**Garrus POV**
After Garrus had the waitress pack up their food. Garrus guided Mina back to their apartment. He gently guided Mina to the sofa and sat next to her, with the food on the table.
He held her close, stroking her hair.
"Don't let them get to you, kalik'na," he murmured, using the Turian term of endearment.
He kissed her forehead, his touch soothing and reassuring.
"I thought you were very brave standing up to them," he said. "Since the pheromone case has come into the light, the anti-interspecies relationship group has caused a lot of uproar. Nihlus has been keeping an eye on the situation."
"Do you think Dr. Chakwas is part of that group?" Mina asked, pressing closer to him for comfort.
Garrus tightened his arms around her.
"She may be involved with Cerberus," Garrus said, thinking out loud. "Her behavior correlates with how Cerberus views human and alien relationships."
"I'll have my people look into her," Garrus assured Mina. "We can't be too careful. She might be a spy or something."
Mina managed a weak smile. "Thanks, Garrus. You always know what to say."
"Since you helped me destress," he said, his mandibles twitching in a playful smirk, "I think I should return the favor. You could use some…Turian stress relief."
"Turian stress relief?" Mina asked.
He guided her toward the bathroom. It wasn't like human bathrooms, of course. He had it remodeled when the new bed was installed. There was no way Garrus could shower using the human way.
He pointed to a wall panel. Mina looked at him as though he had lost his mind.
"Behold, the marvels of directed sonic cleansing! Or, as humans call it, the Turian shower."
Mina looked at it dubiously. "No water?"
"Minimal water. It's all about sonic vibrations and high-pressure air. Trust me," he chuckled, already removing his clothes, "it's incredibly relaxing. Think of it as a full-body massage…with cleansing properties."
He activated the system, and a low hum filled the room. "The intensity is adjustable. Start low."
He stepped inside the enclosure, gesturing for her to join him. Hesitantly, she followed. The air was warm and dry. Garrus adjusted the controls, and a subtle vibration began to tickle her skin. It was…unexpected.
"Relax," he murmured, his deep voice resonating in the small space. He was saying it more for himself than for her.
After undressing, she stood only in her underlayer, the sonic vibrations now a gentle, encompassing pulse. As she grew accustomed to the sensation, it did begin to ease the tension knotting her shoulders.
Garrus turned her to face him.
"Better?" he asked.
Mina nodded, her voice catching. "Much. Thank you. I've been missing out on this turian shower invention."
He stepped closer, the vibrations intensifying slightly. The air thrummed around them, a cocoon of sound and warmth. He could feel the bond between them intensify.
"Sometimes," Garrus said quietly, "the best way to forget the ugliness of the galaxy is to focus on the good right in front of you."
He leaned in, his mandibles brushing against her temple. "And you, Mina Vakarian, are definitely good."
He kissed her then, a slow, deliberate kiss that chased away the lingering chill of the Citadel encounter and replaced it with the warmth of his affection. The sonic vibrations continued their gentle hum.
"Thank you," Mina whispered after their shared kiss.
**
Garrus lay in bed staring at the ceiling as Mina rested next to him. The shower had done wonders to help her relax after their encounter with her family.
He never thought that Dr. Chakwas would react the way she did. He always saw her as someone respectable. Making sure that Mina was asleep, Garrus activated his omni-tool and reached out to his contact, asking about Dr. Chakwas.
He even sent a message to Nihlus asking him if he knew anything about her.
Not being able to sleep, Garrus thought over their plan. While Solana and Nihlus were entertaining everyone at the ball, he and Mina would attempt to access the files from the private server in the Council room, which was located in the Citadel Tower.
From what he knew about the security at the Citadel Tower, it was the most heavily guarded area of the Citadel. Garrus knew that trying to gain access to the servers themselves was going to be the tougher part. He only hoped that Mina knew what she was doing.
But before anything of that, there was a lot he needed to take care of. Nyreen and his father. He hoped his mother would be able to smooth things over.
'I should sleep,' Garrus thought as he took a look at the time. 'There's a lot that has to be done. Not to mention that the Turian New Year is right around the corner.
'I hope Solana and Nihlus get back by then. We have a lot to discuss; we can't leave any loose ends.'
Garrus took a deep breath, drew Mina closer to him, and settled his mind, trying to sleep.
The next morning, Garrus woke up later than he normally would. A quick look at his omni-toll told him that his father had called several times. Garrus could only assume what he wanted to speak to him about.
Mina was nowhere in sight, but a delicious smell of dextro pancakes was making its way into the bedroom.
Garrus sent a quick message to his father, promising to give him a call later. After a quick shower headed to the kitchen. Mina was setting out the table for them.
"Good morning," she greeted with a smile.
"Morning," Garrus replied, taking his seat. "What's all this for?"
"A thank you," Mina replied, sitting down as well.
"I'll be heading out after breakfast," Garrus informed her. "There are a few things I need to look into for our plan."
"Ok," Mina said, taking a sip of her coffee. "I'll be going shopping for the Turina New Year. Solana wants to celebrate together, so I figured I could help her with the preparations."
"It'll be nice to celebrate together," he agreed. "I'll transfer some money to you. I'm sure Nihlus and Wrex would want to join in."
After breakfast, Mina left, and Garrus set out to research the Citadel Tower without raising too much suspicion with Citadel Security.
Several sections in the Citadel Tower's defense needed to be bypassed. However, it was something that Garrus wasn't too worried about. What he was most worried about was the cameras.
He had to find a way to replace the camera's footage so that when Mina and himself go past, the camera sensors wouldn't pick them up.
Several hours went by before Garrus decided to give his father a call. Fortunately, his mother received the call.
"Your father isn't home at the moment," his mother was saying. "He's visiting Nyreen's family."
"Yeah," Garrus replied. "Were you able to speak to him?"
"Yes," his mother replied. "He's not happy but understands the situation."
"The annual ball," Garrus replied. "I turned her down."
"Tell father I called," he continued. "I'm sure he has plenty to say to me."
"I'll let him know," his mother stated. "Be safe out there."
Garrus continued his research into the security system. He wasn't worried about accessing the servers themselves since Mina was responsible for accessing those.
Noticing the time, he sent a quick message to Mina letting her know that he would be coming home late. He still had a few more things he needed to look into.