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Loyalty and Limerence

Part 2

Chapter 20

Hagalaz

"Jane? Where the hell are you? Are you guys alright?"

"I thought I sent you our coordinates, John. We're on Hagalaz in the Sowilo System of the Hourglass Nebula."

"Yeah, I got your message, but it was nothing but some coordinates and instructions to get there ASAP. What the hell is going on? And why did you just up and leave Illium without telling me?"

"Ah. Well, we sort of got wrapped up in this whole big thing… You know what, I'll catch you up when you get here. It's a long story."

"It'd better be a good one."

"I mean, I think it is. Ran into an old friend, went for a drive, got a bit of a work out, supplanted the Shadow Broker… You know, the usual."

"Wait, hold up. What?"

"Seriously, I'll tell you all about it when you get here. How far away are you?"

"Probably about a day still."

"Okay, good. I'll send you some particulars about docking here. It's an, uh, unusual situation. See you soon!"

"Hold on, Jane, you can't just-"

"Bye, John!"

"Godda-"

Garrus lounged on the couch in his small room aboard the Shadow Brok- No, aboard Liara's new hideout. Though, he supposed they were one in the same now. He was still in shock over the turn of events that transpired over the last week. Immediately following Vasir being taken into custody, Jane had directed that she be shipped off to the Citadel after receiving adequate medical assistance. She'd then commandeered the ship Liara had had her eye on, and before they knew it, they'd been speeding through space toward the Shadow Broker's mysterious hidden base of operations.

It had been a tense but mercifully short trip to the planet Hagalaz, followed by many terrifying moments as they'd fought across the exterior of the giant ship hanging in the clouds. But once they broke into it, nothing could have prepared them for standing before the massive Shadow Broker, a Yahg of all things. The monstrous creature's size had dwarfed them, his terrifying features seeming out of place dressed in a well tailored suit.

The most memorable part of all for him had been the moment Jane had gone toe to toe with the beast, punching it hard enough in the face to send it stumbling backwards as it roared in pain. She'd been knocked around quite a bit in the resulting aftermath, but in the end they'd somehow managed to defeat it.

Miraculously, Liara had been able to step right in and take control of the Shadow Broker's network almost seamlessly. She'd been working tirelessly ever since to sift through and make sense of all the data she had inherited. In addition, she was figuring out how to juggle and sort all of the new data pouring in from her contacts and agents.

Garrus and Jane had offered to assist her, but she seemed content to puzzle through it herself with the occasional helping hand from her friend Feron whom they'd recently rescued, leaving the two of them with something that almost resembled a holiday until their ride arrived. Jane had contacted Shepard and confirmed that the Normandy was on its way, but they still had a little time to themselves yet.

Currently, he was flicking through a datapad Liara had recently passed off to him. To Garrus' surprise, it contained data about himself. A disconcertingly large amount of it, including information about his family. He tried not to be spooked about it, according to Liara it seemed as though the Shadow Broker had similar data on just about everyone.

It did serve the purpose of reminding him that he needed to catch up with Solana sometime soon, it'd been weeks since he'd checked in with her. But the last thing he wanted to think about at the moment was everything that was happening with their mom, and that seemed to be all she talked about lately. He felt a stab of guilt and shut down the data pad, looking out the window.

The door opened and he looked up to see Jane in the doorway. When they'd left Illium in a rush, they hadn't had time to stop by the Normandy and pick up any personal effects, and so they hadn't had any casual clothing to change into once things had calmed down. After dealing with the Shadow Broker and the remnants of his small, personal army, they'd managed to root around until they were able to produce some clothing that would fit them. No one wanted to sleep in bulky armor, and their undersuits weren't honestly that much better.

"Hey, you."Jane yawned and stretched as stepped into the room, and Garrus noted the baggy tee shirt she wore with interest. It was obviously designed for someone much larger than her, but it had the interesting effect of suggesting and hinting at the form underneath in a way that was almost as appealing as some of her more form fitting outfits he was used to seeing her in. The neck of the shirt dipped down low enough to display the delicate swoop of one of her collar bones. Just below, he could see a hint of the swell of her breasts under the thin fabric, the inward sweep of her waist. It left some of the work up to his imagination, almost like a present he was excited to unwrap.

He didn't even register the growing rumbling of appreciation in his chest until she came to stand before him, a raised brow and a knowing smirk gracing her lips.

"Keep looking at me like that and I might start thinking you're happy to see me." She murmured smugly and he couldn't help the flick of his mandibles as he grinned back up at her. Garrus reached forward and grabbed the front of her shirt, pulling her closer until she stood just before where he sat on the couch. She looked down at him as his fingers slowly began to trail up her bare legs. He watched with satisfaction as the odd little bumps she called 'goosebumps' erupted across her soft, creamy skin and he hummed happily as his fingers reached up to play with the hem of her shorts, barely visible under the loose shirt.

Garrus' hands wrapped around her, skimming up over her clothes and coming to a rest on her bottom as he pulled her close. He could hear her chuckle as he pressed his face into her midriff, taking a deep breath and savoring the smell of her. She'd just come from the shower and he could smell a strong, floral smell from the soap she'd used, but underneath that was the indescribable smell that was all her own.

Jane's hands ran up his arms, across his shoulders, and came up to brush against his mandibles before venturing further up to play with his crest. His humming became more of a purr as he nuzzled against her, enjoying the feeling of her fingers finding his more sensitive areas. His fingers trailed down the back of her legs and she shivered as he pressed ever so slightly with his talons. Without warning, he pulled her forward and her breath caught as she landed on his lap. He brushed his forehead across hers before pressing closer for a kiss, his subvocals reverberating through his chest in pleasure as her lips and tongue moved with his.

In the weeks following everything that happened with Morinth, Jane had been understandably distant. Not just with him, but with everyone. As she'd recovered, she'd begun seeming more like herself, but even then she'd often been reluctant when it came to physical touch. She still refused to discuss what it was that she'd experienced at the Ardat-Yakshi's hands, and though Garrus tried not to fear the worst, his heart ached for her.

It had been such a relief as she'd begun seeking out intimacy with him more often, not simply because he'd missed it, but because it signified that she was finally beginning to move past what had happened. The last few days in particular, Jane had been starting to resemble her old self in a way that made his heart sing. Her smile had its old roguish glint that made the bottom of his stomach drop as his heart twisted pleasantly in his chest, and the events with Vasir and the Shadow Broker seemed to have given her back some of her old confidence.

In all honesty, he was in awe of her resilience. She was still struggling with issues related to the neurological damage she'd received, but even after everything that had happened, she was slowly putting herself back together, stronger and more capable than ever. It made him love her all the more.

Garrus brought a hand up to run his fingers through her hair before gripping a handful and tugging to expose the pale column of her neck. "Here I was just coming to ask if you wanted to go get some dinner." Jane muttered huskily, her words interlaced with soft gasps as his mouth worked its way down her neck to her shoulder.

"I was thinking we could skip right to dessert, if it's all the same to you." Garrus let one of his hands dip underneath her loose shirt, something in his belly tightening as his fingers ran across the expanse of her silky smooth skin. He could feel the strength hiding just under the surface, her muscles and sinews coiled beneath his fingers. She was so delicate and exposed, yet so dangerous and deadly. The combination made his blood rush, boiling just beneath his plates.

"I wouldn't say no." Jane whispered into his ear as she trailed a finger lightly down his throat, leaving fire in her wake. In an instant, Garrus gripped her and stood, her legs wrapping around his waist as he lurched toward the small bed. They fell onto it and Garrus gazed down at Jane as he held himself above her. Her hair was splayed out around her, dark in the dim light of the room. His eyes roamed her face, taking in every little detail he could, from the gentle slope of her nose to the soft curve of her cheek bones to the small scar across her eyebrow. Humans all had huge, expressive eyes, and her dark green ones stared up at him, beaconing him to drown in them.

Spirits, he loved her.

Jane reached up and grabbed his cowl, tugging him down closer to her as she smiled slyly up at him, her eyes narrowing, "If you don't kiss me right now, Vakarian, I might get violent."

"Promises, promises." Garrus whispered as he leaned in just close enough to be not quite close enough for her, grinning at her obvious impatience. Instead, he braced himself with one arm, letting the other travel down her body, brushing over the sharp jut of her hip bone before letting his fingers play with the waistband of her shorts. As he continued to tease her with fingers that hinted at promises they may or may not keep, he brought his tongue down to taste the salty tang of her throat, savoring her frustrated groan and quickening pulse.

"Is this- ah!" Jane gasped as he nipped her gently, causing her eyes to flutter shut as she smiled playfully, "Is this you savoring the, uh-" His fingers brushed against a particularly sensitive area, causing her to shiver, "-the shot before popping the heat sink?" She finally finished, grinning up at him. Garrus groaned, pulling away slightly as he rolled his eyes.

"I'm never living that one down, am I." He stated, causing her to laugh. A moment later, the world seemed to lurch to the side, and suddenly he found himself landing hard on the bed with Jane rolling them until she was perched upon his hips. She leaned down and pressed a kiss to his mouth plates, her tongue begging for entry.

Garrus brought his hands up to grip her hips as he opened his mouth to her, but a moment later her hands wrapped around his wrists, shoving them up over his head as she held them fast. His eyes snapped open, going wide as he felt his heart hammer with unexpected excitement.

"Oh no, Big Guy. I warned you," She laughed, her cheshire smile lighting up her face with a predatory gleam that caused his belly to twist pleasantly with anticipation, "I don't make empty threats."

Not for the first time, Garrus appreciated the blessing of privacy in the small wing of guest rooms their rooms resided in. It was, quite frankly, in everyone's best interest.

Garrus woke hours later in a tangle of bare limbs, shivering as he noticed they'd managed to kick the blanket off the small bed. It was definitely slightly too small for the both of them, but despite that, they'd managed to sleep comfortably enough the past few nights. They didn't have a comfortable or private option aboard the Normandy, so neither of them had been willing to pass up the opportunity to share a bed. Even if they didn't care at least a little about propriety, the beds in the Normandy's crew quarters were barely big enough to hold him, let alone the two of them.

Sitting up, Garrus grabbed the edge of the blanket and tugged it up over the both of them. Glancing down, he felt his gaze soften as he took a moment to memorize the sight of Jane sleeping beside him. Her face seemed so peaceful and relaxed, and for a moment he could pretend they were living a normal life together. Not preparing for a suicide mission, not on the cusp of galactic war.

He brought a finger up to tuck a stray lock of hair behind her round ear. Jane shifted as she took a deep breath in, her eyes fluttering slightly. After a moment, they opened slowly and she smiled as she noticed him watching her.

"Good morning." She yawned, stretching before rolling into his warmth with a slight shiver. Garrus wrapped his arm around her, pulling her close with a contented hum of his subvocals.

"I'm not sure if you'd call it morning or not. It's a little hard to tell." He glanced out the window at the roiling thunder clouds. He looked back down at her with a small smile, "I was just enjoying the view." She looked back up at him, and after a moment she smiled as one of her arms snaked around his waist. She shut her eyes again, snuggling closer.

Garrus wished he could hit pause and just live in this moment forever. Outside, the world kept on ticking closer and closer to war and destruction. The Collectors kept kidnapping colonists and the Reapers drew ever nearer, but here it was just him and Jane, enjoying a small slice of happiness together. As soon as the Normandy arrived, they were going to go back to the grind, weapons blazing, their lives constantly on the line. Everyday, they would be one botched mission away from losing this forever.

Garrus brought his hand up, allowing a single finger to trace along her cheek, and after a moment, she pulled away just far enough to look back at him. As their eyes met, he felt something twist in his chest.

"Jane, I-"

Beep beep.

"Garrus?" Liara's voice filtered into the room, and he groaned in frustration. He brought his arm up and activated his omni-tool, bringing up the call on voice, not video.

"Yes, Liara?" He yawned before continuing, "Need something?"

"Did I wake you? I'm so sorry. I was trying to get a hold of Jane, but she wasn't answering my calls."

"I'm here, Liara." Jane stated before stifling a yawn of her own, and both she and Garrus began the process of sitting up. "I had my omni-tool silenced."

"Jane? Where- oh. Oh!" Liara's voice hitched in sudden dawning realization, "I'm so sorry, was I, um, interrupting…?" She trailed off, her discomfort and embarrassment evident.

"No, it's okay." Jane chuckled before throwing her legs over the edge of the bed and standing with a stretch. It was impossible not to admire the view. "What can I do for you, Liara?"

"Oh. Well, you wanted me to alert you when we picked the Normandy up on scopes. They should be here in about 30 minutes."

"Sounds good, thank you Liara. We'll be up in a few minutes." The call cut out, and Jane bent down to begin picking up her various articles of clothing scattered about the small room. Garrus remained on the bed, watching with growing amusement as she tried and failed to find her shirt.

"Why don't you make yourself useful and help me find it instead of laughing?" She shot at him without any real heat, only causing him to chuckle harder.

"You seem to have the matter well in hand. Plus, I'm enjoying the show." Jane turned to face him, an amused half smile on her lips. She slowly made her way toward him, her hips swaying as she came to a stop just before him, beaconing to him with a crooked finger as her smile widened invitingly. Garrus sat up as she neared, the tingling of anticipation already starting to coil in his belly. She stopped as she reached him and he lifted a hand to pull her back onto the bed.

Before he could process what was happening, he was thrown backwards as the blanket he was tangled in was pulled unceremoniously off of him. When he managed to sit up again, Jane was slinging the blanket over her shoulders, laughing as she made her way to the door.

"Up and at 'em, soldier." She called as she stepped through the door, "Looks like our ride's almost here!"

Garrus stood, still chuckling as he heard the door to her room open just as his closed. He grabbed up his armor and began the process of dawning it with resignation.

"Jane!" Shepard called out as he came striding down the corridor and Jane opened her arms in welcome.

"John! Welcome to the-" Her cheerful words were cut off as Shepard grabbed her in a sudden, tight hug. She nearly stumbled back at the force of it and she raised her hands up to pat him on the back, her eyes wide in surprise. "Whoa there, good to see you, too."

"I was so worried," Shepard muttered as he pulled away, holding her at arms length by her shoulders as he looked her up and down with a hard expression, "Are you okay? What happened? What is this place and how did you end up here? Why did you leave Illium without telling me? What does Liara have to do with all this? How did-"

"Whoa there, slow down. I'll answer everything I can, but maybe you should come into the main office. Liara should probably be part of this." With that, Jane reached up to remove his hands from her shoulders before turning and walking toward the end of the corridor. Shepard turned to Garrus and raised an eyebrow at him.

"I don't know if I should thank you or admonish you. Granted, she's still alive, but this wasn't exactly how I thought your little errand excursion was going to turn out." Shepard stated dryly, and Garrus crossed his arms, shifting his weight to one side as he sighed.

"Yeah, this wasn't exactly how I thought it was all going to play out, either. One thing led to another and I lost control of the situation pretty early on." He paused, and after a moment he shrugged. "You know how she can be." They shared a meaningful look. "Honestly, I owe her my life after everything that happened."

"Seriously?" Shepard's eyebrows shot up and he blinked in surprise, "What happened?"

"... And so now I've taken over as the new Shadow Broker. I think I've managed a fairly smooth transition, you'll notice that-"

"Okay, hold on, back up." Shepard cut Liara off, bringing a hand up to his forehead as he tried to process the story he was hearing. "Let me get this straight. You," He gestured to Jane, who crossed her arms defensively, "Ran off to investigate an attempted murder-"

"Liara's attempted murder." Jane added pointedly, but Shepard ignored her, plowing on.

"-Then you were in a building when it was bombed-"

"I was not the one who bombed it, mind you."

"-Then you jumped out a window-"

"While holding onto a floating biotic!"

"-Then you participated in a high speed chase through the skies of Illium-"

"I didn't hit anyone! Well, not too badly, at least." Jane muttered as she looked away, clenching her jaw.

Shepard turned to Garrus suddenly, "-And you let her drive?" He asked incredulously, and Garrus shrugged guiltily.

"Hey!" Jane shot back at her brother, jabbing an angry finger in his direction, "We caught Vasir and we lived. You never would have been able to keep up with her, Mister 'ten-and-two-on-the-wheel-at-all-times'." She brought her hands up in mocking air quotes as she rolled her eyes, but Shepard ignored her as he continued.

"Then, you had an all out, knock down, drag out fight with another Spectre. Your old mentor, apparently-"

"She got what was coming to her." Jane spat as she waved a hand dismissively.

"-and so then you stole-

"Commandeered."

"-Stole a ship and just flew off to sneak into the Shadow Broker's base, just the three of you-"

"And we kicked his ass, just so you know."

Shepard brought his hands up to scrub at his face as he exhaled loudly in exasperation. Finally, he let his hands fall to his side, leveling the three of them with considering looks before his eyes finally landed back on Jane.

"Which part of 'no extreme physical exertion' did you not understand, Jane? Chakwas is going to kill you." Her eyes narrowed as she stepped toward him, jabbing a finger into her brother's chest.

"Now hold on, I did a perfectly fine job. I might not have been at my peak, but I did more than just hold my own." She crossed her arms, her back straightening, "I handled the physical exertion just fine. Look at me, I'm perfectly fine. And," Jane glanced at Garrus out of the corner of her eye, a smile spreading across her face, "I've had plenty of physical exertion while we've been staying here the past few days." Garrus felt heat creeping up his neck, but he forced himself to hold her gaze until she looked back at her brother, "And see? I'm perfectly fine."

"I'm fine with you working out in the gym or whatever you've been doing," Shepard sighed, bringing his hands up to rest on her shoulders again, "I'm just worried about you putting your life on the line when you're not at your best."

Jane opened her mouth to argue, but Shepard continued, "Jane, you're my right hand." She blinked at that, her mouth snapping shut, "I need you at your best when we move against the Collectors. If that means you need to take it easy until you're completely healed, then that's okay. As amazing and impressive as this all is - yes, I am impressed," The corner of his lips quirked up at her look of disbelief, "Don't give me that look- As amazing as this all is, I care more about your well being." He went silent before continuing after a moment, his voice quiet, "I don't know what I would do if something happened to you, Jane. After everything that happened with Morinth, I still haven't forgiven myself, I-"

"John, none of what happened was your fault. I'm okay, I'm recovering. I thought everything that happened here would have proved that to you."

"You don't have to prove anything to me, you've never had to prove anything to me. I just want you to be okay. I want-"

"I don't mean to interrupt, but-" Liara interrupted as she took a step toward them, a data pad in her hand, "If you need further convincing that this was a worthwhile endeavor, I've begun compiling some data here that I think might be worth your time." Shepard glanced down at the data pad, taking it with hesitant interest.

"I suppose it would be handy having someone with access to information I can trust." Just then, a small white drone came rushing over toward them, and Shepard visibly flinched as it stopped abruptly right in front of him. "What-?"

"Welcome back, Shadow Broker!" It chirped excitedly, and Garrus' mandibles fluttered in amusement at the surprise on Shepard's face.

"What's this?" He asked as he turned back to Liara, who shrugged as she brought a hand up to rub the back of her neck.

"That's the old Broker's VI assistant." She stated, turning back toward her main console, "It's actually been helpful with rebuilding the network."

"I think it's kind of cute. Like a hyperactive puppy." Jane muttered as she shifted, clearly happy for the distraction from their debate of moments before.

"Yeah, a puppy who can sort and organize zettabytes of data in the blink of an eye." Garrus chuckled and Jane elbowed him in the side affectionately.

"Please let me know if I can organize anything else for you, Shadow Broker." The energetic VI quipped happily.

"It also thinks anyone in the room is the Shadow Broker." Liara shrugged, "I'll play around with the setting later."

"My manual is ready whenever you have a moment!" It chirped as Shepard looked back down at the datapad before glancing back at Liara.

"Is it okay if I take this with me? We need to get going."

"Already?" Jane asked, something possibly like disappointment in her voice, "What's the rush?" Shepard turned to her, a troubled expression on his face.

"It's Tali." At Shepard's short reply, Jane's expression instantly hardened, all traces of levity gone.

"What happened? Is she okay?" She asked urgently, and Shepard's brows knit as he looked at the floor with something between frustration and confusion.

"I'm not sure. We don't have all the details yet, but the Fleet's Admiralty Board has accused her of treason for some reason-"

"What?" Jane exclaimed as her head jerked back in surprise, her eyes widening.

"We need to go with her and do our best to assist with clearing her name. In addition to that," Shepard's expression wilted, sadness creeping in at the edges, "The Collectors hit another colony just days ago." Jane's eyes shut as her lips pursed. She took a deep breath in, releasing it slowly.

"Damn it."

"Yeah. Tali is the last person who seems to have any unfinished business. As soon as we're done with her, we need to go pick up that Reaper IFF and get moving. Time is ticking, we don't have time to lose. Every minute we dawdle, more people suffer at the hands of the Collectors." Shepard seemed to steel himself before turning and striding toward Liara. "Liara, thank you for the data, I'm looking forward to browsing it."

"Of course, Shepard. I'll stay in contact and pass along anything else I think might be interesting to you." She turned just in time to be enveloped in a hug by the taller man.

"Congratulations on your… Acquisition? Promotion?" Shepard took a step back, a fond smile on his face, and Liara smiled back at him as she flushed, nodding. "And thanks for taking care of these two idiots-" He gestured back at Jane and Garrus, and Garrus crossed his arms as he rolled his eyes affectionately. "I am rather fond of them, it was dull on the Normandy without them."

"Oh!" Liara's eyes popped as she seemed to have a sudden realization, "Before you go, I have something for you." She turned and hurried out of the room toward her personal rooms, returning a moment later holding a frame of some sort, holding it out to Shepard. "It took some digging, but I recovered your tags."

Shepard took a sudden, sharp intake of breath as he took the frame from Liara. Slowly, he held it up before him, his eyes roaming the familiar metal ovals. His expression softened, a small smile appearing on his lips.

"I thought I'd never see these again." He said, and Jane took a few steps forward until she was standing beside him. She brought her hand up to rest upon his back as she leaned into him, gazing down at the tags as well.

"They changed hands more than once. Do you remember Admiral Hackett?" Liara asked, and Shepard nodded, "He gave them to me so I could return them to you. He sends his best…" She paused before continuing, "And hopes you're okay."

"Thank you, Liara. And please send Hackett my thanks as well. I hadn't thought I had any friends left in the Alliance." Garrus could hear the slight bitterness in the other man's voice. Liara stepped forward and placed a hand over his, giving it a friendly squeeze.

"You have lots of people who care and are rooting for your safe return from this mission." She murmured, and Shepard smiled at her before nodding.

"I know. Thanks, Liara." He took a deep breath before taking a step back, nodding. "Okay, it's time to get going. It was good to see you. Take care."

"You, too, Shepard." Liara stated as he made for the door. Jane turned to her, and Liara held out her hand to her. "Thank you so much, Jane, for all your help. I don't know if I could have done this without you guys." Jane grabbed her hand, surprising her by pulling her into a hug.

"Anytime, Liara. I was happy to help." Jane stated warmly before pulling away and clasping Liara's shoulder. "Now, no turning into a recluse with creepy information on everyone in the galaxy, okay?" She grinned at the asari, who smiled back. In just that interaction, Garrus could see how much Liara had grown the past few years. Back on the SR1, a joke like that would have led to Liara spluttering and flailing to reassure everyone that she would never do such a thing. But the Liara before them glanced back at the large set of monitors behind them before raising a single, amused eyebrow.

"I can understand the temptation. I've got all the secrets of the galaxy at my fingertips." She thrust her hands out to gesture around her at all the data scrolling on various consoles, "Give me ten minutes, and I could start a war."

"As fun as I'm sure that would be, here's hoping that won't be necessary." Jane stated dryly as she crossed her arms.

"I've got a purpose: Helping you guys stop the Reapers. That will keep me honest." The two women stared at each other silently for a moment before Liara continued with a shrug, "You know, relatively speaking." The three of them laughed at that, and Garrus stepped forward to hold his hand out to Liara.

"Take care, Liara. It was good seeing you. Thanks for everything."

"You, too, Garrus." She said warmly as she shook his hand, and they both took a step back.

"Come on. Let's not keep Shepard waiting." Garrus muttered, and Jane nodded, the two of them waving one last time to Liara before taking their leave, heading back toward the Normandy.

The quarian Migrant Fleet was not anything like Garrus had imagined, but then again, he hadn't really had any idea what to expect before they set foot there. People on the Citadel sneered and made jokes at their expense, and Garrus had to admit that he'd joined the hunt for Saren with plenty of those old biases in place. But getting to know Tali and hearing her speak proudly about her people had quickly opened his eyes, dislodging what he now understood to be unfair and unfounded prejudice.

Being an outsider, Garrus had never expected to receive a warm welcome from the Migrant Fleet. Hell, he'd never honestly expected to visit them in the first place. But their reception just before Tali's trial had been cool, distrustful, and almost hostile in the case of some.

The trial itself had been something resembling a complete farce. Most seemed to have arrived with their minds on the matter already made up, the admirals included. They'd gone as far as to preemptively strip Tali of her ship name, dubbing her 'Tali'Zorah vas Normandy' instead. While the weight of the change was somewhat lost on the Normandy's crew, the blow seemed to hit Tali almost physically.

When the proceedings began, it was clear that it would be an uphill battle, but it was also clear that they'd miscalculated by declaring Tali a member of Shepard's crew. Shepard was only a few choice words into his defense of Tali as he stood before the quarian conclave when Garrus saw the dawning realization of their mistake upon what little he could see of the face of at least one admiral. Shepard had always had an eloquent way with words when he wanted to, particularly when he felt strongly about the matter.

And he clearly felt strongly when it came to Tali.

Before they knew it, they found themselves fighting geth aboard the Alarei, searching blindly for any sort of evidence of Tali's innocence. While they had found what they'd come for, they'd also found the body of Tali's father. It would be awhile before Garrus could get the soft, mournful sobs of the younger woman out of his ears, no matter how touching it had been to see Shepard comforting her.

They left the Alarei with the conundrum that Tali couldn't be cleared of the charges against her without turning over the data they found, and yet allowing the admirals to see the data would have ruined her father's name. Which was how Shepard found himself standing before the conclave again, determined to do with heartfelt shouting what he couldn't do with their proof.

"...Tali'Zorah saved the Citadel!" Shepard proclaimed as he paced across the dais, gesturing out across the room, "She saved the Alarei! She showed the galaxy the value of the quarian people." He finally finished stalking like a hungry predator, coming to a standstill before the admirals, his shoulders thrown back as he stared them down, his back straight and head held high, "I can't think of stronger evidence than that."

The room was silent for a moment before erupting in a chorus of hushed whispers. Tali's head slowly raised from where she'd previously been studying her feet, her eyes wide as her gaze rested upon the human commander.

"Are the admirals prepared to render judgment?" Shala'Raan, the admiral overseeing the trial, asked, her voice somber, and the other admirals glanced at each other before looking down to their own omni-tools. Garrus felt his fists clench in dread anticipation, completely unsure what to expect. Beside him, the rest of the ground team that had accompanied Shepard and Tali to support at the trial seemed to hold their breaths. Or at least, it felt to Garrus as though they did. It was hard to tell with all the helmets and facemasks.

Finally, the votes were submitted, and Tali stood before the board, awaiting their decision, awaiting her future.

"Tali'Zorah," Shala'Raan began, her voice heavy and grim, and Garrus felt a moment of dread until she continued, "In light of your history of service, we do not find sufficient evidence to convict." Garrus felt something in his chest unseize, and he could almost swear he could her the smile in Shala'Raan's voice as she finished, "You are cleared of all charges."

"Shit," Jane chuckled quietly, sighing in relief, "She had me for a moment there."

"Me, too." Garrus replied under his breath, and he could feel himself smile. "We should have had more faith, I suppose. Shepard really is a miracle worker."

"Shepard," Shala'Raan spoke up again over the murmuring voices of the conclave, "Please accept these gifts in appreciation for you taking the time to represent one of our people." She activated her omni-tool, and in front of them, Garrus could hear Shepard's omni-tool beep quietly in response. He pulled it up, glancing down at the display before looking back up at the admirals.

"With all due respect, Admiral," Shepard stated, only just toeing the line of respect, righteous anger still permeating his voice, "I didn't represent one of your people." He turned, glancing at Tali for a moment, his voice softening, "I represented one of mine."

"So you did, Shepard." One of the other admirals replied after they exchanged inscrutable glances amongst themselves.

"This hearing is concluded." Shala'Raan declared to the room before adding in a much more gentle voice, "Go in peace, Tali'Zorah vas Normandy. Keelah se'lai."

The last phrase repeated throughout the room by the rest of the quarians as they began standing to leave, and Shepard turned to Tali questioningly. Tali seemed to be in shock, still processing the admiral's unexpected decision. She turned to face Shepard, her bright eyes wide. He held a hand out and brushed against her shoulder lightly while gesturing up the stairs toward where the rest of the ground time was waiting.

When they reached the top, Tali turned to face Shepard again, her voice breathy and amazed, "I can't believe you pulled that off." She seemed completely unaware of those around her reaching over to pat her back or offer their congratulations. "What you said… I've never had someone speak like that on my behalf."

"Come on, guys, give her space." Jane muttered as she started gesturing for the team to back off.

"Thank you for being there for my father and me, even when…" Tali trailed off before she shook her head, looking back up at Shepard, "Thank you." She concluded, her voice subdued and sad.

"We can still go back in and get you exiled, if you want." Shepard joked lightly, and Tali chuckled, her shoulders seeming to loosen.

"Hah! Thanks, but I'm fine with things like this." She looked down again before glancing back up at Shepard in a way Garrus almost would have called coy, "It's fun watching you shout."

"Oookay people, back to the ship." Jane barked suddenly, looking back at where Shepard and Tali stood, seemingly unaware of the goings on around them, "Let's give them a little space," She added, a small smile on her face as the two of them continued talking quietly. The group started moving toward the hallway leading to the Normandy's docking bay, and Garrus looked back to see Tali lift a hand to lay on Shepard's arm lightly, hesitantly. Garrus turned away, looking back at Jane beside him who was smiling smugly.

"Stop looking so self satisfied. You haven't done anything to help them along yet." He nudged her lightly and she shoved him back playfully.

"Come on, Tali'Zorah vas Normandy," Shepard's voice echoed down the hall as the other two turned to follow the ground team toward the ship, "Let's get back to our ship."

"We'll see." Jane smirked, raising an eyebrow up at him before glancing back at them, "I'm starting to come around to your way of thinking that they might not need my help." Garrus snorted at that.

"Perhaps." He sobered a moment later, thinking back to his discussion with Tali a few weeks before. "You might want to check in with Tali, though. She had some pretty real reservations last time we talked about it."

"Wait, Tali confided in you about John?" Jane's eyes shot back to him, suddenly serious again.

"A bit. I think she's worried about being a distraction, among other things. Like I said, maybe you should talk to her. I don't think I'm really the best authority on romance."

"Oh, I don't know. I think you've done a pretty good job so far." She replied as she grinned, turning to look out the window. He could see just enough of her face to pick up on the slight pink flush to her cheeks, and he felt himself smile with pleasure.

Once they left the Migrant Fleet, Shepard informed the crew that they were going to be making their way to the derelict Reaper Cerberus had found in order to remove its IFF. The theory was that having the Reaper IFF should make a trip through the Omega 4 Relay safe, but Garrus wasn't sure it would be that easy. They'd all seen the effects of indoctrination, and there was something about the thought of boarding an actual Reaper that made his skin crawl. But if Shepard ordered it, he'd probably march down into the bowels of Hell itself.

Jane seemed to have fixated on her hopes for Shepard and Tali, taking every excuse to try dragging them both into conversation before sneaking out in an attempt to prompt the two to have some sort of heart to heart. Though Jane's somewhat hamfisted maneuvering seemed painfully obvious to Garrus, the other two seemed completely oblivious to both it and to the other's apparent interest. He couldn't help but wonder if he and Jane had appeared that way to others. Surely not?

Garrus hadn't planned on involving himself, honestly. While he'd appreciated Wrex's advice in the end, he had not particularly enjoyed the manner of the krogan's well intentioned meddling. Which was why he was surprised when Shepard's message popped up on his omni-tool a few hours before they arrived at the derelict Reaper.

Got time to come up for a drink? I could use some advice. - JS

Admittedly, it took him a moment to realize it was from John Shepard and not Jane. He wasn't sure how their names were spelled in whatever human language the siblings spoke, but when translated into turian standard text, their names were frustratingly similar.

Regardless, he was at a pretty good stopping point with what he'd been working on, so he shut down the Main Battery's control console and made his way up to the Captain's Quarters. When he arrived, Shepard was lounging back in his desk chair, sipping a beer as he absently watched the fish swim lazy circles in their tank.

Shepard saluted him with his drink before standing and gesturing to the fish.

"I'm not sure how they manage to stay alive, honestly. I don't remember the last time I fed them. Guess I should probably be better about that." He turned to grab something off his desk, and Garrus felt a crooked smile grace his face as he remembered Jane's admission that she liked to feed the fish when she had a spare moment. "Here!" Garrus turned to see Shepard holding out another bottle, one clearly marked 'dextro', "Grabbed one for you, hope you don't mind this flavor."

"Of course not, thanks." Garrus replied and cracked it open before following Shepard as he stepped down into the living quarters. They both sat down on the couch, taking sips of their respective drinks before getting comfy. Garrus let his eyes fall on the cracked N7 helmet sitting on a low desk nearby. He quickly ripped his eyes away, realizing with discomfort what it was. "So," He started after another sip, "What can I do for you, Shepard?"

"Ah. Well." The other man seemed to sink into the couch further, his nerves and unease nearly palpable. Garrus felt anxiety building with every moment of silence that followed until Shepard finally continued haltingly, "You've, er, been with quite a few women over the years, haven't you?"

Garrus coughed as he swallowed suddenly at the unexpected question, but once he regained the ability to speak, he didn't even know what to say.

"Er, well, I-"

"Or men, I mean! I'm not judging!" Shepard held up a hand, quickly back peddling as he misunderstood Garrus' discomfort.

"Oh, I, uh, no, that's not-" Garrus' hand automatically shot up to rub the back of his neck as he leaned forward to rest his other forearm against his knee.

"I just figure you have more experience with this romance stuff than I do, that's all. Thought I could pick your brain a little." Shepard sighed and ran a hand over his short, buzzed hair, "I've spent my entire adult life focused on my career, I never made time for any of this sort of thing. But, with everything going on, this mission coming up, the Reapers… I just feel like…" He glanced away, his mind seeming to drift off to another place, "I feel like there's things that shouldn't be left unsaid. Not anymore." He looked back to Garrus, his expression suddenly anxious, "But I have no idea how to go about this."

"I'm assuming this is about Tali?" Garrus asked before taking another sip of his drink, sitting back in his seat. Shepard's eyebrows shot up and he smiled suddenly.

"See? You knew exactly what I was getting at. You must have so much more experience with women and romance than I do." His hand came up as he gestured vaguely before him, "You're so suave, so confident, all the turian ladies must be falling all over themselves to be with you."

Garrus couldn't help the bark of laughter that leapt out of him at that, shaking his head with amusement.

"Shepard, there's a difference between a little stress relief with a crew mate before a mission and having an epic romance. I've had sex plenty of times, sure, but I-" He cut off suddently, the words dying on his tongue. He took another sip of his drink before continuing, "I have a little less experience with making people fall in love with me."

Garrus looked away, unable to hold Shepard's eyes as he imagined a certain redhead a few decks below. His intention had never been to hide his relationship with Jane from Shepard, and yet… This did not seem like the ideal moment to say 'Oh, except for your baby sister.'

"Ah, I see what you mean. I'm in a similar situation, I've had my share of fun on shore leave, but…" Shepard took a long swig of his own drink before glancing down at the table between them in introspection.

The more Garrus thought about it, the more he realized he didn't know about human culture. He'd done plenty of research about courtship customs, of course, and they'd come in handy time and again. And yet, he somehow knew nothing about the proper way to meet his human girlfriend's family, as it were. Or tell her girlfriend's older brother. Who happened to be his best friend. And his commanding officer. Spirits.

But there were particular rules surrounding meeting your girlfriend's family in turian culture, so it only made sense that there probably would be in human culture, too. He'd have to do more research.

Garrus brought a hand up to rub his eyes before shifting in his seat. He supposed he could at least share some advice. Jane would probably string him up if he didn't help encourage Shepard to make a move. He knew she had tried to talk to Tali a few times, but had yet to make any headway there.

"So, how do you feel about Tali, exactly? What do you want with her?" Garrus started after a moment, and Shepard nearly jumped as he sat up.

"Ah, I-" He fumbled, his face flushing, "Sorry, I've never been good about talking about this stuff." He took a deep breath, letting out slowly. "She's important to me. All of you are, but she's… She's special." He smiled as he looked down at his drink, and Garrus couldn't help but smile as he thought about someone else.

"Yeah, I know what you mean." He muttered, and Shepard looked up at him sharply.

"I thought you said you weren't interested in Tali." Garrus' brow plates shot up, and he raised a hand defensively as he shook his head.

"What? Oh, no. That's not what I-" Garrus paused, and a moment later he chuckled as he shrugged, looking away as heat crept up his neck, "No, I was thinking about… Someone else."

"So, you do have a little turian lady friend tucked away, huh?" Shepard grinned as he sat forward to rest his forearms on his knees, and Garrus's smile stiffened as his mandibles flicked nervously.

"Er, something like that."

"So, what am I supposed to do? Am I supposed to make some sort of romantic gesture? I've looked into quarian culture a little, but I'm worried she'd be offended if I tried any of that because I'm human. And I don't even know how she feels about me. I've never become involved with a subordinate before, it's against all the regs. But we're not an Alliance vessel, so does it really matter? But at the same time, those regs exist for a reason, and I don't want her to feel pressured into anything she doesn't want because I'm above her-" Shepard cut off his anxious monologue suddenly, his eyes popping as he sat up suddenly, "-because I'm her commanding officer, I meant! I'm not-! I didn't mean it like that!"

Garrus chuckled as Shepard's face screwed up in embarrassment and they both took another sip of their drinks. After Shepard seemed to have cooled down a little, Garrus ventured back into the conversation.

"Honestly, Shepard? I think you should just try talking to her about it." Shepard opened his mouth to argue, but Garrus continued on regardless, "I know. It seems nerve wracking. But sometimes it's the only way to really understand where you stand with someone."

"I have no idea how she feels. I really don't want to ruin everything by putting myself out there and making her uncomfortable."

For a moment, Garrus considered telling Shepard about the feelings Tali had confided in him. He knew perfectly well that they both felt the same way about each other, but it also felt wrong to bring up what Tali had said. Plus, she had raised some perfectly reasonable concerns about a possible relationship between the two. It wasn't Garrus' business. But, he could probably give him a push in the right direction.

"I don't think you have too much you need to worry about. Grunt was reading some old human history the other day, something about knights and princesses and dragons."

Shepard snorted at that in amusement, his face disbelieving. "Dragons aren't exactly historically accurate. They're mythological at best." Garrus shrugged, unconcerned as he grinned.

"Whatever, same difference. Regardless, you've come riding to Tali's rescue so many times now that she must be feeling like quite the princess. She must see you as quite the 'knight in shining armor' at this point." Shepard appeared to have lost his ability to speak, his mouth open and closing as he struggled for words.

"I'm not- I didn't- That was never my intention. Each of those times, I did what I did because it was the right thing to do, not out of any sort of attempt to-"

"I know, Shepard, relax. I wasn't trying to say otherwise. And she knows that, too. I think that's part of why-" Garrus shut his mouth, mindful not to bring Tali's supposed feelings into it, "That's why I think you should give it a shot. You don't need to just throw it out there immediately, maybe test the waters first. Feel out what her feelings might be. If she gives you reason to believe she might be interested, then take the plunge and tell her how you feel. See where it leads you."

They fell into silence again, and Garrus finished off his drink as he let Shepard digest his words. After a little while, the other man lifted up his foot to rest it on the low table in front of him.

"Huh." Shepard exhaled, his face considering. "That makes sense." He, too, finished off his drink and put the bottle on the table. "Thanks, Garrus. You've given me a lot to think about. I really appreciate it."

"No problem, Shepard." Garrus crossed his ankle over his knee and grinned at the other man, his best friend, adding, "It's the least I can do, what with a face like yours, I figure you need all the help you can get."

Shepard threw his head back and laughed. Garrus joined him, and when they finally quieted down, Shepard dried a tear in his eye as he grinned.

"Okay, okay, so now tell me about this lovely turian of yours." He said after a moment, causing Garrus to freeze. For a split second, he considered just… telling him. But introduction into your significant other's family and clan was so important to turians, and he had no idea how it was supposed to be done among humans. Better to make sure he wasn't committing any human faux pas before diving right into it.

"Sorry to disappoint you, Shepard, but I don't have any turian girlfriend." Garrus stated, technically not lying, he reasoned.

"Ah well," Shepard muttered, his face falling for a moment before he smiled again, "I guess that just means you'll need a wingman next time we have some shore leave. You really shouldn't rely on Jane for that, she has no idea how to be subtle. Don't worry, I've got your back. We'll find a date for you, yet. Even with half your face missing." They shared another laugh as Garrus rolled his eyes.

"Thanks." He drawled, and Shepard stood, grabbing the empty bottles.

"Can I get you another one?"

"Sure, why not?" Garrus kicked back, cherishing quality time spent with a man who had become like a brother to him.

(Note: The chapters seem to be getting longer and longer, but I'm currently finishing up the last chapter of part 2! We're getting close, people! Thank you so much for all your support, I always welcome comments, critiques, insights, and observations!)