Chapter Text
When Lilian went down to the command center of the ship, she half expected a comment from others about Garrus having spent the night with her.
Fortunately, the few marks that she’d gotten weren’t visible with her uniform on. The closest to being visible to others was a bite on her arm, just above the end of her sleeve.
Garrus had tried to apologize, not realizing that he’d bit her that hard while teasing her, but she’d just laughed and given him a kiss, amused by the whole thing.
She felt fine, and in a better mood than she’d felt in months. She’d also slept better, having gone the rest of the night without any kind of dreams– the first since leaving Earth.
She checked in with Traynor, and looking though her messages, Lilian saw that she had very little to take care of.
“Hmm…”
“Yes, Commander?”
“Just… after running around the last couple of days… I expected there to be…more.”
“It is nice to take a breather though,” Traynor said with a grin. “I suspect that’s why Joker and EDI went for a walk on the presidium.”
“There’s a novel concept,” Lilian joked. “Would you believe me if I told you that I’ve never seen Joker out of his chair this much?”
“I would.”
Lilian grinned, then frowned as a new message popped up.
“What is it?”
“Aria wants to talk…”
“Who’s Aria?”
“She’s the… boss of Omega,” Lilian said, skimming the message again.
“And she wants to talk to you?”
“Apparently. She’s… here on the citadel.”
Traynor pursed her lips, thinking. “Are you going to talk to her?”
Lilian nodded. “Yeah. She… says she can provide some support… if I were to help her out.”
“Story of your life, right, Commander?”
“All too true,” she responded. “Well… guess I’m going to go talk to Aria. If Garrus comes looking for me, tell him I’ll come find him later.”
“Understood, Commander.”
Lilian turned and headed into the Citadel once more, wary of what the conversation with Aria would bring.
*****
When she was done talking to Aria, Lilian walked to the presidium commons, trying to figure out what her reaction should be.
Leaning on the rail, looking out over the shops and walkways, she chewed on her lip. Aria wanted help retaking Omega, which Lilian was fine with, but there was one part of the deal that didn’t sit right with her.
Aria wanted her, and her alone, to come help.
After a minute, she shook her head. She had to take the deal. Aria had enough influence that her help could turn the tide against the Reapers. At this point, any bit helped, and Lilian knew she had to take the risk to help.
When she looked up, Lilian was surprised to find Joker waiting on a bench near a shop. She could see EDI talking to the vendor.
She smiled, then walked over to join Joker.
“Hey, Commander, check it out!”
“I see you’re both enjoying the day out.”
He nodded. “It’s like… here… the war doesn’t even exist.”
Lilian nodded in agreement. “Yeah.”
“It only took Cerberus attacking for most of them to notice through…” he added. “Even though there’s not any fighting… you can still tell.”
Lilian looked around. The sense of urgency she’d noticed a few weeks prior had grown. More people seemed to be heading somewhere, more anxious expressions, and more people comfortably wore their armor while walking the parkways.
“I see it,” she said softly. “You can tell they’ve noticed.”
“Even the ones dancing,” he said, looking towards the entrance to Purgatory, the nearby bar, which had music playing inside. Through the window, they could see a large group all singing and dancing along. “Look at em, with their hands waving and acting all stupid.”
She smirked. “Yeah.”
“Speaking of stupid…” he said, looking at her. “What do you think about me and EDI?”
She turned to look at him. “What do you mean?”
“Do you think I’ve got a chance?”
“What could go wrong?” she asked, glancing over to EDI, who was still deep in discussion with the vendor.
“Broken heart and a shattered pelvis…”
She rolled her eyes. Then she gestured to the bar with the music. “Sure, it’s a risk, but if you could be out there, waving your arms, would you?”
He shrugged, noncommittal.
“I think you deserve to do something stupid, at least once,” she continued, remembering the conversation she’d had with Garrus the day before. “To do something, just for the hell of it.”
He raised his brow at her. “You mean it?”
“Joker, I see how you both look at each other. I think that you’ll be fine.”
“It’s not… weird?”
“Hey, you’re talking to the one who spent the night with a turian.”
“So… you and Garrus? Back together?”
She nodded, giving him a smirk. Then she glanced around, then subtly pulled up the sleeve of her shirt enough to show the bite mark.
Joker laughed, and as he did, EDI turned.
“I’ll let you talk to her,” Lilian said, pulling her sleeve back into place. “Have fun, and don’t be late back to the ship.”
Still laughing, Joker nodded.
She waved to EDI, then headed back towards the docking bays.
*****
On the ship, Lilian decided to head down to the shuttle bay to see if James wanted to spar, or if anyone else did.
She found James sitting at the weight station he’d put together, putting a protective covering on a fresh tattoo.
She just rolled her eyes as he looked up and wagged his eyebrows at her.
“Like it, commander?”
“You got a tattoo…” she said, her hands on her hips. “You realize that’s going to sting for a few days… you going to be good to fight?”
“I’ll be fine,” he said with a grin. “Had to… make a commitment somehow, even if everything is going to hell. Wanted to get the N-7... something to commit to starting the program.”
Lilian nodded.
“Besides,” he added. “Gotta make you proud, boss.”
She smirked. “Only one you gotta make proud is the one in the mirror, Vega.”
“I hear ya.”
She turned to leave, then saw his grin.
“What?”
“Maybe you could get one…”
“You want me to get an N-7 tattoo?” she asked.
“Doesn’t have to be an N-7…” he said, grinning. “Maybe my name… somewhere special.”
Lilian was glad her face didn’t turn red. She’d heard all the jokes, being a female in the male dominated Alliance.
“Keep dreaming, Vega,” she said, turning away. “Or I’ll have to take you up on your flirting.”
He paused, then laughed as she walked away.
Lilian walked over to where Cortez was working on the shuttle.
When he scowled, looking between where he was working and his tools, she glanced at what he was fixing, then picked up the tool he needed.
“Thanks, Commander,” he said, then as she stepped over, she helped to hold part of the section he was working on, he gave her a curious look.
She smirked, understanding the question he didn’t ask.
“I… might not be the best mechanic,” she said, “but I know how most of it works.”
He nodded, resuming his work. She helped, and with the second pair of hands, they finished quickly.
“Thanks, Commander,” he said as he closed it back up. “Goes a whole lot faster with a pair of hands that knows how to help, rather than getting in the way.”
She grinned. “No problem. Happy to help.”
“Where’d you learn to be a mechanic?” he asked, giving her a look.
She sighed. “Self-taught, mostly. Picked up some here and there while I was a kid, having to survive.”
“Yeah… rough childhood, right?”
“Something like that. But my… adoptive-father… he’s a retired Alliance mechanic, and he taught me a lot more. Had an old truck parked out back that he was constantly working on.”
He nodded, turning to lean back against a crate. “Geeze, Shepard…”
“What?”
“Here you are, first human specter, bad ass biotic who can take down super marine over there without messing up your hair, you’re the best damn shot I’ve ever seen, and you’re a mechanic? Like… seriously?”
She laughed, feeling herself flush slightly. “I just… I pick up stuff quick.”
He gave her a look. “Yeah… sure.”
“I’m not the best at everything,” she replied. “there’re still things I can’t do. Just ask anyone. I can’t dance to save my life, and my piloting skills are… lacking practice.”
He shook his head, then turned to the counter where he had some shuttle parts spread out.
“How are you doing?” she asked after a minute, seeing his expression.
“Just… thinking.”
She nodded, moving to lean on the edge of the counter.
After a minute, he spoke.
“I should have been there with Robert.”
She glanced over, seeing him looking at his wedding band.
“But you weren’t…” she said softly. “You lived to fight another day.”
“Maybe so.”
“Some of us do, you know.”
He paused, looking over at her.
“I was with Rian…” she said softly, looking out over the shuttle bay. “Right there. And yet…”
“You lived on to fight another day…”
Lilian nodded. “We fight on. We remember them. But… sometimes… we have to remember to what they said. Robert, Rian… so many others… they would want us to keep going.”
He sighed, then nodded. “I have to let go… for real this time. Maybe… the refugees put up a memorial wall…”
“Do what feels right, Steve,” she said. “Sometimes… that’s all we can do.”
He nodded, and as she smacked his shoulder and headed to the lift, he watched her go before returning to the parts in front of him.
*****
Walking out of the medbay, Lilian took a breath, then headed towards the lift. She’d spent most of the day talking to the others, and was ready to relax a little.
She’d gone to ask Chakwas a few questions, but then the doctor had talked her into opening a bottle, and they’d talked longer than she’d planned.
Then Lilian paused, looking towards the ship’s batteries.
She bit her lip, then decided it wasn’t worth the debate with herself. She turned and walked to the door.
Opening it, she found Garrus reading through a few reports.
“Hey, Shepard,” he said, looking up at her.
She walked over to him, then took his face in her hands, pulling him in for a kiss.
She could tell he was surprised, but he responded.
“EDI, could you lock the doors and ignore us for half an hour?” Lilian asked as Garrus stepped back.
<Yes, Commander.>
The door clicked slightly, and Garrus tilted his head, curious.
Lilian grinned, then let out a breath. “You said that… sometimes… it’s worth it to do something… just for the hell of it.”
“And?”
“And then I told Joker the same thing,” she said, “and I just realized that… I want my turn.”
“Yeah?”
She nodded, giving him a grin. “Armor off, big guy.”
He tilted his head, looking at her, amused.
“Here, Lilian?”
She gave him a grin. “Unless you have a better idea?”
He shook his head, amused.
She laughed, then looked him up and down. “You going to play along with me big guy? Or are you planning on keeping everything on, so I have to pull it off you?”
He gave her an amused look, but pulled off his armor, setting it close by.
She grinned, then pulled him in for another kiss.
Returning her kisses, he paused. “Are you… drunk?”
“Barely,” she said, sighing. “I guess I’ve… never told you… stupid Cerberus upgrades make it almost impossible to get drunk. The slight… buzz… I’ve got right now will be gone in about five minutes.”
“Damn… it’d be fun to see you drunk. Maybe we’ll have to find something stronger.”
She shrugged, there were always other days for that.
He paused as she gave him a grin, her hand on his chest.
Lilian had to bite her lip to keep from laughing at his expression as she ran her hand down, pausing briefly at his waistband.
“Lil…”
Garrus watched, amused, as she undid his uniform pants, and as then she caressed him, she laughed gently as he tensed.
“Easy, big guy…” she teased at his near-instant arousal. “Time for me to return a few favors…”
“Spirits…” he whispered, his hands clenching on the casing behind him as she changed from using her hands, to using her mouth. As he neared a release, he stopped her by grabbing her lifting her so that she was sitting on the crates nearby, trying to catch his breath.
“Love… you are… the most amazing…” he said after a moment, leaning his head on her shoulder, his hands on her waist. “But… you gotta remember what Mordin warned… you shouldn’t… you know….”
She sighed, turning her head to kiss his cheek.
“I know… but… that was…”
He took a breath, laughing faintly. “Yeah… that was.”
She rested her head against his for a moment, then smirked.
“Still gotta take care of this…” she teased, touching him again.
He let out a soft groan, then nodded.
Leaning back slightly, she undid her own pants, and as she put her arms around his neck, he helped slide them off, then turned so her back was to the casing.
As he buried himself in her, Lilian’s head dropped back, Garrus kissing her throat, growing softly.
Moving together, they both found releases quickly, and after, they held each other close, not willing to part.
“Better?” she whispered, kissing his neck.
He nodded, playfully nipping her ear.
Then he put his teeth around her shoulder, biting her playfully.
She squeaked, jerking slightly.
Garrus laughed at her, holding her close.
“And… I can feel that…” she said, leaning against him as he shifted his grip on her legs.
He laughed, then kissed her again. As his hips moved, she moaned softly, shifting her own hips in response.
“How long do we have?” he whispered.
“We’ve got a bit…” she replied, pulling him close. “Just a bit for us…”
He laughed softly, then playfully ran his mouth along her collarbone and neck as they continued.
