Slowly, Garrus began to open his eyes. The blinding light consuming him had all but disappeared, and not just the light, but Zavala's office as well. All surroundings swapped for a new environment. Now Garrus found himself standing amidst a lush field right next to a river. The air was hot and the sun's powerful rays beaming down on the land.

Garrus looked around this new, strangely familiar terrain. What happened? How did he get here? Where are Shepard and the others? None of this made any sort of sense.

Then, he looked over at the horizon across from the river. There was a clear view of a massive metropolis far off from where he stood. That city, Garrus knew it. The shape of the buildings, Alliance vessels floating just overhead. Was that..? It could be…

Cipritne. The capital city of the turian homeworld. Garrus was back on Palaven? How? This wasn't possible. What in the name of the Spirits did Caiatl do?

"Are you even listening to me, Garrus?"

All thought ceased at the sound of someone talking. Garrus froze up. That voice, he knew it. The turian looked behind himself. There, standing idle, was another turian. Male, and not that much older than Garrus. This one possessed blue facial marking similar to his own, and wore a blue, orange lined suit of armor. The turian had the stern expression of a drill sergeant… or a scolding parent. Garrus knew exactly who it was.

Castis Vakarian. His father.

"Try again."

Somebody else was with him. Another turian, much smaller. Younge, from his size and short fringe. Examining him more closely, he also had blue face tattoos, in the EXACT style of Garrus'. In his hands was an orange painted sniper rifle that the boy was clumsily holding. It was clearly too heavy for his frail arms, though Castis didn't seem to care as he towered over the boy. The young turian fired off several shots at the bottles in front of him. Targets. Each shot missed their marks. The boy's arms finally succumbed to the rifle's weight, he dropped the weapon down onto the ground.

"Can we stop for a while? My arms hurt."

"Not until you hit those targets. Now. Again."

"Why are we even doing this? I'm not going to get any better!"

"Then this is exactly when you try HARDER. This is when you pull yourself together and DO it. Because if you stop now, if you give up on something when it gets hard, you're never going to make it anywhere in life."

The boy. His father's strict words. Garrus remembers this. It was when Castis would take him out for target practice in his youth. That boy was him when he was twelve.

"I'm not doing this to punish you, Garrus. My job as your father isn't to make your life easy. It's to teach you how to be an adult."

When it came to teaching, even if it were his own son, Castis could be a slave worker. He would make Garrus train like his life depended on it. Sometimes he would withhold breaks just to prove a point. Garrus wasn't exactly a fan of his father's methods, but had it not been for him, then Garrus wouldn't be who he is today. He owed his father that much.

The vision suddenly faded away into nothing. A new one came forth. Garrus now found himself in what resembled a hospital room on Palaven. To his right were a row of med beds, most empty aside from one. Laying in it was a female turian who was covered in bandages, and had a broken right arm and left leg.

Garrus felt his heart stop once he laid eyes on the turian woman. Immediately, he knew who it was. He knew in his very soul.

"Mom?!"

He switched his field of view to the center walkway. Somebody was rushing into the room in a frantic hurry. A young turian boy wearing a backpack. He turned to the med bed at the end of the row and let out a frightened gasp.

"Mom!"

The boy ran over to the woman. He bent down and gently wrapped his arms around her injured body, pulling her into a hug.

"What happened?" He asked anxiously.

"It was a hit and run, they said. I don't remember."

Hearing the woman's voice, so soft that it was like that of a songbird's, was immediately bringing tears to Garrus' eyes. His legs quivered, almost losing all feeling. He bit the counter of his mouth plate to hold back his whimpers. Garrus thought for sure he would never…

But his joy was cut short. The scene started to vanish, just like the last. Garrus trembled. He dashed towards the bed as fast as his legs could carry him.

"No! Stop! Don't take her away again! Please! MOM!"

He was too late. She was already gone. Garrus stared at the spot where she laid in horror. He just lost her. Again.

"Saren's hiding something! Give me more time. Stall them."

Garrus turned over to his reer. Now he was seeing something else. There was himself again, but wearing a black and blue C-Sec regulated suit. He also saw that his scar was gone and his leg was back. Standing in front of him was Executor Pallin, who looked pretty mad at him.

This was back when Garrus worked at C-Sec, when he was investigating Saren's suspicious activity.

"Stall the Council? Don't be ridiculous! Your investigation is over, Garrus."

Pallin walked away just like last time, and Garrus was fuming. Three more people walked into the scene who he recognized. Shepard, Kaiden, and… Ashley.

"Commander Shepard? Garrus Vakarian. I was the officer in charge of the C-Sec investigation into Saren."

"Sounds like you really want to bring him down."

This was when he first met Shepard eight years ago, back when Saren went rogue and was working for Sovereign. Spirits, he forgot how young he looked. Oh, how he missed his twenties. Not only that, seeing Ashley again. It brought back so many memories. She was the first human she had ever seen make a krogan as big as Wrex cry like a baby. Garrus recalled she did so because it was her… It was a human thing that involved the women. A "cycle" Shepard called it?

In the blink of an eye, it all went black again, until a light shone from behind him brightly. The sounds of thrusters filled his ears. Garrus turned around. There was a massive gunship hovering just above him. Inside was a batarian pilot wearing an armor he knew too well.

"ARCHANGEL!"

The barrel of the vulcan cannon started spinning. Garrus felt a surge of adrenaline sweep through his body and he dove for cover just before the gun fired. He hid behind a metal crate to his right. Wait. Where did this crate come from? Looking down, Garrus noticed the sniper rifle in his hands. If that was there then… He touch the right of his face. His scar was gone, and his surroundings. This was Omega, back during the assault on his hideout.

"You think you can screw with the Blue Suns?! THIS ENDS NOW!"

Garrus peaked his head out the corner. His eyes widened with horror. There was a rocket heading straight towards him. It hit the ground just short of him. The resulting blast consumed Garrus and he was blown clear. He fell face first onto the ground, but pulled himself back up easily despite the explosion. The turian was now frantic, unsure as to what was real or not.

"What is this?! Where the hell am I?!"

This scene vanished as well, just like the others. One by one, pieces of his life flashed before his eyes. Garrus saw the faces of the fallen. The old team on Omega, Mordin helping Chakwas dress his facial scar, Thane teaching him meditation to help treat his loss, Calibrating with Legion, the dark jokes from EDI. All the good. All the bad. But why was he seeing all this? He was so confused.

That was when Garrus felt something grab him from behind. An iron grip with tremendous strength yanked him backwards. Garrus fell onto his back hard, the back of his head hitting the ground with a thud. Garrus let out a pained grunt on impact.

"Garrus! Hey, come on! Snap out of it!"

That voice. Jane? Garrus was dazed from the fall, but he could make out Jane's tattoo covered face. The turian smiled .

"I don't think I'll ever get used to that tattoo."

Jane laughed slightly. If Garrus could still crack jokes, he would be fine. She grabbed him by the hand and helped him back up.

The turian looked around himself. No longer was he hopping between distant memories of the past. The world had finally stabilized, so to speak. Garround found himself at the center of an alien and broken space. There was no light, yet he could see clearly. The sky was a faint mov color. All around were pieces of familiar locations, such as architecture of the Citadel and Cipritine, areas of the Normandy, his apartment. Not to mention multiple doorways scattered all along the sides.

Garrus was astonished. He felt an overwhelming feeling of unease wash over him like a tidal wave. Jane took note and took his hand into her own. The act was able to calm Garrus, even if by a small amount.

"Easy now." She comforted him. "I know this is freaky. Trust me, I've been there."

"Where are we?" He asked.

"In your head, Commander Vakarian."

The sound of Zavala's voice hit his ears. Garrus turned his head to the left. He saw a large group approaching. Zavala, Ikora, Crow, Osiris, Saint, Mithrax, Caiatl, and Mara. They were all here as well.

"That's quite a voice you have there, Commander." Said Osiris.

Garrus' eyes went wide. Did they just understand him? Caiatl stepped out from the back of the group.

"Welcome to the Mindscape, where all your memories and beliefs are laid bare. Here, we can speak with no language barriers obstructing us, as it is our thoughts that we are communing through."

Mindscape? This was what they were talking about? So all this was in his head? How did that work?

"Caiatl's Psions possess psychic abilities. The one from earlier took all of our minds and pooled them together into an alternate reality separate from our own. It's a bit complicated, I know." Jane helped explain.

So this was like a mental plane? This reminded Garrus of that time Shepard delved into that Geth network back on Rannoch. He wondered if this was similar.

"Here, you can speak freely with us. You can hide nothing, so choose your words wisely, bird." Caiatl said with a hint of intimidation in her voice.

Once Garrus had calmed down, the questioning resumed. He stood before the Vanguard leaders with Jane by his side. She refused to leave him so that Garrus would remain comfortable enough to answer honestly. Zavala protested that, but he knew better than to argue with someone as stubborn as Jane Doe. So he went ahead with the interrogation.

"Let's start out small. How do you know Jane Doe?" Zavala asked.

Garrus told his story. He first explained that her real name was Jane Shepard, an N7 operative and a member of the Spectres, the Alliance Council's personal agents. She was the first human to be assigned the position. Garrus met Jane when he was still with the Citadel's police force, C-Sec. He was investigating corruption regarding a Spectre agent named Saren Arterius. After working together to save a doctor, he joined up with Shepard to help bring Screen down for his crimes.

Zavala was surprised to learn that Garrus was law enforcement. He respected that, someone who upholds the rights of civilians and protects their home from wrongdoers, like that of Titans. It was admirable.

"Is your Alliance a threat to the people of The Last City?"

He replied no. Garrus explained that the Alliance was a galaxy-wide collaboration who work together to ensure the safety of all races of the Milky Way. They're not conquerors, nor terrorists. They were a functioning government who use diplomacy to sort out political issues, and only used force when necessary.

Caiatl spat at that. As a Cabal, her idea of diplomacy was simple. Bow, or be decimated by their might.

The next question asked hit Garrus a bit close to home.

"Why did you betray your comrades to follow Jane? What is your relationship with her besides comrade in arms?"

His voice faltered. Garrus wasn't sure how to explain this part. He turned to Jane, who looked back at him with a supportive expression. Her hand rested gently over his shoulder. It comforted him.

"I believe I can provide an answer to that, Commander." Said Mara, who had wandered off from the group to the left.

Everyone turned over to the direction where the Awoken queen had gone. What they saw had pretty much blown their minds. It was a large statue of a human soldier, standing atop a pedestal with an assault rifle in their hand. The soldier was a woman, with shoulder length red hair, and N7 specialist armor. Everyone could immediately tell who this larger than life soldier was.

It was Jane. No. It was Shepard.

Jane was in just as much shock as the rest of them. She already knew Garrus looked up to her, but she had no idea he put her on a literal pedestal in the middle of his mental scape. She looked over at Garrus. He was looking away out of embarrassment.

"Guess I forgot to clean up in here before I let you all in."

Zavala in particular was speechless. To think anyone would up a troublemaker as big as Jane with such high regards, especially Jane, who has always been such a headache to him. It made him just who exactly she was before Cayde found her after the Red War. Zavala stared back at the two with eyes full of inquisitiveness

"This is why you turned your back on your duties? All of it was for Jane? Because you think this highly of her?"

That was only just one of the reasons why he did it. There were so many others along with that, he would take hours to speak them all. The biggest reason however, was by far the most obvious, made visible by the turian's hand taking Jane's into his own. Garrus took a deep breath before looking back up at the commander.

"When it comes to Shepard, there's nothing I won't do for her."

Jane was as astounded as she was touched. Her cheeks are as red as the stripe running down her arm.

The look in Garrus' eyes. It was not of a hostile wartorn alien. It was of a man sworn to protect the woman he loves from all those who would do her harm. A man who is ready to throw it all away in order to follow his heart, to find his happiness. Zavala knew that look better than anyone. He has seen it on Cayde whenever Jane entered the room

Seen It in Osiris when he and Saint were together.

Seen it in Shaxx whenever he would hear Mara's voice…

Long ago… when Zavala used to see it in himself, every time he would look in the mirror.

"He's asleep. Just got him down."

"After all that running around you two did today? I'm surprised it took this long."

"I admit, uh… I did stay and watch him a few minutes longer. Heh. Just to be sure. That smile he has right as sleep makes his eyes too heavy to keep open… I could watch him for hours."

"Hours and hours."

"What?"

"Your eyes. *laughs softly* He has them. Perhaps not by birth, but… in spirit. They shine so brightly. YOU shine so brightly."

"And I pray he does not inherit his father's honeyed words, or you and I will be in very deep trouble."

Zavala had no clue as to what he should say now. He just stared straight into Garrus' eyes. Eyes brimming with determination… and love for the one beside him. All of a sudden, he now saw a small part of himself within the turian. Of the man he used to be before the Vanguard. Before he…

Moving away from the three of them, Crow noticed something in the corner of his eye. A sort of dark blur, shaped like a person. It moved in an almost spectral fashion, vanishing into one of the many doors set along the sides of the Mindscape. Strange. What was that, he wondered. Crow felt the need to pursue, but thought against leaving the group to go off on his own.

Curiosity ended up killing the cat however. Crow decided to investigate, sneaking away from the group unnoticed, thanks to his skill as a Hunter. He pursued the shadow into the door it entered. Crow passed through the door, but he failed to notice the large sign hanging above in flickering red neon.

'PEOPLE I FAILED'

The hallway in front of him seemed to stretch for miles. It was dark, mists hovering low above the ground. It was creepy. Crow slowly proceeded down the hall with Glint floating just above him while shining a light from his eye in order to brighten the corridor. In his right hand was his trusty Hawkmoon, and a hunting knife in his other.

It felt as though the hallway went on forever. Crow wasn't even sure how long he had been walking for. A half hour? Maybe more? There were no traces of that shadowy figure he saw from before. Perhaps they traversed further in. Glint objected to this idea, but he knew Crow better than to just turn back when he was already this far in.

Finally, Crow turned a corner. Glint shone his light into the room. That gave his Guardian a clear view of what was before him. What Crow saw turned his veins to ice.

Graves. Multiple graves. Each one lined up next to one another in perfect rows. They all had names engraved into them.

Ashley Williams, Charles Pressly, Butler, Erash, Vortash, Mierin, Ripper, Grundan Krul, Monteague, Sensat, Weaver, Melenis, Kelly Chambers, Rupert Gardner, Executor Venari Pallin, Tarquin Victus, Mordin Solus, Thane Krios, Legion, EDI, David Anderson…

Jane Shepard.

Crow had no idea what to make of any of this. What were these graves? Maybe the names of his fallen friends, he assumed from Jane's name being among them. It didn't make it any less disturbing though. Crow had seen a lot of strange things that ranged from giant witches with moth wings to a satanic reflection of his past self, but this took the cake and probably ate it too.

"Crow, I think we should leave." Glint urged his partner.

But just as he was ready to turn around, Crow felt a presence around him. It felt dark and bloodthirsty. He knew on the spot that he was in trouble. Quickly, the Hunter spun around and raised his gun. It was swiped out of his hand faster than he could pull the trigger and tossed across the floor. Crow gripped his knife; the blade caught fire and he swung it to the right in a hard slash. The figure leaned backwards and dodged with ease before standing back up straight and pushed his hand forward at Crow, hitting him with a powerful burst of biotic energy. Crow was knocked backwards onto the grave with the name, 'Thane Krios' inscribed into it.

"Crow!" Glint tried to rush over to his Guardian, but was stopped as the figure stood in his way and denied him access. "Get out of my way! You won't hurt my Guardian!" The Ghost shouted.

"Your friend should not be here, little one. Garrus won't take too kindly to people rummaging around in his more private thoughts."

The phantom sounded male, but his voice carried a dual toned flanging effect like Garrus'. It was too dark to see as Glint shut off his light out of frantic worry, but he appeared to be humanoid in form.

Crow composed himself. Before standing back up, he gripped his knife and tossed it at his attacker. The assailant grabbed it and threw it right back at the Hunter. Crow jumped out of the way before it got him. He drew another knife from his boot, and a small push knife from his hip pouch, then took a fighting stance.

The phantom was slightly amused. He wondered just how many knives Crow had. He did not waver, however. Instead, he inhaled deeply, readying his body for combat.

The Hunter struck first. A quick left jab forward with the push knife. The phantom dodged, but Crow then flipped the grip on his other blade and tried an upward slice. That was stopped by the mysterious attacker's arm before the blade could touch him. He slammed his foot into Crow's gut and pushed him back. Our Hunter back flipped up into the air before tossing his hunting knife. Using a biotic barrier, the phantom redirected the blade away from him, though this one had more heft to it. A Weighted Knife.

The phantom noticed his opponent had vanished. He scanned his surroundings. Nothing. That was when Crow could strike. The Hunter dove down from above while tossing three knives at his foe. With a quick push of his legs forward, the phantom dodged the knives before they had the chance to rain down on him. Crow landed feat first, now face to face with his attacker, even if he still couldn't see him.

"Self taught…" The phantom pointed out Crow's fighting style. From the sound of his tone, he was impressed. "…and not half bad."

Crow let a grin of enjoyment creep onto his face. "You're not so shabby yourself."

Glint reappeared and activated his light once again. The figure was finally visible to them.

The mysterious attacker was not human, but more like a humanoid reptilian being. Skin layered with green scales and plating, and what resembled red frills rested along his neck and under his jaw, reaching up to the sides of his face. He wore a black, skin tight suit that exposed the crevice of his defined chest. There was also a pair of dark sunglasses obscuring his eyes.

Crow had never seen this kind of alien before. No. He had, back on the Citadel. The Hunter saw quite a few walking around the streets. If Crow recalled correctly, they were called Drell.

"Who are you?" Asked Crow.

"One should not ask of another's name before giving their own first. Simple give and take." The drell responded calmly.

"…They call me The Crow."

The drell lifted his glasses from his face. His eyes were as black as obsidian and possessed a sort of nictitating membrane.

"I am a ghost from Garrus' past. My name is Thane Krios."

Thane reached down to the floor to pick up the object by his feet. It was Crow's hand cannon. He generously handed back the weapon to its rightful owner. Crow took hold of the gun and holstered it.

"Why did you sneak up on me?" He asked.

"Forgive me. I needed to make sure you were not a threat to Garrus' mind. You're not, by the way." Thane replied.

"And you know this from our fight?"

Krios turned away, hands at his back. He gazed down at one of the graves. His grave. There was a deep solemness in his gaze.

"The way you were utilizing your knives. You were aiming to immobilize, not neutralize." He states without turning away.

He could tell from how Crow fought that he wasn't aiming to kill? That's impressive, the Awoken would admit. Thane finally looked away from the tombstone and placed his sunglasses back over his eyes.

"That, and I have seen how Garrus views you, through his more recent memories. He respects you. That's enough to convince me that you're an ally."

Garrus respected him? That's flattering, but he had a hunch that there was more to this than just simple introductions. Crow crossed his arms and leaned back against a wall.

"Glad you see me that way." He said sarcastically.

"Forgive me for my unorthodox methods of introduction, but there is little time to waste."

Thane knelt down to pick up one of the knives on the floor. He slipped his hunger through the loop at the butt of the hilt. With a quick flick of his wrist, the knife spun around on his finger, then Thane slipped his hunger out of the loop and grabbed hold of the knife in the reverse grip.

"Garrus is in grave danger."

It all began billions of years ago. The galaxy bowed under the sway of a powerful psychic race, the Leviathans. They ruled the Milky Way like gods, enthralling any race they deemed lesser, which was all of them. One day, they made the decision to create a form of "intelligence" to help them solve the problem of conflict between organic and synthetic life. They believed it was the right choice to create it.

But then, one day, the Intelligence turned on them. It believed its own creators to be part of the problem. It killed them, harvested their genetic materials, and processed them into a new cybernetic form after its creator's own image, to be the template for its design. This machine would be but the first of its kind that followed after its birth.

Harbinger. The first Reaper.

Over the course of centuries, the Reapers would continue to harvest all organic life in the galaxy and create more Reapers using their victims' own genetic code. They would later create the Mass Relays to speed up their harvests, and after every one, they would retreat to Dark Space, and remain dormant for fifty thousand years at a time until their next harvest. One of the races who were wiped out by these mechanical monstrosities were the Protheans, and long after, humanity, and every other race in the Alliance.

However, there was one thing they would not expect when it came to this cycle.

Commander Shepard. An Earth-born soldier, raised on the human colony of Mindoir. The only survivor of a batarian raiding party who killed her mother, baby sister, and the rest of her colony. The soul survivor of a thresher may attack who wiped out her entire unit on Planet Akuze. Events that should have left her broken, yet it only made Shepard stronger and more determined to fight for what she believed in.

This single woman ended up being the worst thing that could have happened to the Reapers this cycle. Their trojan horse, Sovereign, was thwarted. Their pawns born from the protheans, the Collectors, squashed like the bugs they were. Then, when all finally seemed calm, they returned to start their harvest once again.

Battles were waged all across the galaxy. Many worlds were ripped apart and their inhabitants transformed into organic and synthetic monsters known as Husks. The war was a bloody one. Many lost their homes. Their lives. Scars were inflicted that would never heal. Pain that lasts until death. Such is war, after all.

It eventually all came down to the final battle on Earth. The Alliance had constructed a weapon, the Crucible. A doomsday device created by not just the protheans, but all other races before them who fell victim to the Reapers and their reign of terror, to finally put an end to their genocidal idea of 'order', once and for all.

Their last stand was in the decimated city London, England. Shepard and her team just needed to get aboard the Reaper-controlled Citadel in order to activate the Crucible. She led a three person team of herself, Liara T'Soni, as well as Garrus. Except Garrus was severely injured when a tank fell on top of him and Shepard had to go alone. Eventually, the Crucible was activated. Its tremendous release of Mass Effect energy was spread across the galaxy through the Mass Relay network. The Reapers, and all synthetic life were wiped out. The galaxy was saved. Commander Shepard…

She had lost her life.

And it was on that day that Garrus felt his whole world crumble to ruins.

This was the story of the Reaper War. A tale told many times since its end five years ago. The story of the legendary Commander Shepard and her heroic exploits against the Reapers. The woman who set aside the differences of all Alliance races, even for a moment, to come together for the greater good against impossible odds and save the galaxy. A woman Garrus was proud to serve beside, and to give his heart to.

"…and that's the story, Commander."

The leaders of the Coalition were in awe, especially Jane. Such a tale, worthy of being told alongside that of the Iron Lords, forever recorded by the scribes of House Light, sung by the Cabal to inspire future generations of warriors. Mara was certainly impressed, even if she didn't show it. Saint was beaming with pride for his protege. He knew she was a mighty warrior, but to such a degree as this? Magnificent.

Zavala couldn't believe it. He thought he was having a stroke. "Let me make sure I heard this right…" The Titan said, bracing himself. "Jane Doe… saved the entire galaxy… three times over… The woman whose hobbies include stuffing her face with ramen and riding Hive Ogres like horses, and once beat a Cabal Centurion half to death with a frozen pork loin… united the entire galaxy to fight off a race of genocidal machines hellbent on exterminating all organic life?!"

"A pork loin? I mean, I've seen her kill people with less, but that's a new one." Garrus commented.

"I don't even know what to say." Said Ikora. "We always knew that Jane was powerful and incredibly gifted as a Guardian… but I never would have imagined this."

Jane backed away. She was clearly having a difficult time processing this information. Her face twisted with anxiety and doubt. It felt as though her stomach had a buzzsaw in it. Saving Earth was one thing, but the entire galaxy? Jane really did all of that, and without the Light? It would explain how she died, but not how she could have ended up in the Last City. There were still so many blanks.

All of a sudden, Jane started thinking about the past five years after she woke up from being resurrected. This was her life. Short as it may have been, it was hers. She knew this, and yet she was filled with uncertainty.

It was her life's goal to learn about her past, but hearing about it now… It was just too much. This must have been how Crow felt when his memories were restored. It wasn't pleasant.

Edith appeared next to Jane. Her single eye worry stricken. "Are you alright?" She asked.

Jane stared at her. Was she alright? The woman had just learned she was some intergalactic war hero who died saving all of existence, and she can't remember a single thing about it. Did that sound like she was okay?

"Shepard?"

That name being said through Garrus' mandibles, it was clawing into her now. Shepard- No. No! Jane Doe. She was Jane Doe! She worked for the Vanguard. She wasn't some bigshot war hero, she was a Guardian, whose purpose was protecting the Last City. She-

A large hand rested over her shoulder. Jane looked behind her. Saint was there with a concerned gaze.

"Robin?" He addressed her as softly as he could.

Her mentor's touch soothed her, even slightly. Jane was able to compose herself again.

"I'm okay. I just… needed a sec."

Garrus frowned. Jane was distraught. Perhaps he should have left out some details for her sake. She obviously wasn't ready for the whole truth yet.

"I… I'm sorry, Shepard. I shouldn't have gotten too in depth without warning you."

Jane looked back over at him. Her eyes carried a fearful look. Garrus had not seen such a look in her eyes. It unsettled him. Zavala let out a light cough to get Garrus' attention back to him.

"Well, as… shocking as this news is, this interrogation is far from over." He pointed out. "You say your loyalty is to Jane. This is the part where you provide proof to ground such a claim."

"And just how am I gonna do that?" Garrus asked.

The commander turned towards one of the many doors lined along the sides of the Mindscape. Each one had a neon sign hung over it with a different inscription, such as 'ACADEMY DAYS','FAMILY', and 'C-SEC'. "Empress, care to shine some light?"

Caiatl nodded and began to explain.

"Each of these doors represent a different memory. There are many of them, with multiple scenarios from your past. Though you pass through as you please, you cannot interact with any of the individuals within them, as what you see plays out exactly, much like it did when you yourself experienced it."

So those doors are each one of his memories? That was kinda cool, if he was being honest. Garrus looked over at one of them. A red door that had 'SR1' written over it. He knew what was behind that door. Fond memories.

"We're going to be looking into your past, Commander Vakarian. This will be how you prove to us that your claims are true."

Jane finally snapped out of her frightened state once Zavala's words were heard. She thought she had misheard him, but no. They wanted to just look into Garrus' personal thoughts? That was a complete invasion of privacy!

"What?! Zavala, that's out of the question! No way in-"

"It's fine."

She looked down at the turian. He was okay with this?

"If this proves to you that I'm not the bad guy, go ahead. Just… don't look at anything too personal."

"We'll try." Zavala said.

Ikora turned towards one of the doors. It was one colored a light blue, with 'CHILDHOOD' written overhead. Peering into his early years seemed like a promising start, so the Warlock approached the door. Her hand gripped the metal knob.

"This seems like a good start."

"Hey, wait! Not that one!"

His pleas fell flat. Ikora cautiously opened the door. On their other side was a brightly colored bedroom with several militaristic posters pinned onto the wall and a small bed in the corner of the room. This looked like the bedroom for a child. Her gaze turned towards the floor.

Sprawled on his stomach was a turian, a very young one. He couldn't have been more than seven years old. The boy's attention was fixated on the collection of small action figures and toy vehicles that looked like combat crafts. It didn't take a genius to realize that this boy was a young Garrus.

Subtle noises were made from his mouth while he played with his toys. He was replicating the sounds made by the weapons and vehicles made in real life. "Batarian forces closing in from ten o'clock! All ground units, move in and engage The enemy! Pew! Pew! Vrrrm!"

"Oh, that is just precious."

Ikora felt her heart melt in her chest and she smiled wholesomely. This was probably the cutest thing she'd seen in years, not just seeing what Garrus looked like as a child, but also how he was playing soldier with toys. Just a moment of pure innocence that uplifted her spirit. Jane and Saint both approached, curious as to what Ikora was smiling at.

"Hey, what's- Awwwww!"

"*gasps* Svetom! Posmotrite na malen'kuyu ptichku!" (By the Light. Look at the little bird.)

It was uncanny how high Saint's voice managed to get in that moment. Osiris was cringing in response. The rest of the group stared at Garrus; the turian's face and neck were blue from his blushing. THAT is what he didn't want anyone to see? Really? What was essentially like when a boy brings a girl home for the first time and his mother shows her his baby pictures?

"Oh jeez, this is embarrassing…" Garrus muttered.

Zavala walked over to the doorway himself and took in what he witnessed. A door within the memory opened. A new figure walked into Garrus' bedroom. Another turian, but fully grown. Young Garrus looked up at him and his eyes lit up like fireworks. He stood up off the floor, then ran towards him in the purest of excitement and joy.

"DADDY!"

Castis scooped up his happy son into his arms. He then lifted Garrus up before pulling him into an embrace. Castis laughed in joy. "Garrus! How's my little soldier doing?"

Unlike the others, who were instantly infatuated with the tiny turian in the memory, Zavala instead felt an ache within him. Seeing that child across from him, being held close in the arms of his father, with a smile that shone as bright as the sun… felt like a white hot sword to his soul.

"Zavala?"

The sound of Ikora calling to him brought the commander back into reality. He looked over at his squadmate, who looked right back in concern. Zavala told her he was fine. An obvious lie.

Garrus stood by alongside Jane as he watched these strangers rummage through his memories, exploring his past experiences, good and bad alike. From his days as a C-Sec officer, to his time as Archangel on Omega, all the way to the invasion of Palaven. Though he had agreed to allow them all to explore, he felt uneasy being so exposed like this. Garrus felt naked in his own mind. At least they kept their word about not peering into more personal or private memories.

He certainly didn't need anyone walking in on him and Shepard in bed together.

Spirits. Never in his life had he ever gone through something like this, nor did he think it possible. People exploring his mind like they were touring a museum. Maybe for asari, that would be a thing. Maybe he would ask Liara if it were. Well, if he could ask her.

"How are you holding up?" Asked Jane.

Garrus looked over at her. Her eyes were empathetic and her voice gentle. Even after getting freaked out by the reveal of her past, Jane's concern for him was unwavering. It helped him deal with the uncomfortable search that was occurring within his mind. Garrus smiled at her.

"Surviving." He admitted. "Also glad I didn't scare you off."

Jane smiled back at him reassuringly. "It was a lot to hear, but I've dealt with crazier stuff. Did I tell you about Riven yet?"

Garrus tilted his head to the side. "Who's Riven?" He asked.

That was when Edith appeared. "A giant talking space dragon who could grant wishes."

…

…

…

"Okay. Yeah. That's it. I'm done."

Jane and Edith both snickered in humor. They knew that was how Garrus would react. That look he was making right now. Priceless.

"Guess that means dragons aren't a thing in your Sol?" Assumed Doe.

Garrus shook his head no. That was obvious. "Not unless I'm at home and playing Dragon Age in my living room with a bag of Dextoritos next to me."

"Huh. I took you for more of a Baldur's Gate kinda turian."

The two of them both smiled. Jane's emerald eyes stared into Garrus' icy blue, and they couldn't find a reason to break their focus. Damn, she was always a sucker for blue eyes, and Garrus' had to have been the most vibrant coloration she had ever seen since… him.

"Vakarian, we're your eyes always this blue?"

Garrus' mandibles twitched. "No. I borrowed them for the occasion."

She felt so drawn to him suddenly. His voice. His personality. His features. Garrus was as alien as a Fallen, yet he had this allure to him. He was this large, powerful creature who looked like he could rip a man apart on a moment's notice. Yet he also had this allure to him, much like that of any avian creature. Lethal beauty. That would be the closest term to describe him.

Jane moved in closer to him without even realizing. Her heart rate increased slightly. Breathing growing heavier. Their chests were inches from one another, gazes laser focused on one another. The whole of the world seemed to dissipate in that moment. Right there. Right then. It was just the two of them.

Like Garrus would say, just like old times.

Suddenly. Their surroundings changed instantaneously. No longer were they standing in the dark void of the Mindscape. Now they were in some sort of bedroom, dimly lit by candlelight. The turian looked around. He recognized where he was and immediately felt an overwhelming sense of regret and embarrassment.

Garrus was back in his apartment on the Citadel, except there were candles all across the bedroom, sweet smelling incense lit, and what sounded like Marvin Gaye's "Let's Get It On" playing subtly from somewhere in the room. The turian's cheeks and neck all went such a deep shade of blue that he may as well have eaten that gum from Willy Wonka that turns someone into a blueberry. Jane was no better off, as her face was now the same color as her hair.

"Uh, Garrus… What the liertal fuck?"

His jaw dropped. "MOTHER OF-" Garrus jumped away. "I-I'm so sorry, Shepard! My mind wandered off! I-I-I started to think about the old days and- I had no idea that I could just- Shit. I can't believe I conjured up-"

Remember. All of this was within Garrus' mind. That means whatever he thinks in that instance has the potential to become reality. While the two of them were having that moment, Garrus unintentionally let his mind wander and think about when they were together. More accurately, when they were alone together.

"Spirits, I'm so sorry..." He said to her shamefully.

Garrus looked down at his feet to avoid eye contact. He had never been more embarrassed in his life. But instead of backing away or calling him a space pig, Jane showed him nothing but compassion. The Titan slipped her hand into the turian's. Garrus was taken back by this action.

"Hey, it's okay. You don't know how this place works." Jane comforted him. "It's okay…"

Garrus looked back up at her. He was greeted by a warm smile. Her smile. The smile he had not seen for such a long time. It breathed life back into his long dead heart. Garrus gently squeezed her hand. Even with her armored gauntlet covering it, he could feel its softness against his plated palms, like velvet. How he yearned to feel that touch again. It was his greatest indulgence since before his addiction. Bringing it closer to his face, Garrus gently kissed her knuckles before nuzzling his face against it.

Jane didn't even try to withdraw her hand, nor did she want to. She felt a sense of calm wash over her. A need to be close to Garrus. She could not explain it or make sense of it, however that didn't mean that she would fear it. Jane had never felt more comfortable than she did in this moment. There was no fear. No hesitation. Only… a longing.

She stepped closer. Their faces inches from one another. Jane could feel Garrus' hot breath crashing against her face. Her hand slid out from his grasp, then moved towards the right of his face, where his scar was. She gently caressed the lining of the mangled tissue. The plating of his mandibles were leathery and had a sort of metallic hardness to it, making it feel like armor. Jane could hear a low purring sound radiate from Garrus' throat. It was kind of cute. Such a big scary creature purring like an affectionate kitten. They both leaned in closer. Their eyes shutting only partially as they grow closer to one another. Their foreheads touch, then their noses, before finally…

"You're my favorite. Shh. Don't tell anyone."

A familiar voice snapped Jane out of her heated trance. She backed away from Garrus, frightened, and covered her mouth with her hand.

"Fuck. Fucking shit. What-what was I doing? Oh no. Oh Light…"

Her frantic retreat brought up worry in Garrus. He was a tad fuzzy over what he was thinking himself, trying to kiss her like that. However, all his focus now was on Jane, who looked like she saw a ghost.

"What's wrong?" He asked. "Shepard?"

"I'm fine." She responded quickly.

Garrus attempted to get closer. That was when she lashed out.

"I said I'm fine!"

He jolted away, but also noticed something. Jane was crying.

Garrus was about to speak when a massive tremor shook the room. Both he and Jane tumbled onto the ground from the violent shaking of the Mindscape. Garrus shouted out in pain as he gashed his elbow into the corner of a bureau.

"What in the hell was that?!" He exclaimed.

"AAAAAHA! HA! HA!"

Jane's eyes went wide. A child ran down her spine and her heart skipped a beat in terror. That laugh. That pompous guffaw. She knew EXACTLY who it belonged to.

"It can't be..!"

This has to be my longest chapter yet. Definitely worth the wait, though. Love how it came out.

And UGH! There was so much snow this weekend! I shoveled my driveway 3 times! Cons of living in Canada, I suppose...

Well, until next time!