merc's office, Shepard tapped him on the shoulder to try and figure out if he needed help.

"I am a biotic god," he said, lighting up with blue energy. "I think things—and they happen! Fear me, lesser creatures, for I am biotics made flesh!"

"I uh... Okay, then." Shepard replied, scratching the back of her head. "I think you need help."

"You need help!" he came back and she heard Garrus stifle his laughter.

He went on to ramble about his greatness, how the asari had injected him with red sand, and how he worked with Pitne. "I will toss Wasea about like a rag doll," he continued.

"Shepard," Garrus rumbled. "I don't think he can even tie his bootlaces."

"Yeah, we really don't need you in the way, little guy," Shepard said, bending down to him. "Maybe you should take a nap."

"Are you mad?" He shouted. "I'm unstoppable! Feasting on her biotic-rich blood will be the last step of my-"

Shepard poked him in the shoulder softly, effectively knocking him over.

"I uh... What was I saying?" He mumbled as he got up and started to meander away, stumbling. "Maybe a nap... destroy the universe later..."

"That. Was. Adorable," Shepard cooed as they made their way towards Wasea's office.

"I don't see what the deal with this red sand is," Tali said.

"Yeah, besides giving me a stomach ache and making my hand tingly, I don't know what the big deal is."

"It supposedly boosts biotic power." Garrus offered. "There's a lot of it on Omega, dealt with it quite a bit in C-sec too. Problem is, it's toxic so the people who expose themselves to it to boost their power, slowly kill themselves."

"Like most illegal substances, then."

"Yeah. None of us are biotic so it's just plain toxic to us.""

"Fantastic," she said as they opened the door to the office. It looked like it was empty, except all the crates and boxes around. A desk sitting inconspicuously in the middle.

"Everything's gone to hell," said an echoing voice. "Since we smuggled that filthy creature off-world."

The warehouse was throwing off Garrus' hearing. The echo and reverberation was making it hard for him to pin point where the voice was coming from. When Shepard looked at him for answers, he shrugged.

"Spread out," Shepard said softly so her voice wouldn't carry. Tali went to the right, Garrus to the left, and Sheprd, armed with her assault rifle, went down the middle.

"First that Justicar shows up," the voice continued. "Now you. At least I can take pleasure in turning your head into a pulpy mass!"

By the time Garrus got eyes on Wasea, up in the rafters, it was too late. She had already hurled the crate at Shepard.

"Shepard!" Was all he managed to get out. Just as the Commander turned to look, the crate hit her and she grunted in pain. A red cloud erupted from her and she disappeared in the fog of sand. Tali and Garrus quickly started firing, trying to take down Wasea's shields. Reinforcements started pouring in from the sides and Garrus had to start concentrating on taking them out so they didn't get overwhelmed.

"Shepard, are you alright?" Tali shouted from behind cover.

"Yeah," she grunted. They still couldn't see her within the red starburst of sand, but she was talking, so at least she was okay. "But I don't feel so good," she added.

Garrus took out four more mercs before looking over to where Shepard was. She had started standing, swaying. But something was very wrong.

Blue biotic energy surrounded her as she stood, crawling over her skin like a wave of blue insects. The light she gave off was so bright she almost looked like a star, though she obviously didn't notice it, just put a hand on her head as she stumbled.

"God damn," she said making her way behind cover. "That shit is potent."

"What in the hell?" Garrus said, dumbfounded.

"Shepard I-" Tali didn't even know how to respond.

"What?" Shepard asked, trying to locate her comrades. "What's wrong?"

"I'll tear you apart," Wasea roared, throwing another crate at the Commander.

Shepard leaned out of cover and poured automatic fire across the room taking out two goons as she tried to locate Wasea.

"Where is she?" Shepard shouted.

"Eleven O'clock," Garrus shouted, snapping back to the situation. They had to handle the fight before they could handle the Commanders... situation.

Shepard leaned out of cover but there was another cloud of red sand in between her and the glowing biotic, marring her vision. So she came out of cover, and started to charge the woman. While she had intended to simply run through the cloud of sand and tackle the biotic, that wasn't even remotely what happened. As she started to run, blue electricity flared between her feet, and she was propelled across the room so fast, Garrus, even with his superior sight, only saw a bright blue flash across the room as she was launched into the asari.

She hit Wasea with such force that the biotic was rocketed into the far wall behind her, crashing against it and sliding down to the floor. Shepard didn't notice that, though. She was too busy staring at her hands, still glowing with blue biotic power.

"What in the blazes..." she said softly, before locating Garrus. "Great googly moogly," she shouted at him, pointing at Wasea. "Did you see that?"

"I did," he rumbled, going to her. "Are you okay?"

"That was awesome," she cheered, looking back over at the unconscious asari. "I was like 'Wooooosh! Pow!' Knocked that bitch out cold!"

Garrus laughed as Tali caught up.

"What was that, Shepard?" Tali asked.

"I don't know," she replied, looking at her hands again. Once the adrenaline started to wear off she was swaying. "Ugh, now I'm dizzy."

Garrus reached for her and held her arm in his hand to hold her steady.

"We should get you to Chakwas," he said. "That can't have been normal."

She wrung her arm out of Garrus' grip. "I'll be fine," she said. "We need to find that ship name and get it to the Justicar before she kills detective Anaya because her 'code' told her to."

Garrus exhaled through his nose and followed her. He knew protesting would just make her more determined, so he reluctantly agreed and decided to finish the mission. Maybe once she got the Justicar on board he could convince her to go see Chakwas.

He doubted it.

"Shut the door" she whined from bed. "You're letting the light in."

Garrus did as she asked, stepping into her quarters. There was virtually no light in the room as Shepard had figured out how to turn the light of the fish tanks off. Regardless, Garrus could see her perfectly fine.

"Shepard, I'm taking you to the Med Bay if I have to throw you over my shoulder to do it. Now get up."

"No," she said burying herself under her covers. "I'm fine."

"Yes," he said, throwing the blanket off her. "Come on, Space Bug."

She made some sort of noise in protest, curling herself into a ball, like it was going to stop him.

He smiled.

"Now you really do look like a bug," he said.

"I'm not going," she pouted.

"Do you really want the crew to see you hung over my shoulder as I drag you, kicking and screaming, downstairs?"

"Go to hell, you giant bird-monster."

"Alright, then. I warned you."

Garrus made good on his threat, picking up the compacted Shepard and flinging her over his shoulder.

"Okay, stop," she said as she tried to hold herself up and wriggle free.

"Nope," he said making his way to the door. "Sorry, Bug, you had your chance."

She flinched as the door opened, revealing the florescent light that pained her. Garrus imagined this is what she would be like if she ever drank enough to get hungover, which she never did. She sighed as the elevator doors closed, putting them in much softer light.

"Put me down or I will kill you in your sleep," she slurred.

"Shepard, I can hear your heartbeat, you think you're going to be able to sneak up on me?"

"I am a biotic god!" she roared as they exited the elevator, fists in the air above her head.

Garrus had started laughing so hard, the people in the mess had all started staring at him as he brought her into the Med Bay.