Hello, hello! I am super excited to be sharing this chapter with you all! I wanted to finish where I thought I could… but I was getting past 11k words and still not finished. So, I figured I would cut it at a different point so it wasn't as long, and I wouldn't keep you waiting. I seem to be doing that quite frequently… Anyway, thank you to Wolf3271 for reminding me that I forgot to mention if Jane took Veetor or not… well, explanation to follow! Thanks again to everyone reading/following/favoriting and reviewing! It keeps me going!

Chapter 28

Jane looked around the club; seedy as ever. Then again, when she looked up at the asari dancers, it reminded her of the last time she had trouble coping with her life. She had told herself that she would never do it again… but being able to let yourself go and forget who you are for a moment didn't seem like too bad of an idea right now. Tearing her eyes away, she raised a hand up to her cheek to feel the cybernetic scar. It was like she was a machine that had a cracked exoskeleton. She only hoped it would fade quickly.

At the thoughts of her current situation, she could feel her mind begin to wander and her breath pick up as she felt an impending panic attack coming on. "I'll be right back," she said in a hurry before making her way out of Afterlife. Pushing through the crowd outside the club, Jane leaned on the railing looking out over the many levels of the asteroid city, trying to lose herself to other thoughts.

She hadn't been to Omega before; it truly was impressive, just showing what technology was capable of doing. Immediately upon arriving they had met two people and were then sent to Aria. Shepard didn't know how to take the asari. It seemed like she really did know everything about Omega but Jane didn't know if that was good or bad. Aria had given a good amount of information about the doctor, and although he may be difficult to reach, it definitely didn't seem to be too much of a problem.

Archangel on the other hand was going to be troublesome. "Everything he does pisses someone off. It's catching up to him," Aria had said, "He's reckless and idealistic." But even the woman who seemed to know everything didn't know much about his real identity. Jane would be lying to herself if she said that it hadn't made her think of Garrus. Getting to Archangel shouldn't be tricky, getting him out was the real issue. Either way, if the turian was this hard to kill, she wanted him for her team.

There was one other thing that stuck out in Jane's mind that Aria had said. After submitting to the scan, Aria had mentioned that Jane could have been anyone, or anything, but she had to make sure it was really Shepard. Did that mean that she was really herself?

"Omega what a pisshole," Miranda came up beside Shepard. Jane looked at the woman and quirked up an eyebrow. Miranda didn't look over, "I've come here on business before. I feel like I need a shower afterwards, in addition to normal decontamination."

"I can see why," Jane mumbled.

"Everything okay?"

Looking over at the dark-haired woman, Jane tried to figure out what angle she was playing. Instead, she decided to ignore her. Heading back inside, Jane found Jacob standing near the bar with Miranda right behind her. Once she reached the man, she ignored his inquiry and faced the turian behind the bar to order a drink.

"Shepard," Miranda scolded her. Every bit of sincerity and concern for Shepard's well-being gone, the Cerberus business façade was back, "Do you really think this is the time to start drinking?"

Jane looked at the woman and picked up her drink. "As good a time as any," she raised her drink to the other woman and knocked it back. Setting it back down on the counter, she nodded to the turian who smirked at her. She walked between her two squad mates towards the opposite side of the room.

Jacob snorted, trying to hold back his laugh as Miranda glared at him.

Keeping her eyes straight ahead, Jane made her way to the batarian in blue armor. That must be the recruiter. "I hear you're recruiting."

"Hmm," the batarian grunted. He lazily pointed towards the door, "Why don't you step inside?"

The doors opened and Jane stepped down the ramp.

"You'll get paid when the job's done, just like everyone else," another batarian stood at a console. "Who's next?" He raised his head just as Jane and her squad came in. As she moved up to him, he shook his head. "Well, aren't you sweet? You're in the wrong place, honey, strippers quarters are that way."

Jane wanted to laugh, but she didn't have the heart. Instead, she reached for her gun and pulled it out, turning it back and forth, admiring the sight of it, "Show me yours, tough guy," she said in a sultry voice, "I bet mine's bigger."

That caught his attention. "Impressive. So, you're here to fight, then?"

"Sure, if this is the place to go after Archangel," Jane grinned at her own hidden agenda.

"This is the place. Standard fee is 500 credits each," he began rattling off the basic information like he had done a hundred times before, "You get paid when the job's done. If you die, your friends don't collect your share. You'll need your own weapons and armor," he looked up at her again just as Jane raised an eyebrow, "looks like you got that covered. And no, this does not make you a member of the Blue Suns, Eclipse, or Blood Pack. You are a freelancer, period. Any questions?"

Well, at least that won't complicate things. Jane asked her questions in an attempt to figure out as much as she could before charging in blind; she was reckless, but not suicidal… though her history did argue that point. Shepard didn't like the idea of being target practice for Archangel, but it didn't seem like they had much of a choice. She at least found out the names of all the bosses. When she found out about Archangel's lost team, she had to hide her wince. She knew what it was like to lose those close to you, she didn't envy the man.

Making her way out of the room, she brushed past another human heading in.

"Hey, is this where I sign up?" the new guy piped up.

Jane stopped dead in her tracks and turned to look at him. He's just a kid… "You look a little young to be freelancing as a merc."

"I'm old enough!" he whined. "I grew up on Omega! I know how to use a gun."

"Yeah," Jacob shook his head, "so does Archangel."

"I can handle myself! Besides, I just spent fifty credits on this pistol, and I want to use it."

Shepard rolled her eyes, fifty credits… That is what did it for Shepard. His eagerness to fight pained her and she snapped, closing the distance between them and grabbing his collar. She pulled him close to her face and she stared him straight in the eyes, "Get your money back." She shoved him back and grabbed his gun.

"Hey! What are you – "

Jane shook her head. Holding it sideways, she looked for the weak point of the gun and smacked it with the heel of her hand, "Trust me, kid," the weapon wailed as it began to shut down. "You'll thank me later," she handed it back to him and left.

As they made their way out of the club, Jacob saw Miranda glaring at Shepard's back. He moved a little closer to her, "Whatever you are thinking, don't say it."

Miranda scowled at her teammate and moved beside Jane, "Shepard, I was wondering if I could speak to you for a moment."

Jane looked ahead at the Blue Sun transport then stopped and turned to look at Miranda, "Go ahead."

Miranda stole a glance at Jacob who raised his hands in defense and shook his head. "Look, Shepard, I feel like I need to voice my opinion." She paused, waiting for Jane to say something. Instead, the blond woman simply crossed her arms and stared Lawson down. "I don't think we should be going to retrieve Archangel. At least, not yet. We need to get Mordin Solus first. He is the scientist. He will prove more beneficial to our mission than some vigilante."

Jane remained perfectly calm and simply said, "Archangel's situation is more pressing. So, we get him first."

"I'm sorry, Commander," Miranda snapped as Jane began to turn away. "I have to disagree. I don't know if you have realized it yet, but humanity is under attack. Entire colonies are going missing and whatever force we are going after has superior technology. We need the scientist. I feel that I am the only one questioning your judgment. First you let that quarian take the only witness to these disappearances with her and we just get his lousy omni-tool. Now you are putting the needs of a gun-for-hire above someone who might actually be of use."

Jane's mouth pressed into a hard line as she locked eyes with the Cerberus operative. She had never had someone fight her so much on an issue or question her so often. "Come here," Jane said sharply. They moved to the side, away from some of the crowds and out of the line of sight of the Blue Sun transporter. "First of all, you are drawing too much attention bringing up these petty squabbles." Miranda opened her mouth to argue but Jane quickly silenced her, "And I don't need you addressing me as 'commander' until we at least get closer to Archangel's base since we don't know where it is. And yes, I do know what's at stake. In case you missed it, I kind of saved the entire galaxy from annihilation once before and whatever is going on now is surely connected to the Reapers. So, again, yes, I understand the gravity of the situation.

"And you are not looking at the big picture. Humans are not the only ones we have to worry about. And don't you dare talk about Tali that way. I let her take Veetor because there was no sense in us taking him. What? You think that because we got there first we deserved to take him because of what he had seen? No. He is not some lower life form compared to us humans. We are all equal. Everything that we needed was on his omni-tool and we got that.

"I agree that we need the scientist, but we also need some heavy hitters when our mission encounters resistance, which we will most definitely face. Any being that can piss off three major gangs and last a few days against all of them ranks pretty high in my books. The scientist is in quarantine right now. He isn't going anywhere. Our vigilante is facing those three gangs and countless freelancers they just hired to take him out. Again, he has been at this for a few days. How long do you think he can last? A few more hours? One more day? No matter what, I am not taking that chance with someone's life. So, if you have anything else you would like to add, please, I'm all ears." Silence fell between them as they both glared daggers at one another. Miranda was the first to relent as she lowered her gaze. "Alrighty then," Jane turned to walk away but stopped and turned to Miranda again, getting right in her face. "By the way, from where I stand, you are the only one questioning my judgment. Jacob is staying quiet, Joker I know is following me, I have already talked to several of the Normandy crew members and they all seem very supportive, and from what I gathered while rummaging through some of your logs at the Lazarus cell, the Illusive Man trusts my judgment too. What was it you said? If I didn't come back the way I was, the Illusive Man would declare the Lazarus Project a failure? Guess what, this is me, so get used to it. Now fall in line."

Lawson stood perfectly still. She was pretty sure that she had unleashed a side of Shepard people rarely saw. "Yes, ma'am," she said quietly but firmly.

Jane stared the woman down for another moment before looking between her two squad mates. "Then let's go."

The ride there was tense but they all tried their best to ignore it. After their first meet and greet with the driver and finding out as much as they could, Jane waited for the man to walk away before turning to her squad.

"Damn, an entire gunship for one guy. And he took it down!" Jacob said trying to ease the tension.

"Yeah, but now that team is biding its time right under his nose. We'll have to get to him quickly and see what else we can do to slow these gangs down," Miranda added.

Jane rolled her eyes at Miranda's obvious attempt to sound enthusiastic. At least she is making an effort, she sighed. They made their way through the compound, trying to find any information they could. It was surprising how many people were willing to give them any information despite the fact that they were only seen as expendable freelancers. They checked different rooms but Jane stopped outside a locked door just outside what seemed to be the Eclipse section.

"What do you guys think?" Jane turned to her group, "Think we should go snooping?"

Jacob smirked, "Absolutely."

Bypassing a door, Jane frowned at the heavy mech standing at the end of the hallway. When she noticed that it was still hooked up to the diagnostic station she allowed a small smile. Opening the panel, she set to work.

"You know what you're doing, Shepard?" Jacob asked.

"I thought you were Cerberus," she said while she linked the correct wires to each other. "Don't you already know what I can and can't do?" Writing the last few lines of code, Jane relocked the console.

"Perfect. It'll be hostile if they activate it," Miranda said.

"Thank you," Jane muttered, "That should slow them down."

"We should try to find that gunship," Miranda said, "Archangel may have taken it down but as that batarian mentioned, it wasn't destroyed."

"I agree. Well, at least it will be hard to miss before we head out. We still need to meet up with Cathka. Maybe he is hanging around that thing."

As they made their way around the facility, Jane made a point of talking to each of the gang leaders. It seemed like Archangel had really made the effort to make life difficult for all of them. Everyone seemed to have a personal vendetta against the turian. I made the right choice coming here now. He wouldn't have been able to last much longer. Who is this turian? Jaroth said that even Archangel's team didn't know who he really was. Smart, resourceful, dangerous, and an uptight asshole is how he has been described. If I didn't know any better, it almost sounded like how Garrus could be… but that is ridiculous. Why can't I get him out of my head? I keep thinking about that damn turian. Garrus, why did you cut off ties with everyone? Where does that leave me? I want to find you again but you are making it hell in doing so. Even Cerberus couldn't find you. I need my sniper back… someone who will always have my back. Jane shook her head, I guess I'll have to settle for whoever this Archangel is until I can find you.

Finally, they reached the room with the gunship. Jane looked back at her team and then back to the team guarding the ship. "Cathka?" Jane asked and the man jabbed his thumb behind him. She saw two people behind them, one on each side of the ship, one in blue armor, another in black and white but neither looked at her. Shepard focused on the one in blue.

"Sergeant Cathka," the batarian corrected. He tapped his visor and the tint faded, "Ah… you must be the group Salkie mentioned. You're just in time."

"Salkie?"

"You met him when you were dropped off. He radioed to say you were coming. You three kind of stand out from most of the other freelancers. Anyway, the infiltration team is about to give us the signal. Archangel won't know what hit him." He strode back over to the console, "Got any questions? This may be your last chance."

Jane frowned as he lit a cigarette. She looked around and up the gunship. She heard the steady sound of the other person at work but ignored it. "Are you gonna give us cover with the gunship?"

"Heh, Tarak is the only one who flies her. Besides, she's not quite ready. That bastard Archangel gave her a beating the last time she was out there. A few more tweaks and she will be as good as new."

"Why are you coordinating the attack and fixing gunships?" She half registered that the sound on the other side stopped.

"I'm in the infiltration group. Our team coordinates with the gunship. I am staying back to organize the freelancers and make sure the gunship is ready to go if we need her."

"So our plan is to jump the wall and head for Archangel's building?" she looked over Cathka's shoulder and saw the feet of the other person on the other side of the ship.

"Try not to get killed too fast. You're only a distraction as long as you're alive. You don't have to – "

"I don't think she will have to worry about that," a voice said behind the gunship. He stepped out and gave a small smile, "I've seen her at work before. She always manages to get out of sticky situations."

Jane's mouth dropped open, "Oh my God… John?" she whispered.

"Hey, Jane," he grinned. When Jane moved forward he casually raised his hand slightly to signal her to pause.

She got the hint and withheld, as much as it pained her, she knew it was the best choice right now.

"Right," Cathka said a little confused, "As I was saying… You don't have to make it all the way across. Just keep Archangel watching that bridge. The infiltration team will do the rest." He turned to John. "Smith, get back to work. You can reminisce later."

"Yes, sir," John nodded and gave a wink to Jane.

She tried to stay focused, but with her brother standing within sight of her, it was hard to pay attention to what Cathka was telling her. He continued to talk and Jane began to wonder how much longer he would go on. Eventually, he was interrupted when a freelancer came over the comm.

"Target is in sight. We're a go."

Cathka threw his cigarette on the ground and turned to the console, "Check. Bravo team – Go! Go! Go!"

John looked around and slipped around behind Cathka to come closer to Jane. He squeezed her hand as he walked by and stood next to Jacob as the other team headed out.

"Archangel's got quite a surprise waiting for him," Cathka practically chuckled. "But that means no more waiting for me." He tapped his visor for the tinting to come back and he started to walk towards the ship.

Jane watched him leave then looked down on the table to see the welder still ready and firing. She couldn't hear what Cathka was saying anymore, she just knew that she had a choice to make. Her fingers twitched as temptation rose, It's wrong… but I need Archangel. Before she changed her mind, she felt someone grab her arm and looked up to see John holding her wrist. He shook his head slightly and pulled her away.

They headed out to the hallway and John pulled her in for a hug, "I can't believe you are alright. I was so worried about you."

Jane didn't have any words, she just returned the hug and knew that she didn't want to let go of her brother. She remembered the last time she had seen him and flinched at the memory.

John released her and put his hands on either side of her face and leaned down to look at her, "God, they really did it. You are really awake." He hugged her again, "I went to see you, you know. You had me so scared."

"John," Jane finally found her voice, "what are you doing here?"

"I've been scouting dossiers for you. When I find someone I think you might like, I send them to Miranda and the Illusive Man and if they give the all clear then I try to keep them alive if they get into trouble. I gotta say, this guy," he nodded his head in the direction of Archangel's base, "is really cutting out my work for me."

"Sorry to interrupt the reunion," Jacob said, "But it doesn't look like Archangel's got much time."

John nodded and looked at Jane, "Jacob's right. We should go. I'll head out with you."

Jane looked up at her brother and over at her team. It was obvious that they all knew each other, more than just one meeting before. "Okay, let's go."

He had gotten into a good rhythm, firing and reloading, killing and breathing. It had been closer to two days since all of this began and it was wearing on him. How long could he keep this up before he became overwhelmed? Either way, there was no sense in worrying about it now.

Garrus held his position. No one had come through the path in a while, so he knew that they must be regrouping. Before taking a breather, he pieced together a small device and threw it onto the bridge. Once it had synced to his visor, he sat down with his back against the wall and slowly stretched out his legs before him. Spirits, how long did I have to hold that position? He flexed and bent his legs a few times before resting his head back against the wall. He took off his helmet to take in a deep breath and hopefully relax for more than a second.

So much had gone sour. Who knew that it would all be ending this way? He never pictured himself dying in battle; then again, who did? I ruined so many relationships after I lost Jane. My best friend… Spirits, all of my friends, my family… I just cut them out. Why do I have to be so self-destructive? They at least deserve to know.

Checking the pathway, Garrus settled back down and ripped open a ration, unsure when he would be able to get another. He scarfed it down and pulled up his omni-tool. While he had this break, he figured he might make contact with his old life. After he left the Citadel, he never checked any of the messages that went to him besides those that were from his family. Starting at the top of the list, he saw several from the old crew trying to contact him. Everyone but Kaidan was on that list. As he scrolled through, he saw all of them eventually started to trickle out; surprisingly, Wrex kept it up the longest, second only to John. It looked like his friend, if Garrus even had the right to call him that now, continued to try even up to a few weeks ago; though the messages had become less frequent as time went on.

Curiosity overtook him and he opened one in the list:

Hey, Garrus. It's been a while since you left. Everyone has been trying to contact you but it seems that you didn't want anyone tracking you down. I found a new job. I can't say who it is with, but I can say that I am not a fan of the company. You wouldn't be either. But they have some amazing benefits and they have some high reaching promises. We'll see if it all pans out. I am technically not supposed to say anything but… they might have Jane back to us.

Garrus stopped reading. What does he mean about bringing Jane back? How could she be back? He must have been on something. They had him delusional. He had to read more.

God, Garrus… I wish I could just talk to you. I saw Jane… Shit… It was terrible. How could this happen to her? We could really use you here right now.

"What does John mean?" Garrus said aloud. "How did he see Jane?"

So, they gave me something a little more useful to do. I found some good recruits. Even found a sniper that could be up to par with you. If I could just get in touch with you, I would take you over him in a heartbeat. Where are you, man?

There were a few other messages that he had yet to open but Garrus couldn't stop thinking about how selfish he had been when he left. What if he could have joined John? Could have seen Jane? If John was telling the truth. If whoever this company was, was telling the truth. Garrus had even neglected his family. Spirits, I have been so selfish… I knew that my team was getting tired of this life, but I wanted to keep going. I talked them into staying.

Garrus put his helmet back on and took a quick look down at the bridge. Settling back down, he opened his omni-tool. It's now or never… He made the call and waited for it to connect. Please… several more moments passed and finally he heard the sound of it linking.

It was silent for a few seconds and Garrus almost thought it hadn't worked. Then he finally heard, "Vakarian, here."

"Hello, father."

Silence. "Garrus? Is that you?"

"Yeah, it is."

Another long pause. "Where in the galaxy have you been?! We haven't heard from you in two years and you just call like you lost track of time? What have you been doing? Do you realize how hard this has been on your mother and sister? I can't believe how irresponsible you are!"

Garrus nodded on his end; he deserved it. "I know… I know, Dad. I'm sorry. I'm sorry for everything. I know that I have been a pain in the plates more often than not through the years. And I'm sorry."

There was a different pause on the other end now. The older Vakarian was unsure how to handle this situation. He never thought he would hear his son give a truly heartfelt apology. "Where are you son? What's kept you away for so long?"

"I can't really tell you that. Just know that, there was something that I had to sort through on my own. How is everyone?"

"Your mother is… not doing so well," the pain in Garrus's father's voice was clear. "Sol took leave from the military to help out, though I told her it wasn't necessary. I'm sorry you can't talk to either of them right now, your mother really wanted to go outside for a bit. She still asks about you."

Garrus sighed. "I should have been there…" Suddenly, an explosion rocked the facility and Garrus looked down to see his mine sending several bodies in all directions. "Shit!" Garrus cursed as he sat up and kept the bridge in his sights.

"What was that noise? Garrus, what is going on there?"

"Uh…" Garrus fired a few shots taking out the first wave. He easily found his rhythm of firing and loading again. "Nothing, just a little target practice."

"It certainly doesn't sound like nothing. And why would you call me in the middle of target practice?"

"It just… came up. I'm sorry. Look, dad, I really called just to say that I am sorry. And… that I should have listened to what you were trying to teach me. I'm sorry for all the arguments and that I was so stubborn."

Something must have clicked with Garrus's father. He sighed and began again, "It's alright, son. If you weren't stubborn then you wouldn't be my son. Tell you what, why don't you finish up your target practice and head home. I know your mom and sister would love to see you." There was a long pause before he added, "I would too. You can fill us in on what you have been up to, and we can, uh, sort everything out then."

Garrus sighed and fired a few more shots. What could he tell his father? It was obvious that his dad could hear what was going on and had figured out that things may not be going in his favor. He took out several more foes, freelancers from the looks of it, "I guess… I don't know how likely that will be…"

"You're a Vakarian. I know you'll give it your all. I believe in you."

There was another loud explosion and Garrus took out more of the enemies that flooded through. He moved the scope over his next targets, This group looks a little high end for freelancers. Oh well, they won't be… much… different? He stopped. "Spirits…" he whispered.

"Garrus?" His father had been calling in a panic since the most recent explosion. "Garrus? Are you alright?"

Garrus scanned the group again in his scope and paused on the woman leading them. It can't be… Switching to a concussive shot, he fired, causing it to glance off her shoulder.

"That son of a bitch shot me!" she screamed.

"We're on your side, dick!" another familiar voice shouted.

He watched for a moment as they mowed down the targets in front of them that Garrus had missed while in his daze. Once all foes in front of the team were gone, they turned and took out the others he was missing. "Hey, dad, I'm fine. And that sounds good about seeing you all. I'll get home when I can… the odds just got a lot better." He loaded another two concussive rounds and fired one at the man and the other at the woman.

"If we didn't need this bastard, I would kill him!" the man shouted.

"Alright, son. Keep in touch."

The connection ended.

Garrus could hear them killing off a team that must have settled in on the first floor and Garrus continued to take out those who were jumping the wall. He held his position as he heard the firing pause. There was a sound at the door of someone trying to cut their way in. Another few seconds and he heard the body slam into door and another few shots putting him down. Taking a deep breath, Garrus tapped the button on his omni-tool allowing the door to unlock. Peeking over his shoulder, he saw the group of four come through the door with their guns raised. He was ready to turn on them, but the leader dropped her weapon and everyone followed.

"Archangel?" she called.

Garrus felt his breath hitch in his throat, but he tried to remain calm. He raised his hand, asking them to wait as he kept his next target in his sights. He could almost feel the human below start to lean out from the wall. As soon as his head was visible, Garrus put a bullet through it.

Taking a few deep breaths, Garrus set the butt of his rifle down and used it as leverage to stand upright; it felt like forever since he had stood up. Cradling his gun in one arm, he reached up and released the seal on his helmet. He kept his head lowered as he set it on the couch then looked up at the group. All of his stress left him as he looked at her. "Shepard… I thought you were dead," he breathed out.

Jane's jaw dropped open, "Garrus?" she breathed. She wanted to run to him. Just as she took a step forward, she froze, the memory of how Tali treated her still fresh in her mind.

"Garrus!" John shouted as he walked forward. "What are you doing here?" he went up to his old friend and slapped him on the shoulder.

The turian looked at John. He had barely even seen the man walk in, "Just keeping my skills sharp. A little target practice."

She could hear the fatigue in his voice. "You okay?"

"Been better, but it sure is good to see some friendly faces," he looked back to Jane. Why is she just standing there? "Killing mercs is hard work. Especially on my own."

"What are you doing out here on Omega?" Jane asked. "What happened to your Spectre training?"

He could tell that she wasn't going to be coming closer to him any time soon and he settled himself on the armrest of the couch, propping his leg up in front so he could lean on it. Shaking his head, he said, "I got fed up with all the bureaucratic crap on the Citadel. Figured I could do more good on my own. At least it's not hard to find criminals here. All I have to do is point my gun and shoot."

Jane could tell that he was hiding something.

"Well, you did a hell of a job with it," John said. "How'd you manage to piss off every major merc organization in the Terminus Systems?"

"It wasn't easy. I really had to work at it," he said sarcastically. "I am amazed that they teamed up to fight me. They must really hate me."

Every word, every second Jane spent looking at him reminded her of the two years she missed. He had changed. It was more than his tired façade. He had lost part of himself. "Since when did you start calling yourself Archangel?"

"It's just a name the locals gave me. For all my good deeds. I don't mind it," he smirked. "But please… it's just 'Garrus' to you," he added a little awkwardly.

Jane rolled her shoulder, "You nailed me good a couple times, by the way. I mean… you know," she cleared her throat, "shooting me."

"Yeah, Garrus," John got a little terse, "what the fuck? She isn't even wearing a helmet for fuck's sake! You could see who we were."

"Heh, concussive rounds only. No harm done. Didn't want the mercs getting suspicious."

"Uh-huh," John rolled his eyes. "Because us shooting their guys wouldn't give them any indication."

"If I wanted to do more than take your shields down, I'd have done it. Besides, you were taking your sweet time. I needed to get you moving."

"Well, we got here, but I don't think getting out will be as easy," Jane said, bringing them back to the task at hand. Again, she didn't know how to deal with the situation. She wanted to confess to Garrus, to apologize, to ask what had happened in her absence, but she couldn't tell how he would treat her. Professional was what she would fall back on.

"I don't know," John smiled, "Maybe we could just have Miranda strut around for a bit and the mercs will forget about us."

Lawson glared at the other Shepard, "Congratulations in reminding me why I enjoyed not having you around before."

"Oh come on, you know you love it."

Jane tried her best to ignore the banter. She barely knew Miranda and it was becoming obvious that John at least had a good relationship with those she had only just met.

Garrus watched Jane's expression change. He could only guess as to what was bothering her and he wasn't sure if he would be close to correct. "No, it won't," he jumped back to Jane's statement. "That bridge has saved my life… funneling all those witless idiots into scope." He stood up and took a step closer to Jane. He wanted to exhale a sigh of relief when she didn't move away. At least it doesn't look like she is afraid of me. "But it works both ways." He moved to his previous position by the landing and waved Jane over. She stood beside him as they looked down at the bridge. "They'll slaughter us if we try to get out that way."

Miranda sighed, "So we just sit here and wait for them to take us out?"

Garrus saw Jane whip around and glare at the dark-fringed woman. Miranda instantly silenced and Jane looked back to him again. It was obvious that had had some sort of previous exchange, he tried to suppress a chuckle. "It's not all that bad. This place has held them off so far. And with the four of you… I suggest we hold this location, wait for a crack in their defenses, and take our chances. It's not a perfect plan, but it's a plan." He began to wander around the landing, stretching his legs.

"How'd you let yourself get into this position?" Jane asked as she walked back to the center of the room. It doesn't seem like Garrus to have this kind of slip-up.

He returned to stand beside her and clenched his mandibles, "My feelings got in the way of my better judgment. It's a long story." He looked down and checked over his gun. Testing her again, he leaned a little closer, she didn't move away, "I'll make you a deal, you get me out of here alive, and I'll tell you the whole damn thing."

"Deal," she grinned, "If we fight as a team, we'll hold them off."

"You're right. Their numbers won't help them in here, anyway. Let's see what they're up to…" he strode over to the balcony. Without looking, he could feel that Jane was following him to the edge and he inwardly smiled. Raising his rifle, he scanned the area, "Hmm… looks like they know their infiltration team failed." Looking over at Jane, he smiled at her. "Take a look," he held his gun out to her, "Scouts, Eclipse, I think."

"Wait a second!" John stepped up, "Since when do you let other people touch your weapons, Garrus?"

"Shut up, John. Don't be jealous," Jane raised the rifle. There hadn't been a chance for her to use a sniper rifle since she woke up, but it felt good in her hands again. Looking through the scope she saw several mechs coming over the barricade. They began scanning the area and as one looked directly at her, she brought it into the crosshairs and fired; its head exploding and the body falling limp. "More than scouts. One less now, though," she handed the rifle back to Garrus.

"Indeed," he chuckled. "Good to see you've still got it." He looked down at her, "We better get ready," he said solemnly. "I'll stay up here. I can do a lot of damage from this vantage point. You…" he smiled at her, "you can do what you do best."

"John, stay up here with Garrus. We'll be down on the lower level to keep any surprises at bay."

"Roger that," John mock-saluted.

Jane looked up at Garrus and gave a small nod. As she began to walk away, Garrus called out, "Wait, Jane, I just need a second of your time."

"Sure," she breathed with a small smile. Just as she took a step towards him a bullet rushed by his head. Her heart jumped into her throat, "Actually, how about right after this wave at least?"

"Good idea," Garrus readied his rifle, "Just like old times, Shepard."