Shalimar stood to her feet and walked from the room, she was bothered. She couldn't say why she was bothered so much. She was happy that Emma and Adam have grown close together. Like a father and daughter. Just as herself and Adam had become since she first met him when she was fifteen and looking for a home. Jesse and Brennan felt the same way about Adam as she did. So why did it brother her so much that Emma and Adam were so much closer than herself and Adam? Why did she want to tear Emma limb to limb whenever she saw her and Adam together?

She sighed as she walked towards the room where she practiced her fighting skills. She had to work off some bent up emotions before she exploded. She didn't want to say anything that she would later regret. She didn't want to deal with her emotions ... not with Emma and not with Adam. She felt ashamed of how she felt. She felt like her father had chosen his other child over her. Like she wasn't good enough, gifted enough for his love any longer.

She walked up the steps and began to slowly do her yoga. It always soothed her troubled soul, she sighed as she thought of the first time that she worked with Emma on her fighting skills. Emma had non to speak of, so Shalimar decided to teach the new girl yoga. It had been relaxing and Emma had caught on very quickly and that was how the two young women bonded. But than Adam had walked into the room and she had felt excluded when Adam and Emma simply just looked at one another.

She winced suddenly as she felt a muscle twitch. She sighed deeply as she tried to control her breathing. Was was wrong with her that day?

"Shal ..." A low voice broke into her intense thoughts.

She kept her eyes closed as she felt her anger rise to the surface. It wouldn't do to show any anger here, it would just complicate things. She didn't want any complication here. Not with her family. Not over these pointless emotions.

A soft hand rested on her right shoulder. She felt her soul rip into a millions of pieces and she felt a soft tear roll down her right check. She felt a light finger brush her check. She swallowed around the lump in her thoart as she tried to fight the sobs that wanted to burst forth. She kept her eyes closed. She couldn't bare to open them and look at ...

"What's wrong, Shal?" Emma's voice whispered in her ear as she felt Emma take a seat next to her.

She tried to move away from Emma, but her body wouldn't go where her brain was screaming for it to go. She just remained where she was sitting with her eyes closed as more and more tears fell. She felt Emma wrap her arms around her and pull her into her for a tight hug. She felt her arms move on their own and wrap themselves up and over Emma's arms so she could pull the other woman even closer to her. She laid her head against Emma's as she sobbed.

She finally opened her eyes and she managed to pull away. But Emma reached up and touched her shoulder once more. "What's the matter, Shally?" She whispered.

Shalimar quickly wiped away the remaining tears as she brushed Emma's hand from her shoulder, she quickly stood to her feet. She almost feel sideways; but she managed to catch herself. She moved away from Emma, "It's nothing." She said in a guff voice.

Emma stood to her feet slowly and just stared at her friend, who was more like a sister.

"Really, Emma, it's nothing." Shalimar said again as she shrugged her shoulders and tossed her head firmly up.

"I don't believe you," Emma said softly. "I wish you would trust in me enough to tell me." She shook her head. "I wish you would allow me access to your feelings."

Shalimar felt her eyes widen. "You wouldn't dare." She said in voice of steel.

"I promised you guys that I wouldn't feel you without your permission.:" Emma said. "I keep my promises." She didn't realize that her voice had harden. That her eyes had darken.

Shalimar sighed. "I'm sorry Emma." She said in a softer voice but still with hardness laced in. She sighed deeply, "I'm just in a ticked off mood is all."

"It's more than that, you don't break down the way you did when you are ticked." Emma said taking a few steps closer to Shalimar. But she stopped in her tracks as Shalimar's body language screamed 'don't come nearer'. "Why are you pushing me away?"

Shalimar's right eye brow raised high on her forehead. But before she could open her mouth to reply Brennan and Jesse walked into the room, dressed for a work out. She walked back Emma and down the stairs and out of the room without saying one word the boys.

"What the hell is the matter with her?" Brennan asked after he had watched her leave the room and turned and stared with a non plus look on his face up at Emma.

Emma sighed, "I don't know."

Jesse had kept his eyes firmly on Emma as Shalimar had walked down the stairs and towards him and Brennan. He didn't watch Shalimar leave the room without a word to them, he was too engrossed in Emma's eyes. "Did you get a feeling off of her?" He asked softly after he walked away from Brennan and stopped in front of his friend.

"She wouldn't allow access." Emma said with a sigh. She wrapped her arms across her waist. She bit her lip, "I wish she would trust me enough to allow me completely in ..."

Jesse's right hand went to the back of his head, "Shalimar doesn't let anyone all the way in. Not even Adam." He shook his head. "None of us do." He looked at Emma with a soft sad smile, "Expect for you of course."

Brennan walked up to his two friends and looked back at the door way. "Think I should go find out what's troubling her?"

"Brennan, Shal just wants to be left alone right now is all." Emma said with a shake of her head.

Brennan turned and looked Emma in the eyes. "So what's her read?" He asked in a knowing voice.

"She wouldn't let me have access, so I didn't get a reading off of her." Emma sighed as she herself looked at the now empty door. "I wish she would trust me." She whispered.

"We all know that something is bugging her, I think that it would do her a world of good if you did just do a quick jaunt in her emotional bank." Brennan said with a slight frown on his mouth, he walked to the center of the platform and began to stretch over his head. "If I had your powers, Emma," he sighed.

He had stopped talking because he saw Emma's glare at him. He thought it would be best not to go into the whole abusing your powers issue that Emma had. Well he shared her views, now. But when he first learned how to control his powers all he wanted was whatever he could grab. That's what got him in trouble with the law in the first place. But ever since meet Adam and the team, he had softened and actually allowed his little boy to come out and run his life once more. Sides today was Emma's birthday and he didn't want to destroy what ever happiness she had found. Shalimar successfully did the job herself.

"Thanks for the birthday cake, Jesse." Emma said placing a gentle hand on Jesse's right for arm. "I had never had a birthday cake in my life."

Brennan stopped dead in his stretching moves as he simply stared wide eyed at the woman to the right of him. So that's why this birthday meant so much for her. He didn't even buy her a gift. Oh God he blew it big time. At least Jesse had baked her a cake.

"It was my pleasure, I'm happy that you liked it so much." Jesse said as pleasure coarse d through his body once more.

Emma moved away and walked down the steps and from the room she had work to do and she didn't want to disappoint Adam. Even though he had told her earlier that she could take the day off – seeing how it was her birthday – she still felt like she owed it him and the team to keep a sharp eye out for any mutants who desperately needed saving.

End Part Two