Greetings All. Yep, still attached to the planet. Sorry it took so long to get this next chapter up but friend has been in and out of the hospital and I'm helping her husband. While he stays with her in the hospital, I look after their house and their kitties. And if she's home, one of us has to be with her. So I really haven't been home in over a month. So if this is long in coming or a little disjointed sorry. I'll try to do better but my mind isn't exactly on writing right now. Again sorry. Thanks to all you who have faved, are following, or have commented. You're part of the reason I keep going. Take care and have a great weekend. Cheers.

Getting Up to Speed

Garrus

He awoke slowly; and after a few moments of trying to remember exactly what had happened, decided muzzily that he was getting very tired of waking up exhausted, sometimes in pain; but more importantly thoroughly confused as to what had occurred.

He laid quietly thinking back to the previous day. Or had it been the day before. He had flashes of memory of Solana, his father, even Victus; and, of course, Shepard.

At the thought of Shepard, his mate, something he could finally now acknowledge without doubling over in pain, he let out a deep pleased purr. He had hope now that they would get back what they once had – all of it. Even if not, she would not send him away; and for the moment he was content.

Then abruptly – "Better if you release her to her own." Alenko! Trying to convince him to step away from his mate again, trying to imply that only a human could love her. His lethargy vanished in a flash. His readings went from drowsing to full on battle in an instant.

He'd held back from attacking the biotic only because they had been past crewmates but now…

A three-fingered hand came to rest firmly on his shoulder.

"Easy Garrus, it's all right. It's over. He's gone." Came a familiar voice.

His eyes snapped open; and after a few blinks to clear some haziness, he found Solana standing besides the bed, hand on his shoulder.

"Sol…what…where?" As his mind cleared, his rage returned, threefold. Alenko had used up whatever tolerance he had for the biotic as a member of the ground crew.

"Calm down, brother!" Sol's voice sharpened. "He's gone – no longer here, along with Renfield." As if guessing where his thoughts would immediately trend.

"Shepard's still here. She's talking with Admiral Hackett."

In one way, he relaxed at that; in another way, part of him was unsure. He knew what the Alliance had done to Shepard in the past. It would be years, if ever, before he trusted them again where she was concerned.

That was a concern but it was far, far less than his rage at Alenko's meddling; and finally, slowly he eased.

Sol was alternating between watching him and the monitors and as he finally calmed down.

"Good. Didn't exactly want to have to give you Sirhet." Using the slang term for the Stress Relieving Hormone."

"You gave me Sirhet?"

"Had to. The amount of stress you were carrying was approaching dangerous levels – we had to do something and quickly." She explained as she elevated the bed.

"Oh. Why do I feel so groggy though?"

Solana snickered – never ever a good sign particularly with his sister.

"Sirhet affects most Turians like a full bottle of fine Turian brandy." She explained then chuckled some more.

"What's so funny?" He was actually afraid to find out. What Solana found funny was usually mortifyingly embarrassing for him.

"Sirhet relaxes everything so you were basically drunk, very drunk, for about a day."

Garrus groaned. "How bad was I?"

Solana put a talon up to her chin and tapped it thoughtfully, and very theatrically. She was spending too much time around the humans he thought irritatedly.

"You called Shepard cute several times."

Well, that wasn't too bad he thought; but knowing Solana there was more…and worse probably.

"And you kept trying to put an arm around her waist." His sister went on.

Still not too bad he thought to himself.

"Oh yes." Solana smirked at him and his heart sank. "You, what is it the humans say, propositioned Shepard rather bluntly."

With that she thrummed a very low, very intimate, very overt comment in her sub harmonics.

"Solana!" Garrus was shocked; this was, after all, his little sister.

"I'm only repeating what you said." She retorted.

"Thank the Spirits, Shepard can't hear sub harmonics."

"No, but Dad can."

Garrus's gizzard dropped in his chest. His father wasn't a prude but being that forward in public…he knew exactly what his father would do. He'd get the 'look'. The look all parents gave an offspring they were severely disappointed in.

"And the Primarch." Solana added almost as an afterthought.

Garrus's gizzard thudded into his toe talons. Spirits, it was bad enough his father had heard, but Victus.

"Just what I wanted. To hear about that for the next few months." He grumbled. He had no doubts the older man would tease him unmercifully. Victus was not a fan of torturing prisoners – he saved that dubious honor for his own staff, particularly his ex-Reaper advisor.

"Well, he was smirking as he left." Her sub harmonics signaled amusement.

"I'll bet he was." Garrus grumbled and sighed and after a second gagged.

"Damn, why am I smelling Takka leaves?" He knew Solana wouldn't bring them in. Besides not being that cruel, she hated them as much as he did.

"Seems you have an admirer." She said neutrally.

That in itself told him something. Whoever it was she found them neither funny nor pity worthy.

"Admirer? Who?"

"Captain Iditha."

"Iditha?" He paused as he remembered the where he knew the woman from. Commander of the Taetris. He'd only met her once or twice when she was meeting with Victus.

"Why?" Was all he could think to ask.

Here Solana scowled. "She's looking to shift to an older tier and you…brother…are now a Turian of note."

"Me?" Garrus still had a very hard time acknowledging he was anything other than a soldier following orders. All that had been achieved he credited Shepard with.

"You, my idiot brother." Solana said sarcastically.

"But what had that to do with Takka leaves?"

"She thought a Takka leaf poultice would be beneficial."

Garrus scowled. "Hardly."

"Yes, well dad told her that she'd more likely end up getting your lunch on her boots." Solana paused. "…and that Shepard is your mate."

"Good."

"She doesn't want to accept it." Solana was blunt.

"What?!" Now Garrus jerked up right – or tried to.

"Easy." Solana's firm hand on his shoulder kept him down; and also told him how weak he was if she could do it. "She was told emphatically that it was recognized by both the Primarch and Dad."

"Dad?!"

"I'm not sure how he really feels about Shepard." She admitted sitting down next to the bed. "But he told Iditha he would not accept any challenges to your bond."

"Challenges!" That was the last thing that Garrus had expected. "She wouldn't dare."

"Oh she would." Solana was angry now, her sub harmonics going growly. "Except it was made very clear that no one would tolerate or accept it. The Primarch in particular was very pointed in his remarks."

Garrus might be annoyed by Victus's teasing but the older man had always had his six and now he had Shepards as well.

"What would Shepard do?" Solana's question pulled him out of his musings.

Garrus paused to think. "Well, she wouldn't want to do it. She was never one to engage in a fight if she didn't have to."

"Avoiding it?"

"Not it a cowardly way." Garrus was emphatic. "Rather the way of someone who had been in one too many fights."

"Could she take Iditha?"

Garrus was silent for a long time, considering; then finally, reluctantly. "At the moment – no; but in her prime she'd of put Iditha through the wall."

"I thought as much."

"I'm going to have to protect Shepard somehow, in case Iditha doesn't listen." Garrus muttered, mostly to himself.

"You are not getting out of this bed Garrus Vakarian until Jakan and I are certain you won't collapse."

"Solana…" He began.

"Garrus." She cut him off. "I'm a field medic and I outrank you in this situation."

"I'm a Praetor, Solana." Garrus rarely used his rank on anyone but Solana had irked him.

"And I'll call in dad." She one-upped him.

He scowled at that and her. Praetor he might be but Castis being his father would and could supersede his rank; and he knew that the elder Vakarian would side with his daughter in this.

"You fight dirty." He grumbled, crossing his arms and sinking back into his pillows with a pout.

"Only way too with you." Solana smirked at him.

He pointedly ignored her, half way wondering if he could find that poultice and put it in her bed.