Just a bit of fluff I wrote a while ago. I'm one of those wierdos who has a different Shepard for every romance. For me Rachel and Garrus are ment for eachother and I haven't been able to have any other Shepard romance Garrus. They all get pretty possesive. XD

Terra Nova. Shepard isn't supposed to be here, she's supposed to be out in the Terminus Systems if she's going by protocol. But, after defeating the Collectors she feels like she deserves a vacation. After saving this colony from Batarian terrorists, she's always wanted to visit it, to see first hand what she'd saved.

No one will recognize her here, especially in the casual attire she bought. True, people know she's here, thanks to the Normandy being docked in port; but people mill about, talking about her without realizing she's right next to them. She's a bit uncomfortable in the simple white dress, it's so light in comparison to her armor that she feels almost naked. And with her black hair loose from it's bun, it would be hard for people who actually know her to recognize her.

She sits alone at a small table, waiting outside in a small café. Everything here looks so crisp and beautiful. She wishes she could have had a chance to live here when she was a kid and her parents were deployed; sure it would have been her favorite home. She sighs and leans on the table, head resting in her up turned palm.

"Careful Rachel, you'll make yourself look wistful." Comes a flanged voice behind her. Garrus sets two beverages on the table and sits down across from her.

"I love it when you call me Rachel." Shepards' grey eyes sparkle at the Turian when she smiles up at him. "Thanks for this." She says as she takes a sip of her coffee, warmed to the core.

"Well, we're on vacation right? No ranks out here. It's just you and me and a couple of drinks." Garrus holds up his drink and regards Shepard with a peaceful expression. "What's on your mind Rachel?"

She smiles again. "I was just wishing I'd had the chance to live here when I was younger. With all the moving around I had to do with both my parents in the military, I'm surprised I didn't." She sighs again and looks out at the scenery. "Sometimes I just wish for a normal life. Ya know?"

Garrus nods and is slow to respond. "I, understand. But if you hadn't followed the path you are on, then this colony wouldn't be here right now. It would be a crater. And you wouldn't have met the greatest sniper who's ever lived." He says, attempting to lighten his comments.

Shepard humms. "You're right, it really would have been sad to have not met Thane." She smiles cheekily as Garrus shoots her a look. "You know I think a lot about that mission to stop Saren, and us." She tucks some loose hair behind her ear, unused to it being in her face. "I thought you were really cool, but you were far to eager to get things done now. You were so excited about being able to actually do something, that it really drew me to you." She watches him, and if her could blush he probably would be. Her certainly looks embarrassed enough. "I know you weren't interested in me, not the way you are now; but I've been interested in you since that first shot in Dr. Michel's office."

"As I recall, you scolded me for taking that shot." Garrus interjects.

"That I did. I'm still upset you actually took the shot, but it was so clean that I really was attracted to you in that moment, even though you are a turian.

So yeah, I wish I didn't have to be the one to take on all the hard missions. I wish I didn't have to be the one who lead a platoon to their deaths for the sick sake of science. I wish I could have been left dead so I could rest. But, I'm so glad that you are here with me. That you stayed to help me against the Collectors, despite the overwhelming odds. I think you're amazing." It's not often Shepard gets to show anyone her insecurities or the soft mushy side of her personality, so it's nice for her to finally unwind like this.

Garrus reaches across the table and takes one of her hands in his. "If any one is amazing, it's you. I know you think you're just doing what's right, but I don't know of anyone who could actually pull any of this off." His thumb runs over the back of her hand. "you're right I wasn't interested in you on the first Normandy. You really just held a position that amounted to 'hero worship'. But, after Saren was dead, after Sovereign was defeated; I was still welcome on your ship and those few weeks I stayed on I began to see you as a real person and then as a woman. And you, spirits help me, you were so professional that I thought you wouldn't care for my affections, just like the way you shot down Kaidan."

Shepard blushes lightly, she hadn't realized what she'd done to Kaidan until much later. Not till after Virmire.

"And when you died." Garrus pauses, taking a moment to swallow down the word. " I tried so hard to not let it get to me, and to live up to the example you gave me. Who knows where I'd be if you hadn't come into my life. I know I'd be dead if you hadn't come back.

When you showed up on Omega and looked so, joyful, that is was me you'd walked up to across that bridge; I can't even tell you how that made me feel. You keep showing me all the ways I'm just not a good Turian, but I hope that at least I can be a good man when I'm with you."

Shepard brings his hand to her face and kisses it. "You're the best man I know."

Just then Garrus jerks back and it takes a minute for Shepard to realize he is being pulled out of his seat by a human who's looking quite angry. "Hey! You turians don't have enough over us that now you gotta take our women too?!" The man shouts. He Isn't alone either. Three other men stand behind him, all looking ready to start something.

"Look, let's just calm down. There's no need for all this hostility. I'm just having a drink with my friend here. There's no harm in that right?" Garrus holds his hands up in a placating fashion and keeps his cool; mindful of his place as an extrem minority on this colony.

"Yeah right, just friends huh. Those were some intense stares for just friends." The guy shoves Garrus and that's all Shepard can handle. She doesn't doubt that Garrus can handle himself, but she'll be damned if some idiots are going to ruin her vacation. She stands up, a pistol in her hand that Garrus hadn't realized she had on her, and shoves the barrel right under the human's chin.

"You listen to me buddy. I'm on vacation after a very long and dangerous mission for the council and my nerves are really fried. So I suggest you back away from my man or you'll shortly be joining my very long list of people I've killed." Shepard's voice is low and threatening, and for good measure she amps up her biotics and is suddenly surrounded in blue light.

The idiot is shocked into silence, and Shepard can see the fear in his eyes. He was expecting to be able to rough up some lone turian without anyone really being able to interfere, especially not the woman said turian was 'pawing'. The man's friends take a step forward like they're going to do something, but stop dead in their tracks when Shepard pulls up the side of her skirt and draws another pistol from it's holster strapped to her thigh.

"I'm here to relax and was having a fine time of it till you and your friends showed up. Not I suggest you make a decision and shove off your you and you're friends can say your last prayers to the maker, cuz either way; you're leaving."

Garrus clears his throat and all four of the men turn their eyes to the turian, causing him to laugh a little. "I though we agreed to leave all our weapons on the Normandy Shepard." All four men's eyes grow large as it dawns on them who they've picked a fight with.

"With all the trouble that follows us around, I figured I should bring back up." She quirks a grin, staring at the man who shoved Garrus, grinning a bit more at the sudden tremble in his body. "The next time you decide to harass a turian, you remember how easily your life can be snuffed out."

The group of men quickly retreat and Shepard can't help but help them along the way with a nice biotic shove. She reaches under her skirt when she's confident no one else will be bothering them anytime soon, holstering her weapons before she looks over at Garrus. "Where were we?"

"I believe I was just about to carry you off to some hotel where we can really test out my reach and your flexibility without EDI spying on us or Mordin giving us a lecture on sexual safety." Garrus says before picking up his drink and draining it. "that stunt you pulled when you drew that second gun was damn sexy Rachel."

Shepard simply grins and shakes her head. "I thought you'd like that." She crosses her arms as she speaks. "And I think that's the best idea I've heard all day." She sucks down the rest of her coffee for the energy boost before linking her arm with Garrus's. "Lead the way."