PULSE
"Hey Emma!" Shalimar called.
Emma looked up from the computer monitor where she had been busy typing up a report for Adam. Shalimar was standing in the doorway all dressed up for going out, she looked as sexy as ever.
"Going out?" Emma asked with a smile.
"Yeah," Shalimar replied as she sauntered into the room, "Me and the guys are heading out for a party."
"That's nice," Emma said in a distracted way already beginning to concentrate on the computer screen.
Shalimar rolled her eyes at her friend's diligence then, with a gleam in her eye, she whisked Emma's chair around until she was facing her.
"Hey!" Emma cried.
"You're coming with us," Shalimar told her.
"I'm working," Emma told her, speaking slowly as if to a child.
Shalimar sighed and pulled the chair again as Emma tried to turn back to the computer.
"You're always working lately, it's time to have some fun!"
"Really Shalimar," Emma tried to explain, "I have to finish this for Adam!"
"Don't be silly! Adam won't mind a bit! Now, no more excuses!"
Shalimar pulled Emma to her feet and through the door. Emma finally gave in and told her to give her ten minutes to get ready. The feral watched her friend disappear into her bedroom then went to join their friends.
"Is she coming?" Jesse asked.
"Of course," Shalimar smiled, "I'm very persuasive!"
Brennan laughed at that and gave her a knowing smile. Shalimar stuck her tongue out at him and sat down beside Jesse.
Brennan watched his two friends as they cheerfully poked fun at one another. A while ago he would have been a little jealous at their easy friendship. There was a time when Shalimar and he were almost an item but somehow that had just become a very close friendship and to be honest Brennan was glad. He loved Shalimar's passion and her prowess but he had come to realise he wanted someone gentler, less aggressive.
"About time!" Jesse suddenly said, breaking into his thoughts.
"I was only ten minutes," Emma said from the doorway, "How many women do you know that can do that?"
Brennan didn't hear what else they said as he looked at Emma. Really looked, as if he had never seen her before. She wore simple black jeans with boots and a long sleeved top of a deep burgundy colour that brought out the creaminess of her skin. He almost laughed aloud when the realisation hit him - it was Emma he wanted.
"Right, let's go!" Shalimar said as she and Jesse stood up, walking past Emma.
Brennan stood up slowly, letting his eyes move over Emma. Over her long legs, her slender hips, her flat stomach...
"What are you looking at?" Emma asked suddenly breaking his train of thought.
Brennan looked her in the eyes and gave her one of his most charming smiles that usually had women melting in his arms.
"Are you okay? Not coming down with something I hope!" She looked at him in concern and his smile slipped.
How could he seduce someone who knew him so well? But then again she didn't know all of him - but he could remedy that.
With that thought in mind he felt better and he and Emma went to join their friends.
Brennan scowled at Jesse as his friend walked out the door. All he had wanted was a sparring partner but Jesse was too busy; Shalimar was with Adam and Emma was out - again.
The party they had gone to over two weeks ago had been an absolute disaster in his mind. No sooner had they got there than an old friend of Emma's had taken her away and Brennan had been left standing on his own.
Turned out the old 'friend' turned out to be an old 'boyfriend' way back in college and by the conversation and looks they had given each other all night there was still some little spark there.
In fact, for the past two weeks Emma had been out seeing her friend every night she could, which had been too many for Brennan's liking.
"Damn!" he said to the air in general.
Deciding he needed to work out some of his irritation he went to work out on his own. Giving the punch bag a pounding might just make him feel a little better.
Practicing his kicks and punches, his mind drifted and he kept seeing images of Emma. Emma smiling; Emma laughing at a joke; Emma still sleepy and tousled first thing in the morning; Emma in someone else's arms; Emma loving someone else.
A sudden hot anger spurted through him and his kicks and punches became stronger and faster while he gritted his teeth against the rush of emotion.
Emma arrived back at Sanctuary with a sigh of relief. There was nothing like coming home after a day out.
She smiled as she thought of David and their day together. It had been such a surprise to see him at the party and she remembered fondly when they had dated. It hadn't really been serious, they were so young, but they had stayed friends afterwards.
Emma frowned slightly as she remembered something else about the party. Brennan. Brennan had seemed so happy and eager to be out at the start of the evening but by the end he was silent and brooding. She had seen him at the party by himself and she had been somewhat surprised to find him watching her every time she looked around but had thought no more of it.
But she thought about it now. She didn't know why he had been watching her and he had changed since then. She couldn't read his emotions like she could the others, it was as if he was putting up a wall she couldn't get through.
You didn't need to be empathic to know something was bothering him though. She had been so wrapped up in David that she hadn't thought to talk to him so she decided the next time she saw him she would coax it out of him.
Hearing sounds coming from the gym she looked in to see Brennan attacking the punch bag with his feet and fists. It was the only way to describe it, as if the punch bag was his enemy.
"Brennan!" Emma called out.
Brennan didn't hear her as he continued to pound the bag. His limbs were heavy with fatigue but he didn't stop - he wanted to blot out these feelings he had.
He whirled around as a hand touched his shoulder and only stopped just in time before he struck Emma with his fist.
"Hey!" Emma laughed, "Nice reflexes! I'm sorry if I startled you. You were concentrating so hard."
Brennan stepped away from her, not wanting to stand so close to her. He wanted to grab her and crush her lips with his, to hold her so tight she'd never let go but he took a deep breath and put some distance between them.
Emma's smile slipped a little as she saw Brennan back off a little. "What is it Brennan?" she asked him, "Is there something you want to talk about?"
"Can't you tell Emma?" Brennan said a bit more curtly than he meant, "Or has David addled your brain?"
"What's that supposed to mean?" Emma demanded, a little hurt.
Brennan frowned at her and tried to keep his emotions under check but he was failing - why couldn't she see how he felt?
"I mean," he began, his control slipping, "that ever since you met David again that's all you seem to think about! Your friends don't seem to matter any more!"
"That's not true! Why are saying that?" Emma cried, tears springing to her eyes.
"Because..." Brennan began then stopped, turning away.
Emma grabbed his arm, "Please Brennan, I'm still your friend but you're shutting me out! I can't even tell how you're feeling!"
Brennan turned quickly around and grabbed Emma's face between both hands.
"Do you want to know how I feel Emma?" he said his control now gone, "Well, how about now? Can you feel now?"
Emma gasped when Brennan grabbed her then cried out as his emotions hit her. They were so strong she could feel them pounding her mind like a storm.
He was shouting at her but she couldn't hear the words all she could do was feel - anger, confusion, hurt, betrayal. All the things Brennan had been holding back crashed over her causing her to cry out in pain.
"Please," she whispered, "stop!"
But Brennan didn't hear her as he continued his onslaught. It was only when Emma fainted that he could focus properly again and cradled her limp body.
"Oh my god," he sobbed, "What have I done?"
Emma woke up slowly, letting each of her senses come alive in their own time. She moaned softly when she opened her eyes and the light felt like daggers stabbing into them. She cried out a little louder when she became aware of the mother of all headaches pounding in her skull.
"How do you feel?" Adam's warm voice asked her.
She opened her eyes and focused on his face as he peered down at her with concern.
"Headache," Emma said, smiling.
He disappeared from her view and she slowly pushed herself to a sitting position, swinging her legs over the edge of the bed. Her head pounded even worse at this change of position but subsided a little after a moment.
"Here," Adam said as he handed her a glass of water and a couple of painkillers.
She took them gratefully then handed back the glass when she was done. Adam took it silently and placed it on the table beside them before looking at Emma.
"Would you like to tell me what happened?"
Emma shook her head slightly and shrugged, "I'm not really sure what happened, it's hard to remember it properly. Where's Brennan?"
Adam sighed, "We heard him shouting for help, we found you unconscious in his arms. I asked him what happened and he just kept saying he was sorry, over and over."
Emma frowned and looked thoughtfully into the distance, "I came in after being out with David. I heard Brennan in the gym so I went to speak to him. He seemed really angry with me for some reason!"
"Do you know why?"
"No, I don't. He said that I was ignoring my friends ever since I met David again, but I haven't!"
Adam laid a calming hand on her shoulder, "I know you haven't. It sounds like Brennan might be a little jealous."
Emma laughed, "Jealous of me? I don't think so!"
"No, I meant he was jealous of David."
Emma gaped at him but before she could say anything else he was ordering her to her room to rest.
Lying on her bed she tried to sleep but Adam's words kept going through her mind. She had thought Adam had meant Brennan was jealous of the fact she had a life outside of Sanctuary not that he wanted Emma himself! That was absurd!
She thought back to earlier on and tried to find some clue as to his behaviour. When his emotions had hit her they had been so strong that she hadn't been able to recognise individual feelings. But now she could work through them slowly.
He had been angry - didn't need to be empathic to know that - there were also feeling of frustration and helplessness and...
Emma opened her eyes abruptly and gasped aloud. She could sense it now - there had also been love. Brennan did love her! But how did she feel about him?
He was a great friend, loyal and brave, he could make you laugh at loud when he was in the right mood. He took their missions a little too seriously sometimes but then so did she. When he was around you always felt safe and protected.
Sighing in frustration Emma closed her eyes and resolved to get some sleep and wait until she saw Brennan again. But what if Brennan never came back?