Fire on the Horizon

Chapter 49: Living off the Royalties

The minute he got Shepard to the Normandy the medical team started working on her. Dr. Chakwas explained to Garrus that they needed to put Jane in a medical coma for a few days to allow her to heal and to make sure there were no issues. He agreed and signed of on it. The irony was not lost on him that the first time he signed off as her husband was at this moment. The nearest medical treatment center that had not been hit by reaper forces was on Virmire, so that's where they went.

Garrus handled a few interviews here and there while Jane was in the infirmary. His answers were always the same. "She's doing better everyday. Yes, we are bonded. You'll have to ask her about a big wedding."

Within about two weeks, Jane was sitting up in the bed and trying to escape. Garrus had to threaten her at one point with strapping her down. Her response was a dirty one that actually got a blush out of him since it was stated in front of three nurses.

The day before she was being released she finally started asking questions. The main one being what had happened.

Garrus had taken a seat in the chair next to the hospital bed. He had to move the numerous flowers and gifts, balloons being the most annoying. As he moved one set, he began to grumble.

"Of all the things the reapers could have killed off, they left us balloons. Fabulous. So, why don't we start with what you remember. I'll fill in the blanks."

He sat down, propping his feet on the edge of the bed, and leaning in to grab his coffee. He took a sip and watched her. He knew she was thinking about the whole ordeal.

"I remember leaving you at the Normandy. I remember the last push to the beam. I remember an explosion. I remember hearing Anderson. From what I understand the rest was a dream of some kind." She stated this all as she looked down at her hands.

Garrus nodded. When she had come out of everything she was babbling about a child and asking if everything was destroyed or somehow synced up. They had to bring in EDI to prove that nothing had happened other than the reapers were gone. They got their hands on as many vids as they could. The vids filled in some of the blanks for her. Garrus did his best to fill in the rest.

The oddest thing to her at the moment, was seeing Garrus with a limp and using a cane. She had to admit. He still looked dead sexy to her. Her injuries weren't without their permanent place either. She had dislocated her shoulder and taken some massive damage to an implant that was there. She could still fire, but shotguns and launchers were no longer part of her arsenal. She also had some implants removed that were unnecessary for a retired Alliance soldier. She finally was getting what she wanted. To be normal again.

After Garrus filled in the blanks for her he sat back watching her taking it in. Then he smiled.

"What? That smile means you are up to something." Garrus laughed a little and leaned up to take her hand.

"Do you remember when I showed you that plot of land? On the datapad?" He waited a moment for her to answer. Nervous for her to answer. Her memories had not shown signs of being damaged. He still was concerned.

She smiled and reached her hand up to her bondmark. "I remember. What about it?"

"Well, here's the thing. The most suitable place to set up residence right now is someplace that is near the mass relays, but close enough to what civilization currently is. That's where we are. Virmire, ironically for us, is it. I couldn't exactly find a log cabin in the woods here. But..."

She let a smile creep over her face. "But?"

"I found something and well, I went ahead with it." He took out a datapad and showed her.

It was a cabin, but it was a cabin on the water. The brown wood of a typical cabin was replaced with a white washed wood. Birch was in there somewhere she could tell. Or something like birch wood. There was a dock with a covered end to sit and enjoy the water. The cabin looked to be a one story but large. There were even to sky cars parked outside.

Garrus cleared his throat. "You know I did mention living off the royalties from the vids. It also turns out that the retirement salary of an alliance commander and war hero combined with her husband who is much higher in the Turian hierarchy than he let on gives a really nice retirement fund. So what do you say Mrs. Vakarian? Life on the water, being diplomatic counselors and living off royalties?"

Shepard smiled and nodded. A few days later, after being released from the confines of the Salarian run hospital she found herself in one of the two new Vakarian sky cars. A few hours later she was at her new home.

Garrus had dinner brought to the house and set up on the screened back porch for them. They ate, laughed, and Sheppard finally felt at home. Both of them had found comfort in the arms of someone far from home. And as they both looked out onto the sun setting like a fire on the horizon over the waters of Virmire, Shepard knew she was home.