Chapter Text
Well dear readers as promised the sequel to Trail and Errors. If you are new to story I would suggestion you read Trial and Error first. I’ve changed some of the story with the help of Alex and my awesome beta Jen. Man I don’t know what I would do without her, she’s the greatest.
Once to again to warn my readers, I will be changing the storyline. Not in this chapter but probably every other chapter from here on in.
Now to someone I owe a debt of gratitude to: Jen you are the best, you’ve stuck with me through all of my stories, you helped me in more ways than one. You’re the greatest friend a person could have, I am so glad I met you.
Well on to the story, hope everyone enjoys it. Leave a review let me know what you think.
Shepard sat back in her chair, enjoying the peace between missions. It was the only time she got to talk to Garrus. He had chosen to work for C-Sec and then enter the Turian Spectre Training Program. Valern said he should make the cut easily, but he still needed to be tested. Next month she was to pick up her husband and test him. Once that was completed, he would be a Spectre like her.
It had been a few days since she last talked with him. Things on the ship had been hectic. She had been dodging Valern’s calls, telling him that all was fine, and they had no new information on the Reapers. That’s the way it’d been since she left the Citadel and realized that Valern loved her. To stop those emotions, she’d stopped talking to him. She hated to admit it, but it was one of the hardest things she had ever done. She finally admitted to herself that she had deep feeling for the turian, but it didn’t matter. She loved Garrus a lot more than she cared for Valern.
Shepard smiled lovingly as Garrus’ holo image appeared in front of her. “How is it going at C-Sec?” she asked, grinning at the scowl on his face.
“Making a few arrests. We are still rebuilding the Citadel. Crime is up because of all the confusion and chaos. The Council has ordered a curfew until things settle down,” he said and sighed tiredly. “Oh and Valern asked me how things were going with you since you haven’t been sending reports regularly.” Garrus grinned, quite pleased that his wife was ignoring the turian. “When are you heading back here?”
“After we check out reports on a nearby planet. It seems people have been going missing. After that we should be on our way there. And you can tell Valern that I’ll give him a full report once I dock at the Citadel,” she answered. She was about continue their conversation when she was interrupted by Joker.
“Shepard, we need you on the bridge,” Joker announced urgently, the tone of his voice placing her on alert.
Garrus heard the urgency and saw Shepard’s ‘commander face’ fall into place. Fear and worry instantly raced through them. “I’m sorry, Garrus, but I have to go,” she stated quickly before cutting the connection. He stared blankly at the screen, his gut clenching tightly before he pushed it away.This was Shepard, he thought, trying to calm his nerves. She would make it through anything. I don’t need to worry.
Shepard moved quickly toward the bridge. She didn’t reach it before the Normandy rocked violently. She moved quickly, nearly losing her balance as the ship trembled beneath her feet. She grabbed the nearest extinguisher, trying to fight the fires that were springing up all around her. She feared for her crew; the ship was becoming damaged too fast. She knew it wasn’t going to survive this attack.
“Shepard, Joker is still in the cockpit,” Liara told her urgently.
“Get the crew onboard the escape pods. I’ll look after Joker,” she ordered. She didn’t look back as there wasn’t a need; she knew Liara would do as she commanded.
She moved quickly toward the cockpit, glad to see this part of the ship was already emptied of crew. She wanted to keep the death count to a minimum and hoped she could. She found Joker exactly where she thought he would be, still navigating the ship. “Joker, we need to get out of here!” she ordered urgently.
“I’m not leaving the Normandy! We can still make it,” he argued.
“Joker, the Normandy is lost. Don’t go down with the ship,” she begged as she grabbed his arm.
She saw the flash of pain in his eyes as one of his bones snapped beneath her hand. “Hey, take it easy,” he cried out. She ignored him as they made their way slowly to the escape pods. She hoped everyone was off the ship. Relief swept through her as she saw that all but one escape pod was deployed. Almost everyone made it off. Good. She helped Joker inside and strapped him in. She was about to jump in herself but the other ship, one she had never seen before, fired once more. Shepard stumbled back and tried to hold onto the pod doorway, but it was no use. She gripped the edge of the wall where the panel sat. “Joker, give this to Garrus,” she yelled, throwing him the necklace that Valern gave her for a wedding gift.
“Shepard!” Joker cried out, horrified as he watched her float away. He watched as she reached out, hitting the panel as he struggled with his buckles so he could reach her. To his dismay, the doors closed in front of him and the pod launched.
Through a window he watched as she struggled, grabbing behind her helmet. He knew already that she wasn’t going to make it. He was watching her final moments. He buried his head in his hands and screamed out in pain and anguish.
Shepard floated through open space, her lungs screaming for oxygen. There was none to be had. Her heart thundered in her chest, fighting to keep her alive. She was vaguely aware of debris floating past her as she fought to stay alive. She glanced around and saw a planet coming toward her. In that moment, she knew she was going to die. The atmosphere hit her hard. Her body began to burn. She would have screamed, but there was no air to make a sound. Her body heated up, and blackness slowly took her over her vision as pain radiated through every limb.
“Goodbye, Garrus,” she choked out with her final breath.
Those were her last words. Her heartbeat slowed and she stared at nothingness as she felt her lungs collapse. Her heart stuttered and finally stopped. For one split second fear and terror gripped her tightly, and then she felt no more. Shepard’s body burned as it fell to the planet’s surface.
Tania Shepard Vakarian died alone in space with her loved one unaware of her fate.
~ooooooooooooo~
Kaidan stood on board an Alliance ship as he watched the Normandy debris float by. He sighed in relief as he watched the last pod pulled onboard the ship. At least Shepard and Joker are safe, he thought with a small smile. He didn’t want to have to tell Garrus that Shepard was dead.
He knew they had better get to the Citadel quickly or Garrus would come out searching for them; especially since this attack came while he had been speaking to his wife. He could just imagine Garrus’ state of mind at the current moment.
He made his way to the cargo bay where the pods were held. He grinned as Joker climbed out of the pod with help, but his smile slowly faded when the door to the pod closed behind him. “Joker, where is Shepard?” Kaidan asked, his voice showing the panic he felt.
Joker looked at Kaidan and slowly shook his head. His eyes were haunted as he stared at nothing. Kaidan swallowed thickly, his throat burned and his eyes watered. He saw the necklace that Joker held in his hands and knew. Commander Tania Shepard Vakarian was dead…
~oooooooooo~
Garrus sat in his office with a scowl; worry and fear slithered down his spine. It had been two weeks since his communication to Shepard had been cut off. He knew Shepard would have contacted him by now, unless there was a serious problem. He kept telling himself that there were problems with communications and Tania was on her way here to him.
Pallin sat in his office, his hands balled into fists as Alenko stood silently in front of his desk. He wanted to talk to Garrus, but Pallin had interceded. Now with just a few words, he felt like he had been hit in the face by a krogan. Shepard had been killed in action, and the Normandy had been destroyed.
Shepard was gone - a woman full of life, a woman who had been a good friend to him. His former lover was dead. She would never return, and he would never again hear her voice. He would never see her again…
He closed his eyes, a howl building in his throat. Unable to speak, he watched the human leave. His hand slammed into his desk and he howled his pain. Tears that he hadn’t shed in years burned his eyes and slowly trickled down his cheek.
Chellick sat in his office. The krogan had just left, his howl of pain following him into the corridor. Chellick’s chest constricted as he buried his face in his hands. He cried silently. He pictured Shepard the last time he saw her. Her eyes bright and vivid, a broad smile on her face - she had been so very alive.
He just lost a friend, an old lover, and someone who he held in the utmost esteem.
Valern was pacing his office. He just received the news, and nothing in range of his grasp was safe from his rage. He howled, he cried, and then he howled more. She was the only human he had ever allowed close and the only human that he had fallen in love with. He considered her to be his mate and his equal; and now she had been taken away from him. Shepard had taught him so much. She had accepted him, even though he hated humanity. She never pushed humans on him, and never forced him to change his beliefs.
With a growl of seething rage, Valern plotted and planned. He would make sure everything Shepard had done would not be forgotten. He would make sure her mate was protected, even from himself. He would do what he knew Shepard would ask of him if she was with him. He may never like humanity, but he would do everything in his power to protect Shepard and those that were close to her.
Garrus heard the howl coming from Pallin’s office. He wanted to investigate, but he already knew what had caused such a reaction. No one had to tell him. She was gone. He knew it. The emptiness that he had been ignoring told him so. Tania was dead. He wouldn’t be able to hold her; he would only have a memory of her scent. He would never hear her voice again, never have her close. But one thing he knew for certain was that he would always love his wife, his mate. He would take no other for himself; the one for him was gone.
His head is buried in his hands as he howls out his pain. It wasn’t a one long one like Pallin’s. This was continuous, one of a Turian losing his mate. His chest hurt, he couldn’t think; all he could do was feel. Rage, anger, pain, and a loss so great he wasn’t sure if he could keep going. His whole world had just crumbled around him.
~ooooooooooo~
Kaidan walked into Garrus’ office. He heard the howls from Pallin’s office and was worried what he would find when he met his former crewmate. He opened the door to see Garrus crumbled at his desk. He looked like his whole world had been devastated. He walked over to the turian and he didn’t even notice him. He hesitated as he placed a hand on Garrus’ shoulder. There was still no reaction from his friend. He didn’t know what to do; he didn’t trust Garrus like this. He was worried that Garrus would do something stupid and end his life.
He was about to leave, but stopped when a low, menacing growl left Garrus. Pallin stepped into the room and hesitated when he saw the C-Sec officer. He knew what Garrus wanted to do; it was written on his face. Pallin wasn’t sure if he should stop him or not. Garrus had just lost his mate. Though Pallin was sure it was more than that. If he was to go by how Garrus was acting, he would have said they were bonded mates.
“Kaidan, leave him. There is nothing that can be done for him,” Pallin told him quietly.
~oooooooooo~
Tania floated, peace and warmth surrounding her. She felt secure, safe. At the moment there was nothing to worry about. The Reaper threat, her family, the politics - all of it gone. She knew she was dead. She felt the fire burning her lungs from lack of air. She felt the coldness envelope her. Then finally nothing - a thick darkness surrounded her, holding her close until her eyes slowly opened.
She didn’t know where ‘here’ was, but she didn’t want to leave. This was where she wanted to stay always. Her heart throbbed and she knew she was missing someone… Garrus. Garrus was what was missing. God she wished she could see him, talk to him again; she wished that she didn’t have to leave him.
She knew this would be very hard on him. It was breaking her heart and she was already dead.
“I’m sorry Garrus…my mate,” she whispered.
…she felt him near, she was with him…
~ooooooo~
Garrus sat at his desk feeling like he just died. Tania was taken from him. He wanted to go and be with her, but that was impossible. He was a turian and she was human; they believed in different deities.
Spirits, he didn’t want to be here. The pain was too great. He felt hollow and empty; just a shell of what he had been. He needed her.
Vaguely he remembered Kaidan coming into his office, but he hadn’t been her. Kaidan had been a foreign scent to him. He needed her scent - he needed his Mate. Slowly he rose to his feet, walking over to the window. His claw lightly scratched at the pane. It would so easy to break it and…
He raised his hand to do just that…
I am sorry, Garrus….
He swung around, expecting to see her there, but he was alone. It had been her; it was her voice. He knew that voice anywhere. He knew it had been her. He collapsed in his chair, his head cradled in his hands.
His head snapped up when he felt her presence. She was here; he could feel her near, but all he saw was empty air.
“Tania….” he whispered, his voice filled with hope, yet thick with the sadness that ate at him.
“I’ll always be with you, mate,” he heard her say. He bowed his head and wondered if he was going insane. Had he lost his mind? Did losing her push him to this? He didn’t know.
He felt relief for the first time since learning of her death. The hollowness that held him slowly dissipated. He knew she was here with him; in fact, he was positive of it.
He knew what she wanted - she wanted him to live. For her. He would try his best to live for her.
~ooooooooooooo~
Tania was where she belonged; this was where she wanted to stay. She could feel her mate by her side. She couldn’t see him, but knew he was here with her. Nothing would take her from this spot, nothing.