AN: So here it is...wow, the FINAL chapter of Vulnerability...hahaha, part of me can't believe I actually did make it to the end. It's a very special feeling. And so, I'd like to take just a couple lines and say THANK YOU to each and every person who has read this story whether you were right there from the beginning or you came some time during the process (or even if you're just getting into this world now and months have passed since this final ode). It was through the support of all you, my faithful readers/viewer and re-viewers :) who made me keep writing. It has been a distinct pleasure and I hope to be able to write for this universe again some time...though WHEN exactly might be quite the question :)

To all of you out there who are fellow writers - good luck, have fun, do your best!!!

As for this chapter itself...well, I promise it's rather dramatic :) Tell me what you think, send me a message, write a review...or don't :) That's fine too. Thanks again and see ya later!

"I'm going to need another quart of plasma here!"

"Get me another tray of those…"

"I'm going to need another person here stat!"

The inside of the Medical Ward was chaos. Doctors, more than Garrus had seen in a very long time, ran from bed to bed checking the patients who lay there in varying states of injury. The air was a sickening mix of antiseptic cleaner and blood, the room awash more in red than anything else.

A war zone though nearly all of its victims were Citadel civilians.

Except one, the one over whom nearly four doctors were frantically working, surgical masks on their faces, their shoulders tight with concentration.

"She…"

Garrus refused to step any closer, unwilling to hope, unable to even look at the body on that table before he got more information.

"She isn't dead yet…" The words were barely whispered, almost as if they were afraid that they might somehow change the current situation for the worse.

But she is dying…

Garrus felt himself choke at what was left unsaid. She had been alive for this entire time…and had been suffering, been waiting for someone to find her, and he hadn't even tried. Had been too much of a coward…

He had failed her when she needed him the most.

"She wouldn't blame you," as if reading his thoughts, Captain Anderson put a hand on the Turians' shoulder and patted gently, "She would have understood."

Yes, she would have. Garrus couldn't decide if that didn't make it worse, it certainly felt like it.

The air was suddenly filled by a sudden shrill screams of agony, twisting and pinching the air in the room as the terrible noise overrode all other sound in the room. It sounded as if something was dying…

…and she was. She was the one screaming so terribly in pain, her body arched off the table in great shudders of agony. The first scream brought Garrus to look at her; the second forced him forward in a desperate need to be with her, his vision narrowing until she was the only thing he could see.

"Garrus."

The hand that had once patted him in comfort now closed on his shoulder in a grip that was clearly meant to restrain. Silly really since the turian was at least twice as strong as any human. And yet, as Garrus made to shrug it off, only half aware of what was going on, the hand on his shoulder tightened.

"Garrus."

It was a struggle to turn to look at the person who had stopped him and not want to do something uncharacteristically violent; he didn't have time to talk, she was screaming. But as fate would have it, the hand belonged to none other than Captain Anderson, and by the look on his face he expected that he be listened to.

"Garrus."

The blue eyed turian couldn't remember how many times he had heard his name in the past minute but didn't say anything, to tight with emotion to do anything but listen.

"You need to get out of here."

The words felt as if Nora herself had leveled her shotgun with his chest and shot him clean through.

What was that?

"It's nothing against you Vakarian," Anderson quickly amended sensing that he had some sort of part to play in the Turians' growing turmoil, "But there's not enough room here to move around as it is. I just talked to the head nurse, and she said she needed both of us out of here."

A quick glance at the human woman showed she was still convulsing, shuddering sharply as the nurses frantically tried to solve whatever was wrong.

"If she's going to die I want to be here." Garrus's voice was a horse whisper, tight with pain, "I won't leave her…not again."

Captain could only nod before scanning the crowded the room.

"Alright, I'll see what I can do."

*******

Was that broken body really a living, breathing human being?

Looking down at the now still figure being held so carefully in an induced coma it was the only thought that managed to surface in his mind, the only thing he could manage.

To think that they had managed to stabilize her this much…

It had been at least ten hours since he had first walked into the medical ward, ten agonizing hours that seemed to stretch on for a lifetime. And yet, in those hours she had been brought away from the brink of death, just barely saved by the miracles of medicine. Still…he wondered at what cost.

The nurse had made it very clear to him that it could take months if not several years to recover, and with the Reaper threat still looming overhead it seemed unlikely that Nora would take that news positively. And she would be frustrated because, according to the doctor, the damage to her legs was considerable, to the point where her ability to walk was still uncertain.

The worst part was that even now, as she slept soundly on the sterile medical cot, the nurses were still struggling to mend her body, forced to put the commander in a coma so as not to cause any more damage during the healing process that would surely harm the body further.

They promised to bring her around in the next day or so.

Would he be able to wait that long?

Would he have the strength to tell her how much saving her comrades had cost her?

Finding that the second question bothered him much more than he would have liked, the Turian stepped away from the bed eyes lingering for a moment on his commander's pale but serene face.

He had to know he could be truthful with her, he couldn't promise that right now.

And so, without a word the Turian turned away from the chaos and walked quietly out of the room, unable to do anything but hope she could be completely healed.

He didn't want to think of the alternative.

*******

Days passed in quick succession, blending together in a haze of noise, silence and the awful feeling of loss.

The Citadel had taken terrible damage in the fight with Sovereign and the number of casualties just continued to increase as day by day more bodies were discovered. Most of them were civilians.

It was always the innocent ones wasn't it?

Having missed the final climactic battle Kaiden felt distinctly out of place, as if he had stepped out of a time machine and lacked all of the emotional and physical traits needed to exist here. Not that he was entirely immune; the shock of Ashleys' death was still fresh, as was the revelation that his commander was neither missing nor dead.

But he needed someone he could talk to, someone to ground him and take away this disconcerting feeling of 'floating' that made him feel so removed from everyone else. And so he found himself seated next to the sleeping form of his commander, his hands clasped tightly into fists as he started to talk.

He knew she would understand…

*******

She looked so small, vulnerable on the medical cot, washed out and so terribly pale Garrus half wondered if she really had been pulled out of the coma. They had kept her there for longer than they had initially told him, as a safety precaution. She was so incredibly fragile, anything could have gone wrong, and they weren't sure her body could take much more. But now…they had said she should be regaining consciousness soon.

What exactly did 'soon' mean?

Uncertainty flooded the turian as he slowly allowed himself to walk into the room, to stand at the end of her bed, looking at her in the dim half-light.

Had they really managed to save her?

The arms that lay above the pristine bed covers were both heavily wrapped in bandages, stained pink in some places where the blood had soaked through. Above the bandages on her fore-arms angry red scars crisscrossed the bare skin and though her face was also partially obscured by an excessive amount medical tape, the purple swelling of her many bruises colored her otherwise recognizable face.

"Nora..."

His voice was nothing more than a strained whisper as his brilliant blue eyes took her in.

He wanted to touch her, to hold her in his arms once more. He wanted to know that she was alive, and that this wasn't a cruel dream in which he would be forced to wake up the moment her eyes opened; forced to face a reality in which she had died.

A shuddering hitched breath escaped his lips; he wouldn't be able to survive that. Not after everything else. He may have been strong once, might have been able to keep her and his feelings at a distance, but not anymore. He couldn't, and what was more, he wouldn't.

The sound of her coughing brought him out of his reverie followed quickly by the labored breathing that illustrated the stress even the smallest actions had on this tiny human woman.

"Nora?"

Another whisper, this one just as desperately hopeful as he knew he was feeling. Would she open her eyes? Just once, just once he wanted her to open her eyes and look at him to tell him that she really was alive.

The sudden hitch in her breathing caught his attention as he once more turned to stare intently at her pale face. Only to find his voice catch in his throat, unable to utter a syllable as a pair of familiar purple-blue eyes fluttered open.

Nora!

Eyes dull with exhaustion and the haze of medication Garrus knew instinctually that she wouldn't be able to recognize him. Taking a step towards her, he settled by her side, watching in silence as her eyes traced his path across the room before turning upwards to look him in the face once more. Did she even know who he was?

The blank look her face scared him.

A thousand things could have happened when trying to save her, was memory loss one of them?

Had something made her forget him?

But as her hand touched his and her mouth smoothed into a trembling smile he knew that she hadn' more than a soft brush of skin to smooth scale, the touch was tentative but longing as it drifted from his wrist to curved talons, as if memorizing the feel of something once familiar. It made him tremble though he refused to admit it. And when at last she stopped, unable keep her eyes open any longer, she chose to lean against him instead of her bed, falling asleep in the warmth of his embrace.

"Garrus…"
And when he was sure she had truly fallen asleep he allowed himself to cry.

She was alive…

*******

"Hey there, Sunshine."

Having been confined to her bed 'until further orders' Nora Shepard could only scowl at the sight of her smiling Lieutenant, "You are one lucky bastard Alenko."

"Who me?" The dark haired man gave her a grin that told her he knew exactly what she was talking about.

His commander just huffed for a moment before the corners of her mouth turned up into the telltale signs of a smile.

"Are you feeling better then?"

Kaiden settled into the chair beside her bed as he thought about her question, settling in his customary position, arms crossed lazily over his stomach, one leg propped on the other.

"I suppose so." Kaiden said with an easy shrug that bellied the relief from tension he had been feeling, "How about you?"

"I…" The Lieutenant could tell by the look on her face that his Commander was deciding how exactly to voice something that was bothering her, "I'm…ok?"

"Was that a question I was supposed to answer?" Kaiden joked despite the slight frown that had come to settle on Noras' face once more.

"Shepard, answer honestly, what's wrong?"

The human woman just looked down at her hands before shaking her head, "I-it's nothing…just a silly girly worry."

"A 'girly' worry?" Kaiden raised an eyebrow in surprise, "Well hell, you're a woman too Shepard, what's wrong with worrying?"

"Nothing I guess…" Nora tilted her head so that she could look at her Lieutenant, "But it feels unnatural to tell anyone."

"Is it because I'm a guy?" Kaiden guessed, "Because I could always go get Liara or someone more female for you."

A wry smile, "Liara isn't technically a woman Alenko; she just looks like one."

Oh yeah…

Feeling slightly foolish, Kaiden just laughed before returning to the issue at hand, "Well then, what about Doctor Chakwas?"

Another shake of the head, "We're not that close."

"Well then what about…"

"It's about Garrus…" the words were barely more than a whisper, pained in a way Kaiden was sure he hadn't heard since Ashleys' death.

Looking up his Commander, this time taking careful inventory of her vulnerable posture, the way her too-thin hands twisted the bed sheets in her hands and wounded expression, Kaiden felt himself become increasingly protective.

He had suspected something when he had first woken from the coma, and as the weeks had gone on he had become increasingly sure that there was something between his Commander and the stoic Turian that remained by her side. Of course, the idea of a relationship between the two left him baffled, but who was he to judge?

If, however, it turned out that Garrus was hurting her…well then…the turian would have to deal with him.

And so Kaiden frowned, his hand gently reaching out pat one of her own.

"What about him?"

*******

Garrus had just emerged from C-sec and was heading to take a look at Nora when he found himself cornered by one very upset human Lieutenant.

"Lieutenant Alenko?"

The dark look on the human mans' face confused him, and admittedly a tad weary, what had happened?

"Mind telling me why you've been avoiding Nora for the past two months?" The words were dangerously soft in volume, conveying the sense of barely leashed anger.

"Avoiding?" Garrus felt himself flounder, "I've been to see Nora - I mean, Commander Shepard, every day since she's regained consciousness…"

"You know what I mean!" Kaidens' lips now twisted into a scowl, eyes lit with rage, "Why have you avoided touching her hand, holding her close – giving her a hug?!"

Garrus could scarcely make sense of what was being said, what had happened?

"We all have done a little bit of comforting ever since she's woken up, to make her feel better, to reassure her that we're still here for her. Hell, even Wrex has managed a pat on her head and you know how he is!!!"

A hand had come up to point accusingly at the turian, "But not you – not since she's gotten better. You won't even bring yourself to touch her in the slightest…you of all people, the person everyone knows she cares about the most!!!"

A bitterness Garrus didn't realize he had possessed suddenly caught in his throat, near choking him.

"What sort of excuse do you have huh?!" Kaiden was all but yelling at him now, though thankfully the hall in which they were standing was entirely empty, "Do you know what you've done to her?! "

Dark eyes pinned the turian down with their accusatory gaze, "I saw her cry today… for the first time…and it's because you and that fact that you're a heartless b-"

Garrus felt himself drown in the sea of accusations, drowning and drowning…until Kaiden mentioned how she had cried.

"It's not that I won't…" Garrus' voice was rough with anger, and bitterness, "…It's that I can't."

Can't, it hurt to admit, hurt to give voice to the memory that had haunted for him for two long months, have left him with nightmares at night.

"You can't?!" Kaiden didn't buy it, "What do you mean, you can't? You can't bring yourself to touch her? What sort of retarded-"

"It was the night they pulled her out of the coma…took her off that particular medicine to let her start to heal naturally." Garrus had turned to look at the floor, unable to continue looking at the human man for fear of losing the nerve to tell the whole story.

"I had gone to visit her, because the doctors said that she would be waking up soon, and I wanted to be there when she did. And I was. I was there when she woke up and I got to be there to see her smile. But…" Garrus hesitated for a moment, gathering what strength he could leaning against the wall as he was.

"The next day…I went to visit her, but there was a slight problem. The nurses told me that she must have hit her arm on something or fallen down, because there were bruises all over her arms and side."

Suddenly looking up, eyes that of one long haunted, "I had held her close to me that entire night, and when I finally saw her, the bruises on her arms were in the shape of my hands," the words were half choked, "…I hurt her. I can't bring myself to touch her again know that…"

Unable to continue any longer, the turian lapsed into silence, shuddering in self revulsion, sure that the human man would be yelling at him in a second more.

Instead, all he heard was a heavy sigh, accompanied by the telltale sound of the Lieutenant slumping against the opposite wall.

"Does the Commander know that that's why you've been avoiding her?" the voice was soft, though no longer enraged, rather, it sounded thoughtful.

"No…she doesn't know."

"Then I suggest you tell her soon…because I don't want to see her cry anymore…"

*******

"I'm not sure I should be using Biotics so soon Alenko," Commander Shepards' voice sounded worried, as it filtered the brightly lit medical ward.

"Why not?!" Kaiden spoke with a voice that was all about practicality, "It'll be fun to get back into the swing of things, and because Biotics require you work with your nervous system this might actually help. We won't be casting any biotic fields or anything. Just some of that stuff you taught me back when we first met on the Normandy."

The woman looked tentative but nodded her head in agreement a small smile, "Alright then, I'll start?"

*******

Nora fell back against her bed and sighed contentedly, she was exhausted but happier than she had been in a while. Working with Kaiden in the afternoon had been blessedly absorbing of her energy, time and worries; she'd have to ask him to come back again in a day or so. She wanted to recover as fast as possible, she had not forgotten her mission; the Reapers were still out there.

Sighing to herself, she carefully turned herself on her side and looked out the window of her room, taking in the expanse of space that lay before her.

It was all so beautiful.

The sound of the door sliding open did little to move Nora from her now-comfortable position in her bed.

Soft footfalls, familiar in their rhythm and sound; had she not been so tired, Nora was sure she would have turned around to see who it was. As it was, her eyes had just fluttered closed when she felt the soft material of her blanket settle around her shoulders and a single taloned finger brush lightly against her temple, hesitant but there all the same.

"Goodnight Nora."

*******

Had space been anything been like Earth, Nora was sure she would have woken up the moment the sun had appeared on the horizon. She had always been an early riser though more a force of habit than any sort of desire to experience a full day. But because this was the Citadel, and the damage caused to this floating city had rendered the artificial weather systems useless, Nora found herself being awoken more by loud noise, though around Medical Ward this was increasingly rare.

However, it would seem that today of all days was to be one of those particular days, for outside the voices of two familiar voices had started argue; and she was now wide awake.

*******

He should have seen this coming; the human Ambassador always came at the most inopportune moments, and with the most illogical ideas of what should be done in any situation.

Where would the sentient life be right now if they had let this man stop them from fighting the Reapers?

Garrus knew the answer to that one, extinct.

And that was why it only took one hint, one word that suggested that this being was going to interrupt his Commander, to bring the Turian away from helping with the restoration and in front of the Medical Ward.

"Step away from the door turian, I need to talk to your commander. The Council wants to talk to her."

Garrus didn't bother, Council be damned; Shepard was in no position to be going anywhere.

"She can barely walk," Garrus half growled at the human ambassador who seemed so outrageously uncaring, "If the council want to talk to her then they're going to have to meet here– it's the least they can do considering she saved their lives."

"I demand that you let me through!"

Garrus didn't say anything, just continued to stand there – not bothering to cue in the numbers to the Medical Ward. If the Ambassador had been given permission by the doctors to see the Commander than he should have been given the code; otherwise, Garrus was more than content with leaving the Ambassador alone with his frustration.

"I demand that you let me in, right this moment!" Udina's comment was scathing but punctuated by tension, so revealed in the heightened pitch of his voice, "Shepard is only a Commander of the Alliance Navy, and as Ambassador I can act as her superior when the situation call for such. As such, she is under my jurisdiction, and if I ever mention to the Brass that she failed to follow orders well then-"

He was interrupted suddenly as Garrus snarled at him, the much taller alien rigid with anger, his posture instantly readying for the conflict that seemed so imminent.

"Shepard is a member of the Spectres, the elite corps of the Citadel. If anything, she has to answer to the Council. And as far as any of us know – they have been content to let her rest. Are you suggesting that your jurisdiction is higher than that of the Council?"

The Ambassador visibly paled, his mouth stilling his senseless ramblings. And then he was gone, darting away towards the makeshift building that was serving as the Council Chambers.

Garrus could only hope that he was as right about the Council as he had said.

*******

"Nora?"

Garrus entered the small ward room and watched silently as the human woman looked up from com-pad she was reading, a small smile on her face that faded a little when she saw him.

So Kaiden had been right…

Garrus didn't know whether to be angry at himself for not noticing it first or be jealous of the human man who had; the feel was entirely juvenile, but altogether comforting to the turian who still felt emotionally tender over the issue.

"Hello Garrus," the way she said his name made his heart squeeze, he would never take her presence for granted. Not after the events that had taken place such a short time ago.

"Did you need anything from any of the shops?" He allowed himself to take several steps closer, until he was at the corner of her bed, "New supplies just came in, and more than one shop keeper is asking about you."

The smile that lit his Commanders face made it that much harder to stay away from her, to keep his distance. He took several more steps closer, now almost parallel with where she sat on the bed.

"I suppose that anything for the Normandy would be a good buy," Nora said thoughtfully, leaning slightly towards him, "We have the credits for that, so go ahead and take a look. Double check with Tali though, I know there were a few things she wanted…though now that I think about it…I think everyone had something they claimed they wanted."

Nora turned her pale blue-purple eyes up to look him in the eye as if to say 'Except you', "Was there something you wanted as well Garrus?"

Did she even realize what she was asking?

The sudden bolt of pain that stuck him through the chest should have been enough of an answer, but it didn't stop him from looking into her fathomlessly deep eyes and realize with a start that his hand was hovering just inches from her shoulder, the other already cupping the side of her face.

Stifling a small cry of terror Garrus pulled back suddenly, shooting away from the bed with a hasty apology before turning quickly to the door.

*******

He really didn't care about her anymore did he?

The aching of her wounds suddenly seemed so much less compared to the painful feeling of her heart being ripped to shredded bits. Even being attacked by Thresher Maws couldn't be as bad as this.

She couldn't let it end this way.

"Garrus please!"

Forcing her still healing body to push back the blanket on her lap and place both feet on the floor and pushed up onto her feet, half stumbling as she hurried to catch him, feeling her body protest at the exertion. Almost there…but he didn't turn around…he was already out the door…

"Nora?!"

He had just stepped out into the Wards, the door closing behind him when he had heard her calling him, only to turn around in terror as he saw her begin to crumble to the ground.

And then she was in his arms once more, caught before she could hit the ground, her soft human body settled protectively against his own. Against his chest Nora closed her eyes against the film of tears that threatened to spill.

If just for the few seconds it took to put her back in bed, he was holding her. It would kill her not to be able to feel his strength this way, would make it difficult to go back to the way it had been when they had first met; polite, restrained, professional.

Feeling the softness of the bed beneath her, Nora tensed, waiting with bated breath for him to pull away and walk out the door once again. But instead, she watched in silent wonder as he gave her an assessing look and then began to tuck her into the bed, choosing to settle beside her once he was finished instead of leaving.

"Garrus?" A whispered question so loaded with unspoken emotion, pain and love, that she could scarcely push it past her lips.

The arm hand wresting at her elbow moved to tentatively stroke the side of her face, the side of her neck and the top crest of her exposed shoulder.

His expression was so serious.

Looking at his face, at the now guarded vibrant blue of his eyes, Nora wondered what had happened that could have caused such a dramatic change in the one she loved.

She wished he would tell her.

One soft human hand reached up and touched the side of his face, tracing the deep blue patterning that lay there.

"I wish you would tell me what happened to us…" she said softly, her eyes welling with tears once more, "Because I don't want to give you up…"

And that was when Garrus shifted once more, this time so that he cradled her entire body beside his own, waiting until she was comfortably settled before he began to speak, and talk, and admit why he had stayed away for so long.

*******

Kaiden jogged around the relatively repaired Presidium and marveled at the work that had been done in such a relatively short amount of time. The unification of all civilizations towards a singular project were proving to be one of the most positive diplomatic projects ever undertaken, perhaps even more so than the Normandy with its mix of turian and human technology.

A sudden familiar flash of blue and tinkling laughter brought him up short, and as he caught sight of the two women sitting on one of the benches, he couldn't help but smile as well.

"It looks like you're doing much better."

His commander looked up at him from where she was talking with Liara and grinned, "Three months forced bed-rest and a helpful Asari doctor will do that. Maybe I should try that with you Alenko? You could use a little more 'glow.'"

The man just smiled back at her before shaking his head, he had to get going; running errands for the Council as a mailman was tough work. And so, without another word, though a playful wink at both women seated, he was off.

He didn't know how much longer they would have on the Citadel, but it wouldn't be much longer now.

*******

"Ambassador, Captain, Commander Shepard; this conversation has been meaning to happen for quite a while. But we are grateful that all three of you could be here, in perfectly health."

The Asari council member flashed a kind smile at Nora who managed to smile back, "We have gathered here to recognize the enormous contribution of the Alliance forces in the war against Sovereign and the geth."

The nasally voice of the Salarian council member took over where his companion had stopped, "Many humans lost their lives in the battle to save the Citadel. Brave courageous soldiers who willingly gave their lives so that we, the council, might live."

It would seem that the council was unified in their ideals, for no sooner had the Salarian finished when the final member of the Council spoke up.

"There is no greater sacrifice, and we share your grief over such a tragic loss of so many noble men and women."

"The Council also owes you a great personal debt Commander, one we can never repay. You saved not only our lives but the lives of billions of others from Sovereign and the Reapers."

Nora could feel the pride in her team well in her chest; they had all done so very well, she could never have done it alone.

"Commander Shepard, your heroic and selfless actions serve as everything humanity and the Alliance stand for."

"And though we cannot bring back those valiant soldiers who gave their lives to save ours, we can honor their memory through our actions."

A soft smile then, at the memory of all of those she had met, those who had shown true heroism in the face of such terrible odds; Ashley and Kirrahe. She promised herself that they would not be soon forgotten.

"Humanity has shown that it is ready to stand as a defender and protector of the galaxy. You have proved you are worthy to join in our ranks and stand beside us on the Citadel Council."

*******

Nora stretched comfortably as she approached the familiar double doors of the Captain's quarters of the Normandy. The black Alliance issue uniform was comfortable in its familiarity, fitting like the well worn pair of combat boots she had saved from training camp as a cadet.

It was good to be back.

She had left Captain Anderson in charge of representing the human race as a member of the Council, the choice natural and so wholly right that she just the memory of it made her smile. She knew she would have precious little to smile over in the coming…she imagined it would be years, but each and every smile would be important. And so she would take what precious time she had now.

Which happened to include…

The doors slid open with a hiss to reveal the turian waiting patiently for her, his eyes warmly appraising as he took in the sight of the fitted uniform.

A good homecoming indeed…

And when at last they were both in her room, bodies pressed together, eyes locked and hands gently clasped they finally gave voice to what had come to inhabit their hearts so entirely through their long journey through space.

A soft phrase from her, timid and shy despite all she had gone through. A wish for a better future and one she would harbor in her heart; a promise to be there for him when he needed her, to be his leader and his lover, and to remain by his side for as long as time would allow.

For him, it was a murmured oath spoken with all of the conviction of his heart, with all the strength of his being and the affections that he couldn't possibly find human words for; a vow in the depths of his heart to keep her safe, and a promise to be her sword and shield for whatever she may face.

And it was the ultimate surrender of self, for both of them. The complete trust in another; to lay everything on the line for the other and know they would do the same. Deeper than the ties between comrades, family, government or certain death; love was the greatest vulnerability of all.

And yet, as Garrus listened to words of his lover and the adoration in her eyes, the turian realized quite emphatically that vulnerability had never been so strong.

"I love you."

"I love you too."

FIN