Disclaimer: Never had and never will (sadly) own the rights to Mutant X or
any of its characters. The geniuses at Marvel Comics and Fireworks
productions own those. I do however own Charli my own personal creation.
One
Brennan couldn't concentrate. For almost a week he felt like he had ants crawling under his skin. He recognized the feeling as the same one that he had been having every year now for three years. He knew Adam was doing everything he could do to help him, but Brennan still felt that he should be doing more than just relying on Adam. Today of all days he felt like he was going to explode in a million different directions at one. He locked himself up in his room and tried to drown himself in a book. It was only partially working, sometimes causing himself to allow his mind to wander to his problem. It was getting harder to snap himself out of it as time passed.
He was sprawled out on his bed, book open, when there was a knock on his door. Brennan jumped at the sound then mentally shook himself. He was being jumpy and irrational. He needed to stay calm and focused just so that the others didn't get on him about his behavior. He sat up in bed and took a deep breath.
"Come in."
The door opened and Shalimar stepped inside slowly. She had a tentative look on her face as if she were stepping into a sensitive area. She gave him a slight smile then walked in fully, Brennan noticed that she had an envelope in her hand.
"Hey, am I interrupting?"
Brennan sighed, "Not really, can't concentrate on anything right now."
Shalimar nodded and stood there not sure what to say one hand on the doorknob the other one tapping the envelope lightly against her leg. She seemed to be deciding what to say and how.
"Look, I know its none of our business if its personal, but what's going on? You've been acting kind of weird the last couple of days," concern showed in her eyes and he kicked himself. What the others didn't notice Shalimar usually did.
"I know, its just I've had a lot on my mind," he looked down at the book that he was still holding in his hands.
"Did you want to talk about it? It might help."
"Not much to talk about, just this nagging feeling really," he looked up and gave her a reassuring smile. "Just feeling restless I guess."
"You sure?" she frowned slightly still not completely convinced.
"Yeah, really I'm fine. I might go for a ride later though just to clear my head," he said closing the book and tossing to one side. Shalimar nodded again, still tapping the envelope against her leg. Brennan smiled again gesturing at the envelope.
"You going to tell me what it is or are you going to dangle it in front of my face the entire time?"
Shalimar smiled and held it out for him, "Actually it's for you, it arrived at one of our safehouse mailboxes. No return address and the only instructions are that you be the only one to open it."
Brennan frowned lightly and took the envelope from her examining it carefully. It was mostly blank except for his name and the address of the safehouse. He turned it over and opened it and pulled out the letter inside. He read it in a glance and suddenly bolted from the bed startling Shalimar.
"What is it? What's wrong?"
"Um . . . "He stood there for a second his mind racing. "I . . . I got to go somewhere," he turned around and grabbed his coat, making sure his keys were in his pocket. "I'll be back in a few hours I promise."
Brennan shrugged on his coat and was about to run out of the room when Shalimar put a hand on his shoulder stopping him.
"Wait a minute Brennan, what's going on?"
"No time to explain," he glanced at the clock next to his bedside. "I'm going to be late, I'll contact you guys if I need help okay?"
Without another word he left the room and ran to the garage leaving Shalimar still standing in the doorway, thoroughly confused and worried.
* * *
Twenty minutes later Brennan found himself at a cemetery. In his hands he carried a bouquet of flowers, white lilies. He made his way towards the middle of the cemetery walking a path he had walked a dozen times before but hadn't done so in a long time. When he got close to where his final destination was he stopped.
In front of the grave he was heading towards, stood a young woman. She was tall about 5'8" with longish wavy hair that was dark brown in color like his own. She was standing in profile showing her elegantly carved features that reminded him so much of their mom, the person that they were here to visit. Brennan watched her for a moment then walked over to the grave and stood by her side.
"You got my message."
One
Brennan couldn't concentrate. For almost a week he felt like he had ants crawling under his skin. He recognized the feeling as the same one that he had been having every year now for three years. He knew Adam was doing everything he could do to help him, but Brennan still felt that he should be doing more than just relying on Adam. Today of all days he felt like he was going to explode in a million different directions at one. He locked himself up in his room and tried to drown himself in a book. It was only partially working, sometimes causing himself to allow his mind to wander to his problem. It was getting harder to snap himself out of it as time passed.
He was sprawled out on his bed, book open, when there was a knock on his door. Brennan jumped at the sound then mentally shook himself. He was being jumpy and irrational. He needed to stay calm and focused just so that the others didn't get on him about his behavior. He sat up in bed and took a deep breath.
"Come in."
The door opened and Shalimar stepped inside slowly. She had a tentative look on her face as if she were stepping into a sensitive area. She gave him a slight smile then walked in fully, Brennan noticed that she had an envelope in her hand.
"Hey, am I interrupting?"
Brennan sighed, "Not really, can't concentrate on anything right now."
Shalimar nodded and stood there not sure what to say one hand on the doorknob the other one tapping the envelope lightly against her leg. She seemed to be deciding what to say and how.
"Look, I know its none of our business if its personal, but what's going on? You've been acting kind of weird the last couple of days," concern showed in her eyes and he kicked himself. What the others didn't notice Shalimar usually did.
"I know, its just I've had a lot on my mind," he looked down at the book that he was still holding in his hands.
"Did you want to talk about it? It might help."
"Not much to talk about, just this nagging feeling really," he looked up and gave her a reassuring smile. "Just feeling restless I guess."
"You sure?" she frowned slightly still not completely convinced.
"Yeah, really I'm fine. I might go for a ride later though just to clear my head," he said closing the book and tossing to one side. Shalimar nodded again, still tapping the envelope against her leg. Brennan smiled again gesturing at the envelope.
"You going to tell me what it is or are you going to dangle it in front of my face the entire time?"
Shalimar smiled and held it out for him, "Actually it's for you, it arrived at one of our safehouse mailboxes. No return address and the only instructions are that you be the only one to open it."
Brennan frowned lightly and took the envelope from her examining it carefully. It was mostly blank except for his name and the address of the safehouse. He turned it over and opened it and pulled out the letter inside. He read it in a glance and suddenly bolted from the bed startling Shalimar.
"What is it? What's wrong?"
"Um . . . "He stood there for a second his mind racing. "I . . . I got to go somewhere," he turned around and grabbed his coat, making sure his keys were in his pocket. "I'll be back in a few hours I promise."
Brennan shrugged on his coat and was about to run out of the room when Shalimar put a hand on his shoulder stopping him.
"Wait a minute Brennan, what's going on?"
"No time to explain," he glanced at the clock next to his bedside. "I'm going to be late, I'll contact you guys if I need help okay?"
Without another word he left the room and ran to the garage leaving Shalimar still standing in the doorway, thoroughly confused and worried.
* * *
Twenty minutes later Brennan found himself at a cemetery. In his hands he carried a bouquet of flowers, white lilies. He made his way towards the middle of the cemetery walking a path he had walked a dozen times before but hadn't done so in a long time. When he got close to where his final destination was he stopped.
In front of the grave he was heading towards, stood a young woman. She was tall about 5'8" with longish wavy hair that was dark brown in color like his own. She was standing in profile showing her elegantly carved features that reminded him so much of their mom, the person that they were here to visit. Brennan watched her for a moment then walked over to the grave and stood by her side.
"You got my message."