Yay! Next chapter is up! Wow! Things just kind of exploded after last week's update! You guys are starting to get ahead of me, talking about Virmire and who will be chosen, well I am not telling! You will have to wait and see. This chapter is still while they are on shore leave and the next one will be too. I am trying to keep things light right now, sort of the calm before the storm. For those of you looking for more John x Tali romance, there is a little bit more in here, but as you will see (or already have), Tali isn't too keen on a relationship with John. So, sorry to disappoint, but their love life really won't start opening up until later.

Before we get started I wanted to answer/explain a few concerns. I know that Vanguards can only use shotguns and pistols in ME1, but I always thought that was rather ridiculous! I mean, come on! Shepard is N7 and doesn't know how to use an assault rifle? It is literally point and shoot. And, to be honest, the few shooting games I play, I am a sniper-girl. I was very disappointed at the limited weapon use in ME1 and 2. So, getting back to what I was saying, I decided to make my Shepard character how I wanted, biotics and weapons included!

And I can see that I have dragged on long enough, so let's get into the story! A very, very big thank you to everyone reading/following/favoriting and reviewing! Every time I get an email notification, I can't wait to see who has decided to give my story a chance and what you guys and gals had to say about it! Thank you again!

Chapter 8

John stood in the cargo bay, surveying his surroundings. Besides the inanimate objects, Wrex was the only usual sight. Going down into the engine room, he could only find a skeleton crew working to maintain what needed to be run. Tali, no doubt, was sleeping off a hangover and probably wouldn't be up for another few hours; John always found her intriguing, but she was adorable when drunk.

I know there was a lot of drinking last night, but where is everyone? Joker is more than likely passed out. I'm sure Chakwas will be busy this morning. Maybe Jane is up by now. Getting back into the elevator, he leaned against the wall. In a way, he kind of missed the old days. Jane was different now. The harder and more stressful life had changed her, and he missed knowing what made her tick. Yes, they still got along, but she had become so distant to him. They told each other everything; not so much anymore.

The door to her room opened to him and just before he called out, he stopped. No music. No sound whatsoever. "Jane?" Nothing. Exiting her room, John looked over at the med-bay, Chakwas was moving around but no one else was in there. "Where the fuck is she?" he muttered.

"Looking for Jane?" Kaidan said while he sat at the table, facing Jane's room.

"Yeah," John said looking at the lieutenant and debating. Giving in, he sat across from the man. "You know where she is?"

"She went out somewhere with Garrus. I thought you, of all people, would know that."

Yeah, I should have… "Meh, I don't keep tabs on either of them." He looked across the table at the man and studied him in a matter of seconds; C-Sec had helped him fine tune this skill. The man was quiet, probably brewing over something, or fighting off a migraine from his implant. John knew Kaidan to be nice, but he was kind of a pushover; Jane needed someone to stand up to her, challenge her. "I'll see you around, Alenko. I am going to see who else is up."

John was wandering. He didn't know who else would be up worth talking to, but Kaidan wasn't that person. Everything was so quiet, it was a little eerie. Soon, he found himself outside of the living quarters and heard someone moving around, peeking his head in, he found Tali sitting on her bunk, her elbows on her knees and staring at the floor. "Hey, Tali," he whispered from the doorway.

The quarian lifted her head just enough to look at him for a split second then lowered her head, weaving her fingers together and resting them on the back of her helmet. "Hello, John. Ugh… Why did I drink so much? This is terrible." She felt the mattress shift as he sat silently next to her. "Thank you for being quiet."

"I know a good hangover when I see one. Need me to get you something from Chakwas?"

"Thank you, but no. I'll be alright. I am so glad most of the crew was quiet last night, though I wonder how many stayed on the ship."

"My understanding is that many get hotel rooms so their 'companionship' with others isn't interrupted."

Tali sighed as she sat up a little straighter, "Then I am glad for them because I got a decent sleep, despite the silence."

"How about we get some lunch? My treat."

"Lunch?!" she shouted then immediately regretted it. Holding her head she looked at John and in a much calmer voice asked, "Did I really sleep that late?" At his smiling nod, she groaned. "Guess it is good that we are on leave and Shepard had plans."

"You knew she was going to be out?"

"Yeah, we were talking about what we had planned during our days. I thought it was nice that Garrus offered."

"Garrus offered?"

"Yeah, he was covering for Shepard so Kaidan wouldn't be trailing after her all day."

"Oh." Trying to push his thoughts aside (for now), he turned back to Tali, "So you never answered my question. Yes to lunch?"

"John," she sighed, "I can't and I shouldn't. We can't and shouldn't. You know… you haven't exactly been subtle."

"Tali…"

"No, let me finish. I don't want to be another conquest and, more than that, I can't."

"Now you listen," John said putting a finger under her chin and turning her head back to him, "I am not like that. Joker, Garrus and I may make jokes about it, but we are not really like that… well, I know Garrus and me aren't. Look, Tali, why can't I just spend time with you?" At her silence he was starting to get a little exasperated, "Damn, it is lunch, not skinny-dipping in the Citadel fountains."

She narrowed her eyes at him and though she would never admit it out loud, he had a certain charming quality about him, even if he did annoy her to death sometimes.

"Come on," he pleaded. He nudged her with his elbow, "I'll throw in a shiny bit of new tech?"

Grumbling at him, she sighed, "Alright, but just lunch. We are friends, that is all we will be."

"Hmm, the Spectre shooting range? Don't I feel special," Garrus laughed as he looked around the room.

"You should feel special. It is always good to have friends in high places. Then again, I think you are capable of getting here yourself," Jane said while typing away on the terminal.

"What? You mean me becoming a Spectre?"

"That's exactly what I am saying, big guy," she smiled at him. "Besides, didn't you already tell me that you were selected to be a Spectre candidate?"

"Yeah, me and about a thousand others from the turian military."

"Well, I think you have it in you. Alright, here is another surprise for you." Once she finished, a drawer opened to show a sleek, never been touched sniper rifle. Picking it up, she held it out to him, "They only have one of these right now, so I guess we'll have to share."

Garrus took it from her gingerly and stared at it in awe. "Is this the HMWSR Master Line X?"

She smirked at his expression and leaned against the wall, "That it is."

"You are trying to tempt me with Spectre perks, aren't you?"

"Is it working?"

"Maybe," he chuckled. He moved over to the station and brought the gun up to his shoulder. He fired five shots, waiting the appropriate amount of time for the gun to cool down. "Spirits! That thing is powerful! Let's see what you got, Commander."

Jane narrowed her eyes at him and turned to her own station. She fired the same five shots as close as she could without overheating the weapon, hoping to impress him. Sitting the gun down, she turned back to Garrus, "Alright, ready to bring up the targets?"

Their hands hovered over the switches, "Whenever you are." They flipped the switch and a hologram materialized in front of their stations, showing exactly where their shots had hit; both were grouped tightly in the center of the head. "Hmm, not bad, Shepard. Should we see if it is just luck?"

"It isn't luck, Garrus. And I told you, you are more than welcome to call me Jane now," she handed the gun back to him.

"You first, Jane."

"Fine." She raised the gun again and fired six rounds.

Garrus fired the same amount and they brought up their targets. He peeked over at hers and was about to mock her shooting but paused. He looked down at the smirk on her face then back at her target; she had given the target two eyes and a smile, "Show off."

"You are just mad that you didn't think of it first."

"You aren't bad with a rifle, Jane. Why don't you use one regularly?"

"I guess I just like having you around, Vakarian. So, I guess it is either one up your skills or take your spot."

"But then who would watch your back? You couldn't survive without me."

"Maybe not, but, if I have to live with these biotics, I might as well use them, right?"

"I guess so," Garrus paused and picked up the rifle again. "Well, since you brought it up and that is the perfect lead in… what is your issue with your biotics?"

Jane sighed and looked down at the targets. He paused to look up at her and saw that she seemed to be lost in her thoughts. Garrus was about to speak up when she turned back to him, "I never wanted this life."

It didn't seem to make sense to him. He paused and lowered the gun, "What?"

Jane picked the gun up from him and fired several shots, so close together that the gun should have overheated until the very last one when it finally did. She huffed out a sigh and placed the butt of the rifle on the counter. "I didn't want to join the Alliance. Neither John nor I did. We saw how hard it was on our parents, let alone us. I don't think the 'spacer' life is good for a kid. We moved around so much that I don't feel like I really have a home. Sure, the Normandy feels like one now, but what about after Saren? I want a place to feel like my own when I have down time between missions, not another vacation."

She slammed her hand on the switch bringing up her shots. Garrus leaned in a little closer and looked at the hologram; the shots had been so close together that it looked almost like she had thrown a rock through the head of it. She put the gun back in his hands, but he set it down at his station; she deserved his undivided attention right now.

"John and I have always been close. We were about as close as a brother and sister could be, almost as if we were supposed to be twins. Without really saying it, we agreed to look out for each other, though it was always him taking care of me because of the four year difference." She stared at nothing for a long time then looked up at Garrus with a weak smile, "Then my biotics showed up. I got upset one day and John saw the blue energy coiling up my arm. He told me that we could hide it. That it wasn't a big deal and he was sure that we could keep it from everyone so it wouldn't interfere with my life.

"Then, we were back on Earth for our parent's shore leave. John and I had snuck out one evening and we were walking through a bad part of town. We got cornered by one of the gangs and it set off a pretty big biotic explosion in me," she huffed out a bitter laugh, "I blew out the side of the surrounding buildings, a couple stories up… thankfully those were abandoned. But, John had to take me to the hospital and I was out for about a day. And, of course, our parents found out after that."

"So, that is why you 'don't like to rely on your biotics' and explains why you are so sensitive when people imply that you don't have control over them."

She smiled at him and hoisted herself up onto her station's desk, "Yup. I just, I really don't want it to define who I am. But anyway, I had the choice of being monitored, scooped up by some crazy recruiting group, or join the Alliance. Figured the Alliance made the most sense." Shaking her head, she smoothed back her hair, now wishing that she had left it down so she could mess with it. "Mom was excited, glad that one of her children was going to follow in their footsteps. Dad could see that I wasn't happy about it. John almost joined after that. He wanted to be there to protect me but I couldn't let him do that. I couldn't allow him to do the thing I knew he hated most. Better only one of us in a life we hate than both.

"To be honest, I was pretty bitter for a while. Kind of slacked through a lot of my training and purposefully didn't show off many of my skills so I couldn't be placed as an adept. Got myself lined up with a boring guard-duty job on Elysium… but then the blitz happened. After that, I knew that despite what I wanted, I wasn't living up to my potential and that I had to start making the most of this life."

"If I may say so… you do seem to fit this life. Almost like you were made for it. And, for the record, I am glad that you made it to this point, because otherwise we wouldn't have met," Jane looked up at him with a half-smile and a raised eyebrow, "And, you know, who else would save me from your brother?"

"Very true," she laughed. "And, thanks, Garrus. I am glad that we met, too."

They stood in peaceful silence, each lost in their own thoughts. "How about we grab a late lunch? My treat."

"Hmm, on you? What's the occasion?"

"Well, I won quite a bit last night from some of the crew, so really it is on them."

"What? Gambling on my ship?" her mouth dropped open. Garrus looked away feeling a little abashed, he was about to explain until she broke out in a smile, "And I wasn't invited!"

"Sorry, I didn't take you for the gambling type, Jane."

"Eh, I don't play often, but it would be nice to be seen as a little more human that just as the 'Commander'."

"Next game, I'll be sure to invite you. So, lunch? On the crew?" he chuckled.

"Might as well take you up on that, then," Jane smiled and hopped down. She stretched and cracked her back, causing Garrus to wince. "Oh, and before we leave…" she moved around behind him and placed the gun in his hands, "Enjoy."

"What?"

"It's yours. And I'll get you whatever mods you want if we don't already have them."

"You have got to be shitting me."

"Whoa, where did John come from?" she laughed.

"What can I say, he's a bad influence." Garrus turned the gun over in his hand admiring the weapon. "Shepard… Jane…" he stood rooted in place, dumbfounded, his mouth agape and mandibles slack in shock. "Jane, I couldn't possibly accept this. It's too much."

"Just shut up and take it."

Garrus sighed and shook his head, "Thank you." He looked up one more time to see her lean against the wall, smiling up at him.

"This place serves levo and dextro. Sound good?" Jane said pausing at the entrance.

"Good a place as any," Garrus nodded. Given the later hour, it was fairly empty so he motioned to a seat off to the side; he had more questions for her, and he didn't want her to feel as if there was someone eavesdropping. Just as they sat down, Garrus saw her attention go back out the door, "Something wrong?"

"Hmm? Oh no, sorry. I just saw Anderson, and I actually did want to speak with him a little if I could this shore leave."

"Go ahead, I'll order your drink if you aren't back in time."

"Thanks, water, please. Or tea, any human kind, if they have it."

Leaning back in his seat, he smirked up at her, "You sure you wouldn't rather have Palaven Cipritine tea?"

Jane bit her lower lip and narrowed her eyes at him, pausing in her ascent from the table, "How did you know?"

"I'll tell you later. Go see Anderson," Garrus nodded to her as she got out of the seat and went up to the captain. Anderson seemed like a good man and, to Garrus's understanding, the connection was that he served with her parents and the trio had been friends for a long time, which had caused Anderson to be seen practically as family. Garrus watched their communication and noticed that she stood a little straighter and a little stiffer. Her 'Commander' pose, he mused.

"What can I get you?" the asari waitress asked.

"Two Palaven Cipritine teas, please." The asari looked at Jane then back at Garrus before walking away giving a small shrug and shake of her head. He hoped that they would still bring it, requesting the dextro-based drinks while hanging out with a levo would cause some head turns; but he couldn't blame them, no one would want a potentially fatal allergic reaction to occur in their establishment. The waitress brought the drinks and quickly left, probably not wanting to be a part of a levo consuming something not technically for them. Just as he was about to take a sip, Jane sat back down in front of him. "Go well?"

"Yes, actually. Apparently, Udina is still being an ass though. Anderson invited John and I out to lunch tomorrow. Um… you are welcome to come if you want."

"I wouldn't want to impose."

"Just think on it," she smiled at him and lifted her cup.

"I will," he grinned back and took a sip from his drink just as she did.

"So, when did you figure it out? How did you figure it out?"

"The scent is pretty distinctive, reminds me of home actually, and you frequently had it when you did your rounds. But… I wasn't one hundred percent until Tali recognized it and told John when he asked." He paused but decided to continue, despite the risk, "And then John snuck into your room and found the box while you were on mission with Williams and Alenko," Garrus admitted, his mandibles fluttering in embarrassment.

"That bastard," Jane laughed. "He does so well in meddling with my life. So, I guess I should explain a little, huh?"

"Yeah, like how you can tolerate dextro."

Jane sighed and reclined back in her seat, taking another drink, already feeling her body relax a little. "I suppose we should start at the beginning; soon after starting the N7 program, I got tested for any xeno-based allergens. Turns out, I am dextro-immune. Not only that, but I can get some benefit from liquids. Food at least wouldn't cause an allergic reaction, but I wouldn't get anything substantial from it. Anyway, Nihlus was the one who introduced me to the teas. He saw me up early several mornings in a row and he suggested that I try some to see if it at least would take the edge off, and it worked, at least for a while."

"I wasn't even sure immunities existed, let alone being able to process anything, no matter how small."

Jane shrugged while smiling, "Just call me a freak of nature. You know, I saw a movie, very old mind you, that said 'life will find a way'." She gave another shrug as if that phrase explained everything, and it kind of did.

"Why not try human tea? John mentioned there are some that do the same thing."

She smiled at him, "Not strong enough for my liking."

Garrus smiled back, "Yeah, I guess turians are a little more intense… in every way," he smirked. Jane quirked up an eyebrow with a little bit of a shocked expression. "That… isn't how I meant that."

"Sure. Sure, big guy," she winked.

Clearing his throat, Garrus tried to move on, "So, you don't tend to sleep well, do you, Shep – Jane?" Damn it, Vakarian… it sounds like you are trying to lead into another pick up line.

"You could say that," Jane said staring into her mug. Garrus relaxed when she didn't pick up on his awkwardness but paid close attention to what her next words would be. "Believe it or not, I used to sleep more than John. Yeah, I know," she chuckled when she saw the shock on his face, "It wasn't until my biotics showed up when I started losing sleep. It wasn't bad, just a few nights here and there when I was stressed out. When I got my implant, it got a little worse but would usually just be a few days in a row then would subside for a while. But… when the beacon happened… I have hardly had a decent night since. That, coupled with my biotics has barely given me a chance to catch up. In a way, I was hoping this shore leave might help. But, even with the alcohol of last night, I hardly slept."

"I'm sorry, Jane. I wish I could say that I understand, but I can't. Does the tea help at all?"

"A little. When I ran out of it for a few days, I hardly got any sleep. Nightmares were pretty bad." Jane paused holding her cup and looked up at Garrus. "I don't know why I just told you that… I haven't even told Chakwas."

"I just have one of those faces, I guess. You know, strikingly handsome so that you pour all of your secrets out to me."

"Hmm, well, your spell has worked on me."

"Good to know it works on more than just turians," he chuckled. The corner of Jane's mouth quirked up in a half-smile as she looked away from him; she bit her lip again, not meeting his gaze. The waitress came back and took their food orders, eyeing Jane and her drink with obvious relief. Once she had left again, Garrus looked back at Jane, "So, if your biotics hadn't shown up, what would you do?"

"Sleep?" she grinned, "Be a trophy wife?"

Garrus waited for his visor to bring up the explanation before rolling his eyes, "Seriously."

She sighed, "Honestly, I don't know. I never gave it much thought. It was almost as if I had too many options. Next thing I knew, my life had been decided for me and all I knew is that I didn't want it. For a while, I kind of rebelled. Snuck out whenever I could. Did things I shouldn't have." At Garrus's inquiring gaze she narrowed her eyes at him, "Why the hell did I just say that? Ugh, guess I have to say it now… I drank, fought, caused some hell, and… danced at some less than reputable places. John caught up with me when I was out getting into trouble, but I always managed to hide the… uh… dancing.

"My dad was the one who caught me. God, the disappointment in his face, it still haunts me. All my rebellion stopped after that. I couldn't bear to have him look at me that way again. I thought for sure he would have told Mom, but he never did. When I enlisted, as I told you before, Mom could barely contain herself, Dad was, more reserved. Later, he told me that he felt like it was his fault for my biotics. Kept saying that he wished he had taken us off the ships sooner, being around all that eezo had probably caused it. But, he said that he was always proud of me, no matter what I did."

Garrus forced out a compassionate smile. Her memory of her father made his own seem pitiful. To have a relationship with a father like that must be nice, but… then again, she probably doesn't feel like she lives up to her mother's expectation; just like I don't live up to my father's.

He stared down at the new sniper rifle. How can Jane give away something this nice and for no reason? One thing he knew for sure though, he couldn't wait to take it on their next mission. Picking up the rifle, he scanned over it and began attaching different modifications and adjusting the sights and handles to his exact liking.

No one else was in the cargo bay besides him, so hearing the footsteps approaching was easy to pick up, "John, what can I do for you?"

"Damn, I still don't know how you know me from my footsteps. Where were you all morning and afternoon?"

"Went to the Spectre shooting range with Shepard and had lunch. What were you up to?"

"Not much. Most people were still pretty hung over from last night. Did go to lunch with Tali though," he leaned on the table then paid attention to what Garrus was up to and immediately straightened. "Is that what I think it is?"

"Yes, it is," Garrus grinned.

"How the hell did you afford that?"

"Um… actually, your sister gave it to me."

"What? Jane bought you that? What did you have to do? Sell your soul?" John shook his head as Garrus chuckled. "You know, it figures Jane would do something like this to try to distract away from tomorrow," John was so wrapped up in his thoughts that he didn't notice Garrus pause in his work. "And here I am, agreeing to ignore it and not tell anyone…"

"Tell anyone what?"

"That tomorrow is her… oops," John grinned. "Ah, hell, tomorrow is her birthday. And since you know… want to help me plot against her?"

Garrus stood there looking at the rifle. He had never been a fan of birthdays, and it was a little hard to keep dates in mind when you lived on another world, in another system. Besides family, he didn't think anyone else knew his, and he definitely wouldn't tell John; that human was all about celebrating odd occasions. With Jane ignoring her birthday and being able to keep John quiet (until now), it was obvious that she didn't like celebrating either; but how could he pass up a chance to pester her and hold it over her head?

I hope that my background explanation of Jane made sense, it does in my head...

And to Jawaswag Jenkins, you must have been in my mind! I had just finished the cafe scene when you posted your comment!