HALLOWEEN AND A VERY SICK GAME

CHAPTER ONE: IN A BORING HALLOWEEN PARTY.... BRENNAN'S DARE....

It was about 11:30, everything around Sanctuary was pretty calmed. Well, actually it wasnt. It was Halloween night and the team had been invited to a party. Adam had left the place two days by then and was coming back in about a week or more. The girls were at Shalimar's room having trouble of picking their costumes.

"so.. what do you think i should wear? I was thinking to go as an egypcian princess or something..." Emma DeLauro said to her blonde feral friend.

"yeah... guess that could do it..." Shalimar said not really focusing on her friend.

"what are you dressing up as?" she asked hoping the feral to pay her some of her attention. Shalimar wasnt listening at all. She was concentrated in some book she had been borrowed.

"Fields of Innocense, uh?" Emma said reading the cover of the book. It was a poetry one, and she had seen it before, in an elemental's room.

"ah... yeah... i got it from... Brennan..." Shalimar said blushing a bit but decided not to show her friend that.

"is it good?"

"gosh.. dont know how to describe it Emma... i dont know how he can read something this deep and meaningful... if someone had told me he read this stuff before, i wouldnt have believed him..." she added smiling.

"you're so in love with him..." she whispered so she couldnt hear her. But being a feral had their advantages. She had been able to hear her perfeclty. And the telempath got her thinking. Was she? Was she interested in Brennan Mulwray that way? She couldnt help to blush again. That thoughts of him were only allowed in her mind and nowhere else. He was a teammate and they couldnt risk mutant x. But could she lie to himself? Worse, could she lie to HERSELF?

"no, you couldnt..." Emma answered the question for her.

"Emma! How many times did i tell you not to read me! its not ok! Invading people's minds its not right!" she said fiercely.

"what's really bothering you Shal? The fact im reading you, or the fact you want to tell him and you cant?" Emma asked smirking. She had gone too far this time. Shalimar turned to the door and left the room slamming the door. She shouldnt have read her. it was her private head. In her way towards her room she heard someone in the spar room. She peeked and saw Brennan and Jesse sparring. Apparently no powers allowed cause Jesse wasnt using his ability to be as hard as a rock to hit Brennan. Shalimar didnt enter the room she peeked from teh outside but she was suddenly found when Brennan stop to look at her direction. Jesse was taking advantage of his distraccion and was about to hit him when Brennan suddenly stop his fist and turned him to face the floor. Then he heard Shalimar laughing.

"nice move Jess... That happened to you for cheating..." She said as she gently crossed her arms and supported her body on Brennan's chest.

"did you girls decide what to wear for tonight yet?" Jesse changed the subject. Shalimar sighed as he reminded her about her friend. She sure cared about her but when she was all curious and messing on others business she tried to avoid her on every cost.

"earth to Shal?" Brennan said as he turned her to face him.

"oh... Emma was thinking about some egypcian princess suit... dont really know..." Shalimar said.

"what about you?" Brennan asked. Shalimar glanced at him and then smiled.

"dont know..."

"hey, well you better start picking something cause we have one hour left to get dress and leave Shal..." Jesse said as he left both of his friends in the spar room alone.

"what? one hour? What the hell did i do that time flew by???!!!! Gee... what the hell am i wearing...?" she asked as she walked towards her room. Brennan smiled at her reaction as he himself went to his own room.

(* * *)

"i hate Halloween..." The elemental told to himself. He was trying to pick some suits he found in his closet but he really didnt want to go to the party at all. He heard someone's knocking on his door so he turned to open it.

"hey... sorry to bother you Brennan... i just... What's the matter with you?" Shalimar asked as she saw him with a not very good expression on his face. He wasnt dying to go to the party she could tell.

"its nothing... i just hate this holiday that's all..." He said to her.

"why? Dont you like wearing costumes? Pretending you're someone else? Being able to act free as your character allows you?" she said a little blsuhed cause she was going too far. She loved Halloween, it was the only time in the year she got the chance on being in someone elses shoes. She hated herself for not being able of admitt her feelings towards the elemental, and she hated too cause she was denying it. And suddenly, being someone else was really in her mood. Someone that could approach to him and say everything she wanted without hesitation of what could happen next. Brennan was a little confused Shalimar hadnt spoken in several minutes so he took a look at her. he saw her holding his book.

"didnt like the book, uh?" Brennan said more as a statement than a question. Shalimar was brought to reality again.

"no! The hell not! It is a great book Brennan, that's why i came here, i finished it and i was wondering if you had another one similar to lend me..." Shalimar assured him.

"you really liked it? Well, yeah.. i got some others that you might like as well... by the way, got your costume yet?" Brennan said to her as he leaned to his little library and searched for another book. He loved the idea that she liked his books. It showed interest in him.

"no... i havent thought of anything yet... do you have anything in mind?" Shalimar asked rising an eyebrow. Brennan noticed the gesture and died practically when she did it. He had a few things in mind but wasnt gonna tell her. nope, that was in his mind and in his mind only.

"sorry... dont even know what im wearing so cant help you there..." He said.

"why are you so mad Brennan? What exactly do you hate from Halloween?" Shalimar asked as she grew in concern. He could feel the blonde feral was worried and not curious so he decided she was the only one he could trust blindly after all. He stopped his search for the book and stared at the floor. Shalimar approached to him and lifted his head forcing him to look her in the eyes.

"c'mon Brennan... you know yo can tell me anything..." She said as they both burnt in each others glance. It wasnt the right time to think of her that way, Brennan reassured himself. Teammate, friend, even best friend if you wanna call her, but not whatever you're thinking Mulwray. He said to himself again.

"ah... ok Shal... its not a happy story..." He started.

"hey, who said i wanted a happy story? Anything that comes from you, i take..." she said.

"when i was younger... my mum and my stepfather were going to a Halloween party that night... i wasnt even gonna ask her to go, i knew he wasnt letting me so i didnt want him to have the pleasure of saying no. I stayed in the house and thieves came in. They searched for everything they could carry while i was asleep. I heard some noises and i found them. They told me to stay calm and nothing was gonna happen to me, but they were tooking the necklace my father gave to my mother when they met... and that was the only thing that i had left to remind myself of him. she didnt feel the same i did though..." Brennan said to Shalimar as he paused. Shalimar wanted to hear more. She wanted to know about his past, about him. she gently put a hand on his shoulder letting him know she wanted him to go on.

"i killed them Shal... yeah.. i did... i fried them... and got the necklace back... When they arrived theys saw the whole mess and hid the bodies somewhere. My mother was so afraid of me by then, but my stepfather wasnt. I wish he was. He beat me up as hard as he could and locked me in my room for almoast a month... he said something about me paying for everything i did. Every since then Halloween just doesnt seem a good holiday to me Shal..." He said not daring to look at her eyes. He knew if he did he wasnt sure of what would come next.

"hey... it wasnt your fault, ok? You just... stood for what belonged to you... its not your fault.. and i understand your hate for Halloween but you're not with them anymore Brennan... you have another family... and that's us. You have me... living in the past its not good Brennan.. letting it affect your actions in the present... its not ok... You can look back and learn from your mistakes but you cant live in them, cause if you do, you're sure gonna make them again..." she said as honest as she could sound. She hated to see the man she loved the most suffer like that. she tried to picture him younger and let out a low laugh.

"what?" Brennan asked as he smiled at her too.

"i wonder how were you when you were younger..." She said to him.

"oh, you dont wanna know..." He said as they both hughed each other.

(* * *)

"Hey.. what are you supposed to be Brennan? You didnt dress up!" Emma yelled at him. it was about time to leave.

"im a tall, dark haired man, who doesnt want to go to this party...!" Brennan answered.

"c'mon... try a little harder Brennan..." said Jesse from behind. He was dressed up as a cowboy.

"nice outfit cowboy..." Emma told him.

"hey, i wouldnt mind to get stuck in your lamp..." He said to her enfatizing the fact she was dressing up as a genie.

"what about Shal?" Brennan asked. He was dying to see what she was dressed up.

"she is still dressing up Brennan... that happened to her cause she didnt think of her costume before..." Emma smirked.

"i hate this... what are we going to do anyway in there?" Brennan asked sounding upset.

"Brennan is right in one thing... lets make it more interesting..." Emma gave the pair a pervert look.

"what are you up to?" Jesse asked the Psyonic.

"a bet..." Emma started.

"what KIND of bet?" Brennan asked curiously.

"no alcohol, no sex..." Emma said laughing.

"and that's gonna make it interesting??? I dont think so!" Brennan snapped at her.

"why? You have someone in mind Brennan?" Emma asked him almoast reading his thoughts.

"get out of there!" Brennan said to whom he thought of her sister.

"fine... listen, its a bet... we're 4, we all put 50 bucks, the last one having no sex and no drinking alcohol take the 200... What do you think?" Emma said triumphally. She thought of that the easiest 200 bucks she could ever make. "if you're not accepting that just confirms it..."

"confirms what? that we're not idiots?" Brennan said.

"no... confirms that men cant live without sex, not even if its a couple of days..." Emma said the pair.

"that's so not true... What you mean a couple of days? Werent it supposed to be this night???" Jesse added only provocating Emma laugh.

"see? Its till someone gives up... it'll last until its three out of one..." Emma said again.

"you know what? to show you im not that kind of man im in..." Brennan said as he went up to his room. "and im even gonna dress up as something..." He added.

"what do you say Jess? Are you in or or you out?"

"im so hating you right now.." He said as he shook her hand in sign of approval.

(* * *)

"nice...! And i thought you might need help in there..." Emma said to the feral, now dressed up as a sexy vampire.

"thanks.. it took me a while but i finally came up with it..." Shalimar said as she looked at her in the mirror. she did look great. She was hoping some elemental to notice that.

"he will..." Emma answered.

"what? Emm, we had a kind of a fight recently cause you've been reading me! doesnt that tell you anything?" Shalimar yelled at her.

"hey Shal, dont be mad, i wasnt reading you... You just... i couldnt help to feel it Shal... you know sometimes i cant... And maybe its time for you to know that he feels the same way about you..." Emma said to her friend taking her hands in hers.

"what? how do you know? I mean... dont..." Shalimar said as she broke the scene and looked at the turned off tv.

"here... all done..." They heard Brennan's voice as he came down the stairs. Shalimar turned to see him and shocked. She couldnt believe her eyes. He was dressed up as a vampire too. Brennan looked at her as she stood to face him. Emma already gone when she barely saw him coming. Now it was the two of them in the rec room with lost of questions.

"what...?" They both said at unison.

"you look good..." Brennan told the feral not taking his eyes from her.

"you're not that bad either..." She said as she approached and feel his chest with her hand.

"how did you... you know.... think of the idea?" Brennan asked her.

"dunno... i just thought it would be fun to look like an undead..." She added giving him one of her smiles.

"Shal... i wanted to tell you i really thank you for hearing me up there..."

"hey, you dont even have to Brennan... I'll always be there for you to listen to you... as i know you're there for me..." Shalimar started getting lost in his eyes. Brennan took her chin and approached it to his. They shared a look before he could embraced her in a burning kiss. Shalimar put her hands between his dark hair as he put his around her waist. The kiss which had started innocent, was getting more and more passionate. He wanted her, to feel her. She started exploring his mouth with her tongue as they both took brief pauses to breath between. Brennan lifted her up as her legs reached his hips, highing them. He slammed her against the wall as went on kissing her, now her neck, and shoulders and more as they heard someone clearing his throat behind them.

"thought it was no alcohol, no SEX...." Jesse started as he gave the pair a smile. Emma next to him. Brennan put quickly Shalimar down as they both felt reallt ashamed at the double pair of eyes looking at them..

"ah.. we were..." Brennan started.

"dont you even bother..." they heard Emma between laughs.

"cant... controll... so many jokes... in my head..." Jesse said bringing his hands to his head.

"Jesse!" Shalimar said.

"ok... i'll save the teasing for when i have the 200 bucks..." Jesse said.

"what 200 bucks?" Shalimar asked confused.

"oh... you didnt know... we made a bet... you did it too actually..." Emma told her.

(* * *)

"this sucks...." The team heard Jesse said.

"having focusing problems jess?" Emma told him. They were in the bar drinking water. Yeah, not even sodas. Emma was finding the whole situation very funny.

"shut up Emma..." Jesse said as he took another glass of water. Things werent that fun between Shalimar and Brennan either. They were sitting on a table trying to talk, but none of them could actually think in other thing that jump in each other's arms and just get over with it.

"so... are you having fun?" Shalimar asked Brennan as he rose his head to look at her. He WASNT having fun at all. He wanted her, in that moment. He wanted to clear things up with her too. If it was possible before taking her, he thought. Shalimar didnt take her eyes from him. She knew he wasnt there with her, she knew his body might, but his mind was so absorved on something she didnt knew, but wanted to.

"so, do you find nice staring at people's feet?" Shalimar said as she let out a laugh. He suddenly rose his head again to say something but couldnt after all.

"i just.. this is so freaking boring Shal..." Brennan said looking at Emma now.

"gee, thanks... want me to go?" Shalimar said now sounding a little ofended.

"no! I mean, i didnt mean it about you, its just this party its not quite... interesting... bet or not..." he said.

"maybe we can talk... you know... to pass time by..." she smirked.

"about what?" Brennan asked curious. What wanted the feral to talk to him about? "actually, you're right, there's something i wanted to tell you... im sorry for... you know.. kissing you in there... i just... i dont know what happened to me..." Brennan said to her. He knew exactly what had happened to him, he loved her so damn much and he acted instinctively. He didnt want her to think of him as some pervert so he needed to apologise. Whether or not he was sorry.

"ah... yeah.. dont worry about that... it was just... its ok Brennan..." she said dissapointed. He was sorry? She asked to herself. Suddenly they saw Jesse and Emma approaching to them. Emma had told Jesse not to interrupt them but in his head he had the right to since he was taken the sex and alcohol thing.

"what are you guys doing? Having fun? I know im not..." Jesse said sitting next to Brennan.

"maybe they were Jess..." Emma said between her teeth as she dragged him to the dance floor. In about 3 minutes they were both boring again and in Shalimar's and Brennan's table.

"Emma i hate you..." She heard Jesse's voice.

"hey, would it be better if you were drinking and flirting with some girl?" Emma asked him.

"YEAH!" jesse said not really caring.

"well, that only confirms what i think of you guys, so... if you want to get out of the bet, just pay..." Emma said as she smiled at the whole group.

"im not paying! Im not gonna pay to get laid!!!!" Jesse said as the team bursted into laughs.

"that makes sense..." Shalimar said. "think of this Jesse, its not gonna be a little while, its untill three give up... and trust me, i bet extra 10 bucks that you're the first one..." she said now laughing so hardly she was almoast crying.

"hey! What makes you think that? i can resist you know..." Jesse said as he took a look at one woman dancing near him.

"DAMN!" Jesse said loudly.

"maybe we can talk about something to distract you Jess..." Emma said as she drank a glass of water she had ordered before.

"i really hope that's water Emm..." Brennan said as he grabbed the glass and drank himself. "ok, it is.."

"well, what do you wanna talk about? Missions? Adam? Mutating? Eckhart??" Emma insisted.

"nah... we talk about that all the time... lets talk about something else... something we dont know about each other..." Brennan said to the group.

"like truth or punishment???" Shalimar suggested.

"maybe.. i dont know, that sounds so like a girly game..." Brennan answered her.

"it is not! Its a seriuos, deep, meaningfull game..." Shalimar started. " and also gossipy, but arent you desperate?"

"kinda..." Brennan answered her.

"so, truth or punishment it is!!!!" Emma said cheerfully.

"who wants to start???" Shalimar asked. No one answered.

"well, lets leave this to the luck, shall we??" Emma said as she took a coin.

"face or tail?" Emma asked the group.

"face..." Shalimar said.

"tail" Jesse muttered.

"tail..." Brennan said.

"and i say face..." Emma said as she flipped the coin never revealing the state.

"if it is what someone said, that someone starts..." Emma said again now revealing the coin. "Tail..." she said.

"SHIT!" Brennan muttered.

"so, its you or Jesse..." Shalimar told the guys.

"ok, ok.. im first..." Brennan said tired of the whole situation. He thought that the quicker he started the quicked he'll end.

"ok, truth, or punishment?" Jesse asked him.

"that depends..." Brennan said looking at the table.

"on what?" Emma asked curiously.

"on who is going to decide what i have to answer or do..." Brennan said.

"we all are, i start, then the girls... three rounds for you..." Jesse said. "and of course me later..."

"oh god..." Brennan said loud. "i pick punishment..." Brennan said. He had always been able to take punishment better than truth. Yeah, he didnt trust almoast anybody, but revealing something he didnt want to tell didnt sound all good in his head.

"ok... you have to get that chick.." Jesse pointed a brunnette.

"c'mon, give me a challenge..." Brennan said now getting Emma and Shalimar's looks.

"using only three phrases..." Jesse ended.

"what? only three phrases? And how am i... never mind!" he said knowing the molecular wasnt gonna change his mind. He stood up and went straight to the woman. The other looking, except Shalimar who was staring at the wall.

"something is bothering you Shal?" Emma asked innocently, but knowing exactly what was bothering her.

"no, nothing is bothering... what could be bothering me Emma?" Shalimar asked in an ironic tone.

"Hi, my name is Brennan, i saw you from my table and i couldnt help to notice you are really beautiful..." Brennan started to tell the woman who was now turning to face him.

"that's one..." Jesse muttered to the team.

"and, i was hoping, maybe if you dont mind, to have a dance with ya..." Brennan said. The woman smiled and let him have the dance.

"two..." Jesse anounced again.

"im Misha, by the way..." The woman said to him. After a couple of minutes of dancing she asked him. "can i ask you something?"

Brennan nodded. He didnt want to use his last phrase in a "yes".

"do you have a girlfriend?" The woman asked. Brennan froze. He was going to sheak his head in sign of no, but then he asked to himself. Had he? Had he have a girlfriend? He wanted Shalimar. He had always wanted her, he knew he had been with a lot of women but they meant nothing to him compared with the feral.

"i knew it.. you cant be available... you're too handsome to be..." Misha said kinda dissapointed. "can i have at least a kiss goodbye?"

"sure..." Brennan told her. The woman kissed him as he looked at Jesse giving him one of his "you didnt think i could be able to do it" looks. He then went back to the table.

"did you have fun?" Shalimar asked a little pissed but trying to sound as sweet as possible.

"nah.. it meant literally nothing..." Brennan answered. Shalimar's eyes glew when she heard that but didnt show that to the team.

"ok, my turn to play with him!!!" Emma said in a cheerful voice.

"gee, thanks..." Brennan said looking as miserable as he could.

"so, what would it be?" Emma asked.

"punishment.." Brennan repeated.

"but Brennan! Its not gonna be fun if you keep picking the same thing! Unless... you have something to hide...?" Emma asked him knowing well what he hid.

"no Emma, but i just dont feel like talking about me right now..." Brennan prayed for the psionic to believe him.

"ok... whatever... i know... you have to act all night as if Shalimar and I were your sisters..." Emma said. Jesse bursted into laughs. He could imagine his friend acting like that. He actually did when it came to Emma, but it was gonna be really fun when he apply that to Shalimar.

"what??" Shalimar asked a little worried. She could never think of him as a brother. She loved him. no, get those thought out of here Shalimar! She told to herself.

"so? Is that, or i can ask you something..." Emma offered. She wanted to ask him if he had feelings towards Shalimar, she wanted them both to finally admit it, and she knew he couldnt lie in the game, but more, he couldnt lie to Shalimar.

"deal." Brennan said. he wasnt gonna answer anything that came from Emma DeLauro.

"fine..." Emma said. "and as a sister, i think im gonna... gee i dont know... kiss Jesse..." She stood up and kissed him pasionately. Brennan didnt feel a thing. He liked his friends as a couple.

"gee, what my BROTHER would say to this??" Emma asked as she saw Shalimar laughing.

"nothing, i hope you two find happiness..." he said smiling and now laughing with Shalimar at the point the psionic had come to bother him.

"c'mon Brennan! You're not sticking to the game!" Emma said.

"if it makes you feel better, im liking this game..." Jesse said still confused.

"shut up Jess..." Shalimar said as she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned and there was a guy.

"yeah?" Shalimar asked.

"wanna dance?" The guy asked.

"sure..." Shalimar said as she was gonna stand but she felt someone's arms grabbing her waist. "Brennan?" she asked confused, but VERY confortable.

"sorry man, she is not dancing with ya... I dont like you..." Brennan said. The whole team looking at the scene.

"and who are you to tell me that? are you her boyfriend or something?" The guy asked.

"im her brother... apparently..." He muttered the last word.

"and you pick the guys for her?" The man asked again.

"kinda... now, i recommend you to go... REALLY..." Brennan said as he gave the man a treatfull look.

"Brennan! Why did you do that!!!!!" Shalimar asked half pissed half glad.

"i didnt like him Shalimar... he is not for you..." Brennan started.

"and why should i care?" Shalimar said.

"cause im your brother in here, im just doing what Emma told me to... im innocent if you put it that wa actually..." Brennan told her.

"fine, do whatever she told you, but arent you forgetting something?" Shalimar asked him as she sat next to him again.

"your opinion, integrity and morality?" Brennan asked her teasing.

"no.. its my turn and im gonna make you PAY..." she said as Emma and Jesse laughed.

"you wanted dare, didnt you?" Shalimar asked him. suddenly, this whole game idea didnt seem the right thing in his mind.

"guess so.." Brennan said scared of what she would ask him.

"well, then you have to act like a gay person..." Shalimar told him.

"whowoo!!!!" Jesse said as he drank the whole glass of water.

"what???? that's even worse than Emma!!!!!!" Brennan said to her almoast losing control.

"what is it Mulwray? Cant you take the game? Maybe we should just stop and head back to Sanctuary..." Shalimar said as she was turning to leave. Suddenly she felt one big arm around her own. She turned to see Brennan's staring deeply at her.

"im in." Brennan muttered. Shalimar smiled and sat back again. At that time Jesse was finishing with his beer and now staring at the pair. Emma, who had been dancing wildly with some random guy suddenly returned to the table.

(* * *)

"IM NOT DOING IT SHALIMAR!!!" Brennan yelled as he rose from the table.

"im sorry Brennan, but i thought we had a deal here! Its your dare, so DARE!" Shalimar said. Jesse was so drunk at that time that Emma could barely help him stand.

"you know Brennan..." Jesse started. He looked around and got rid from Emma's embrace. He then turned to Brennan, possing a hand on the elemental's shoulder he went on. "think of it as this, you're almoast done, you do this and you're free and its someone elses turn... and you..." Jesse passed out.

"just give him a sec..." Emma said as she caught Jesse and dragged him to the chair. "So? Brennan, are you gonna do it or not?"

"NO!" Brennan said firmly.

"c'mon, you were doing fine..." Shalimar alented him between laughs.

"SHUT UP." Brennan said barely looking up at him.

"Shal's right Brennan, you went to all that trouble.. besides if you dont finish then you wont be able to see one of us suffering as much as you...." Emma added knowing Brennan was considering it.

"suffer as much as i am...." Brennan repeated in a whisper. "come again?" Brennan asked to Shalimar.

"he is bothering me Brenn..." Shalimar started giving him her best puppy eyes. "and as you being my gay friend... you can do something about it... if you know what i mean... Whi knows? Maybe you can get yourself a boyfriend or something..." Shalimar said as Emma bursted into laughs.

"im so hating you right now..." Brennan muttered as he stood up and dragged himself to a man that had been bothering Shalimar all night. He personally wanted to beat the hell out of that guy before, but everytime he stood up Shalimar stopped him from going.

"yeah?" The man asked Brennan.

"i... damn! I cant do this!!!!!" Brennan practically whispered. The man couldnt hear it so Brennan took advantage of it.

"excuse me? do you need something????" The man asked furious now.

"yeah, my friend... she is kinda sick of you bothering her so i..." Brennan started.

"you?" The man repeated. Brennan took a deep breath and went on.

"you should stop." Brennan said as sweet as he could. He was supposed to act as a gay person, and knowing Shalimar was watching he knew he couldnt get out of it.

"oh... so you're..." The man started. Brennan was hoping to hear that he was Shal's boyfriend, but he was then cut down by the man who was still muttering something. "that friend..."

"what friend???" Brennan asked confused.

"the... not so manly friend of hers... she told me you were watching us cause you were... watching ME... but let me tell you im not like that bro..." The man said as he practically scaped from the scene. Shalimar came along and possed a hand on Brennan's chest.

"im dying to see YOU paying..." Brennan said as he left Shalimar to go to the table, now Jesse established.

"no luck uh?" Jesse laughed.

"who's next?" Brennan said in an angry tone.

"i am..." Emma said looking at the team.

End of chapter 1