Roarkshop Here: Sorry for the late post everyone. This past week kicked my butt! I'm surprised I got a chapter up at all. Next week might be late too, or not at all, since I have another back to back crazy week. But I will try my hardest to get a chapter up I promise.

Thank you for your kindness and understanding. Stupid life, getting in the way of what's important. UGH!

Anyway I hope you enjoy the chapter and I can't wait to hear what you think. A big shout out to Nattetimen on DeviantArt for this weeks fantastic chapter icon! Go give her a shoutout! All feedback is appreciated. I love you guys! Have a wonderful week and I will (hopefully) see you next Monday.

Lovelovelove

Roarkshop

"Shepard," Mordin said, looking up from what he was doing with giant green goggles over his eyes. "Glad you came. Exciting new experiment!"

"Lay it on me, Mordin."

"Used turian DNA samples. Isolated genomes for weeks until study complete. With proper development; will have serum that may grant Levo-based life forms senses equaling that of turians."

"Wait…Where did you get turian DNA samples?"

"Simple really," he said. "Plenty of tissue samples left from-"

"You know what?" She said, putting up a hand to stop him. "Don't want to know."

He shook his head, muttering something about squeamishness.

"Alright…so… you're saying this thing would heighten senses?"

"Not simply heighten. Triple, quadruple effectiveness."

"So we'd be able to, like, hear each other's heartbeats and shit? The way Garrus does?"

"Precisely!"

"Smell things better?" She said, feigning excitement.

"Yes!"

"See better?"

"Yes, yes, yes!"

"Run faster and jump higher?"

"YE- wait no. Serum would obviously not increase motor function, only the efficiency of basic senses."

"Bummer."

"Quite," he said, more or less ignoring her. "Once serum is complete, will be ready for test stage. Would test on self, but cannot accurately record data. Operative Taylor has volunteered."

"Oh splendid. That's just what we need. You will check with me before this happens, understood?"

"Yes, yes, yes. Will alert you once serum is complete."

"Very good. Don't blow anything up."

"Please Shepard," he scoffed, going back to his work. "Haven't had accidental explosion since grad school."

She laughed and made her way out to the elevator. That's just great. Mordin was going to turn everyone hyper sensitive. Weren't they sensitive enough? Jesus with heightened senses there'd be way too much fornicating going on. There would be no quiet to be had. Hopefully she could find a way to derail it before Mordin finished it. Perhaps by knocking on the Collector's door with a grenade.

Shepard stepped into the elevator and leaned her head back against the wall as she thought about the implications of heightened senses. If Mordin could really give humans the same heightened senses turian's had it would be an invaluable asset in battle, not to mention the possibility of it clearing up some clutter in her personal life. She laughed to herself. What would it be like to be able to read Garrus like a book like he was able to read her?

He would probably still dance around questions and still make her end up telling him more than he told her. Clever bastard.

She headed up to her quarters and changed into her workout clothes before heading back down to the crew deck before crossing through the Mess Hall. Joker, sitting across from Thane, whistled at her.

"I love being able to see your legs, Commander."

"Watch the tone, Lieutenant," she said with an entertained eyebrow cocked. "I can still kick your ass."

"You can do whatever you want to my ass. Wait…no. That came out wrong."

The rest of the crew had a good laugh at Joker's expense as Shepard made her way to the Battery.

"Shepard," Garrus said, turning around to face her. "Need me for something?"

"Hey, Sparkles, wanna get your ass kicked?"

"Is this your idea of foreplay?"

"In your freaky dreams, maybe. I need to work out my shoulder," she said as she rolled it out, showing him how she couldn't stretch it back all the way. "Come down and spar with me."

"As much as I'd love to embarrass you again, last time we sparred I nearly killed you, if you'll recall."

"Like hell, almost killed me. That's wishful thinking if I ever heard it. I was already wounded."

"That doesn't make my point any less valid."

"Seriously? You're afraid of hurting me? Me? President of the Universe?"

He laughed. "I believe that you believe you can win."

"Oh, you are such a jerk."

"Sorry Bug," he said with a smile. "Next time."

"Fine. Suit yourself, Lizard Face," she said, waving a dismissive hand and turning to leave the Battery.

Garrus exhaled as he watched her leave. Maybe more accurately; watched her legs leave. What was he supposed to say? 'I'm afraid of losing control around you?' 'Even thinking about the scent of your blood makes me crazy?' 'If I don't keep myself together I'm afraid I might kill you?'

He had to stay at arm's length if he was going to keep his act together. Sparring with her while she was wearing close to nothing was not the way to keep his instincts in check. He turned back around to keep working on his beloved console, trying to ignore the guilt he felt from refusing to help her.

"Hey Thane," she said. "Feel like sparring?"

Garrus froze, a chill surging up his spine.

"Sparring?" Thane said. "As in…fighting? Each other?"

"Yes, Frog Prince. Hand-to-hand? Get into Fisticuffs? Duke it out? Have a bout?"

"With a trout!"

"Really, Joker?"

"Oh come on. That was gold."

"I know what sparring is, Siha," Thane interrupted, fighting a laugh. "I was merely curious about your desire to do so."

"I need to work out my shoulder. I got messed up on the Augustine and the heist didn't exactly help at all."

"I told you," Chakwas said snidely from the other table. "You never listen to me."

"Oi! Mother hen! Always with the 'I told you so'."

Thane chuckled and stood. "Very well," he said. "I suppose I could do with the exercise."

The Battery console creaked under the force Garrus was putting on it. He inhaled a slow breath and slowly lifted his hands, resolving not to break the console in his fury. He had no right to interfere. If Garrus was unwilling to help her, she was going to find someone who could. Thane was the logical substitute. The two of them were getting closer. It was only a matter of time.

Still, if he would have realized that sooner…

No. It was a bad idea to get that close to her and Garrus knew it. He needed to just let it happen. It was going to happen sooner or later anyway, right? There was no reason to get himself worked up over something as stupid as a play-fight.

What are you, stupid? He could hear his dad scold. That green one is fast; faster than Shepard and you KNOW it. You really want to see her pinned under him? With his slimy green hands on her-

Before the thought could even finish defining itself in his head, Garrus quickly whirled around with the sole intention of stopping Shepard. A logical part of his brain tried to tell him what an idiot he was being, but his body made it very clear he had no say in the matter. Thankfully, he didn't even make it out of the Battery before Tali, like an angel spirit, came around the corner crying.

"Jane…"

"Tali? What happened? Are you okay?" Shepard said, taking the quarian by the shoulders.

"No. No. Jane I need to talk to you I-" She couldn't finish her sentence, just hung her head into her hands.

"Okay, okay." Shepard said, turning the girl toward the elevator. She turned an apologetic smile over her shoulder to Thane. "Rain check?"

Thane half-bowed and returned to his seat across from Joker as the girls loaded themselves onto the elevator.

Garrus leaned against the Battery console with a relieved exhaled, crossing his arms over his chest in a haphazard attempt to cover up his original intention. He had almost done something really very stupid. The last thing he needed was to explode on Krios and give himself away. Spirits he needed to get a handle on this. If just the thought of Thane and Shepard sparring was enough to make him lose himself, what was going to happen when the two inevitably got together?

Still, he couldn't help but feel that it was a small victory over the assassin. As hard as Thane was angling for Shepard's affections, he had to have been looking forward to it to some extent. Garrus knew he would have been.

It's not a competition, he told himself, eyeing the drell in the Mess Hall. And even if it was, he would have already won. You need to let this go.

Garrus sighed and looked at his feet, half defeated, before he heard Thane speak at the other end of the hallway.

"Tell me," Thane said, picking up his mug with one hand and sinking back against his chair. "What is a rain check?"

"Oh," Joker said moving his hand around like he was looking for words. "It's a…it's like a…postponement. Like when you ask for a rain check you're pretty much saying 'we'll pick this back up another time'. So Shepard is still going to spar with you. Just…you know… later."

"I see," Thane said, draping his other arm over the back of his chair and turning to focus his cold eyes on Garrus down the hallway. "Excellent."

Garrus and Thane locked eye contact and his mandibles double clicked in aggravation. The moment was a silent conversation, a deadly exchange. The predator in Garrus responded to the obvious challenge. As he stood there, leaning against the Battery with his arms crossed, his fists tightened subconsciously.

Thane raised his mug to his lips and drank, carelessly, unworried. The superiority in his face, the snide smirk and confidently quirked eyebrow, was what made the sneer overtake Garrus' face. He could feel himself starting to bare his teeth in anticipation for a fight.

Game on, Krios.

Garrus stood and made his way through the Mess Hall toward the elevator. They watched each other like two alpha-nathaks in a neutral territory. Their eye contact didn't break until Garrus was out of line of sight, loading himself onto the elevator. Once the doors closed he slammed his hand into the command for Shepard's quarters, he rolled his neck out, trying to calm. Just because he was determined not to ruin his friendship with Shepard didn't mean he had to just let Thane take her from him. No. He couldn't do both. He couldn't try to hide his own feelings while simultaneously just watching the drell move in for the kill.

Garrus had no idea what he was planning on doing to stop it, but he had responded to Thane's taunting and made it clear he wasn't going to step down. He stepped into Shepard's quarters, completely forgetting why she and Tali had come up here in the first place.

Damn that green bastard, he cursed internally. He had let Krios piss him off and charged up here without thinking. Tali was sitting at the edge of the bed and Shepard was crouching on the balls of her feet with her hands on the quarian's knees as she talked. They both turned to look at who was interrupting.

"Hey," Garrus said, stepping in awkwardly. "You can't just leave the room crying, Tali. I worry."

"I'm sorry, Garrus," Tali said sadly. Shepard stood and exhaled a slow breath through her nose.

"Yeah. Give us a minute, Garrus. She's kind of-"

"No it's okay, Shepard. I don't mind."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes," Tali said with a sniffle. "Come in, Garrus. You might as well hear it too."

Garrus shared a concerned look with Shepard as he made his way down the stairs and to her side.

"The Admiralty Board has accused me of treason."

"What?" Garrus said. "How can that be? Have they even met you?"

"That's what I said," Shepard confirmed, sinking back into her heel and crossing her arms. Garrus could tell she was putting the Commander mask on in an attempt to keep her cool. He could feel the heat coming off of her and hear how her heart was thumping furiously in her chest. "Nobody who knows you would believe for an instant that you'd betray your people."

"I don't know," Tali said. "They don't make charges like this unless the evidence seems absolute. But thank you. I appreciate your faith in me."

"Could this have to do with working with Cerberus?" Garrus asked.

"I'm not here working with Cerberus," she said, the word sounded like a curse when she said it. "I'm here working with Shepard, and they know it. They granted me leave to do it. It can't be that."

"Give me the steps, how do we fix it?"

"I need to get to the fleet. Book a shuttle out or something. If I don't get there in time, or I get convicted, I'll be exiled and I'll never be able be able to go back to my people again." She sank her head into her hands.

"Shuttle my ass," Shepard said, turning on her heel and heading out of the room. "Send the fleet's current location to the Cockpit, Tali. Now."

Tali looked up at the Commander as she was making her way onto the elevator. "Shepard you don't have to-"

"I said now Ms. Zorah," Shepard demanded as the elevator doors shut.

"I'd…do what she says, Tali," Garrus said with a small smile.

Tali typed something into her omni-tool then put her head back in her hands.

"I'm scared, Garrus," she said.

"Hey." He sat down next to her and put an arm around her shoulders. "It's gonna be okay. Shepard will fix it. You know she will."

"I hope so," she admitted, laying her head on his shoulder.

"At this point everyone in the galaxy should know better than to screw with Commander Shepard."

Tali laughed. "Shepard won't actually be able help once we get there. The captain of my home ship will have to defend me. So we'll see how that works out."

"If Shepard wants to help, I don't think your people's rules are going to be able to stop her."

Joker was leaning back in his chair with his feet crossed at the ankles on the table, lifting the two front legs of his chair off of the ground so he could lean back further. Thane, sitting across from him, was calmly sipping his tea, sinking back in his chair as they talked.

"So you remember everyone you've ever killed?"

"With perfect clarity," Krios responded, sipping his tea.

"Jesus. How old were you when you killed your first man?"

"Twelve."

"Twelve years?"

Thane quirked an eyebrow and smiled. "No, twelve days."

"Yeah, alright smart ass."

"It seemed a silly question."

"It was rhetorical."

"JOKER!" Shepard bellowed as she stepped back into the Mess Hall.

"Wagh!" he shouted, falling backwards. The only reason he didn't crash onto the ground was Thane's very timely foot planting into the seat of his chair and slamming it forward and back onto all four legs. Joker looked down at Thane's foot which was perched at the edge of his seat between his legs. He cleared his throat and adjusted his hat. Thane didn't even look like he had moved, still calmly sipping his tea. "Jesus. Careful, man! Christ, my future children's lives just flashed before my eyes."

"You're welcome," the drell replied.

"Get your ass to the Cockpit!"

"What's up Commander? We're not going to Pragia?"

"No. We're not going to Pragia."

"What the fuck, Shepard!" Jack shouted from the other side of the Mess Hall.

"Pragia is still going to be abandoned and prime for detonating in a few days. We have an emergency situation right now."

"Pffft, whatever."

"Go, Joker. You have new coordinates on your console. You need to get us there. Yesterday."

"Yes ma'am," Joker said, scrambling out of his chair and limping to the elevator.

"Ridiculous," Mordin scoffed as he came out of the Med Bay with those goggles still over his eyes. "Time travel galactic impossibility. Should retrieve sample from core of dying star while at it."

Shepard rubbed her eyes with her forefinger and thumb. "Yes, Mordin. Helpful."

Garrus and Tali brought up the rear as Shepard marched through the quarian ship. There was a special kind of determination in her. Her footfalls were louder, her heartbeat was faster, her hands never ceased to be fists. As respectful as she tried to be while talking to the captains and Admirals, Garrus could tell she was seething.

"Wait…Raan," Tali said backing up from her aunt. "You called me Vas Normandy."

"I'm afraid I did, Tali. The Admirals thought it fitting you should be tried under that name."

"What does that mean?" Shepard asked. "That sounds bad."

"They stripped me of my ship name. They might as well have declared me guilty already."

"What the hell? Tali doesn't have any say in this? Does she get a defense counselor or something?"

"Indeed she does, Captain Shepard. She is recognized, by quarian law, as part of your crew. In our trials the accused party's Captain speaks on their behalf."

"So, um," Tali folded her hands over each other nervously. "Since the Normandy is my ship, that means you're my captain now. So… you'll have to speak for my defense."

"HAH!" Shepard said, pumping a fist like that was a victory. "Sweet."

Shepard marched on ahead, not bothering to dismiss herself from the Admiral's company. Garrus gave Tali a playful elbow to the side.

"I'm sure they don't know the favor they just did you," Garrus said.

"I have to admit," Tali said. "I was hurt to hear it, but at the same time I couldn't help but feel relieved."

"Then explain how geth seized the lab ship where your father was working!" Admiral Koris spat, leaning over the railing threateningly.

"They…what?"

"Geth have killed everyone on the Alarei as far as we can tell," Gerrel added. "Your father included."

"No… No that…." Tali looked down, shaking her head like she was looking for answers.

"What the hell is this?" Shepard sneered. "Accusing one of your hero's of treason with a nice side of 'Oh, by the way your father could be dead?' What the hell is the matter with you people?"

"Shepard is right," Raan said with no small amount of disdain. "Tali should have been informed."

Garrus leaned against the railing behind his squad members. Bad news aside, he really should be videotaping this. Shepard defeating the quarian Admiralty Board by shouting at them was going to be something worth re-watching.

"Ja-er, Captain," Tali said, taking Shepard's arm. "We have to take back the Alarei. He could still be alive."

"We will, Tali."

"The safest course of action," Koris droned. "Would be to simply destroy the ship from a distance. But if you're looking for an honorable death instead of-"

Both women leaned forward and pointed at him, shouting the same thing, at the same time.

"We're looking for her father, you asshole!"

"I'm looking for my father, you bosh'tet!"

They looked at each other.

Garrus stifled a laugh. Tali may have been spending too much time with Shepard lately.

They spoke to the Admirals. Well, rather, Tali spoke to the Admirals and Garrus helped where he could. Shepard kept her arms crossed and didn't let a word escape her lips. God damn, she was so pissed. She knew if she even opened her mouth to try and help she would fly into a string of curses that would probably make Jack blush. That wasn't going to earn Tali any favors. But holy fuck, right? This whole thing was obviously a giant farce. And Shepard was going to make damn-well sure the Admirals knew it before she left this ship.

"I take no pleasure in this, Tali, truly," Admiral Koris said nonchalantly. "But you have gravely endangered and dishonored our fleet."

Garrus' quick grip on Shepard's shoulder was the only thing that kept her from punching the snide right off of the Admiral's helmet.

"Easy, Tiger," Garrus rumbled softly.

"I am going to kill every exo-suit-wearing-bobble-head-mother-fucker in this god damn place." She whispered it, knowing that none of the quarians would be able to hear it through her own suits speakers. Still, it felt good to say, regardless. And by the way Garrus stifled a laugh, she was pretty sure he had heard it.

They killed their way through the Alarei, finding clues to what went on, but nothing Shepard really understood.

"I don't know what outcome is worse," Tali said, more to herself than to them. "That I got sloppy and sent something active? Or that father actually…did all of this."

"Come on," Shepard said, as she opened the next door. "We need to get this done before they declare us dead and all of this is for nothing."

With Tali's hacking and Garrus' long range capabilities, the fight through the Alarei didn't last long. Christ, they were dropping faster than prom dresses. Shepard took a moment to enjoy the action. It was good to have the dream team back together, doing what they did best. A well-oiled killing machine, moving systematically over the synthetic corpses.

Albeit the circumstances weren't exactly ideal.

Shepard charged down the hallway toward the next room while Tali deciphered some information on a console. As soon as she reached the steps, she recognized the corpse on the floor from the pictures Tali had shown her.

Ah, shit, Shepard thought. For a minute she froze, panicked. Her brain tried to think of a response; hide the body, divert Tali, find a different route, blow up the ship, anything. Deep down she knew there was no way around this, but in that moment she hoped for any outcome other than the one she got; Tali running down the hallway.

"Father!" She shouted, falling to her knees at his side. "No. No no no. You always had a plan. Masked life signs, or, or an on board medical stasis program, maybe. No. You…. They're wrong! You wouldn't just…. Die like this!" She slammed her fists into her father's chest. "You wouldn't just leave me! You promised! You promised to build me a house on the home world! You cant-"

"Tali," Shepard said, taking her by the shoulder. "Hey."

Tali threw her arms around Shepard's neck and the Commander gladly wrapped her in her arms. Garrus put a hand on Tali's shoulder from behind, hoping it was comforting.

"Damn it," Tali sobbed. "Damn it!"

Every single one of them, Shepard repeated in her head, trying to quell her anger long enough to comfort Tali. I'm going to kill them all and decorate my cabin with their helmets.

They could hear the Admirals already concluding that they were all dead and Shepard mumbled under her breath as they marched through the hallways, gaining ground faster than the other two.

"Is she going to kill someone?" Tali asked softly.

"Uh… On one hand, I hope not. But on the other, I wouldn't be surprised."

"There is no reason to believe Tali'Zorah survived," Koris said with a superiority so familiar Garrus wondered if he had it trademarked.

"How about the fact that she's killed bigger and more dangerous enemies with her hands than you've ever even seen with your own eyes, Admiral?" Shepard shouted from the other side of the room as she charged in.

"Yes. Sorry we're late," Tali said with quite a bit of sarcasm of her own.

"Go get your floating sardine can."

"We apologize, Shepard. Your success in taking back the Alarei is… unexpected." Admiral Gerrel admitted.

"Unexpected? Do you even know who I am?" Shepard cursed.

Oh, this was going to be good. Garrus flicked his omni tool on discretely and leaned on the railing as he started recording.

"Your success is very welcome, Captain Shepard," Raan interjected.

"Well, don't dally about," Koris spat. "Did you find anything?"

"Yes, Shepard," Gerrel said. "Did you find any evidence on the Alarei that might clarify what happened there?"

Shepard looked down at the floor, squeezing her hands into fists. Garrus knew she was conflicted. There was no way she was going to let Tali get exiled, but she also didn't want to betray her friend's trust by revealing that her father was a war criminal. Garrus was certainly glad he wasn't the one in her boots.

"Shepard, please," Tali said, reaching out to the Commander as she stepped forward.

"Does Captain Shepard have any new evidence to submit to this hearing?" Raan asked.

Shepard, in the way Garrus had seen her do before, outstretched her arm and pointed at the Admiralty Board.

They flinched.

"Tali's achievements are the only evidence you should need," she sneered. She paused for a moment to let her words sink in, turned around, and walked away. "Come on, Tali. We're leaving."

Tali nodded and turned to follow her, unquestioning.

"I…what?" Raan said, confused.

"This is a formal proceeding!" Koris bellowed angrily.

Shepard whirled around and charged the stage, gripping the railing in her hands so hard the sound her gauntlets made on the metal silenced the room like a thunderclap.

"WRONG, Koris. This is a SHAM! You are obviously only angling to get sympathy for the geth to forestall Gerrel's war effort!"

"Pp-I… That is-"

"And YOU," Shepard wheeled onto Gerrel. "You're trying to get the experiments covered up so that you can get support and throw your whole fleet at the geth!"

"I…I…"

"And I'm pretty sure that Xen, the third member of this so-called 'Unbiased Admiralty Board', is crazier than a god damn barrel of pyjacks drowning in a river! None of you care about Tali. None of you are here for your ordained, sacred, duty of delivering an unbiased and fair judgment about the fate of one of your people's hero's. So go ahead," she spat flinging a dismissive hand. "Exile the woman who defeated Saren. Exile the greatest hero your people have ever known. I dare you. See if I even flinch. We are about to take on a threat so big your empty helmets couldn't even comprehend it. If we even survive that, I will spare a moment to mourn her quarian citizenship. I don't care what you do with your stupid toy ships. I don't care if you want to throw your lives away as you barrel down onto a threat you have no hope of defeating. Do what you want. But you will leave my crew out of your political bullshit or so help me I will bring down hell on this whole fleet faster than you can Keelah-se-fucking-lai!"

"Nice," Garrus said softly to himself.

"Shepard's right!" Kal'Reegar said, jumping up from the audience. "Tali'Zorah has done more for our fleet than you assholes ever have!"

Quarian expression was amongst the hardest in the galaxy to read. But it was plainly obvious that the four Admirals were stunned into bewildered silence.

The Admirals came to their senses, of course, dismissing the charges against Tali. They couldn't argue with Shepard, they knew she was right. Tali's trial was just a show to gain support and it was obvious they all realized how wrong they had been to use her as a political medium.

"Please accept these gifts," Raan said, transferring items through her omni-tool. "In appreciation for you taking the time to represent one of our people.

"I didn't represent one of your people, Admiral. I represented one of mine."

"So you did, Shepard," Gerrel said, sounding a little more reverent than he had been.

Most of the congregation scattered slowly after it concluded and Shepard made her way back up the stairs, Tali and Garrus in tow.

"Borderline racism aside," Tali said afterward, pulling Shepard aside. "I can't believe you pulled that off."

"Really?" Garrus said, meeting them. "I'm more surprised she managed to wait that long to shout at everyone." He laughed and clapped Shepard on the back. "Way to go, Bug. I'm proud of you. You didn't even shoot anyone!"

"I was one exile away from a killing spree," She scoffed, shaking her head. "Believe me."