Garrus was helping keep the peace on Earth when he was contacted by Liara T'soni for the first time in years.

He had the decency to feel a slight pang of guilt when he realized that the unmarked message sent to his personal omni-tool was from the asari in question.

It was quick and to the point, for which the turian was grateful. She wasted no time reminding Garrus of old times, she didn't bother asking how he was coping with his mate –with Shepard- long gone. She didn't even bother with the shallow pretense of asking what he was doing now that the mass relays were almost open for civilian use again, a feat completed so rapidly due to the assistance of the remaining Reapers. No doubt the ex-Shadow Broker had kept tabs on all of her old companions, particularly now that communications, galaxy-wide, were coming back online. She didn't have to ask, which was good, because Garrus wouldn't have answered.

Garrus, it started simply. No 'my dear friend', no 'Major General Vakarian'.

'I've found news of a transaction that will take place in the Terminus System somewhere in the Titan Nebula in the coming fortnight. Wanted batarian slavers are involved. There was chatter. Shepard's name came up a few times.'

Garrus pauses, running his fingers along his plating with a tired sigh. His eyes travel back to the screen again, somewhat unwillingly.

He was just so tired of it all.

She was dead. Why couldn't people leave well enough alone and finally put her name to rest?

'Further investigation required. I am not completely inclined to voice my concerns, but there is something amiss. These batarians have past dealings with Cerberus and the Illusive Man. I can not seem to gleam anything of their future business partner, however. Something might come of this.'

Garrus doesn't fight the anger at her words. Anger at Liara for presuming, after all these years, that he would simply stop helping Shepard's home world to teach some batarians a lesson about rubbing their galaxy's savior's name in the dirt. He was trying to do something right. He was trying to do something that would have made Shepard proud. Spirit's be damned, but he wasn't going to waste the opportunity Shepard had given her life for. He would help all he could until his bones grew weary, he would grow into an old bitter turian, and then his spirit would seek her out when it was time. Only then.

She had taught him that. Shepard would not have wanted him to relieve his year as Archangel reborn. Not now, not for some batarian slavers that didn't know when to leave well enough alone.

'I am sorry.'

That was the only sign off Liara offered. He didn't know what the asari had meant by it, but it did nothing to lessen his aggravation.

Garrus shook his head, clearing his mind of nagging thoughts of his deceased commander; his life mate.

He would respond later, he decided. When he had time to cool off and sort out how he felt about what the asari had informed him.

He didn't think time would change his stubborn mind, but he owed Liara that much.

He would tell her that he was done dredging up painful memories and had vowed to stop picking at old wounds. He would tell her later.

He deleted her message and before he had a chance to go back to lunch, another message popped up onto his screen. He was going to ignore it, in all honesty, was going to make it a problem for later, but the sender's name swayed him.

Spectre Kaidan Alenko.

With a slow shake of his head he opened the human's message.

He must have received Liara's message as well. This stirred up Garrus' frustration even more. It was not Kaidan's place.

'Major General Vakarian,' Kaidan's message started. Official as ever.

'I assume Dr. T'soni's message has reached you already. I can attain quick passage to the Terminus system for a small ship and smaller crew. Using the mass relays at this point in time with my clearance should not be an issue. We have received reports of unusual activity in the area prior to this. Investigation into the matter would be prudent.'

Garrus grits his teeth, eyes narrowed at the glowing orange screen of his omni-tool. He should have known the human Spectre would be all over this scrap of information regarding Shepard. No doubt the human was taking it all far too personally, as well.

Garrus had been fine with leaving well enough alone a moment before. Before he had known Kaidan would go waltzing in acting like he was heroically defending his deceased commander's honor. Acting like he cared more about what had happened to her than Garrus did.

His talons clench in annoyance.

She was dead. Killing a few batarians wouldn't change that.

He'd learnt that back on Omega. It would only leave you feeling hollow right before you died.

Back on Omega the only thing that had saved him had been Shepard. Not even she could come back from the dead twice to save him from himself.

Kaidan, Garrus curses the man internally.

How could the damn human drag him back into this? Didn't he know he was trying? Trying to make a difference? Trying to stay alive for Shepard?

'I'm stationed on Earth at the moment,' the message continued. 'If you're still here, come ask for me at the London HQ. Given your history I thought you deserved this opportunity.'

Garrus' hackles rise. History? As if it was some fleeting crush, something as trivial as what Kaidan had once shared with the commander. Shepard wasn't just Garrus' history. They were mates. Death didn't change anything.

He didn't think he could be any more annoyed, but the next bit makes Garrus see red.

'Shepard wouldn't want this.'

He closes the message with jarring movements and admits a low growl.

If the human Spectre was so blind that he thought that what Shepard wanted was for them to go off on an adventure, away from the people that really needed them, because somebody they didn't like was talking about her, than he was an idiot.

Shepard didn't want anything; she was dead. Garrus thought bitterly.

But damned if he was going to let Kaidan go flying off without him in the name of his mate.