Author's Note: Wow, I didn't think anybody would actually enjoy Moving Forward! Thank you all so much for your reviews and favorites on my first three stories, you have no idea how much I appreciate it! The rating has been raised to 'Teen' because of a few suggestive parts just to be safe, but nothing very graphic. This fic is the follow-up to Moving Forward and, like Storm Gray, centers around Garrus and is set during the end of the game. This will most likely be the last one-shot I write about Garrus and my female Shepard. My writing just doesn't hold a candle to some of those who've also written fics for this pairing and my stories aren't as good as some others I've seen. Maybe I'll post more about these two in the future if my confidence comes back, but... I don't know...

I know that Shepard isn't that hurt during the final scene of the game, but for some reason, I have a tendency to put my characters through absolute hell; and I highly doubt any human could walk completely away from a sentient, evil ship careening into where they had been fighting moments earlier, but that's just me. Also, I had to pluck the military rank for Shepard's mother out of the air since I still have yet to get the Spacer background quest, and haven't seen any mention of her rank anywhere, so please bear with me. Holy cow, this has got to be one of the longest author's notes I've ever written. Yet again, Mass Effect and its characters are © BioWare, and again, I apologize if Garrus seems out of character in this.

Edit: Thanks to NCHAWK, the military rank for Shepard's mother and how she should be addressed has been corrected. Thank you again.

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It had only been a few hours since the defeat of Sovereign, but for Garrus Vakarian, time had ground to a screeching halt as he remained by Commander Shepard's side. The red-skinned woman had been stripped of her protective outer armor, and she was now wearing nothing but the bottoms of the form-fitting uniform she would always wear aboard the Normandy, her upper body wrapped in bandages from her chest to the bottom of her ribcage and more were wrapped around her right forearm, medi-gel set underneath them to help her body to heal. She had sustained a few cracked ribs and a fracture to her right forearm when the Reaper had come careening into the Council Tower, and she was now laying stretched out upon her side asleep on one of the beds in the Citadel's med center.

Though he had seen Shepard unclothed the previous night when he had accepted her invitation to stay with her, Garrus had given no protest when Dr. Michel had shooed him from the room so she could tend to the Commander's injuries. Cracking a small smile, the pale gold Turian reached down with a three-fingered hand to gently push a few strands of the human's jet black hair out of her closed eyes. It was the second time he had seen her sleep, and the look of peace upon her face was far different than the look of fierce determination she would wear when awake. He couldn't help but think back to the previous night, when he had gone to her, intending to return her late twin brother's pendant to her and to finally tell her how he truly felt. He had ended up learning a few things about Shepard's past, and it had drawn them closer together than ever before... in more ways than one.

Though outwardly he would never admit it, he had always been impressed by Shepard's incredible capacity to forgive. Garrus had been there when Julia had forgiven the colonists on Feros for trying to kill her in their induced madness, when she had forgiven Wrex even after he had pulled a gun on her out of anger; and he had been there when Julia had chosen to have the fleet focus on nothing but making sure that the Council's vessel, the Destiny Ascention, had escaped the chaos of the battle that had raged around them. Garrus had also been there when Julia, despite her fear of Asari, had knelt at Benezia's side as the matriarch had drawn her last breath; and he had been there when she had forgiven Saren, helping the ex-Spectre to grasp what little of his true self remained. In the end, the bone white Turian had shot himself, knowing that it had been too late for him to truly be saved from the monster he had become. At first, Garrus had wondered why the Commander would even waste her breath on forgiving those who had tried to hurt or kill her at one point, until he learned that she had done so in order to make peace with herself.

The events which had followed Saren taking his own life would forever remain vivid within Garrus's mind. He, Wrex, and Shepard could do nothing but watch as Saren's lifeless corpse was reanimated by Sovereign, destroying all that had been left of his former self.

"Nobody deserves such a fate... not even Saren..." Julia's horrified whisper had come to his ears, but Garrus had been unable to look away as the ex-Spectre's body had changed. The battle that followed had been one of the most difficult he had ever experienced, but in the end, he, Shepard, and Wrex had managed to destroy the thing. Somehow, this had also led to the destruction of Sovereign itself, but victory had been very short-lived when they had caught sight of the Reaper careening towards the tower... towards them. Shepard had hesitated, screaming at the Turian and Krogan to flee, and Garrus had begun to obey the woman's orders, but then he had realized that that hesitation of hers, combined with the exertion the battle itself had brought upon her, had been a dangerous mistake.

'I nearly lost her on Virmire... I'm not going to lose her now, not now...!' the thought had remained in his mind, spurring him on as he had changed direction and began running towards her. Wrex had yelled something, but the Turian hadn't been paying enough attention to understand the words, too intent upon reaching Shepard before it was too late. A Turian never abandoned those he cared about -- even at the cost of his own life. His choice had been too little too late; however, and he had been barely outside a few more strides from reaching her when the Reaper crashed into the tower, the force enough to knock him off his feet.

And then everything had gone to hell.

Shards of glass mixed with shrapnel had rained down around him before a sea of blackness had overtaken him. When he awoke, he had heard voices and ignoring the pain wracking his body, he had forced himself to his feet; coming face to face with Captain Anderson.

"Where's Commander Shepard?" the human man had asked him.

Garrus had only been able to shake his head, unable to speak, not wanting to believe that his beloved Julia was gone. He turned his head when he heard a low growl come from Wrex, seeing that the Krogan had gotten up on his own will like Garrus himself had. Wrex had turned his back on the scene of the carnage, head lowered slightly. Everyone had their own way of grieving... if the Krogan was even capable of doing so.

A feeling as cold as the winds of Noveria had gripped Garrus as he forced himself to look back at the wreckage, at the place where Julia Shepard had been standing. There had been nothing there but the wreckage of the defeated Reaper, the only movements that of black smoke rising from the twisted, broken metal. The Turian had been about to turn away; however, a sound had come to his ears, like that of a boot scraping against a hard surface. Garrus's eyes had widened when a hand came into view, followed by a second before Julia pulled herself from the wreckage and had slowly risen to her feet, cradling her right arm against her chest. He would always wonder just how the Commander had managed to survive, but he had a feeling that the spirits he would often hear her talk about had been watching over them.

Their eyes had locked at that moment, silver-blue on storm gray, and Garrus saw her give a weary, yet satisfied smile.

Ignoring his own pain, Garrus had run to her, catching the human woman when her legs had begun to give out from underneath her, exhaustion combined with the pain of her injuries too much for her to remain standing a moment longer.

"Garrus Vakarian," Julia had whispered, her head resting against his shoulder as he moved to carefully pick her up, his arms underneath the crook of her legs and supporting the small of her back. "I don't know if I should reprimand or commend you for disobeying me..."

"I couldn't leave you... I wouldn't ever," he had whispered back, resting his head against hers, not caring that Wrex and Anderson were watching. "I already told you that last night.."

"I know, usti wohali... I know..." she had replied before passing out, the combined pain and fatigue having finally taken its toll on her. Garrus had brought her to the med center, hoping that it hadn't been damaged by the Geth attack on the Citadel. Luckily, the center was located in the Upper Wards, away from the center ring where most of the fighting had taken place. Though it was more crowded than usual, Dr. Michel had agreed to see to Shepard not only because of the extent of her injuries, but because the doctor owed them that much...

"Garrus. Garrus? Garrus!"

"S-sorry?" The Turian shook his head, coming out of his recollection at hearing his name being called to see Dr. Michel standing a few feet to his left.

"I'm sorry for bothering you, but I can take over from here. Shepard's going to be all right, don't worry," she said, sighing softly and raising a hand to rub her forehead.

"Is something bothering you, doctor?"

"In a way, yes. There's a woman right outside the center who says she knows Commander Shepard, says she's her mother. Giving the Commander's condition; however, she doesn't need anymore visitors, but this 'Irene Shepard' won't take no for an answer. She sounded pretty upset, and she refuses to talk to anyone but her daughter or to someone who was with her when that Reaper-thing crashed into the Tower."

"I'll talk to her so you can return to work, doctor."

"Thank you, Garrus."

The Turian nodded before, with one more glance at the sleeping Shepard, he made his way to the front of the med center.

The woman standing there was someone he recognized even though the last time he had seen her had been briefly when Julia had (reluctantly) contacted her via the Normandy's comm system, where she had been merely a holographic projection of herself. Aside from the fact that her semi-long, jet black hair was graying, and the few wrinkles which played about her features, Chief Warrant Officer Irene Shepard would have been a mirror image of her daughter.

"So, you're Garrus Vakarian, hmm?" Chief Shepard's gray eyes gave him a once-over before the woman sighed and glanced at the floor for a moment. "Thank you for bringing my daughter here after what happened on the Tower... though I had expected to speak with someone th-- oh, nevermind. I came here as soon as I had heard, and hoped to see her again without the use of a comm system."

'With someone more human, Chief?' "Unfortunately, Ju-- ...Commander Shepard is resting at the moment," Garrus replied, inwardly wincing at his near slip-up. "Dr. Michel doesn't wish for anyone else to see her until she's awakened, but I don't know when that will be."

"...how bad are her injuries?" the aging woman asked, gray eyes clouding with worry though she furrowed her brow for a moment before sighing and shaking her head. "I wasn't told specifically. I've already lost one of my children, and I don't wish to lose the other.."

"A few cracked ribs and a fracture to her right arm, but she'll be fine. Medi-gel does wonders."

"Oh, thank the spirits!" Chief Shepard breathed, raising a hand to her chest as she breathed a sigh of relief and Garrus began to wonder if this was the same woman Julia had spoken so ill of last night. "...I suppose seeing me is the last thing she'd want right now anyway. I came to apologize to her, but I had a feeling something like this would keep me from seeing her, so I wrote what I've wanted to tell her after so many years of being hardly able to get along..

"I admit that I've always been hard on her ever since she was seven years old. She started spending more time with her father than with me..." the woman trailed off, closing her eyes and raising a hand to rub her forehead. "And I will never understand what happened. A rift formed between us, and it only became wider as time progressed. Maybe it was because I didn't want her wasting her life studying the mating habits of damsil flies, I don't know, but she had too much potential to waste it on something like the study of insects. You can't negotiate with a jewel wasp.

"Julia's charisma earned her the name Tsula, which means 'Fox' in the Cherokee dialect, when she was fourteen. Foxes are creatures from Earth that are known for being quite crafty and charismatic in some stories, able to talk their way out of trouble and to easily gain influence with those who would otherwise harm them. She's always been able to fox her way out of most situations, and I knew that she would be able to put such a gift to better use in the military; plus, I couldn't bear to let her be separated from her twin if I were to let her go to Earth like she had wanted. A parent knows what's best for her children, and had I allowed Julia to do what she wanted, we probably wouldn't be alive right now. You don't know how proud I am of her, and I so desperately wish that I could tell her, but it's so hard to talk to her now after everything that's happened. I admit that I wasn't fair to her when Julian was killed, she risked her life to save Elysium and all I did was get after her for being unable to protect her brother... I guess you can say that I used that as an excuse to keep from praising her."

"I've seen first hand how many times she's been able to talk others out of violence or into making a choice that they're unsure of.." He blinked, unable to believe what she had just told him. "You were jealous?"

"...yes, sad to say. I've always wished that I had her level of charisma and courage. I know a parent should be proud of her own child if she is surpassed, but for some reason, it's always bothered me. I regret giving in to my jealousy and denying her the praise she deserves, and I hope to make amends before I go to join my husband and son. I still have a while yet, but this is something that I need to put behind me, something I need to make right.. And since I can't see her at this time, please, give this to her. It's the long overdue apology I owe her..." Irene said, handing him a folded piece of paper before she turned and slowly began to walk away.

"I'll make sure she gets this," Garrus replied softly, gently taking the offered note, then he remembered... "Chief Shepard, wait," he called, holding up a hand. The woman halted and turned her head to look back at him over her shoulder. "I... have a question."

"Yes?" the aging human asked, turning back to fully face him, and Garrus took a deep breath, hoping that he wouldn't butcher his attempt at saying the words Julia had whispered to him before she had passed out after the battle with Sovereign.

"The words usti wohali are from the Cherokee dialect, correct?"

"Indeed they are..." Irene Shepard replied, arching a brow in the same manner Garrus had seen Julia do so many times before. "They mean 'Little Eagle'... but, why do you ask?"

"It was something she said to me earlier, before I brought her here."

"It's rare for someone who isn't Native American -- or human -- to be given such a name. Most children, regardless of their tribe, don't even find their own traditional name because it has to be earned. One would have to know a person well to-- ...is there something you're not telling me, Vakarian?" she asked, her eyes narrowing slightly.

"I know you probably won't like what I'm about to say, Chief, but I..." Garrus trailed off, momentarily unnerved by the intensity in which she was staring at him, but he forced himself to continue, knowing that it was something he couldn't avoid even though he wasn't ready. He had hoped to wait at least another few months to a year before he and Julia were to tell his father and her mother, but now... "I love her."

"... how long has this been going on?"

"We've been friends since we first met a few months ago, back when all this began, but we've only been..." he trailed off, searching for the right word. "We've only been together since... since last night."

"I can't say I'm exactly thrilled to find out that my daughter is in a relationship with a Turian of all species..." Irene replied, her tone neutral as she raised a hand to toss her braid back over her shoulder. "Don't get me wrong, I don't hate your kind, but I still don't like you, I'm just weary around you after the way our two species came into contact back during that war..." she trailed off and gave a long, drawn-out sigh, her eyes closing. "But if this is what the both of you want, I'm not going to try and stop you. I owe Julia that much and more."

"I..." Garrus blinked, taken aback by the fact that Julia's mother had accepted the news. "Th-thank you, Chief. You don't know how much she means to me..."

"I'll always find it hard to imagine, but times are changing. I suppose I'm just too old to change with them," the woman replied, nodding though Garrus noticed the faintest hint of a smile crossing her features. "Garrus Vakarian -- Little Eagle -- I ask of you this: take care of my daughter."

"I will, Chief. I promise," he replied softly, glancing down at the folded note in his hand.

Irene Shepard merely nodded before, with a salute he returned (albeit awkwardly), she turned and began walking away. Garrus watched her for a few moments before he gave a deep sigh of relief and headed back into the center to see Dr. Michel tending to one of her other patients.

"Shepard's awake now if her mother still wishes to see her," the auburn-haired woman said, glancing up at the Turian for a second.

"Chief Shepard just left a moment ago, I'm afraid," he replied. "but she gave me a written message to pass on to her daughter. May I see her?"

"Go on ahead, Garrus, but don't hesitate to call for me if anything happens."

"I will, thank you, doctor," he said, giving a nod of respect before making his way back to the room where the Commander was currently recovering.

"Hey.." she said softly before yawning and raising a hand to rub her eyes. "If you keep saving my life like this, I'll be an old woman before I've even begun repaying you."

"How many times must I remind you? There's no need for you to thank me, Julia." Garrus replied, moving to sit in the chair that had been set by Shepard's bed. "How are you feeling?"

"Like I was hit by a starship," she muttered crossly. "Oh wait, I was. Everything still hurts, but not as badly as when I pulled myself out of the wreckage." She raised her right arm, glaring at the bandages as if they had done something to offend her. "Ambassador Udina and the Council are already requesting that I meet with them once I'm able to be back up on my feet. No telling what they want... probably to reprimand me for letting the Tower be destroyed."

"They know that was something unable to be helped..." Garrus trailed off, wondering if now was a good time for him to pass on the Chief Warrant Officer's message before he continued. "And I just finished speaking with Chief Shepard a few minutes ago."

"What?! My mother was here?!" Julia sat up quickly, wincing and uttering a few choice curses through clenched teeth, most of them in her native dialect before she sheepishly moved to lay back down, though not without help from Garrus.

"You were still asleep, and Dr. Michel didn't want anyone bothering you," he informed before holding up the folded note. "I was given this to pass on to you."

"..." the Commander remained silent for a few moments, gray eyes never leaving the folded piece of paper Garrus was holding out to her. With a soft sigh, she finally took it from him and with trembling hands, slowly unfolded it and began to read, her lips silently mouthing the words. Garrus blinked when he heard the woman give a sharp intake of breath, her eyes wide with what the Turian could only guess as being disbelief before Shepard raised a hand to cover her eyes, not noticing that the note had fallen from her grasp and onto the floor.

"Julia? What's wrong?"

"She... she..." Shepard whispered, sniffling and brushing a few tears away from her eyes. "She doesn't hate me..."

"She never did," the Turian replied softly, reaching down to retrieve the fallen message before he read it for himself, realizing that it was a shorter version of all the things the Chief Warrant Officer had told him:

Tsula,

I know that this may sound a bit far-fetched because of the rift between us, but I've written this to apologize to you. These past years have given me time to think about how unfairly I've treated you, and I've realized that I was in the wrong when I was angry at you concerning Julian's death during the Blitz. Also, you may have realized this on your own, but the reason why I made you join the Alliance Military was not because of our family's history, but because I knew that you have the potential to go farther than you would have if you were stuck on Earth studying insects. There's a very good reason why you were given the name Fox, and I'm glad to know that you've used that reason well.

Because of your actions, many, many lives have been saved this day, and I cannot even begin to tell you how proud I am of you. I don't expect you to forgive me, nor can I make you do so, but I just hope that you'll never forget that I love you... no matter what you think of me. May the spirits of our ancestors watch over you always.

Your mother,

Irene Shepard

"Hard to believe, isn't it?" came the Commander's voice, causing Garrus to quickly glance up. "I don't care if you read it or not, don't worry..." she trailed off, a sad smile crossing her lips. "She's not the only one who needs to apologize after all these years.."