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Loyalty and Limerence
Part 1
Chapter 19
The Citadel
As they entered the main council chamber at the top of the tower, it took Garrus a few moments to adjust himself to their new orientation. Their long accent up the tower's exterior had been slow and arduous, leaving them in an almost frenzied panic when they finally made their way into the large, dimly lit room. Saren had a head start on them and the extra time it had taken to get up there had only made it worse.
The first thing that hit Garrus was the smell of smoke, a smell not stumbled upon often in the strictly controlled environments of the Presidium. The emergency lighting gave everything an eerie red glow and the walls were speckled with flickering shadows from the numerous piles of burning debris. An alarm was pulsing somewhere in the distance, adding emphasis to the unnatural silence in an area usually filled with conversing dignitaries.
"Enemy contacts on scopes, just ahead." Jane murmured as she looked through her sniper rifle's scope. There was a loud Crack! as she pulled the trigger and she jerked back slightly before looking up with a small, pleased smirk on her lips. "One less."
"We don't have much time left. We need to stop Saren, no matter the cost!" Shepard barked as he pulled out his shotgun and motioned everyone forward.
Shot by shot, flight by flight, they fought their way up the stairs toward the council's dais until Garrus glanced up and felt his heart jump into his throat. There, at the end of the overlook before the dais, stood Saren with his back to them as he typed furiously into a console. Garrus raised his weapon and took aim, his vision tunneling as he prepared to pull the trigger.
His barrier shattered and his world erupted in pain. He felt himself cry out as he fell, one hand dropping to the ground to catch himself. Looking down, he saw a bullet hole in the armor covering his thigh and he felt a string of expletives flow from his mouth as the blue blood splattered onto the floor.
"Garrus!" He felt himself being grabbed under the arm and dragged behind cover. Leaning against the wall, he let his head fall back as his breathing became ragged, the pain growing to encompass everything. "Hold tight, I'll take a look at it once we clear this group." Jane's husky voice seemed to echo down a long corridor as it trickled into his ears, competing for his attention with the screaming pain in his leg.
"No-" Garrus hissed in pain as he shifted, gripping his leg, "No time. Get Saren." He growled through clenched teeth and looked over at her, watching as she took down another geth before ducking back behind cover. Their eyes met, and she nodded after a moment.
"Stay here, stay safe. We'll take care of him." She looked over to where Shepard was taking cover across the room. He nodded, and moments later they both ducked out and charged up the stairs, weapons blazing, leaving Garrus where he sat.
Taking a deep breath, Garrus looked down at his leg. The bleeding was getting worse, and he was beginning to shake, whether from the pain or shock, he wasn't sure. He tried to focus on his breathing as he brought his omni-tool and applied medi-gel with a shaking hand. After a moment, the pain seemed to subside somewhat, enough for him to begin noticing the world around him again.
"Garrus, are you okay?!" Kaidan gasped as he ducked into cover beside him, taking up Jane's previous post.
"I'll be fine, we need to catch up with the others." Garrus managed to get out between breaths, reaching a hand up to the other man. Kaidan quickly grabbed it, pulling Garrus to his feet carefully.
"Are you sure you're good to go? You can stay here."
"No." Garrus took one more steadying breath, the pain still receding as the medi-gel worked its magic. "I'm good. Let's go." The stairs ahead of them had been cleared by the others, so it was safe for them to follow. As he took a careful step, he winced and limped forward onto his good leg. With the bullet still lodged in his leg, it was going to be rough going, but there was no time.
Together, the two men hurried up the stairs as quickly as Garrus' injury would allow. Ahead of them, Wrex stood over Tali and Ashley, both nursing wounds of their own, as Liara used a singularity to draw the last of the geth forces out of cover. Garrus looked up as Shepard stormed up the last set of stairs, followed by Jane hot on his heels. Before them, Saren glanced back, his fingers still moving frantically over the keyboard.
As they reached the top of the stairs, weapons drawn, Saren stepped forward seemingly onto nothing, plummeting into the courtyard below. Confused, Garrus and Kaidan hurried up the stairs to join them, only to watch as Saren's smirking face reappeared as his hoverboard lifted him up above the dais. Garrus felt his eyes widen as the glowing object in Saren's hand drew his attention.
With a lazy flick of his wrist, Saren sent the grenade careening toward them, causing the group of four to throw themselves toward the closest cover they could find. Garrus felt the force of the blast catch him in midair, sending him flying into a nearby banister, knocking the air from his lungs. The world span and his head swam as he tried to get his bearings, his ears ringing. As the screeching began to fade and the world stabilized yet again, he started to make out voices echoing through the room.
"-that the Reapers need organics. Join us and Sovereign will find a place for you, too." Garrus could make out the silken thrum of Saren's voice as the ringing finally died down. There was something off, almost flat, about Saren's sub vocals, they weren't quite right…
"Sovereign's controlling you through your implants! Don't you see that?" Shepard yelled at him from where he'd taken cover nearby, and Garrus could hear Jane scoff.
"I'd rather die than live like that." She spat, and her voice must have carried, because as Garrus looked up he could see a sneer gracing Saren's features.
"Then you will die. And your companions. Unless you submit as I have. I am a vision of the future, Shepard. The evolution of all organic life. This is our destiny. Join Sovereign and experience a true rebirth!" Saren purred as he stood at his ease upon his hovering board.
"Sovereign hasn't won yet. I can stop it from taking control of the station! Step aside, and the invasion will never happen!" Shepard shouted, his voice laced with frustration and desperation in equal parts.
"We can't stop it!" Saren snapped back at him, gesturing in disdain, "You saw the visions. You saw what happened to the Protheans. The Reapers are too powerful. The cycle must continue and they need us. The only way to save organic life is to make ourselves useful to them."
"The Reapers don't use organics!" Jane shot back at him in disgust and outrage, "They devour and discard them! As soon as the conquest is over, you'll be cast aside!"
"Some part of you must still realize this is wrong. You can fight this!" Shepard added, his voice almost pleading. His ability to hold on to hope and see the best in others, even at a time like this, never ceased to amaze Garrus.
There were a few moments of silence, the only sounds being the crackling of the fires and distant blaring of the alarm. When Saren did respond, the words caused Garrus' eyes to widen in surprise.
"Maybe you're right." His voice seemed different than before, softer, more hesitant. "Maybe there is still a chance for… unh!" Saren groaned as he convulsed, nearly losing his footing to fall to the courtyard meters below. Clutching his head in pain, he looked up and took a moment to regain his breath. "The implants… Sovereign is too strong. It's too late for me." The words were strained and regretful, and Garrus could almost imagine for a moment they were genuine. "I had no choice, there were no other options for me."
"You could have resisted. You could have fought. Instead, you surrendered. You quit." The accusation in Jane's voice seemed to hit Saren over the head like a physical blow, leaving him reeling, his eyes wide. Shepard rolled out of cover and stood before Saren, his shoulders squared and head held high.
"It's not over yet. You can still redeem yourself!" Shepard pleaded with the older turian, his face open and imploring. Garrus realized with shock that Shepard's weapon hung loose at his side, a testament to his faith and conviction. Jane stood as well, though she had a much tighter hold upon her firearm, her stance more like a cat waiting to pounce.
"... If you have the guts." She spat the challenge, her eyes like glinting steel. Suddenly, Saren seemed to stand a little taller and Garrus tensed as he saw the other turian tighten his hold on his pistol.
"Goodbye, Shepard. Thank you." If he'd blinked, Garrus probably would have missed it. Without any hesitation, Saren's hand shot up and his pistol came to rest just below his own jaw, pulling the trigger immediately. The shot rang out and blood splattered up into the air before falling to the ground in a brilliant spray of blue.
The light immediately left Saren's eyes as he wobbled for a moment before his knees gave way. He pitched to the side and fell from his hoverboard, plummeting before smashing through the glass ceiling below. Garrus heard a muffled thud as his body hit the ground.
The room was still for a moment as everyone stood in shocked silence, digesting what had just transpired before them. Shepard took a hesitant step forward, followed by another, and then another. He came to rest at the end of the walkway before the control panel as he pulled out his omni-tool. Jane and Kaidan followed him, and Garrus pulled himself to his feet to join them.
"Vigil's data file worked." Shepard said with triumph a few moments later. "I've got control of all systems." It was so hard to believe it was over, it didn't seem real somehow. After all that time, they'd finally caught and dealt with him. And because of Shepard's silver tongue, there hadn't even been a final confrontation, it almost seemed too good to be true.
"Quick! Open the station's arms." Kaidan insisted as he took a half step forward.
"Maybe the fleet can take Sovereign down before he regains control of the station!" Jane added as Garrus came to stand besides her.
"See if you can open a communication channel." Garrus suggested, eager to no longer feel so cut off from the Normandy and other forces set to oppose Saren, Sovereign, and the geth. Shepard nodded before looking down at his omni-tool again, pressing in a few commands. Their comms sprang to life after a moment, intercepting a new line.
"-the Destiny Ascension. Main drives offline. Kinetic barriers down 40%-"
"That can't be good." Jane muttered under her breath and Garrus glanced at her out of the corner of his eye as she crossed her arms.
"-I repeat, the Council is on board." Garrus could hear Shepard on the coms with the Normandy in the background, but all he could think about was the shock of realizing how close Saren had come to decapitating the galaxy's government.
"-save the Ascension. Just unlock the relays around the Citadel and we'll send the cavalry in!" Joker was saying, and the weight of the decision came squarely upon Shepard's shoulders.
"You'd sacrifice human lives to save the Council?" Wrex asked with skepticism as he ambled up behind them, "What have they ever done for your kind?" Garrus' eyes widened as he turned to face the old krogan.
"This is bigger than humanity!" Garrus spat as he glared daggers at Wrex. He turned back to face Shepard, gesturing out the large window toward the glowing Wards of the Citadel. "Sovereign's a threat to every organic species in the galaxy!" He implored the Commander to understand.
"That's why you can't throw away reinforcements trying to save the council." Wrex's voice remained calm, which only made Garrus' blood boil hotter. "Hold them back until the Citadel's arms open up and the human fleet can go after Sovereign." Shepard's eyes moved between them both, weighing and considering.
"What's the order, Commander? Come in now to save the Ascension or hold back?" Joker's voice had an edge of desperation to it, urging Shepard to make a decision. He glanced away for a moment before looking back at the control panel.
"Opening the relays now, Joker. We need to save the Ascension – no matter what the cost!" At Shepard's words, Garrus felt a knot in his chest loosen and he took a breath. In retrospect, he should have known there was no way Shepard would make any other choice.
"I hope the Council appreciates this…" Wrex muttered causing Jane to chuckle bleakly.
"They won't."
After receiving Joker's acknowledgement, Shepard input a few more commands into the main control panel before closing it. Everyone was quiet for a moment as Shepard took a few hesitant steps forward, looking down upon Saren's bloody corpse in the courtyard below.
"Make sure he's dead." The hollowness in Shepard's voice warred with the relief evident on his face as he glanced back at Jane, who nodded her understanding. Silently, she made her way off the overlook and found the easiest path down into the courtyard. Without hesitation, Garrus clumsily jumped after her, doing his best to favor his injured leg, followed by a loud thud as Wrex's heavy frame landed beside him.
Jane swiftly picked her way around the debris littered across the courtyard and came to a halt just before Saren's broken body, her pistol already drawn. Taking aim, she promptly fired a clean shot through the turian's head, and after a moment, added two more in his chest, just to be sure. They waited with baited breath, and everyone seemed to relax a moment later when there was no reaction.
"He's dead." Jane said into their com channel, glancing up where Shepard and Kaidan stood above. But before they could respond, the room gave an almighty lurch, sending everyone stumbling. Power seemed to thrum through the air, causing crackles of red energy to skitter across the walls in all directions.
Garrus struggled to regain his footing and looked around wildly before wincing as needles seemed to penetrate deep into his brain. Looking up, he felt horror begin to dawn, his breath leaving him as though sucked from his lungs. Saren's body began to convulse, limbs twitching and energy radiating outwards. His entire corpse seemed to glow red as it vibrated, his arms reaching out as if to grab at them. His mouth opened and he let loose an inorganic screech of pure rage and pain.
Jane took a step backwards, her weapon slowly rising to point at the tormented turian, though her own confusion seemed to hold her finger from the trigger. Suddenly, the red energy surrounding Saren exploded outwards, sending Jane sprawling backwards, her head hitting the ground hard, leaving her dazed.
"Shit!" Garrus cried out in panic as Saren started to pull himself to his feet before her, and Garrus hurried to stand, stumbling on his bad leg. "Shepard, help!" Before he could take more than a few wobbly steps, however, he heard the creaking groan of metal above him. He came to a sliding stop as he saw the walkway above start to collapse, bringing Shepard and Kaidan down with it.
When Garrus finally got around the twisted heap of metal and glass, his heart froze at the sight before him. As Jane shakily got to her feet, before her loomed a monstrosity of bloody flesh and machine. It looked like something out of a nightmare as its flesh dripped off of it, the red energy still glowing from the inside of its now visible rib cage. Saren, if he really could be called that, seemed to be little more than a mechanical puppet and stood just before Jane with the confidence of a seasoned predator.
"Jane, move!" Garrus screamed as she looked up in horror at the monster looming over her. In a flash, Saren raised a clawed hand and swiftly backhanded Jane to the side of the head with the seeming force of a truck, sending her flying meters to the side. Garrus' mouth was open in a silent cry of fear as he watched her collapse, laying motionless on the floor.
"JANE!" The pure, unadulterated fury in Shepard's voice as he screamed caught Garrus off guard, causing him to pause and turn to face the Commander. Shepard's face was contorted with rage, his eyes wide and his mouth a snarl as he almost appeared to vibrate. Suddenly, he was awash with biotic energy that seemed to sizzle and pop, causing him to glow. Without warning, Shepard disappeared, leaving only a streak of biotics behind as he charged toward Saren, colliding with him with incredible force and speed, sending the mechanical nightmare flying backwards.
What under the Spirits had that been? He had never seen Shepard use a biotic attack like that before. Granted, he wasn't terribly well educated regarding biotic abilities, but he'd never even seen Liara use such a move.
Shepard seemed equally confused as he stood there, reeling in the wake of his sudden attack, several meters away from where he'd started. He tried to shake off his daze, stumbling for a moment before looking around for Saren. The creature quickly sprung to its feet before crouching and launching itself toward the wall.
"I am Sovereign! And this station is MINE!"
"Take him down!" Shepard commanded with steel in his voice, and shots rang out around the room as the chaos of battle ensued. Kaidan and Wrex had opened fire immediately from where they stood nearby, and Liara jumped down to join them after presumably ensuring Tali and Ashley's safety.
Garrus' eyes returned to Jane's prone form, unmoving still amidst the crossfire. Staying low to the ground, he picked his way over to her and carefully got a grip under her arms, dragging her safely behind a large boulder. He rolled her over and panicked at first at the sight of bright red blood streaked across her face and matting her hair. Quite a lot of bright red blood.
He quickly noticed the gash at her temple, but after a moment, he decided it wasn't too bad. Nothing a little medigel wouldn't sort out. From his experience, head wounds on humans always seemed to bleed a lot, or so he tried to remind himself. Suddenly, he heard the telltale mechanical sounds of geth and he looked up to see a shock trooper unfurling itself after landing in the courtyard nearby.
"You picked an awful time to take a nap, Jane." Garrus growled as he stood over her, drew his weapon, and took aim.
As the minutes dragged on, the wound in his leg throbbing, it was all he could do to pick off the geth as they appeared, taking the occasional shot at the monstrosity leaping about the room wearing what was left of Saren's face. Shepard seemed to have the fight well in hand, however, and Garrus decided he'd never seen Shepard in such peak form. The sheer ferocity and power behind his attacks were astonishing, his focus razor sharp, and his shots aimed to perfection. His new charge ability had him darting about the room with incredible force and speed, helping him easily keep up with Saren's leaps.
Garrus wasn't sure how long the battle lasted, but it seemed as though every geth on the station had been called in to stop them. They poured in, swarming around them like flies and it was all he could do to keep them off of them as best he could. He figured at the rate they were going, exhaustion was going to kill them before Saren or the geth managed it.
Finally, the last geth fell, leaving only the turian shaped mechanical puppet. Garrus took cover behind the boulder to check on Jane quickly, who was still unconscious, before standing back up and taking aim. Just then, Shepard collided with Saren at high speed as he charged him one last time, followed by a shotgun shot to the chest at nearly point blank range.
Saren flew backwards before hitting the ground, limp and unmoving. The electrical currents that seemed to flit across his body stilled and died. The crackling red energy quickly grew to engulf him and within seconds his body had completely disintegrated. The Spectre was nothing more than a pile of ash, their hunt finally complete.
Garrus knew he should feel some sort of satisfaction. He only felt hollow. Somehow, it didn't feel like a victory.
Holstering his weapon, he looked down at Jane. He quickly applied some medi-gel to the gash on her temple, hoping that might help her start to regain consciousness.
"Jane, you need to wake up." Garrus softly patted her cheek before brushing a lock of hair out of her eyes. Spirits, it was soft. His finger drifted down to stroke her cheek lightly, but he still got no response. Sighing, he did his best to gently scoop her up into his arms. As he stood, he saw Shepard making his way toward him quickly, anxiety etched across his face.
"Garrus, how is she? Is she okay?"
"I think so, I'm not sure. I got some medi-gel on the wound, but she's still out cold."
"I see. Well, let's get back up there and we'll see about getting her and the others medical attention."
"Yes, Sir." With that, the team slowly started the accent back up into the Council's chambers. It was, admittedly, not easy with a leg injury and an unconscious human in his arms.
"By the Goddess, look!" Liara shouted suddenly, and everyone turned to follow her gesture toward the large window overlooking the Citadel wards.
Sovereign was falling. It was almost as though in slow motion, its many legs writhing as its belly became exposed. Explosions seemed to rock its frame, bursts and pops of bright light, causing the entire Reaper to shudder over and over.
There was a sudden and impossibly bright burst of light, followed by an explosion that rocketed outwards, causing the entire tower to convulse and tremble. Garrus stumbled, nearly dropping Jane as he fell to one knee. Looking up, the world seemed to stop as a huge piece of debris came hurtling towards them.
"Go!" Shepard barked, turning toward the group on the stairs, his eyes wild with panic. Standing and turning, Garrus had only a split second to make it down the flight and stairs and fling himself and Jane behind something, he wasn't even sure what, before the fragment of Sovereign crashed through the window. The world seemed to crumble, turning in on itself, and Garrus collided with something hard.
Everything went black.
Far away, an alarm was oscillating dully, digging a knife a little deeper into his head with each beat. Groaning, Garrus tried to open his eyes for a moment, but it was dark and all he could see was red. Taking a deep breath, he could smell gun oil, blood, and something vaguely… floral?
His eyes snapped open again all the way, and he pushed himself up slightly to see Jane pinned beneath him, her hair splayed out like a halo around her head. His eyes roamed her face, struggling to see in the dark space, and though her eyes were still shut, he was relieved to see she was still breathing and hadn't picked up any new injuries from what he could see. He tried to pick himself up further, but a sharp pain in his leg caused him to freeze and cry out.
After a moment, he twisted as best he could, conscious not to put any weight on Jane, to see where they were. There appeared to be a large fragment of something massive above them, along with huge chunks of debris trapping them in. His leg seemed to be pinned beneath something heavy, and though not crushed, he wasn't going to be moving any time soon.
All of a sudden, the events following Saren's demise came rushing back to him. The huge chunk of Sovereign detaching and smashing through the window, the wreckage falling around them. Running down the stairs, clutching Jane for dear life, turning just before he flung them behind cover… Watching in horror as the massive wreckage fell right onto…
Garrus squeezed his eyes shut as dread started welling up. It had landed right on Shepard as he'd been urging them all onward. How could he have possibly avoided something so enormous? Shifting his weight, he did his best to pull out his omni-tool to check the coms without accidentally letting his body weight crush Jane. He tried to hail the team, and failing that, tried to get ahold of Joker. There was no response, and he attempted to beat down the panic in his throat.
After a moment, he felt Jane shift slightly, and he looked down to see pain flit across her face for a moment, her head turning to the side.
"Jane? Jane, can you hear me?"
"Mmmmpphh…?" Jane groaned, her eyes fluttering for a moment before slowly opening. "Garrus? Where…?" She seemed to take in their surroundings, her eyes going wide. Then she winced, bringing a hand up to her head.
"Whoa there, you took a bad hit. What is the last thing you remember?"
"I'm not sure. We went through the conduit… Saren!" Her eyebrows shot up and her eyes searched his, "What happened with Saren?"
"He's dead. Your brother took him down." Jane seemed to relax somewhat at that.
"Where are we now? What happened?" Jane asked and Garrus shifted slightly, trying to make more space for her, and did his best to suppress a pained groan as he accidentally tugged on his bad leg. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah, don't worry about me." Her eyes narrowed in concern.
"You look exhausted."
"You're one to speak." Garrus pointed out and chuckled before wincing again.
"What about the others?" He felt the humor leave him as though sucked through an air lock.
"I don't know. I didn't get a response from anyone when I tried earlier." Garrus replied, feeling his eyes slide off her and look away, hoping she wouldn't inquire further. He had a pretty good idea what must have happened to at least one of the team, and that wasn't a conversation he wanted to have right now. The coms remaining completely silent wasn't a good sign. Though, he supposed, there might be some sort of interference making communication difficult. She seemed to read his hesitation.
"What about John?" Garrus felt his mouth go dry, and he couldn't bring his eyes to meet hers. After a moment, he found the courage to reply.
"I don't know."
"Garrus." Jane snapped, her voice tinged with an edge of command. Garrus finally brought his eyes to meet hers, which flashed with her usual cool, green steel. "What happened to John?"
"I'm so sorry, Jane. I really don't know. Sovereign exploded and a huge chunk broke through the window. Most of us were making our way down the stairs already by then, but he was much further back. I have no idea if he-" Garrus cut off as she gave a sudden jerk, trying to wiggle out from under him. "Whoa, wait, what are you doing?"
"I have to get out of here, I have to go find him."
"Jane, we're both hurt and trapped, give me a moment and I'll try hailing Joker again so we can get assistance." Looking down at her, he saw her eyes, wide and frantic as she scrabbled at the debris around them, trying to find purchase. "Please try to calm down, you could have a serious head injury, you're in no state to-"
"Shut up and help me, Garrus! I need to find John, he has to be alright." The distress was evident in her voice and he did his best to give her all the space he could without putting too much strain on his leg.
He was about to open his mouth again to ask her to slow down when he was interrupted by movement nearby. He looked up to see a piece of debris moving and then he could hear the distant rumble of voices. A piece moved, and a bright light shone in their faces.
"Captain Anderson! We've found two of them! They're in here." The light moved and when Garrus' eyes adjusted, he could see a C-Sec officer he vaguely recognized poking his head through a hole in the debris. Together, they managed to move one of the larger pieces off of them, giving them space to move. Jane was scrambling up in an instant, but as she pushed past the officer, her knees wobbled and she pitched forward. Garrus lurched forward, trying to get to her, but stopped as Captain Anderson stepped forward to catch her. He settled her back on her feet, a wry smile on his face.
"Take it easy, Shepard… It's over. You're safe now." Anderson chuckled, but his smile turned to confusion as Jane pushed away from him, her head swiveling as her eyes scanned through the rubble. Anderson turned to face Garrus as the officer helped him to his feet slowly. "Where's the Commander?" Garrus looked away, unable to meet the Captain's eyes. Instead, he looked over to where Jane was stumbling around piles of debris.
"Captain, she needs medical assistance, she has a head injury." Garrus muttered as he attempted to limp after her.
"Right, of course." Anderson replied as he hurried to catch up with her, placing a hand on Jane's shoulder. She shrugged him off as she turned to face them, her eyes wild.
"Where was he, Garrus?! Where should I be looking?!" She nearly yelled as she took a step toward him. Before Garrus could stop himself, he glanced up at the colossal piece of Sovereign that now resided at the top of the staircase where Shepard had been standing. He glanced away quickly, squeezing his eyes shut. Looking at the pure size of the thing… There was no way…
He looked back at Jane, trying to keep the emotion off his face but failing horribly. Her eyes went wide, her eyebrows knitting together in anguish. She turned back to gaze up at the massive machine again.
"No… Not John, he couldn't be-" Jane's hand came up to grip her head suddenly and she toppled to the side. Anderson hurried forward to catch her, easing her down onto the floor. She came to rest on her knees, her head bowed. Her fingers curled into her hair, gripping tightly. Garrus knelt down beside her as best he could, bringing a hand to rest on her shoulder.
"Jane, I-" Sudden movement in the corner of his eye made him look up. Squinting in confusion, he glanced around for a moment, wondering if it had been his imagination. He stood up for a better view, and was about to look away when he saw it again. A flash of black, a streak of red, pale, human skin, short buzzed hair…
"Shepard!" He yelled, causing all eyes to snap up. The knot that had been growing in his chest finally started to unravel as the figure came into view. Slowly crawling up a piece of debris, one arm held at an awkward angle, was Commander John Shepard, battered and bruised, but alive.
"John!" Jane called out, stumbling to her feet and taking off after him. Shepard slid down a pile of rubble and opened his good arm to receive her as she rocketed into him, wrapping her arms around him. "Shit, I thought you were dead."
"Yeah, not fun, is it?" Shepard chuckled as he returned the hug, wincing as he shifted his injured arm out of the way. Her laugh was shaky as though she wasn't quite ready to laugh about it, but determined to be pleased none-the-less.
Garrus felt his heart warm as he watched the two Shepards embracing, and he turned to Anderson after a moment.
"Have you found the others?"
"Yes, we've found everyone, they should be back down by the elevator. Let's get you three down there, we have medics enroute." Garrus winced as he took a step.
"Good. It's a miracle we all made it out alive." The world began to spin, and Garrus fell to sit on a nearby piece of rubble as he struggled to remain conscious, the adrenaline finally starting to fade.
"You can say that again."