QUIET CONTEMPLATION



Sanctuary seemed disquieting now for some reason. The lab was the centre of activity, and was quite loud, humming with tension. The blood was being analysed.

And that was why Claire was not in the lab.

Instead, she sat with her legs stretched out by the pool. This area was always quiet, and that was its appeal.

On her lap was the blonde cat, Amber. Claire, or rather, they had discovered the frightened cat hiding behind the waste paper basket in the bathroom. Shalimar had sensed an animal presence. Claire had taken it upon herself to take care of Amber, considering the fact she blamed herself for Natasha's abduction. She was the one to blame… not Brennan.

Despite what he thought, he was as innocent as the cat that was seated on her lap now.

Amber was purring happily, rubbing her cheek affectionately against Claire's hand. Her paws flexed and clenched gently, showing she was content, and her bushy tail was curled around her soft body.

"Who do you blame?" she asked the cat quietly, who pricked her soft ears, and glanced up at Claire with green eyes. Amber stopped purring.

Claire sighed.

"I blame me too."



Brennan was pacing like an animal in a cage, unwilling to seat himself and calm down.

It had been confirmed that the blood Claire and Shalimar had discovered belonged to Natasha. The second blood sample however, did not. It had New Mutant qualities to it, as Shalimar had suspected at the hotel.

Shalimar and Emma had left the lab a short while ago, and now only Jesse and Adam remained in his company.

He felt bad for shouting at Claire the way he had, but he had been angry, and she had said the wrong thing at the wrong time. He wanted to go and apologise, but with the way his emotions were playing up right now, he couldn't trust himself to do so effectively, without making matters worse.

He was so wrapped up in his thoughts that he didn't even hear Jesse come up behind him.

"Are you okay?"

Brennan actually jumped slightly.

He turned to see Jesse staring at him with interest.

"Oh," Brennan said, "I'm okay."

"Are you sure?" Jesse didn't seem convinced.

Why should he be? Brennan thought. I am lying after all.

Brennan simply nodded, and then sat down heavily on the lab bed.

Jesse pulled up a chair and seated himself opposite the elemental.

"Why don't you tell me about her?" Jesse suggested.

Brennan sighed. "She's great. She's pretty; she's funny; and smart too." He smiled. "She was just like me when she was a kid. She used to catch me out at my own schemes every time, and turn them against me. And she was only four at the time."

Jesse laughed quietly, glancing momentarily down at the floor, and then back up at his friend. "She sounds great."

Brennan nodded silently, sighing, his tired eyes travelling around the lab.

"Why don't you try and get some rest, huh? You haven't gotten any sleep since this all started." Jesse stood, looking Brennan straight in the eye.

Brennan was doubtful he could actually get any sleep, but nodded nevertheless. "Alright. But I'm not making any promises." He tried to smile, not really having much success in doing so.

Jesse smiled back at him, and gave him a slight nod, walking away, back over to Adam. Adam glanced over at Brennan, sighed, and shook his head.