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She finds herself, once again in the forest. Shepard knows this place. The grey trees and whispers of those she lost. The way their silhouettes just stand there and how she can only move oh so slowly. She has been here countless times before, but that doesn’t make it any more bearable.
At least she knows what to do now, she used to run around, try to talk to them, chase after the child. She has learned that it wont help. Shepard just sits down and waits for the flames the engulf her.
She wakes up with a start. Back on the Normandy she used to scream, but it’s been years since then. Garrus still wakes up too though, he has developed a kind of sixths sense for when she is having her nightmares. He wraps an arm around her. “Are you okay?”
Shepard nods. “The usual.”
He hugs her a little tighter, resting his chin on her head. “It’s getting worse again recently.”
She shrugs. “Always around the anniversary.”
“London yeah”, Garrus sighs. “All those alliance celebrations are just stressing you out, why do we have to attend all of them?”
“Because we’re good soldiers”, Shepard runs her hand up and down his arm “We may be retired, but we’re still not defying orders.”
Garrus scoffs. “We’re way better behaved now than when we were still military.”
“True, true.”, she rests her head on his chest. “We did defy some orders in our time.”
“Like when you stole the Normandy.”
“That was a group effort!”
“You were commanding”, Garrus smiles. “I think the last time I was disobedient was right after London actually.”
Shepard props herself up on one elbow to look at him. “I don’t think you ever told me about that.”
“Didn’t I?”
She shakes her head.
“Well”, Garrus draws out the word. “They wouldn’t let me onto the search party for you. I was still injured, but there was no way I wasn’t gonna dig through the rubble of the Citadel to get you myself. So I just went anyway. Told Turian command that I was gonna do it no matter what.”
“Whoa”, Shepard kisses him “Defying orders for purely sentimental reasons.”
Garrus laughs. “I always told you I’m a bad Turian. And what were they gonna do? Every Normandy Crew member is considered a war hero.”
Shepard grins. “Cause you all served under me.”
“Yes, my incredibly badass way cooler than me wife.”, he kisses her. “In every other relationship I’d be the cool one but here…”
“That’s what you get for marrying Commander Shepard.”, she rests her head back on his chest.
“And I wouldn’t have it any other way.”