FIRST IMPRESSIONS
It was peaceful, as usual, and the safe sense of security and calm settled over her as dust would on a tabletop. She had her arms crossed in front of her, leaning on the railing around the upper section of the main research station, and she was glancing around with blue eyes, a smile crossing her lips. She had always felt safe here, ever since that day, the day that had changed her life forever… in more ways than one.
'She was running. Running from the men she knew wanted to so badly to hurt her. She was scared. Terrified even. What did they want from her?
'Then she had run into him… the man who had saved her, with his deep eyes, and entrancing smile. She had already tried to take the men down using her powers, but she could sense the electricity about him as soon as she'd hit him. He was powerful… more powerful than her. He threw a bolt of pure electrical energy crackling towards them, hitting all but one.
'And that one had ran for it.'
She smiled. She would remember that day forever.
She looked down at her hands. She wore six rings; three on the left, three on the right.
But one ring in particular meant so much more than the others. Not only was it a very attractive silver band, it was the key to her individual DNA sequence.
She removed it from her right ring finger, where all the members of the team wore them, and stared long and hard at it.
She stared so long and so hard in fact that she hadn't even heard him coming up behind her.
"Hey," came his soothing voice.
She started, violently, nearly losing her grip on the removed ring altogether.
"Brennan!" she scolded, delivering a light slap to his arm.
He grinned. "You looked so deep in thought… it was almost a shame to do that."
"Almost," she acknowledged, replacing the ring, and accepting his warm embrace. She could just about feel the energy surging through him, coursing through his body like the blood in his veins.
He kissed her lightly, gently.
"So," she began, "what's up?"
"Nothin'," he replied. But he had that look on his handsome face. That 'There's something I'm not telling you' look she knew so well.
She raised and eyebrow, cocking her head ever so slightly, her hair falling in feathered dark blonde layers over her face.
He brushed them aside, putting his arm round her back again.
After a couple of moments of staring into his soulful brown eyes, she felt the slap he planted on her, mouthing the word 'Ow'.
"C'mon," he said light-heartedly, grinning like the gorgeous idiot that he was, "we're going somewhere. I have to do something."
"What?" she asked, lightly rubbing the area where he'd slapped her. "And why do I have to escort you?"
H turned back to her.
"Because you love me."
Damn it, Claire thought, he always gets me that way!
She looked out of the plane window, down at the ground they were rapidly closing in on, and sighed.
"It'll be over soon," she muttered to herself, keeping a tight grip on the armrests either side of her.
Why couldn't I take a goddamn train?
She sighed again. There was an open packet of in-flight peanuts, but they weren't appealing anymore. Her soda was unfinished too. It didn't appeal to her either.
She could feel the plane descending, and she was grateful that -even though it had been short- the terrifying flight from Florida was nearly over.
After a couple of armrest-ripping moments, the plane hit the runway, and began slowing to a final halt.
I hope he recognises me, she thought suddenly.
She dismissed the thought, and, when it had been permitted, stood from her seat. She stroked back her black, red-streaked hair behind her ear, and, collecting her hand luggage, made for the exit.
She descended the steps, and was soon walking into the airport.
A young man checked her passport, as was the tradition nowadays, and she passed on through to the arrivals lounge.
"I can't believe you dragged me here to meet your cousin," Claire complained, shifting uncomfortably in the lounge seat.
"We won't be here long," Brennan assured her, resting the small, yet readable 'Jackman' sign against his foot on the floor, so that it rested upright. "We just need to get her to her hotel room safely. You know how dangerous this place can be… plus, she'd probably get lost."
Claire sighed… and gave in. he was using that convincing face again, the one that always won her over.
"Wait," Brennan said suddenly, "here they come."
Natasha Andrea Jackman walked into the arrival lounge, and immediately began scanning the room with her brown eyes, trying to locate someone who fit the description she had planted firmly in her mind.
And there he was. Holding a sign with her last name on it, was a tall man, with softly spiked black hair, wearing a weathered leather black duster that swept around his ankles.
She walked over, smiling.
"Brennan?" she queried, when she was close enough, glancing momentarily to the blonde woman at his left.
"Natty?" he countered, placing the sign down behind him.
She laughed. She jumped into his arms, dropping her hand luggage to the ground.
Brennan Mulwray started laughing too, as he hugged her tight, even though she wasn't even on the ground anymore.
He placed her back down, and looked to the woman on his left. "Natty, I'd like you to meet Claire Marlow… my girlfriend."
The woman was tall, at least two or three inches taller than Natasha, with dark blonde hair. Her hair was highlighted with -Natasha guessed- natural light blonde, and reached down in layers to just below her bottom jaw, flicking out in gentle spikes to keep it away from her pretty face. Her kind eyes were blue, and Natasha thought she could see just a slight hint of green in them.
She was very pretty. So pretty in fact, that, even as she looked at her, the green-eyed monster that was Envy rose up in her.
"Hi," was all she said, and she said it abruptly.
"Hello," Claire replied, offering her hand for Natasha to shake.
Natasha didn't take it. Instead, she picked up her dropped bag, and said to Brennan, "Will you help me with my luggage?"
Looking similar to a rabbit in tail-lights, Brennan fumbled, "Yeah, sure."
He looked back at Claire with a slight shrug, and followed Natasha to the conveyor belt.
Brennan wasn't sure what was going on, but he had the vague impression that his cousin didn't like Claire, which could prove to be a problem.
He followed her to the conveyor belt, and watched as she plucked a suitcase from the items that moved past.
She placed it behind her, in front of Brennan, and turned her attention back to the belt.
"Um… how much did you bring?" Brennan asked, remembering his cousin's love for clothes.
He hadn't seen her since she was four, and since he was twelve, but that, above all else, had stuck with him the most. He was surprised she had grown up so well actually. Why it surprised him was a mystery, but he would have to puzzle that one out later.
"There's just one more thing," Natty told him without looking back.
Brennan hefted the suitcase, almost dislocating his shoulder in the process.
"Having fun?" Claire asked as she walked up behind him. It was his turn to be startled.
He had been staring intently at Natty's clothes; short blue top, bellbottom pants, and high shoes. Over the top she wore a denim jacket.
"What? Oh," he realised, looking down to the case, "not really." He indicated his preoccupied cousin. "She's waiting for 'one more thing'."
And just as he said it, Natty pulled something else off the belt.
It was a cat-carrier.
Brennan was confused… deeply. "You brought a cat?"
Natty smiled. "Yep… ain't she cute?" she asked him happily, lifting the cage so they could see.
Claire replied when Brennan failed to, "I think she's beautiful."
The cat mewed softly.
Natty smiled, and spoke only to her cousin, "Her name's Amber."
The cat's fur was a light blonde in colour, so the name seemed fitting.
"We should get going," Brennan mumbled, turning with Claire towards the exit.
Natty followed obediently, cat in basket swinging at her side.
It was peaceful, as usual, and the safe sense of security and calm settled over her as dust would on a tabletop. She had her arms crossed in front of her, leaning on the railing around the upper section of the main research station, and she was glancing around with blue eyes, a smile crossing her lips. She had always felt safe here, ever since that day, the day that had changed her life forever… in more ways than one.
'She was running. Running from the men she knew wanted to so badly to hurt her. She was scared. Terrified even. What did they want from her?
'Then she had run into him… the man who had saved her, with his deep eyes, and entrancing smile. She had already tried to take the men down using her powers, but she could sense the electricity about him as soon as she'd hit him. He was powerful… more powerful than her. He threw a bolt of pure electrical energy crackling towards them, hitting all but one.
'And that one had ran for it.'
She smiled. She would remember that day forever.
She looked down at her hands. She wore six rings; three on the left, three on the right.
But one ring in particular meant so much more than the others. Not only was it a very attractive silver band, it was the key to her individual DNA sequence.
She removed it from her right ring finger, where all the members of the team wore them, and stared long and hard at it.
She stared so long and so hard in fact that she hadn't even heard him coming up behind her.
"Hey," came his soothing voice.
She started, violently, nearly losing her grip on the removed ring altogether.
"Brennan!" she scolded, delivering a light slap to his arm.
He grinned. "You looked so deep in thought… it was almost a shame to do that."
"Almost," she acknowledged, replacing the ring, and accepting his warm embrace. She could just about feel the energy surging through him, coursing through his body like the blood in his veins.
He kissed her lightly, gently.
"So," she began, "what's up?"
"Nothin'," he replied. But he had that look on his handsome face. That 'There's something I'm not telling you' look she knew so well.
She raised and eyebrow, cocking her head ever so slightly, her hair falling in feathered dark blonde layers over her face.
He brushed them aside, putting his arm round her back again.
After a couple of moments of staring into his soulful brown eyes, she felt the slap he planted on her, mouthing the word 'Ow'.
"C'mon," he said light-heartedly, grinning like the gorgeous idiot that he was, "we're going somewhere. I have to do something."
"What?" she asked, lightly rubbing the area where he'd slapped her. "And why do I have to escort you?"
H turned back to her.
"Because you love me."
Damn it, Claire thought, he always gets me that way!
She looked out of the plane window, down at the ground they were rapidly closing in on, and sighed.
"It'll be over soon," she muttered to herself, keeping a tight grip on the armrests either side of her.
Why couldn't I take a goddamn train?
She sighed again. There was an open packet of in-flight peanuts, but they weren't appealing anymore. Her soda was unfinished too. It didn't appeal to her either.
She could feel the plane descending, and she was grateful that -even though it had been short- the terrifying flight from Florida was nearly over.
After a couple of armrest-ripping moments, the plane hit the runway, and began slowing to a final halt.
I hope he recognises me, she thought suddenly.
She dismissed the thought, and, when it had been permitted, stood from her seat. She stroked back her black, red-streaked hair behind her ear, and, collecting her hand luggage, made for the exit.
She descended the steps, and was soon walking into the airport.
A young man checked her passport, as was the tradition nowadays, and she passed on through to the arrivals lounge.
"I can't believe you dragged me here to meet your cousin," Claire complained, shifting uncomfortably in the lounge seat.
"We won't be here long," Brennan assured her, resting the small, yet readable 'Jackman' sign against his foot on the floor, so that it rested upright. "We just need to get her to her hotel room safely. You know how dangerous this place can be… plus, she'd probably get lost."
Claire sighed… and gave in. he was using that convincing face again, the one that always won her over.
"Wait," Brennan said suddenly, "here they come."
Natasha Andrea Jackman walked into the arrival lounge, and immediately began scanning the room with her brown eyes, trying to locate someone who fit the description she had planted firmly in her mind.
And there he was. Holding a sign with her last name on it, was a tall man, with softly spiked black hair, wearing a weathered leather black duster that swept around his ankles.
She walked over, smiling.
"Brennan?" she queried, when she was close enough, glancing momentarily to the blonde woman at his left.
"Natty?" he countered, placing the sign down behind him.
She laughed. She jumped into his arms, dropping her hand luggage to the ground.
Brennan Mulwray started laughing too, as he hugged her tight, even though she wasn't even on the ground anymore.
He placed her back down, and looked to the woman on his left. "Natty, I'd like you to meet Claire Marlow… my girlfriend."
The woman was tall, at least two or three inches taller than Natasha, with dark blonde hair. Her hair was highlighted with -Natasha guessed- natural light blonde, and reached down in layers to just below her bottom jaw, flicking out in gentle spikes to keep it away from her pretty face. Her kind eyes were blue, and Natasha thought she could see just a slight hint of green in them.
She was very pretty. So pretty in fact, that, even as she looked at her, the green-eyed monster that was Envy rose up in her.
"Hi," was all she said, and she said it abruptly.
"Hello," Claire replied, offering her hand for Natasha to shake.
Natasha didn't take it. Instead, she picked up her dropped bag, and said to Brennan, "Will you help me with my luggage?"
Looking similar to a rabbit in tail-lights, Brennan fumbled, "Yeah, sure."
He looked back at Claire with a slight shrug, and followed Natasha to the conveyor belt.
Brennan wasn't sure what was going on, but he had the vague impression that his cousin didn't like Claire, which could prove to be a problem.
He followed her to the conveyor belt, and watched as she plucked a suitcase from the items that moved past.
She placed it behind her, in front of Brennan, and turned her attention back to the belt.
"Um… how much did you bring?" Brennan asked, remembering his cousin's love for clothes.
He hadn't seen her since she was four, and since he was twelve, but that, above all else, had stuck with him the most. He was surprised she had grown up so well actually. Why it surprised him was a mystery, but he would have to puzzle that one out later.
"There's just one more thing," Natty told him without looking back.
Brennan hefted the suitcase, almost dislocating his shoulder in the process.
"Having fun?" Claire asked as she walked up behind him. It was his turn to be startled.
He had been staring intently at Natty's clothes; short blue top, bellbottom pants, and high shoes. Over the top she wore a denim jacket.
"What? Oh," he realised, looking down to the case, "not really." He indicated his preoccupied cousin. "She's waiting for 'one more thing'."
And just as he said it, Natty pulled something else off the belt.
It was a cat-carrier.
Brennan was confused… deeply. "You brought a cat?"
Natty smiled. "Yep… ain't she cute?" she asked him happily, lifting the cage so they could see.
Claire replied when Brennan failed to, "I think she's beautiful."
The cat mewed softly.
Natty smiled, and spoke only to her cousin, "Her name's Amber."
The cat's fur was a light blonde in colour, so the name seemed fitting.
"We should get going," Brennan mumbled, turning with Claire towards the exit.
Natty followed obediently, cat in basket swinging at her side.