Home is where the heart is 7/?
anonymous
March 13 2014, 16:20:34 UTC
Thank you for the comments! This part is very dialogue heavy, but I found it fitting.
___________________________________
The next morning wasn't nearly as bad as she thought it would be. In fact, she was probably the one that came closest to being sober, except for Liara, and well, EDI. Even Garrus seemed slightly tipsy at the end of the night.
Shepard had just showered and put on her civvies; Garrus was still asleep, when her omni-tool pinged with a message from Liara, asking her to meet her at the mess. She groaned as she made her way there, remembering Liara's looks from the night before.
Liara already sat at the table, two cups of steaming liquid in front of her, but otherwise the mess-hall was still empty. She looked up when Shepard flopped down on the opposite chair, offering her a sympathetic smile and sliding one of the cups towards her across the table. It was some sort of asari herbal tea.
"Shepard..." Liara began. "You know that I am still your friend. You can trust me, no matter what. And I am here if you want to talk." Her voice was calm and soft.
"Wow, you sure know how to sweet talk a girl," Shepard mumbled and took a sip from the tea, promptly burning her tongue.
When Liara remained silent, she looked up, and she could see it in her big eyes; she wasn't going to back off.
"Alright," Shepard sighed. "Tali is flirting with Garrus. At first I thought that it was just the usual banter, but it's more than that."
"I know."
"You-- what?"
"I was not sure first. I haven't seen her in a long time, after all. Not in the two years after your death, and not while I was on Illium. A lot can change in that time." Liara laughed softly. "Look at me, I would know. Tali was always friendly towards her friends, and a little feisty, too.
"I thought Garrus and her just grew closer during your time on the SR-2. It would be understandable. But then I started to notice her hands lingering when she touched him, and the teasing quality to her voice." She had a worried look on her face now. "I did not know if I should burden you with it. You have enough on your mind already. I'm sorry, Shepard."
"You don't have to be. I'd probably have laughed it off," Shepard sighed. "Garrus is the most loyal person I know, and we mean a lot to each other. I'm not worried about that. I just feel so... angry and I can't help it."
She took a deep breath and tried to gather herself. Getting this out would help, and maybe she could finally stop feeling like the lead in some corny vid.
"It's just that she has always been my friend. Even when I had to work with Cerberus, and you and Kaidan weren't there, she and Garrus were by my side. And now this? Why?" She swallowed down the lump in her throat. "I feel betrayed, that's how I feel. And betrayal makes me angry.
"I tried to take her on ground missions, but I don't know if I can trust her anymore. Maybe I would handle this better if it weren't for all the other things I have on my mind--"
"Shepard," Liara interrupted her gently. "Nobody could handle this better. We're at war. You're only human."
Her shoulders slumped. Great pity party I'm throwing here while Earth is getting decimated, Shepard thought, clutching her cup.
"But I do think you should talk to Tali. And maybe Garrus, too." Liara leaned forward and laid her hand on top of Shepard's, squeezing gently.
Re: Home is where the heart is 7/?
anonymous
March 14 2014, 02:09:57 UTC
Oh man, this is getting super juicy - I can just feel the awkward. LOL.
Your Shep is fantastic. I love how she recognizes her feelings and sort of berates herself for it due to the war situation. It seems realistic in that she knows her issues are a tad irrational, but can't help it. It makes sense - as much as we all know Garrus loves the shit outta her, there's always going to be some doubts because of how their relationship had a huge break, and now war sort of forces them to move things quickly.
Home is where the heart is 8/?
anonymous
March 16 2014, 02:50:56 UTC
Shepard took a deep breath before lining up her next shot. Initially they had been ordered here by Hackett to look for anything related to Cerberus' knowledge about the Reapers; they desperately needed to find something, anything that gave them an edge. Instead, there were no traces of Cerberus whatsoever, and the base was crawling with merchs. "Probably looking for salvage," Garrus had thought aloud. Despite her recent feelings she had brought him and Tali, wanting to be prepared for whatever encryption Cerberus had to offer. An unnecessary precaution, as it had turned out.
Now the merchs were making their lives hard. She held her next breath, looked through the scope of her sniper rifle, targeted the merch's head, and fired. Clean head shot. She let the breath out. They had took out a considerable amount, but they weren't done yet.
"Move it, people!" Shepard yelled as she pressed ahead, dodging several bullets. She cowered behind a crate and took out one, two, three more merchs before looking around for some spare thermal clips. That was when she noticed that Garrus and Tali weren't behind her. Shepard let out a curse; she wasn't going to get a clean shot like this. She switched from the Black Widow to her Saber, killing another merch that was getting a little too close for her taste.
Bewildered, she turned around, and spotted Garrus' fringe behind another crate, Tali's hood peeking out next to him.
"What the hell are you doing?" she shouted, standing halfway up to get a better view. Was Garrus hurt? Damn it. Was Tali okay?, she added as an afterthought, feeling more than a little guilty.
"Tali is having trouble with her shotgun," Garrus voice crackled in her ear.
Shepard almost laughed in disbelief. Right, because Tali couldn't fix that on her o--
She heard the bullets hitting her before she felt them. "Fuck! My shields are down!" Stupid. Stupid and careless. She cursed again as she saw the shots coming from a different angle and rolled behind the wall on her right, but she miscalculated, she was too slow, the next shot hit her in the shoulder--
She moaned in pain, trying to get her bearings and dragging herself behind the wall, but all she could hear was a high-pitched ring in her ears, and then her vision started to fade.
Re: Home is where the heart is 9/?
anonymous
March 16 2014, 04:34:23 UTC
Shepard woke up to the sound of faint voices.
"Shit," somebody said. It sounded like James. "Is she gonna be okay?"
Her head pounded like hell, but it wasn't anything she hadn't felt before.
"We soaked her in medi-gel, but we need to get her to Dr. Chakwas."
She sat up gingerly and looked around, finding herself inside the Kodiak, its doors open. A wave of nausea hit her, but it was over as quickly as it came, and she peered outside. The shuttle bay looked like it always did, just a little more blurry.
"Can't Chakwas come down?" she heard Garrus urgent voice. "She seems stable, but I'm not sure if all the moving is good right now."
Shepard took a shaky breath. She supported herself with both hands on one of the seats and slowly stood up. A searing pain shot through her shoulder, and her whole body felt sore, but as far as she could tell, the damage stayed within limits. Thank God for all those cybernetics, she thought bitterly.
She took a few tentative steps, and when she felt sure that she wasn't going to faint again, she walked towards the source of the voices, her legs trembling a little.
"I'm alright," she announced.
Garrus turned around, guilt written all over his face. "Shepard, you shouldn't be walking. Hold on."
"I said I'm alright," she said emphatically. "Now if you excuse me, I'm going to see Dr. Chakwas."
Shepard was vaguely aware of the stunned looks on everyone's faces and closed her eyes. This was a disaster.
She had turned around and was walking towards the elevator, hands curled into fists, when Tali spoke up for the first time.
"Shepard, come on. Just sit down for a minu--"
"No."
"At least let me go with you," Garrus pressed, touching her shoulder.
She gritted her teeth and continued walking.
"Shepard--"
Turning around to face them a little too fast, she swayed almost noticeably for a moment before raising her voice. "Stand down, both of you! I don't care what the hell you do when you're off-duty"--that was a lie--"but when you're under my command, you do as I say! When I say we're moving, we're moving, and I don't give a damn about any petty mishaps with your guns; as long as I'm not informed, you don't stay back, and you don't jeopardize the mission or anyone's safety." Her voice had gotten increasingly louder. "Are we clear?"
Garrus straightened visibly. "Yes, Commander."
"Shepard, I'm sorry, I never meant to--"
"Are we clear?" she repeated through clenched teeth.
"Yes," Tali said, her head bowed.
Shepard took another deep breath. "You are both restricted to your bunks for the rest of the day and I want a full report of the events by 0900 hrs tomorrow." She didn't look Garrus in the eyes. "EDI, inform XO Alenko that he has the deck. I'm going to be preoccupied in the medbay for a while."
_______________________________________
(A/N) I should really clean the parts up, it looks awfully messy, but I don't want the latest part ending up right after the first one which happened last time, or maybe it was just my luck.
Anyways, can't thank you guys enough for your comments!
(And yes, I made Kaidan XO. I figured it'd be a logical conclusion, and I like the way it sounds. Whoops.)
Home is where the heart is 9/?
anonymous
March 16 2014, 04:38:07 UTC
Shepard woke up to the sound of faint voices.
"Shit," somebody said. It sounded like James. "Is she gonna be okay?"
Her head pounded like hell, but it wasn't anything she hadn't felt before.
"We soaked her in medi-gel, but we need to get her to Dr. Chakwas."
She sat up gingerly and looked around, finding herself inside the Kodiak, its doors open. A wave of nausea hit her, but it was over as quickly as it came, and she peered outside. The shuttle bay looked like it always did, just a little more blurry.
"Can't Chakwas come down?" she heard Garrus urgent voice. "She seems stable, but I'm not sure if all the moving is good right now."
Shepard took a shaky breath. She supported herself with both hands on one of the seats and slowly stood up. A searing pain shot through her shoulder, and her whole body felt sore, but as far as she could tell, the damage stayed within limits. Thank God for all those cybernetics, she thought bitterly.
She took a few tentative steps, and when she felt sure that she wasn't going to faint again, she walked towards the source of the voices, her legs trembling a little.
"I'm alright," she announced.
Garrus turned around, guilt written all over his face. "Shepard, you shouldn't be walking. Hold on."
"I said I'm alright," she said emphatically. "Now if you excuse me, I'm going to see Dr. Chakwas."
Shepard was vaguely aware of the stunned looks on everyone's faces and closed her eyes. This was a disaster.
She had turned around and was walking towards the elevator, hands curled into fists, when Tali spoke up for the first time.
"Shepard, come on. Just sit down for a minu--"
"No."
"At least let me go with you," Garrus pressed, touching her shoulder.
She gritted her teeth and continued walking.
"Shepard--"
Turning around to face them a little too fast, she swayed almost noticeably for a moment before raising her voice. "Stand down, both of you! I don't care what the hell you do when you're off-duty"--that was a lie--"but when you're under my command, you do as I say! When I say we're moving, we're moving, and I don't give a damn about any petty mishaps with your guns; as long as I'm not informed, you don't stay back, and you don't jeopardize the mission or anyone's safety." Her voice had gotten increasingly louder. "Are we clear?"
Garrus straightened visibly. "Yes, Commander."
"Shepard, I'm sorry, I never meant to--"
"Are we clear?" she repeated through clenched teeth.
"Yes," Tali said, her head bowed.
Shepard took another deep breath. "You are both restricted to your bunks for the rest of the day and I want a full report of the events by 0900 hrs tomorrow." She didn't look Garrus in the eyes. "EDI, inform XO Alenko that he has the deck. I'm going to be preoccupied in the medbay for a while."
_______________________________________
(A/N) I should really clean the parts up, it looks awfully messy, but I don't want the latest part ending up right after the first one which happened last time, or maybe it was just my luck.
Anyways, can't thank you guys enough for your comments!
(And yes, I made Kaidan XO. I figured it'd be a logical conclusion, and I like the way it sounds. Whoops.)
Re: Home is where the heart is 9/?
anonymous
March 16 2014, 05:32:18 UTC
huh, what the hell was Tali thinking? I seriously doubt there was a real problem with the shotgun and, even if there was, why the hell she carries a pistol?? What, she thought 'it's not Cerberus nor the Reapers, it's just a bunch of mercs and that's small fish to us, so let me flirt with the Commander's boyfriend'?
I'm also starting to get worried that maybe Garrus is not as clueless as he may appear in the situation, and that this whole incident will make Shepard rethink their relationship using the old 'that's why the Alliance forbids relationships'.
God, A!A, you have my heart on your hands... I think the next part will kill me.
Re: Home is where the heart is 9/?
anonymous
March 16 2014, 10:38:41 UTC
Mine too, anon! Maybe Shep could use the, 'it's not me, it's you' line. Garrus can then fight to prove he's a one human turian! Be interesting to see if this is a wake up call for Tali, her actions nearly got Shepard killed!? Liara, Kaidan and the rest of the team, won't be happy that Shepards safety was compromised, once they discover the reason for Sheps back was unprotected. Garrus, I believe would be feeling guilty because he didn't cover her.
The gossip around the ship, as everyone put their heads together to figure out what's going on, would be something else! Joker will start keeping an eye on things. I so wish Jack, Mordin, and Wrex were there.
Re: Home is where the heart is 9/?
anonymous
March 16 2014, 16:28:41 UTC
My throught exactly! No way this was a "Shotgun malfunction". Especially Garrus must be feeling guilty and so. He is protective and worried of Shepard (see Leviathan) I hope the talk is soon because Tali actually get Shepard killed with her bullshit. Can`t wait for the next update!
Re: Home is where the heart is 9/?
anonymous
March 16 2014, 19:33:34 UTC
I'm the second anon, commenting on 9. I forgot to mention, in my umbrage and awe, how well you wrote Shepards anger, when she told the two off. Despite being justifiably pissed, Shepard was able to reel her personal feelings in, staying the commander. I like her!
I was wondering how you would handle that, given the wide ranging actions that have been written on here, and, well, this is kink! Very well done, A!A
Re: Home is where the heart is 9/?
anonymous
March 17 2014, 00:43:48 UTC
wow, great fill!! I was thinking was going to explode and be a bitch, but you sure made her look good! I agree with first annon, why didn't Tali used her pistol? I never liked her! lol keep it up, I'm loving it!
Re: Home is where the heart is 9/? (A!A)
anonymous
March 17 2014, 01:30:27 UTC
Honestly, you guys are amazing (in fact so amazing that it took me three tries to spell that word correctly)! I don't want to go all touchy-feely on you, but that people enjoy this fill means a lot to me, and I love that you're speculating and voicing your thoughts. Thank you so much!
Home is where the heart is 9.5/?
anonymous
March 17 2014, 01:43:58 UTC
Her stay in the medbay had been less than pleasant. Chakwas had patched her up well enough, but having half your crew come by to check up on you was quite unnerving to say the least, and the worried looks on their faces hadn't made it any better. This might go down as the worst day in history. Well, almost.
All she wanted to do was taking a long, hot shower, a luxury she indulged in a little too often these days, but Chakwas had told her not to. Shepard grimaced as she carefully put on her hoodie. Usually she had Garrus to keep her warm, but that clearly wasn't happening today.
She got into bed gingerly and snuggled in the sheets. The pain killers and the mild sedative she had been given had made her hope that she'd be able to fall asleep quickly, but her thoughts wouldn't quiet down, no matter how hard she tried.
Why on Earth did it have to be Garrus who had failed to cover her back? The person she trusted the most, her best friend, her partner. But no, no, no, he hadn't betrayed her. He hadn't done it deliberately. She remembered the guilty look on his face as she had stepped into the elevator and bit her bottom lip. Stop thinking.
But he had enough experience with women from his own species. How couldn't he have noticed the change in Tali's behaviour? Shepard had always tried to keep her flirting subtle, because there was nothing worse than feeling like you were forcing yourself on one of your subordinates. Tali however must have come on pretty strong if even Liara had noticed it.
She remembered back in the days, when they were hunting down Saren and both Kaidan and Liara hadn't been shy about the feelings they had for her. Now it seemed like a distant memory, slightly embarrassing even, but at that time she couldn't help but feeling flattered. Maybe that was how Garrus felt, even if he had no intention on acting on it.
Liara... she had advised her to talk to them both, and she had planned on doing it, had prepared by trying to find the right words even, because Christ, she sucked at this talking thing. But then Hackett had been patched through, and all of her plans went out of the window.
She buried her face in the pillow. It still smelled like Garrus. God, she missed him. One night and she already missed that goddamn turian, the heat, his soft snoring, his mandibles fluttering adorably in his sleep. She was so fucked.
Tomorrow, she told herself firmly as she finally felt the sedative kicking in, you're going to talk to them tomorrow.
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(A/N) Fairly short update, I know, but I'm gonna be kinda busy tomorrow so I'm not sure if I'll be able to get anything up in time, and I wanted to give you something!
Re: Home is where the heart is 9.5/?
anonymous
March 18 2014, 17:43:20 UTC
This anon would also like to know what was Tali trying to accomplish, but not only now, what the hell was on her mind since first time she comes aboard and start to flirt with him...
Because it seems Tali is just thinking "I Don't give a damm he is your boyfriend and I'm aware of it, or if this is your ship and all the preassure of reapers are over your shoulders, I will keep flirting with him at every available moment, during work hours via comm, during a mission nearly killing you in the process... I don't really give a damn about you, all I want is him!!
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The next morning wasn't nearly as bad as she thought it would be. In fact, she was probably the one that came closest to being sober, except for Liara, and well, EDI. Even Garrus seemed slightly tipsy at the end of the night.
Shepard had just showered and put on her civvies; Garrus was still asleep, when her omni-tool pinged with a message from Liara, asking her to meet her at the mess. She groaned as she made her way there, remembering Liara's looks from the night before.
Liara already sat at the table, two cups of steaming liquid in front of her, but otherwise the mess-hall was still empty. She looked up when Shepard flopped down on the opposite chair, offering her a sympathetic smile and sliding one of the cups towards her across the table. It was some sort of asari herbal tea.
"Shepard..." Liara began. "You know that I am still your friend. You can trust me, no matter what. And I am here if you want to talk." Her voice was calm and soft.
"Wow, you sure know how to sweet talk a girl," Shepard mumbled and took a sip from the tea, promptly burning her tongue.
When Liara remained silent, she looked up, and she could see it in her big eyes; she wasn't going to back off.
"Alright," Shepard sighed. "Tali is flirting with Garrus. At first I thought that it was just the usual banter, but it's more than that."
"I know."
"You-- what?"
"I was not sure first. I haven't seen her in a long time, after all. Not in the two years after your death, and not while I was on Illium. A lot can change in that time." Liara laughed softly. "Look at me, I would know. Tali was always friendly towards her friends, and a little feisty, too.
"I thought Garrus and her just grew closer during your time on the SR-2. It would be understandable. But then I started to notice her hands lingering when she touched him, and the teasing quality to her voice." She had a worried look on her face now. "I did not know if I should burden you with it. You have enough on your mind already. I'm sorry, Shepard."
"You don't have to be. I'd probably have laughed it off," Shepard sighed. "Garrus is the most loyal person I know, and we mean a lot to each other. I'm not worried about that. I just feel so... angry and I can't help it."
She took a deep breath and tried to gather herself. Getting this out would help, and maybe she could finally stop feeling like the lead in some corny vid.
"It's just that she has always been my friend. Even when I had to work with Cerberus, and you and Kaidan weren't there, she and Garrus were by my side. And now this? Why?" She swallowed down the lump in her throat. "I feel betrayed, that's how I feel. And betrayal makes me angry.
"I tried to take her on ground missions, but I don't know if I can trust her anymore. Maybe I would handle this better if it weren't for all the other things I have on my mind--"
"Shepard," Liara interrupted her gently. "Nobody could handle this better. We're at war. You're only human."
Her shoulders slumped. Great pity party I'm throwing here while Earth is getting decimated, Shepard thought, clutching her cup.
"But I do think you should talk to Tali. And maybe Garrus, too." Liara leaned forward and laid her hand on top of Shepard's, squeezing gently.
She sighed. "Yeah, maybe you're right."
Reply
Your Shep is fantastic. I love how she recognizes her feelings and sort of berates herself for it due to the war situation. It seems realistic in that she knows her issues are a tad irrational, but can't help it. It makes sense - as much as we all know Garrus loves the shit outta her, there's always going to be some doubts because of how their relationship had a huge break, and now war sort of forces them to move things quickly.
In short, I love you, A!A. Keep it up!!!
Reply
*Tries to be mature* That's best. *nods* Talking is best.
Reply
Now the merchs were making their lives hard. She held her next breath, looked through the scope of her sniper rifle, targeted the merch's head, and fired. Clean head shot. She let the breath out. They had took out a considerable amount, but they weren't done yet.
"Move it, people!" Shepard yelled as she pressed ahead, dodging several bullets. She cowered behind a crate and took out one, two, three more merchs before looking around for some spare thermal clips. That was when she noticed that Garrus and Tali weren't behind her. Shepard let out a curse; she wasn't going to get a clean shot like this. She switched from the Black Widow to her Saber, killing another merch that was getting a little too close for her taste.
Bewildered, she turned around, and spotted Garrus' fringe behind another crate, Tali's hood peeking out next to him.
"What the hell are you doing?" she shouted, standing halfway up to get a better view. Was Garrus hurt? Damn it. Was Tali okay?, she added as an afterthought, feeling more than a little guilty.
"Tali is having trouble with her shotgun," Garrus voice crackled in her ear.
Shepard almost laughed in disbelief. Right, because Tali couldn't fix that on her o--
She heard the bullets hitting her before she felt them. "Fuck! My shields are down!" Stupid. Stupid and careless. She cursed again as she saw the shots coming from a different angle and rolled behind the wall on her right, but she miscalculated, she was too slow, the next shot hit her in the shoulder--
She moaned in pain, trying to get her bearings and dragging herself behind the wall, but all she could hear was a high-pitched ring in her ears, and then her vision started to fade.
Reply
"Shit," somebody said. It sounded like James. "Is she gonna be okay?"
Her head pounded like hell, but it wasn't anything she hadn't felt before.
"We soaked her in medi-gel, but we need to get her to Dr. Chakwas."
She sat up gingerly and looked around, finding herself inside the Kodiak, its doors open. A wave of nausea hit her, but it was over as quickly as it came, and she peered outside. The shuttle bay looked like it always did, just a little more blurry.
"Can't Chakwas come down?" she heard Garrus urgent voice. "She seems stable, but I'm not sure if all the moving is good right now."
Shepard took a shaky breath. She supported herself with both hands on one of the seats and slowly stood up. A searing pain shot through her shoulder, and her whole body felt sore, but as far as she could tell, the damage stayed within limits. Thank God for all those cybernetics, she thought bitterly.
She took a few tentative steps, and when she felt sure that she wasn't going to faint again, she walked towards the source of the voices, her legs trembling a little.
"I'm alright," she announced.
Garrus turned around, guilt written all over his face. "Shepard, you shouldn't be walking. Hold on."
"I said I'm alright," she said emphatically. "Now if you excuse me, I'm going to see Dr. Chakwas."
Shepard was vaguely aware of the stunned looks on everyone's faces and closed her eyes. This was a disaster.
She had turned around and was walking towards the elevator, hands curled into fists, when Tali spoke up for the first time.
"Shepard, come on. Just sit down for a minu--"
"No."
"At least let me go with you," Garrus pressed, touching her shoulder.
She gritted her teeth and continued walking.
"Shepard--"
Turning around to face them a little too fast, she swayed almost noticeably for a moment before raising her voice. "Stand down, both of you! I don't care what the hell you do when you're off-duty"--that was a lie--"but when you're under my command, you do as I say! When I say we're moving, we're moving, and I don't give a damn about any petty mishaps with your guns; as long as I'm not informed, you don't stay back, and you don't jeopardize the mission or anyone's safety." Her voice had gotten increasingly louder. "Are we clear?"
Garrus straightened visibly. "Yes, Commander."
"Shepard, I'm sorry, I never meant to--"
"Are we clear?" she repeated through clenched teeth.
"Yes," Tali said, her head bowed.
Shepard took another deep breath. "You are both restricted to your bunks for the rest of the day and I want a full report of the events by 0900 hrs tomorrow." She didn't look Garrus in the eyes. "EDI, inform XO Alenko that he has the deck. I'm going to be preoccupied in the medbay for a while."
_______________________________________
(A/N) I should really clean the parts up, it looks awfully messy, but I don't want the latest part ending up right after the first one which happened last time, or maybe it was just my luck.
Anyways, can't thank you guys enough for your comments!
(And yes, I made Kaidan XO. I figured it'd be a logical conclusion, and I like the way it sounds. Whoops.)
Reply
"Shit," somebody said. It sounded like James. "Is she gonna be okay?"
Her head pounded like hell, but it wasn't anything she hadn't felt before.
"We soaked her in medi-gel, but we need to get her to Dr. Chakwas."
She sat up gingerly and looked around, finding herself inside the Kodiak, its doors open. A wave of nausea hit her, but it was over as quickly as it came, and she peered outside. The shuttle bay looked like it always did, just a little more blurry.
"Can't Chakwas come down?" she heard Garrus urgent voice. "She seems stable, but I'm not sure if all the moving is good right now."
Shepard took a shaky breath. She supported herself with both hands on one of the seats and slowly stood up. A searing pain shot through her shoulder, and her whole body felt sore, but as far as she could tell, the damage stayed within limits. Thank God for all those cybernetics, she thought bitterly.
She took a few tentative steps, and when she felt sure that she wasn't going to faint again, she walked towards the source of the voices, her legs trembling a little.
"I'm alright," she announced.
Garrus turned around, guilt written all over his face. "Shepard, you shouldn't be walking. Hold on."
"I said I'm alright," she said emphatically. "Now if you excuse me, I'm going to see Dr. Chakwas."
Shepard was vaguely aware of the stunned looks on everyone's faces and closed her eyes. This was a disaster.
She had turned around and was walking towards the elevator, hands curled into fists, when Tali spoke up for the first time.
"Shepard, come on. Just sit down for a minu--"
"No."
"At least let me go with you," Garrus pressed, touching her shoulder.
She gritted her teeth and continued walking.
"Shepard--"
Turning around to face them a little too fast, she swayed almost noticeably for a moment before raising her voice. "Stand down, both of you! I don't care what the hell you do when you're off-duty"--that was a lie--"but when you're under my command, you do as I say! When I say we're moving, we're moving, and I don't give a damn about any petty mishaps with your guns; as long as I'm not informed, you don't stay back, and you don't jeopardize the mission or anyone's safety." Her voice had gotten increasingly louder. "Are we clear?"
Garrus straightened visibly. "Yes, Commander."
"Shepard, I'm sorry, I never meant to--"
"Are we clear?" she repeated through clenched teeth.
"Yes," Tali said, her head bowed.
Shepard took another deep breath. "You are both restricted to your bunks for the rest of the day and I want a full report of the events by 0900 hrs tomorrow." She didn't look Garrus in the eyes. "EDI, inform XO Alenko that he has the deck. I'm going to be preoccupied in the medbay for a while."
_______________________________________
(A/N) I should really clean the parts up, it looks awfully messy, but I don't want the latest part ending up right after the first one which happened last time, or maybe it was just my luck.
Anyways, can't thank you guys enough for your comments!
(And yes, I made Kaidan XO. I figured it'd be a logical conclusion, and I like the way it sounds. Whoops.)
Reply
I'm also starting to get worried that maybe Garrus is not as clueless as he may appear in the situation, and that this whole incident will make Shepard rethink their relationship using the old 'that's why the Alliance forbids relationships'.
God, A!A, you have my heart on your hands... I think the next part will kill me.
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The gossip around the ship, as everyone put their heads together to figure out what's going on, would be something else! Joker will start keeping an eye on things. I so wish Jack, Mordin, and Wrex were there.
I. Love. This, A!A
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I was wondering how you would handle that, given the wide ranging actions that have been written on here, and, well, this is kink! Very well done, A!A
My paragraphs keep disappearing?
Again, I love this fill.
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I agree with first annon, why didn't Tali used her pistol? I never liked her! lol
keep it up, I'm loving it!
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All she wanted to do was taking a long, hot shower, a luxury she indulged in a little too often these days, but Chakwas had told her not to. Shepard grimaced as she carefully put on her hoodie. Usually she had Garrus to keep her warm, but that clearly wasn't happening today.
She got into bed gingerly and snuggled in the sheets. The pain killers and the mild sedative she had been given had made her hope that she'd be able to fall asleep quickly, but her thoughts wouldn't quiet down, no matter how hard she tried.
Why on Earth did it have to be Garrus who had failed to cover her back? The person she trusted the most, her best friend, her partner. But no, no, no, he hadn't betrayed her. He hadn't done it deliberately. She remembered the guilty look on his face as she had stepped into the elevator and bit her bottom lip. Stop thinking.
But he had enough experience with women from his own species. How couldn't he have noticed the change in Tali's behaviour? Shepard had always tried to keep her flirting subtle, because there was nothing worse than feeling like you were forcing yourself on one of your subordinates. Tali however must have come on pretty strong if even Liara had noticed it.
She remembered back in the days, when they were hunting down Saren and both Kaidan and Liara hadn't been shy about the feelings they had for her. Now it seemed like a distant memory, slightly embarrassing even, but at that time she couldn't help but feeling flattered. Maybe that was how Garrus felt, even if he had no intention on acting on it.
Liara... she had advised her to talk to them both, and she had planned on doing it, had prepared by trying to find the right words even, because Christ, she sucked at this talking thing. But then Hackett had been patched through, and all of her plans went out of the window.
She buried her face in the pillow. It still smelled like Garrus. God, she missed him. One night and she already missed that goddamn turian, the heat, his soft snoring, his mandibles fluttering adorably in his sleep. She was so fucked.
Tomorrow, she told herself firmly as she finally felt the sedative kicking in, you're going to talk to them tomorrow.
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(A/N) Fairly short update, I know, but I'm gonna be kinda busy tomorrow so I'm not sure if I'll be able to get anything up in time, and I wanted to give you something!
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Because it seems Tali is just thinking "I Don't give a damm he is your boyfriend and I'm aware of it, or if this is your ship and all the preassure of reapers are over your shoulders, I will keep flirting with him at every available moment, during work hours via comm, during a mission nearly killing you in the process... I don't really give a damn about you, all I want is him!!
Good work A!A, I'm loving it
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